Forrest Gump Your Way Through Life with this One Tip

That day, for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run. So I ran to the end of the road. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd run to the end of the town. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd just run across Greenbow County. And I figured, since run this far, maybe I'd just run across the great state of Alabama. And that's what I did. I ran clear across Alabama. For no particular reason I just kept on goin'. I ran clear to the ocean. And when I got there, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well turn around, just keep on goin'. When I got to another ocean, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well just turn back, keep right on goin'. -Forrest Gump

 

For me, instead of running, it’s been walking. Let me explain.

Lately, I’ve been holding onto a lot of anger. For years, I didn’t know that I was dealing with anger. Anger manifested itself in frustration, tears, anxiety, and general discomfort. But, as I’ve learned to be more in tune with myself, I’m learning to sit in my anger and feel my anger. 

I don’t get mad about much. I’m a pretty laid-back and chill person. If someone says something negative or is hateful, I may feel hurt or sad, but I don’t typically get pissed off. So when I get angry, it’s because a mix of emotions has been boiling up inside of me that I’ve been ignoring.  I get anxious because I can’t figure out how to contain it. I become entirely pushed beyond my limits and hit the proverbial wall. Sometimes, if others don’t back the eff up, I feel I will obliterate everything in my path. 

Now, instead of letting my anger turn me into the Incredible Hulk, I’m letting my anger talk to me and tell me what I need. Sometimes I get an answer,  but sometimes I just need to sit in it and feel it for a while. So how do I turn these mad emotions around into something useful for me?

I walk. As I began to discover my anger, I told myself, “Self, when you need to walk, go walk. When you feel that angst bubbling inside of you, just get up, leave, and hit the pavement.  Let me tell you there have been lots of walks. Sometimes, I’m walking several times a day. There is no preparation. As the negative feelings begin to engulf me, I’m up and out the door. As I take off, my footsteps are hard and heavy, my breathing is rapid, and my mind is rattling. I’m sure I look like I’m marching in for a battle. I never know how long I will walk. I just go until that rattling in my brain stops. When the rattle stops, I turn around, and I’m present for the first time on that walk. I turn around slowly and calmly make my way back to where I came from with a little more peace and clarity. 

I walk…... and I just keep going one step at a time.