Marcus Lopés

LGTBQIA2S+ Author, Blogger, Runner

Writing Life

You Can Do It

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You’ve signed up for a 5K race but are just at the beginning of your running journey. After a lot self-reflection, you realize it’s time to sit down and start writing that book. Many people have thanked you for your advice and help, and encouraged you to start your own business. Now you know it’s time to take the leap. In all those endeavours, there’s still doubt about whether you’re good enough or worthy enough. Let me tell you this: you can do it.

You’re Not Crazy

After signing up for the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 2019, I panicked. Who did I think I was to run 42.2K (26.1 mi)? The longest distance I’d run up to that point was a half-marathon, and I wasn’t convinced that I had it in me to run a full marathon. I had a training plan, which I followed. I eliminated foods that had the potential to derail me. While I thought I was doing things right, I still had doubts. [Read more…] about You Can Do It

Keep Showing Up

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The other day I was listening to the album produced by Fearless Motivation titled, 10% Human 90%^ Beast, when one of the tracks offered a powerful message: keep showing up. When you’re chasing your dream and you don’t see the results, when you’re tired, when you’re not sure that you’ll ever cross the finish line, you must keep showing up.

Writing into the Void

When I decided to act like a writer and not simply talk about being one, it meant I had to submit my work for publication. Back in the day, that meant printing off the manuscript and mailing it with a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) if I wanted a response. And for years, the only thing that I received were rejection letters. Yes, there were days I was discouraged and felt like giving up. Still, I knew I had to keep showing up. [Read more…] about Keep Showing Up

Step into Your ‘Why’

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When I opted for sobriety in January 2018, I knew why that option was best for me. For most of my adult life I have had difficulty falling and staying asleep. And that was only compounded when I started working as a flight attendant. And when I was struggling to sleep and always waking up tired, it was hard to stay focused. Everything took a hit—my writing productivity, my running, and my overall sense of joy for life. Sobriety was a way to turn those things around. And to be successful with any goal, you must step into your why.

The Power of ‘Why’

Change for change’s sake doesn’t amount to much. There’s no ‘why’ to motivate you, to help you become the best version of yourself. For years, I wanted to break free of lies I told myself around money. That I wasn’t good at handling money. That I could never achieve financial freedom. And that I could never break the spending patterns that made financial freedom seem impossible. [Read more…] about Step into Your ‘Why’

It’s Not Always Easy

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Over the past couple of years, I’ve noticed that it’s been ‘harder’ to write. Not the act of writing itself, but sitting down to write. There have been more distractions, more things that I’ve let get in the way. There are periods when I can focus consistently, making progress on a novel. Other times, anything and everything pulls me away. It’s not always easy, but I’m working to get back the discipline I once had.

The Choices We Make

Over the past twelve months or so, I’ve been reading a lot of personal development books because I’m always interested in getting better. I don’t want to leave this earth without having done everything in my power to reach my truest potential. I’m not, however, looking for the latest hacks or quick fixes. I haven’t been happy where I am in life for a while, and I want to take meaningful action to change that. [Read more…] about It’s Not Always Easy

Wake Up

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As the end of May rolled around, I decided to do an audit of how I had spent the month. If I did anything well, it was that I made it to the gym or out for a run every day but one. There were days when I didn’t feel like it, or when I was too tired (the one day I missed), but I did it anyway. While I wrote every day, I was constantly distracted by my phone and anything else that vied for my attention. What I realized was that I hadn’t really moved forward, and it was time for me to wake up.

The Cost of Doing Nothing

One of the worst feelings in the world is knowing that what you’re doing isn’t what you feel called to do. You’re not on purpose, and as the days pass you wonder if anything will ever change. But the only way for things to change is for you to change. [Read more…] about Wake Up