Find out who you are and do it on purpose.
The weather is cooling off in Kalispell, MT. Leaves have turned, and everybody seems to be preparing for winter. Earlier this week, I took my wife on a scenic flight around the valley to enjoy it from a different perspective. This weekend, I winterized our travel trailer and cleared out room in the garage so we could park my wife’s car inside.
At the beginning of this year, I set a goal of cycling 3,000 miles and running 500. I got back into cycling late last year, so I set a lofty goal for 2024 as I did with running last year. My goal last year was to run 1,000 miles. If I remember correctly, I ran just over 800 miles last year.
For the last few months, I have been behind my cycling goal about 100 miles. This week, I wanted to make up for it, so I logged the most miles on my bike in months. Falling behind on goals used to derail me, but I’m less of a perfectionist than I used to be.
Find out who you are and do it on purpose. ~Dolly Parton
I heard this quote this weekend. It resonated with me because that is the journey I am on. I’m not having an identity crisis, but I am trying to be intentional and do it with as much authenticity as possible. Part of that process for me is being patient and waiting. It’s easy for me to jump into things and get started, only to dial things back because it wasn’t sustainable.
While I enjoy making YouTube videos about tech and cameras, I want to start making video essays about the topics I have been writing about. I have found myself struggling to get started. I may have to challenge myself to create videos for the sake of getting started and work on dialing in the message once the momentum is going.
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Weekly Debrief
Fitness
- Cycling: 132.5 miles
- Running: 4.6 miles
Biggest Insight
We’re more connected than ever before, yet profoundly lonely. We mask our struggles to maintain appearance and avoid burdening others while secretly yearning to be seen. Our fear of vulnerability and shame creates a barrier to experiencing genuine connection, trapping us in a cycle of isolation despite our deep desires for meaningful relationships.
Wins
- Cleaning some of the basement
- Hanging out with Jeph
- Productive days at the office
- Flying with Mal
- Lots of miles on the bike
- Resourced from quotes and book notes, I’ve saved a lot
Loss
- Still feeling a little sluggish
- I didn’t read much
- Too much doom-scrolling
This week
- Client work
- Men’s Table starts
- Accreditation meeting
- Edit remaining videos
Think more about
- Writing
- Video for my personal YouTube channel
Profoundly Lonely
I am interested in the concept of loneliness. Sometimes, I am okay with being alone; other times, it feels like torture. What is it about being alone that often causes pain?
I recognize that we were created for the community. Whether you believe what the Bible says or not, we are tribal people, and it’s always been that way. Last year, the US Surgeon General released an Advisory calling attention to the public health crisis of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection in our country (Link). I remember reading this and thinking about my experiences with loneliness and how we can experience it even with people around us. How does that happen, especially in a hyperconnected world?
Since then, I have shifted my definition of the word lonely. I used to see loneliness as being alone, but being alone simply means I am with myself. My loneliness was undoubtedly more about not being okay with being with myself than it was merely a distance from others. Once I understood that, I could understand why and work through that. It can’t be minimized to us being introverts or extroverts. The most outgoing extrovert can easily be the most lonely person in the room. To feel less lonely, we become like everyone else, which takes us farther away from who we are (some of these concepts paraphrased from the book, “The Art of Being Alone”).
The implications for a lack of social connection hurt our health, the Surgeon General went on to report:
The physical health consequences of poor or insufficient connection include a 29% increased risk of heart disease, a 32% increased risk of stroke, and a 50% increased risk of developing dementia for older adults. Additionally, lacking social connection increases risk of premature death by more than 60%.
Though we are created to connect, I believe the lack of “sufficient connection,” combined with not being okay with “being with ourselves,” is the core contributor to the health consequences. When I say sufficient connection, I don’t mean having a full calendar of social events; I mean actual time connecting with people where you feel seen and the connection is reciprocal.
The million-dollar question is, how do we fix what we’ve undone?
Quotes from this past week
If you want new beliefs you need new habits.
Nick Wignall
Break the chains of your thought, and you break the chains of your body, too.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull – Rickard Back & Russell Munson
The need is not necessarily for more information but for the application of it.
Russell Willingham
I’m thankful for you being here,
Jerad
Ps. More photos from our recent flight.
