Listen and see the beauty of the world around you

Good things happen when you listen. 

Over the past couple weeks, I have had the pleasure of listening to two story-telling seven year olds, a comical culinary-lover from West Haven, an enthusiastic Cambodian entrepreneur and a rediscovered local musician. 

On the MTA train to New York, there was an excitable group of two families, six children. Eavesdropping on their playful banter, I overheard one of the older boys say to another, 'Are we going to go south, all the way to Mexico and then South America?' After giving much thought to his own contribution, the other boy says, 'all the way to ancient Egypt. I hope I don't die. I'll be like 20 thousand billion years old by the time we get to ancient Egypt.' Listen and be inspired by imagination, to tell a captivating story.

In the car en route to the airport, my friendly driver immediately struck up conversation. Some days I have zero interest in conversing but this time there was too much excitement in this man's voice to ignore. He had stopped at a local eatery and was commenting on the delicious side dishes he ordered. From there he dove straight into his culinary feats--shrimp gumbo, potato crisp-dipped sole, and a reaaaal good steak, so good that it's 'how he gets the ladies.'  Listen, acquire new recipes and let someone's enthusiasm brighten your day.

While in the lobby of my hotel on my third day in Phnom Penh, I was chatting with the owner. Recently back from the US after living in New York and DC for a combined 11 years, he had opened the hotel only 6 months ago, in January. A former diplomat working for the UN, he wanted to come home to his family and test his knowledge and experience in a new field. We laughed about the intense, high-strung style of NYC and shared our love for warm climates--his, Cambodia; mine, not winter. Listen and connect with the people you meet.

A rare occasion for me, I pulled up the lyrics of a song as I was listening to spotify. The song was by Chadwick Stokes, a member of the former band Dispatch. He has a single titled 'New Haven' and the familiarity of that city name caught my attention, as did the lyrics. Listen and let a song carry you 'home.'

Next time you're in line rushing to get your morning cup of coffee, listen. Next time you're walking or taking public transit, take out the earbuds and listen. Or, put in the earbuds and listen :) Next time you're on skype catching up with a friend, listen. Next time you're on the phone with your mother, listen. 

And enjoy.

When the slaps of my Sauconies match the ukulele strums of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow,' I can't deny it.

I've felt out of sorts lately. We all have those days, weeks, months...

In trying to work myself out of the funk, the word 'harmony' kept crossing my mind. I'm lacking harmony. Nothing feels right. Back and forth, an imaginary aerial banner. Harmony. But what is it? It's one of those words that is better defined by feelings than by words. Before becoming obsessive about it, I decided to let it be and promised myself to just make a mental note whenever I felt good on the inside. 

Days and weeks passed. Sleep. Coffee. Phone calls. Reports. Family time. Runs. Skype calls. Spreadsheets. Dinners. Errands. Netflix. Magazines. Emails. I took note.

A general goal of mine is to not be defined by one thing; one activity, one perspective, one moment. And I definitely don't want to come across as someone who is intimidating or puts pressure on others. So I try not to talk about or encourage running too much...

As the days and weeks passed, there were many mental notes on days I caught up with friends and family, and on running days. But for the reasons listed above, I disregarded running and forged ahead to find that harmony!

We all have those people in our lives who frequently know us better than we know ourselves. Well, one of 'those' people recently reminded me that running makes both of us healthier, happier, more productive and positive. True.

It is hard to deny a proven fact. And the fact is, running makes me feel good inside. When I'm up early, in the zone with reggae beats in my ears, or running alongside a good pal, I'm at peace. Head, heart, arms, legs all feel like one machine. Running is where I find my harmony.

Just this morning, I was at the Girls on the Run 5K in Hamden, a celebration of a team of girls, coaches, and their 3 month season together. The 5K is an achievement for every girl and every running buddy, no matter what. Maybe all 100 girls and running buddies will continue running and add miles and miles to their legs. Or maybe some will wake up tomorrow morning, proud of their accomplishment and ready to return to their hockey team, go to their cello lesson, read the latest J.K. Rowling book, take their dog for a walk, or find a new hobby. Girls on the Run is not about running. It's about empowering and helping each other find our own harmony. It's about being different, together.

And running isn't about moving my legs quickly. It's about setting and working towards a continuous goal. It's about celebrating the little and big achievements. Its about clearing the excess thoughts that clutter my mind. Its about smiling. It's about being at peace. It's about feeling happy. It's about discovering my harmony, over and over again.

So I guess running doesn't define me by one thing...