Walk Into the Future

Category: Lifestyle

Articles discussing lifestyle and walking into the future.

  • 2025 Advent Health Watermelon 5k

    “Running is a mental sport and we’re all insane.”

    (Unknown)

    Fun fact, summers in Florida are hot!  Ok, that’s not much of a revelation since we all know the summer months are the hottest everywhere. 😊

    I continue to train and chronicle my running adventures with the Walk into the Future blog.  I’m not sure when I will stop writing about my progress but 2025 is not the year.  I bring up the summer heat in Florida because I have stayed away from Florida races in May, June and July.  I still train and get my miles in to prepare for fall races but signing up for summer races just didn’t catch my attention.  Well, 2025 is the year where I accepted new challenges and summer races were added to my schedule this year.

    I added the Fargo Half Marathon to my race calendar at the end of May.  I know this is not in Florida but the temperatures on race weekend were about 10 degrees warmer than normal.  There was no humidity, so I was able to handle the temperatures and run a good tactical race.  I finished the Fargo Half Marathon in a time of 2:11 which is my fastest half marathon so far in 2025.  I view this time as a great predictor of faster times to come when we get to fall races.

    I’ve added the Madison Mini Marathon (Wisconsin) to my August race calendar.  This will provide me with a new running tourist adventure and allow me to visit a new city and state.  There will be more on the Madison Mini Marathon in a later article but let’s get back to Florida races in August. 😊

    I am proud of my running schedule, but I have never run a race on the 4th of July.  I’m normally traveling or sightseeing on the 4th but decided to take on a new challenge and signed up for the Track Shack Advent Health Watermelon 5k in Winter Park.  This was the 30th year for this event but it never made it on my running calendar.  Again, July races in Florida were never attractive to me so I never paid attention to this race.  I guess I thought I wouldn’t be able to perform well with the heat, but I have improved my training program to combat heat and humidity.

    I love Track Shack races, so I decided to give this race a run (pun attended).  I took a day of vacation time to make sure I could pick up my race bib the day before (Thursday) the race.  I got to Track Shack around 2:30 pm and avoided the crowd in the store for bib pick up.  I was able to get some shopping done while in Track Shack and picked up a new race top.  I may reveal the new top when I head up to Madison in August.

    I made my way back over to East Orlando close to the University of Central Florida campus.  My destination was Buffalo Wild Wings so I could get wings, potato wedges and beer.  This is my go-to meal the night before a 5k.  The hotel is across University Boulevard from Buffalo Wild Wings, so I headed over to check-in and get off my feet.  I didn’t need to get to bed super early but wanted to ensure I got 8 hours of rest prior to the 5k—mission accomplished.

    There was rain in the forecast for race day but I’m happy the rain held off so we could enjoy the race and race village.  The humidity was thick, and I started sweating as soon as I got out of my vehicle.  I wanted to get in a good warmup to ensure I stretch out my legs and get acclimated to the humidity and the Park Avenue bricks.  Park Avenue is a great place to visit in Winter Park, but the bricks can be tough if you have never run on them before. 

    I made my way to the start line without a set race time in mind but wanted to go as fast as possible.  I’m in Week #3 of Atlantic City Marathon training and my training plan called for a 6-mile-long run.  The plan was to leverage the warm-up, 5k and treadmill session to get the required miles in to stay on track with marathon training.

    The event had corrals setup based on projected times (6-minute mile, 7-minute mile, etc.) so I lined up with the 8-minute crew.  There were over 2,500 runners so the start was congested but the runners were mindful of each other and there were no issues getting out on the course.

    I was able to get out on the course and find open space, so I didn’t have to weave around other runners.  There were a few runners close by who were running at a good pace so I tucked in behind them to draft and see how long I could keep up with them. My mile splits were:

    • Mile 1: 8:47 (fastest mile split in 2025)
    • Mile 2: 8:53
    • Mile 3: 9:17
    • Mile .13: 1:01
    • 5k: 27:58

    I was able to cross the finish line with a little kick and a smile on my face.  I felt the humidity a bit more in Mile 3 but I’m happy my pace didn’t completely fall apart at the end of the race.  This provides me with foundational information to improve my training and conditioning as I move closer to the longer distances to prepare for Atlantic City.

