Details.

It’s Spring.  It’s May.  May and I have a love/hate relationship.

I enjoy the springtime.  I look forward to the colors, of course.  But I love to see the green stuff even more.   The bright green leaves give me a sense of peace, and somehow, I feel more energetic when I look out of the window and see green.

 

May is a crazy time of year.  When you have school-aged kids, this is the time of year when everything hits the fan. School is winding down, there are lots of projects and performances, and some stress with wrapping up the school year.  We also get into spring sports; mostly baseball.  We have running club coming up, spring races with the kiddos, and many other things going on.

At the same time, work picks up for me a bit.  We are entering my FAVORITE season of the year….TRIATHLON SEASON.  I live for this time of year.  To me, summer is the epitome of my year.  This is the time that I thrive.  I feel most alive when I am at triathlons; whether working them, or racing them.  Triathlon is in the fibers of my being at it’s very foundation.

This is what I live for.

Yet, the stresses that come along with it and with summer itself can tend to cloud my perceptions.  As much as I love this season, I’d be telling a lie if I said that there was no anxiety that came along with it.  I put a lot of pressure on myself; and the worst part is, I don’t need to.  I know this, but it still seems to happen, regardless of my intentions.

So, I am changing my strategy this season.  I am looking at summer with new eyes. I am trying to re-wire myself.

In December of 2016, I stated that I was going to do more of the things that make me happy.  Likewise, I was going to say “no” to the things that don’t give me joy.

It’s been a long journey since then, and it’s been a slower process than I’d imagined; but, I’m getting there.  So, this summer, I will continue to work on it.

I am pausing, and taking things in.  I am spending less and less time with things that distract me.  I am taking the time to sit on the porch, drink my coffee, and breathe in the fresh air.  I am stopping to look out of the window and marvel at the beautiful trees and flowers.  I am paying attention to the little details that often get missed because of the hurrying and busyness.

Have you tried that lately?  Stopping and looking around you?  Taking things in?  Do you make eye contact with people when they talk to you? Do you smile even when things are difficult?

I see so many people today that aren’t even looking up at what’s around them.  They are too busy with their phone to see what’s happening. They are missing out on LIFE and LIVING. This makes me sad. I’d like to see this change; not just for me, but for everyone.

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”  Take that to heart.

Run happy. Run long.

#runningtruths

Amy is an ultramarathoner and triathlete, a coach, a mother of four, an Exercise Physiologist and a Physical Therapist. She lives with her husband, Dan (also an ultramarathoner and triathlete), and four kids in Ohio.