Walking the Middle Path

I have a tight Peroneus Longus. At least that’s what internet wisdom tells me.

“The peroneal muscles run down the outside of the lower leg and are often neglected in a stretching routine.” I’m still figuring out the whole mechanics thing behind running, so the other day when my passion propelled me to run 10.5 miles, I was not technically prepared. Now I’m hobbling around with a pain in my lower right leg. But you know what... I love it.

A friend today told me I should get a cane and I thought to myself, “That’s an idea… Maybe I can buy a big furry hat to go with it.” My sister is always telling me I could be more stylish so now’s my chance.

In all seriousness, I need to figure this out so I can continue my running training. Once again I’m learning that life is about balancing the practical with the visionary. I believe Buddhist’s call this “walking the middle path”. This is also tonight’s lesson.

It’s back to the running mechanics lab for me.

Learning to See

While I was running the other night I blinked and one of my contacts fell out. The end result was I could see clearly out of one eye, but not the other. The next day this caused me a serious headache.

Life is like that right now. Some things seem clear and others blurry. Trying to reconcile them is also making my head hurt (and probably my wife's head as well).

To resolve the contact situation I went to my eye doctor and he gave me a spare contact lense (I ran out of contacts and my prescription expired).

Logic would say I also need to go to someone to help me with my life issue right now. I need someone to help me gain clarity again. Maybe that someone is inside of me and I’m just too blind to see him. Interesting thought.

The lesson? Seek and you shall find. Ask and you shall receive. Knock and the door shall be opened. You don't need sight to do this. Only vision.

Maybe I need to start training to see with “no eyes” like Frank Dux.

Live While I'm Alive

“In the end we are our choices. Build yourself a great story.” ~ Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO of Amazon.com

Last night I made a choice to take my story in a new direction by running 10.5 miles. It was not my most graceful run (I can only imagine what my neighbors must have thought) but I did it - swollen knees, hips, toes, and all.

Today I’m asking myself what inspired me to run through the night like a madman. Maybe it was the beauty and coolness of the moonlit night. Maybe it was the love I have for my family. Maybe it was my desire to draw closer to my creator. Maybe it was my time.

In reality I think it was all of the above and then some things I can’t recall in my mind but do understand with my heart.

My next journey is to step back and see what I can do to learn more about the mechanics of running. I hope to speed up my pace a bit and begin running with others. Let’s see where the journey goes.

The lesson tonight is to remember anything is possible if you believe and are willing to put in the time and effort needed to realize and release your potential. Nothing worth doing ever comes easy. This is something I want my kids to remember every single moment of their lives.

Here’s a song I feel resonates with my thoughts and feelings right now.



“It’s my life and it’s now or never… I ain’t gonna live forever… I just want to live while I’m alive…”

Power of Friendship

The power of friendship is amazing and this past Saturday I was blessed to feel this truth with all my heart. It’s been a while since I caught-up with my long time friends, but the depth of our understanding and transparency towards each made me feel like we had never been separated.

“Friends are roots that connect you to something greater than yourself,” was a thought I had. Being around my old friends brought me back to the base of my soul. Around them I felt most close to who I really am. No fronts. No illusions. Just me. Happy me.

So of course I have to ask, “How do I keep this reality going?”

Looking back at my blog posts an answer has emerged. “Stay in the moment, be honest and transparent, and just be yourself. Life is difficult enough without trying to play a role that is not naturally yours."

Tonight’s lesson? Nurture and make time for those things in life that bring you back to the base of your soul, like friends. There is a lot of happiness to be found there.

And here's a video I could not resist posting.

The First Step

Almost 4 months ago I walked down to my basement, stepped on a treadmill, and took the first step towards the rest of my life. Looking back I could not have imagined I would be where I am today. Have I had some major life breakthrough or something? Yes, but not in the way I expected.

The breakthrough has not been on the outside as much as it has been on the inside. Specifically, I’ve come to a point where I now understand you don’t need breakthroughs to love life - you only need to understand your purpose.

So what’s my life’s purpose? Me. I am my life’s purpose. The purpose of my life is to simply be me… right here, right now. No more no less.

So what’s the value in internalizing this? Freedom. Freedom from the illusion I have to be doing this or that to be happy. I am happy simply because I’m me.

With this clarity I can now go about doing whatever it is I want to do without the burden of anxiety, worry, fear, etc… I can even run 10 miles and help other’s discover their life’s purpose.

The lesson in all of this is that to get anywhere in life you must take that first step. It’s the hardest one to take, but also the most important. Then it’s time to run to your life. What are you waiting for?

Here’s a song that captures the spirit of this lesson.

Extraordinary Peace

“You can keep the darkness.” That’s what I say nowadays when I run into gremlins.

Gremlins come in all sorts of packages. Some are disguised in human flesh while others run around calling themselves belief and circumstance. They all share a common goal; to discourage you from living your life to the fullest. They do this by pulling you out of the moment and into their distorted, negative, and dark reality.

