Great Running Song: The Beauty of Gray

I tend to be pretty black-and-white, all-or-nothing… big surprise to all of you, right?!

But when I started accepting the gray — the idea that I wouldn’t always be perfect and that sometimes, a little can be just as good as a lot — a funny thing happened: I was more successful.

I still have a tendency to want to be perfect, bu I try to temper it with some TLC and reasonable thinking.

My pals Megan and Shannon both wrote recently about living in the “gray” and trying to kick the habit of looking at the world through an all-or-nothing lens.

Read what Megan had to say… check out Shannon’s point of view…

… then watch this video of Live performing “Beauty of Gray.” The relentless, rhythmic pace and lyrical pep talk are equally awesome for the tough moments — say, slogging up a hill or trying to outrun a monster — as for those sweet moments of victory.

If I told you he was your brother
We could reminisce
Then you would go about your day
If I said you ought to give him some of your water
You’d shake your canteen and walk away

The perception that divides you from him
Is a lie
For some reason you never asked why
This is not a black and white world
You can’t afford to believe in your side

This is not a black and white world
To be alive
I say that the colours must swirl
And I believe
That maybe today
We will all get to appreciate
The beauty of gray

If I told you she was your mother
We could analyze the situation and be gone
If I said you ought to give her
Some of your water
Your eyes would light up like the dawn

The perception that divides you from her
Is a lie
For some reason we never asked why
This is not a black and white world
You can’t afford to believe in your side

This is not a black and white world
To be alive
I say the colors must swirl
And I believe
That maybe today
We will all get to appreciate
The beauty of gray