    I got some watermelon and sat for a bit to enjoy the race village and say hello to Track Shack folks that I know.  I made my way back to my hotel so I could get additional miles in on the treadmill to complete my required 6 miles for the day.

    This was an outstanding Central Florida run adventure and I’m looking forward to my return to Winter Park for the 2025 Celebration of Running 5k on 8/16/2025. 

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “The body achieves what the mind believes.”

    (Napoleon Hill)

  • Fargo in pictures

    My Walk into the Future allowed me to venture to Fargo, North Dakota to tackle another half marathon and live that running tourism life.

    Here are a few shots from my trip:

    Fargo Dome

    Downtown Fargo

    More of downtown Fargo

    Fargo alley art and a meal at the Jasper Hotel (I’m from Jasper, Florida) 🙂

    (Meal at the Pizza Ranch)

    (Pre-race views)

    (Victory!) 🙂

    Running season is here!

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

  • Racing season is here!

    “Running is a gift.”

    (Amy Burfoot)

    My Walk into the Future got an early start to the 2025 running season this year.  I ventured up for the 2025 Fargo Half Marathon in May and back over to Winter Park for the 2025 Watermelon 5k for July 4th.  I rarely race in May, June or July but decided this was my year to expand my race portfolio and get in more running tourist activities.

    I don’t know when I made the decision, but the rest of 2025 will showcase the most aggressive running schedule I have created for myself.  The quote above is poetic and I’ve embraced the total gift of running.  The running tourist moniker will continue to pop up considering I’m looking to travel to 7 new states this year while visiting several of my old favorites.

    The official running season starts for me in Madison, Wisconsin.  They host the 2025 Midwest Financial Group Madison Mini-Marathon (13.1) this weekend, and this seems like a great way to see the city.  The Wisconsin Badgers play in Camp Randall stadium and I’ve seen how passionate the fans are when they all get together and sing The House of Pain song Jump Around.  The Badgers will not be in town when I get there but I’m hoping the race organizers allow runners to get in the stadium and jump around a bit—pun intended! 😊

    http://bit.ly/458QjqQ

    My marathon training plan calls for a 15-mile long run while in Madison and the Madison Mini-Marathon will allow me to get in the first 13 miles—I will get the other two miles in via my warmup for the race.

    I return to Winter Park, Florida the following week for the 2025 Celebration of Running 5k.  This race normally kicks off my racing season, but I wanted the challenge of a half marathon to gauge my progress towards my Atlantic City Marathon goals. 

    The Virginia Beach 10-miler is back on the race schedule, and I love the weekend music lineup they always have.  It’s a four-day running and music festival on the Virginia Beach board walk and the people are friendly.  I plan to keep this race on my running calendar because it is a great location and course.  They normally bring in at least one national music headliner, so I’m excited to see who they have scheduled this year. 

    I scale down a bit in September for the 2025 Outrun Hunger 5k back home in Fort Pierce.  This race is hosted by the Treasure Coast Food Bank, and they reached out to see if I would be interested in joining their team this year.  I accepted because of all the great work this organization has done in the local community.  Not sure how the team concept works for the 5k but didn’t see any harm in joining the team. 😊

    October will be the largest test for me during this running season. I am travelling to New Hampshire for the first time to tackle the 2025 Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon.  This is a new state for me, and I plan to visit Vermont and Maine while I’m in that part of the country.  These are my last New England states to visit so I’m happy to cross them off. 

