While I'm not above throwing myself a large pity party, it can be quite tiresome to spend your time wallowing in misery. But, how do you tell your head to do what your heart wants? As with most of my best ideas, this one occured to me in the midst of a long solo run on a rainy day in December: I was going to tap into my inner peace and put one foot in front of the other, just as I have with every race in my life.
Have you seen the "Keep Calm and Carry On" posters? They recently made a resurgance in 2000 after being created in 1939 by the British Government during the start of World War II. The poster was never used, but its original intent was to was as a "last case scenario" to be used only should the Nazis succeed in invading Great Britain, in order to stiffen resolve. You can buy prints of the poster on just about anything, from framed artwork to a baby onesie.
Despite undertones in what could be rightfully considered political propaganda, isn't it lovely? Though simple in nature, it serves as a reminder that sometimes all we can do is take a deep breath and continue to live our lives. Deep down, there isn't much in this world that we have control over but ourselves--our outlook, our attitude, our thoughts. Others can take everything away from us and work to make our lives full of misery, but they'll never take our spirit and they cannot touch our minds.
After my run was over and I headed back to home, I did so with a smile. It will be my little secret, I thought, that deep down my blood runs cool and my head will be held high despite the mania surrounding me. That is my choice, and now it's my vow to myself.
This morning I all but forgot about my little promise to myself until I started up the car and headed in to work. That promise to myself stuck and I spent the day enjoying my newfound sense of peace.
