Sight

It's a crisp morning in Omaha. Theres slight condensation in the air, giving it a thick, almost heavy, taste. Nothing atypical of a “mid-season change" day in Nebraska. The sun hasn't broken through the cloud cover as I tighten the laces on my shoes. I feel a slight stiffness from my previous runs and from the wind that creeps in every so often, unsuspecting and quiet. It's not an ideal day for a 7 miler. I begin to stretch, to loosen the fibers in my legs. Birds chirp in the distance, the occasional motor engine revs on the road behind me. Today I also have a lot on my mind.I take off.I hear only the padding of my feet below me, am aware of them due to the strain in my arches and the leg numbness that have become my good friends during my training. I have the latest Two Friends remix blaring in my ears to drown out my low yet persistent heavy breathing, thoughts of exhaustion and giving up creeping up from the back of my mind. Instead, I let my body go into autopilot and let my mind wander...The thought comes to my mind around mile 5—sight. Where am I looking? Why am I looking there? What is the significance? I notice I keep my eyes locked about 5-7 feet in front of me about 65% of my time. I occasionally glance down to my feet, let's say 20%, with another 10% looking off into the distance in any potential direction, maybe of a passerby or off into the woods. That last 5% I find myself occasionally glancing back , where I had just come from. The thought that comes to my head after this analysis is one that comes to me often: what does this mean?You see, I think one of the most important things we have as humans is our ability to grow. We can set our sights in a direction, move towards a goal, and continually accomplish and readjust. And how we do this is... sight.Let me explain. We first start our idea, our growth, our direction, by setting our goal (7 miles for the day). We then chip away as we head in the direction of that goal. We often ensure we are doing the right things day to day (looking down at my feet) while also having the foresight to look ahead at what the next weeks, months, years may entail and what we need to be prepared for (looking off into the distance). While occasionally reflecting on how things have gone, maybe ensuring we avoid mistakes made previously, or reminiscing on fond memories (looking back). Yet, we trust ourselves to keep going, to keep moving forward while focusing on how the coming days or weeks will look.Where we set our sights is important. We trust that our feet won't betray us but occasionally need to look down. We know we're doing the right things but, just in case, glance back. We focus on the future by seeing what’s ahead of us but we spend a majority of our time in the middle. 5-7 feet ahead of where we currently are. Take note of where you set your sights, because your feet will follow, trust the process.On purpose,Matt