The night sky

The first day of Spring, according to some. It certainly feels like Spring right now, although it didn't at 6.30 this morning.

My legs are surprisingly sore this morning after a seven and a half mile run yesterday. After all my half marathon training, I didn't expect to feel it in my legs this morning.

On yesterday morning's long(ish) run I was thinking that I am surrounded by possibilities in my life all the time, whether that's from ideas that pop up whilst running, from possible interactions with others, from hearing something, reading something, seeing something or feeling something.

I miss most of these possibilities either from being too busy thinking, worrying or agonising over something else that's wirring around in my head or because my mind is not tuned to receive possibilities.

Sometimes when I'm hoping for something positive to happen I already have a preconception of exactly what I want it to look like, and I don't notice when it presents itself in a different guise so it passes me by.

The best place to be to notice possibilities is in a place that's called openness and curiosity.

It's a bit like letting the clouds clear on a dark night to notice the amazing stars that litter the night sky. They're always there, it's just that most of the time I can't see them.

Rest, renewal and troughs

I've not posted for a few days - broadband has been down, as well as the telephone line, at home.

So I'm typing this in a local coffee bar. I do love the energy of these places.

Even when I'm working on my own there is a buzz and an energy in a coffee bar that I find far more creativity-enhancing than working on my own in my home-based office. Also, variety adds freshness, which is an ideal nurturing environment for new ideas.

Anyway, on the running front I'm very much ticking over on my daily mile-and-a-third each morning at the moment. The mornings are lighter but still pretty cold for this time of year, and my energy levels have temporarily settled in a (fairly shallow) trough, but that's OK.

I always used to struggle with, and resist, any form of energy dip, but I can't actually think of any manifestation of nature that doesn't work in up and down cycles. And you don't get the up cycles without the downs. They are the opportunities to rest and renew.

The more I resist the troughs the longer I consign myself to stay in them.

The work of rest and renewal requires me to be present to the process. Resistance simply delays my acceptance of it being OK to be where I am.

So now that I know I'm here, it's time to acknowledge that the dream of the last Half Marathon has now gone, and maybe the time is right to be open to the creation of the next dream...

Time to catch up

My legs were pretty stiff on my gentle jaunt around South Cave this morning, after yesterday's half marathon followed by a six-hour train journey up to Yorkshire.

I've delivered my three workshops for the day, which went really well and am now sitting in a coffee shop in Brough, waiting for the first of the three trains that will take me home.

I've been reading about intrinsic motivation again in my gaps between workshops.

I do think it's so true that the world, at least the western world, is changing towards being more motivated by autonomy, mastery and purpose rather than by profit alone. At least it's true for individuals.

Now it's up to businesses and government to recognise this and catch up with the rest of us.

Fun at the Half

I really enjoyed pacing the 2 hour 20 minutes runners in today's Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon. My knee held up really well and the weather was perfect.

My legs are a little stiff as I'm about to head for the train to take me up to Brough for the three workshops I have to deliver tomorrow.

It's just a shame that I'll miss the Harriers festivities with free champagne for Half Marathon helpers at a local hostelry this evening.

It's amazing what a difference I find that it makes running just a little bit slower and being there to help others achieve their goal, rather than me pushing for my running goal.

I actually find it far more satisfying. I think I helped quite a few runners achieve their goal. Surely that has to be better than just me!

The perfect place

I ran my last gentle mile before tomorrow's half marathon this morning. I quite cleverly, I thought, managed to nip out between the rain showers.

Along with my running, the other reasonably regular action I take that really helps to focus and motivate me is my morning journal, where I do a brain dump of everything in my head for about 15 minutes with good old fashioned pen and paper.

I don't often do my journal on a Saturday, but this morning I felt that my head was rather full of "stuff" and that it might be useful to just get it all out onto paper.

This morning what came up when I was writing was the same old answer that I often come up with at times when I'm feeling tied up in knots.

What I wrote was, "What do I need to let go of? I need to let go of this not being the perfect place to be right now."

I don't know how many times when I've been struggling with something in my head, that this came up as the answer, and it's always completely liberating.

I also don't know why I forget that this is the answer. Somehow, if I just saw it written somewhere it wouldn't be enough. I seem to have to go through the process of finding it within myself.

But when I do, I feel lighter, happier and peaceful.

The old running and journal combo does it again!