Flash back to when I was a five-year-old kid, my mom wanted me to start some sport, any sport, so that I could spend my time more effectively. Then she picked swimming for me.
I started swimming at the age of five and continued to swim until I was 13. That was when I completely stopped swimming and hardly do any sports from that point on. My life after swimming was totally exercise-free. I did OK with P.E. classes and made it every year. I found myself enjoy playing badminton and I do it once in a blue moon (that in fact means once in a year or two).
It became worse when I started working and studying in grad schools. Exercise was never my priority. But I always felt something inside, something needed to be changed.
Last two years of my grad school life at Teachers College, Columbia. I started something new. I started doing hiphop dancing at home in our tiny apartment in Harlem with YouTube videos. Though I could convince myself to do it once, twice or three times a week, that did not last as long as it should. One main reason, perhaps, if I can name one now was that it felt like an undesiable commitment or an unwanted part of the day I had to go though. Another reason was that I didn’t see any of its benefits in my life.
In fact, I quit too soon, way too soon before I could see the results coming down the road. My motivation and momentum to persist and put more effort on it were never there from the beginning to the end. Basically, I found no reasons why I should continue.
Last month, September 2017 marked a new beginning of my new passion. I had never ever thought once in my life I could ever run. But because I needed something, something that I didn’t even know what it was, in life. I started by going for a walk with my friends once late afternoon in Surat Thani’s so-called oasis or “Koh Lumpoo”. I remember looking straight 90 degrees up in the sky seeing green leaves and light blue sky and watching sunset that day. It was such an incredible feeling.
At the end of the day, my friends and I finished 3 rounds of walking (approximately 2.5–3 km. if I’m not mistaken) and that felt totally incredible!
After that walk, I kept going for a late afternoon walk all by myself then later switched to morning from once or twice a week, and two weeks later I started to run.
The first day I ran was horrible. I remember the moment I listened to music hoping my run could last for a full minute. It was unbelievably difficult. Let alone running for 3 minutes straight.
And just like that, I kept going and my running kept lasting longer and longer, from one minute to two, and from two minutes to a song. From a song to two.
I still feel that constant battle between my body and mind from time to time. There are times when my body says it’s fine but my mind totally disagrees. Sometimes, my mind wins while sometime my body does.
Now, I can run (well, with some walking) for 5 rounds (approximately 9 km.) and I feel refreshed every single time I finish my morning run.
A lesson learned from this merely two months walking and running story is that, we are all capable of whatever we desire to do. But it takes perseverance and motivation to keep yourself going. Plus, seeing your goal vividly plays an important role here.
Once you can see it, you know what it is.
Once you know what it is, you will plan it out.
Once you plan it out, you will reach it.
From me, who never thought I could run, we are capable of doing anything in this wide world, if we believe enough in it and in ourselves.