    The 2025 Atlantic City Marathon is two weeks later, and I’m excited to test myself against the 26.2-mile course.  My friend Lauren Apgar is running this race, and it will be great to see my friend in New Jersey.  My goal time is in the 4:45 range and I’m feeling good so far in this training cycle. 😊

    Here’s my full running schedule so far:

    5/31/20252025 Fargo Half Marathon *Fargo, ND
    7/4/20252025 Watermelon 5kWinter Park
    8/9/20252025 Madison Mini Marathon (Half) *Madison, WI
    8/16/20252025 Celebration of Running 5kWinter Park
    8/31/20252025 Virginia Beach 10-MilerVirginia Beach, VA
    9/20/20252025 Outrun HungerFort Pierce
    10/5/20252025 Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon *Hampton, NH
    10/19/20252025 Atlantic City Marathon *Atlantic City
    11/9/20252025 Fort Lauderdale Half Marathon *Fort Lauderdale
    12/6/20252025 OUC Half MarathonOrlando, FL
    12/13/20252025 Palm Beaches Half MarathonWest Palm Beach
    1/25/20262025 Town of Celebration Half MarathonCelebration, FL
    2/14/20262026 Fleet Feet Run for your Heart 10kJensen Beach, FL
    3/1/20262026 Marathon of the Treasure Coast (Half)Stuart, FL
    4/4/20262026 Louisville 10 miler *Louisville, KY
    4/25/20262026 Rock N Roll Nashville Half Marathon (Half Marathon #50) 😊 😊 😊Nashville, TN

    (*) denotes a new race for me

    I’m still looking for additional half marathons to add to the list.  The 2026 Rock N Roll Nashville Half Marathon will serve as the end for my official racing season.  The goal is to see progress with each race AND enjoy the process.  The gift in running is I’m staying active, traveling and having fun with the process.  I wake up in the morning looking forward to my training runs and count the miles as I go.  Fun fact—I’m on pace to going over 1,500+ miles again in 2025.  Let’s see how far these old legs can take me. 😊

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “Take a deep breath and just enjoy your run.”

    (MonitortheBeat)

  • Seaway Drive Bridge

    My Walk into the Future allows for numerous adventures I can share with my readers.

    Most of these adventures have something to do with travel for races and simply enjoying life.

    One of my newer adventures is leveraging the Seaway Drive Bridge as part of my race preparation.  I’ve written about this bridge briefly in a few blog articles.  There were days when I dreaded seeing or crossing the bridge in my training program.  My mindset saw this part of my training as a chore.  I decided to flip my mindset in 2025 and embrace the bridge as part of my regular training program.  I stopped dreading the bridge and started finding new ways to incorporate it into my race preparation.

    Most training plans call for runners to complete hill repeats to prepare for races.  There are no hills in Fort Pierce but there are several bridges. I began leveraging the Seaway Drive Bridge to complete my hill repeats last year.  The simple view is I would run from the west side of the bridge to the east side.  I take a short rest on the east side and then head back west.  Up and over, then back again—simple concept.  My goal most days is to repeat this process 10 times before I’m done.  One time over the bridge is approximately .75 miles.  I’m never concerned about time but need to get over and back to complete this workout.  I leverage the hill repeats on Sundays because Saturdays are for my long runs.

    I also incorporate the Seaway Drive Bridge as part of normal runs between 4 to 6 miles.  This is a good way to test my endurance as I start and finish these sessions with bridge incline work.  Some of my best run view photos have been taken at the top of this bridge.

    The results have been positive.  I completed the Nashville Half Marathon this year with minimal leg soreness.  I have also been faster with my race times this year.  I attribute both outcomes to added hill repeats to my training program.  No more days of avoiding the bridge—I’m excited to get my bridge repeats in now and will add more for future training sessions.

    What have you been avoiding that may help you move forward?  Time to get your hill repeats in!

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

  • Ellucian Live—No bad days

    “Positive anything is better than negative nothing”.

    (Elbert Hubbard)

    My Walk into the Future provides multiple opportunities for me to network and expand my knowledge base.

    I attended Ellucian Live 2025 in Orlando, Florida back in April.  My current school is in the process of implementing Banner as our new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) student support system.  We’re currently a Workday school and need to modernize the ERP for ease of use for everyone to include students, faculty, staff and administration.

