To Be Happy, Joyous, and Confident
By Barbara Galloway
When Jeff told me that he was writing a book on motivation, my first thought was, “for what do you want to be motivated?” Most runners have several or several dozen reasons to be and stay motivated. For me, the answer is in the title of this preface. I want to be happy, joyous, and confident.
The late Dr. George Sheehan, cardiologist, philosopher, and Runner’s World columnist often quoted Emerson who told us to “Be first a good animal.” There is a lot of satisfaction when we follow our most natural patterns of exertion—to move, walk, and run. At a fast pace there are more aches, pains, and fatigue. But when you choose a relaxing pace, with the right balance of running and walking, you can be a good, happy, and joyous animal.
I believe Emerson was telling us that we have within ourselves all that we need for happiness. By using our body regularly, which engages our mind and spirit, we improve quality and longevity. Positive things happen when we are first and foremost good, active animals.
For many years, this has been my ultimate motivation. But, like many experiences in life, running begs us to dig deeper. I have made it a mission to search for ideas that can enhance motivation to exercise and to share these with Jeff. The ideas presented in this book have enriched our running experiences, and I hope that you will experience similar benefits.
I’m not going to stop looking and reading. There are so many great ideas, experiences, and opportunities out there.
Get motivated, stay motivated.
Barbara Galloway