Your Time To Shine

Hello Friends,

Hope all is well. Todays quote comes froma local celebrity to the Miami Beach area. He is simply known as Raven.

"Everyone has a place where they shine."

Raven is a simple guy that has inspired amazing events. He runs 8 miles a day on the sands of Miami Beach. He's like Forrest Gump with an attitude. He is always dressed in black. He looks more like a hardcore biker guy than your typical runner.

I was channel surfing and came across his interview on one of the local channels here in South Florida. Raven has been running every day since 1975. Over that time he has amassed over 11,000 miles. Now at the age of 57, he is going stronger than ever and shows no sign of slowing down.

What's amazing about this story is how many people he has inspired. He started by himself but has amassed quite a following. Participants tell stories of how these runs have changed their lives. Some need to get in shape. Some look for companionship. Marriages and families have been formed as a result. Some people just need a release from the day to day grind and use this as their outlet.

He says there has never been an argument on a run. Everyone supports each other. There is no competition but rather a sense of oneness. Everyone leaves physically tired but mentally refreshed.

He deems himself a shy man when walking on the street but when he is running it's his time to "shine." This is where he is most comfortable and where he feels most useful. He is able to touch many hearts by simply running alongside another individual.

So, where do you shine? Where is it that you feel the most confident? Find your niche and make the most of it. All of us have something powerful that we can share with the world. It doesn't have to be anything big. It could be something as simple as going for an 8 mile run.

"Find your place to shine." Quote the Raven, "Forever" more.