Welcome back to Radioheadspace. I'm Dora.
A while back, I signed up for a relay race from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.
Now, if you're new to relay races, they're a little different than a regular race.
Teams break up a long distance into shorter segments,
and each team member takes turn running their part.
You pass an imaginary baton from runner to runner, sharing the challenge as you go.
I expected it to be tough physically,
but what surprised me was how supported I felt emotionally.
I remember clearly.
It was midnight and my segment was through a dark desert stretch.
It was so quiet and so still.
But just when I thought exhaustion might take over, I heard quiet footsteps beside me,
a teammate who had gotten out of our van just to run alongside me for a while,
whispering words of encouragement, reminding me that I wasn't alone.
Solitude can be powerful.
Sometimes we need quiet moments to reconnect with ourselves.
But other times, especially when things get challenging,
true strength comes from knowing when to let others in.
We can go much farther together than we could ever go alone.
And there's a Buddhist story about a monk who believed deeply in solitude.