I did it. 5 of them. I met my halfway goal. For those who do it all the time, maybe my goal seems a bit silly. But to me, where 1 mile left me panting and grasping for breath, 5 seemed like I was attaining the inevitable. Did it happen right away? No chance. It took many sweats and loud, encouraging music to keep me pushing forward. I finally ran my very own 5 miles. It was a success no one could take away from me. No one could tell me my goal wasn’t good enough. It was something I owned. Truthfully, I did not even have to share my accomplishment with anyone. It was my own little secret. Sometimes hearing my friends talk about their 13 miles accomplishment made me feel a bit…wimpy. But no. I did what I thought was impossible, and that is all that could really matter.
Running has now become my outlet. My own escape during my hectic day, where I am finally doing something for myself. Am I being selfish? Absolutely yes. A daily ritual of doing something simply for your own pleasure is what everyone needs as a reminder that they are just a valuable as anyone else. As a person who loves to always offer myself to the people I adore, I know my own body deserves some of my attention. So I run. I run, escape, and listen to my music. And I feel empowered. Absolutely no one can, for once, infringe on what I want. No one can dictate my time or put their interests above mine. It is the one time I truly feel in control.
So ladies, why am I sharing this with you? I want all of you to find a goal, and truly make an effort to conquer it. Maybe not running, but find an outlet that pushes you to do something for yourself. Be selfish for once and devote your time to its most valuable user. You. Doing something merely for your own selfishness is the most liberating action you can take. In a time when it is so easy for our priorities to get all knocked out of line-it is great to finally take control.