#HLS Sunday: Inspired and Motivated

Like all good things, I didn’t want the Healthy Living Summit to come to an end. Of course I missed my wife and kids … the thing is I just really enjoyed being around healthy, motivated, and inspirational people. People who’ve had the same problems or could relate to my journey in ways that no one else could.

I started the final morning like everyone else, with a group run / walk. The turnout this morning was a bit higher than on Saturday.

I think everyone ran different distances this morning, much like our healthy journeys. For some reason I think an official run after such an inspirational weekend would have been an even more amazing end to HLS but this was great as well.

Running south along the lakeshore I couldn’t help but think about the things I’d learned and the people I’ve met this weekend. I don’t know why I felt such a camaraderie with these people, I’d never met them IRL … yes I’d been a reader of some of their blogs for a while but honestly most of them were new to me.

I’d never lived with them, worked with or out with them (until this weekend), went to school with them, or anything else that so often creates a lasting bond between people. They were however a group people that had a common goal and determination … to live a healthy, happy, and inspirational life. This was our bond, and for most of us our instruments were either our blogs or the blogs of others.

These were people that didn’t know me 48 hours earlier (my blog isn’t Caitlines) but they were rooting me on while I attempted to run, saying good bye to me, and telling me how inspiring my story was. To me it’s the other way around, each and everyone one of them had the inspirational life story. Whether it was an eating disorder, a life long battle with weight loss, or just the challenges of life being life … each and every one of them were inspiring and motivational in their journey toward a healthier self.

I know how hard it is to even start living a healthy life let alone if they’ve been doing it for years with challenges along the way. Our blogs are often how we tell these stories, they’re our platforms for sharing our successes and failures, they’re our personnel podium at which people interested in a healthy life come to listen, learn, laugh, and hopefully support us.

HLS was an intimate place for people with similar stories to come to celebrate our successes and meet IRL others that have traveled similar paths. A place to come to absorb positive energy and inspiration.

According to my Nike+ I only managed a 5 mile run this morning but in actuality I’d say that it was a 4 mile run, a 1 mile walk, and a whole lotta happiness and fun.

I look forward to following all of the blogs from the summit and following everyones journey. Yes, I subscribed to all of the feeds … I’m an equal opportunity reader and supporter.

I leave inspired, happy, and motivated to make a difference … to change my approach to blogging and to help others on their journey. I have all kinds of questions and ideas brewing in this head of mine, maybe a few will even come to fruition.

Did you attend HLS? Were you inspired and motivated?

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