When You Forget You Can Do Hard Things — Read This
I recently shared the story below on the Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino podcast; he said:
“Dr. Sue captivates with stories that linger like a good pop tune hook." 🎶
So I guess this one’s definitely worth a read?! 😅
If you’ve ever needed a jolt of self-motivation to do something big, bold, and kinda bananas — like, say, biking up one of the steepest mountains in the world 🙃 — continue reading…
✦ What Happened With My Insane 4,000-Foot Goal
What happens after you spend 20 months training, doubt yourself a million times, and then kiss your husband at the start of an uphill bike race that gains 4,000 feet of elevation in just 7.6 miles?
Here’s how it all went down — one sweaty, soul-stretching, Spirit-fueled mile at a time…
🏁 0 mi. Starting Line Thought: Only a handful of women are taking on this challenge, “Why on Earth do I think I can do this with all these guys?”
🙌🏼 1 mi. An Early Win: I’m passing a guy who has to get off his bike at mile one. “At least I'm doing better than him!”
😰 2 mi. First Test of Resilience: One mile later, I’m not letting it get to me that I need to dismount and walk my bike, plodding behind a dude struggling with twitchy, dehydrated legs.
🚴 2.5 mi. Back in the Saddle: (Note for non-bicyclers: ‘clipping in’ is when you attach your cycling shoes to the pedals on the bike; it’s essentially getting back on that horse!) Clipping in on a terrifyingly steep grade – a feat I'd only practiced one day before – and miraculously, I'm not falling!
🤯 3 mi Moment of Camaraderie: Passing a woman who has fallen into a rocky ditch. Wiping sweat from my forehead, I ask, “Are you okay?” as a man behind us offers to help. She replies, “I’m okay.” And she was – just minutes later, she’s passing me!
🤓 3.5 mi Mindset Moment: Sweaty and tired, it’s taking multiple tries for me to clip back in while the twitchy leg guy looks on, trying to regain control of his body. I tell myself, “I know this is possible.” And it’s the reminder I need. I’m pedaling again! Woohoo!
😇 3.5 mi Steady Progress: Using a handy trick I learned from the guys is helping — instead of trying to go straight, traversing back and forth across the road is making the inclines less brutal.
💖 4 mi Mindset Gift: Half riding, half walking this race, and honestly feeling less impressive than if I could stay on my bike the whole time. The fact that I’m walking is just about to really sink my mood when an older gentleman rides past and shouts, “Isn’t getting off your bike great?!?!” I start to smile, thankful for the positive reframe. It does feel good to get off the bike. This is my race; it’s okay to get through it however works best for me.
🤕 4.5 mi Tough Choices: Passing ‘twitchy leg guy’ who is now with the medics. His race is over, but he made it above the tree line! Feeling proud of him.
💞 5 mi Encouragement: Walking again. Covered in sweat. This time, alongside a younger woman who looks overheated and defeated, I tell her, "You got this!" She musters a "Thanks." Still, it's clear her inner dialogue isn't kind.
💥 5.5 mi A Big Push: It’s finally happening; I’m falling over in the middle of the road. But thankfully, not into a ditch! A woman from the support staff team checks on me. I smile and reassure her I’m okay, while thinking, “How in the world am I smiling right now?!”
I manage to get up. She watches as I make many attempts to clip back in. She chirps, “Clipping on’s a beast, isn’t it?” It really is. Part of me wants to ask for her help, but another part says, “Sue, you’ve got this.” And I do. As I ride off, she hollers, "Good luck!"
😅 6 mi Mindset Resolve: Up ahead, an older man is walking with, no kidding, pieces of his shoes in his hands! Another rider reacts, “Oh no!” His reply? “I’m getting to that finish line.” My thought exactly, Mother Father warrior!
🦋 7 mi Last Stretch: My head is down when suddenly, I hear cowbells and an exuberant crowd. THE FINISH LINE! But I refuse to look up. I need to stay present and focused. Like water in a creek, mantras flow through my mind: “Hard can be fun… Hard is fun… Steady Eddie wins the race.”
🎉 7.5 mi Finish Line: I hear my husband’s voice. He echoes over the crowd, “Go Sue!!!! Honey, you got this!” In an instant, he’s running beside me, encouraging me to tackle the final steep section. “At least try it,” he says, “I’m right here to catch you.”
