Restarting is even harder

 I've been staring at this blank page for days...weeks.  I've wanted to restart but have struggled with how.  And it's not just this blog I'm struggling to restart.  I have been feeling stuck lately.  So I've been reaching to find a way to light that flame again. 

Bare with me - this is going to be a rambler of a post!

I listened to an audio book recently that really hit home.  Not only that, but it tied my past to my present, and offered me a way to tie together these empty buckets I've been wanting to fill.  The book?  Yes, it is "You are An Ironman" by Jaques Steinberg.  While it may be "just another Ironman book" to most of you, it captures everyday athletes training for Ironman Arizona 2009, which is an event I've completed.  All that gets even better by the mention of other events I was actually participating in at the time.  CapTex Tri, Austin Tri, Vineman 70.3, Ironman Coeur d'Alene - it was like walking back in time.  It was reliving a very special time in my life.  I've listened to it more than I care to admit. 

So here I am, staring at blank pages, stuck.  It's not that things are going badly - I mean, for it being 2020 I really don't have anything to complain about (i.e. job, health, family, friends, etc.).  But the pandemic has really heightened my emptiness.  Times like these are good for exposing the good and the not-so-good.  Very much a period of reflection and evaluation.  And I'm coming up short. 

Back to the book - it was right in front of my face!  Three of the areas I've been struggling with were bundled up right there on the pages being read into my ear.  Aside from the annoying way the narrator pronounces "tri-a-tha-lon" I couldn't help but listen because the characters in the book were giving me the recipe I needed. 

1. Triathlon - I want to get out of retirement and back to it but I've had a hard time with motivation and (again) restarting.  Here they were preparing for their first Ironman events - got my juices flowing. 

2. Giving Back - I'm in an area with many, many opportunities to give back, but again I've struggled to find what grabs me.  Several of the individuals in the book were tying in their events with fundraising efforts.  I can do that!

3. Writing - My witty little LinkedIn posts have garnered positive feedback and really has been the impetus for me wanting to write again.  And as you've figured, the characters in the book were also journaling/blogging.  This is it!

So here I am, staring at a less blank page than I was when I started.  And now I have a plan - tie my return to training to a fundraising effort and use my LinkedIn and other social media networks to deliver my story and hopefully raise funds to support a cause.  

I don't have details...and I don't need them today.  All I need to do today is start, and that's what I have done.  I hope you'll follow me on my journey.  Or don't...but I'm going anyway!