Rethinking Success Through Running and Rediscovering my Creative Side

Life is a crazy thing.

One moment, you think you’ve got it all figured out and in the next, you get thrown into a direction you never even imagined existed.

That’s what running did to me. I mean, never in a million years would I have thought something so simple, so mundane (even boring to some) like running could reshape my entire mindset and how I think about things.

In my time on this spinning rock, I’ve tried a million-and-one things — including running ,—but if you had told me in 2021 that this one thing would fundamentally change how I approach life, I would’ve laughed at you. Loudly.

We grow up with this notion that we’re in control of our lives, like we can just plan out every single detail and it’ll go exactly, or at least decently accurate, as we want. But, life loves throwing curveballs, doesn’t it? And no matter how much we think we’ve nailed down our five-year plans, inevitably something will come along and flip the script.

Running, of all things, flipped mine. A reminder from the universe that you’re not in charge, bud!

The Trap of Chasing Financial Wealth

For as long as I can remember, like most people, I have been caught up in the rat race, chasing financial wealth.

Not to be confused with financial freedom, mind you — it’s two very different things. I mean the real grind. Buying the expensive house that would take years, if not your entire life to pay off, keeping your high-end job just so you can tell friends how special you are at parties, networking with the right people you’ll never call if you’re stuck on the side of the road… The whole routine, you know? It’s what most of us are taught how to live, no survive, growing up.

“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.” — Will Rogers

And sure, I get it. Money is survival.

Now, more than ever, we need it not just to live, but to have a successful career, a decent business, maybe even that ever-elusive side hustle and enough leftover to buy overpriced lattes every day. Chasing financial wealth gives us the illusion that we have a reason to get up every day and compete in this rat race, convincing ourselves it’s all for greater purpose.

In reality? Most of us get trapped. It’s the endless cycle of wanting more — more things, more validation. And if not that, well, we resort ourselves to becoming couch potatoes, scrolling though Instagram, wondering why we’re not as special as those who are living their #BestLives.

Just like everyone else, I fell for it. Still am sometimes. Convinced that the more financial wealth I have, the better my life will be.

More money, more security, more happiness. That’s how it’s supposed to be, right?

Except, no one tells us the part where chasing financial wealth is just the same as obsessing over any other hobby or passion in life, sacrificing things that most people can’t even live without for one day. To achieve that level of wealth, you either need to be some ultra-skilled or talented individual, be connected to the right people, hit the career lottery or all.

And if none of those options pan out, you might start entertaining the idea of doing whatever it takes even at the cost of your values. Grinding away at a job you hate, selling your soul — you get the drill.

Selling picture of your feet on OnlyF*ns is a real thing…

To my point though, no matter how much money I think I want, I’d have to work myself to the bone every single day, not that I’m immune to working hard, but at the expense of whether I love my life or not.

That’s the crux of it. Are we chasing wealth, or are we chasing life?

Changing Perspectives

Then came running. I’m not here to tell you it’s some life-altering revelation, but more like a gradual shift.

After a year of testing the waters a little and just winging it, last December I decided to stop messing around and take it up a notch.

So, I hired myself a coach. Yeah, I know, sounds fancy — but let’s be real, I had no clue what I was doing and wanted some structure. Plus, I had a few running goals I wanted to hit, and figured if I was going to commit, I should do it properly and not half-ass them. It helps that my coach keeps me accountable too…

Spoiler alert. It’s been yet another grind. Forming new habits and getting consistent is not easy, especially when you’re starting, and some days, it simply sucks. Really, it’s not like I wake up every morning thrilled to lace up my shoes. Some days, I still hate it.

But, with the marathon around the corner, I’ve been pushing myself a littler harder lately. Sometimes, to the extent that it feels exhausting and makes me question why I do it. Yet, there’s something about putting in the miles, day after day, that clears all the outside noise, decluttering my brain one step at a time, and slowly but surely changing my life.

It’s not like running is turning me into some kind of zen guru, okay?

I’m just realising that when you strip away the chaos of everyday life — even for an hour on the pavement — you start noticing the things that actually matter.

Like reconnecting with your inner child.

Rediscovering creativity

Lately, I have found myself wanting to draw again. Paint, even. And I hadn’t done that in years.

Back when I was a kid, I’d spend hours with a sketchbook, doodling, painting, colouring, just messing around with whatever I could get my hands on. As an introverted, emotional kid it was my thing.

But as I got older, all the adult stuff started to get in the way and eventually, the art supplies just ended up collecting dust.

After a couple of miles in the bank the past few months, the creative part of seems to resurface, with running somehow making room for picking up a pencil and sketching again.

I’m not here to tell you that I’m creating masterpieces all of a sudden, but I find it rather fascinating how something as simple as running can unlock parts of us we thought were gone. Forgotten even.

Like reconnecting with and old friend you haven’t seen in years, but who felt just as familiar as the last time you chatted — that’s a different kind of wealth I didn’t see coming.

No deadlines, no expectations. Just pure, simple fulfilment. A feeling of internal richness with no added agenda, no stress or ticking off some productivity box just for the sake of a pay-check, but a reminder of who we were before things got complicated.

A refreshing shift I didn’t know I needed.

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” — Maya Angelou

Personal Wealth Over Financial Gain

So, where does that leave me?

Sure, financial wealth still has its place. I’m not about to pretend like money doesn’t matter because it does.

But I’ve come to realise that wealth, in the truest sense of the word, isn’t just about accumulating things, titles, or digits in a bank account. True wealth is about reconnecting with myself, with what lights me up inside.

Running has reminded me of that.

It has reminded me that life is unpredictable and messy, and that that’s okay. That fulfilment doesn’t come from how much I earn, but from how much I live. Whether it’s running, painting, or just finding time to rediscover passions long forgotten, that’s the kind of wealth that matters.

Because, while we can plan all we want, chase all the things we think we need — life has a funny way of pulling us in unexpected directions.

And maybe, just maybe, those directions are exactly where we’re supposed to go.