Along the route

Running the Disney World Princess Half Marathon this past weekend taught me several valuable leadership lessons:

1. The fireworks go off at the beginning, not the end. Celebrate the start as much as you celebrate the finish.

2. Anticipation may lead you to doubt that your preparation and training have been sufficient. Trust that your body knows what to do.

3. It’s okay to slow down, to pause, and to adjust your pace in order to make the experience more enjoyable, and more sustainable, for yourself.

4. Don’t forget to take a look around and appreciate the people who are on the journey alongside you.

5. At some point along the way, know that your “𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘵” turns into “𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵,” which eventually becomes “𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘪𝘵.” The magic of this growth and evolution is always within you. You need only have the courage to try and focus on putting one foot in front of the other.