A fun story from a running store conversation
I am who I say I am
I was in Toronto last week and decided to walk to a nearby high end running store.
I live in the country in a small village so I figured it was a good opportunity to do some in person shopping. I ended up having a nice conversations with a salesman about his running career and my upcoming backyard ultra race.
The guy was nice but it became obvious I knew a lot more about certain aspects of running than he did. This despite the fact I’m not a ‘certified’ running coach and this guy has been in more official races than me, and works in the ‘running industry.’
He mentioned how he's worked at running stores before where not everyone was a 'runner' but at this particular store he works at now the entire staff runs.
I'm not one to brag or boast, and that's not what I'm doing in this story. But we all rely on external validation of our internal character in our day to day interactions. It’s a psychological truth that without external reactions, we cannot properly gauge the appropriateness of our actions. People who live in isolation of others go insane for this very reason. Think Tom Hanks in castaway, no one there to tell him not to bond strongly with a volleyball.
The Right Kind of Validation
I do so much coaching online that I sometimes forgot how far ahead we are in this space than even people in the 'fitness' world.
This year has been big for me in internalizing my authority not only as a life coach but a running and mental performance coach for athletics and fitness.
Explaining the nuances of the backyard ultra, the finer details of a fueling and hydration strategy, the importance of trail training for overall body strength in runners, how to manage a marathon effort, the necessity of cross training specific muscles in the legs, and a host of other detailed running advice left me feeling like a great coach leaving the store.
It was a humbling experience that gave me confidence and assuredness in myself as a leader in this space.
Humility Always, Hubris Never
This wasn’t moment to fill up my head with empty air and praises of how 'smart or fit' I am compared to someone else.
It's more about synching up the external world with the internal truth.
When you live your authentic self and see people respond positively to that outward projection it solidifies your internal knowing of the truth about who you are and what your deep purpose in this life means
It was just a 15 minute conversation with a guy about running, but it represented so much more about my overall transition from brainy academic to applied philosopher coach.
If all I cared about was the outcome, the title, or the money then moments like this would come and go without second thought. But because I live in the process, day by day, stacking wins, giving myself up to the journey, I'm able to pick these meaningful moments out in real time and see their value clearly.
Living a philosophy of experience opens me up to learning so much about the world, our purpose here, and my specific role and aim. I don't focus on proving to people I'm a coach. I live it daily.
And through my consistent actions, I become the coach.
Live your own journey
It works the same for you.
If you desire something bigger for yourself. To step into your true potential and find real meaning. Stop focusing on the end goal.
The title
The outcome
The destination
Start living that new reality daily. Even if it's just small steps at first.
Keep going and watch how you build a foundation for yourself over time. Where suddenly you stop and look back and realize just how far you've come.
Like what happened to me at the running store.
It's all there for you.
You just need recognize it's not the goal but the journey that makes you who you want be.
If you’re feeling the pull to change your life direction in a drastic way but are scared of the adversity in front of you, send me a message using the button below and let’s chat about the small steps you can start taking to kickstart your journey together.