I did it! This morning I walked the last leg of the progressive marathon I've been walking for the past two months. My friend Chiara and I have been walking 3 to 4.5 miles every Saturday morning, with an end-goal of walking 3.1 miles this morning to complete a 26.2 mile marathon. It was such a feeling of accomplishment! The weather was nice—overcast, but no actual rain.
With that goal behind us, we're looking for new goals: Whether it's walking a little further each Saturday, or training for a half-marathon later this year. No matter what it is we choose, I know we'll do it. That's the power of a supportive friendship.
It's the first day of Spring! Color is popping up everywhere. It's getting warm enough to walk around without a coat—even at night. I love spring!
The air is full of heady scents. The ground is coated with pollen. Colors are brighter and more cheerful than any other time of the year. Spring has sprung—I'm enjoying every minute of it.
Scientists say they've discovered a tenth planet in our solar system. After all this time... Just got me thinking about how many things have been around me for ages, I just never could see them.
Support, for example. I've shouldered a lot of responsiblity because I thought there was no one else to share the load—or that no one else would share it. Yet, when I stop to look around, I see there are lots of people who want to support me, they're just waiting for me to let them.
I'm going to keep my eyes open for opportunities to accept support from others, and provide it to others at every opportunity. Even something as simple as holding the door for someone, or sharing a smile in the hallway, we can rejuvenate one another and make life in that moment, just a little brighter.
I didn't get to a lot of things today, but the thing I regret most is not making the time to wish my friend Sheila a happy birthday. Having a lot to do at work happens from time to time, but when I miss something this important to me, it really makes me take a look at how I'm balancing my life.
I've made huge improvements in having fun and rewarding experiences outside of work. My new goal is to sustain that fun, allowing it to carry over into my work day so days like today aren't so stressful. I'm also going to act on moments like wanting to wish my friend a happy birthday when the thought hits me. No more missed opportunities.
Oh, and...
Happy Birthday, Sheila!
I'm understanding Nike's motto more and more these days. In pursuing my writing I'm finding I'm editing my way out of ideas before I let them fully hatch. In reading "Walking in this World," by Julia Cameron, I'm realizing how many ways I've cut off my own imagination over the years. Here's an awesome quote that is really speaking to me right now:
"Creative energy is energy. When we are worrying about creating instead of actually creating, we are wasting our creative energy. When we are vascillating, we are letting air out of our tires. Our pickup is not speeding down the road and may never even get out of the driveway. Our project goes flat."
When you're passionate about something, it doesn't matter how much time and energy you devote to it. You just do it—effortlessly. You also reap amazing rewards from it: renewed energy, fantastic memories, and calm.
I want more joy and abundance in my life, so I'm pursuing these passions for a start:
Lots of people in my life right now need a lot of love. Far from this being a burdon on me, I'm finding an amazing freedom in giving that love. What I've had a difficult time grasping for a very long time, is that there is no end to love. It's not even a renewable resource—it's simply an inexhaustible one. How wonderful is that?
Not only is the supply abundant, but the delivery is effortless. Coming from a place of love, I don't struggle over the words. I just trust my instinct and do or say what feels right.
I've learned that hoarding love, saving it up, judging who deserves to share it, is pointless and tiresome. A friend recently asked me, "What else is there besides love? Doesn't everything come down to love?" I'm beginning to agree with her.
I'm finishing up Stephen King's "On Writing." He's incredibly encouraging to writers.
I especially rejoiced at his suggestion that good writers should read a lot (no, no, puh-leaz don't throw me in the briar patch). King says stories are much like fossils—we get glimpses of the pieces sticking up above ground, and as we write we uncover the rest of the dinosaur. This is such an exciting new way of looking at writing. No more outlines, character developments, plot planning. I'm looking at everything in such a new light.
Just for today, go do something you're passionate about! I'm going to write.