My Journey With Health And Fitness – Paying It Forward

I’m getting a little tired of these heat waves we keep having. Mostly I am tired of getting up at 4am to get my runs/walks in by mid morning. Last night my house didn’t even cool down and the living room was 26C at 4am. Fortunately I have a/c so was able to bring the temperature back to a decent level.

Yesterday I was out for a run when an elderly gentleman stopped me. I see him and his partner pretty much every morning and have done for a long time. He told my how he had watched my runs progress over the past year and he was impressed at how much I had improved over the last year as well as by the fact that I run pretty much everyday. Well that certainly lifted my spirits and quite frankly made me pick up my pace because I felt so good.

I know I’ve talked about it before but I try and connect with everyone I pass when I am running/walking. I smile, I acknowledge them, I say hello. If I am passing someone for a 2nd time I wish them a good day. The vast majority of the people I greet respond positively and there are a few who didn’t want to respond previously who now seem to have realized that I am not going to be deterred so they too have started to smile and wave back. I just hope it makes them as happy as it makes me.

Based on yesterday’s encounter I decided I needed to up my game and start paying it forward. Maybe if I could make one person feel good they may want to do the same for someone else. I’ve started with the people I see most days and am just reaching out a little more. I’ve am now saying things like, you look nice today, that colour really suits you, please keep hydrated in this heat or watch out for the raccoon hanging off the pole up ahead (ok, that one may be more of a warning). I can see people pause for a second to take in what I have said before their face lights up. I can tell it is working.

This morning I went a step further. An older woman that I have exchanged a few words with as I run by her hasn’t been on the promenade for the past week. I was a bit worried about her as she had fallen a few weeks ago and broken her arm and I know even in the sling it was bothering her as she walked each day. Today when I saw her I stopped and asked how her arm was doing. She told me it was slowly getting better then, with a smile, thanked me for caring. I’m pretty sure that I made her feel good today.

Paying compassion and compliments forward is not difficult. However, when you do it you may have just made their day go a little bit better.