Those 21.1 km thoughts (My Old-soul Twinkle)

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Disclaimer: “My Old-soul Twinkle,” is my heartfelt attempt to capture the endless stream of thoughts racing through my mind. At times, these musings may seem confusing—or even a little "out there"—but I genuinely welcome your counterpoints and insights. Dive in and share your thoughts.


As my birthday month comes to an end, I find myself doing what I often do around this time of year: reading books, running, and having a long conversation with myself.

This time, while running my birthday half- marathon, I kept the music low. Just enough to fill the silence, but not enough to drown out my thoughts.

The funny thing is, self-talk was probably the reason I started running in the first place. I have always felt things deeply (may be too deeply!!). My tendency to think(over) makes it more complicated, and even ordinary moments can sometimes feel heavier than they really are. Running became my way of untangling that mess. Somewhere between the first kilometer and the last, thoughts seem to lose their sharp edges.

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about HOPE.

Life has a way of testing it. Plans change. Expectations rarely materialize. Sometimes the answer is "not now," or simply "no." With enough of those experiences, hope has started to feeling naive and more of bookish funda.

And yet, I think we cannot live without it.

Hope is what gets us out of bed on difficult mornings. It is what convinces us to register for another race, start another project, make another attempt, or trust that tomorrow might be a little better than today. It need not to be loud or dramatic, mostly just a quiet voice saying, "Keep going."

Running has taught me something similar. A half marathon is not about speed. It is about rhythm. About knowing when to push, when to ease off, and how to stay steady when your legs start negotiating with your brain. Life seems to follow the same rules.

As I ran, I also found myself thinking about people. Some people know exactly what they want but struggle to say it aloud. Others speak with great confidence while still figuring things out. Most of us are somewhere in the middle, trying our best and carrying doubts nobody else can see.

The older I get, the more I realize that not every question needs an immediate answer. Sometimes clarity arrives only after few more steps are taken. Sometimes the road explains itself as we walk it.

Maybe that's why the biggest lesson running keeps teaching me is simply this: 
be hopeful and be here.

Not in next week. 
Not in last year. 
Not in some imaginary version of life where everything works out perfectly.

Just here.

Feel the road. Notice the breeze. Listen to the breath. For a few moments, let life be exactly what it is.

Happy Birthday to me!!

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