What do you need?

What do you need?

For my long training run last Friday, I decided I was going to run, “As long as I felt like it.” I let go of everything; no time constraints, no preset running plan, no expectations, just my two water bottles, iPod, and $10 stuck in my hat. It turned out to be one of the greatest runs I have ever experienced.

Afterwards, during my cool-down period, I found myself saying, “Ah, I needed that.” That simple new truth stunned me. I had just given myself a true gift that I really needed and was good for every area of my life.

So, why did I need that great run? Was it because of the peace and solitude of the road as I ran? Was it for the enormous orange sunrise that I experienced? Was it for the feeling of the blood pumping through my body? Was it for the moments where I really pushed through some pain and kept on going with a renewed determination?

A simple fact of goal setting is, “When you set your goals in place, you automatically set your obstacles in place. They will show up in patterns of behavior that are mental, emotional, physical and spiritual in nature?”

This run was special because I had more energy after than before. It had rejuvenated me mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. As I recharged my batteries with new mental beliefs, stronger emotional states, physical growth in my body, and spiritual moments, my whole day and life changed as a result.

However, not too many of us are great at giving ourselves what we really need. Deep down people know what they need, they are just scared to verbalize and commit to it because of the obstacles they will have to overcome to get it. As a result, they give themselves a lot of experiences they do not need. For example, eating too much food or drinking too much alcohol, escapism into internet sites, drugs and medication addictions or unhealthy relationships. While these resolve the issue in a moment, they don’t resolve it long term. Why? Because they are not healthy experiences that allow a person to recharge on all 4 levels at once: mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual.

The next logical question is, “Where do I find that experience that will allow me to recharge all four of these areas at once?” Glad you asked. It is in your hopes and dreams. It is in the actions to achieve what you want to be, do and have in life. It is in the childhood experiences when you were free of the cares of the world, in the dreams and goals that you have forgotten, in your hopes for the future and in experiencing the obstacles you will have to overcome to get there.

Pull out a piece of paper and write down what you really need in your life today? What is the book you need to write? What is the relationship you need to move into or away from? What career change do you need to make? What degree do you need to earn? What martial are or sport have you always wanted to try? Where have you always wanted to travel? What do you need to give yourself in order to have a meaningful life?

If you drop the expectation, let go of how it has to be, how it should be, or the need to map out every step of the journey, get the basic things you need in place, put one foot in front of the other; you too could end up running 14.25 miles before the morning is over. Along the way new empowering beliefs will be developed, emotional barriers will be broken and new emotional highs experienced, physical growth will make you stronger and peaceful moments will fill your soul. And you may hear yourself say, “Ah, just what I needed!”