Originally Published on October 21, 2013
Hello my little goblins!
I am settling back into NYC after 5 weeks of traveling for work and it is fabulous to be back in this vibrant city. While it was absolutely amazing to see so many states in such a short time, I am feeling grounded here at home – especially with the NYC marathon less than two weeks away!
Each day as I learn, grow and experience, I keep in mind the “three c’s”:
Curiosity
Courage
Compassion
As we move through life, we encounter new moments. Even though I was taught to ask questions and explore (thanks to my family and Montessori school!), I can sometimes find myself judging. This is where curiosity comes into play. When I come across something out of my “norm”, I attempt to yield to curiosity and to investigate these feelings.
Training for the marathon is a mix of curiosity as well as courage. Run 26.2 miles? Should I join the few percent that have actually done this? Sounded intense and a bit scary! When I started training last year, I waited several months to start fundraising and even register for the race. “Trying to train” was my party line and though I knew I had the tenacity and dedication, I truly had no idea if my body would hold up after all it had been through. As each of the 18 weeks went by, my body – and mind – grew stronger. I integrated my running with barre, yoga, spin and various bootcamps – I was providing my body with the tools it needed to succeed. But, did I know if it indeed would succeed? Not at all. I gathered the courage to simply try – just as I gathered the courage to fiercely face my cancer. Of course, there are the ups and downs of training and survivorship -- enter: compassion. I have always been hard of myself – I can often feel like I’m not “doing enough” or could’ve done something “better”. Training for the marathon as well as my experience with cancer has taught me that it’s OK to veer from the set schedule and to listen to my body – and, most importantly, to have compassion for myself, regardless of the situation.
I invite you all to use the “three c’s” to guide you through your incredible lives. Here are my favorite quotes that reference each of the “c”s from some pretty brilliant individuals:
“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” – Walt Disney
“You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” – Christopher Columbus
“Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.” – Albert Einstein
http://mskcc.convio.net/goto/laurchichi
Compassionately Yours,
Lauren (Chi)