what running teaches me

Paglet is an amazing storyteller. Probably she has seen and experienced a lot, so her personal stories are genuine and full of drama. We were talking about peer pressure while growing up in all walks of life, through personal stories. Like being brought up in a middle class setting how having richer shopoholic friends can affect you. Sometimes how it defines the choices you make. Of course you 'grow up' and realize what's better for other person might not work out for you. Hence probably make better choices moving forward in life. Or sometimes you simply accept your situation and do not succumb to peer pressure.

I personally do not like doing things out of peer pressure since I think I have grown up to a point where I can judge and decide what works best for me (through enough life experiences and lessons). I steer away from comparisons with others simply because most of the times everyone is coming from different places and may have different versions of the same story.

Another person I do not want to see myself become is one with a sense of entitlement. 'I' have done this or achieved this hence 'I deserve this', kind of entitlement. I would like to think that we are entitled to whatever effort we put into something. I have been in situations where I have expected things back from life or people because I had been 'good' or 'acted in a certain way'. Although I am not sure whether this is a type of entitlement but I would like to believe it's not a very good thinking process. At least for me.

I run 4 times a week now. Every day is different. The only comparison is against my former self. Whatever I feel entitled to washes away the next day I wake up and get ready for running. I guess that's what life is. Every day is different and same. I struggle to keep it comparison and entitlement free.