There was a time when I believed that showing up meant always being available. I thought it was necessary for meetings, for others, and for opportunity. But what I’ve learned since then is that showing up for myself is just as important.
Back in 2021, I skipped a networking meeting to go running. I even logged in, ready to join, but the link wouldn’t let me in. I took it as a sign — not of failure, but of redirection. So I laced up and ran 6.7 miles instead. As I ran, I thought about how long it had taken to build that habit. Why was I so quick to drop something that nourishes me for something that drains me?
That question has followed me through the years. It showed up again when I missed a Zoom meeting. I was exploring Muir Woods while house sitting in San Francisco this year. It appeared again when I chose to wander a new city instead of logging into another call. In each instance, I realized I wasn’t skipping responsibility; I was redefining it.
In a world that celebrates the hustle, choosing joy can look like weakness. But joy is what keeps me in motion. Networking feeds my business, but walking, running, and exploring feed my spirit. I’ve learned that both matter — but only one keeps me whole.
Sometimes, the real work isn’t in the meeting I miss; it’s in the moment I choose to live.
And I’m reminded of something my kind neighbor, Miss Carol, once said:
“I am choosing to be an active participant in my life.”
That’s what my guiding light has always been about. It is not just about surviving the pace of life. It is about consciously walking in it.
Reflection Prompt
What does being an active participant in your life look like today?
Author’s Note
This reflection began as a 2021 journal entry about skipping a meeting to run. It has grown into a reminder about alignment and permission. I have been learning the same lesson in different ways. Each version of me — the runner, the entrepreneur, the walker — learns that joy is not a detour. It’s direction.
By Tonia Tyler | #ConfidentStrides | Sweet N Social
Sweet N Social 