Running Tour: West L.A.

I'm taking my show on the road!

I went for a run in a lovely older neighborhood in West Los Angeles, near some of my favorite Asian places to eat.

Up and down streets in a small area between Sepulveda and Westwood Boulevards.  And Santa Monica and Olympic.

Today's run wasn't as pretty as the beach, but whenever I'm running along neighborhood streets I like to imagine making a home in a lovely neighborhood.  I imagine what my life might be like.

I started thinking about success and money.  I want to have a life where I'm doing what I love and I have enough money so I don't have to worry.  But I don't want to just have enough to get by.  Living paycheck to paycheck is not for me.

I ran and ran and thought about what abundance means to me.  I think it means having a constant flow of energy that you dip into and take a part of, but that you also let go and pass on the abundance to others.  It does not mean hoarding or accumulating in order to measure yourself up.  It means sharing.  As I turned the corner, thinking about money and what is enough for me, the sky opened up.  All of a sudden blue was breaking through the thick cloud layer.  It felt like light was breaking through on my intentions.  It felt like the thick layer that has been preventing me from seeing myself was finally breaking.

Then I started a mantra:

I Work Really Hard

I have to remind myself of that because I don't always see what I am doing.  I only focus on where I want to go and lament over the fact that I'm not there yet.  But if I don't appreciate what I have accumulated, then I can't appreciate the journey and I feel like I haven't gotten anywhere.  And I have gotten far from where I started.  It goes back to my marathon training.  You run the race which is 26.2 miles, but if you're training regularly for six months you end up running over 500 miles.  It's the 500 miles which allow me to run the 26.2 that everyone sees.

I get up every morning.  And I allow myself time to wake up.  I check emails.  I write in this blog.  I watch stupid You Tube clips to wake my brain up.  Then I write.  Or I meet with a friend or colleague to talk about writing or to network or to discuss our careers.  I go for a run.  I go to the gym.  I am constantly working on honing my focus.  And, as I was reminded last month in dance class, my focus is deeper than ever.

I have to take stock in my accomplishments in order to give me the push, to remind me that I am very well-trained to run this race.

I came back from my run, sweaty and accomplished, ready to take on the day.  My eyes feel like they're about to pop out of my head.  My back feels tingly and awake, alive.  And I've got to jump in the shower because I'm having lunch with Tim.