You will be paid!

On a recent vacation I went to dinner at a Chinese restaurant and was overjoyed at my fortune that read, "You will be rewarded for all your hard work this past month." I had been feeling mentally beat up by the trials of owning a construction business during this great recession and was desperate for any sign of hope. I actually got so excited, that after reading the message to my husband I decided to save this fortune in my wallet. Whew, easy street was around the corner. "The check is in the mail" will no longer be a lie told to me, or told by me.

My husband tried to ridicule me for putting my faith in something as trite as a fortune cookie, but I had evidence of their validity. "Read Austin's" I said, referring to our six-year-old son. Austin's read "You are respected in the community and an influence on others." See! My son is respected in the FB community, I quote him all the time and he gets several thumbs up. No coincidence that I got the one about hard work and he is complimented on his personality. So I smugly kept both our fortunes, not letting my husband be a joykiller.

But reality set in as I returned to work and the "checks in the mail" were mysteriously lost, jobs were given to lower bidders, and we were plagued by trivial complaints. Then something else occurred to me. Maybe the fortune was referring to running? Hmmm. "You will be rewarded for all your hard work this past month" took a different ring.

I had recently upped my mileage and started doing something very foreign; speedwork. I smiled to myself realizing that it was already paying off and smiled wider as I realized this is what I love about running. It always pays dividends. In a business world where we sometimes work and don't get paid, (true of anyone in sales) or bid and don't get the work, or have our profit eaten away by unforeseen events - this has never been my experience with running.

Maybe this is one of the reasons I have focused on running while experiencing difficulties with work. Running never lets me down, it never rips me off, it is always satisfying and stress reducing. Running pays in immediate results (endorphins) and long term benefits (health). You get out of it what you put into it. Running has been a reliable source of joy in my life for many years. I have been paid for my hard work this past month, as well as many years prior. Again I smiled at my "fortune" and the reminder that I am blessed with ability and willingness to be a runner.