Back in my youth I was a cheerleader.

Well, I say cheerleader but I was actually the mascot.

It was a bear. Large, furry, hot, hairy, grizzly type bear. If I had a way to scan a photo I would; perhaps I will do so in the future to show you just how horrendous this costume was!

We cheerleaders (i will always be a cheerleader and not just a bear!) had a cheer about effort. Don’t recall how it goes (probably couldn’t hear all the words behind that furry suit) but I remember we did all the same.

This morning as I ran I considered the comment I heard not too long ago but someone I know about running. They said, to this effect, “I could never do that.”

I also know that people consider embarking on a running or workout program but the same thought inches through their mind. “I can’t. I could never.”

Truth is, they are saying ,”I won’t.”

Running, like experiencing life, is all about Effort. You get what you put out there in the universe. If you want to have a life filled with couch and TV, with ‘what ifs’ and ’should I have’, then that is the life you will lead.

If you want to have a life filled with journeys and experiences and “I dids”, then you put forth effort.

Where are you in life? Are you watching it go by from your post on the sofa, or are you out there running with it?

If it is leaving you behind, why? Why are you not out there running?

I think of life a lot. I think of how each day appears to go faster than the previous day and then it is gone. It’ s not a bad thought, though it may seem morbid. I believe it pushes me to realize each and every day that life goes fast, and unless I put forth some effort in enjoying it, soon it will be gone and I will have been left with dozens of experiences lost, never to be had.

I wrote a post about fear for Allbusiness recently. In it I stated that in order to tackle your fears you have to break the task that is terrifying you down into small steps.

If you are afraid to start running, for whatever reason, break it down: Do a short walk, followed by a short run, followed by a short walk, etc . . . until you have gone for 20 or 30 minutes.

If you are afraid to tackle a marathon, or a half, or a 5K, break it down. Do short practice runs. Build slowly over time. Count each day you run as an accomplishment.

If you are afraid to begin any type of workout program but you want to lose weight, break it down. What can you do today that will help? Walk for 30 minutes and cut out one snack from your diet. Drink more water before eating, eat more fiber, throw in some veggies with your dinner. Break it down.

It is all about making the effort. You will get nowhere if you don’t try. And even if you don’t reach the finish line, at least if you put forth some effort you’ll have one hell of a ride along the way!

Take it from this bear!