Celebrate Life: August 2017

What if you realize that there is no goal in life. What is the destination ? Where will the journey end ? Will the journey ever end ? Is the journey itself a goal / destination. The sudden realization that there is no goal in life, although you feel that you have many goals for yourself , will make you empty. The emptiness thus created will soothe you and you will feel that you are part of a larger emptiness. Everyone is running, is in a hurry to reach somewhere. The cluttered mind is always talking, directing you to reach some place, some destination. Are you made to obey your mind and run unending for one or the other thing till your last breath.

If you stop for some time and think what are you supposed to do. The goals are created by you or given to you by someone else. I think the goal should not be material. Think from bigger perspective as what is your potential. Did you come into existence to run after small things and then die some day. Even if the goal, which you think is the goal, is material, you should dwell how that goal is helping you to justify your existence. You can think of these things only when you are able to take the rein in your hands from your mind. Else, mind will always produce cacophony in which you will not be able to listen to the silence.

The solution to this cacophony is give yourself some time. Think what is the reason of your existence. This will help you to break your own limit. Listen to the silence within. Spend some time meditating. Feel your breath. How is breath connected to your body. Are you the body ? Are you the mind ? Who are you ?

A mail popped up in my company's mailbox somewhere during the end of April 2017. 100 days of running to start again this year from 29th April till 6th Aug. A voice inside me, as always, spoke "Lets take this challenge". And there I was. Running my first run in this challenge on 29th April. Challenging myself excites me and gives me a kick. I have done this on few occasions in the past. But this challenge was very different. It is not a single instance. It has to be done again and again, without a single day of failure. Running for 100 days continuously, no matter what, running for at least 2 km. I stretched the least 2 km to more than 5 km since beginning. To be precise, the distance was 6.5 to 7 km daily barring the initial 7-8 days, when it was 5-6 km. The journey of running, getting into a new routine, thus began on 29th April 2017. I asked few of my friends in my company whether they want to be a part of this, thinking that there is no reason why one would not participate in this event. But to my surprise, I found no one taking interest to join. But that didn't deter me to join in the event.

I would say the journey was exciting but not easy specially in the beginning. If I look back in the pages of past, I do not see myself running, not in my professional life, not in college and even not in my late school days. Somewhere during early and mid school days, I remember myself running after football during games period. But that is long back, almost 25 years back. What should be the distance I should run was a question in my mind. I decided lets start with a figure 5 km which I increased to 6 just in 9 to 10 days. Then in few days, I fixed up a distance of around 6.75 km (as per Endomondo tracker). So, my daily run was fixed to almost 6.75 to 7 km. I made sure that I run daily, irrespective of whatever happens. Whether it is hot, it is raining, I am tired, no matter what, I have to run. If I miss running in the morning, after coming to office I ran. I remember, on few occasions, I ran at 9:30 - 10 pm at night, in rain. Something inside me kept me going.

Running for me was not just running. It was a time to know myself, It was as kind of meditation for me. Every step, every breath in and every breath out gave me a feeling of accomplishment, satisfaction, enjoyment. Running daily for 100 days made me realize, one can do anything if one decides. The difficulty is only in taking the first step. Once the first step is taken, the next few steps comes and the journey starts. I think starting anything or continuing to do anything out of your comfort zone is greatly resisted by the mind. I have heard so many things inside from my mind saying, " You cannot do it. You should not do it. Why are you doing it? Are you crazy? You should not run so much, it may affect your health. I know you will stop this after few days ". But I didn't stop. It was a mind game. Doing anything difficult is really a mind game. One should not give the rein to mind. I took control of myself and was just observing my minds murmurs but not obeying. After a certain point of time, mind stopped saying these negative things.

Today is the 100th day of 100 days of running. The journey which started on 29th April 2017 came to its intended destination of 100th day, 6th Aug 2017. But this is not the end. I intend to run daily, not for 7 km, but for at least 2 km so that the habit which I had inculcated continues for long. I am thankful that the mail which came to me about 100daysofrunning. Some things are destined to happen. That is how a story is made. Some one said that fitness is not a destination, not a goal, rather a journey. I am traversing that journey. It is good to see myself changing, transforming and in the process enjoying myself. Running made me realize, if you are determined you can use your body as per your will. Signing off with a feeling of accomplishment and few pictures.