Uncategorized

In the Groove

/ morningrunguys / 1 Comment

Image

 

Recently I had a friend tell me that “I was really in the groove of life.” That made me feel really good, and then I got to thinking…what does it mean to be “in the groove” in life and how did I get there?

For me, being in the groove means a heightened level of mindfulness (being present and self aware in every moment), genuinely caring for others more than I care for myself, and a right ordering of priorities in which I work to live and live to the fullest possible. By no means am I 100% in each of these areas (Michael Jordan still missed some shots when he was in ‘the zone’). I still yell at my kids, skip workout days when I shouldn’t, eat or drink to excess on occasion, act insensitively to my wife’s feelings, and forget to call friends back. However, I do tangibly sense an awareness when these things happen and I consciously act to repair my mistakes. The simple recognition of these mistakes and working to be more mindful makes me feel better mentally and physically, makes my family happier, and improves my overall well being. It is because of that awareness that I can recognize that I’m slipping out of the groove and I can do tangible things to get back.

So, how did I get there? The answer is pretty simple but the solution was complex. Friends got me there. Friends who told me I didn’t seem like myself and had started to let other people and their opinion of me dictate how I was acting on a day to day basis. I am so grateful to those friends for having the courage to tell me that. I decided it wasn’t going to be that way anymore, but as I said, the solution was complex and I didn’t really know what to do. Again, friends helped. On a fall morning, sitting on the deck sipping coffee looking at the serene view above, a friend asked me “have you ever thought about all of the JUNK that clutters your mind and messes you up?” I had not, but for the next 2 hours we had one of the most meaningful conversations of my life – it was all about mindfulness. 

Romans 12:2 says “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the RENEWING of your mind.” Nearly every day since that fall morning at the lake I have been renewing my mind and trying not to conform to the world. As a result, I’m in the groove of life and I’ve never felt better.

Sustenance

/ morningrunguys / Leave a comment

menuphoto

One of our families’ resolutions for 2014 is to get back to a habit that we wandered away from – planning our weekly menus each Sunday to be more efficient and cost effective at the grocery store AND put more thoughtful, balanced meals on our table each week. So we sat down, looked at what we already had in the pantry, planned this week’s menu, let the kids have their input about what they wanted to eat, tried to create some balance, and off I went to the store. My wife’s job was to update the kitchen chalkboard with the week’s menu so we keep it top of mind throughout the week instead of taking the lazy way out and grabbing Chik-fil-a on the way home!

When I came home, she had created the above beautifully artistic way to present the week’s menu. What struck me was the power of the word she chose – sustenance. The word sustenance communicates the importance of these meals. These are not just things we’re shoving into our mouths because that is what we do every night…this food is designed to SUSTAIN us. If it is one of the key things our body is relying on to be sustained, I’d better make sure that it is HEALTHY, DELICIOUS, and APPEALING TO EAT. For me, meals and the food that is incorporated into those meals are powerful things and this simple piece of chalk art is a great reminder of how important that food, the care taken to prepare it, and the time our family spends at the table eating it are to our overall health and well being.

Think about what you eat this week and consider it an important part of your sustenance, not just what you shove in your mouth at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Mindfulness around food can be a wonderful and powerful thing in being healthier mentally and physically.

 

Lessons from Granny

/ morningrunguys / 1 Comment

Image
I don’t see my 88 year old Granny Searby nearly enough, but this past week we spent a few hours with her and I quickly realized that I still have a lot of lessons to learn from Granny. As 2013 comes to a close, here’s the reminders I picked up from her during our visit that I’ll keep close to memory for 2014:

– Slow down…Granny isn’t in a hurry to get anywhere, she knows where she’s going and enjoys the getting there.

– Eat just a little each time, but eat several times throughout the day…Granny doesn’t eat a lot at meals, but she takes little snacks throughout the day. Maybe that is why she’s always be thin and fit.

– Exercise a little each time you can…Granny has decided to get a little exercise each time she walks back to her room by walking all the way to the end of the hall and then back to her door before going in – those extra 20-30 feet add up over the course of a week.

