In two weeks or so I hope to run the Old Reliable 10K in Downtown Raleigh. My intentions were to run in the City of Oaks Half Marathon on the same day but life got in the way and I found myself woefully behind in my training schedule. At some point "I'll start soon" turns into "Holy crap I'm supposed to run 8 miles today and the most I've run in the last month is 4." I can handle 6.2 right now.
Anniversaries are always a time to reflect on the time between. What's changed? What hasn't? Work has ramped up incredibly and in great ways. I've focused on strength training. We've gotten involved at church. All these things leave less time for running though I still find time for the occasional trek around the neighborhood or on the trail.
With all that said, I think it's time to retire this piece of work for now. I've got a few other creative projects I'm working on and I will post a link to them when they come.
Thanks for reading and check back for the new projects.
See you on the journey,
Ryan
Friday, October 21, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
A Ten Year Span
Five Years by Corbett Barr
There will be an agreement in whatever variety of actions, so they be each honest and natural in their hour. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
What would you say to the person you were five years ago? What will you say to the person you’ll be in five years?
(Author: Corbett Barr)
At the end of my senior year of high school, one of my teachers gave us the most intriguing assignment of the year: Write a letter to yourself in five years. The twist: in five years she would mail these letters to us. I remember thinking how important that letter would be and how it might hold secrets and prophecies that would blow my five-years-older mind. In June of 2007 my Dad called me to say I'd gotten a letter at his house addressed to me in my own handwriting. I eagerly anticipated getting my hands on the envelope and the contents inside.
In the intervening years I'd forgotten what was in the letter. As I read through the two pages of neat handwriting (where did that come from?) I smiled warmly at five-years-younger me. My concerns were so much different then, my world so much smaller. Most of my letter consisted of questions: Are you still at Camp? Did you major in Psychology after all? It's no surprise that I wrote of uncertainty at a time when so much was up in the air: Would friends disappear as we went off to college? Would my serious relationship last through the summer and into the new year at two different schools? Looking back these questions were born of graduation and of something bigger: September 11th was 8 months old at that point. There were so many questions then and so few answers. Teachers and my parents kept saying we would never forget that day just as they never forgot JFK's assassination or the Challenger explosion. I remember thinking they were probably right then but now, almost ten years later, I see how right they were.
So, to five-years-younger me, here is what I have to say:
1) Be REALLY good to that girl you're dating. Don't ask me why.
2) Cherish the next few years at Camp. Again, don't ask why.
3) Make a few extra trips to the mountains to see your grandmother.
4) Keep up the good work. You're doing really well.
To five-years-older me:
1) How's the little one?
2) When's the next writing project going to be finished?
3) How was the trip to Oregon?
4) Keep up the good work. You're doing really well.
Ryan
There will be an agreement in whatever variety of actions, so they be each honest and natural in their hour. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
What would you say to the person you were five years ago? What will you say to the person you’ll be in five years?
(Author: Corbett Barr)
At the end of my senior year of high school, one of my teachers gave us the most intriguing assignment of the year: Write a letter to yourself in five years. The twist: in five years she would mail these letters to us. I remember thinking how important that letter would be and how it might hold secrets and prophecies that would blow my five-years-older mind. In June of 2007 my Dad called me to say I'd gotten a letter at his house addressed to me in my own handwriting. I eagerly anticipated getting my hands on the envelope and the contents inside.
In the intervening years I'd forgotten what was in the letter. As I read through the two pages of neat handwriting (where did that come from?) I smiled warmly at five-years-younger me. My concerns were so much different then, my world so much smaller. Most of my letter consisted of questions: Are you still at Camp? Did you major in Psychology after all? It's no surprise that I wrote of uncertainty at a time when so much was up in the air: Would friends disappear as we went off to college? Would my serious relationship last through the summer and into the new year at two different schools? Looking back these questions were born of graduation and of something bigger: September 11th was 8 months old at that point. There were so many questions then and so few answers. Teachers and my parents kept saying we would never forget that day just as they never forgot JFK's assassination or the Challenger explosion. I remember thinking they were probably right then but now, almost ten years later, I see how right they were.
So, to five-years-younger me, here is what I have to say:
1) Be REALLY good to that girl you're dating. Don't ask me why.
2) Cherish the next few years at Camp. Again, don't ask why.
