Look up...

I went running today. Okay, so maybe it was not the full on run that most ‘real’ runners do, but in my mind, I was like a gazelle. Granted, a feeble, old gazelle, with a sore knee, but nevertheless, I was doing my thing. Anyway, usually I get out there and I start off well. I’m in a zone, iPod shuffling and Lenny Kravitz is singing about me, his American Woman and I’m chugging along. About five minutes into it, I’m usually starting to feel something hurting (my lungs, my knees, my entire body…I’m so out of shape). But today, was a little different. 

Today, something told me to keep my head up and look where I was running. Somewhere in my mind, I had started to believe if I just kept my head down, I wouldn’t think about how far I still had to run. (That little bit of reverse psychology I use, to psyche myself up to keep running when all I want to do is hitch a ride on the back of a passing golf cart.) 

However, today, when I picked my head up, I noticed a lot of things that made me smile that I would have missed if I kept my head down. On my thirty minute run (that’s all I could stand), I saw the following:

• Three turtles playing in the water
• A mama duck with one little duckling
• Two ducks sitting in the grass together
• A bunny
• A heron
• A Great Pyrenees (I only know this because I asked the owner, who was walking him)
• and a beaver

Needless to say, there were so many beautiful and wonderful things I could have missed if I kept my head down and focused on how badly I was feeling. I think sometimes, we get so caught up in life and the bad things that happen, that we miss all of the wonderful things we could experience and see, if we would just take the time to look up. We sometimes miss the people who could become an integral part of our life just because we didn’t take the time to notice. I saw a beautiful story on Facebook this week about this amazing couple. The young man had been in a life changing car accident, yet they still got married. Their unconditional love for one another helped them to see even though it wasn’t exactly the life they may have planned on, there were still many good times and wonderful parts of life they could experience together.

So, I’m challenging you (and don’t worry, I’m challenging myself too) to lift your head and notice all of the beautiful things going on around you. Even when you think things are going wrong, look up and notice one wonderful thing around you. It could be the beautiful sky, a fluffy white cloud, or even an ant hill. (Hey, those things are amazing. How easy is it for you to stack individual pieces of sand or dirt on top of each other and get it to stay?) Just take the time and look up.

Railyn