Have you ever wondered how you became the person you are today? Maybe you have better days than others, but don’t we all? Sometimes we could cry until we’re a dry well and sometimes we could dance to Beyoncé until 2 a.m. We’re just movin’ to the groovin’, trying to figure out this circle of life. For some reason, the age 14 is popping in my head right now. Oh gross, 14. It’s like you’re past that awkward stage, but you’re also headed to high school. Nonetheless, girls are using their rolling eyes as weapons. I didn’t know where I was supposed to fit in, and I was also dealing with some major body shaming. During this time, I didn't have something that fully committed me to taking these awful thoughts to the ground, but finally I found out that I was really starting to like running.
Fourteen has come and gone, but one thing remains and that’s running. I can’t despise this age too much because it’s actually the time when I started stomping the pavement and kicking up dirt. I was able to get outside and just go, feeling unstoppable (don’t get too ahead of yourself, Kels). It became my go-to gal. Why? I’m not sure, to be honest. I’m also not here to tell you this is why you should pick up running because: 1) the expression on your face looks like you could sh*t yourself at any second, 2) most of the time it’s not ponies and rainbows on beautiful paths. I just feel that I need to give credit where credit is due. So, I'll raise my glass to it. I don't usually talk about running everywhere I go because we all know that someone who won't stop talking about it. So let me be that person to lay it all out on the table. When you get out there and just go, it's almost impossible to think about all of the things you have to do. It's practically an escape from keeping your shoulders all bunched up with knots from stress. Running brings nature, and nature is probably the most calming environment. Even when it's raining, it's amazing to be like, "Wow, yeah, look at me—I'm like a dancing, moving, running machine." Running brings on the endorphins. Endorphins that feel like you're floating on some cloud of euphoria. Sometimes you don't even realize these endorphins have given you a runner's high. I'd be lying if I didn't say that this hobby has changed me. It has made me feel driven when I need to be, and it has taught me that if I don't do what I love that I will become kind of crabby. When you find your niche, you find every angle of yourself. However, that's where it's your turn to find something that shuts the mind up for more than five seconds — something that sets you free.
Most importantly, I wanted to get real about how we all have insecurities and our damn worries. Not to mention our doubts on the all-above-answers. Especially when it comes to the multiple choice questions of how you’re going to answer that one, Sally. Any who, there’s peaks and pits within all of us, but the saving grace is going to be learning what you love to do. Whether it be surrounding yourself with the right people, coming up with calming breathing techniques, writing weird posts (such as this one), baking, knitting, braiding hair, dancing around your apartment or blasting the tunes with your windows down (as that one mom in the suburban gives you dirty looks). So if you're still finding yourselves, do something you love to benefit your mental sanity. Find yourself and get lost along the way. As J Biebs would say: "Love yourself."
