- Total Time so far: 8:13:20
- Distance: 31.1 miles
- Runs: 12 (Interval running-walking)
I know I should have written this two days ago but you know, life happens. However here we are, a little bit further than the midpoint of my challenge. This week was way more easier and enjoyable. Actually, I am even craving for my running time (except last Monday, because I was lingering with the Post Valentine’s Wine-ing Side Effects.
I have taken rest days here and there to avoid injury. I have become more resistant and stronger physically. My runs are slightly improving as I am becoming faster and I have even seen some changes in my whole physique, including on my skin! Which obviously are great motivators. However, there is something that I am really enjoying and is the way that this challenge is proof to myself that I can commit and see rewards, so every run is a reminder for me that if I put the effort into anything I want, I will make it happen. But it’s all about making that decision. That is the word that kept me running all these days and what I was talking to my soul about this week. I found some interesting discoveries on that, at least for me, and I want to share them because this might inspire you somehow, and that was the reason for all of this.
A lot of people have tried to define the soul, or the inner being, or high-self. There are tons of theories but this is the one I was thinking about this week while I was running. There is the physical “you” that has the brain and the body that makes you a living thinking being. And there is the soul, the “eternal you,” the one that made the decision to come to this physical world to experiment and learn. I don’t want to get too metaphysical here, but bear with me, there is a reason why I am talking about this. As I was thinking about the decisions in life, who is speaking? Who is the one who calls the shots? Is the physical you who is encouraged by logic or the eternal you that is encouraged by emotions? I was thinking about the important decisions that I have made in my life, from moving to another country, to getting married, to having kids, to becoming a writer, and also some of the bad decisions, or the ones when I made a mistake, and here is what I found.
I am not sure about fate. If every person has a predestined road I don’t think that’s even fun nor fair. What I believe is that your purpose and the roads you take to live in that purpose are based on decisions and every single one has a little bit of both parts. However, there is something that is certain 100% of the time when I had come to the crossroad point in order to make a decision: the gut feeling is ALWAYS there. You know what I am talking about, something that you feel that makes you take your decisions, to say yes or no, or the presence of fear or excitement, the sensation that something is wrong or right, what makes you even decide to take one road or the other when you are going home every night. The gut feeling, or call it the voice of the heart (or however you want.) I realized it is your soul guiding you but there is a catch. I believe your soul is always trying to tell you what is the best decision for you to make because you have millions of possibilities. Free will. The problem is that the physical you is stubborn. And logic and belief systems tend to play a strong part in the decisions you make. So that’s the beauty of all of this. The battles between the two parts make you grow, but ultimately you make decisions that can be lessons, hits, and misses that are making you live your purpose because beyond those millions of possibilities it’s not fate that makes you enjoy life, it’s purpose. And the more I think about it, the more convinced I am that you have to pay more attention to your feelings when you are at the crossroads because emotions are what the soul uses to point you in the right direction.
In other words, the more you listen to your soul, the more accurate your gut feeling will be and the less resistant your mind toward the choice. It doesn’t matter if it is the right choice or not. Every idea you have, every thought, and eventually every decision has to come from somewhere. I believe it is the soul planting seeds in you and you are the one that has to figure out how to make things happen or avoid them. The choice of running every day is my decision to make. But who put that idea in my head in the first place? It was my soul telling me “hey you are not paying attention to me and you need to listen.” Maybe my soul was choosing something that I usually enjoy from time to time to get connected to me, and by making it more permanent and consistent I am more aware of taking care of myself as a whole, physically, mentally, and spiritually, with results that I can actually see. Seeing is believing they say… Since I started the running challenge I am more organized with my time, I am writing even more, I am more focused on my goals, I am looking and feeling better inside out, and yes, I am making better decisions. I can’t imagine what I can accomplish If I keep this path but for now I am enjoying this process and transformation.
Sometimes I think the decision is not about the what but the how. You see, you can run the same distance and road but every run is different. Weather changes, your energy levels are different, or even pain forces you to make decisions as you run. The same happens in life. You can make any decision every day as it goes. I am starting my business, I am quitting that job, I am marrying that guy, I am becoming a mother, I am buying that couch… anything! The universe has granted you the two parts so that when they are truly connected you can be the best; so when you have the gut feeling about something, don’t ignore it. If you want to run, (and this is not a commercial but it will sound like it, and actually it’s a great idea) just do it!
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