When I was in 5th grade, this boy chased me on the playground EVERY day. Finally I got fed up & went to the teacher. I said something like, "Teacher! He won't stop chasing me!" She replied, "Just stop running & he can't chase you anymore." That was an enlightening conversation then. But it's only recently that I see the broader implications of her wisdom.Just stop running.
We all have the power to change what is happening to us. By running, I was providing that snot-nosed kid with the opportunity to chase me. By standing my ground, his power was taken away. I am now attempting to apply the same principle to the rest of my life, but on a much grander scale.
I mentioned a similar idea in this post.
4 comments:
Why does running have to be seen as a negative? I look at it in another way. Standing still you will get run over. Running to me means that you are adaptable and moving with changes that inevitably will come. You can stand still and get run over, or you can move ahead of or with the change. Change is good. Sitting still while the world passes you by...bad. :)
I agree wholeheartedly that change is good. Otherwise we would live a stale life. Just take a look at my own blog & you'll know that's true.
But running is a reaction to stress, not a way of life. I prefer to happily wander through life, taking the time to stop & smell the flowers along the way.
& actually, my post is not really about running or not running. It's more about taking responsibility for the negative things in our lives. Instead of blaming others for our discomfort, acknowledging our own role in the situation is the first step towards solving the problem.
My dad used to have this nightmare as a kid that he was being chased by a monster. He said that it was a recurring dream. He would always run around the house with this monster behind him, and then he would wake up at that point. One night (during the dream) he realised that it was the recurring dream that he was in, and decided to stop running. He turned and faced the wall that the monster was coming around... and nothing came.
Have you ever read "The Monster At The End Of This Book" by Lovable Furry Old Grover? I absolutely love that book... It's one of my favorites. Everybody should be exposed to that book at some point in their life. It's a great lesson on perspectives and self-created fear.
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