So how do you stop the gremlins? By beating them at their own game. Gremlins can only trouble you if they pull you into their reality. The trick is to pull them into yours.

You know when a gremlin is at work because you feel a sense of heaviness in your stomach, almost like nausea. If you continue to listen to and/or believe the gremlin, the heaviness is replaced by anxiety. Anxiety turns to worry, discouragement, frustration, fear, and/or anger. These feelings have a way of influencing your behavior, and at this point the gremlin has pulled you into its reality and you become the gremlin.

So how do you avoid this?

When a gremlin tells you what it thinks or believes, tell it what you think and believe. When a gremlin tells you something is impossible, you tell it everything is possible and you just need to put in the effort to identify a starting solution. When a gremlin plays the role of the victim, you tell it you feel its pain but you’re focusing on victory. When a gremlin treats you poorly, you treat it with kindness. Do this and you will beat the gremlin at its own game. Eventually the gremlin won’t want to play with you any more, and that’s fine, because who wants to play with gremlins anyway?

The lesson? Your reality is always a place of extraordinary peace if you believe and say it to be.

See if you can tell who the gremlin is in this video.

Propelled by Passion

By God’s grace and the kindness of a friend, my family and I had the opportunity to spend the last 4 days at Deep Creek Lake in the mountains of MD. It was a magical experience and I cherished every moment of it. I also learned a lot about my family and myself.

I learned that my oldest son has a passion for discovery. He spent hours examining animal life under the rocks in the lake. I learned that my second oldest son has a passion for adventure. He spent hours climbing those same rocks and gazing out into the distance. I learned that my youngest daughter has a passion for the unknown. Without any fear she struggled to free herself of my grip so she could practice swimming (she had a life vest on to help her float). Finally, I learned that my passion is to realize and help my children learn their passions. In doing so I am realzing my own life's purpose - to be a great dad and human being.

I wish I could say that everything was cool every second of our trip, but that’s not how life works. My children, like me, have their daily highs and lows. The great thing about kids is one moment they’re screaming and fighting, and the next laughing and playing. Their ability to bounce back quickly from negative emotions is teaching me a lot about how to deal with and manage my own emotions.

I did have an opportunity to do some running through the forest. Inspired by the “energy” of the forest I pushed myself to run farther and harder. It was fun and I had another interesting thought, "The moment is in the doing."

Tonight's lesson is to remember to find that passion inside of you that awakens your heart and makes life beautiful.

Here's a song I feel connects with this lesson.



"Don't know how it is you looked at me... And saw the person that I could be. Awakening my heart... Breaking through the dark..."

Burning Up

Comfort… It’s the enemy of breakthrough. That’s what I’m learning through life and running right now.

So why do we allow comfort to become our reality? I think it’s because we fear who we might actually be on the other side of the fence. What if I can’t keep up? What if I fail? What if I am not happy? These and other questions work to keep us in our comfort zone.

What if everything you ever dreamed of is on the other side but to get there you have to leave your comfort zone. In words this is easy. In practice it’s nearly impossible – but that’s what makes it worth doing. Just look around. How many people do you see living life to their fullest potential and loving every minute of it? Very few I think, but it doesn’t have to be this way.

Every single human being on this earth was created to exemplify God’s awesomeness in their own unique way. The trick to doing this is you first have to believe it and then you have to take action to manifest it. It also requires a lot of patience.

When I run it’s easy to say, “I’ll run X miles today.” In practice, it’s not that easy and there is always a burn. This burn hurts and my mind complains, but it’s the burn that is lifting me over the fence. I don’t think there is any other way to achieve a breakthrough.

Tonight’s lesson? Sitting in your comfort zone will keep you from achieving that wonderful breakthrough also known as your life’s purpose. When you realize and move towards your life’s purpose you will finally wake up and realize life is extraordinary. You might also discover the tremendous power you have to make a positive difference in the world.

Here’s a video I came across today that resonates with this lesson.

Finding Freedom

“Freedom is not outside of you, it’s inside of you.” That’s the thought I had today as I wrestled to free myself of some troublesome thoughts and habits.

So how do you achieve inner freedom? I’m not exactly sure but I think it has to something to do with turning off the inner critic. You know, that voice that says you’re not good enough, you can’t do it, or you’re going to fail so why waste your time trying.

Ever since I ran 6+ miles the other day, my inner critic has been giving me a hard time. In turn, my last few runs have felt a bit off. Physically, I can now push beyond the point of wanting to quit, but that discouraging voice in my head just won’t shut-up. Yes, I can tune it out and ignore it but I dream of the day it will be gone – forever.

So I will continue to run longer and harder. God willing the inner critic will quit before I do.

Tonight’s lesson is to remember that freedom always has a price – your all. You can surrender it to yourself or to the inner critic, but you can’t do both. To surrender to yourself you have to start with forgiving yourself. I think that’s the beginning of inner freedom.

Here’s a song that inspired me to reflect on this lesson today.

