Today I was riding on a long bike ride with a close friend.

It was only my second time out on a speed bike and he kept commenting on my stamina: five miles, ten miles, soon we were at a round trip count of twenty-four.

He was proud and a bit shocked at my strength and since I was new to the sport… he assumed I would struggle from the exertion.

I smiled… pleased with myself.

After all that I have been through in my lifetime…

The pain and despair I experienced through my divorce…

The commitment I required to complete my education and receive my higher degrees…

The emotional fortitude I built up over the lose of someone I loved and held dear…

All of these things were life lessons, difficult ones, that now guided me, and carried me when I struggled in the present.

Because of these experiences, I am able to reflect on these moments, use them to drive my strength and stamina, and know that any task great or small can be accomplished if I just keep my mind focused as I move forward in my life and on my spiritual path.-

“Dear God, thank you for providing me with inner strength. Thank you for giving me the stamina to move through pain and despair and gain perspective from my past that helps me in my present.”