I run at 5am most mornings. OK, it is really more like 5:20 after I hit the mental snooze and get into my gear. Some people question why I run at that time. They especially question it as the temperature drops. The main thing that people don’t realize about running in those temperatures is that humans are actually very good heat generators. If you do adequate preparation to insulate yourself from the cold, it is easy enough to be comfortable and even sweat. Insulating ourselves from the elements is the key component to surviving and thriving in the winter because with that insulation we are able to generate our own heat in ample supply.
This principle is not exclusive to heat. Humans are amazing creatures of generation when they learn to insulate themselves from the “elements”. As I spend most of my time walking the halls of a high school, I am going to focus on the “winter” of high school. I refer to high school as the winter because most of the social systems of high school are not set up to breathe life into young souls. It is the time when many are unsure of themselves and look for definition of self through others.
The heat of self-esteem is thrown out into the air as there is a desperate hope that everyone else will heat us up enough to feel truly good about ourselves. The truth of the matter is that you were always meant to be a generator. You can build up enough self-heat/self-esteem if you are selective about the people that you insulate yourself from or surround yourself with. There are heat hoarders, heat stealers, heat givers and heat takers. Which are you?
Start as a heat generator. Start with yourself. Write a list or just tell yourself about all of the great things about you. Once you are sweating with self-esteem, lend your excess to someone who needs it more than you.
Huryk Unlimited 