Inspire the Inspirer by Guest Blogger Scott Palko

It's once again time to take a break from my musings to hear from this week's guest blogger.  He's the owner of CCI Studios (a corporate sponsor of Run Strong and the creators of the Run Strong website) and an amazing soul that will be joining me in my marathon quest in October.   He has been one of my most committed and enthusiastic supporters in this journey and he also happens to be my brother...not to mention (get ready for my unapologetic sister brag), he was recently named Sarnia's Citizen of the Year!  This week, I asked the amazing Scott Palko to send me his thoughts on why he - and CCI - are supporting Run Strong.  Here's what he had to say (thanks for running with me!):

******

Corrie is a human goldfish.  She can go through her packed day of being a wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, entrepreneur and runner and have the world cave in.  Yet, like clockwork, tomorrow’s morning hits and she is the reverse-Cinderella.  The resetting of the clock resets her dedication to change and she forgets the bad from the day before like it did not happen.  The world can be great, she can make it that way – and the glass shoe will fit perfectly.  Many people say they live this way, but few actually do it – C Dawg is one of them.

So, when I have my bad days and I begin to struggle with whether or not I can actually change the world, I am inspired by this trait of perseverance in my sister.  I am motivated by her bottomless well of belief in the good that we, as individuals, can bring about.  I am in awe of her actions in the face of societal contempt and her selflessness in a world of narcissism.  At the same time, I am reminded that simply thinking highly of her is not enough – I must act.  I must help inspire the inspirers by actively embracing their efforts.

When people ask why I am running this marathon with her and why CCI Studios supports Run Strong – it is not just because of the great cause Run Strong supports, it is because when someone dedicates themselves, day-after-day to doing good – they need to know they are doing it.  They need to know that their actions are inspiring other people and the two hands they have attached to them are working toward building a brighter future for everyone around them.  They need to know that their unrelenting faith in human beings and unabashed concern for the inhabitants of our world – the majority of whom they will never meet – IS making a difference.  The world IS changing because of their efforts – and their works are, well…working.

So, that is my reason for running this marathon with my sister and running this race of change with all of you.  We need to celebrate and support those who are making a difference.  It’s not enough to assume these individuals will just keeping doing good – we need to tie up our shoes, climb to the mountaintop and exclaim “Thank you.  You have changed my world, which has, in turn, changed our world”.  Today, it is my sister Corrie’s marathon.  Tomorrow it may be my sister Marlo or my brother Joe or my parents or anyone of you who need to know your actions are making a difference.  To that end, your call should be answered because you are making a difference and your actions are bringing about change, as well.

Change is happening – and we are all making it so.  In this case, I thank my sister for taking on this task and allowing me to run her race of change beside her, with the purpose of inspiring her to continue to make the world the place she believes it can be.

Train Hard.  Make Change.  Run Strong.

Scott

(Corrie's note: Please consider supporting Interim Place with a donation through Run Strong.  100% of proceeds will go to Interim Place's programs and services for women fleeing violence and their children.  You can make a donation by clicking on the button below or email me at corrie@run-strong.ca if you'd like to donate offline.  Thanks for your support!!)