Running Through the Downpour
As you can probably tell from my most recent posts, I’m in a period of self-reflection and change. I’m reading constantly – whatever interests me, I pick up. This past week it’s been The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived The Longest. And although reading more in itself is seemingly small, the simple act of swapping cell phone and laptop for books is changing the way I think and opening my mind to new possibilities. I feel like my world is getting bigger.
I had a really frustrating day last week that sucked the energy right out of me. It was entirely work-related, as it usually is, and I knew that intellectually, I should just disconnect. Let it go. Not waste my words. But emotionally, I couldn’t not care.
Exasperated, I finally closed my email and silenced my phone, and set out to take the dogs on a brisk walk to blow off some steam. We got about halfway through our usual loop, the point that’s furthest away from home, and I was still so angry. Angry that I put up with this, angry that I let people who don’t really matter get a rise out of me. And just then, as I was brooding about the day’s events, the sky opened up and it started to pour. Not rain – pour. It was so intense that my phone, although silenced, sounded with flash flood warnings.
I stood under the nearest apartment building porch for a couple of minutes, with Barley crying and Honey frantically looking for the nearest entrance into this person’s home, thinking we would wait it out. Except the giant drops of water quickly found their way through the porch’s wooden slats, and we were going to get soaked regardless.
Sick of waiting, I started running, with Barley keeping pace (although still not thrilled) and Honey dragging behind me like a twenty-one pound bowling ball. Within seconds, my shoes were puddles, my hair was sopping wet…and all I could do was laugh. I laughed the entire way home.
Sometimes the universe gives us these jolts that force us to let go. A little rain wouldn’t have washed away my mindset, it had to pour so hard that the streets turned into temporary rivers. Soon after, I felt a sense of calm and clarity and thought:
I am better than this.
I am meant to do something more meaningful with my time.
And in relation to the books I’ve been reading:
All of my healthy eating and exercising will be for naught if I continue to spend my days this way.
…
Have you ever experienced this feeling of extreme frustration turned into bigger picture perspective and ultimately empowerment?
