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Blog #757: I Am My Sneakers

by Ana | August 13, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I felt it.I really, really felt it. All of it. The serious heat.My empty legs.My slowing pace. ______ I had been walking over an hour. I started the walk when it seemed a manageable 79 degrees. Looking at my phone at that moment... It had climbed fast to a scorching...

Blog #756: Is Your Try Running Out?

by Ana | August 6, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

He is tired of trying. ______ “Hey Shawn, Thanks for always showing up. When I’m at my lowest, you write what I need to read. I need something big now. I keep trying, but it feels like I’m getting nowhere. I’m wondering if it’s time to throw in the towel.” ______ I...

Blog #755: Don’t Walk Past Yourself

by Ana | July 30, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

Most people walk past them.I couldn't. For 35+ years... I’ve eaten rice, beans, and saladsbecause I love animals. But there's a little life my heart can't ignore. ______ Snails. I’ve written before about saving worms struggling across hot sidewalks. I’ve also carried...

Blog #754: The Teachers I Almost Missed

by Ana | July 23, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I see it clearly now. Two of my greatest teachershave never spoken a word. Two little dogs teaching big lessons. ______ For 15½ years… My Chihuahuas have taught me more about life than I’ve taught them. They taught me to celebrate. When I walk through the door, they...

Blog #753: The Uncomfortable Mirror

by Ana | July 16, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I was getting ready to go for a hike. My shoes were waiting by the door.My backpack was loaded down and ready. Then a thought quietly walked into the room. ______ "I don't feel like it." Nothing unusual. Except this time... I heard it differently. A second thought...

Blog #752: I Couldn’t Look Away

by Ana | July 9, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I was flipping through TV channels...until one of them stopped me cold. I didn't know the singer.I didn't know the song. But I couldn't look away. ______ It wasn't his voice that caught me. It was how completely he gave himself to the moment. He wasn't just singing.He...

Blog #751: I Pressed Send Anyway

by Ana | July 2, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

#750 is behind me.#751 is right now. Still going.Still showing up.Still giving it my best. Every.Single.Thursday. ______ #751. That’s a lot of Thursdays. More than I ever imagined when this began. And although I'm acknowledging #751... I'm celebrating #1 more. That’s...

Blog #750: What Are You Leaving in Them?

by Ana | June 25, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

At first... This blog was about a frog named Camino.Then it became a question. Ready to see where this leads? ______ First story... There’s a little frog that’s lived outside my front door in Sacramento for as long as I can remember. I call him “Camino.”Named after...

Blog #749: The Email Said She’s a Ghost

by Ana | June 18, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I read her email.I stopped breathing for a moment. "People don't say things like that." ______ The email read: "I’m a ghost. People don't see me. I don't even see myself anymore. I read your blog and maybe I'm not changing, but at least I see I don't want to be a...

Blog #748: It’s Time to Go

by Ana | June 11, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

Moving forward. Not because it's easy.Because staying changes who you become. ______ The past has a powerful pull. A favorite memory.A former relationship.A great success.A missed opportunity.A different version of ourselves. It's easy to revisit what was. Especially...

Blog #584: The 40 Seconds I Lost My Shine

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I TRY to be careful with my words. In this age of "Gotcha!"...I don't want to be GOT. But even with trying...I recently lived a horrifying 40 seconds. ______ To begin... I acknowledge people. When I'm walking, I say "Hi!" to people I pass.When I'm shopping, I do my...

Blog #583: Leaving Bread Crumbs on Pluto

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We live in vastly different places. And... I'm not talking about geography. (I'll tie this blog together with one short story...and two very different emails.) ______ One short story: In 2014... I walked 550 miles across my first country...Spain. As my walking days on...

Blog #582: Sitting on BUT

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FIRSTS. When we choose one...We reinvent our lives. ______ FIRSTS. Here are six people I know who lived one. 1. The now thriving entrepreneur who had to survive the first day of leaving a job that paid her a secure paycheck. 2. The cruiser who uneasily walked onboard...

Blog #581: Haunted by Three Monsters

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I practice inspiring EVERY morning. It starts with... Me on the floor.Flat on my stomach.Looking under the bed.Practicing doggy talk. And... Trying to coax a little dog to come out from hiding. ______ That's EMi in the photo above. Her name stands for Extra Mile...but...

Blog #580: How to Get Rich

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Last Sunday... I was phenomenally lucky to hang out with thousands of inspiring people. 22,000 of them were running. More than that were clapping. ______ I was at the Los Angeles Marathon. And I was clapping. A friend of mine was running the race, and I was hoping to...

Blog #579: Sipping Tea with Confucius

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"I waited too long!" Four dream-shattering words... I live to avoid feeling. ______ This email arrived: Dear Shawn, I wish I started reading your blog ten years ago. My health issues are now too big to overcome, and it's too late for me to do the things you inspire me...