Saturday, September 8, 2007

Awakenings

Well, I've recently discovered that I have become something that I never thought I would be.  I'm now one of those crazy runners. You know the ones- they're out pounding the road every day in every type of weather.  "Crazy runners, what are they doing running in this weather?" is what I usually think then I pass one by. However, I now get it.

As I went for my morning run, I thought that I would be able to dodge the showers. You know, get my run in before the heavy rain set in. I was about one third of the way through my routine when it began to sprinkle. My first thought was - damn, now I'm going to get wet.

As it starts to rain heavily, I continued to run, surprisingly finding the rain to be refreshing. It cooled me off. It was a welcoming relief among the sweat that covered my body and I thought,

What the hell, I was already sweaty, so what was the difference if I got rained on?

I found that it made me run harder. I don't know why, but it was reviving me. Like a flower getting it's energy and strength from water, I too was being energized and strengthened.

It felt good to have whatever I was feeling washed away with the rain. I'm not a highly religious person, but it was a spiritual cleansing of sorts. I felt good. I felt clean. I get it. I now understand why I see these "crazy" people out there in all kinds of weather. Perhaps every one of them was being empowered and revitalized by this process, and it felt great.

I can now say that, I will welcome the rain. I will let myself become drenched in whatever is put upon me and drive through it because I can. I learned that it is possibly be the very thing I needed to go through in order to succeed.

So, my advice to you is, run- full force,in whatever you do, try whatever you want, and let things happen in the moment.

Drench yourself in the experience.

You never know what you may learn about yourself.