Choosing to begin
Oh, hi friends!
Yesterday was the greatest day of the year in New York. Thirty-four thousand people ran the marathon!
As Colin and I cheered around the mile 22 marker (go Matt and Leah!!), I thought about what it takes to get to the start of a race. You choose to train. You choose to say yes. You choose to keep your eyes on the goal. You choose to do a hard thing.
On the sidelines, I saw a man waiting anxiously for a runner, his arm outstretched with a selfie stick. When a young woman ran by he hollered and ran alongside her, filming along the way. It was his daughter.
I saw seasoned marathoners and first-timers, and thousands of people lining the streets shouting the names pinned to their shirts, and “Keep going,” “You’re doing it,” “GO GET IT.” The runners would smile or nod or dig deep or pick up their pace a bit.
It’s the greatest day of the year because we get to witness people who chose to start and are choosing to finish.
They remind us what it looks like to commit — not only to running, but to whatever might appear hard or insurmountable in our own lives.
Keep going, they say. And we will.
Over the time you’ve being acting, has your approach changed, evolved?
Every time I get on now, I stand in the wings for five minutes before the curtain goes up to listen to the audience. To get energized by the fact that it’s a new audience every night. And [that] somebody important to me — and I’ll name them — is in the audience. So that I have a reason to be nervous and energized.
Loved this profile of 97-year-old Chicago actor Mike Nussbaum, who has a ritual for working on stage.
A helpful idea: Naming who you’re doing it for before you begin.
Hi, oh look, it’s me after daylight saving time ends. I'm sad about the 4:30 sunsets, but also it's time to finally add to cart all those cozy sweaters and fire up the tea kettle. I forgot there are like 37 books I want to read right! away! Is this what they call a silver lining?
And if you’re new here (hi friends from The Daily Good!) my name is Kara and I hope these encouraging emails might help you a bit with whatever you’re working on or dreaming about this season. Say hi anytime!
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Thanks, as always, for reading.
Love, Kara