I am a runner. 

It’s my own version of therapy.  A way I connect with nature.  How I set new goals and surpass them. How I get my mind right. It’s an integral part of who I am.

And as a runner, or at least my kind of running, I like to go fast.

It’s actually how I live my life.

Often times I charge forward at full speed, even when it’s not necessary.  Between my husband and I, I have the lead foot.  God forbid we are stuck behind a speed-limit-adhering driver in a no passing lane!

Sometimes this need for speed helps me. I got through grad school in a year. Was divorced quickly and amicably.

I charge into the challenge, head first to surmount it straight away.

When it comes to fight or flight, there is no contest.

But what I have learned through my own training, coaching and reflection is it is not about running fast; it is about where you are headed.

My need for speed took me pretty far down multiple paths in my life. Paths that when I stopped for a breath, I realized I wasn’t at all where I wanted to be.

So now, I pull on my reigns in order to slow down, be thoughtful about where I am heading, and the pace I need to set in order to arrive there feeling fulfilled and energized.

I am still a runner.  Both literally and figuratively.

It’s just now my “runs” are enhanced with a clearer sense of purpose and destination.  Life naturally becomes easier, directed and more enjoyable when I pace myself. It is, dare I say, rather pleasant.

Taking a moment to check my internal GPS allows me time to confirm I’m headed in the direction of my larger, luscious life. 

 

Where are you headed and what’s the pace you need to achieve to get there? 

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