Learn to Slow Your Roll and Appreciate Life
I noticed two common things on the freeway this week.
- First, I was driving 58 mph in a 55 mph zone. A woman was tailgating me even though she could easily pass me on the left. She finally passed and flipped me off yelling while she did.
- Second, I saw a car in my rear-view mirror flying up behind me on the freeway. He passed me on his phone, smoking a cigarette. I watched him weave between cars until he was out of sight. When I got off my exit and came to the light, guess who was right next to me?? Racer dude. All that hustle to end up right back next to me.
It’s not as though I’m a perfect driver, or I’m never in a hurry. It’s just interesting how stressed we allow ourselves to get over things we can’t control. How we allow that stress to consume our lives, put us in a foul mood and even worse, project that mood out to others. I’m just as guilty as the next person sometimes, although I try not to let myself get too stressed. It’s amazing how it creeps in, though, and how much stress we put on ourselves. How self-critical we can be.
I ran the Superhero 5K yesterday and it was great (post to follow), but one of the first things I said to Dane when I finished was, “When I started running again after breaking my foot I was 1 1/2 minutes per mile slower than before. Now I’m only a minute a mile slower.” I was excited that my time is improving on its own (like I knew it would) but still discouraged that I’m not faster. Today, I went running at Reno Running Company for the Sunday morning run. 5.6 miles that were tough. My stomach bothered me, the hills were killer and it was hot. On the way back, about a mile from the end, I saw something up ahead that didn’t make sense. As I got closer, I realized it was a man with a walker.
I was afraid I’d scare him when I came up from behind, so Peggy and I talked a lot. I walked with him and asked him if he was our pacer today, which he thought was pretty funny. Then I asked how far he was planning on walking. “Oh, about 3 miles or so I should think”, he said. Holy cow. I’m stressing about being slower than before I broke my foot — complaining about it — and this man is pushing his walker “3 or so” miles!!!!! I asked if I could take a picture with him and he said it would be an honor. No, good sir. It is an honor for me. Thank you for reminding me to slow down, to not worry so much, to push myself, how amazing it is to be outside, to be able to run — regardless of the speed. I had to slow my roll and learn to appreciate life. Thank you for pushing your walker 3 miles and being your happy self.
Originally published at https://www.momof18.com.
Jenn is Mom of 18, Transformational Coach for Christian women, host of At A Crossroads with The Naked Podcaster, Author, Runner, Minimalist, & Healthy Lifestyle Advocate
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