Greenlee Quotes & Sayings

Increase the number of adventures you act on and you'll lighten the weight of regret. — Gina Greenlee

Listening to your body does not imply a lack of grit but a willingness to honor true physical limits. Kenyan runners have a reputation for listening to their bodies but certainly do not take it easy on themselves; they are among the world's most gifted and accomplished athletes. — Gina Greenlee

All discomfort is not equal. Learning to listen will help you distinguish among effort, fatigue and pain. To what degree, under what conditions and over what period of time your body experiences these sensations will determine how you respond. — Gina Greenlee

Follow your heart. Then root its longing with the facts. — Gina Greenlee

As long as you're breathing, it's never too late to reconnect with a long-held love. — Gina Greenlee

Much of our lives consists of a series of choices over which we have absolute control. — Gina Greenlee

The cruise was the conduit for what would become my third book. While I was traveling and writing for ctnow, women across the United States and from the Caribbean emailed not to ask about my geographic journey but my existential one. "How do you find the courage to travel on your own?" they wondered. "How do you keep from getting lonely? Don't you feel self-conscious eating out alone?" After the first 30 emails like these I thought, There's a book here. It would be eight years before I published Postcards and Pearls: Life Lessons from Solo Moments on the Road. But the inspiration for publication came during the cruise. — Gina Greenlee

Large bodies of goal achievement research encourage written goals for good reason. When we write down our goals, we transform what we imagine into reality. — Gina Greenlee

You'd be surprised who will back down when you speak up. — Gina Greenlee

Be courageous: be still. — Gina Greenlee

This is your first marathon. Possibly, you'll want it to be your last. Focus on future races draws energy from the one in front of you. Like the mileage that comprises them, train for marathons one at a time. — Gina Greenlee

At chaos' core lies the invitation. — Gina Greenlee

Taking risks to create the life you want is an act of trust. It means believing in your ability to create a new reality while you are in the process of creating it. — Gina Greenlee

Don't wait for a genie to grant your wishes. That power is yours. — Gina Greenlee

Life only plants the seeds. It's up to us to help them grow. — Gina Greenlee

Each of us has our definition of adventure: ending an unsatisfying
relationship, returning to school, parachute jumping or training for a
marathon. Go ahead. Get your thrill on. — Gina Greenlee

From the depths of your well, tap your will. — Gina Greenlee

The only life lost, is the life not lived. — E.W. Greenlee

If you've nurtured your Spirit and trained your Mind as well as your Body you'll be prepared with everything you need to draft across the finish. Remember: all the training runs when you didn't feel like running but ran anyway and felt so good physically but also about yourself. Envision the flash of friendly faces waiting to greet you. Celebrate that you have more energy now than you ever dreamed. Revel in the uptick in personal productivity and self-worth. Yes, you will run a marathon. And you will finish. — Gina Greenlee

If you built the box, you can also break it down. — Gina Greenlee

Call it walking meditation or a neighborhood stroll; by whatever name
suits you, rediscover the art of meandering. — Gina Greenlee

Forget black and white and try on gray. In hair color, wardrobe or life choices, it may feel more enlivening than you imagine. — Gina Greenlee

Boredom has a bad rap. Its true character reveals you are deep inside your comfort zone. Boredom is a docent beckoning toward the edges of a labyrinth. — Gina Greenlee

I knew I could always earn money from a job. What I didn't know was could I extend the dream of writing beyond my trip? — Gina Greenlee

Stop now and always wonder. Press forward and tap the wonder. — Gina Greenlee

There's more to marathon day than running long. Learning how your body reacts to the early alarm, light breakfast and warm-up is key. Minimize surprises come race day. Run long the same time of day as the race. — Gina Greenlee

Avoid the temptation to force a moment so you won't miss the one with your name on it. — Gina Greenlee

Stay open. You may find your tribe where you least expect it. — Gina Greenlee

The adventures of a lifetime begin with "Yes. — Gina Greenlee

Let your body move. It will give voice to a language that can heal. — Gina Greenlee

Give full attention to life's moments
and the images you capture will be everlasting. — Gina Greenlee

The treasured vistas of our solo journeys are not always about the landscape. — Gina Greenlee

Sometimes we have to break down to break through. — Gina Greenlee

Experience is a master teacher, even when it's not our own. — Gina Greenlee

When your safety is in question follow your intuition. It will help you balance along the precipice between vulnerability and adventure. — Gina Greenlee

Uncertain about an aspect of training? Read, consult others and experiment. In the end, though, listen to the body and the Voice Inside. Instead of dousing it with music, podcasts or talk radio, let the Voice Inside play out and wind past rumination to rich sediment that informs what drives and scares you. — Gina Greenlee

What do you believe about who you are? About your capabilities? When was the last time you trusted yourself enough to test them? — Gina Greenlee

When a thing beckons you to explore it without telling you why or how,
this is not a red herring; it's a map. — Gina Greenlee

