Episode Transcript
[00:00:11] What's worthwhile considering what we consume, believe, say and do towards peace of mind, vitality of body, and joy of spirit? I'm Ramsey Zimmerman. Here's some more healthy living, motivation and discussion.
[00:00:31] Hey there. It's Ramsay here.
[00:00:33] Are we really taking good care of ourselves if we're not caring about other people?
[00:00:39] I went out for a long run yesterday, about two hours on the local Rails to Trails path. And somewhere along the way, I realized I was not really thinking about pace or distance or training much at all. I was thinking about the people I was passing.
[00:00:54] I began asking a question. I don't think I've asked enough.
[00:01:02] I'm training for the half marathon again this year. And if you've ever done any kind of distance running, you know that there's a rhythm to it, that flow state.
[00:01:11] Your body settles in, your breathing gets regular, and your mind starts to wander.
[00:01:17] Sometimes that wandering is inward. Sometimes it drifts outward.
[00:01:22] Yesterday, it drifted outward.
[00:01:25] There were a few people who stood out to me as I ran. Three homeless men sitting together off to the side of the trail, minding their own business.
[00:01:33] A dad pushing a stroller with a young kid inside.
[00:01:37] There was something about him that felt, I don't know, lonely.
[00:01:41] Maybe it wasn't true, maybe I was just imagining it, but that was the vibe that I got as I passed by.
[00:01:48] Two older men, maybe in their 60s, walking side by side, talking and laughing, completely at ease with each other.
[00:01:55] A woman in a powered wheelchair out on the trail, going for a walk or maybe a spin, but definitely getting some good fresh air.
[00:02:05] And another woman who seemed hesitant to catch my eye.
[00:02:09] Maybe tired, maybe guarded, maybe just not in the mood to interact.
[00:02:14] And as I passed each of them, I found myself wondering about them. Not in some kind of a dramatic way, just simple thoughts like, how are they doing? What is their life like?
[00:02:26] Are they okay? You know, we were all out there on the same path, all moving in one way or another, and yet living completely different experiences.
[00:02:37] It was the dad with the stroller that really got me.
[00:02:41] As I approached him, I felt something.
[00:02:43] A pull. Not strong, not overwhelming. Just a quiet thought. I wonder how he's doing. I bet he's lonely.
[00:02:52] Should I drop in next to him and talk to him?
[00:02:55] Nah, that would be weird.
[00:02:57] So I kept running. It's not that I was really scared in that moment. No real reason not to chat with him. Just that quiet, familiar boundary that we all seem to live within.
[00:03:09] You keep moving. You mind your own business.
[00:03:12] It's okay to nod and smile, but you keep Going on your way.
[00:03:17] And I did. I made eye contact with people as I passed. I smiled. I gave little waves here and there. Felt good about myself, you know, spreading the joy.
[00:03:27] But as I kept running, I knew I was just trying to make myself feel better. After not stopping to say hey to that lonely dad.
[00:03:35] Pretty soon, I figured out what was really up.
[00:03:38] I've spent a lot of time thinking about how we take care of ourselves. Mind, body, spirit, how we manage stress, how we build energy, how we stay steady. And I think that's all right. It matters. It's necessary.
[00:03:53] But yesterday, I also saw this.
[00:03:56] We can be out there doing the right things.
[00:03:59] Moving our bodies, getting fresh air, taking time for ourselves. We can be right next to other people who are doing the same and still be completely alone.
[00:04:11] Now, I'm not saying that every moment is meant to turn into a conversation. I'm not even saying that I should have entered that dad's orbit and started talking to him. It would have been weird.
[00:04:23] I don't know what the right move was in that moment.
[00:04:28] But do know this.
[00:04:30] There is something about relationships, about how we show up with other people, that I have not been paying enough attention to.
[00:04:39] Not just with close friends or family, not just in structured settings or intentional groups, but in these small everyday moments.
[00:04:49] Passing someone on a trail, catching someone's eye, feeling that brief sense that you could reach out, and then choosing not to.
[00:04:58] Maybe that's okay. Maybe there's also something more available to us. Maybe taking care of ourselves is not separate from how we see and respond to other people.
[00:05:10] Maybe part of being well is being willing to notice, to acknowledge, to be just a little bit more open than we usually are.
[00:05:18] Those smiles and nods and eye contact, I. I do think they matter.
[00:05:23] I think those small acknowledgments could mean something to people.
[00:05:27] Maybe more than we realize.
[00:05:30] I don't have a clear answer for this. Certainly no rule or recommendation.
[00:05:35] But I am paying more attention to it now. Because yesterday, on that trail, surrounded by people who were all out for their own reasons, I realized that we can do a lot of things right and still miss something that matters.
[00:05:51] I don't want to miss it.
[00:05:53] So maybe that's the question I'm carrying forward.
[00:05:56] What does it actually look like to take care of our relationships, not just in the big moments, but in the small passing ones.
[00:06:06] And for today, that is enough.
[00:06:11] Ready for more? Visit whatsworthwhile.net to listen to podcast Episodes Master. Master your response to stress by reading my book, Stress Response, available through Amazon, or to get better before burnout sets in by requesting the free guide. Regardless of where you are in your journey, I'd love to hear from you and talk about how we might move forward together. Please contact me, Ramsey Zimmerman through the website or on social media like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn or eggs. Thanks, Sam.
