This is My Revival, It Gives Me Purpose – I’ve Walked and Now I’ll Run

When I am writing, I am writing.

When I am not writing, I am either sorting pictures or running anti-virus on my blog or any other similar kind of stuff. That’s when I like plugging my headphones and listening to some sort of music chart. It is either Billboard 100 or Gaana International top 50 or something like that.

There is always some sort of inspiration that I get from the music that I hear. I have written about it here in Listening to The Weepies All Through The Night and Why Did I Teach My Daughter Rachel Platten’s Fight Song?

Almost all throughout the December, I listened to two artists – Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez. Both were making a comeback after a while and both artists were at that place in their lives where they were trying to re-figure themselves. Hence, Justin’s new album was named Purpose and Selena’s Revival.

As I listened to “I’ll Show You” and “Same Old Love” during the last month of the year, the words “Purpose” and Revival” kept cropping up in my thoughts. I kept thinking about my “purpose” and my “revival.”

I was in this state of mind when a neighbor Sanghamitra Das posted about her interest in Pinkathon. Races like Pinkathon and Namma Run have been crossing my mind, but I could never commit. There was something that stopped me every time I wanted to, I didn’t know what. All I know is that I feared something that I can’t put my finger on. However, in the heat of the moment, I registered for my very first 3K.

I always work out insides, in the gym or at home. I found out that a fellow-Pinkathon aspirant my society Chumki Shetty is practicing running outside. I wanted to try it but it was another apprehension. Brisk walking outside is alright, but running? I felt that I would either look funny or would run funny or it would be something like that. Another fear of I don’t know what exactly. And another heat of the moment decision, I wake up at 5 am and by 5.30 I am running outside.

I was going for 3K because I felt I can manage it easily. Yeah I was more inclined towards choosing the easy road. 5K was intimidating for me. Yet another fear. Right then fellow blogger Freya (Life as Freya) sucked me into this whole discussion of 5K being not as tough as I was assuming it to be. I got pepped up and right then and there on WhatsApp, committed myself to run 5K.

So now you know me. I am fearful, I get jitters and I often shut things off because I get intimidated. But often there are also times when I can be influenced, I can be provoked and I can be inspired.

I believe that this time Pinkathon-related events led me to get inspired. I also believe that this became possible because of the “purpose” and “revival” I was trying to search in my life. I am not stopping at just Pinkathon, there are many more races that I will deal with. I’ve walked and now I’ll run.

P.S. Three women helped me overcome my apprehensions; I don’t even know them personally. At most I say ‘hi’ and ‘bye’ to them. And yet, they pushed me into something I would not do readily. How nice is this!

P.P.S. Pinkathon’s 2016 Bengaluru edition is on 31st of January. To register, click here.