Tags
beach, California, Dana Point, fitness, moment, New year, Orange County, resolutions, The Strands, waves
There are a few things I’m committed to working on in this New Year. One of those is physical fitness. I am working diligently to stay active and fit as we dive into what could be the most thrilling, suspenseful, stressful and rewarding season of our life!
Yesterday I started my run at one of my frequent spot’s and favorite beaches in Orange County; The Strands. This is a great beach for working out because it is impossible to avoid the mountains of stairs which leave my hamstrings burning for days! It also has a long boardwalk right along the beach that’s great for maintaining a steady jog and motivating scenery to say the least!
I found a steady pace down the stairs and around the corner to the boardwalk and was greeted with massive waves crashing in and rushing all the way up to the rock barrier between the boardwalk and what normally would be the sandy beach. People were crowding the board walk watching the “tide roll in.” Surfers were taking advantage of the killer waves and as far as the eye could see they bobbed around decorating the ocean with specs of color, waiting to catch their moment. I love people watching but I’m not particularly fond of people watching me, especially during a work out. So, I continued my jog down the path to a less occupied stair case to really challenge my quads!
I was only at the Strands for a 30 minute workout but during my time I was reminded of yet another one of my goals for 2012. I am challenging myself to be proactive in every situation. When I see a problem, I want to offer my best to solve it. I want my name to always be associated with the solution and not the problem. I want to respond quickly and not be limited by lack of knowledge, fear or self-doubt. This resolution applies to relationships, church planting, social justice, parenting and truthfully just about every arena of life.
Why did my run inspire this magnitude of self-reflection? I’m glad you asked! 🙂 You see, as I ran back down the stairs to the boardwalk I noticed several groups of people chattering and watching a particular area of the beach. As a professional people watcher, I’ve also become a great eve’s dropper (*shamed to say.) I overheard everyone talking about one of the large trash cans that had just been swept out to sea by a massive wave. There were comments like, “I sure hope there wasn’t trash in that trash can,” “that can’t be good for the environment,” “I hope someone can get that can.”
Sure enough, there was a huge black trash can being tossed over and under by the waves. Then I noticed a cute young lady in a dress take off her shoes and hand them to her friend to make her way down the beach and into the tumultuous waves to retrieve the trash can and bring it to safety.
I realize that unless you are an environmentalist, this is not the greatest rescue story. However; this situation made me realize how often we like to talk about problems but rarely do we decide to take off our shoes, wade into the mess and solve them! I believe one of the greatest things that this generation has going for us is our increased awareness to the world around us. I also believe it is one of our biggest vice’s. I watch so many people who want to talk about the problems in the world; in the church, in the economy, and are willing to voice their thoughts and opinions to anyone who will listen using every form of social media available. Sadly a very small percentage are willing to shut their mouths, silence their posts and actually “DO” something!
There were ton’s of people on the boardwalk yesterday who were surprised by the giant wave that whisked the trash can into the sea. There were many who were concerned. Everyone was talking about it. ONE lady took off her shoes and did something about it!
Which one are you? Do you find yourself constantly with something to say about the latest issue or social injustice but paralyzed with fear of actually taking a step or investing the funds to make a difference yourself? Do you tend to find all the things that are wrong with your current environment to complain about or do you find solutions to make it better? I don’t know about you but I don’t want my life to be full of a bunch of talk with little action to back it up! I’m determined to be proactive this year in every area of my life so that every moment I have makes a difference! What about you?
I’d love to hear your thoughts and resolutions.
XOXO
Meghan