The Run:
I was up very late last night getting through yesterday’s To Do List. As a consequence, I found myself caught between an internal battle of wills, the will to sleep in vs. the will to run. My desire to catch up on sleep reluctantly yielded to the drive to meet my running distance goal for the week. In the end, I was very glad that I got my run in. It felt really good! Plus I can feel my left leg gaining strength.
The Mind:
My thoughts on the run were centered on gratitude.
It requires almost no effort to see all that is wrong in the world. But if one chooses to pay attention, the world is FULL of abundance and beauty. The world is full of amazing scenery and creativity. Natural wonders abound. The imagination and ingenuity of women and men are evident in every corner, if you choose to see it.
There is so much beautiful music in the world. For me, music has a powerful influence on how and what I see in the world.
There are good people everywhere who continually add to the world chorus of kindness and thoughtfulness. I am fortunate to be surrounded by these types of people. They give me hope.
I thought about how glad I am to be a partaker and participant in all that is good in the world. I hope that my contribution is at least equal to what I have been given.
The Journey – 95.9 Miles:
Today, I wound my way from the City of Rialto, through Colton, to San Bernardino. About 1 ½ miles down the road, I ran passed the grave of US Deputy Marshall Morgan S Earp who participated with his big brother, Wyatt, in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Six months later, the 30 year old Morgan was assassinated while playing billiard. (If a question about the young Morgan Earp ever comes up in some random conversation or a game of Trivial Pursuit, then, you’re welcomed.)
Today’s run ended in front of the California Welcome Center in San Bernadino. This place appears to be a complete clearinghouse of information on current events and activities for folks planning to visit the area.
Hi Daryl, I’ve enjoyed catching up on your last week of blog entries. I particular appreciated this one and this sentence: “It requires almost no effort to see all that is wrong in the world.” I find that I have a much better attitude (aka control over my thoughts) when I exercise regularly. If I miss exercising for a few days, my thoughts invariably get more negative. I’m not sure whether there’s a mind-body correlation (master the body, master the mind) or whether it’s the endorphin released that just make life seem rosier. Thoughts?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I believe that it is a combination of things. I believe that the mind-body correlation and endorphins are both components. I also believe that breathing in higher doses of oxygen is a big part. (The word ‘inspire’ literally means to breathe, to draw air in.) More oxygen hitting the brain. More toxins being purge as you exhale more deeply and frequently.
But as I mention in the A2B Mission Statement (which in my mind is not yet fully developed), Movement is life! There is just something about it.
In its simplest form, it brings joy. We naturally understood this as children on the playground. Without really thinking about it, we remember it when exercise, dance, laugh, etc. Oddly, joy brings movement. For example, when you receive some fantastic news, your body just has to jump up and down!
The mind, body, and spirit are all designed to move. To be in motion. To act. Especially when moving with direction and purpose, using our unique set of gifts and talents. This is the highest and best use of our mind, body, and spirit.
All of these things naturally lift and can brighten our outlook. But all of these things require a choice and effort. (And that is a whole other chapter!!)
In the end, I believe we choose how and what we see. We choose how and what we do. Perhaps, another way to look at it is that we choose and create the environment that we live in. We choose and create our life.
I love your response here, Daryl! May I quote you in the new Light the World book I’m working on? It would fit nicely into one of the sections. I’ll include your name /site.
I am glad you like it, Marnie. Please use it in you book, if you’d like. It was a quick response. So it may be rough around the edges. Let me know if you want me to polish it and wordsmith it.
Thanks! It’s great as is. If you feel the need to tweak it, send over an edit by, say Wednesday (the 6th). I’m hoping to get the book to my editor by then. Thanks again!