We Always Start From Here
Wherever you are today—that’s your starting point. Every step forward starts from here.
A few weekends ago, I paused on a run at this sign. “You Are Here.”
It struck me that no matter what we’re trying to accomplish—whether it’s running, losing weight, finishing a project, or even rebuilding after a setback—we always start from here.
And “here” isn’t always where we were.
Sometimes I’m running consistently and feeling strong… until an injury or sickness sets me back. That’s okay. I’ve learned to accept that I just need to start again from where I am now, even if it’s behind where I was before. Every “here” has something to teach me.
How I Got Started
After surviving cancer, I wanted to take better care of myself—for my family, for my health, and for my future.
I joined a gym. Like many people, I lasted three months before canceling. Turns out, I’m not built for repetitive physical labor in a windowless room full of mirrors.
I needed something simple, practical, and sustainable. I remembered running.
So one day I went out for a short, easy run. And then I went again a few days later. Then again. Soon I had a rhythm: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday.
Months later, I found myself running nine miles—something I’d never thought possible. That led to my first half marathon, then more races, marathons, and even ultramarathons.
But it hasn’t all been progress. I’ve been injured. I’ve tripped on trails. I even broke a foot training for a 50K. Each time, I had to reset. To start from where I was—my new “here.”
At the medical tent, I learned my foot was likely broken. Two days later, the X-rays confirmed it.
I didn’t get to complete my first 50K that year, even after six months of training. In fact, I didn’t even get the chance to try again for years — a pandemic got in the way.
But setbacks don’t erase the progress we’ve made. They remind us that goals aren’t always reached on the first try. Sometimes the real lesson is learning how to begin again, from where “here” is now.
Reinventing Ourselves
I wasn’t the athletic kid growing up. I dreaded the presidential fitness test in high school with its one mile run. It was all I could do to not finish dead last.
And yet, here I am: a marathoner, a 50K finisher, and someone who genuinely loves running.
High school me wouldn’t believe it. Turns out consistency—not perfection—took me farther than I ever imagined.
It’s not about being perfect. It’s about showing up again and again. Even when you have to start over. Especially when you have to start over.
Because starting from “here” is the only way forward.
Every Run Starts Somewhere
It’s not just that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Even a single run starts from somewhere.
For me, every run begins in a noisy “here.” My mind is crowded with worries, to-dos, unfinished projects. That’s where I start.
But the only way to reach clarity is to begin anyway. Step by step, the noise fades. I start noticing things I’ve passed countless times:
The tunnel of trees arching over the trail.
A stranger waving as they let me cross.
The rhythm of my breath and the steady pat-pat-pat of my steps.
Somewhere after a few miles, the noise fades, and the world sharpens.
On one long run, a man stopped me because of the smile on my face and asked, “What are you thinking about?” I told him: when I start, my mind is a mess. But after two or three miles, it clears. That’s when the run becomes presence, gratitude, even joy.
His question reminded me that whether it’s one run, a season of training, or years of running, the lesson is the same: every start begins from “here.”
Reflection
Wherever your “here” is today—whether it’s in health, work, or life—it’s the right place to begin.
We don’t have to wait until things are perfect. We don’t have to be where we once were. We always start from here.
I’d love to hear your story—because we all find our own ways to begin again.
When you’ve had to start over—whether in health, work, or life—what helped you take that first step?