I recently had a moment that made me think I was somewhere between not looking back and what may be beyond the horizon I saw before me.  Of all places this moment took place in a gym while I was on travel. I was running on a treadmill in a bank of treadmills that were facing an ocean view. Behind me were more cardio and weight machines. As I ran on the treadmill along side my fellow “treadmillers” I was looking straight ahead to the beautiful property in front of me and beyond that to the horizon of where the ocean met the sky.

It was a good run. I felt good. I really was not thinking about or aware of what or who was behind me. I admired the horizon. Then it hit me. Essentially I was running in place. Maybe the distance or miles were accumulating while I ran, but I was not really moving forward. I was looking forward to the horizon but was not really getting closer to it.

So this got me thinking how I could be in complete motion but not advancing or having forward motion. I was intrigued by the horizon and thought what is beyond it, but I was not getting closer to it. 

I really don’t feel stuck, but this moment had me reflect on that place in which we sometimes find ourselves. We have let things go. We reduced or stopped our looking back, we see a wonderful horizon in front of us but we are in an interesting state of moving in one place.

Maybe it’s that we need to run in place for a while to contemplate and think about what we want at the horizon or beyond it. Maybe it’s because we are unsure of next steps or tentative about the forward motion that will move us—really move us—closer to that horizon. At times, it could be because we are fearful on what’s beyond that horizon.

I think it’s probably a combination of all of these and we rotate among them depending upon our current state, what’s on our minds and in our thoughts.

It’s good to get to a place where you stop looking over your shoulder or looking back. It is knowing that you truly have had forward motion, have embraced your experiences and have moved on and grown. It’s good to look up and see the space before you, including the horizon. But we have to remind ourselves not to run in place too long. To trust what lies in front of us and step into it with faith and confidence. It’s fine to admire the horizon for a bit, but just as you moved to where you are now you will move toward that horizon—and there will always be horizons in front of you.

So after my run. I left the gym and walked to beach and closer to that horizon.