What if it’s easy?

So I'm training for this half marathon, right?

Fullest disclosure: I'm very ready for November 12th to be here already. Not as far as my training goes, I definitely still need the whole next month to pull it together. But I didn't realize just how much of my life training would take up, and I'm kinda ready to have that time back. 

(Also yes, I'm so sorry that this is about running.)

On those long morning runs, when I'm over it and just want to get back into bed, my mantra is “we can do hard things”. After my first race, I bought myself a running tank with that phrase on it to keep me reminded of it. Recently, though, my friend April has been challenging that mantra with one of her own:

What if it's easy?

What if the hard things weren't hard at all? What if following your dream is like climbing a mountain, but you're an Olympic mountain climber? What if achieving your goals is like wrestling a lion, but you're a professional lion tamer?

I was not having a good time on my long run the other week. I was in pain, I was tired, I was nearly overheating (Thanks Florida), but around mile 5 I just started asking myself “what if it's easy?” I noticed my back get a little taller, my form get a little better, and my pace… well I finished the run and that's what counts. 

If I'm being entirely honest, it's been a hard couple of months around the bakery. Ask any small business owner in town and they'll affirm that it's been a sloooooow summer. I'm looking at that, and looking at what's ahead through the end of the year, and it feels hard. But I've started asking myself that same question - what if it's easy?

Maybe it's a little bit delusional. I'm more than willing to admit it! But maybe it's believing in yourself deeper than you have. Maybe it's unlocking that part of you that's ALWAYS been able to do it, because for that part of you, it's easy.

I've got a lot of big events coming up - three in one weekend, Indie Flea, another popup - oh, and the half marathon thrown in there somewhere. But instead of freaking out about it, I'm choosing to repeat over and over to myself:

What if it's easy?