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You are here: Home / The Impossible / 5 Years Ago

5 Years Ago

November 27, 2014 By Joel Runyon 2 Comments

Exactly 5 years ago, I spent Thanksgiving weekend slogging through half-melted snow-slush, getting chased by dogs and trying not to slip on any still-frozen patches of ice at my part-time seasonal, UPS job.

  • I was still waiting to be picked.
  • Still waiting for qualifications.
  • Still wanting things to happen to me.

5 years later, with a Thanksgiving dinner overlooking the pacific ocean – I have a very, very different life.

Thanksgiving on the beach. Good food. Good company. Good view.

A photo posted by Joel Runyon (@joelrunyon) on Nov 11, 2014 at 4:48pm PST

And I’m thankful.

Not thankful necessarily for the things that I have, my current status or where I currently am (those things can all change pretty quickly). But, thankful that I have both a life and a choice and the ability to use one to create the other.

In other words – I’m thankful I chose to not wait around and get picked.

5 years ago, everything seemed impossible. I never really thought that I could…

  • Get a job
  • Start a blog
  • Run a triathlon
  • Run a marathon
  • Get a promotion
  • Quit a job and work for myself.
  • Start a business.
  • Run an ultra marathon.
  • Build a school

I’m thankful that I’m choosing to try to live a story worth writing about, aim for impossible goals – even if that means I have to recalculate every now & then.

I hope you choose to do the same.

Do things that have never been done before. – The guy that invented the first programmable computer.

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Filed Under: The Impossible

About Joel Runyon

I started IMPOSSIBLE to push myself to try to live a life worth writing about by pushing my limits, living an adventure & telling a great story by doing the impossible. You can get free updates in your inbox via your new favorite newsletter, free fitness training tutorials, and see all my businesses at Impossible LLC and our philanthropic efforts at Impossible.org

Comments

  1. davidd says

    December 4, 2014 at 9:34 pm

    Congrats on five years of Big Changes.

    How’s the ankle rehab going?

    Reply
  2. Char says

    January 23, 2015 at 1:21 am

    Hi Joel,

    Just wanted to say thanks for putting your message out there. I am two years into my five year plan, and many a day when things get tough, and fear and doubt sets in, I read your post and keep at it:)

    Reply

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