SMILE, Or You're Doing It Wrong

I just finished Andy Glaze's book Smile, Or You're Doing It Wrong. I can't suggest it enough. Andy is an ultramarathoner who I first discovered on social media. This is an autobiography about his life and what his experiences have taught him about doing what you never thought possible. It is also about the power of positivity and that more often than not, if you aren't smiling, you aren't doing it right.

But this book is about so much more than running.

Rock Bottom to Redemption

Andy’s story is one of loss, struggle, redemption, and ultimately, choosing to keep moving forward. Before he became known for running hundreds of miles and pushing his body to limits most people cannot imagine, Andy experienced a childhood filled with instability, trauma, and experiences that shaped the way he saw himself and the world. He spent time in a wilderness rehabilitation program and a therapeutic boarding school that he later described as deeply harmful experiences. As he got older, he struggled with addiction and had to come face-to-face with the person he was becoming.

What makes Andy’s story so powerful is that he doesn’t pretend those experiences disappeared. Running did not magically fix everything. It did not erase his past or make the hard parts of life disappear.

Instead, running gave him something he desperately needed: a way to prove to himself that he could endure discomfort without escaping it.

Through running, Andy learned that he was capable of sitting in the hard moments. Of continuing when things hurt. Of taking one more step when every part of him wanted to stop. That mindset eventually carried into every part of his life. He became a firefighter, a husband, a father, and one of the most consistent ultrarunners in the world.

How Lucky Are We To Get To Be Challenged

One of the biggest lessons I took away from Andy’s story is that our attitude matters. The phrase “Smile, or you’re doing it wrong” is not about pretending everything is easy. It is not about forcing positivity when life is painful or ignoring the struggles we face.

It is about choosing how we respond.

Sometimes the smile comes before the joy. Sometimes you have to choose the smile before you actually feel it. But there is something powerful about changing your physical response to a difficult moment. A smile can change your mindset.

It can remind you that even when something is hard, you are still lucky enough to be experiencing it.

Andy’s approach to ultrarunning is a perfect example of this. Running hundreds of miles is not easy. There are moments of exhaustion, pain, doubt, and wanting to quit. But instead of seeing those moments as something to escape, he chooses to embrace them. He recognizes that discomfort is part of the experience.

And maybe that is where we miss the point sometimes. We think the goal is to make life easier. But maybe the goal is to become stronger, more grateful, and more capable of handling the life we are given.

One of my favorite parts of the book was how openly Andy talked about his failures, especially his DNFs (did not finish). In a sport where so much attention is placed on finishing, winning, and accomplishing the impossible, Andy made an important point: a DNF does not define you.

Trying is noble.

Starting something knowing you might fail is one of the bravest things you can do.

That lesson applies far beyond ultrarunning. There are so many moments in life where we avoid starting because we are afraid we won't finish. We avoid taking chances because we cannot guarantee the outcome. But Andy’s story is a reminder that the attempt itself matters. The growth happens in the process. The person you become along the way is the real accomplishment.

Movement is Medicine

The phrase “movement is medicine” is another idea from this book that really stuck with me.

And I think movement is about so much more than exercise.

Movement allows us to truly live in our bodies instead of getting trapped inside our own heads. It gives us a place to process emotions, experience the present moment, and remember what we are capable of. In a world where so much of our lives happen through screens and thoughts, movement brings us back to ourselves.

Sometimes movement is running 100 miles through the mountains. Sometimes it is a walk around the neighborhood. Sometimes movement is getting out of bed and walking to the shower when that's the last thing you think you're capable of. Sometimes movement is choosing to heal, choosing to forgive yourself, choosing to try again, or choosing to take one small step toward the person you want to become.

Movement keeps us from staying stuck.

I have loved following Andy’s journey because it was not a story about someone who had everything figured out. It was a story about someone who kept choosing growth. Someone who took the hardest parts of his life and used them as proof that he was capable of more.

I actually convinced my mom to read this book too, and she loved it. What was fun was hearing what parts connected with her because they were different than the parts that connected with me. That is one of my favorite things about a great book: it meets you where you are. The same words can teach different lessons to different people.

This book reminded me that the goal isn’t to avoid hard things. The goal isn’t to create a life where we never struggle, never fail, and never hurt.

The goal is to become someone who can meet hard things and keep moving.

And maybe, if we are lucky, we remember to smile along the way.

I encourage you to pick up this book or give it a listen. Maybe even check out Andy Glaze on social media.

Smile, or you're doing it wrong!

All my love,

Neva