– Friends matter…Granny looks as good as I’ve seen her in 5 years and she attributes a lot of it to spending time with the new friends she’s made over the last 6 months at the assisted living center.

– Be thankful…Granny mentioned several times during our time together how thankful she was for the staff, the exercise room, the library, the weekly bingo, the good food. Seemed like she was able to find thanks in the simplest things and it showed on her face.

– Live simply…Granny lives in a small apartment with a living room, kitchenette, bedroom, and bathroom. She doesn’t have a lot of ‘things,’ but she told me that she’s got everything she needs and is as satisfied as she can be.

– Live life to the fullest and cherish each breath…Granny has had a tough year, but she has made the most of it and seems happier than ever.

My hope and prayer for 2014 is that I’ll take these lessons and apply them to my own life. I think they are valuable lessons for us all.

Unexpected Emotion

/ morningrunguys / 3 Comments

Image

I completed my first marathon today and it was mostly what I expected – physically painful at times, fun to run that far with a large group, mentally challenging to finish, and satisfying. There was one thing that happened, though, that I didn’t expect…

After I crossed the finish line under the huge MARATHON FINISH banner, I immediately burst into tears and sobbed for several minutes. This unexpected emotion wasn’t because I was hurting or sick, it was because of The Journey that was involved in getting to that place. The Journey wasn’t just a physical trip that I took making a commitment to train for 9 months with a focus on one thing – this race. No, it was also an emotional Journey. It was a Journey of finding a new level of discipline inside myself. It was a Journey to find a way to spend a few hours each week away from my job, my family, my obligations, and my failures and just quietly put one foot in front of the other. And it was a Journey to experience a mindfulness that has helped me deepen my faith and improve my relationships.

I didn’t expect it, but I understand why my body burst forth from the anticipation that had built up about this important event in my life. My body understood, better than I did, how much good has come about inside of me because of The Journey and it allowed that celebration of tears to express that joy.

I don’t know where my running Journey will take me next, but I do know that it doesn’t end here. 

Eat an Elephant One Bite at a Time

/ morningrunguys / Leave a comment

This year I’ve been training for a marathon and this Saturday – December 14, 2013 – I’m going to finally run it! Training for a marathon has really illuminated the saying we’re all familiar with: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” It would be very difficult to decide to run a marathon one week before the race or even 6 weeks before the race and expect to be mentally and physically prepared. It is a large task and it requires you to consistently train and prepare over a long period of time. Many days it seems like you are making very little progress towards the goal, but each run builds a cumulative effect on your body to be up for the task.

Similarly, this lesson has been going on in my life in 2013 as well. During the first half of the year I was in a very difficult work situation. I continued to try to ‘bite off’ the whole problem at once and it seemed to get worse every time I tried to do that. Finally, not out of enlightenment but frustration, I just threw up my hands and stopped trying to ‘fix’ the problems all at once. I turned the situation completely over to God and just asked that HE give me bites that I could handle when I could handle them. The job situation didn’t get better, but I did feel a sense of calm and confidence that I could handle each day’s bite. It wasn’t long until a door opened for a new opportunity that has led to a new career that is the most rewarding and satisfying I’ve ever had professionally. I have brought the ‘one bite at a time’ mentality along with me to the new job and I have seen tangible results from this approach.

What I’ve learned from all of this and have seen results with over the last 6 months is that you need to just focus on eating what is in front of you each day. There is no need to try to take a bigger portion because you feel great today and there is no need to worry about how big the problems or opportunities are going to be tomorrow and shy away from what is on your plate today. All I can do is focus on the moment, eat what the good Lord puts in front of me each day, and remember that life is marathon training and can’t be done all at once.

Image

Even when you don’t want to…

/ morningrunguys / Leave a comment

Doing things even when I don’t want to seems to be one of the most rewarding and peace inducing things in my life. 

When I put on my sneakers and go out the door and run even when I don’t want to, I always feel more satisfied than on the days I feel great and look forward to pounding the pavement.

When I pick up the phone and have the ‘tough conversation’ that needs to be had even when I don’t want to, I always feel an inner peace that calms my mind and settles my nerves.

