toDAy AgAiNst My HEARts DEsiRE, i wENt foR A RuN outsidE. it wAs A bALMy 20 dEgREEs outsidE. ANd tHougH i didN't go FAR, i FELt EvERy stEp As My fEEt tRuDgEd tHRougH sNowBANks ANd stRAiNEd foR tRActioN oN tHE icy suRfAcE of coMpActEd sNow. My NosE stARtEd RuNNiNg iMMEdiAtELy. My tHRoAt buRNEd ANd My cHEst AcHEd iN tHE bittiNg EMbRAcE of tHE bittER coLd. ApRoxiMAtELy EvERy sEvEN sEcoNds i sERiousLy coNtEMpLAtEd quittiNg, coNviNcEd MysELf to pREss oN, bEfoRE bowiNg to dEspAiR oNcE MoRE.
tHE HoNEst tRutH wAs i cAN sAy, witH totAL coNfidENcE is tHAt i NEvER wouLd HAvE EvER, EvER doNE it witHout My RAbbit. Not tHE vARiEty witH LoNg poiNtEd EARs, wisKERs ANd A Hop iN tHEiR stEp, but tHE otHER vARiEty, of A fAitHfuL pAcE sEttER. iN tHE RuNNiNg woRLd RAbbits, oR pAcEMAkERs, ARE oftEN usEd to HELp pusH RuNNERs to A bEttER oR fAstER tiME iN A RAcE. Now RAbbits HAvE fAMousLy bEEN usEd to HELp woRLD cLAss RuNNERs AttEMpt to sEt NEw woRLd REcoRds. iN 1954 two RAbbits wERE HuGELy iNStRuMENtAL iN HELpiNg RuNNER RogER BANNisTER bREAK tHE 4 MiNutE MiLE foR tHE fiRst tiME EvER.
Now, i wouLd Not EvER coMpARE MysELf to tHE LikEs of BANNistER, oR LAbEL MysELf A "woRLd cLAss RuNNER." i wAs Not tRyiNg to sEt A woRLd REcoRd, i WAsN't EvEN RuNNiNg ANy soRt of officiAl RAcE, yEt i HAd A RAbbit, RuNNiNg fAitHfuLLy bY My sidE, kEEpiNg pAcE, pREssiNg ME bEyoNd wHAt fElt coMfoRtAbLE, to givE My bEst. ANd tHAt MAdE ALL tHE diffERENcE, bEcAusE witHout tHE AccouNAbiLity, cHALLENgE ANd Encouragement fROM My fRiENd, tHE RAbbit, i wouLd HAvE cRAwLEd bAck in BEd, And doNE No RuNNiNg bEyoNd tHE sLigHt distANcE bEtwEEN My cAR iN tHE pARkiNg Lot ANd My officE dooR. i wouLd LovE to sAy tHAt i AM oNE of tHosE iNcREdiBLE, HypER, sELf-MotivAtEd, ENERgizER buNNy typE pEopLE tHAt AppEAR to bE coMpLEtELy sELf sufficiENt ANd ALwAys REAdy witH A "LEts go gEt 'EM!" AttitudE, but tHAt siMpLy isN't tRUE.
i HAvE bEEN iNcREdibLy HuMBLEd ovER tHE pAst fEw MoNtHS to REcogNize tHE dEptH of My NEEdiNEss. it's Not REALLy A cooL tHiNg to cLAiM to bE NEEdy, Lacking oR totALLy dEpENdENt, but tHAt coMpLEtELy tHE REALity i LivE iN. At tHE coRE of My bEiNg i kNow I Am buiLt foR RELAtioNsHip, to bE dEpENdENt oN otHERs ANd to ALLow otHERs dEpENd oN ME. of couRsE wE AREN't pERfEct, ANd wE wiLL iNEvitABLy fAiL tHosE cLosEst to us, but it's Not oNLy woRtH tHE Risk, i tHiNk it is EssEntiAL if wE ARE to LivE As We HAvE BEEN cREAtEd to.
tHERE ARE MucH biGGER ANd MoRE iMpoRtANt tHiNgs tHAN gEttiNg up ANd goiNg out oN a sHoRt RuN iN tHE MiddLE of tHE fRozEN tuNdRA, tHERE ARE biG RAcEs to RuN, ANd A tHE bLEssiNg of A LifE to bE LivEd out. i WANt to LivE LifE wELL, to stEp out of My coMfoRt zoNE, to tAkE Risks, to tRy NEW tHiNgs, to HopE fOR tHE iMpossiBLE, to dREAM biG, to bE boLd, to HAvE A tEAchABLE HEARt, ANd to jouRNEy ALoNgsidE otHERs, to do LifE witH pEOpLE. to RuN tHAt typE of RAcE, i kNow i'LL NEEd soME RAbbits, pEopLE tHAt wiLL pusH ME to givE it My ALL, cHALLENgE ME to gROw, ENcouRAgE ME to HopE/dREAM/bELiEvE/cREAtE/go just A LittLE fuRthER, pEoPLE wHo woN't LEt ME quit. ANd i ANticipAtE tHAt soME of tHE gREAtEst BLessiNgs iN tHis LifE wiLL bE WHEN i gEt tHE pRiviLEgE of doiNg tHAt foR otHERs.
oH tHE couNtLEss bLEssiNgs of A RAbbit.
