Shine

It’s true. I’m a runner. I am not a basketball player. I am not a soccer player. I don’t enjoy trying to hit a ball being hurled at me super fast. Not my thing.

And maybe running is not your thing.

So, why would you even read this article? It’s almost always about running. Right?


Yes and no.

It is about running. But it is more often about doing something that you enjoy, feel good about, and that brings you some measure of happiness.

One of my boys plays baseball - I mean, he plays ball.

He eats, sleeps and thinks about it. If he is not in the game, he is watching it. Ben carries his glove around with him. Baseball brings him joy, happiness, and in fact, teaches him the same exact things I learn through running.

He plays in the rain, in the cold, in the snow and in 90 degrees – while I sit on the sidelines. While I enjoy watching Ben play ball, there are sometimes when I feel anxious, nervous, bored, and yes, even irritated.

And I think “Man, this is AWFUL! I am freezing and have better things to do.”

Then I look at him, and he is as calm as can be, he is in the moment, he is watching the ball, calculating out plays before they happen. He moves with ease and grace. He is confident and comfortable on the diamond.

That’s when it hits me. I run in the rain, in the snow, in the cold and in 90 degrees. Folks on the sidelines of the roads cheer me on, honk their horn, and generally give me encouragement.

BUT they also have said “Man, this is awful. I am freezing and have better things to do. You are crazy to run in this”.

I ignore the negative comments, which are very few, and instead I am comfortable, calculating out my own route, my own thoughts, I am in my moment. I’m fully engaged.

That’s because running is IT for me. Running may not be IT for you. It could be baseball for you, or soccer, or drawing, or playing an instrument, or writing.

So, what’s your IT?

What is the activity that puts you fully in the moment, fully engaged, intensely mindful?

You’ll know it. It’ll be the one that - in the moment - you forget where you are and just get lost in that world.

Don’t have one IT? Then maybe you should try something new.  In fact, maybe today you should try something new – jump out of a plane, go for a hike, organize your house.

Your IT can be anything and there are a million ITs in the world.

Go out and find yours. Don’t wait another day.

Remember that “It’s never too late to be the person you always wanted to be.”

Then let me know what you find.