When I finish that expense report and get it off my plate even when I don’t want to, I always feel like I’ve freed up tons of time in my life (even when it is usually only a 30 minute process).

Today, I’m going to be more mindful of doing the things that I don’t want to do because I know that not only will I feel better when they are done, but they will make me a better person for having done them. 

Family Time

/ morningrunguys / Leave a comment

Thanksgiving is a time for family for many of us, including me. It is a nice change of pace from the everyday to have a few days of laying around, eating at weird times, kids pretty much running the show, and spending time with family. Family time reminds me that I didn’t come into this world by myself and I shouldn’t try to go through it by myself. While my friends are valuable to me, there still is no replacement for family and the way they understand you because in so many ways they are like you.

In the same way, holidays give me the opportunity to spend some running ‘family time.’ My wife and I usually run alone, getting our workouts in when the other is able to be at home with the kids or wherever the day will allow. We don’t get to run together very often, and I think we’re both ok with that because it is a time of quiet, peace, and reflection for each of us. Holidays allow us the opportunity to run together, however, and this morning we shared an easy run on a nice peaceful trail near Gainesville, FL. It was nice just to share that time together that didn’t require a lot of conversation or effort – we could just listen to the sound of our feet on the ground and our breaths syncing up as we jogged along the path and enjoy one another’s presence. While my friends and family are both important to me, my wife is my best friend and the most precious thing in my life and it is awesome to be able to spend this ‘family time’ together.

I love to travel and explore/run in new places encountering new people, but I’m reminded today that it doesn’t compare to holiday family time or a quiet run with my wife. Thanks be to God.

Image

Image

A Week for Thankfulness

/ morningrunguys / 4 Comments

It is cliche, but we probably all need more reminders to be thankful. For me, this is a week for Thankfulness. 

I’m thankful for a God that cared enough for me to send his Son for my salvation. I’m thankful for a family that taught me lessons of faith in my childhood and have reinforced them throughout my life. I’m thankful for a wife that has stayed on the journey with me, no matter how wild, crazy, and out of control it has been and no matter how many times I’ve run our ship ashore. I’m thankful for kids who keep things in perspective for me and motivate me to be a better person. I’m thankful for a job that provides for my family with plenty of great food, a beautiful house, and all the comforts we need and almost everything we want. I’m thankful for friends who listen and who also talk when necessary. I’m thankful for my health and the motivation to watch after it. I’m thankful for quiet moments in each day that I can pause and just be.

I have so much to be thankful for, so why ever complain? Perhaps I should be more mindful of being thankful when a complaining thought arises, and not just in this week of Thankfulness.Image

Fighting Ships – Old and New

/ morningrunguys / Leave a comment

San Diego is a beautiful place for just about anything. There is something so calming about the water that it makes me want to just keep running next to it as far as the path will allow. I could run for days along the coast I believe.

So how ironic it is to me that this is the home of so many Fighting Ships. In the harbor there are U.S. Navy vessels of today that are outfitted with all of the latest technology, and 18th century pirate ships that are on display for us to marvel that anyone could live and work in those conditions (and everything in between). The angst, struggle, and carnage that happened aboard these vessels doesn’t seem to fit the serene harbor they sit in today.

Life is like that sometimes; there seems to be angst, struggle, and stress happening all around and then I find a place to come to harbor and be peaceful. Fighting Ships are necessary in life, they are the work that must be done. But calm harbors are also necessary and I hope I can run in those for days.

ImageImage

Live, On Location

/ morningrunguys / Leave a comment

What an amazing, and somewhat sad, difference between Old Downtown Los Angeles and one of the world’s greatest entertainment zones, L.A. Live. Only a few blocks away from one another, they provide a stark contrast and present an interesting thought to ponder…

What in my life am I allowing to decay right now that some day I will look at and try to replace with something ‘better and newer?’ I doubt anyone in L.A. intentionally turned their backs on the beautiful theaters and terrazzo sidewalks of old downtown, they just didn’t keep them sharp and fresh and eventually they looked at it and decided the only thing to do was start over 5 blocks away. I don’t want anything in my life to see that fate – if it is worth having, it is worth my attention.Image

Image