My son cheering me on at the end
of my half marathon last spring.

I just got home from my littlest’s school’s Jump Rope for Heart event and I’m feeling inspired. Those first graders certainly know more about encouraging and motivating their friends than most adults I know. Everyone needs to be encouraged and motivated – not just with running or jump roping – but with life in general.

As I checked in at the school office, a few of the kids said “Hey Emily’s Mom – I saw you running!” Another mom laughed since, yes, she knows I run (a lot). It is strange to think that I could motivate and encourage someone else to get active. I’m not a professional athlete or coach. Goodness knows I’ve struggled with a healthy lifestyle myself. But, people I know well and others just a little have all mentioned that my running encourages them to get moving. It could be they see me all over town and just want to run the other way! But really though – I suppose it is the whole idea of “Hey if she can do it and I’m kinda like her (wife, mothers, employee, laundry folder…) then maybe I can to?

And I say to them – yes you can do it to!

I’ve had good friends encourage me to be better and work toward goals so its only natural that I’d want to pass that same feeling along to others. But, not everyone wants to be encouraged or motivated the same way. Our coach at the gym this morning was saying he takes a different style with different people. Some like the music pumping and loud, others need someone to yell and push them with their last heavy set, while others (like myself) need to know I’m doing it right and my form is good. I love the end of a race where you have your friends and family cheering – you pick up the speed just a tad bit more because of that energy they provide.

Back to the first graders. When you are six everything is a game and fun. But I could tell from some of the kids cycling through my jump rope line that they were uncertain. This was new and they needed someone to encourage them and give them the outline of what was going to happen and then cheer them on. Knowing what was coming helped them tackle the challenge. And first graders can count. We got the group counting each rep of the rope. Some kids couldn’t jump once. Others seemed to have no problem doing 20 reps. The best part of the activity station I was working at was that the kids cheered on their friend who was up at the rope. And everyone jumped. But everyone motivated their friends to try. The kid who couldn’t jump one got the biggest cheers when they jumped twice. Everyone was excited and having fun together. In the end, it really isn’t about who finished first or did the most reps, but its about becoming better together, wherever you are in your journey.