Self-discovery

"Running is the classical road to self-consciousness, self-awareness and self-reliance. Independence is the outstanding characteristic of the runner. He learns the harsh reality of his physical and mental limitations when he runs. He learns that personal commitment, sacrifice and determination are his only means to betterment. Runners only get promoted through self-conquest."
Noel Carroll, Irish track trailblazer

Self discovery is not the passage of time. We learn by knowing standing on boundary conditions. Boundary conditions are experiences we have not been exposed to before which tend to trigger somewhat instinctive reactions from us. We may choose not to follow our instinct, but the instinct is present.

I marvel at self discovery. We sometimes surprise ourselves at who we are. Sometimes we're proud, and sometimes we realize we're just like everyone else. Regardless, we get a little closer to who we really are, and not who we would like to be.

Long distance running is one such boundary condition. When you have to run consistently for months to prepare for a marathon, it makes you see how you respond to long periods of making tradeoffs around running. Some people stop, others keep going. There is no right answer. But there is self-discovery. Thats key.

May we all discover ourselves!

Courage

Of all the many qualities we all possess in varying degrees, I admire 2 the most. The first is honesty, and the second is courage. This is about courage.

What is courage?
I used to think that courage only meant not being afraid. Years of watching movies and interacting with people led me to believe that to be courageous meant getting into a mindset where the situation ceased to create any fear in one's mind, where one charged ahead and tackled it.

I believe that to still be true, but there is another type of courage that has since emerged in my mind that exists. This form of courage does not imply the absence of fear. In fact, fear is an part of the courage experience. So courage then lies in:
- Recognizing this fear and understanding it
- Laying out a set of actions to address these fears
- Executing against these set of actions, often modifying them when needed

Indeed, fear then becomes nothing but a catalyst towards action where its needed. It's probably a bit of an acquired "taste" in terms of one's response and effectiveness, but is just as effective in the long run. The key here is I believe its leads to a similar set of actions, and draws equal if not more inspiration from those around oneself.

Is courage instinctive or a gained skill? Well, both. As I mentioned above, for some people, courage comes naturally. Its instinctive. For others, courage is not the absence of fear. In that case, through determination and patience, its much more of a gained or acquired skill.

How can one acquire courage?

1. Give yourself time. Its alright to be afraid of something new. Recognize that the process of learning takes time.

2. Seek internal analogies. Think about an incident where you were last confronted with something similar (or not) where you responded in a way that you thought was courageous. Knowing that you have been down a path before helps build courage.

3. Seek external analogies. Look around to seek out role models or examples of others you may or may not know that might have gone through something similar. Sometimes, the most important thing we're really looking for is the end of the tunnel. Learning about such examples helps us know that there's a way out and others have been through it before.

4. Stop thinking and start thinking. Stop thinking about the problem. Start thinking about what you can do to move an inch. Sometimes the most important way to be courageous is to take the first step.

5. Be persistent. Courage comes with trying and not giving up.