Streeeeetch yourself!

So I've heard it said that you never know how far you can go or what you can do until you stretch yourself to your limits. We seem to question our potential and say, "I could never do that," or at least, "it would take a lot of work to do that." It's true. It does require work, but there isn't any substitute for good ol' sweaty hard work. I think it's sad that our society has degenerated, to a degree, to the point where hard work is looked down upon as uncivilized, innefficient, or as a poor use of time. It's true that often there are simpler and easier ways to do things, but life isn't just about getting things done, now is it? There is locked inside of all of us somewhere, a yearning to stretch our abilities and reach beyond our known capacity. To reach up to the sky and touch the stars. That light has dimmed in many of us, who's hopes and dreams were once bright until we sought not after them. Slowly, the light fades into the darkness, being lost in the unknown corners of our souls, never to be found again, or to remain dormant until another's light comes along to bring light to those forlorn corners and rekindle that flame within us.

Lord! We know what we are, but know not what we may be.
- Shakespeare

I did not mean to start off on such a tangent. I was merely reflecting upon yesterday's experience with my roommate Steve. He somehow convinced me Friday evening to get up with him early and run for 13 miles, which would far surpass any amount of consecutive miles I've run in the past. I had run about six miles on Monday and another six on Thursday and I knew it probably wasn't proper preparation for such a task which required over twice the amount of time and endurance. We started at our house and made our way past parks, the freeway, and the river until we came to the lake. We didn't stop there, though. We ran out onto a rock bar that stretched into the lake until it stopped and we came face to face with the water. There wasn't anywhere else to go. At this realization I felt a sense of satisfaction and joy come over me that I haven't felt for a long time. That soon wore off though, as I realized about a mile later that we still had five and a half left to go. We eventually made it back to the house and I immediately showered. I hadn't taken a cold shower for well over two years when I was serving an LDS mission in Thailand. I continued to sweat even after a freezing cold shower and didn't stop until 30 minutes after arriving at work. Gross. I know. Anyways, that was my cool experience of the weekend. It's amazing what you can get from pondering about such a simple experience. It just takes time and ... work.