If you have been following this blog for any amount of time, you may have noticed I have a penchant for writing bad poetry. I don't have any delusions my poems are good, they are just fun and funny (to me).
For me, poetry is less of an art, and more a puzzle with words. I enjoy rearranging words and sentences to make them (almost) rhyme to tell a story. In the beginning, it always seems I won’t be able to get the puzzle to tell a cohesive story, but when I keep playing with the words and sentence structure, it always comes together.
It's flashback Friday when I dig in the archives to share a blog post or two that you may have missed the first time around because after five years of blog posts a few probably have slipped by your attention.
Since it's Valentine's Day, I'll share a love poem I wrote to running years ago. Can you relate? Then we can flashback to revisit a few of the past poems I shared on the blog.
Valentine's Day Love Poem
Dear Running,
How do I love thee?
Let me count the ways…
You clear my head, shrink my butt,
And bring me happier days.
You are always there
When I need you most,
To run away stress
Through the mileposts.
When I need to unwind
You are heaven-sent,
I lace up my shoes
And hit the pavement.
When I take you for granted
And neglect the burn
You patiently wait for
For my inevitable return.
When much time has passed
And you're calling my name
I always know
We can re-spark the flame.
Running, I thank you
For all that you do,
For my heart, my soul,
And my mind, I love you.
Are you intrigued by my bad poetry skills? Here are some other poems I shared on the blog over the years.
In case there is any dispute, I wrote a song about running to convince you that Autumn is the most wonderful time of the year. Won’t you sing along?
Did you like this post? Do you know someone who might benefit? It helps me when you share with your friends and followers on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.
Questions? I’d love to help.
Did you know how you talk to yourself can make it harder (or easier) to reach your goals? Are you self-compassionate enough? Can you have too much self-compassion? What the heck does poultry have to do with self-compassion?
What is involved in behavior change? We often don’t just decide to change then we do; it’s a process. It starts with our mindset and the stories we tell ourselves. Then, we must consider what skills we have and what needs to be developed, and then we can fine-tune our environment and social support for success. How can I generate the motivation I need to change?
When you train to run a marathon, it may require the development of new skills. Running is a skill, but are you considering the other skills that may need to be cultivated? I highlighted some important skills needed for marathon training: Time management, moving often, moving well, eating enough nutrients, getting enough sleep, having a growth mindset, and tolerating stress. What can you improve in your lifestyle to elevate your training?
Being a runner of a certain age is an image of a robust and confident runner in the best years of her life, aging actively to live her best life forward. With some planning, preparation, and a mindset shift, we can confidently be runners of a certain age!
Are you someone who feels the tension between what you should do and what you want to do and hopes to make better choices and decisions to enhance your long-term health? I will cover some tangible ways to revise your thinking, environment, situation, and habits for the best chances of success. People with greater self-control are more likely to achieve their goals
There’s no time like now to get started working towards your goals. What are you waiting for?