As many of you know, I have been training for the Missoula Half Marathon for the past 8 weeks. I have learned more than I'd ever expected to throughout this journey. I have always been one to look at any situation in it's whole, or holistically. There are many pieces that have to come together in order for someone or something to become whole or one. Factors contributing to this concept can come from the environment or surroundings in which a person populates. Other things like a person's past and the path they've already walked adds pieces to this puzzle. Death, life and sickness also can affect how one sees themselves in a holistic manner.
As you can see, there are many, many different concepts that have to come together in order for a person to be who they are. Sometimes, a person decides to alter their perception and take charge of their life. Others, are completely unaware of who they've become or how they act and are like a leaf in the river, just allowing things to happen and relinquishing all control to the force of the river. When you begin to take control over your life, you are giving permission to yourself/mind/body to feel happiness. There are not a whole lot of chances to make excuses anymore because we are in control of choices and things we want changed. On the other hand, when you've given up all hope in yourself, and allow the 'river control over your leaf,' you may feel as a paralyzed prisoner, trapped with no ability to escape.
In both scenarios listed above, there are always chances for heartbreak, misfortune and unfair treatment. Unfortunately, this is part of life and there is only one Person (God) who is in 100% control over our lives, and we all know the saying, Life isn't fair.
A huge component of learning to view ourselves and others holistically is being mindful. I found a great definition for mindfulness if you are unfamiliar. Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present
moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings,
thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique. This has become an invaluable trait I've learned and practice daily. To pause in a moment of distress and take a few deep breaths and begin again has saved countless hours of frustration, blame and sorrow.
I challenge you, if you've never been one to look at things (or situations that may arise in your life, good or bad) in a holistic manner, taking into account all aspects, start doing so today. Be present in the moment, allow yourself to feel emotions and then choose a path. It is physically, mentally and emotionally impossible to live a positive life while having a negative mindset. We all choose how we want to perceive things, no one does this for you!
I started this out talking about my decision to run 13.1 miles on July 12th and what I've learned thus far. Running is much, much more than putting your hair up and lacing up some shoes. It is a constant battle between your body and your brain and you must figure out which voice you'll listen too. It is a battle between waking up at 6 am to run before your family awakes or sleeping in. It is a battle between drinking an ungodly amount of water everyday or opting for something like sweet tea or a fountain soda. I've learned to channel negative thoughts while running and focus on a bigger picture. If I find I'm struggling with this, a quick crank up of Pandora will surly fix any negativity.
My point throughout this whole post is that we all have control and make our own choices. I can choose to wake up, have a great day, be positive, healthy and practice mindfulness or I can choose to be quick to blame, find every reason in the book to feel sorry for myself, swear I'm all alone and that no one cares. One decision, one mindset change is all it takes to make or break the day.
Practice being mindful and having a holistic outlook and see how your world will change!