    The Ellucian Live event allowed space for us to network and explore available modules for the new system.  This was an outstanding way to see how the modules interact and provide a better experience than our current ERP.

    My overarching role in the switchover is to identify the modules that will provide us with the best capability for successful implementation.  I sat in multiple sessions to hear from experts and other schools on their implementation of best practices.  There are a lot of moving parts to successful implementation, and I wanted to ensure we didn’t miss any steps.  Fun fact—it’s not my job to run the implementation but my area will be a huge consumer of the completed project.

    There were several keynote speakers during the event from diverse backgrounds.  There were university and college presidents, actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, the Ellucian CEO and Coach Prime (Deion Sanders).  They all had specific messages, but Coach Prime was my favorite speaker.

    Coach Prime has a message of positivity and making the world a better place.  There are times this message gets lost because folks are not truly listening to what he is saying.  He is a true family man and has deep religious beliefs.  This is how he lives his life daily.

    The Ellucian CEO sat down with Coach Prime to ask him questions during his session.  I wish they would have given him a true keynote session and let him deliver his message.  He was adept with his responses to her questions but the biggest takeaway I got from him was he never let other people’s issues cause him to have a bad day.  He admitted he can and will have a bad moment but does not let that linger and cause a bad day.  His message is to focus on the positive in life and shrug off bad moments.

    Coach Prime shared, “Don’t drag the bad moments forward and let them mess up a good day” (Ellucian Live 2025).

    I remember Coach Prime from his Florida State University and Atlanta Falcons playing days.  He had a different nickname back then, Neon Deion.  He was flashy, loud and brash—or so we thought.  Turns out that was the image of his younger self that does not fit him now.  He leverages past experiences to set an example for his children and players.

    I love his no bad day message and work to integrate it into my daily endeavors.  Bad moments by others will not impact my day or positive outlook.

    How can you leverage this principle in your daily life?

    Thanks Coach Prime!

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

  • Port St. Lucie (PSL) High School Leadership Awards

    “Leadership is the capacity to translate a vision into reality”.

    (Warren Bennis)

    My Walk into the Future provides outstanding opportunities for me to make a difference in the world.

    I rarely turn down a chance to speak to groups to help others move forward in life and help them prepare for career success. A work colleague recently asked me if I would be interested in speaking at the Port St. Lucie High School awards ceremony. I was honored with the request and said yes on the spot. I viewed this as an opportunity to reach back and help a group of young leaders on their journey after high school. 

    This was also a chance for me to work on new speaking material in case I’m asked to speak at graduation ceremonies in the future.  I’m always preparing for something.  There are times I should ask more questions before accepting these speaking gigs but more on that later. 😀

    My role as explained to me was to speak for 5 – 7 minutes and provide inspirational words to the award recipients and other attendees.  I was not familiar with PSL High School or the students there so I decided to focus on how they can implement a formula for success.  My plan was to use the success formula I was gifted while in the Air Force that I leverage daily.

    — Be where you’re supposed to be, doing what you’re supposed to be doing, when you’re supposed to be doing it.

    I’ve leverage this success formula for years and it’s helped me progress in my professional and personal life. My goal was to let students know it does not matter where you come from or how you start. Success is available to everyone if they have a goal and grit to strive towards it.

    I started with a little background on myself where I shared with the students my lack of success when I first started my educational journey.  I attended Lake City Community College right after high school, but I was not successful.  I shared that I’m probably the only person they will meet with a Ph. D. who flunked out of community college.  This allowed them to see failure can be a part of a successful life and professional journey. 

    My words were well received by the students, parents, staff and school administrators. I felt good about my message and how I delivered it.

    So, why should I have asked better questions prior to the speaking engagement? Great question Lynn! 😊

    Well, it turns out the high school principal was out unexpectedly, and they needed someone to fill in handing out awards and taking pictures with over 250 award recipients. Yes, I was elected to fill in for the principal and shake hands with each student that crossed the stage. I joke that it was a chore, but it was an amazing experience to greet the young people who got positive things accomplished during their time at PSL High School.

