Are you giving your body, mind and soul what it needs?

A lesson from a run with Zorro

It was a wonderful spring Sunday morning in Arizona and I couldn’t wait to go for a run with my dog, Zorro, on South Mountain. As we started the run, it was beautiful, sunny and filled with scents that sent Zorro happily sniffing each rock and bush. He was delighted to enjoy his time in nature. As we ran the trails, the temperature started to climb and Zorro’s black coat glistened. I was focused on the run and enjoying the winding trails, when Zorro decided to stop to enjoy the shade of a bush and the rustling wind to cool his coat. My initial desire was to push on and embrace the challenge of the run, but it was clear that Zorro had another plan.

As we stopped and enjoyed the rare shade spot and savored the cool breeze on our heated bodies, it struck me how obvious it was to Zorro that he wanted to stop, enjoy nature, savor the moment in the desert, and let his body take a needed break. He didn’t analyze if he had time to take the break, or if his body could take a push through to the finish line or if he should be doing something other than savoring the beauty of nature around him. He simply stopped, savored, recovered and when ready, we ran the rest of the trail and it was a perfect run.

I was struck by how simple and delightful it was to be in tune with your body; recognize a need; honor the body; immediately address the need; and be in total support of all that is important in life in that moment. In the process, life is more fully enjoyed. We lived in the moment, respected ourselves, rejuvenated our physical well-being and our spirit, and as a result, were able to savor the rest of the run. Had we pushed on and ignored the need to stop, rest, hydrate and recharge, we would have missed the magic of nature in that moment and we probably would have struggled to make it to the end of the trail, ending in a much less desirable result.

How often do we do that in life? Ignore our needs as we endeavor to race to the finish line? How often do we hurt ourselves, our business, our family or our friends and miss the magic of the moment as we race to find the elusive victory at the finish line, where we find we are actually starting a new race? I encourage you to take an assessment of how you are running the race of your life. Are you honoring your needs, savoring the precious moments, and taking time to celebrate the victories and finish strong– or are you blindly racing for the finish line at all costs and feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, stressed out and joyless? The victory is sweet when the journey is well-traveled and honored at all stages. I hope you take the time to enjoy your unique journey.