Find the Confidence You Need in 1 Easy Step



Step 1: Do something.


On Sunday, I did. I finished goal #1 on my list of goals: complete a half marathon. Check.


Sometimes we need something to keep our mind off of other things. For me, work can be consuming (sometimes)…(actually lots of times). So in an act of emotional health desperation, I wrote down my goals and set out do them. I guess that’s what happens when you have a dad that sends you Zig Zigalar quotes in place of empathy- you get motivated.


My 13.1-mile runners high from Sunday is seeping into the week and yes, it’s a little brighter today. Even Chicago traffic can’t deter my confident mood. I found that inspiration to life comes from the simplicity of doing something. My something is running. You may not be able to do everything- but something you can do. Something is better than nothing.


I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.

– Maya Angelou


I hope you find confidence in something so your soul can meet the inspiration it needs.


*Also posted this on Sulu

A Series of Events that Never Happened

If I believed in luck, maybe it would have been on my side and I would have missed the whole series of events that were about to unfold… or rather not unfold.

I watched a woman reach into a public trash can in Chicago and pull out a mangled Dunkin’ Doughnut wrapper. She looked inside. Disappointed by the contents of the crinkled paper, she flung it back into the trash where it could resume its rightful state of decomposing.
I wish I could say it caught me off guard but I’ve been prepared for this sort of thing. 25 mission trips and volunteering for people without homes are exactly why I have no excuse. A life growing up in the church chalked up to: “girl saw need, girl walked away.”
I rationalized.
I justified.
I didn’t serve.
I didn’t act.
And so a series of events that might have unfolded never did because I was too inconvienced to give.
Guilt is a difficult thing to carry around, but wondering if God wants me to do something and then ignoring God is even worse. What story does this picture of shallow obedience really tell? As I process this (over and over) again (still not able to justify it without guilt), I wonder if God is sad about what happened. If it was my kid, I would be.

A Series of Events that Never Happened

If I believed in luck, maybe it would have been on my side and I would have missed the whole series of events that were about to unfold… or rather not unfold.


I watched a woman reach into a public trash can in Chicago and pull out a mangled Dunkin’ Doughnut wrapper. She looked inside. Disappointed by the contents of the crinkled paper, she flung it back into the trash where it could resume its rightful state of decomposing.

I wish I could say it caught me off guard but I’ve been prepared for this sort of thing. 25 mission trips and volunteering for people without homes are exactly why I have no excuse. A life growing up in the church chalked up to: “girl saw need, girl walked away.”

I rationalized.

I justified.

I didn’t serve.

I didn’t act.

And so a series of events that might have unfolded never did because I was too inconvienced to give.

Guilt is a difficult thing to carry around, but wondering if God wants me to do something and then ignoring God is even worse. What story does this picture of shallow obedience really tell? As I process this (over and over) again (still not able to justify it without guilt), I wonder if God is sad about what happened. If it was my kid, I would be.

No Thanks, I Choose Life

I can’t believe I’m going to do this but here it goes- a quote from the movie Ice Age:

Manfred: Sid, the tiger found a shortcut
Sid: (looking at the treacherous mountain) No thanks, I choose life.

There it’s done. I actually quoted Ice Age. Please hold all judgements until forever. This quote plays in my mind more often than I would like to admit.

It’s true, I choose life. I don’t want to be the boring onlooker stuck in the land of comfort, which, by the way, I happen to picture as Willy Wonka’s candy factory. I love you chocolate river.

When asked if I was aware of the risk in a situation, it didn’t take me very long to decide. I’ll take calculated risk over a slow death of boredom any day. I crave a good wholesome challenge. What gives you life? Are you wired to take risks or be content in the moment?

At the end of the day, I want to be a part of something that brings life into the world by sparking ripples of change. I want to contribute to more than just maintenance. I choose life.

No Thanks, I Choose Life

I can’t believe I’m going to do this but here it goes- a quote from the movie Ice Age:

Manfred: Sid, the tiger found a shortcut
Sid: (looking at the treacherous mountain) No thanks, I choose life.

There it’s done. I actually quoted Ice Age. Please hold all judgements until forever. This quote plays in my mind more often than I would like to admit.

It’s true, I choose life. I don’t want to be the boring onlooker stuck in the land of comfort, which, by the way, I happen to picture as Willy Wonka’s candy factory. I love you chocolate river.

When asked if I was aware of the risk in a situation, it didn’t take me very long to decide. I’ll take calculated risk over a slow death of boredom any day. I crave a good wholesome challenge. What gives you life? Are you wired to take risks or be content in the moment?

At the end of the day, I want to be a part of something that brings life into the world by sparking ripples of change. I want to contribute to more than just maintenance. I choose life.

