Tricia Meyer

Affiliate Marketer, Blogger, and Consultant

Life Lessons from Running

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You often hear people say things like “Life’s a marathon, not a sprint” or refer to “crossing the finishing line” on a project or deal. Over the past several weeks as I have been training for the mini-marathon and logging a LOT of time alone just running and running with nothing else to think about, I’ve come to understand why so many people compare life to running. Here are just a few of the things that I find myself thinking about and comparing when I am trying to pass the time.

  • Pace is the key. Whether in running or in life, you have to pace yourself or you will burn out. Even more than that, you just won’t enjoy yourself. And everyone’s pace is different. It doesn’t do any good to compare yourself to the guy running next to you. Maybe your house is smaller or you take less vacations. Maybe you had your kids later than everyone else. It doesn’t matter. You set your own pace and stick with it, adjusting as necessary.
  • Being alone isn’t always bad. I’m the kind of person who hates to be alone pretty much ever. I don’t have any kind of phobia–I just like company and companionship. Yet, I’ve come to understand that I don’t need it all the time and sometimes I am better off just doing my own thing. 90% of my running is done entirely by myself, and I’m okay with that now. It’s genuinely time for me to think and focus on nothing but myself. How often do we all take time for that?
  • Change is good. In order to not get bored, I try to change up a lot of things about my runs. Sometimes I change the route. Other times I bring my daughter with me. I change my music or use no music at all. To keep it fresh, I change it. Life is the same. It can be easy to fall into a rut of always eating the same lunches or doing our work in the same way. Change your route. You never know what you might run across.

I could probably keep going all day with this, but these are just a few of the ones that keep coming back to me. How about you? What have you learned from your exercise routine?

Sunshine Family Races for the Cure

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Every year for the past seven years I have either run or walked the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Indianapolis. It is an unbelievable event. Even more than the money that is raised, I am impacted each year by the stories that I encounter. When you see a child wearing a picture of his mother with the words “In Memory of Mommy” written on it, you can’t help but be moved. And for every picture or story like that, there is another woman wearing a big pink boa and celebrating her recovery. The crowd is filled with stories of both hope and sorrow, which makes it all the more important to me that I involve my family.

In years past, I have done the race myself while my family played games and waited for me at the finish line. My kids have begged me to participate, but I always selfishly wanted that time to run by myself and reflect. This year will be the first year that the whole Sunshine Family participates. My 9-year-old, Jillian, will be running with me. My husband, Kevin, and my 7-year-old, Cassie, will be walking it. I want my family to understand not only that this cause is important to me but also why it should be important to them.

We have joined a team that will be supporting a teacher from the girls’ school who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. I’m not sure that my girls even know it yet, but we will talk about it when the race gets closer. I’m not asking for my friends to donate, but if this is a cause that you believe in as strongly as I do, I ask that you consider participating in some way–in Indianapolis or in any of the other races across the country. If you are an HPE parent, please consider joining Susi’s Spring Peepers for Mrs. Murphy.

Favorite Pistachio Fluff Recipe for St. Patrick’s Day

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It’s almost St. Patrick’s Day and time to break out one of my favorite March recipes–Pistachio Fluff! It’s perfect for parties because you can eat it as either a salad or a dessert. I tend to eat it for both because I love it so much! The recipe does make 10-12 servings, so be prepared to eat a lot of fluff.

Pistachio Fluff
Serves 10 -12.

Ingredients
2 (3 1/2 ounce) packages instant pistachio pudding mix (we use sugar free)
2 (12 ounce) containers Cool Whip (we use fat free)
1 (20 ounce) can crushed Pineapple
2 cups chopped Nuts (we use pecans)
1/2 cup Maraschino cherries
1 (1 lb) bag mini marshmallows

Preparation
1. Chop the cherries but reserve a few for decoration
2. Mix pudding with cool whip and Pineapple with juice.
3. Add Nuts, chopped cherries and marshmallows.
4. Combine well.
5. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours so marshmallows can soften, but can be served after 2 hours.
6. Garnish with whole cherries on top.

