I usually plan for my upcoming creative posts the weekend before the Friday they are due but this past Saturday I spent the day watching everyday people become Warriors. Let's define Warrior, shall we?

Warrior: /wawr-ee-er, wawr-yer, wor-ee-er, wor-yer/ (There's a whole post on how to pronounce the word Warrior but we won't cover that today.) - noun. 1. One who is engaged in or experienced in battle. 2. One who is engaged aggressively or energetically in an activity, cause, or conflict.

Hey, that's us! We are passionately engaged in the activity of spreading shine!

These adventure races are popping up all across the country. Mud Runs, Muddy Buddies, Tough Mudders, Warrior Dashes and the Great Urban Race are just the ones that I've heard about- I'm sure there are even more out there. My role this past weekend was spectator, cheerleader, pack mule and photographer because one- the race was full. (Thank goodness!) And two, the thought of swimming in stagnant ponds with who knows how many leeches and crawling through mud on purpose, frankly, grosses me out. Not to mention the perils of jumping over fire. I am not the most coordinated person in the world.

My Warriors were just doing it for fun. To say they did it. And they did and we all had fun. They started strong and finished strong.

 

I can only compare it to the feeling of walking in the Breast Cancer 3 Day- the Pink Warriors- because I think it's a sense of satisfaction involving aching muscles you can't describe.

Maybe it's the adreniline.

Maybe it's the ability to say "I did it".

Maybe it's the competition factor of it.

Maybe it's the support you get from others that buoys you up to do it over and over again.

I'm proud that I was able to walk the 60 miles last year and look forward to doing it again this year with Team Shine. I'm proud of my Warriors for getting down and dirty and keeping a smile on their faces even after they were covered from head to toe in mud with aching muscles. And covered head to toe they were. Ew. Gross!

 

The Warrior Dash Crew is trying to convince me to join them in one of these mudelicious races. Athletically? Yeah, I could trudge through it and not all of the races have fire for me to trip over. Happily? I'm not so sure I could practice the Shine Principles covered in mud?

But hands down, one of the best parts of events like Warrior Dash and the 3 Day is the people watching. At Warrior Dash there was a team dressed up like the Smurfs. There were super heroes. Well, I'm not sure the green man was a super hero but... whatever.

Boys dressed up like girls. And tutu's are always a popular theme. Then, there are the ones just there for the beer. Oh, wait. That was us.   

Their level of participation is what makes an event like this so much fun. So worth being a part of. Just like your level of participation at House of Shine makes it fun to be here everyday. Let me just say this: Your particpation is valued! And needed. And wanted.

Participating in the 29 Gifts Challenge, decorating your mailboxes, mailing naked mail and participating in the Yellow Envelope Project are our events. Yes, they take work and commitment. Everything good does. But the fun that they bring into your life and ours makes all of our lives more interesting and more valuable. I hope you will continue to carve time out of your day to be the Shine Warriors you are and help us spread more and more Shine.

I am already a Pink Warrior and a Shine Warrior. Should I give in to the peer pressure and do an adventure race through the mud and the fire? I don't think it should be done without some kind of challenge though. I already threw out that if my warriors walked the 3 Day with me, I would do a mud run but the events are being held on the same weekend this fall. And, Keith already said hell no.

Should I challenge them to something else? Something like wearing pink bra's to bars and raise money for me? Or, should I hold firm to my own hell no? What do you think?

This is Cheryl, Shining off until tomorrow...