the zen of motorcycle maintenance

i just started reading a book called "the zen of motorcycle maintenance". excellent book; i would highly recommend it :-) the author delves into ideas of zen as he travels across mid america on a motorcycle. and even if you think you know nothing about motorcycles (or do not even care to know anything about motorcycles), you'll probably find this book still speaks to you :-) i promise...

i don't think i'll be riding across mid america on a motorcycle anytime soon. but, my run today reminded me of this book. just as the author's mind wanders as he rides his beloved motorcycle, my mind wanders during my runs. i've probably had some of my most clear moments while running. i'll call this my zen of marathon training ;-)

so, on a run today, i had this really great realization. it may seem very simple and obvious to some people, but for some reason, this was a whole new light on life for me...ha! i had this thought: fear paralyzes, love ignites

right now, i'm thinking a lot about love and life. whether to pursue love or to let love go...choosing one option can sometimes be just as scary as the other. and, in my rational mind, i feel i am constantly trying to logically understand which option is "best" for me. in my struggle to work through this in my mind, i felt completely out of touch with where my difficult emotions were coming from. if i choose to hold onto love, is it for having love, or for fear of losing love? what are my emotions telling me?

and then...there...in the middle of my angst, the clarity hit: FEAR PARALYZES, LOVE IGNITES.

BAM, new awareness :-) and there's no going back.

so how does this relationship make me feel? do i feel my emotions about it paralyze me or fuel me? well, that just got much easier :-) check in...how does my body feel? do i feel open or closed? do i feel stuck or do i feel expansive? the concept "choose love" just took on a whole new meaning.

choose what fuels you, what ignites your passions...acknowledge fear, but CHOOSE LOVE :-) ignite!