Alexi Pappas > Quotes

“It’s called the Rule of Thirds. When you’re chasing a big goal, you’re supposed to feel good a third of the time, okay a third of the time, and crappy a third of the time. If the ratio is off and you feel good all the time, then you’re not pushing yourself enough. Likewise, if you feel bad all the time, then you might be fatigued and need to dial things back.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey: Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, and Other Big Ideas

“We should never want to become anyone else, because the greatest fulfillment we can ever get out of life is by becoming the best possible version of ourselves.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey: Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, and Other Big Ideas

“Nerves are cousin to excitement, and excitement is cousin to gratitude. Pay attention to your nerves: If you feel nervous, it’s a sign that a Very Big Thing is unfolding. Be nervous for how good that thing can be.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey

“Imagine that all of a sudden, pursuing your goal is not an option at all for you anymore. It has been magically taken away. How do you feel? If you feel relief, then you know it wasn't right for you. But if you feel heartbroken imagining a world where you can't chase your goal, then the decision to commit is clear.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey

“Headed to the moon not now but soon.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey

“Being as kind to yourself as you are hard on yourself is a skill that I’ve had to actively nurture. I had a teammate at UO named Becca who, when she felt particularly overwhelmed or otherwise dissatisfied with her day, would put on PJs, get into bed, turn off the lights, lie down for one minute, and then spring out of bed and declare “NEW DAY!,” put on a new outfit, make coffee, and have breakfast again. It didn’t matter if it was ten in the morning or six at night—if she sensed her day going south, she allowed herself this routine. It is the ultimate self-kindness.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey: Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, and Other Big Ideas

“Imagination, at the very least, brings us joy; at the very most, it empowers us to suspend disbelief and chase the impossible.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey: Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, and Other Big Ideas

“Good thing I didn’t accomplish all my goals yet because then what would I do tomorrow?”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey

“If you find someone who pulls you out of the real world and makes you feel like the two of you are inside your own little snow globe, hold on to them.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey: Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, and Other Big Ideas

“Chasing a dream is a never-ending negotiation, as in, you have to keep navigating, pivoting, adapting, and persisting. It’s a process that unfolds continually and never in a straight line.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey

“A great coach once told me that when pain sets in during a workout, it takes less mental energy to push harder than it does to think about slowing down or stopping. I've found that to be true: Momentum matters, physically and mentally.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey

“The only real mistake is knowing you need a change and not making it.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey

“If you don't have a goal, the world might give you one. You will be like a leaf, blowing with every breeze and wholly affected by the world around you. You don't want to be a rock, either, unaffected by the world and inflexible in your thoughts. Rather, be a tree: keeping your roots firm but also being able to sense and adapt to the world around you.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey

“Fitness is not an indicator of durability and sustainability; it is only an indicator of athletic ability at the present moment. Health, on the other hand, is a more holistic measure of the body’s functionality over time. Fitness does not take into account that you need to continue training tomorrow and next week. It is better to be a hundred percent healthy and eighty percent fit than a hundred percent fit and eighty percent healthy.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey: Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, and Other Big Ideas

“Asking for help is a superpower anyone can have but only some people use. It is brave to ask for help. Asking for help is the first step toward finding a mentor. Mentors can help us change our lives if we let them.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey

“She is kind to herself first.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey: Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, and Other Big Ideas

“Run like a bravey, Sleep like a baby, Dream like a crazy, Replace can't with maybe.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey

“There's no escaping the hard truth that each of us has a fixed amount of willpower, a certain amount of ability to deal with the shit the world throws at us, and no amount of trying and straining can give us more.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey

“A dream come true unfolds very very gradually then all at once.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey

“Discipline, I learned, just means making choices in favor of your goals. It doesn't mean you're un-chill; it means you know what you want.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey

“The only way to not be forever sad is to admit that we are, for the moment, sad.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey

“That's what being a Bravey is - you are making a conscious choice to tell yourself what you'd like to be until it becomes a part of you. You choose to replace "can't" with "maybe" by acknowledging your feelings, but focusing on your actions. Your actions encompass everything from what you do with your time, to who you surround yourself with, to the words you feed your mind. To know you can do this for yourself is the most powerful thing in the world.”
― Alexi Pappas

“No single race, test, meeting, or project exists in a vacuum, because everything that happens to us is part of a larger narrative, and we can choose what that narrative is.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey

“A good coach does not worry about letting you grow up right in front of them. Because a good coach knows you will. That's what a coach does; They get you ready and then they let you go.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey

“Chasing a dream isn't a right, it's a privilege - and it's more likely than not that, at first, it won't be financially sustainable on its own.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey

“You might be sad or happy or chasing a dream or still trying to find one, but whatever you are, you are the truth. Right now, you are perfect.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey

“Racing is about understanding that pain is a sensation but no necessarily a threat, and if you continue to put one foot in front of the other you will break through your rough patch.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey

“I used to think that my Always Try Hard Rule was the only way to avoid becoming like my mom, but now I saw that blindly obeying this rule had in fact made me more like her than I ever wanted to be.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey

“It helped that Jeremy didn't know anything about track and field. We had lots in common, but not everything in common. ... His unfamiliarity with the running world allowed me to chase my dream without it meaning anything to him beyond how happy it was making me. I was free to explore my potential in the running world without the pressure of anyone's expectations - just pure support.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey

“You can be one thing or two or three; you can be the beauty and the beast.”
― Alexi Pappas, Bravey