I actually usually leave the nuts out and us them only to layer the fluff (as seen in the picture above), sprinkle them on top, or put them in a bowl on the side for people to use as the like (or don’t like). You can also tint it a little darker with some green food coloring.

What are your favorite St. Patrick’s Day recipes?

Bullies Show Up Everywhere

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As the parent of kids in elementary school, I’ve sat through the presentations and read the paperwork on bullying. As the kind of person who wears her heart on her sleeve, I remember all too well the bullying I endured when I was a kid. It usually follows the same pattern. Someone who is more “powerful” than you in some way picks on you in such a way that they think that they won’t get caught and that you cannot retaliate.

The thing about bullies is that they often do NOT get caught, or at least do not get penalized for what they have done. It’s a catch-22. If you try to stand up to them, you may end up worse off than what you started. I’ve been watching this happen in my daughter’s class for the last several months. One little girl is smart enough to know to taunt only when the teacher isn’t around. If the other kids tell on her, they are treated as snitches, and the bully is further empowered.

I don’t think bullying stops, however, when we get our high school diplomas. In fact, I see it a lot among adults. Of course, we aren’t all threatening to flush each other’s heads in the toilet or shove each other into lockers. It’s more subtle. It’s an affiliate manager threatening us not to go public with information about their program or they will drop us from it. The “power” that they wield is financial rather than physical. It’s a poster in a forum who continuously responds to our posts in such a snarky way that we quit even posting. Their “power” is that they know that no one will call them out on it because they are either too integral to the forum or no one wants to face their wrath.

It’s an unfortunate reality of life that the weaker will always be picked on by the stronger. Bullies will always find a way to intimidate and often will not get called out on it. How the rest of us deal with it is the key. Will we stand up for ourselves? Will we stand up for each other?

Everyone Should Win Sometimes

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I’m one of the most competitive people you will ever meet. I don’t believe that kids should all be given stars on their papers just to make them feel better. I believe that competition is a good thing and spurs creativity and hard work. However, I’ve come to the conclusion today that everyone should win sometimes. Why? The science fair.

I participated in the science fair only one time in my life, despite being in science club and in general a pretty big geek. I tried very hard and didn’t place, win, or show. Not even a certificate. My father was so disappointed in me when he got there that I cried all evening and even tried to get out of going to school the next day. It was such a horrible experience that I still get upset when I talk about it. I was a total failure despite a lot of effort, and I was only 12 years old.

Fast forward to last month. My 9-year-old daughter joined science club and we found out that they would be having a science fair. I immediately felt all of those old feelings coming back. I told my husband that I would not be helping and tried to prepare my daughter for the fact that she probably wouldn’t win. I didn’t want her to feel the same way that I did. But she didn’t care. She prepared her project with my husband and set out yesterday morning for school.

I arrived after the judging and held my breath as I looked for her booth. I found her absolutely beaming in front of it with a blue ribbon hanging from her board. As it turns out, there wasn’t just one blue ribbon. In fact, everyone got either a 1, 2, or 3 ribbon, and most actually got the blue. Instead of comparing the kids against each other, they compared them against the rules for the projects. If you followed all of the rules and did a good job, you got a first place ribbon. Even if you didn’t do a good job, you at least got a 3rd place ribbon for trying.

In that moment, I decided that I was okay with everyone being a winner. Sometimes you just need to encourage people and reward them for the effort. Next year will be the same way. And then after that, my daughter should have the confidence that if she doesn’t get a ribbon every year, it’s okay. You win some, you lose some. But she’ll feel like she doesn’t ALWAYS lose.

Does it apply in the adult world? Absolutely. I ran an incredibly slow Half Marathon in Indianapolis last year and they put a ribbon around my neck when I crossed the finish line. I knew I didn’t actually “win” the mini. But I did accomplish something that most people don’t just by completing it. Adults or kids, we all need to feel like winners sometimes. What do you do in your life that allows you to have that satisfaction of a job well done? Do you encourage others likewise?