First of all, it’s an exercise of the mind. Exercise is where I confront limiting thought loops and break broken soundtracks (thank you Jon Acuff) that tell me terrible things: I’m a quitter, I’m lazy, I won’t stick with it, everyone else is stronger.

The first huge shift was when I learned that I am not victim to that voice. So I learn to catch the thought, and decide it’s not the kind of thing anyone should have to listen to.

Instead I loop new truth: I am strong enough. I’m well prepared. I rise to a challenge and I finish strong. And as I adopt that mindset, it becomes true. The mindset determines my course. I might want to quit ten times within the span of a workout, but I don’t. And every time I don’t quit, I am less a quitter. Every time I finish strong, I confirm to myself that those whispers that tell me I’m weak? They just aren’t true.

You know that deathly whisper? The one that tells you terrible things about yourself? If you’re hearing it, it might be exactly because you are already on the right track. It doesn’t take much temptation to lead you astray if you’re already astray, or to keep you from getting started in the first place. Resistance never stopped anyone from going downhill; it’s quite a smooth slide in that direction.

Rather, resistance (thank you Steven Pressfield) confronts those who are moving onward, upward, forward, on the path toward exactly where they want to be. If the dark whispers are trying to hold you back, they’re trying to keep you stuck, spinning out right where you are. Remind yourself they are wrong about you.

When we put ourselves in a place to willingly confront the worst that’s within, we are positioned to grow past it.

Breaking the habits of the mind takes practice, but over time, the new soundtrack will take hold.

When I’m running, every step can become a chance to break out of the dark and reinforce the rhythm of what is true, kind, helpful, worthy, and good.