4Karim and Running

One evening, Karim sat in a park near his home watching a group of runners moving in harmony. He noticed how deeply they breathed, and how their steps kept time with their breath. The sight made him curious, and he decided to try running to ease the stress of his day.

At first he struggled; his feet hurt, he ran out of breath, and sometimes he held his breath altogether. He felt frustrated and almost gave up and went home, convinced he would never reach the harmony he had seen.

“The secret is to keep going, even when you feel you can’t.”

But instead of giving up, he decided to face the pain. He chose two words to repeat with each inhale and exhale: “steady”, “resolve”. They gave him strength and reminded him to keep his breathing even. And he chose a pace that suited him.

With perseverance he began to feel better, and running became part of his day, improving his body and his mind.

One day a young man named Fares came up to him and said, “I’ve been watching you for weeks, and I’ve seen you improve. I was discouraged and thinking of stopping, but your progress gave me hope.” Karim smiled and said, “I was where you are. The secret is to keep going, even when you feel you can’t.”

From that day on they ran together every morning, swapping tips and encouraging each other, until they were much more than running partners.