50k Wisdom

I had the chance to run for hours and hours this past weekend in one of my favorite places on earth, the Bosque of our beautiful Albuquerque. I actually paid money to do a 50 kilometer race. Probably sounds crazy to many of you, and I would agree that it is.

You have a lot of time to talk with yourself in 30+ miles of trail running, and I reflect that a lot of this banter is actually filled with life wisdom. So, I have a few of the thoughts that were a part of my conversation in those hours below.

I hope they provide meaning and inspiration. I hope they raise some good questions for you.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Feeling down? High-five someone else.

Feeling depleted? Keep moving. You might feel better in an hour.

Feeling tired? Set your sight on what is directly ahead and don’t worry about anything else. (By the way, what did you expect when you signed up for this?? To not feel tired?? End of conversation.)

Want to quit? Okay, go for it. But what does that accomplish? Will you be happy with that decision tomorrow?

Each of us has our own race to run.

Forget about winning or losing, and instead focus on digging for the best effort you can give.

Smile often. Embrace the beauty, the misery, and all in between.

Run for those who can’t.

Time is meaningless. How we spent the time is what matters (Feels strange to write that one as a competitive runner. What if there was a way at the finish to determine who enjoyed themselves the most out on the course, and that determined the winner, not who finished first)

When your mind tells you “Let’s walk” gently tell it back “Let’s run”

A pic of my amazing family who came out to support me in the endeavor

Gratitude

Appreciation

beckons

colorful harmony

gratitude’s song

                                2

                                                wave

                                                waft

                                                thru

                                                heart

                                                strings

notes

        2

notice

                                                gifts

                                                grandeur

                                                given

                                                daily

Today’s gift,

the

present

                        presents

                        precisely

what we need but cannot buy or hoard or capture on Snapchat

 

            Presence

            in the

            Present

            is the

                        Present

                                                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This week, allow life to slow amidst the food and gatherings, that 

gratitude fills the space you have created.

The Leaf's Journey

“Change is not about loss. Change is about growth.”

That statement was gifted to me recently, amidst the trees doing their beautiful fall thing, changing with vibrant grace.

The leaf worked so hard to emerge six months ago, a green sprout of life painted onto a colorless canvas that was emerging from winter’s grasp.

That same leaf worked day after day to absorb sunlight. It was proud carrier of chlorophyll that photosynthesized tirelessly to bring life to the tree.

Now, with mysterious cues from nature, it has begun their leaf journey to fall from the branch they have so bonded with. But not before a brilliant splash of yellow/orange/red graces their surface, a farewell parting gift to us all.

The leaf is put in a precarious position, is it not? Here it had purpose, life-sustaining reason for being. It had a community of leaves that it had become accustomed to seeing each day. It had a branch with whom a symbiotic bond was formed. Now, with the right wind at the right angle, it is at risk of falling into uncertainty. Doest the leaf shake with fear at the thought?

Change is not about loss. Change is about growth.

The leaf we see falling as we pass through its path is guiding and teaching us. It knows that it is time to fall from branch and tree, its community for the last months. The leaf knows that their self-identity as a photosynthesizer must evolve into now giving in a different way.

First, by allowing the right wind at the right angle to lift it gently by the stem so that it may journey toward Mother Earth.

It shouts with joy as it flutters and flips downward.

Through this humbling journey will it realize its growth into an element that can magically give life anew. As it finds a gentle resting spot upon the ground, it sighs and can finally relax after months of hard work.

It’s job is now is to rest and allow nature to decompose its energy into new life.

Humans call the leaf at this stage “fertilizer”.

The leaf smiles back.

It prefers to call this next phase “life reimagined”.