Wanted: One Fairy Godmother...

So, because my name is Anela, I'm the only girl in my family, have three brothers, and consequently, got stuck doing the bulk of the cooking and cleaning when I was a kid, my family has jokingly referred to me as "Cinder-Anela" for many years now.  I am totally okay with this nickname; I just wish it came with the Fairy Godmother, Handsome Prince, beautiful dress, awesome shoes, and domestic rodents to help a girl out when she gets behind on her chores...

So, I've been thinking a lot about the story of Cinderella this week.  Especially the part about the Fairy Godmother.  I like that part.  Who doesn't? She comes along with her magic wand, sings "bippity, boppity boo" and BAM!  Cinderella has a fabulous one-of-a-kind dress, killer designer shoes, and a sweet ride to the Ball.

Last week I blogged about being a WINNER or a WHINER.  I had this great epiphany about exercising and life, wrote it all down, and was totally pumped to start living my new life as a WINNER.  I got up Monday morning, bright and early, and went running.  WINNER.  I got up Wednesday morning, bright and early, and went running.  WINNER again!  Friday morning...I hit the snooze button and went back to sleep. Uh oh.  I was back to being a WHINER.  Saturday morning...same thing.  Sleep.  No running.  WHINER again!  How could I have lost my motivation when it was so strong earlier in the week?!?

So, instead of simply getting out of bed and getting moving, I laid there, wishing for a Fairy Godmother who would come and bestow upon me the desire to run, who would magically transform my jiggly body to a super-toned running machine, who would give me energy to wake in the wee sma's of the morning, make me resistant to the heat of the summer, and basically, force my lazy butt out on the road.  I mean, really.  Having a Fairy Godmother would totally take the pressure off of me.  My only job would be to lay around and be...deserving.  And she would come along and do all the work and transform me into my dream--a RUNNER.  A WINNER.

Then I started thinking more about the movie.  More about Cinderella's life.  Here she was, stuck doing all the chores while her step-mother and step-sisters lazed around all day.  In fact, before the Fairy Godmother had come along to help her out, Cinderella has washed the floors, done the laundry, and finished all of the other cleaning and such.  All on her own (well, with a little bit of help from the mice).  The Fairy Godmother only came along after Cinderella's cruel step-mother and step-sisters had robbed her of her dress to wear to the ball--AFTER Cinderella had done all that she could to fulfill her own dream.

So, I guess the Fairy Godmother didn't do that much work, after all.  All along, it was Cinderella who put in the time and effort, day in and day out.  She worked for years before she finally got her Happily Ever After with Prince Charming.  She spent much of her life working to become the woman who the Prince fell in love with.  Her dream was all her own.  The Fairy Godmother just came along and spruced her up so she was ready to find her place in her new life.

I've learned a lot from Cinderella.

This morning, my alarm went off only three and a half hours after I had gone to sleep.  Of all days, this was one where I could have found justification in hitting snooze and going back to sleep.  And yet, I didn't.  I got up, get my gear on, and went out for a run.  The combination of the heat (it was already 90º outside at 5:30 am) and my sleep deprivation resulted in what was not my best run, by far.  But I went.  I toughed it out.  This morning, I was a WINNER.


As I ran, I thought about all of these things. I realized that no Fairy Godmother is coming to wave her magic wand and "make" me into a RUNNER.  If I want to be a RUNNER, then, by jove, I'm going to have to get out there and make it happen.  Like Cinderella, I'm going to have to work day in and day out for years.  I'm going to have to make it happen in spite of the "step-mothers" and "step-sisters" of the world who will think that being a RUNNER is not something I can achieve.  

While I am still far from being a perfect WINNER, and have plenty of WHINER days, I am proud of the fact that, in spite of my WHINING moments, I keep coming back to the desire to get out there and run.  I may go for days, weeks, or even months without running.  But I keep coming back to it.  I keep finding myself wanting to be a RUNNER.  This brings to mind a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson.  He said, "That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing itself has changed, but that our power to do is increased."

And so, I persist.  As often as I can.  I work each day to try and overcome mental and physical blocks;  I lace up my shoes and I go run.

One of these days, maybe my Fairy Godmother will show up.  But I hope she finds an empty house...because that will mean that I'm out for a run.  Cinder-Anela.  Taking control of my own destiny.