All week I have been complaining about how the cold is preventing me from running outside. True, it’s cold and yes, that’s a barrier to running. But once you bundle up, it’s really not that bad. So today, one of the coldest days of early winter thus far, I decided enough is enough. I donned my layers and went out into the sun. And within a few minutes something strange happened. I was hot! Yes, sweating in all my layers and wondering how it was possible that I turned a few cold days into an attitude of defeat. Needless to say, I quickly realized that I had made much ado about nothing. It was great to be outside running after a week off and honestly, I didn’t care at all about how fast I ran. It was just great to have gotten over what had become a major mental block. ( truth be told, about 4 miles into the run I developed a very strange pain in my left knee, the likes of which I have not felt since the marathon. I walked the final mile home, which I can honestly tell you, I never do)
We all have mental blocks. They can be around exercise, asking someone out on a date, getting your act together around looking for a new job or organizing your financial papers and information. We can have blocks around communicating, confronting and facing our own truths. We can live in denial all our life and never realize our full potential. Or we can take a chance and see what happens. Life is full of so much possibility and we only have to take that first step to realize how amazing we can really be.
I read (or should say consumed) comedian Artie Lange’s book, “Too Fat to Fish” this weekend. You can find it on Amazon at www.amazon.com
For those of you that are unfamiliar, Artie Lange is a regular on the Howard Stern show, weekdays on Sirius Satellite radio. (Yes, some yoga teachers listen to Howard Stern). Artie has lived a very destructive life and while he is wildly successful, it’s his periods of dark depression and drug addition to the point several times that has almost killed him. In fact, there are websites dedicated to predicting when Artie will, in fact, die. The book is a picture of honesty, darkness, truth and passion and while it’s hard to characterize it as “good,” I would describe it as “gripping.” It’s the kind of read that makes you want to watch a Disney movie after you’re done, or go play with a child. It’s raw, it’s sad, it’s scary and the truth of the matter is, part of Artie is in all of us. If you’ve ever hated yourself the next morning for your behavior the night before, if you’ve ever felt you’ve let down your friends and family, if you’ve ever lacked the self-esteem to realize your full potential, you’ve been in the same place he has been. Now, you may not have resorted to some of the same incredibly destructive behaviors, but make no mistake about it, inaction is just as destructive over time as outright dangerous action.
As you head into this holiday week, think about what you have been lacking motivation or mindset to achieve. Set some intentions and use the positive energy of the holiday spirit to move you towards that first step.
Be grateful.