The storms are supposed to start around midnight, and we may get 1" over the next 24 hours. May not be a big deal in most of the country but here it's the lead story on the evening news. Flash flood warnings are out and morning bike rides are subject to cancellation.
Back in the day, when I was running every day, often doing 10+ miles at a time, I had a friend tell me she'd consider taking up the activity the day she saw a runner smiling. That got me to thinking about why I ran. Did I really enjoy it? And if I did, why did I look so miserable as I pounded the pavement? That, in turn, led me to try smiling as I ran - a totally forced, intentional smile.
A funny thing happened. I noticed that when I smiled I actually felt better. I almost always relaxed and ran with better form. But mostly it changed my attitude as I ran, the act of smiling creating a feeling of enjoyment.
That led to an experiment as I ran 10k races. If you've ever done those you know that along about the 4-mile mark things can get difficult. The adrenalin of the start, with a big group of fellow runners around you and the crowd of cheering spectators, has disappeared. The finish line is still a significant distance away. And if you're trying to run at or near your best pace things start to get difficult. At this point the attitude can suffer, and with it the performance. The dreaded downward spiral.
So, when I could feel the fatigue in both body and mind I forced a smile. It worked every time! My attitude improved and my energy levels rose.
It is easier to act your way into a new set of feelings than to feel your way into a new set of actions.
I later read about the physiological power of a smile, even if it's artificial. Apparently there's something physiological that happens when we smile. Whatever, it works for me. So even though my days as a runner are behind me I still use that tactic - now on my bike rides. Whether it's a speed day or a distance ride, when I feel myself getting bogged down mentally I smile.
Still works.
Try it next time you're feeling miserable. Smile. A stupid grin that will have people around you wondering what you've just thought of that's so funny. (And just in case they ask, have a good joke ready to share so they don't think you've gone completely 'round the bend.)
On a related note, I have another mental exercise I've been practicing a lot lately. When I get worked up over the dangerous and destructive policies of the left and the wacky (and perhaps equally dangerous) personalities on the right I repeat to myself the words of Phil. 3:20. "Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ."
It calms me down.
Q:What's the last thing to go through a bug's mind when he hits your windshield?
A: His butt.
(You can use that when they ask you why you're smiling.)
2 comments:
As a general rule runners grimace and bikers smile.
Never trust a man who allows a bicycle seat that far up his rear end and smiles about it!
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