How One Cup of Coffee Changed My Life.

I met Christian Jensen because he was the instructor for my mom’s spin class. If you know my Mom, you know that she is a very social person. She of course got to know Christian and urged me to meet him.

We set a date to meet for coffee.

This was one decision that changed my life forever.

Have you ever met someone and the instant you meet them, you realize that you want this person in your life? They seem to just attract people to them and they make you want to spend time with them. This was how it was for me, when I met Christian. I had no idea what it was but I knew he was going places and I wanted to help him get there.

It is because of Christian and my Mom that I was introduced to myTEAM TRIUMPH (mTT), an organization that helps athletes of all abilities compete in endurance events.

It is because of them that I have completed not just one but two full distance triathlons and numerous ultramarathons. While these accomplishments are great, here are the greater things it taught me:

1) Life does not revolve around me. I think about “what is in it for me” a lot. mTT helped me become better at for a lack of a better term “Get over myself.” They helped me see that I live more when I focus on helping other people. I do not lose anything when I help someone, I gain more.

2) It has shown me how amazing the human spirit really is. The organization is full of amazing people that are inspiring simply by being themselves.

3) Never limit myself. If I want to do something I should go do it. It will take work, sacrifice and determination but it will be worth it.

4) We are all in it together. We can cheer one another on while still wanting to do our best. We need to spend more time with people different than us and learn from them.

I have met many amazing people because of one cup of coffee. One of them is Jacob Vandenberg. Jacobs is one of the funniest people you will ever meet, he is always making people laugh. He is always looking for an adventure and to help others have fun. Jacob is one of the sassiest people you will ever meet (in a good way), coming from me that says a lot. If you have ever met Jacob, one of the first things you will notice is his love for helping others. He will help anyone and expect nothing in return. He does not need to be asked, he just does it. Jacob unlike many of us, including myself, gets life. He understands that life is about helping other people and not expecting praise for it. Jacob loves to have friends because of how they make him feel and how he makes them feel, loved.

One cup of coffee taught me one of the greatest lessons in my life. We must see all people as fundamentally human before anything else. We must be able to look them in the eye and see that we are all the same and that we all can help one another. No one is better than anyone. We can all add value to one another.

We hold ourselves back from greatness and from opportunities that will change our life because we see it just as a cup of coffee instead of an opportunity that could change our life. Stop waiting for the meteor to hit and work with the pebble God gave you.

You can learn more about mTT here.

I am running 100 miles with my friends Aaron and Katie, to raise money for mTT, you can donate here.