Live Alive: Walk It Off

If you were to ask me what my go-to stress reliever would be, I would almost always respond with long morning walks/runs. Or as I also like to call them, The Perfect Alternative to Xanax.

For most people, walking or running is an easy exercise, a decent way to keep your heart healthy, or a cheap way to mingle with and/or impress the opposite sex. For me, it's a sense of liberation (and maybe just a little bit of the latter). It's a chance to clear my mind and be free of my problems just for a little while. It's something that helps me feel alive.

When I run, I feel unrestrained, like nothing can hold me back. That is until I run out of breath and collapse on the nearest park bench. There's something that's just so freeing and invigorating about the feeling of my feet pounding on the pavement, my legs burning from being pushed to their limits, and my heart feeling like it's on the verge of exploding. I promise I'm not a masochist.

I'll just go on record and confess that from time to time I do over think things and I do get a little anxious. Sue me if you wish. Whenever I have moments where my anxiety keeps me from moving forward, I go on a walk. When it's just me, the road, and my favorite music playing in my ears, it is all good. I don't worry, I think clearly, and that's when I have some of my most profound moments.

When I was in the process of deciding whether or not to move to Los Angeles, I went on a lot of long walks. It would always clear my mind of all the negativity and help me think about the best ways I could move forward and really live my life. 

I've maintained the habit of walking since I've started living in the big city, and there are some big differences that have been a little difficult to get used to. In Georgia, I could have gone on a long run without ever seeing another human being; Complete solitude. Here, I can't go on a run without almost getting hit by cars. Just another one of the world's strange and fickle inconsistencies.

                                                                           

MY ULTIMATE RUNNING PLAYLIST
(At least for this week) 

FOR BRISK WALKING

• "The Weight" by The Band
• "Two Fingers" by Jake Bugg
• "My Doorbell" by The White Stripes
• "Take a Walk" by Passion Pit

FOR LIGHT JOGGING

• "Fortunate Son" by Creedance Clearwater Revival
• "Power Hungry Animals" by The Apache Relay
• "Heroes" by David Bowie
• "Ghosts" by The Head and the Heart

FOR RUNNING FROM THE DEVIL

• "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones
• "Where the Streets Have No Names" by U2
• "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac 
• "Iris" by The Goo Goo Dolls

                                                                            

Though for most people it may just be a simple workout, for me it's a moment to let go of my worries and run free. And that's something that makes me feel alive. The toned glutes and calf muscles are just an added bonus. I know it's tough not to worry about certain things, but we need these moments in our lives where we can just forget. Otherwise, we drive ourselves crazy.

If you're ever unsure of how to start those days where you feel like there's too much to do, start with a walk. If you ever have moments when you start to over think or worry about things, take a walk. If anxiety ever starts to creep in, run and don't ever look back!

The sidewalk beckons. Walk it off. Live alive.

                                                                              

Live Alive

It can be very easy to get bogged down by whatever seemingly unsolvable dilemmas life throws at you day to day. We all face challenges, problems, and times when we feel alone and powerless. It's in the midst of the chaos that we forget how to live and we forget what it feels like to be joyously and wondrously alive.

Though we may not be able to escape reality, we can season it. It's important to find things that bring you joy, no matter how simple they may be and even if only for a short time.

Now, I know what many of you are thinking, but I'm only nineteen. I don't have easy access to alcohol.

This post is an introduction to a series I'm writing called Live Alive where I share some of the things that inspire me, make me feel alive, and how they do so. Some of these may seem like the simplest of things, like profound morning walks, teaching myself how to cook with varying results, or rocking out to my favorite music when I'm stuck in traffic. 

I also realize that some of these things may reveal just how uninteresting and lame my life ay appear to be. But, hey, there's no such thing as an ordinary life. There's only your life.

Sometimes it really is the little things that help you live life the way it was meant to be lived. I invite you to come and discover some of what makes me feel most alive and I encourage you to hopefully find some little things that add joy and wonder to your lives as well.

Take time. Sniff the roses. Enjoy the ride. 

Live alive.