So I’m trying. But I’m also almost at a standstill. I unclip and walk the steepest part of the race with my husband and his big-hearted love by my side. Then, just ahead: the final stretch of the race. I clip back in and ride past the finish line.
🏁
It's funny; when my race ends, I’m not crying. (I’m such a crier.)
After all the grueling training sessions, tears of doubt, pain, and relief – for once I‘m not crying; I’m smiling with the hugest grin. Because I’ve freaking done it! 😆
My husband’s proud of me.
Our three daughters are proud of me.
Most significantly, I’m proud of myself.
✦ The Best Surprise Gift
It never occurred to me the impact my bicycle ride up Mount Washington would have on my three daughters. Our daughters, 900 miles away, tracked us up that mountain, sending these texts along the way:
❥ “GO MOM GO”
❥ “YOU’RE SO STRONG, MOM”
❥ “WE BELIEVE IN YOU”
❥ “#YOUCANDOHARDTHINGS”
❥ “SHE DID IT SHE DID IT SHE DID IT”
❥ “QUEEN SHITTT!!! 🙇♀️🙇♀️🙇♀️” (Teens and their swearing, right?)
❥ “WE’RE SO PROUD OF YOU MOM”
Then, they send a screenshot showing Mount Washington as the steepest segment in the United States, #23 in the world. The text read:
❥ “YOU 👏 DID 👏 THAT 👏”
As if that wasn’t enough, one of my daughters texted a video of herself sobbing,
❥ “You are such an inspiration, Mom 💞💞.”
Which is when my tears finally came.
I broke down in gratitude, hands in my face, sobbing, with my husband beside me. He was crying too – for the beauty of this moment and the greatness of this gift we’d given to our children.
By strengthening my own soul, I inspired our daughters. What could matter more?
Somehow, in flow with Source through that summit climb, I infused into my daughters’ minds – communicated to their souls – that if I can do hard things, they can too.
And that's one of the things I want most in life – for our daughters to know how powerful they are. That…
With faith, fear cannot hold you back from greatness – whatever that greatness is, however it gets created.
✦ The Truth About Doing Hard Things
That mountain climb? I did it.
And most importantly — I showed our daughters what’s possible.
So here’s your permission slip:
Do the hard thing.
Even if you’re scared.
Even if you’re slow.
Even if you fall off the metaphorical (or literal!) bike.
Because there is joy in the journey. And you’ve already got what it takes.
✦ How to Reclaim Your Self-Motivation After a Big Win Fades
Ever notice how the glow of a big moment fades fast?
Like, shockingly fast?
You work so hard. You finally achieve something incredible. You’re glowing — for a minute, an hour, mayyyybe a day or two .
Then… the self-talk starts creeping in.
Could’ve done better. Should’ve been faster. Didn’t feel like I imagined.
Your brain starts picking apart the joy like it’s a project to fix.
And suddenly that huge win? Feels kinda small.
🙋🏼♀️ I’ve been there. After summiting Mount Washington — after climbing 4,000 feet straight into the sky — my sparkle started slipping. Turns out, this wasn’t just about quads and cadence. It was a soul test of self-motivation and inner strength.
I’d done the hard thing, and I needed help remembering that it was enough.
If you’ve ever felt like the moment passed too fast, or the magic faded too soon — I’ve got you!
Continue reading this article to access 5 simple steps to bring your self-motivation back — and keep the glow going. They’ll help you shift from:
“Why wasn’t I better?” to “Wow… I actually did that!! I’M THE BEST!!!!
✦ How to Rekindle Motivation When Good Feelings Fade
Think back to a time when you worked hard, pushed through doubt, and finally achieved something incredible – despite the odds or the naysayers.
How long did that feeling of greatness last? Probably just minutes, hours, or at best days. Then, quick as a hiccup, you were on to the next problem to solve, the next goal line to cross, the next accomplishment to achieve.
For me, the glow of summiting a literal mountain faded within hours.
By the time we sat down to our celebration dinner, I’d already started critiquing myself:
Too slow. Too many stops. Forty minutes longer than I’d hoped. Nearly last place. 🙁
Never mind that I’d just summited one of the steepest climbs in the country…
Never mind that only four women in my age group even said yes to this insanity…
Or that my girls reminded me with a text, "POP OFF QUEEN! A WIN IS A WIN!" 🥰
Turns out self-motivation isn’t a one-and-done moment. It’s a practice.
And here’s how I brought mine back — so you can too:
