When you're trail running, sometimes things get a little hairy, particularly on the downhill. The trail often seems a lot steeper on the way down than on the way up, and you start to feel like your feet might slip out from under you. There's massive amounts of uncertainty and discomfort in that space, especially for me, a novice trail runner.
One of the first things that they teach you in trail running, however, is when the trail starts to get steeper, and your feet start slipping, lean in. Every fiber of you wants to send your weight away from the problem, you want to step back, get on your heels, and slow down. You want to get on your heels, take tiny baby steps, and back up. But, the faster, safer, and more efficient way is to lean in. When things are uncomfortable, and steep, the best thing to do is to put your chest into it, and to press forward, confidently, as if there is nothing to fear. Just trust that your feet will find the ground, and let the earth push you in the direction that you want to go.
I believe this same principle can be applied to life. Often, when things start to get vulnerable, or uncertain, or uncomfortable, our gut reaction is to get on our heels. We want to step back, slow down, and get away. We are afraid of that unknown, and so we tense up, and back out, despite the fact that it would be more efficient and safe for us to lean in.
There is growth in discomfort. There is strength in uncertainty. Muscles grow, when they are broken down, and must rebuild. Our bodies are the same as our minds. We must take a deep breath, and put our chest into the discomfort, embrace the uncertainty, and press forward. When the trail starts to get steep, and rocky, and we feel our feet slipping from under us, we must lean in.
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