What I learned When I Stopped Stressing and Started Running StopStressingNow.com
By Guest Blogger – Gordon Simmons
I started running almost 10 years ago. I’m not a very big guy, and one day I got on the scales and realized I was technically obese—more than 35 pounds over my ideal body weight. So, that very night, I announced to my family that the next morning, I was going to go for a run.
Yes, they did laugh a bit. But I didn’t mind. The idea of me getting up early was laughable enough, let alone getting up early to run. But I was determined, and at 6:00 am the next morning, there I was, tying my sneakers and deciding which direction to go.
I made it all of about four blocks before I had to stop. My heart was pounding. My head hurt. I couldn’t breathe. It felt terrible.
And I felt great!
Why?
Sure, you could say it seemed like a pretty miserable failure. I only ran four blocks. For some reason, though, I didn’t see it that way. To me, I had done something fabulous. I got up and RAN. Yes, only four blocks, but the distance wasn’t the point. I didn’t expect to get very far. I decided to focus on the victory in the situation: I followed through on a promise to myself!
As I continued to get up each morning to run, I started going further and further each day, just a little bit more every time. In the beginning I added just one block a day to my distance. Soon I was able to add two blocks, and later still I added more distance until I made it up to 3 miles.
Wow! Miles. I was running for miles at a time! At this point, my family began to get used to the idea of me running, but I certainly didn’t have a picture of myself as a real runner. Sure, I got up five days a week to do it, but I was just a beginner. The other people who passed me by in their $40 shorts and $100 sneakers were the real runners. Me? I was just a guy trying to lose some weight.
It’s hard to believe that was 10 years ago. By now I’ve run hundreds of races, completed 2 marathons (both in a very average 4 hours 25 minutes), and turned in countless hours on the treadmill. It sort of sounds like I’m a real runner now doesn’t it?
But here’s something to think about. I was a real runner the second I walked out that door on the first day. I wasn’t a fast runner and I didn’t have a lot of stamina, but I was up and running – and that’s what really mattered. But I’m not writing this to impress anybody. Quite honestly my running isn’t that impressive.
What is important is the lessons I have learned.
- You are what you believe yourself to be. I am real a runner now, and I was also a real runner on that first day.
- Determination counts for a lot. There were good running days and bad running days. But I kept running no matter what.
- A “savings account” mentality can make any big task seem achievable. I only added one more block in those early days. But only weeks later, all those extra blocks turned into miles.
- Pursuing a goal has unforeseen benefits. Sure I lost weight, but I also gained a greater level of fitness. I ate healthier. A daily dose of dopamine (which you naturally produce when you exercise) elevated my overall mood, so I become happier. I made friends at the gym. I hadn’t planned on any of these benefits.
- Success breeds success. I started thinking differently about myself. Instead of saying, “I can’t run a marathon,” I began asking, “I wonder if I could run a marathon?” And then, “How long would I have to train to run a marathon?” Eventually I ran a marathon.
Those are a few things I learned since that first morning 10 years ago. I’ve found that applying them to other areas of my life has lead to a lot of wonderful outcomes.
For now, forget about the running part.
Let’s look at the more general lessons:
- You are what you believe yourself to be
- Determination counts
- Making a little progress each day adds up
- Pursuing a goal has unforeseen benefits
- Success breeds success
I hope in 10 years you’ll look back and feel great about those first steps you took toward whatever goal you have for yourself. Like Gretchen Rubin says in her book The Happiness Project, “Days are long, but life is short.” Stop stressing and start running to your goals now!
What do you perceive yourself to be? What might you accomplish if you simply take the first step and begin doing what you dream of, even if you do it badly at first?
Here’s to your success!
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Gordon Simmons and Tracy Brown, started Happiness Inside because they truly believe that when people turn their awareness inward, they can begin to discover how to become happier. And I agree! Just like getting fit is no mystery, getting happier isn’t really complicated either. And yet, both can be difficult if you don’t have support, knowledge, drive, and a set of tools you can use to accomplish the job. So they started www.HappinessInside.com Because they know that when you are happier, so are your friends and family – and even their friends and family. What if we could get millions of people focusing on increasing their happiness? What wonderful ripple effect could be created in the world?
