A Lesson in Positive Thinking

I never realized how comments from strangers around the country/globe could be so uplifting. In fact, I hesitate to even use the word "stranger", because in The Loop and in the blog land, people aren't strangers, but fellow runners/running enthusiasts.

I decided to start keeping a blog, because I was feeling down on myself for various reasons. I felt lost/confused about my career choice, my family was going through a rough patch, I had an injury, my friends were all far away, and the list goes on. I started running as a method to clear my head, to be alone, to feel the wind on my face, and to just use up my anxious/tense energy. I quickly discovered the joy in the pain of running, and it has become a regular part of my life. But I even started to get down on myself on running; I wasn't fast enough, I can't run long distances, I can't afford to buy new shoes.... etc, etc, etc. It didn't help that I don't know any runners in real life, and I couldn't ask if what I was experiencing was normal, or have any of my running questions answered.

All this negativity inside of my head was becoming a bit much for me. I thought, why not just write it (type it) down? It feels good to just let my thoughts flow out of my fingers, and see it materialize into words on the computer screen. I never imagined anyone would be even remotely interested in how my little runs were going, answering questions about shoes and gear, and commenting just to say hi. Just by writing things down, I realized that I'm not actually feeling down. In fact, I'm kind of cheerful! I also never knew there were so many passionate runners out there! It's been encouraging for me to read about others' experiences with running, both the good, the bad, and the ugly.

So to keep this positive vibe going, I'm promising myself that each day, I'm going to think of three good thing: something I am grateful for, something I like to savor, and something I am hopeful about. So here goes day one:
1) I am grateful for this super nice, warm sunny day we are having!
2) I like to savor the taste of chewy chocolate chip cookies
3) I am hopeful that I will learn how to swim this summer!
So thanks to everyone who reads, writes, and runs! Would anyone like to do this Positivity Activity with me?