Because travel was an area of my life where I felt most vital, I wanted to continue to invest in that, too. I had quit a full time job, drained my retirement account to invest in a long-held dream, and used the realization of that dream to enter a void with no guarantees. I didn't want financial struggle to be the sole outgrowth of the risks I had taken. More than money, I had put my belief systems on the line. — Gina Greenlee

Name the fears that are holding you back. It's the equivalent of flooding the boogeyman with light. — Gina Greenlee

New insights from being present are a gift. — Gina Greenlee

No moment is too small to claim. Strung together, moments fashion a life. — Gina Greenlee

Adventure, opportunity and reward extend beyond our field of vision, and are made known to us only when we test our wings. — Gina Greenlee

Like flowers blooming through cement,
we, too, can grow beyond our cracks. — Gina Greenlee

Then I'd go home, return to a pattern of worry, unable to tap the surrender core to travel's inspiration. What was different? — Gina Greenlee

It's tempting to believe that a break from life's routine will only cause chaos. But regimen does not ensure security. The only constant we can count on is change. — Gina Greenlee

The trip changed all that. Stirring the murk of a life ill-fitting, Something More was perceptible though without name or form. Something More was the genesis of a map, not one handed to me but rendered with each step taken, a skill seasoned by a cruise gone bad. — Gina Greenlee

Our lives follow the stories we tell ourselves. — Gina Greenlee

A craving for company can yield the surprising discovery that the companionship we yearn for is with ourselves. — Gina Greenlee

Indulgence comes in all varieties: a mouthful of gourmet chocolate, a hot stone massage, a week in Paris or 20 uninterrupted minutes to get
lost in a book. — Gina Greenlee

Your body provides you with constant feedback that can help improve your running performance while minimizing biomechanical stress. Learn to differentiate between the discomfort of effort and the pain of injury. When you practice listening, you increase competence in persevering through the former and responding with respect and compassion to the latter. — Gina Greenlee

Once flooded with light, our boogeymen diminish, no longer ogres in our imagination. We welcome internal dialogue for its treasures. — Gina Greenlee

In 2006 I had begun the discernment process for locating my rightful geographic home. By the time my corporate pink slip arrived I had spent two years researching and taking recon trips to five different cities in southern California. Having crossed them off my list, in February 2008 I visited Sarasota, Florida, at the urging of a friend who winters in a neighboring town. Though Florida had never been on my radar, only minutes in Sarasota I knew I'd found home. — Gina Greenlee

The answer is neither job, nor paycheck; it is authentic, holistic work born from states of awareness and being. Through the coalescence of joy, wonder, enthusiasm, appreciation, experimentation, perpetual curiosity, exploring new avenues, welcoming surprise and wandering, I have begun the next leg of my journey; I have brought the spirit of the traveler home. — Gina Greenlee

Putting the dream in motion involved significant personal downsizing, moving three times to trim housing expenses and continuing to freelance. I sold one piece to The New York Times Magazine, many more to The Courant, and another to The St. Petersburg Times. — Gina Greenlee

For all the energy directed toward the stratagem of big city living, New Yorkers are never too distracted to respond to, and more often, proactively assist visitors. Tourists tracing the routes of subway maps with their fingers, squinting at street signs or staring at a slip of paper with confusion are typical recipients of our generosity. We know our city can be as challenging as it is fascinating, and we want visitors to have a good experience. — Gina Greenlee

Those who walk the talk get the work. — Gina Greenlee

Till your inner garden and your outer landscape will flourish — Gina Greenlee

Do your fears warn of external dangers? Or, are they the kind that keep you from becoming more of your true self? — Gina Greenlee

Honoring your own boundaries is the clearest message to others to honor them, too. — Gina Greenlee

Just like the body responds with sore muscles when we add mileage, the initial discomfort felt when we listen to the Voice Inside reflects growth. The good news: anxiety initially triggered by listening to our inner dialogue is short-term vs. the unnamed, interminable dread that piggybacks suppression. Even better, we can manage it with self-talk, deep breathing (inherent to running), the Tribe and social support. — Gina Greenlee

Until that rainy Sunday at the movies 31 years ago, for me, companionship had been a mandate for life's good times. After Orca, it became a choice. My trip to the theater helped me to distinguish between loneliness (experienced by default), and solitude (choosing when and how to enjoy my own company), as I began a journey of engaging the world on my own terms. Over the years, that journey deepened as I traveled life's roads with increasing independence and confidence, whether I was attending graduate school at night while working during the day, buying my first house or changing careers. — Gina Greenlee

Life provides ample opportunity to test our mettle. When circumstances call for it, let's give ourselves a break and ask for help. — Gina Greenlee

Go for it. It will make a great story. — Gina Greenlee

As your training integrates Mind, Body and Spirit, enjoy the process. Your journey to the marathon finish will last a few hours. Your journey to the start will influence a lifetime. — Gina Greenlee

Never underestimate the lingering effects of a dash of spontaneous comfort. — Gina Greenlee

