Early morning runs are my favorite…like really early…the moon and stars decorating the sky and my pup, Gracie leading the way. There is something magical about being outside in the quiet of the morning ( some would say night, haha) that soothes my soul. No one needs me and there is a freedom in the cool, darkness as I head out the door to get in some miles.
Gracie and I were out on a one of our early morning runs and as we crested a hill, I noticed a strange figure in the dark. Gracie noticed it too and as she went to check it out, she appeared startled, jumped back and ran away. I went in for a closer look and I was instantly terrified by what I was looking at… it was a small bear cub! I quickly backed away and we kept running down the road, my heart beating out of my chest. I could not believe we had seen a bear!!! My mind racing through different scenarios of what may happen to me, to Gracie. This route is one we take often and I would not expect a bear to be in this area. We got furthur down the road and it seemed that the coast was clear, however, my nerves were shaken and the encounter remained in my mind.
Fast forward a few weeks and Gracie and I are at it again, same route, same time and I come up to the place where the bear had been on our previous run. Well, imagine my surprise when it is there again…only it is frozen in place. It was a statue of a bear, it was not real, but in my mind it had been a threat and it produced fear that made me run away.
Fear is funny that way. We can be living our lives afraid of so many ideas and thoughts that cause us to run away and avoid something that is just not true. Worrying about what people think, not having time, there is something wrong with me, I don’t have what it takes, this will never work out….the list goes on and on. The good news is that we can choose to focus on a different conclusion that produces life changing results. Our thoughts are just that….a thought…we can observe them and ask ourselves it they are true or not. Telling the truth, shifting focus to what is really important and showing up for your life is a choice. What are you choosing to focus on? How is this working out for you?
“How we spend our days is , of course, how we spend our lives.”
Annie Dillard