"Running or any sports, anything that you love, can change your attitude toward your disposition in life, in your works and make you a better person."
I heard this quote from one of my friend Christian Gerard Romero. Before I didn't know who told this quote and tried to google this phrase and found that Muhammad Ali originated this. I only know that Muhammad Ali may be best known for “swoop like a butterfly and sting like a bee,” but I think the above quote is his most brainy.
Ali understood something that is difficult to hold, or if grasped is difficult to put in practice. He recognized the power of the mind, the fact that it is the linchpin to your body’s actions and the amazing ease with which it can be influenced.
This moral is not exclusive to running. I could just as easily write this in my blog, which is more occupational and digital media oriented, but it is a lesson that proves true every time I tie my running shoes.
When I think about failing at my goal, get distracted by negative things in my life or loose mental focus my performance is affected. When I think clearly, positively and logically my performance improves.
When running, you may be trying to outwit your opponents…”I will draft him until there are only two miles left” or “I’m going to sprint out in front of her so she thinks she doesn’t stand a chance.” More often though, I find that I am trying to outwit myself. I need to trick myself into thinking I have more energy than I feel like I do. Usually if my mind believes I have the energy my body will follow along, and it’s almost always the case that I really did have that energy.
There are a lot more characters that have inspired me like Manny Pacquiao with his courage and discipline, Michael Jordan with his heart, all in little ways. But I think I got my message across with these few. The point is, running or any sports, anything that you love, can change your attitude toward your disposition in life, in your works and make you a better person, despite its flaws. When you love something, or someone, they become a part of you that shapes the type of person you become.
