On long-term perspective

🦅 I am a builder at heart. I like to build things brick-by-brick with a long-term perspective and tremendous amount of patience.

A few days ago I did what I am hardwired to do nowadays and went for a very long run to burn off the negative energy from the built-up frustration and disappointment with what’s happening in our America in the past few months.

Within those four hours I had a lot to think about. I went back to how I dealt with my frustration of not being able to run more than a couple of miles at a time not that long ago…until one day I decided to choose the path of most resistance and started my “at the crack of dawn” runs at the bottom of the steepest hill in the area…and that hill was a b-tch to run up – even cars would have a hard time. Sometimes I would finish my runs with that hill instead.

Running up that hill became the thing I was determined to conquer because I knew in my bones that it would make me better despite the undesirable feeling of wanting to puke my guts out when reaching the top. But it was a choice I made for myself. Nobody had made me do it. It was all on me and because of me. And I wanted so badly to experience a breakthrough performance.

Little by little that commitment and determination helped me break through the two-mile barrier and before I knew it I was comfortable running 4-5 miles. That fueled me to keep pushing myself. Three years later and now I can run 20-milers like the other morning like nobody’s business. You build a solid foundation brick by brick by doing the little things.

The little things will lead to the big things. You become a hunter in the process and all of sudden life’s difficult problems do not appear unsolvable. The problems will be reframed as challenges and opportunities and will make you even better because they will allow you to keep developing and improving.

I have told seasoned marathoners to join me for a 50-mile run and they look at me funny. Their typical response is “Are you out of your f-ing mind?” Once you become a hunter, you are in a world of your own. Fear and hesitation melt away and you are ready to pounce on the next challenge.

Be well. 🦅