Pen and Rock

We tend to think of escape as movement - going somewhere, doing something different, stepping away for a moment. A vacation. A night out. A screen. A long sleep. A habit we tell ourselves is temporary. These actions are called escapes because they interrupt routine... but interruption is not the same as absence.  Most places we inhabit, even the ones designed to provide relief, still ask something of us. Attention. Participation. Response. Performance. They offer comfort on the condition that we remain engaged. This is why "escape" that we think will help us escape the chaos so often disappoints. We move between environments that differ in appearance but not in intent, mistaking novelty for freedom.  A change of scenery feels like distance, yet the same pressures follow us, reconfigured but recognizable. The mind remains alert, waiting to respond, because there is still something being asked of it.  Nature stands apart not because it promises peace, but because it ma...

Over my winter break, I have dialed in a morning routine that has supercharged my wellness, energy, and focus. For a long time my morning routine was (1) hop out of bed, (2) splash my face and brush my teeth, and (3) eat. This was quick and easy, but with the extra time during winter break I wanted to try something new. Below is my new, one-hour morning routine. First, let's talk about sleep. Sleep is the number one factor that affects your mood and energy. Additionally, sleep is the factor that enables other health and wellness practices to actually do their job. For example, if you're taking a turmeric supplement to reduce inflammation, the supplement will have zero effect if you are getting low-quality sleep and/or not sleeping enough.  The Routine: 1. When I start the day with a warm shower, I get my blood moving. It's also nice to incorporate a cold rinse - this really wakes you up! I brush my teeth right before the shower. 2. After a long sleep and a warm shower, my f...

No Place at All (a fictional parable)      One day many years ago as I stood outside the Metro Center station, I was approached by a stranger. He was a boy about my age, not more than fifteen.      “Excuse me,” he said, “I’m lost. Can you point me to the nearest Metro station?”      I was astonished since we were standing right in front of a Metro station – and not just any station, the central station of the city. “Dude, are you ok?” I responded. “This is the entrance to the metro. You’re standing right in front of it!”      “Bear with me,” he said. “I’m not from here. I come from a small town in rural, and the whole city just seems overwhelming. Everything looks the same – concrete and glass everywhere. It’s hectic, with people and cars and bikes and busses coming at me at every corner. Even at night it’s light, yet shadows lurk everywhere and I am afraid. We hear stories of gangs and criminals. Where I’m from there’s peace a...

Lately, I have been journaling a lot, and I think you should too. To talk about journaling, I want to first offer a note on visualization that will add context to my thoughts. Visualization is the practice of forming clear and detailed mental images of your goals to help align your mindset with the outcomes you want to achieve. Here’s another idea to build on: Warren Buffett famously promoted his 5/25 rule. It states that you should list your top 25 goals, select the 5 that matter the most, and then avoid the remaining 20 at all costs to stay focused and drive success. If you journal daily, you are naturally doing both of these things at once – whether you realize it or not. Every day that you journal, every page that you fill out, every idea or success that you jot down, every frustration you lament in your writings, you are slowly creating a comprehensive worldview and constructing your dream life.  Journaling gives form to your thoughts on a large scale. If you journal for long...

Here I provide the link to a blog by a good friend of mine, Ben Smith: Exploring The Crooked Crag

This past week I went out to climb lead in the New River Gorge, West Virginia. I went with a local guide who has been trained in The Rock Warrior’s Way – a climbing philosophy, book, and course by Arno Ilgner. Though Arno’s method is most known for tackling and working with fear and commitment in climbing, the philosophy and approach arise from these more general points: Climbing (and life) is a mental game first. Stay in the present moment. Accept risk consciously. Commitment and execution matter more than perfection. Focus on learning, not outcomes. Falling and commitment are skills that can be learned. Conserve mental energy. These were the points that my guide emphasized while I was on the rock. Climbing outdoors is different from climbing in the gym, more “cryptic” as some climbers describe it. Holds, movements, and sequences are less immediately apparent, and the distance between protection points is farther – more “runout.” As I tackled climbing in less-than-ideal fall-zones and...