    The highlight for me was when a student with Down Syndrome won the most popular award and he hugged me when he came on stage. He was so excited, and his fellow students were thrilled for him.  He danced off stage after receiving his award and there were smiles on the face of everyone in attendance.

    My friend, Alisa, attended the event with me for support and ended up taking pictures for me to capture the great moments with the students.  We joked that she was my publicist, and several presenters asked her to take their pictures as well since they thought she did this for a living.  She enjoyed interacting with the audience and it was a great sport taking pictures for complete strangers. 😊

    This was a great experience for me and allowed me to spread Authentic Leadership to a new generation.

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way”.

    (John C. Maxwell)

  • Poetic Flow: Life

    Photo by Nur Yilmaz on Pexels.com

    Living the life I lead

    Has more depth than it seems

    Daily flexibility to pursue my dreams

    Regardless of where they lead or seem

    To take me

    I succeed

    This life I lead

    Allows for unlimited adventures on my timeline

    No need to delay gratification while I move forward in the world

    Basic tranquility and happiness

    Allow me to live this life I lead

  • 2025 Nashville Half Marathon Part 2

    “Nashville vibes and honky-tonk nights”.

    (Instagram)

    My Walk into the Future in Nashville, Tennessee (NashVegas) provided me with new adventures this year!  I normally stick to my tried-and-true venues but wanted to explore a bit more this year.

    The Stage

    I know this is one of my regular stops when in Nashville, but I always like to stop in.  This is my favorite live music venue in Nashville because of the actual stage and the way the music carries throughout the venue.  The view of the band is never obstructed, and the sound system provides a great acoustic backdrop for the crowd.  There’s not much of a dance floor, but you occasionally will see a few folks out dancing to the music. 

    Category 10 (new)

    This was my first time visiting Category 10.  This venue transitioned from the Wildhorse Saloon and now features Luke Combs and his musical endeavors.  The Wildhorse Saloon is a place I loved visiting for the great music, large dance floor and line dancing.  Luke Combs and his team did a great job renovating this venue and turned Category 10 into a destination in Nashville. 

    The main dance hall is huge and has three levels.  The stage and dance area are the largest in the Broadway area and the crowds continue to flock here.  I was able to get in some line dancing before and after the half marathon and enjoyed every minute of it. 

    Bon Jovi (new)

    Jon Bon Jovi has the newest bar on lower Broadway.  I walked by the venue several times before deciding to go in.  I thought it would only be a rock venue but there were country tunes coming out on the day I walked in.  This was a huge venue with multiple levels of music to include a rooftop bar.  It was a nice spot and I’m sure I will visit again on my return to Nashville.

    Jelly Roll (new)

    I’m not sure how new this spot is because I’ve walked by this location on lower Broadway multiple times but never ventured in.  It has multiple levels, but it is not a huge venue.  It has a great sound stage and angles to watch the bands play.  I’m not sure how often I will visit this spot, but it was a nice change of pace from my normal Honky Tonk adventures.

    Morgan Wallen (new)

    Morgan Wallen’s bar is called THIS BAR after one of his songs.  It’s not on Broadway but you can see it from Jason Aldean’s rooftop bar.  I’m not a huge Wallen fan but there was a stream of folks going in and out, so I decided to join the crowd.  The rooftop bar had great views of the Nashville skyline and an outstanding sound stage.  The beer was cold, and the crowd was ready to have a good time.  I decided to stick around for multiple beers and vibe with the band. 

    Jason Aldean’s

    This is my favorite rooftop bar in Nashville!  It’s right in the middle of Broadway and offers views up and down Broadway.  The crowds on the rooftop are mellow and kicked back on sofas or high back chairs.  The best bands play on the rooftop and the dance floor is always packed.  This is a great place to watch people and listen to outstanding musicians.  I highly recommend this spot if you are heading to NashVegas!

