I started running again recently. After taking a solid eight month break after successfully running my first 100 miler last November I no longer felt great in my body. And I felt my thought patterns sliding back into a time in my twenties where I was surviving through life rather than fully living. No thank you.

I don’t care much about surviving by itself. That shit is soul-suckingly boring. Life is for the living. The goal is to thrive. And we thrive by creating things that entertain us simply because they are entertaining to do so. Simply because we find beauty in our creations. Simply because stuff is fun.

So I decided to go running again about a month ago on what was then one of the hottest days of the year. Because I find moving through space under the power of my own body fun. Like seriously, I’ve been given this amazing container to experience all the things that life has to offer and fuck, I’m going to make use of it.

Plus, I didn’t like how I had slipped into low-key complaining about stuff I couldn’t control. So I dove in. And now I’m finding it easier to let go once again.

Like letting go of some optimal plan for taking care of my physical body. I don’t want to be working out alone at my home all the time. No, I want to be in the yoga studio working through shit with everybody else. I want to be there creating a better version of myself right there with everybody else. Because it’s fun. Because I love people and I love people who get after it on every level, especially those who get after the continuous discovery of who they really are.

So I went to a yoga class today taught by one of my favorite teachers. And, as usual, it was instantly healing. Emotionally and physically healing. I’ve been having low back pain for the last several weeks and it’s now completely gone.

It’s weird how physical pain fades away after an emotional release. Everything is connected.

I feel like myself again. Not necessarily because I started running again and I’m back to the yoga studio, but rather because I’m again letting myself do the things that my authentic self enjoys doing instead of whatever I’ve logically come up with that I “should” be doing. I’m back to throwing as many shoulds out the fucking window once again, yet, with a much clearer perspective on my path moving forward.

And I have a lot of things planned along that path already. And it’s all fun. Most of it makes me giddy. These things entertain my child-like self. And this is what it’s all about.

My favorite way to create is through conversation. To foster connection. To move through thoughts and emotions to get to the root of things so we can spring the fuck out of there into creating a life where we thrive together. Because we all have fun stuff to do that entertains us, don’t we?

I’m in a good place. And I want to help. I’m looking for a few individuals looking to improve some aspect of their life to join me, preferably locally on walking coaching sessions. It’s easy to get stuck and we can all help people move forward. Plus, I need to finish coaching hours for my ACC certification with the ICF. It’s time for this phase to begin.

The photo is from when I took my daughter to the lake on Sunday. I love it there so much.