running in the light

I guess it's Running Writing Metaphor week!  In fact, in the spirit of creativity, let's declare:  It's National Running Writing Metaphor Week.  So, all of you folks that use running metaphors to coach, motivate, inspire and impact others, this week is yours to shine!  By the way, if you're a fan of this genre of writing, I'd recommend my personal favorite Dr. George Sheehan and his wonderful book Running and Being.   

But back to the main point...

This morning I was NOT running in the dark and in fact was doing my thing as the sun was rising and brightening.  At one point, the sun was so strong and in my eyes that, much like the dark, I had to slow down, be more intentional and take one step at a time.  I'm realizing that with a slight uptick in age (just a number of course!) I need to be careful not to hit bad bumps in the road.  So slowing down a bit, being more intentional serves me well.

This idea of slowing down, taking one step at a time because of too much light - almost too much ability to see - connected with a conversation I had yesterday....

A client I truly admire had left a role at a nonprofit he was with for a little over a decade.  He had decided to pursue his true passion of working with teens and education.  As we discussed his steps forward, he was very comfortable in the space of beginning to explore this starting work as a volunteer.  He
wasn't overly concerned with What's Next? Or What will this lead to? Or the many thoughts that often go through our mind as we start a new journey.  

As an experiment, we played the game of mapping out his next year with a very intentional and structured plan that included increasing roles, responsibilities and opportunities.    Not surprisingly, he found this dull and uninteresting. He was truly seeing the joy in sitting in the unknown and seeing what comes to him on this journey.  Step by Step.  Moment by Moment.  

What happens when you Run in the Light?