    Well, that’s my Nashville report on places I visited on my most recent trip.

    Which venue are you going to visit? 😊

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “Nashville, where the music flows like sweet tea”.

    (Unknown)

  • 2025 Nashville Half Marathon

    “I love Nashville.  It seems like everywhere you walk; there’s great music coming out of every wall”.

    (Imelda May)

    My Walk into the Future brought me back to one of my favorite cities, Nashville, Tennessee (NashVegas)! 😊

    I always look forward to my yearly pilgrimage to the Music City for the half marathon, live music and great food.  Nashville is my city!

    I added bridge repeats to my training program this year to help me battle the Nashville hills.  This additional training got me ready, like my old training routes in Tallahassee, Florida.  I never imagined how the hill training in Tallahassee prepared me for the half marathon distance.  Yes, I need more hill training in my life!

    The 2025 Nashville Rock N Roll Half Marathon was a battle.  This was not because of the distance or the hills.  I put in extra work to get me mentally and physically ready to rock the half marathon (pun intended).  The battle on race day was because of the unseasonably high humidity.  April temperatures in Nashville rarely get past the mid-60s but our race day started with temperatures in this range and the humidity hung in the air.  Again, the race temperature at the start was fine but the humidity was my primary worry.  Yes, I train in Florida, but the humidity has not been high so far in this training cycle.

    The race is well organized and there are aid stations about every 1.5 miles on the course.  I made a mental and strategic plan to get extra fluids at the aid stations to keep myself hydrated throughout the race.

    I stayed in a new hotel this year.  The Marriott Courtyard West End which was one block over from my normal hotel.  I got a great rate which included parking and breakfast and allowed me faster access to the great restaurants in the West End of Nashville.  I got an early morning flight from Orlando to Nashville so I could hit the race EXPO when it opened and then head over to Broadway for food, beer and music.

    Getting through the EXPO was a breeze!  The Rock N Roll folks know how to throw a race party.  I got my bib, t-shirt and Rock N Roll carry bag and made my way to visit the vendors in the Music City Convention Center.  I didn’t really need anything but always get some food samples and explore clothing options.  I found a funky headband that matched my projected race outfit and tried out some recovery boots—this is always a highlight if there are no long lines.  No, Lauren, I did not buy the high price recovery boots. 😊

    I left the EXPO and walked one block over to Broadway to take in the sights and hear great music.  My first stop was Rippy’s Honkytonk for food, beer and live music.  Rippy’s is a popular spot and has great BBQ.  This is not my typical meal before a race, but the pull pork is outstanding, and I doubled up on the French fries as part of my carb loading process.  I left Rippy’s and made my way to my favorite spot, The Stage.  I love this spot because of the stage configuration and the quality bands that play here.  This is my go-to spot in Nashville. 

    I left The Stage and made my way down to 2nd Ave to check out Luke Comb’s new spot, Category 10.  This is where the old Wildhorse Saloon was located, and I was anxious to see what they did to the place.  The inside of the venue has been upgraded with new floors, light show and sound system.  They also provide line dancing lessons throughout the day.  Yes, Maria, I like line dancing when I’m in Nashville. 😊

    https://www.rippyshonkytonk.com/

    Home

    I didn’t want to stay on my feet too much with a half marathon coming up, so I made my way to the Westend of Nashville and checked into my hotel.  I made a point to get to bed early so I could tackle the Nashville hills in the morning.

    My hotel was only 1 mile away from the race start line, so I walked down Broadway as a warmup.  I was assigned Corral #6 this year which put me close to the elite runners.  I’m not saying I am elite, but I could see them from where I was standing. 😊  I got a nice warmup by walking to the start line and stretched well before getting into the corral.  Getting extra hydration on the course was going to be a needed resource due to the humidity.

    The Rock N Roll series uses rolling starts to ensure runners are safe at the start line.  They release corrals every two minutes, so I didn’t have to wait long to get my start down Broadway.  The first portion of the course on Broadway is downhill before we make a right on 4th Ave and then begin the climb back up towards Music Row.

