Yesterday, I did something I’ve never done before. Something that no one would have likely guessed I would ever do in my life. I ran in the Savage Race, a brutal six mile obstacle course in Dade City, Florida.

The event was literally described as the “race designed to kick your ass.” And it did. It really did.

I crawled under barbed wire through deep piles of mud. I climbed wooden walls and heaved myself over. I jumped into a dumpster full of ice and had to swim across. I rolled under electrified wires after emerging from a pool. I encountered twenty-five obstacles in all, each more challenging than the one prior.

I’m bruised. I’m sore. And I’m ecstatic.

The Savage Race was by far one of the best experiences of my adult life. For the first time in years, I not only took a step out of my comfort zone – I took a FLYING LEAP into another continent of challenge, change, and exploration. I absconded my routine and threw myself into something so foreign, so new, that it was like shedding my life and slipping into a new one.

So much of my energy is spent on professional development: studying, learning, assimilating. A moderate amount is spent on my social/personal growth: reading, writing, and networking. But how much time do I set aside for my self-exploration and creative advancement? How often do I push myself beyond the boundaries I’ve set up for myself over time?

How frequently do I let myself be impulsive?

Every once in a while, it’s nice to break the mold – even if you cast the mold yourself in the first place. It’s fun to surprise people. It’s even better when you surprise yourself.

The muddiest and most exhausted I’ve ever been – and never happier!

Who knew a girly-girl likes to get muddy once in a while?

~ Victoria Elizabeth Ann