Day 2,201

Growth:

To be honest, I’ve written tonight’s blog backwards from Presence to Appreciation to Growth. The moment of presence led to the rest.

The song Numb by Linkin Park is one I’ve always enjoyed but had never really listened to intently. On my run this morning in the quiet of the pre-dawn woods I finally focused on it completely.

The words spoke to me from a level of understanding of a situation in life which echoed the song. I repeated it a few times and almost had chills due to its accuracy. I felt like I could have been singing the song.

After the third time my brain took it in from another perspective. It shifted almost completely opposite to a cautionary tale of how easily my desire could shift to the negative. I paused the music during my run for a moment and just thought about it. In those moments I realized how important it is for me to remember to listen to what others want to accomplish rather than wish my dreams for them. I can help others see dreams, but I can’t want it for them, they need to follow their passion. Show possibility rather than sell possibility. Failure to do so switches my role within the song to the antagonist.

Appreciation:

Music is such a powerful art. The ability to convey messages and stories in such a different vehicle than speech is a gift we’re do blessed to have. Today I’m grateful for learning more about myself through song. I may have stumbled upon the same lesson in a different way at some point, but this will resonate for much longer thanks to the combination of music and word.

Presence:

Running with Becky is definitely my favorite. If there’s an option I’ll choose that one. Today she was out of town for work so I ran on my own. Running in the dark on a quiet road surrounded by the stillness of the forest felt wonderfully soothing. The smells of fall leaves added to the magic of the moment. It also led to me listening more deeply to the music than usual and led to the insights above. What a perfect moment of stillness!

Thanks!!!