Practicing The Presence Of Fun!
"Nobody likes a poser, right? Well, maybe. Just depends on the person's motives,
I suppose. I used to dislike, strongly, the term "Fake it 'til you make it!"
Today, this dynamic is one of the many tools I use to enjoy life. Some days,
every thing clicks when I am out barefoot running. I naturally fall into my
barefoot technique, everyone is pleasant that I pass, the birds are singing ...
you get the picture! Then, there are those days when I feel like I am just
clumping along (yes, even those of us who have logged thousands of miles
barefoot, on some days, "clump"). These are the days I have to focus more evenly
on what's going on with my stride, footstrike, etc. It is sometimes frustrating
when I can't just float along with a feeling that I'm barely touching the
ground. While these runs are fewer and further between than they used to be,
they do crop up from time to time.
These are the times "I fake it 'til I make it". I concentrate on the
fundamentals stride, footstrike, knee bend, and gravity of my posture. Then, I
try to focus on my surroundings. I try to go out of my way to say "hi" or greet
those around me -- I enjoy various sights and sounds that might catch my eye or
ear. Today, although it was extremely loud, I was glad for my sense of hearing
so that I did not dart out in front of a cement truck when I wanted to cross a
street. When the "Attitude of Gratitude" kicks in, then I enjoy my runs so much
more. If I concentrate on the negative, it brings me down -- noise pollution,
unkept sidewalks, inconsiderate drivers, then I will be brought down to that
level of anxiety.
Smiles can be totally disarming, as we've already discussed. I saw a bumper
sticker once that said, "If you want to get rid of your enemies, make 'em your
friends". From my experience, if a person is continually smiling it is hard for
the other person to stay angry. What I have seen is usually two reactions (1)
They will be dumbfounded and will not know how to respond, or (2) They will
start smiling with you.
Barefoot Ken told me a year or so ago that I had been awarded the prestigious
position as the Midwest representative for runningbarefoot.org. He said the pay
wasn't very good ($0), but at least the work was rewarding. Not sure if BKB knew
how I would take this role to heart, to try to be the ambassador of fun here in
the Midwest that he has successfully been accomplishing on the West Coast for
years.
However, it all comes down to practicing, for me. The more I practice having fun
while I am running barefoot, the more fun I have. I'm not sure I can handle too
much more fun, but I'm going to keep practicing while I let the fun leek out
into all aspects of my life. Barefoot running has allowed me to stay in the
presence of fun and happiness during my runs, and by golly, it's starting to
take over other parts of my life. Let the "fun" epidemic spread by practicing
its presence with all I encounter!