There’s a chatterbox living in my brain.

Her voice is a combination of my own, and the words of (what seems to be) every book I have ever read.

Lately, I really need that voice to shut the hell up. Sometimes, that many words flowing all the time are nothing but a huge distraction. And they distract me from the words that are most true.

I noticed, while doing my long run, that all of the running advice and articles and training plans were just floating around in my head throughout my entire run. The thing is, I need to run my own race. All of the rest is a suggestion. But, the words of those “experts” keep rolling around, and I begin to doubt myself.

Until I consciously observe what I am doing.

Sometimes, being an overly-analytical person is crippling. It definitely doesn’t help with nervousness, I can tell you that much. Plus, I think that those analyses are just a fancied up version of me criticizing myself.

So, mantras and music. Today, I employed one of the techniques I use while writing: music. I didn’t run to anything close to what I listen to when I am writing! While writing, music is white noise. I stay in the story, and the world subsides. While running, music is a journey all its own.

Instead of listening to that chatterbox, it’s all rhythms and beats and lyrics drowning everything else out. Except for the obvious things. I can’t really go fully into music while running, I need to have more awareness of my surroundings than that.

Instead of fighting the doubt in my mind, I am just running. Only running.

Now, if I could only figure out why Punjabi MC seems to be so helpful to my running… 😉

Happy #Monday. Blessings to you all…