Live Joy

  In just a few weeks, I will be running 13.1 miles—not just for myself, but for the children and families who are in the fight of their lives (and the ones who lost their battle). I’m running to raise awareness and funds to support families navigating childhood cancer treatment and clinical trials, and I need your help. On my wrist, I will wear a bracelet that says “I GET TO” —a simple yet powerful reminder. I don’t have to run; I GET TO. I get to push my limits, challenge myself, and use this opportunity to make a difference. We often go through life thinking, I have to —I have to go to work, I have to work out, I have to do this or that. But what if we shifted our mindset? What if we saw these moments not as obligations but as opportunities? I get to wake up and train for this race. I get to move my body, breathe fresh air, and feel strong. I get to use my health, my energy, and my privilege to make an impact for those who don’t have that choice. Too many children don’...

  I wasn’t planning to write a blog this week, but something shifted for me this morning. As I walked my dog in the rain after my run, I was hit with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. I know—it might sound odd to feel grateful while walking in the cold rain, but I truly was. I took in everything around me—the neighborhood I call home, the (undoubtedly) best dog in the world, my health, and the fact that I had just run 4.5 miles and felt great. In that moment, I was reminded of just how much I have to be thankful for. Right then, I decided to set aside time today to write down 100 things I’m grateful for —something I try to do every month or so. Each day, I write five things I’m grateful for from the past 24 hours, but there’s something powerful about sitting down and listing 100. It’s a reset, a way to shift focus from what’s stressful or frustrating to all the good—big and small—that we often overlook. Life moves fast. We get caught up in what’s not going our way, sucked i...

  Sometimes you see something on social media, read something in a book, or hear something on a podcast that sticks with you. My sister-in-law sent me a TikTok video of a women’s basketball coach talking to her team about “hard things.” It was such a great message that I couldn’t stop thinking about it—I knew I had to write about it. The premise of the speech was this: things don’t get easier. We always wait for life to get easy—how many times have you said, “I just have to get past this…” or “Once I get this salary or this job, things will be easier”? But guess what? It doesn’t get easy. Life doesn’t get easier—you just have to get better at handling hard things. I love this message because once you conquer one challenge, more will come. That’s how life works. The key isn’t waiting for an easier path—it’s learning how to thrive in the hard moments. How to Get Better at Hard Things So how do we get good at hard? How do we stop waiting for life to magically get easier and instead...

  I’ve always thrived on structure and challenges. Whether it’s training for a race, competing in figure competitions, tackling the 75 Hard Challenge, or climbing the career ladder, having a goal to work toward gives me purpose. Structure keeps my days flowing smoothly, and discipline provides me with a sense of freedom. As Jocko Willink says in Extreme Ownership , “Discipline is my freedom.” That quote perfectly captures how I feel—without structure in my schedule and a goal to focus on, I lose my sense of self. And that’s exactly what happened over the last few months. I’ve been navigating multiple major life changes at once. For someone who prides themselves on discipline, I assumed my routines and goals would remain intact. After all, even when I was unemployed for a year, I still woke up at 5 AM, worked out, stuck to my habits, and stayed productive. But this past October, everything shifted. I started a new job—90% remote with about 10% travel. If you’ve ever worked fro...