i love to listen to people talk about their passions, especially if their passions include creativity, yoga, running or surfing, as i think each of those are such metaphors to life. while i was running this afternoon, i was thinking about how each time it takes me a good mile in to remember that i
actually like to run. that whole first mile i seem to battle all sorts of excuses and mental chatter, but after that my mind settles a bit and my experience becomes completely sensory. it's then that i notice the texture of the road beneath my shoes, the sound of my breath, the late afternoon light as it plays off the treetops, the man that whizzes past me on his scooter with his shiny gray pants and sky blue cardigan wrapped around his shoulders flapping and waving behind him. and then it starts...those nasty gremlin voices - the ones that are judging my sluggish speed, or suggesting that i need to slow down to walk, or noticing just how labored my breathing is and start giving me reasons why. it's all i can do to push past those. some days i do give in and slow down - then i have to be careful because if they are really feeling sassy, they will start berating me for listening. but i have my own way of getting back at them, i just tack on that time at the end of my run. because after 2 miles, i start feeling really good. yup, i am that dorky runner that you pass with a big smile on my face at this point. a couple of good tunes come on and my feet feel light and i don't even notice the next mile. "
5 minutes remaining", says my ipod...and my pace quickens. wait,
THAT'S the way home my body thinks...but my mind says i know, tonight we'll take the long way home because it's such a beautiful night...and
you can so do it!
