as a year of first time things wraps up for me I’m considering the year-ish past. there are a few defining moments and one is that I started coaching rowing last September. that was the last first big thing, or maybe that’s not the right way to describe it, but it was a large marker in the course of the year – in the course of a period of time when I made a few changes that altered the course I was on in life, somewhat significantly.
all of those changes have paid off but I’ll be the first to admit that a lot of change means I’m never quite feeling in control. there were times in the past year when i felt really out of control and over-scheduled, even though I was doing mostly really good things with people I wanted to be doing them with. it was ok, but there were a few times when i attempted to simplify, but didn’t maintain it. now that I’ve cycled through a new job and a new home and a new extracurricular and a new commitment, I feel like I’ve really got this.
the quote in this picture came through to me in a newsletter a couple of weeks ago and I actually included it in another post. but again, I just can’t get it out of my mind. in an ideal world, I could focus on doing everything in front of me and somehow no balls would be dropped and enough sleep would be had and enough money would be saved and work would not suffer. but this is real life and it doesn’t work that way. instead, we get to choose how we spend our time and with who we spend it. I
‘ve been prioritizing this phrase over and over.
and today’s accompanying photo from a few summers ago when I spent 8 days in the Denver-area is a good example. I went to Denver, stayed with friends, had awesome experiences, ate good food, and I was wholly there for the entire trip. my god it’s good to get away and do that every so often.
I guess I’m just glad I had the opportunity to see that light again. the decisions and experiences I’ve had in the last few weeks have been eye-opening and soul-opening. and maybe with the rigidity of the enthusiastic yes/hell no idea comes a softening and a vulnerability that can only lead to better things to come.
see shay run. 