    My first mile was run in 9:20 which felt pretty good considering runners experience the first major hill climb within the first half mile of the race.  My pace stayed consistent throughout the race with Mile 11 being my slowest at 10:34.  I stuck to my race plan and got fluids at each aid station and made a point to pour water on the back of my head to avoid overheating—this really works. 😊

    I finished Mile 13 with a pace of 10:12 and crossed the Nashville Rock N Roll Half Marathon at 2:12:45 which was 8 minutes faster than 2024 even with the heat and humidity.  Unfun fact—there were several racers who needed medical attention on the course.  This is the only race where I’ve seen runners receiving medical attention.  I’m hoping these runners have speedy recoveries and can get back to running soon.

    The race after party was epic again this year with food trucks, free beer and a concert.  I stayed around a little longer this year to soak in the atmosphere and celebrate a hard-fought race.  I am already looking forward to my return to the 2026 Nashville Rock N Roll Half Marathon.

    What are you looking forward to?

    FYI–part 2 will cover my time on Broadway! 😊

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “The half marathon is not a race against others; it’s a race against our own doubts”.

    (Unknown)

  • Going alone with EmpowerMEnt

    “Solitude is independence”.

    (Herman Hesse)

    The Walk into the Future blog is ready to give a guest content creator shoutout to my friend Melissa Forges.  My first run at a topic suggested by Melissa was Make Every Second Count back in April.  She gave me a total of three topics to generate content and I’m ready to give topic #2 a run: Going Alone with EmpowerMEnt.

    We had a great chat while I drove over for the 2025 Town of Celebration Half Marathon.  I promised her I would put effort into bringing her topics to life.  There are days when I don’t know if I can pull off some of my articles, but I gladly take on this challenge Melissa! 😊

    Our discussion centered around the concept of ME in empowerment.  This play on the word was done on purpose to highlight that it is okay to do things for yourself.  We spend a lot of time taking care of the needs of others and forget to take care of ME (you) sometimes.

    When was the last time you took a walk on the beach by yourself?  It’s okay, I’ll wait for you to think of that time. 😊

    EmpowerMEnt allows you to see it’s okay to do things for yourself without feeling guilt.  We spend so much time doing things for others and this becomes embedded in our psyche, and it becomes the norm.  Please know that I’m not saying drop everything and forget the folks in your life.

    Really, I’m saying the opposite.  The time you spend by yourself to recharge CAN allow you to come back to your normal routines energized.  Yes, taking time for yourself can help you recharge.

    Sitting on the beach is one of my favorite activities.  I just need my beach towel, a good book and beer to entertain myself for hours.  A quick nap is always a possibility when I’m getting ME time on the beach.  I’m able to get a lot of uninterrupted thinking time when I’m on the beach too.  This is a place and mindset that allows me to generate content for the Walk into the Future blog.  Yes, I jot down ideas to come back to for blog article development.

    Running is another opportunity for empowerMEnt in my world. I write about my running tourism experiences in this blog format but running allows me to clear my mind daily.  I’m able to get lost in my run and this provides a different level of comfort and relaxation for me.  I’m empowered to tackle running distances and races to continue my personal development.  I’ve thought about joining run clubs but can’t bring myself to do it since this would eliminate the solitude I desire when I’m out for a run.  Yes, there are thousands of people who run half and full marathons, but I don’t engage with them until the finish line with beers in my hand.  Running may be the best place for me to gain empowerMEnt.

    Researching and generating content for the Walk into the Future blog is my happy place.  I love getting immersed in the writing process as I develop new projects.  I have to avoid writing too late in the evenings because I find myself up past my bedtime trying to complete an article.  The Walk into the Future blog is my major empowerMEnt flex where I get to discover new things about myself while writing.

    Well Melissa, this is article #2! 

    How do you leverage empowerMEnt in your daily life?

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “One can be instructed in society; one is inspired only by solitude”.

    (Goethe)