Outrunning victimhood

Went to bed late. Got up early. Pounded out 4.3 miles. And even with a lack of sleep, my mind was racing as I ran. What a weird couple of weeks it has been. There’s so much pain in the world. Worry wrapped around me like the humidity.

My heart beat rapidly as I slogged up a hill. My lungs and legs burned. My mind did, too.

I started thinking about my problems. Yes, I have problems. Don’t share them here — because you have your own and frankly, mine probably aren’t that interesting. I know, I know — people like to hear other people’s dirty laundry. And people like to complain. I know I do. I whined myself through some pretty good times over the past 46 years. But now I’d rather put my energy into solving my challenges instead of whining.

I kept running. A shooting star blazed across the sky. A celestial being burned to death. “Sucks for it,” I thought.

Whining. I thought about how we’ve become a nation of victims. You hear it on talk radio, cable TV, in newspaper columns, on social media, in cartoons and around the water-cooler. I know your mind automatically goes to someone else when I say that, but I mean all of us. Me, included! And both sides of the political aisle cater to victimhood. “It’s not fair!” has almost replaced “In God We Trust” on our currency. Then thought of my grandparent’s generation. They had the Great Depression and World War II. I know they probably felt sorry for themselves at times, too. But they couldn’t for long. They’d starve or worse. You see, the Germans and the Japanese didn’t want a group hug.

Sweat trickled down my forehead and into my eye. Running in August in Mississippi is always like running through warm syrup.

I thought back over the past few years. I’ve had a lot of blessings. And I’ve had a lot of bad stuff happen. And I’m embarrassed to admit I hosted a few pity parties along the way. I honestly thought I was a victim. But if I step back and honestly take personal responsibility for my life, I realize I played a big part in what happened. I should have learned from it instead of complaining. I should have taken positive action and maybe it wouldn’t have happened in the first place. But I didn’t. Now, I am embracing change. I will succeed.

But like my running, that takes discipline, a plan and effort. And that’s harder than complaining.

This weekend I am reading Coach Bill Courtney’s (from the documentary Undefeated) book Against the Grain. It has already fed me with plenty of food for thought. Nourishing food. Food for the soul. Soul food that I need to be a better father, employee, entrepreneur, husband and friend.

I got to mile 4.3, walked in the door and lovingly greeted my family. I leaned into my life and started my day. It was time to make today special.

And so far, it has been awesome.