You Need a Cheerleader

Remember in school when you were assigned a paper to write about your hero or role model? Lot’s of people picked Michael Jordan or their older sibling. I never knew who to pick.
But now I do.
Even when I was as a wannabe-rebel-making-mistakes-attitude-absorbed-teenager and sure that he was wrong about most things, my dad still built into me and never stopped cheering for me.
Periodically, he sends me quotes. Here’s one from today:

If you are kind people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives: be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; build anyway.

~Mother Teresa

I hope there’s someone in your life that cheers you on- no matter what kind of junk you have, or had.

You Need a Cheerleader

Remember in school when you were assigned a paper to write about your hero or role model? Lot’s of people picked Michael Jordan or their older sibling. I never knew who to pick.

But now I do.

Even when I was as a wannabe-rebel-making-mistakes-attitude-absorbed-teenager and sure that he was wrong about most things, my dad still built into me and never stopped cheering for me.

Periodically, he sends me quotes. Here’s one from today:

If you are kind people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives: be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; build anyway.

~Mother Teresa

I hope there’s someone in your life that cheers you on- no matter what kind of junk you have, or had.

I Fought the Root & the Root Won



When I fell I told myself: don’t write about this…. don’t write about this…. don’t write about this… I’m writing about this.

Saturday morning was cool and for the first time in a month, I was looking forward to the long run in my prep for the Chicago 1/2 marathon. All I had to do was run out 4.5 miles then turn around and run home. At the 5 mile mark I tripped on a root (it was a really big root) and fell across the dirt trail like I was sliding into home plate. Left in my wake was a dirt cloud, some serious skin loss on the palms of my hands, and skinned knees. Tree root: 1, scarred Hanna: 0.
There’s a lesson in here. Training this summer has been hard, humid hard, but I’m getting to be a better runner (sans ‘the fall’). I think that’s how life is- we look for the finish line but forget that most of life happens in the ‘training’. I know for me, I’m obsessed with getting to the next stop but most of the important training and growth in my life has happened when I fell, had to get up, and keep going- without turning around or hiding. My growth has happened, largely in part, when I wasn’t comfortable or satisfied. I guess things don’t always go as planned and I guess giving myself time to grow is okay, even if I fall.

“I hated every minute of training, but I said, don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” – Muhammad Ali

For the curious readers (and for saving face- since I got beat up by a root), I ran the rest of the way home gladiator style, blood dripping down my dirt covered leg and all. Beat that Chuck Norris!

I Fought the Root & the Root Won



When I fell I told myself: don’t write about this…. don’t write about this…. don’t write about this… I’m writing about this.


Saturday morning was cool and for the first time in a month, I was looking forward to the long run in my prep for the Chicago 1/2 marathon. All I had to do was run out 4.5 miles then turn around and run home. At the 5 mile mark I tripped on a root (it was a really big root) and fell across the dirt trail like I was sliding into home plate. Left in my wake was a dirt cloud, some serious skin loss on the palms of my hands, and skinned knees. Tree root: 1, scarred Hanna: 0.

There’s a lesson in here. Training this summer has been hard, humid hard, but I’m getting to be a better runner (sans ‘the fall’). I think that’s how life is- we look for the finish line but forget that most of life happens in the ‘training’. I know for me, I’m obsessed with getting to the next stop but most of the important training and growth in my life has happened when I fell, had to get up, and keep going- without turning around or hiding. My growth has happened, largely in part, when I wasn’t comfortable or satisfied. I guess things don’t always go as planned and I guess giving myself time to grow is okay, even if I fall.

“I hated every minute of training, but I said, don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” – Muhammad Ali


For the curious readers (and for saving face- since I got beat up by a root), I ran the rest of the way home gladiator style, blood dripping down my dirt covered leg and all. Beat that Chuck Norris!

I’m Aging & I Like It

I was 22 when I married Brandon. I was glad I was 22 because 21 sounded so young. At 22 the world started giving me more respect, which is why I’m desperately awaiting 30. I think 30 will be the best year of my life because people will stop considering me young and unable to understand the way the world really works. At 30 I will be, in the world’s eye, mature and savvy and able to initiate change without the stigma of idealistic youth hovering over my head like the storm clouds that appear over grumpy cartoons.
Age is such a funny thing anyway. I have a hard time keeping track of how old I am. I forget a lot but I think that’s because I’m so focused on reaching a full 3 decades. Thirty sounds nice, like I’ll have more things figured out by then.
When I was in elementary school, I envied college students. Instead of latchkey, my after school program was watching Gilligan’s Island reruns and eating kiwi with my grandma.
Every day on the walk to her house I passed the dorm rooms of Capital University, also known as my grandmother’s parking nemesis. While she complained about the cars taking over her street, I dreamed of a professor seeing me and thinking, that girl has talent. From there I became a famous singer or movie star. Either was fine with me. I thought: if only I could get to be 20… or 19 (I would settle for 19), then people would respect me.
What is it about me that I seem to always be looking ahead? For me, contentment is never found in the now, it lives in the future. I wonder, are we all wired that way?