Perspective

Perspective

One fine July morning I put on my glasses, took my allergy medicine,
put on my shoes with arch supporting inserts, and got up to train. I
said to my wife, "I hate having to take allergy medicine to breathe.
I hate not being able to train barefoot. I hate having to have my
glasses to read words on TV."

As soon as those three sentences got out of my mouth I could taste the negativity I had just started my day with. So I started thinking
about those statements. I started thinking about the facts behind
them. I decided to step away from my emotional reactions to those
facts. I have allergies and I don't breathe well if I don't use some
type of sinus or allergy medicine. I have frequent flareups of
plantar fasciitis and am bowlegged, so training without the proper
support for my feet causes my feet, ankles, and knees to ache. I am
nearsighted so I need my glasses to read things at a distance.

At this point I had stepped away from my reactions to those facts and
was able to look at those facts as if it weren't me experiencing them.
I thought about what I would tell someone who had those issues and
had asked me for advice in dealing with them. I discovered that my
advice would be the same: Take your allergy medicine, wear your shoes, wear your glasses.

Then I was able to smile at myself and find some gratitude.

I am grateful that I have found affordable effective sinus medicine.

I am grateful I have found shoes that give me the support I need.

I am grateful that I have glasses that help me see well.