Something that has become apparent to me is that life can come at you from all directions and can often be unpredictable. This doesn’t have to be a negative thing, but it does mean that life becomes overwhelming at times. We have obligations at work, school, or with family, along with chores and balancing personal time, which challenges us daily. Because of this, noise builds up in our minds, and that noise can get very loud and lead to stress and frustration.
We all have things that we do to return us to that quiet place where we can think and reorder our lives to be successful. That special thing, for me, is running. As a chemistry major who takes 20+ hour semesters, noise builds up in my mind daily, and so I make sure that I hit the trail at least once a day. No matter how intense the day is, when I lace up my shoes and walk out the door, the world become a little quieter. I do a few pre-run stretches and other movements while resisting the urge to start immediately and immerse myself in the mental release.
I imagine the stress in my life as a large light that shines down on me in varying intensities. Usually, by the time I’m about to head out for my daily run, that light is so intense that I can barely see what’s in front of me. The really cool thing about running is that, as soon as I take the first step, that light goes out.
I am alone, in total darkness and silence. I zone out and forget that anything else exists. Then I am brought back to reality by the subtle sound of my shoes hitting the trail and the rhythmic exhaling of my breath. This is the daily life of a runner, and we can all relate to the feeling that takes us away from all of our worldly problems. Recently, I have taken some time away from daily running for the first time in seven years, and I realized very quickly that without my quiet place, the harsh light of stress can be blinding. Since I’ve started running again, I’ve been able to dim the light created by school, social stresses, and personal angst, and I’ve once again started to balance my life out. I’ve been reminded of how crucial it is to take a step away from the daily grind in order to have time with yourself; time that is spent in the darkness, listening to your own heart beating.
I am thankful that I have re-discovered my quiet place, and more importantly, I am thankful that my parents taught me the greatest lesson of all--to always remember to turn out the lights.
