40 Days to Better: Day 4

On day 4 of 40 Days to Better, I ran just 4 miles.  The catch was that three of them were at a pace of 6:50 per mile or faster.  That was exhilarating but led to a lot of sweat that had not ended by the time I got done a quick shower and headed to work.  So it goes.

In any case, after that great tempo run, I have had a busy but productive day at work.  As I think about the end of the wedding expression, today I think about something "blue" and I return to the top left hand part of the image--the old shoes that were blue.

I had to look up why "something blue" was part of the expression.  As far as I could tell it has to do with purity and loyalty.  For purity, I immediately think of the way that Mary is portrayed in a lot of artwork in blue.

Loyalty is key for moving forward in life.  First, loyalty to my family.  Realizing that running success is great.  Career success is great.  Civic success is wonderful.  But ultimately, the most important success is with family.

Loyalty at work is also key.  There is loyalty to the goals of the organization that I work for--and they are many.  And loyalty to the staff who ultimately reports to me--and they are many.  Interesting balancing act and always having to think about how my actions reflect or fail to reflect that loyalty.

Loyalty to my volunteer roles.  Once a commitment is made--stick with it.  And if I can't do it well--pull out.  In other words--don't be half-hearted.  Applies to volunteering.  Applies to just about everything.

Finally, loyalty to myself.  My well-being can't be pushed aside.  If I push my own well-being aside, no matter how loyal I am to everyone else, I won't be of any use.

Loyalty at so many levels meaning so many things.  All of which can make me a better person if I stay loyal.