mindfirerunner

I’m feeling a little spunky this afternoon. Maybe it’s because I’ve had to lay off the running and I’m getting a little pent-up energy. Or, maybe I’m just feeling a little feisty. It’s been one of those days where your world does a quick 180 and you either have to keep up or beat it to the other side. Today, I think I’ll beat it to the other side and take you all along for the ride. So, let’s get to the nitty gritty of things.

There are those days when our worlds just get turned upside down. Everyone handles these changes and obstacles differently. Some face the problem head on and look for solutions to make everything normal again as quickly as possible. Some hide away and shut down, taking time to process and re-group. Some rebel. Some laugh. Sometimes, we do a little of each all at once. When there is something that I need to sort through I look for the quickest route to an open road for a run. I usually find myself chatting up a storm…with myself. It’s not uncommon for the words in my head to come out of my mouth, but I’ve found that this is how I process things. Sometimes there isn’t really anything to say and it’s just quiet.

I posted a running mantra the other day which got me to thinking about mantras in general. The word “Mantra” literally means “Instrument for thinking”. When I’m going through something difficult or painful I’m reminded of something my Mom used to always tell me, “This too shall pass”. It puts things into perspective and gets me out of that immediate moment and helps me look for ways to get to the other side. In running, there are all types of mantras you can use, but you need to find one or create one and own it. If you own it and make it yours, then it will become a part of you. It will become of part of your determination, motivation, of who you are. Too often we let ourselves get in the way of…ourselves. Break free and stop restricting your abilities. The gloves are off. No holds barred. Time to get real.