Stepping Back

Lately I have felt a bit removed. Almost like I’m watching my life unfold. I'm aware I’m doing this, and even though I prefer to be an engaged person, the new perspective is teaching me a lot about myself. In turn, I’m seeing my strengths and weaknesses for what they are – tools to help me advance as a human being.

Running continues to inspire me to push forward. To see things in different ways. To realize I have much more potential than my mind thinks at times. One foot in front of the other I tell myself. This is true for running as well as life.

Tonight’s lesson is inspired by something I saw today. “The greater the struggle the more glorious the triumph.”

I hope this short film inspires you as well.

In Search of Happiness

Happiness is not something you seek. It’s what you are.

This is what I read last night and for a moment there it made complete sense. One of the things I do when I question my thinking is ask myself, “Who would you be without this stress inducing thought?” My usual response is, “Happy… me.” So I conclude that happiness is my true state of being. When I’m happy I’m just being me.

A little metaphysical I know, but it’s helping me sort out my thinking. You see, I spend a lot of time coming up with ideas I think will make me happy. Most of them external and even when I obtain them I’m not any happier.

In reality, I don’t need anything to be happy because I already am. Always have been and always will be. I cannot be anything other than myself which is happiness in its purest form. What I need to do is stop thinking this or that will finally make me happy. It’s a relentless illusion that only serves to make me unhappy by pulling me out of the moment.

Easier said than done.

Tonight’s lesson? Happiness is not something you seek. It’s what you are. Realizing this will empower you to attract and create an extraordinary life. The one you were always meant to have and live. The one you will share with the world in order to make a positive difference.

Here’s an interesting video by on the subject of happiness.

Breakdown or Breakthrough?

I feel frustrated when I think I’m stuck - like now. It’s as though I’m trying to move forward and at the same time some unseen force is trying to hold me back. It’s a powerful force. So powerful it overwhelms me at times. When I yield to it, it feels like a breakdown. When I move forward in spite of it, it feels like a breakthrough. This past Monday I had a breakthrough after running for 1 hour 8 minutes and 55 seconds in 100 degree weather.

Towards the end of my run, my mind had had enough. Then something inside of me said, “What side of the fence do you want to be on? Breakthroughs are on this side – keep running.” All I could do was look down and watch one foot move in front of the other. I must have mesmerized myself because towards the end of my run, my mind could not make sense of where I was anymore. This is when the breakthrough happened.

I wasn’t delirious. I wasn’t exhausted. I was in the moment and I loved it!

What I learned from this experience is that “being mindful” and “being in the moment” cannot occur at the same time. When I run, and try to push my life forward, my mind puts up all kinds of discouraging thoughts and mental images. The only way to silence it is to slice through it by pushing on. I think this is the secret to breaking through. This is also tonight’s lesson.

Here is a useful technique for relaxing and stepping into the moment. Give it your full awareness. You will really enjoy it.

Magic in Motion

I’m coming up short. That’s the thought that hunts me lately. Whether it's applied to finances, parenting, or life in general, this thought serves to pull me out of the moment. In turn, my perspective on life becomes negative and my attitude follows.

That thought has been part of me for so long, cutting it loose is not easy. But running is helping me do just that. When I run I always get to a point where my mind becomes still and I can see that thought for what it is - a lie. The longer I run the clearer my head gets and the better I feel. Over time the clarity fades but I’m convinced one day it will be permanent. Until then I’ll keep on running to my life.

Tonight’s lesson is to clear up your thinking you need to do something that pulls you out of your comfort zone. Running, or any other activity that requires your full attention, is a great tool to help you do this. Attitude follows thinking, so clear up your thinking and your attitude will also improve.

Here’s a video illustrating how far David Blaine has gone to achieve mental clarity.



"Magic is pretty simple... It's practice, it's training and experimenting while pushing through the pain to be the best that I can be. That's what magic is to me." ~ David Blaine

The Joy of Happiness

What holds us back from living each and every day like it were our last? From being kind every moment of the day? From believing life is magnificent? From loving with reckless abandon?

For me it’s all the internal baggage I carry. Past hurts, opinions, perspectives, fears, worries, anxiety, excuses, etc…

So what happens when you lose the baggage? Happiness I think.

For a long time I believed happiness was just a “feel good” concept that is only temporary. I don’t believe that anymore and I never want to believe that again.

Happiness does exist. So does suffering. So does pain. So does joy. It’s all part of the package called life. The idea is to live it all – fully. The world is full of dichotomies – light and dark, yin and yang. It’s what keeps things in balance.

My kids are teaching me a lot about happiness. Through them I see that a human being’s natural state is “happy”. Yes, they scream, cry, fight, yell, and argue but they always return to the state of happiness – fast. Could a permanent state of happiness be a code word for joy? Yes, I think so.

The thing to remember is joy is a choice. This is tonight’s lesson. You can always feel it regardless of what’s going on inside or outside you. You can even find joy in things you think are not joyful. You just have to look hard. While your down there dig a little deeper and you'll discover something interesting. Peace.

Here’s a guy who figured some of this out and shared it with the world just before he went home.