Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Surrendering to reality

A big part of growing up is accepting things, surrendering to reality.

Some people never give in, and instead figuratively beat their against the virtual wall, perpetually amazed that the world doesn't run by their rules.

Others recognize when there isn't a fight to fight, accept, adapt, and move on.

For example, some bits of reality I've recently surrendered to:

  • I love her endlessly, but my daughter will not thank me, for anything, unless I make her.
  • My dog doesn't hear a word I say, or yell, if there are squirrels involved.
  • No matter how big they are, hard drives fill up.
  • You can't change someone's opinion if they have no desire to change their mind.
  • If my back/hips are tight, or causing me pain, it's my own damn fault.

I want to expand on that last one a bit.

Faithful readers of DR365 are likely sick of hearing me moan about how I can't run like I want to anymore. I've spent years blaming my aches and pains and slow times on getting old.

The cold reality is that I am older, but I can live and run pain free if I just do what I know I should do.

I have a series of stretches and exercises that I've collected over the last few years of treatment/therapy from a variety of sources. As I'd learn each of these, I'd do them for awhile, and they'd help to some extent. Once I was feeling a little better, I'd declare myself "fixed" and stop doing them.

Lately I decided to take the best of the lot and make them into a series. If I do the series, which takes about 45 minutes, every day, I feel like a 28-year old rock star. If I don't, that rock star ages quickly.

Eventually, after a couple weeks, it dawned on me. If I'm going to continue to run, I need to do this series, every day, for the rest of my life.

It took me a while, but now I get it. And now it's part of my reality, and I'm cool with that. Even better, I've stopped worrying about it... stopped fighting it.

Look at your life, really observe it, and face up to the reality that you've been ignoring.

Good running,
Doug

Comment topic: What one thing that you know you should be doing are you not doing?