Treadmill

Yesterday I was walking on the treadmill and just had the time to think... I was looking down, watching my feet (I know not the best practice if you don't want to be THAT GUY that falls off... but it is what it is)... and just began to think. Think about the road of life that we are all on... no matter what your road looks like or where it is... we walk it. Sometimes alone but hopefully most often with people you've allowed close to you. Sometimes it's a simple, enjoyable walk, and sometimes it's an uphill battle with all kinds of crap in your way.

As I'm thinking about this on the treadmill, I began to think that the treadmill is a useful tool. If you're not ready to get out there and actually walk your road, it can help you get ready. It stretches and strengthes your muscles so you can make those strides. You can adjust the settings to have an easy walk or an uphill one. But the bottom line is this... on day... you have to get off the treatmill and start walking your road. You have to get away from the comfort of the training exercise and actually start walking. If you don't... just like on a treadmill, you go nowhere. You will work all that time and put all that effort into what amounts to NOTHING.

Again, the treadmill is useful for a time in order to help you prepare to walk your road, and it can be useful to come back to from time to time... mainly when you need a rest from the road but don't want to get out of walking/living shape. But it will eventually be your downfall and your source of frustration if you don't hit that big red STOP button and get off of it and begin to walk your road.

So what is this metaphorical treadmill? That's not something I can tell you... you have to figure it out on your own... come to think of it... I'm not sure I fully know what MY treadmill is. It's something we all need to know, because if we don't, we may not be able to tell if you're walking a treadmill and going nowhere or if we're actually walking our road and living life.

Wish me luck as I figure out what my treadmill is (or maybe more than one). What's in my life that I could consider, at least somewhat, useful in living life, but at the same time could be something that would keep me from living life? I want to make sure that I am actually walking my road and actually living life. I don't want to look up one day and realize I've put so much effort into what I've been doing and the scene hasn't changed... that I've gone nowhere...

And I wish you luck as you do the same.