Overcome Obstacles on Course and in Life

I see a lot of children in my and my most favorite part about their visits, well besides adjusting them, is to ask them about their day. One of my favorite 5-year-olds came in last week and when I asked him what he had done so far that day, he began to tell me about an obstacle course that he built that morning. It sounded something like "I had to run around this, jump over that, crawl under this and climb through that to the finish." 

Didn't you just love obstacle courses as a child?!!!

I think that childhood love for obstacle courses has lead the Warrior Dash event to have such great success around the country. I know most of you have heard about the 26,000 people that gathered at the Genessee County Fairgrounds a couple weekends ago for the 5K obstacle course. I am also pretty sure that most of you heard about the guy that dove head first into a two foot deep mud pit that led to paralysis. It is always so unfortunate when there are injuries and I cannot imagine what prompted him to do that. I pray for his healing.

When the Warrior Dash comes around again next year, I am sure we will have to hear about the horrible injury that happened, however we also need to remember the rest of the 26,000 of us that left there unharmed and had a blast.

The course was incredibly challenging, but was designed for the majority to find success. There were cars to climb over, tires to run through, huge walls to climb over, a lake to walk through, huge mud pits to trudge through, fire to jump over, cargo nets to climb over, barbed wire to crawl under amongst a lot of other things.  I remember being at the top of those walls thinking to myself "this is really dangerous what I am doing right now". 

The obstacles on the course were metaphorical for the obstacles that arise in life.  Sometimes we need to get over things, sometimes we need to find a way to ground ourselves and cruise under the radar and sometimes we need find the strength within to plow right through the middle. Part of the challenge is trying to find the best way to facilitate ease through every obstacle we are faced with.  During the race, I found some really exhausting moments, really painful moments, really happy moments, I made a new friend, I saw some familiar faces, I was supported and encouraged by strangers, I was content, I was lonely, I was peaceful, I was regretful, I was surprised, I laughed, I cried, I wanted to throw up, I was thirsty, I was hungry, I was nervous, I was excited...but most of all I WAS ALIVE!!!  Being on those obstacles meant being completely present to the moment and knowing that there was eminent danger really heightens the senses.  What a great way to live!!! 

I am sure most of you have someone in your life that participated in the Warrior Dash. Are you intrigued by this race?  I bet it's that little child inside of you, like that 5-year-old in my office last week, that loves the idea of obstacle courses.  Tap into that child energy...and you will really start LIVING LIFE!!!