Mile Marker 1
Today marks one year, officially, that my business, Abby Barras Interiors, has existed. I’ve been designing for a little bit longer, but it was on this day, November 11, 2020, that I finally made the leap and decided to officially go out on my own. Lots of people did the same thing in 2020. It was a very clarifying year for many of us. And while I think it’s valuable to acknowledge the milestone, I won’t be throwing myself a big party today.
To me, this feels like Mile 1. If you’re a distance runner (like me) you understand that Mile 1 isn’t really anything special. It’s basically the minimum required distance you’d have to run to even consider yourself “a runner”- at least for distance running. When you’re in it for the long haul, for 5, 10, 26.2 miles or longer, Mile 1 is really just the beginning. It’s when you’re past the starting line, you’ve found your pace, and now the work is to focus, keep your mental game sharp, watch your footing, breathe well, and just keep going.
When you’re just learning to run, though, Mile 1 is a huge deal. When it hurts to run even 100 feet, when your legs threaten to seize up and your lungs are gasping for air, and you get a cramp in your side, a mile can feel downright impossible. But when you take your time and find a good pace, walk if you have to, work on breathing deep, and push yourself just a little bit more every day, it becomes easier. You get to a point where everything doesn’t hurt all the time, you understand how to listen to your body, and you learn to overcome the negative thoughts that try to shout you down.
So today, I’m at Mile 1. I made it! Sort of. I’m learning how to pace myself, to take breaks when I need to, to breathe deep, to push myself out of my comfort zone, and to fight the negative thoughts that threaten to take me down. Because there’s still a long way to go to get to where I want to be.
But Mile 1, while just the start, isn’t nothing. So I see you there, mile marker, and while I’ve still got a long way to go, I’ve at least made it this far, and I’m gonna just keep on going. Maybe I’ll go for a run to celebrate.
