Pushing Forward From Behind

This week I share with you Mary Oliver’s poem ”Moments:”

There are moments that cry out to be fulfilled.

Like, telling someone you love them.

Or giving your money away, all of it.

Your heart is breathing, isn’t it?

You’re not in chains, are you?

There is nothing more pathetic than caution

when headlong might save a life,

even, possibly, your own.

This has got me thinking about how we can throw caution to the wind and move forward boldly into the chaos of each new day.

Most immediately, I think of human anatomy and how the hamsthings, the muscles on the backs of the thighs, push us forward from behind with each step we take.

Unless, of course, they don’t push you from behind anymore, because like most of the human population you are in a seated position for most of the day. When you spend a lot of time sitting at a desk or in a car, over time, your neurological connection to your hamstrings weaken and you start to rely on other, smaller and less efficient muscles to pull you forward.

So this week I encourage you to think about what pushes you from behind, to move from cautious to headlong. If you also want to explore this idea in a biomechanical way, you might try this exercise to give you a great burn along the backs of the legs.

Nora HarrisComment