It’s Olympic season and inspiration is everywhere. If Team USA doesn’t make you proud to be part of this country, I don’t know what will. I have never seen a more amazing group of athletes in my life. I’m proud that they are representing our country. I work for a running specialty store so myself and my coworkers are entirely immersed in the hype of the Olympics, as are various brands. Nike, who is sponsoring Team USA, released a series of commercials to go along with their unlimited campaign. These are all about embracing your unlimited potential as a person and an athlete. Check out my personal favorite, Simone Biles.

At a brand clinic with Nike before the opening ceremony, the brand rep asked us to share our Unlimited story, and what unlimited means to us. I pondered this idea for a while. I wasn’t quite sure what part of my athleticism makes me feel special and powerful. I’m a pretty good dancer and an okay runner at best. I didn’t feel like I compared to these athletes I was watching on the screen in front of me. I eventually wrote “Unlimited Optimism.” And here’s why.

I’ve always been a pretty positive person. It takes something major to make me angry or upset. (But don’t try me. I’m a Libra. We hold grudges). I think I’ve maybe yelled at one person in my life. It’s just not who I am to raise unnecessary conflict and get upset at things that won’t matter in an hour anyway. So the wait for my food is a little longer than expected, or it’s raining out, or Netflix stopped responding. Oh well, be grateful for what you have, not angry for the little things that don’t matter. Don’t be fooled though. I’m not all sunshine and rainbows. And the ability to smile as much as I do has been tested recently.

Back in January I ran my first Half Marathon. It was by far the best day of my life. I had achieved what I thought to be impossible. I also came out of it with an injury that has unexpectedly kept me sidelined since. I did months of physical therapy, two cortisone shots, and now I’m trying acupuncture to hopefully knock out this injury once and for all. Being injured has really been a test of my mental strength. I have had multiple nights of panic attacks and frustration induced tears. I realized that a lot of my positive energy comes from the fact that movement is my anti-stress. If I can’t run or dance, I don’t get that beloved endorphin rush and happiness from doing something I love. It’s a terrible feeling.

So I had to make some changes to help out my anxiety that was coming from not being able to use my body in the ways I like. The first was to rid myself of all negative energy. The first step being pessimistic people. I try very hard to stay away from those people that carry the thunderstorm cloud above their head wherever they go. It’s exhausting to be around. They’re the kind of people that make you angry about things that don’t involve you and rope you into all their problems. Honestly, it’s not worth it. Second, I had to find activities that would destress me without re-injuring myself. So far this year I have read about 20 books, as that was the lowest-impact activity I could come up with. Also, extreme dot-to-dot is extremely therapeutic.

I get told something a lot, and it surprises me every time. I get a lot of “I don’t know how you smile through all this sh*t.” It makes me really happy that the part of me that is still loving life and is really optimistic about the future shines through when it feels like I’ll never do the things I love again. I’ve spent a lot of time crying over the last 8 months, I’m glad it doesn’t show. Mostly because, yes I’m injured, but the more I dwell on it the more it hurts, so why dwell on what makes you unhappy. I know that sounds corny, but it’s the sometimes it’s the only thing to keep you going. Positivity is powerful.

I am by no means going through this alone. I have some of the most incredibly supportive friends that have been keeping me going and keeping me hopeful through everything. There’s also a group of ladies, I like to call them my Wellness Warriors, who have been helping me get back on track. They’re awesome. I’m surrounded by such beautiful, kind souls. I’ve been very lucky in that regard.

So to me, Unlimited Optimism means finding the best in the worst of situations. Every athlete and person goes through rough patches. If we lost hope and gave up every time someone got hurt, or fell off the beam, or tripped on a hurdle, we wouldn’t be anywhere. Positivity is powerful. I have hope that eventually I will return to my full capabilities, but until then I am learning a lot. Optimism is my greatest superpower. If you have something that makes you feel “Unlimited”, share it in the comments section!