Tbt to that time last summer when I did my long run during the hottest, hardest part of the day. It was ninety-something degrees out by the time I finished.
Of course I could have made it easier on myself by going sooner, but I didn’t.
On one especially long and desolate stretch of trail, I got warned by a hawk guarding its nest in a nearby tree. It screeched overhead and swooped down so close to me, I ducked, threw my hands up, and tried to run away. But there was nowhere to go but straight down the trail. Note to self: you can not outrun a hawk.
When I saw this pic again, it made me think about other ways I might be making things harder for myself. Am I being clear in my communication? Am I showing up in the right place and in the right energy? Am I withholding parts of myself unnecessarily just so other people can feel comfortable? Honey!
The answer to some of that, I realize, was yes. WAS yes. What else I realize is there’s a big difference between saying and embodying the phrase ‘it doesn’t matter what other people think’ because if other people’s opinions didn’t matter, I’d be typing out a different post.
Here’s the thing – and see how, in my mind, it all comes back to running? – If I hadn’t honored the promise to myself to get those miles, I wouldn’t have had to face down my fear of the angry bird about to scratch me up and snatch my wig. If I had stayed home, I wouldn’t have known about that bird at all. So maybe it was a ‘good’ problem to have.
When I think about the goals ahead of me, I want to bear this in mind: I don’t have to make things any harder on myself than they need to be. At the same time, I also know how to endure, how to do hard things. Here’s another one: it would serve me well (and all of us) to let go of any notion that we must always keep the peace, be comfortable and well-liked by everybody.
Perseverance – even when you’re not feeling it: so far, it’s the only method I know for getting anything worthwhile done.
As a great leader once said, ‘If you’re going through hell, keep going.’
