Movement is the essence of life

I’ve been inspired recently by running, particularly runners that take off through the woods and trails and run for hours. They seem connected and plugged in to the earth somehow. I’m not a runner, but their endeavours inspire me on a whole number of levels.

I’d like to share this great video, Why We Run, which is one of a number of other great videos in that series. They really strikes at the heart of many themes I’ve been ruminating about lately. I’ve done my best to pick out some quotes from the video to share what I love, but do watch it yourself. Happy New Year and welcome to 2015.

…unadorned, simple, direct and it didn’t feel like a game

I love this one. We’re so competitive in most things we do. So much so, we don’t realize how much this thread runs through our lives. We compete in everything we do. I love the idea of just doing things because they are pure. They’re simple and fulfill a natural need for us as humans.

…it appealed to me, because I could do it in my time. I could always run

Running, for Bernd Heinrich, was something he could do at anytime. But those watching the video will notice that he’s crafted his life around his running. He lives in a small cabin in the woods, for goodness sake! So he can do it anytime because that’s the core of how he lives. Ultimately, we can all do this. I find that such a powerful idea.

I appreciate it more and more because I realized how special it is

I think he’s referring to his study of insects here but at easy to see the parallels between that and his running. Similarly, this really sings out to me that you’re being pulled in the right direction by the things you’re pursuing. The things that we feel most strongly about tend to resonate through our lives. We’re lucky if we hear it clearly – certainly something I’ll be trying to tune into more this year.