Monthly Archives: July 2013

social networking and the ego.

31 Wednesday Jul 2013

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I saw this posted on Facebook a few days ago, some of you may have seen it too…Image

I think that it sums up my thoughts about running.  I know that I’m not the fastest or the best and I don’t try to be (my typical pace is around a 10/11 minute mile).  I run for myself.  I run to push my own boundaries.  I run to better myself, to prove to myself that I can do something.  I know that I will never come in first and I’m okay with that.  I am not a professional athlete.  10 years ago, I wasn’t even running.

And then every once in a while I see a post that says “I got put in Corral A!!!” or a shirt that says “If you’re reading this you’re too slow!!!” printed on the back.  And then I start to get down about my own abilities and wonder why I even started.

So then I need to remember that what other people do doesn’t matter.  Sure, we can all be proud of our accomplishments but sometimes it seems like there’s a whole lot more bragging going on.

But I’m like a moth to a flame.  I continuously check Facebook and Twitter to check up on things and I’m reminded again….. “If you’re not first you’re last!”.  And then I realized…

Social Networking is damaging to my ego!

Another example…. after looking at everyone’s summer vacation photos I thought “man, it’s been years since I’ve been on a real vacation“.  One person “checks in” from the beaches of Florida, not to be outdone by a “check in” from Puerto Rico.  Oh but then there’s the person who went to Italy.  Don’t worry guys, you can’t compete with them.  And yes, that IS jealousy that  you hear……  I’m not gonna lie.

But doesn’t it just seem like a lot of what social networking is these days is a way to show off or brag? Of course not everyone is like this.  I know a lot of people who post or tweet to inform friends and family because they don’t live nearby.  And then there are the posts that actually make us feel good about ourselves (in a sad sort of way)…. you know the ones that are nothing but drama, drama, drama.  People’s life stories and dirty laundry and skeletons in the closet………. those are the ones that I typically “hide” or sometimes I just stop following or unfriend people because who needs that negativity?

So anyway, my choices are to either stop using Twitter and Facebook altogether, or change the way that I think when I read the posts or retweets.  I think it’s time to tell that ego who’s boss. :)

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20 Saturday Jul 2013

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I feel like I’ve been driving all over Orange County this week.  Running errands, trying to prepare things for my son’s birthday party.  This means that I have encountered a lot of traffic.  Typically I don’t venture out after say 2:30 or 3pm because that’s when it starts to get heavy.  The traffic problem lasts until around 7ish.  Anyway, I usually curse under my breath (because my son is usually with me) and weave in and out of traffic.  I’m horrible, I can usually look at a car and figure out how fast or slow they will go.  Whether or not they will get it off the line quick enough for me to zip past them and get to the lane that I need.  But the last few days were different.  Over the last few days I decided to just flow with the traffic, stay in my lane and not frantically try to move move to the “fastest lane of traffic”.  And you know what?  I was a lot calmer.  I got to my destination and everything was okay.  Then it made me think about how hard I try to push for things that sometimes aren’t meant to be.  I try too hard to swim upstream and battle uncontrollable elements.  I learned this week that if I just go with the flow, it will still be okay.  Now driving up to Disneyland on the other hand….. stay out of my way!!!! 🙂

 

  1. Moving on to comparisons….. I am a relatively new runner.  I only started running in races 10 years ago when I moved to SoCal, and only started seriously running (5 days a week) for the last 2 years.  The problem that I have is that there is a place where I want to be (maybe I should take a note from my previous blog post, hahaha) and there’s the place where I am now.  I see the gals in the place that I want to be and I am immediately jealous.  But these girls have been running seriously (marathons, qualifying for Boston, triathlons, etc.) for many more years than I have been.  And I need to remind myself of that.  I also need to remind myself that I have no desire to qualify for Boston, or run a marathon for that matter.  Sometimes I think that we (I) need to:

– Just stop, look at what we have accomplished

– Stop comparing ourselves (and maybe lay off of Twitter every once in a while so it’s not so “in your face”, lol)

– Count our blessings

– Stop being jealous of others because you will not get what you want if you continue to focus on what it is that you don’t have

…. and

– Be happy for others’ accomplishments!

 

That is all.  🙂

have. be. do.

11 Thursday Jul 2013

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Every once in a while I have one of those days that makes me feel so lucky.  Lucky to be where I am, lucky to be in good health, lucky to have the freedom to go to Disneyland when I want to.  Ok, I’m extremely lucky to have that last one, but I don’t take it for granted.  I feel like I do some of my best dreaming and thinking while sitting in front of that castle.  My hair stands on end from just entering the Esplanade.  It brings a small tear to my eye when I walk through the turnstiles of the Main Gate.  Every.  Single.  Time.  That’s how I know that it is my place. 

My point is, when you find “your place”, do everything that you can to either keep on going back to that place, or recreate it in your mind.  It’s good for your mind and your soul.  I’m not trying to be all “woo woo”, but with the right mind set, you can create anything for yourself.  Some things obviously, are harder than others.  I have been able to do it for some things in my life though.  Other things just take more practice.  More positive thinking.  More of finding yourself in that right “place” to do our best creative thinking work.  I’m not talking about writing or creating art.  I’m talking about creating your life and how you want it to be.  If you don’t like how something is, figure out a way to change it.  But being positive about it is the key.  If you keep on creating excuses in your mind then you aren’t mean t to have what you want, or maybe you really don’t want it as much as you think you do.  To me, the universe is like a giant slider puzzle and all the pieces are constantly moving around based on the choices that you make. And when they fit together in that special way, oooooh boy.  That’s when you feel that luck.

I’ve also found that the more blessings that I count and the more things that I’m extremely grateful for, the easier it is to “create”.  Yes, bad things happen to good people, but it’s how we recover from the situation that makes the difference.

Do what makes you happy.

Be who you know you really are.

And you will have the life that you want.