Heart Trumps Everything

I love to play card games. Spades, backjack, Texas Holdem. Back when Brandon was in dental school we played every Wednesday night, almost like a ritual. I enjoyed it, especially when I learned how to play the game. I remember when I first started playing I had to learn the rules. I had to learn which suit is better, which "hand" beats what, and basically how to win the game. That was the key right?

Lately I have been thinking about the card game Spades. In spades, it doesn't matter which card you throw down, even if it is the ace of hearts, if someone has a spade then they are going to beat you. It always makes me mad too. I will be sitting there holding the ace of anything, I think I am going to win, and then someone puts down a spade to burst my bubble. Always happens.

You have probably never thought about this before, but the game Spades is a lot like a person trying to reach a goal. Lets be specific, since it is Wednesday, and lets just say a workout goal. When you begin a workout journey you have to figure it out first. You have to learn how to "play" the game, and work it so that your body will benefit. You have learn which exercises work best for you, which ones will burn more calories, and which foods will keep you from meeting your goal. You must learn how to play the game if you wanna win. Once again, that is the key.

And for 2 1/2 weeks now, you Beauties have been trying to learn YOUR game. You have been juggling kids, tiredness, work, husbands, sugar desires, and all kinds of emotions that are standing in your way of reaching your goal. You are seeing obstacles in your way, and you are trying to figure out how in the world you are ever going to make this work. I get that, I have been there. Some of you are succeeding, some of you are not. The bottom line is that some "learn" faster than others. Some continue to make excuses, and they use their obstacles as reasons they can't work out. Others find a way. But I know, it is a learning process.

But lets tie the game Spades to this situation. The game is called Spades, because Spades trumps everything. Spades beat everything. SPADES WIN EVERY TIME.

Well, you know what? In your game, called the challenge, HEARTS beat everything. Hearts find a way. Hearts tackle obstacles. And Hearts win.

Your heart. One thing I realized a long time ago was that if you have heart, no one can stop you. Nothing can stand in your way. When you put your heart into something 100%, you WILL WIN.

When I ran the half marathon it took me 2 hours and 16 minutes. I had prepared, and I was ready. The only thing that was worrying me were my knees. They were in so much pain leading up to the marathon. I was swollowing probably half a bottle of Alieve each day trying to control the inflammation and pain. Little did I know that taking that much Alieve had caused a stomach ulcer to form inside my stomach. So I started the race thinking that I would just have to battle my knees, and had no idea that anything else was wrong.

And let me tell you, quitting was NOT an option. I remember telling everyone there that I would finish the race, unless they were wheeling me off on a stretcher because I couldn't finish. Guys, I had heart. So much that it almost killed me.

At mile 3 I knew something was wrong with me. MILE THREE!! I knew I had 10 more miles to go, and I felt horrible. But there was no way I was stopping, my heart would not let me. I had never felt that sick before, or that bad. I wouldn't even stop to walk, I had made my commitment. I was finishing this race, no walking, no questions asked.

I remember running to the side of the road to throw up, I remember crying so hard because I felt like I was going to die, and I remember Brandons face/eyes looking at me as I struggled in the end. I was scared. I knew I had trained for this race and I was ready, but I didn't know why my body was hurting so bad.

It was the hardest thing I ever did. WAY WAY WAY harder than child birth. Yes, I know, I had an epidural, but still, I would rather have 15 more kids than ever experiece that pain again.

But I finished. At the time I told myself it was a miracle. But it wasn't a miracle, it was heart that got me to the finish line.

You see, my heart had ALREADY finished the race BEFORE I even started running.

I had made up my mind that I was going to finish. NO QUESTIONS ASKED. NO ONE was going to tell me that I couldn't do it. No one was going to stop me. (It is probably good that my mom was not there, because I am thinking she would have made me. I am not sure who wins when the battle is between Mom and Heart!) Physically, I should never have kept running. Long story short, within an hour they were rushing me to the hospital. Bleeding ulcer that was bleeding through the whole marathon. And yes, I just made it worse by continuing.

Am I saying that I did the right thing? I am not going to say that. But what I am saying is that if your heart is set on something, you WILL do it. Not your mind, your heart. It is a VERY powerful thing.

In Spades, a person gets excited to see that they have a lot of spades in their hand when the hand is dealt. Because they know they have a good chance of winning.

If you wanna win in The Challenge, you gotta be able to look down and see a lot of HEART in your hand. You gotta be able to feel it inside. Then you will know you will win. Because heart trumps everything, beats all obstacles, and tackles the things the devil throws in your way.

Let me say this one more time.

My heart had already finished the race before I ever started running. And that is the key to winning your challenge.

You gotta have heart. First. And you will be unstoppable.