Getting Lost

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some days we’re like a ship lost in the darkness. Some days we’re like a light of hope in the night. While it’s good to serve as a beacon offering hope and guidance, leaving the safety of solid ground allows us to seek new adventures and understandings. It’s when we get lost on these journeys that the best learning and growth often takes place. The light to guide you safely around the rocks will be there when you’re ready to see it. So be a beacon when you can be, but don’t forget to set your sails for new adventures to keep your light bright. And remember it’s alright to get lost at times.

 

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Catching Up

We set out with the best of intentions and then life happens. Always does. It’s been quite awhile since I wrote that last post a year and a half ago, so let me catch up on a few things before I attempt again to make a regular go of this space.

Unknown to me at the time, the most significant event was developing as I wrote that last post about mindful running. Just a few days later I found out that my oldest brother had some pretty serious cancer going on. It took a solid year of various treatments, surgeries, and drugs to get him in good place again where thankfully he remains, though treatment still continues. Perhaps needless to say, that was one event to change my focus. Somewhere in the middle of brother’s adventure my stepfather passed away after a lengthy illness. His departure set off another chain of events within the family that are rippling.

Another significant happening during this time was my shift from part time to full-time work as a mental health therapist. Lots of focus on establishing my office, building a client base, and learning the unique and challenging ways of the insurance industry. As for running, I’m still at it. I’ve finished four half marathons so far and shed many pounds along the way. I still find running to be a nice way to work at being mindful and notice the world around me. I do have to admit that I sometimes slip on the headphones now to help motivate and entertain during some runs. It’s challenging and perhaps unnecessary to be mindful all of the time and listening to music can be a mindful activity in itself.

So maybe now, after a year and half, things have settled down enough to allow me to be more present here. I have wisdom to share and thoughts about the world and life that I hope you’ll find interesting. Hoping to be back here very soon, but then Life keeps happening.

Mindful Running

I’ve been running a lot in the past few months and find running a great way to practice mindfulness. I don’t run with music, so I get to listen to the sound of birds, kids playing, and all the other sounds of the city. I find there is also lots of interesting sights to observe as I run—the patterns in the sidewalks, the flowing landscape of trees, flowers, yard art, and of course, the cars.

But mostly as run I concentrate on the finer points of running and let mindfulness slip away. Along with the interesting patterns in the sidewalk, I watch for cracks and uneven sections. Some days running is easier than other days, but no matter the distance (I’m up to seven miles), I remember the wisdom of my old friend: you simply put one foot in front of the other and eventually you’ll get to where you need to be. Sometimes the road is straight and sometimes the path is winding, but one foot in front of the other, you just keep moving forward and you’ll get to where you need to be.

A few other observations: the engineers that design the curb ramps on corners never actually use sidewalks. There is an endless variety of the way people express themselves through their yards and collections. You can never know for sure what a child on a bicycle is going to do next. Sometimes you smell people cooking bacon in the morning and you really want to stop for a visit. And finally the process of running leads to a much greater awareness of your physical being as you nurse the aches and pains, along with the gains in wellness running can bring you.

A Day at the Beach

It would be nice if everyday could be a day at the beach with no worries, but like most of you, I have to wait for those special days to roll around each year. Mindfulness is one of the tools I use between those beach trips to keep life in perspective and help reign in the stressors life brings us. By taking a few minutes each day to practice mindfulness, not only does your overall stress go down, but you also learn to tolerate those uncomfortable moments or situations we face so many days. Follow along here and I will provide you ongoing methods and thoughts to help you develop or strengthen a mindfulness practice, along with other bits of wisdom about the world we live in. And I promise not to take another year or two to write my next post. So often the plans we lay get overridden by the unexpected, but then you only need to start moving forward again just like this. The first step in this process: breathe. Stop reading this and take a few moments to simply breathe in and out for a couple of minutes . . .

What’s Still Here

Sometimes we spend too much time outside looking for what will always be gone. One must look within to find such things.

Reflecting

be in the moment

Seeing

Sometimes you see best with eyes closed and your mind open . . .

Tracks from the Past

Were you there when the train left the station?

Nobody’s Home

Would you like to go inside and check?

Face Me

How do others see you?