Having Control And Carbon Monoxide Scare

 

I wasn’t supposed to run yesterday but I woke up to warm weather (warm is a relative term here) and the sun shining.

No runner is giving up a brief hiatus from this Polar Vortex, rest day or not.

My last four runs have taken place outside.

A rainy run I don’t mind all that much, it’s the dodging ice runs that I could really do without.

I was super confident when I headed out Saturday morning at my usual time that it was actually warm enough for the ground to cooperate. I was wrong.

You should know that I was so angry at the ice interfering with my run that I am pretty sure I let out a growl. Not even a string of inappropriate words, an actual growl.

I couldn’t pick up my pace in fear of falling. I couldn’t get in a good groove. All because of the ice.

Sometimes it can be frustrating when you envision things going a certain way and an outside force interferes.

I like to be in control of a situation, don’t you? I like to run how, where and when I want to and really don’t need the weather chiming in to say otherwise.

After my growl, I told myself to calm down and just enjoy being outdoors.

The beauty of running outdoors is that my mind naturally wanders. It unleashes to explore, seeking clarity and understanding regarding anything going on in my life at the moment.

And then, the lightbulb went off:

We encounter so many different situations in our lives where things seem so completely out of our control…but…. are we ever really powerless?

Take this icy run for example: While the weather was interfering with what I wanted to do, I wasn’t powerless.

I did have the option to wait an extra hour for the ground to warm up or, at the very least, run on the treadmill. But I am stubborn, a creature of habit and really didn’t want to be cooped up inside.

Can you see what I am getting at? We have the power to make our own choices in how we react to a situation that seems completely out of our control. We have more control than we think.

Now, let’s take my insatiable appetite that woke me up early Saturday morning (2:30 am) to the point where if I didn’t get out of bed and eat something, I was going to be sick.

While it may seem I was being overpowered by my raging runner appetite, I was in complete control of what I chose to put in my mouth. Oatmeal and a piece of a banana always does the trick.

We always have choices. We cannot control the weather, other people or various situations that occur in our everyday personal and professional lives, but we can control our reactions and how we handle ourselves.

Sometimes we feel stuck, as if we are powerless. And sometimes, for a brief moment, this may very well be true. But, if you stop to think about it, you have the power to get unstuck. You have the power to make decisions about how you will handle your emotions in a way that helps you to feel more in control.

There are times though that things happen unexpectedly, such as what occurred Saturday night at the very same Cheesecake Factory I dined at only 24 hours before.

You may or may not have seen in the news (I am pretty sure it became national news) The Cheesecake Factory was evacuated along with Panera Bread and Legal Sea Foods due to a serious carbon monoxide scare.

The manager of Legal Seafoods died and several others were treated at local hospitals.

Such an awful story, especially so close to my home and even more so because I was there the night before.

I received several phones calls asking me what I would have done if I was evacuated while eating my cake. Of course you take it with you and run for your life.

In all seriousness, you cannot control things that may happen but you can help minimize the damage. Make sure you have a carbon monoxide detector in your house. I have been through my own carbon monoxide scare in the past; without that detector, I may not have been here to keep Red Mango in business.

Same ingredients, two different ways on two different days.

The Panera Bread that was evacuated is the same one I work from most of the time. I believe it is still closed this morning so I will have to set up shop at the other one in my area.

No big deal, right? Wrong. Red Mango just opened right next door.

I may have to leave my wallet at home.

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Did you get to run outside over the weekend?

Do you have a carbon monoxide detector in your house?

What are you having for lunch today? I haven’t even had breakfast yet but I am already up to lunch ideas.