Bowing To Elephants Podcast: 016 - Running For Her Life

016 - Running For Her Life

Sep 21, 2021

Today, we discover how one woman used running to pull herself back from the brink of depression. Nita Sweeney shares how she went from being severely depressed and suicidal to running an ultramarathon and writing an award-winning book!

Her memoir, Depression Hates a Moving Target: How Running with My Dog Brought Me Back from the Brink, tells a compelling story of strength and perseverance. In this episode, Nita shares how she uses running, mindfulness, and writing to take care of her mind, body, and spirit. Prepare yourself for a story of true inspiration!

What You Hear/Learn/Discover

[2:53] Nita explains what led her to write her memoir, Depression Hates a Moving Target: How Running with My Dog Brought Me Back from the Brink.

[13:28] Nita talks about how she was self-conscious when she first started running, so she used her dog as a “decoy.”

[19:46] Mag and Nita explain why dogs are excellent role models for mindfulness.

[21:53] Learn Nita’s advice to aspiring writers.

[26:37] Nita explains the three types of literary conflict.

[29:51] Nita talks about the interesting people she met while traveling and promoting her book.

[33:38] Nita shares how numerous people now approach her for help with their depression.

[39:15] Mag and Nita discuss how humor can be both therapeutic and a way to mask your inner pain.

[44:49] Nita talks about the ultramarathon she recently ran.

Quotes

“Even though we're looking at the same thing, that lens is slightly different. And so if you can trust and open yourself to trust that the things you naturally see and the things that naturally occur to you are important...that just goes so far. Because nobody else sees the world quite the way you do. And that's what makes it fresh, even if you're writing something that has been written about again and again.”

“I realized I don't have to be an authority. The only thing I have to give authority on is my life and my recovery from these awful mental health issues I struggled with for many years. And that my message is that there's hope, you know. As long as you stay on the planet, there's hope.”

“Surround yourself with people who have audacious goals, take notes, watch, and do what they do. Eventually, you're going to do something ridiculous that you're completely and totally proud of.”