just and ad?

It wasn't the first time I had gotten lost in time scrolling through and watching Nike ads. If you know me at all... you know I am a tad bit OBSESSED with NIKE!!! Nike everything.

This time I was viewing all of the "Find Your Greatness" videos when I began to watch the "Jogger." Within seconds I was frozen. Sucked in. Grasping on to every word.

At the end of that minute and three seconds I wiped away the tears that had fallen down my face and smiled.

That kid was me. I didn't start running. On the journey to find my greatness I took many (many) steps and those steps often looked like walking... or shuffling. I found my greatness, not someone else's. It has it's own look and the steps to get there were all their own. And that journey continues every day.

I just hope that somewhere on this journey I have the opportunity to work for/with Nike. This "brand" has been such a positive influence in my life and on my journey that I want to be a part of that for others. At the end of this... "ad," I was clearly touched by how accurately it had captured a piece of me but what I was really thinking was, "That's what I want to do." I want to be a part of changing people's lives. I want to create something that encourages, motivates and inspires others to live their best lives!

The advertising/marketing world is flooded with crap. It can be very discouraging. But, there are some gems and this is what I want to do. This is what I want to be a part of. An ad that is more than an ad.

my nikes

What do you do with the most important pair of shoes you've ever bought when you can no longer wear them?

my nikes

These are the shoes that I started this journey in. They have literally been with me every painstaking step of the way. They were there when I was walking and speed walking and then when I threw in some jogging and then I took off running. And they were there when I ran my first mile under ten minutes and then when I ran a mile in seven minutes and thirty seconds and when I ran my first race. They've been inside on the treadmill and outside in the snow. They've done tons of Zumba and some Power Circuit Training with Jackie Warner and Extreme Cardio Burn with Bob Harper and some Insanity. They've traveled the streets around my neighborhood more times than I can count and they even made a brief appearance in my second home of Texas. Lord, when I think of all the things I have done in these shoes, the list goes on and on and on. I became a different person in these shoes. I lost 80 lbs. in these shoes. If these shoes could talk they would have quite the tale to tell.

They are worn in and worn out and it's time for them to go into retirement. My new shoes arrived this week. While a part of me feels like I am cheating on my first pair I think they're happy to see me move on. They were there to get me through this first chapter and now they wave me on to bigger and better things.

So, what do you do with the most important pair of shoes you've ever bought when you can no longer wear them?

Part of me envisions them hanging over a power line like you see in old movies.

But, let's be honest, I could never really do that. I'd miss them too much.

For now they will be my back up tennis shoes... the ones I can get dirty, take on hikes in the woods, work outside in the yard. But, one day when I have my own place with a sports room I see them in their own special trophy case of some kind. When people come over and see these unassuming shoes in the case and ask about them, I will get to tell them that those are the shoes I changed my life in.




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These are my new Nikes. I am really loving them. I had worn my old ones technically too long and there was no more cushion or support left in those babies. When I grew up money was tight so you wore your tennis shoes until you grew out of them or you put a hole in them. So, it wasn't until about a month ago that I realized I had overstayed my welcome in my shoes and they were worn out. Running in these new Nikes is a dream. Can't wait to see what is in our future.