Lessons on the Run: Your Experience May not be What You Think

Are you in the habit of experiencing your experience? If you are, you are in an elite group. Most of the time people are reliving the past, are already onto the next thing in their mind, or are thinking about what they are doing, rather than experiencing it. They are engaged elsewhere other than where they are.

Experiencing your experience in the moment is one of the keys to greatness as well as to mastery.

I had an in-the-bones experience about this very thing today while I was out on a morning run with my dog, Ollie. I am just four days back into conscious running that includes a decision to run regularly and a running plan. This early plan is to run without stopping for 20 minutes, 10 minutes out and 10 minutes back.

The area is hilly where I am staying so I am taking it slow and easy. Even with that, this morning on a long upward slope on the return, I was tempted to walk. My legs were tired from the previous three days. Each step was an effort. It was hard work and no fun.

Soon I realized that I wasn't experiencing the run at all. I was running away from my experience and I wasn't present or in my body. What I was experiencing instead of running was what I was thinking about it, including my judgments and beliefs about the sensations in my legs and body.

When I became aware that I was in my head - "thinking" about my running - I dropped my attention back down into my body and my experience changed radically. The physical sensations were far easier to handle than my thoughts about them.

As I returned my attention to running, I also returned to the experience of the cool fall morning, the beauty of the terrain, the fresh air in my lungs, the joy of being out with Ollie... I was soon at the top of the incline and all was well.

What are you missing by thinking about your experience rather than experiencing it?

Back at my computer after the run and some yoga, I am remembering how I slid away from morning runs some time ago, followed by biking in the past six weeks. It had to do with my thinking about it - it takes too much time, I'm tired, I have too much to do, etc.

Truth or Fiction? The question again is: Are you in the habit of experiencing your experience? Or do you miss much of your life experience by thinking about it instead? These two are worlds apart. The first is truth, the second is more often fiction.

Responsive or Reactive? Do you find yourself more responsive or reactive in the course of a day? We usually respond from our experience and react to our thoughts about it.

When you are reactive you are in your head rather than in your experience. When you are aware that you are being reactive you can make a decision to return your attention to your experience and regain the ability to respond instead or react.

Being someplace in your mind other than where you are is exhausting and unfulfilling. It takes a lot of energy to be somewhere other than where we are. We miss the richness of being present and connecting with ourselves, with others and with the Divine. And we are not accessing the infinite resources, joy, love and inner guidance available to us.

When I am experiencing my experience I am Awake and Present. When I am present I am consciously connected to whomever I am with, to wherever I am and with whatever I am doing. And I am consciously connected to my highest Self and to Source.

When I am connected to Source I know that all is well. I am open to the infinite nature, grace and providence of the universe. I feel the aliveness of the Life Force flowing through me. There is nothing I cannot be, do or have.

Tell me, which do you choose - your experience or your thinking about your experience?

Step into Your Greatness!

Experience Your Experience - It's not what you think!