Trust what feels true even if that truth requires you to ignore what you know. — Gina Greenlee

The study book for life's tests is the whole of our experience. Though we may
feel unprepared, tests appear only when we are truly ready to ace them. — Gina Greenlee

No need to queue up; step forward and count yourself in. — Gina Greenlee

During those days of whirling about the globe, I had an epiphany: travel was the only area of my life where I had no expectations. I anticipated nothing while fully engaging each moment. What bred adventure, surprise and deep experience was not knowing, surrendering to now and letting go of control. — Gina Greenlee

Nothing is lost in a stumble, only in the refusal to get up. — Gina Greenlee

Cultivate the art of maximizing serendipitous opportunities. — Gina Greenlee

Turn off the radio, TV, DVD, iPod, computer and cell phone. Then, listen. — Gina Greenlee

When actors encounter a mishap during a stage performance,
they transform it for good purpose by employing a technique called,
"use the difficulty." How can you "use the difficulty" in your life? — Gina Greenlee

Develop the habit of initiating change. You'll be better prepared for whatever comes your way. — Gina Greenlee

Few experiences are more satisfying than becoming someone we always imagined we could be. — Gina Greenlee

When we establish human connections within the context of shared
experience we create community wherever we go. — Gina Greenlee

I know when people think of New York, they think of theater, restaurants, cultural landmarks and shopping," I told him. "But beyond the iconic skyline and the news from Wall Street, New York is a collection of villages. In our neighborhoods, we attend school, play Kick the Can, handball and ride our bikes. I grew up knowing the names and faces of the baker, the shoe repair family, the Knish man and the Good Humor man who sold me and the other kids in my neighborhood half a popsicle for a nickel. My father took me to the playground where he pushed me on the swing, helped balance me on the seesaw and watched as I hung upside down by my feet on the monkey bars. Yes," I told the interviewer, "people actually grow up in New York. — Gina Greenlee

Much of what we acquire in life isn't worth dragging to the next leg of our
journey. Travel light. You will be better equipped to travel far. — Gina Greenlee

No matter how many strikes are hurled at you, only you decide when you're out. — Gina Greenlee

The best way to teach is how you live your life. — Gina Greenlee

If companionship is a mandate for all of our experiences, then we will miss out on many of life's blessings. — Gina Greenlee

Whether by plane, bus or carpet,
own the magic in your ride. — Gina Greenlee

As you consider your next move, practice this definition of trust: the willingness to take steps while simultaneously waiting for "instructions. — Gina Greenlee

Practice makes comfort. Expand your experiences regularly
so every stretch won't feel like your first. — Gina Greenlee

At times, productivity means doing nothing at all. — Gina Greenlee

If running a marathon excites you, create space in your life for it. Adding a new commitment means recalibrating different areas of your world. Logging more miles as your race date approaches means less time invested in other pursuits. Not forever, just during the months you train. Too, you will find how training fits into your world serves not only crossing the finish but other areas of life. — Gina Greenlee

Practice trust in small matters for huge returns in the large ones. — Gina Greenlee

The goal of this book is do for you what Greg did for me: reframe 26.2 miles as accessible and inspire your first marathon journey, one mile at a time. — Gina Greenlee

If the mobs were not made up of masked Klansmen, just well-known local men 'with their horrible faces,' it is natural to wonder how those ordinary people first coalesced into gangs of night riders. How, that is, did a bunch of farmers decide to set fire to churches led by respected men like Levi Greenlee Jr. and Boyd Oliver, and to train the beads of their shotguns on the houses of peaceful landowners like Joseph and Eliza Kellogg? How did they summon the nerve to threaten the cooks and maids of even the wealthiest, most powerful whites in Cumming? Given that it required an organized efforts, kept up not just over months but years, and given just how much will it took to sustain the racial ban generations - from what source did all that energy come, and in what epic drama did these people think they were at last taking part? — Patrick Phillips

Forgive someone today. Especially if that someone is you. — Gina Greenlee

Who you know only gets you in the door; what you know gets you the keys to the house. — Gina Greenlee

Take time for yourself. If you feel guilty eating lunch away from your
desk or lingering in a bath, let the deprogramming begin. — Gina Greenlee

The help we give to others creates the ripple of good feeling we give to ourselves. — Gina Greenlee

Rather than resist rest and gravitate toward constant motion, let's experiment with letting go. — Gina Greenlee

Do not be dust in the wind, but the wind that creates the dust storm. — E.W. Greenlee

Tomorrow is promised to no one. Prioritize today accordingly. — Gina Greenlee

Experiment with grounding yourself with who you are, not what you do. — Gina Greenlee

Imagine how fluid life would be if we each had an advisor who, with our best interest at heart, provided clear, objective and decisive guidance. When we trust our instincts, we do. — Gina Greenlee

If you are feeling constrained by a group that you belong to, ask yourself,
"How can I participate in this community and still be who I am? — Gina Greenlee