Although I don’t keep a daily journal, when I was told about a special and inspiring campaign about personal growth, intentions, and motivation I was IN.  Just in time as people’s New Year’s resolutions start to wane and become a source of frustration and doubt, Boston-based New Balance comes in with “Letters To My Future Self” which launches today, January 17, 2017. They’re sharing powerful words written by athletes who open their personal goals and values that drive them forward on their journeys in life. You can read about their inspiration, and even see short films about them, but most importantly, there’s a small but truly powerful way you can commit to yourself this year – write your own letter to your future self.  You’re your own best coach, folks. I’m sharing my letter below and invite you to join me in participating!

As Chris Davis, New Balance VP of Global Marketing says, these letters are inspiring because they inspire people everywhere to “unrelentingly pursue the best version of their future self.” Would you like to meet the best version of you? I think so! Take a moment to consider, to redefine your ambition, purpose, and motivation.

If you’ve been tuning in to my Insta Stories, you may have noticed that I’m currently reading Gabby Bernstein’s “The Universe Has Your Back” which has a journaling component. She writes about FEAR and how that simple 4 letter word can be tremendously powerful to hold you back from what you actually CAN do. Her solution? Choose LOVE, and choose again every time that you give in to fear. Part of this campaign is about solidarity, but also about realizing your fears (say, HI fear, acknowledge it and why it is there) and then turning it into a motivating factor to transform your current state of being, your mindset and to run after your dreams. Words are powerful, so use these tools to lift yourself up.

Who are the athletes/inspiring individuals featured in Letters to My Future Self? 

Boris Berian, Team New Balance athlete who went from a fast food line cook to an Olympic finalist and World Champion runner in 18 months!

Alexis Sablone, a female X Games Gold medalist, MIT graduate/architect

Milos Raonic, tennis champion and Team New Balance athlete

and you and me!

You all know that I am heartily a New England gal, so I’ve done a little bit of research to find out about New Balance beyond shopping for running shoes or gear! As it turns out, they have 5 factories in New England  and one in the U.K. meaning that they’re really a New England company, keeping jobs close to home. Thumbs up.

I’m really happy to have done this small, defining activity and I truly hope you will take a few moments (don’t be intimidated – this didn’t take long, but it can if you want it to be a deep, personal activity) to write a Letter to Your Future Self. 

I’m sharing my letter

Ready to write? Take a deep breath. OK. Visit newbalance.com/myfutureself. New Balance will send your letter back to you in one year – a little letter time capsule! Follow the campaign with @newbalance on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat using #MyFutureSelf.

Dear BlueBoots:

2016 was the year of “NEW”. What will 2017 be? Since you like poetry and snazzy things like alliteration, how about making 2017 the year of “NOW”? Earlier this year, you felt your way around intentions and settled on “calm” and “strong” to guide you. I hope that this year is one that YOU (not anyone else) are proud of. Were you calm? Were you strong? Were you gentle with yourself when that inner critic cleared its throat and tried to get your attention? I hope your heart swelled with joy, with love, with a full and loving presence, more days than not this year. I hope you took every opportunity to listen more fully, to practice being a force of goodness and light with both people you know, and those you don’t know quite so well yet. I hope that your face remembers how wonderful the feeling of smiling is, and how beautiful you are when you smile – it opens a channel deep inside that allows light to stream out. No matter how you’re feeling right now, try it now. Do you feel it? I hope you told someone “you can do it!” meaning it so whole-heartedly that it propelled him or her out of doubt and into belief. I hope that this year has been meaningful, and that is has truly counted. What’s the best about this word, NOW, is that you can choose to interpret it in such a way where right at this moment, when you’re reading this again, you have yet another NOW moment to choose your joy. You are blessed.

Love,

BlueBoots in January 2017

Happy Tuesday, friends!