It was the middle of a busy work week, and I was overdue for a workout. But I was tired, not feeling my best, battling spring allergies, and doubtful that I’d get much out of any workout. 

I nevertheless donned my COVID mask and (begrudgingly) headed down to our apartment building’s gym that evening. We are very lucky to have a Peloton Tread+ in our gym (safety issues notwithstanding), so I decided to do a guided treadmill workout. 

As a total aside, I appreciate a great treadmill. I have herniated discs in my lower back, and running can be pretty hard on it. But I have yet to find a more effective cardio option for me than running: Biking and rowing are both uncomfortable and put a lot of pressure on my back, and ellipticals make me feel constrained and trapped. So I run. Effective shock absorption and good running form have become everything!

I chose a previously recorded workout led by Jess King because I love her free spirit and wanted a counterpoint to my super packed, left brain-dominant day. 

During the workout, Jess prompted viewers to do some visualizations. One of the prompts was to visualize what I was running away from (bad experiences of the week, tough moments of the day). 

The next prompt was to visualize what I was running toward. I immediately started picturing an idyllic future with a home on rocky seaside cliffs, a perfect job and home life, and not a worry in the world about money or status or anything like that. Have you ever done that? Found yourself wishing for some fantasy?

Well, a sudden and sharp objection popped into my head demanding: Why are you running to some imagined future instead of running toward your PRESENT? 

Boy, was that a heavy aha! moment for me. I often hear great advice like, live in the present and be in the moment. When I hear it, I nod my head and fervently agree. But this was the first time in my life I’d apparently internalized that advice, and I awoke to my deep cognitive dissonance around appreciating my present versus longing for some “better” abstract future.

So I started thinking about what I loved about my present and started running toward it. An amazing life partner, a very cute and bossy senior dog, a funny and resilient family, incredible friends from all walks of life, good health, and… 

And suddenly I was on a roll (and running super fast, by the way) and couldn’t stop listing off what I loved about my life today, now, in the present. It totally lit me up (and the endorphins from running certainly helped)!

My life certainly isn’t perfect—nothing ever is—but I have so much to love, and for the first time, I understood this on a visceral level that I’d not previously been able to access. Jess may not have known it, but she activated this experience of intense and transcendent awareness in me. 

And I was totally inspired. 

So I brought this epiphany and energy to my family, and I shared it with my friends—and now I bring it to you in the hopes it will inspire you to RUN TO YOUR PRESENT.  

Takeaways

* IMPACT. Don’t underestimate the powerful impact you can have on those around you, just by being yourself. (Look what Jess did for me with just a few words via a recorded workout!)

* TODAY. Love your present. And if that’s too abstract or too “big” to actualize, start by taking 15-20 seconds to note what you’re grateful for in your life today. Say it out loud or write it down to make the experience more tangible.

* ACTION. Even if you don’t think you can give 100% in a workout, just give it your best shot and do what you can. Exercise is good for your body, mind, and soul, and the endorphins help. And a “workout” doesn’t need to be a 2-hour intense iron pumping session; it can mean going for a walk or whatever is right for you. Fitting and true cliches here: Something is better than nothing; don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. 

* LEARNING. Always be learning. You may find yourself re-learning lessons you thought you’d mastered because you’ve had new experiences, developed or been exposed to new perspectives, or resolved an unconscious blocker (like cognitive dissonance). 

* OPENNESS. Be open and receptive to inspiration. You never know when it will come or where/who it will come from!

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