"The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones" - Confucius.
It starts with a goal, an idea in mind. Then it comes the hard part - THE RUN.
A run that wasn't just a run
Even though I love sports activities, I was never into running. Never stepped on a treadmill. But have decided to run a marathon this year, and I did. I thought of 21k but didn't have time to prepare. 10k was the only option I had. Practiced for ten days, got into decent shape, and run 10k under 1h. To be precise - 54 min. The second best time within my company. Not bad for a start. I thought of continuing, but it didn't happen. To be honest, my running wasn't that impressive as what happened during the marathon. While running, I overheard one runner asking his friend, "What is your happy pace?" This simple question lighted my head and made my run more joyful. It sparked so many thoughts that I needed to write them down and share them.
We are all runners
All of us are running somewhere. Full of ambition, goals, and desires. Thirsty for success, achievements, and recognition. Aiming for a life that we think we deserve. And perhaps applause for our greatness. We are all running, and most of the time, we run so fast that we lost track of why we are running in the first place. Life is never that easy, but somewhere on the road, we forgot to be happy. And if that is the case, why are we still running?
The life we are running towards doesn't look anything like the life we think we deserve. There is a vast discrepancy. The more significant the gap, the more sad and unfulfilled we are. We are often wondering how this can be. For many, it will not make any sense. You are good enough, smart enough to get what you deserve. Especially if you look around and you think you are better than the rest.
Who is better?
The question that troubles the mind. Social media made it even worse. We are comparing ourselves with others all the time. It became an obsession, and it became a measure of our life. For many, the ultimate goal - the run and the running.
The fact is someone is always going to be better, better than you. But you still run like crazy trying to be the number one. The more you are not, the more you feel sad and unfulfilled. How can this be? You are good enough, smart enough to get to the top.
If only life was about getting what you think you deserve or being better than someone else. But it isn't.
Have you found your happy pace?
There is so much to run for in life. I understand that. But how you are running makes a whole difference.
Don't stop; keep it going.
So much to explore in physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual. But find a pace that is right for you. Don't worry about the speed, and even if it feels that some other people are running faster than you. It might be right for them, but it is not suitable for you. The speed should not ruin the run. It is the other way around.
My karate teacher is always saying, "Practice slow, progress fast"- think about it. In my words - FIND YOUR HAPPY PACE AND PROGRESS FAST.
Remember, you are not competing with others. You are competing with yourself. You should always become better than you are. That is the ultimate goal of any run. And you'll become better only if you find your happy pace. Then every step is a joy, and your most exceptional work and achievement will come out.
You will make some sacrifices, the ones that you think are important, necessary. But no sacrifice is worth it if you don't smile. Your heart needs to feel full, and your heart needs to feel fuller tomorrow. People around you should feel the same. Then every sacrifice is worth it.
If you have started moving a mountain, enjoy carrying every single stone. You might end up moving a hill instead, but it is your hill.
Love it, accept it, and don't forget to smile!
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