Experiencing Another's Song ...

I shared office space with a guy who would break out into quiet song for a few bars at random times during the day.  I knew that he did this even when he was working to meet urgent deadlines.  It drove me nuts.  I took it as an opportunity to "... be restrained in the manifestations which proceed from [my] nature, at the same time conducting [my]self justly and tolerantly toward the weaknesses of others." G.I. Gurdjieff, Meetings With Remarkable Men, (end of Introduction).

One of the things this man was working on in his personal time was preparing for a marathon.

During the same summer, inspired by some notes from my daughter's blog about barefoot running, I resumed running distances.  One morning in July I pushed my body unusually hard to make my goal of a certain distance before I went on vacation.  When I was at work that day I felt the impulse to break into song for a few bars, just like my office mate does.  

This surprised me.  Then I recalled a period in my life when I would work out very hard in the morning before going to my daily job. I had the same sense back then. It was as if, after the challenges that I had already put my self through early in the morning, nothing could alter my light hearted mood, or get me particularly excited, anxious or worried.  I could go to my job be challenged by an unplanned shifting of the clients priorities, or even lose the contract and it would be nothing compared to what I had already put myself through that morning.

The random song from my office mate not longer irritated me.  So did I lose an opportunity to "work?"