3) Make a few extra trips to the mountains to see your grandmother.
4) Keep up the good work. You're doing really well.
To five-years-older me:
1) How's the little one?
2) When's the next writing project going to be finished?
3) How was the trip to Oregon?
4) Keep up the good work. You're doing really well.
Ryan
I Double-Dog-Dare You
Dare to be bold by Matt Cheuvront
Our arts, our occupations, our marriages, our religion, we have not chosen, but society has chosen for us. We are parlour soldiers. We shun the rugged battle of fate, where strength is born. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Next to Resistance, rational thought is the artist or entrepreneurs worst enemy. Bad things happen when we employ rational thought, because rational thought comes from the ego. Instead, we want to work from the Self, that is, from instinct and intuition, from the unconscious.
A child has no trouble believing the unbelievable, nor does the genius or the madman. Its only you and I, with our big brains and our tiny hearts, who doubt and overthink and hesitate.” - Steven Pressfield, Do the Work
The idea of “being realistic” holds all of us back. From starting a business or quitting a job to dating someone who may not be our type or moving to a new place – getting “real” often means putting your dreams on hold.
Today, let’s take a step away from rational thought and dare to be bold. What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to accomplish but have been afraid to pursue? Write it down. Also write down the obstacles in your way of reaching your goal. Finally, write down a tangible plan to overcome each obstacle.
The only thing left is to, you know, actually go make it happen. What are you waiting for?
(Author: Matt Cheuvront)
I tend to see what I want to see in prompts such as these. In most of my responses in this #Trust30 challenge I've been called to write and to call into question all the excuses I've made for myself: No time to write, No good ideas, I'm not qualified, People will laugh, I'll be rejected.
It's my firm belief that things come into my life when I need them most and it's no mistake that this challenge--a writing challenge--appeared when it did. Summer is a time for change and experiments. Time to make it happen.
I won't bore you with the rest as most of my posts hearken back to this same issue. Will you hold me accountable? The better question is, will I hold myself accountable?
Ryan
Our arts, our occupations, our marriages, our religion, we have not chosen, but society has chosen for us. We are parlour soldiers. We shun the rugged battle of fate, where strength is born. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Next to Resistance, rational thought is the artist or entrepreneurs worst enemy. Bad things happen when we employ rational thought, because rational thought comes from the ego. Instead, we want to work from the Self, that is, from instinct and intuition, from the unconscious.
A child has no trouble believing the unbelievable, nor does the genius or the madman. Its only you and I, with our big brains and our tiny hearts, who doubt and overthink and hesitate.” - Steven Pressfield, Do the Work
The idea of “being realistic” holds all of us back. From starting a business or quitting a job to dating someone who may not be our type or moving to a new place – getting “real” often means putting your dreams on hold.
Today, let’s take a step away from rational thought and dare to be bold. What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to accomplish but have been afraid to pursue? Write it down. Also write down the obstacles in your way of reaching your goal. Finally, write down a tangible plan to overcome each obstacle.
The only thing left is to, you know, actually go make it happen. What are you waiting for?
(Author: Matt Cheuvront)
I tend to see what I want to see in prompts such as these. In most of my responses in this #Trust30 challenge I've been called to write and to call into question all the excuses I've made for myself: No time to write, No good ideas, I'm not qualified, People will laugh, I'll be rejected.
It's my firm belief that things come into my life when I need them most and it's no mistake that this challenge--a writing challenge--appeared when it did. Summer is a time for change and experiments. Time to make it happen.
I won't bore you with the rest as most of my posts hearken back to this same issue. Will you hold me accountable? The better question is, will I hold myself accountable?
Ryan
Another Kick in the Tail
Come Alive by Jonathan Mead
Life wastes itself while we are preparing to live. – Ralph Waldo EmersonIf you had one week left to live, would you still be doing what you’re doing now? In what areas of your life are you preparing to live? Take them off your To Do list and add them to a To Stop list. Resolve to only do what makes you come alive.
Bonus: How can your goals improve the present and not keep you in a perpetual “always something better” spiral?
(Author: Jonathan Mead)
Every three months or so I ask myself a version of this question. The problem with the "One Week Left to Live" scenario lies in the fact that unless I'm living every day as if it were truly my last, I will always have something to change and something I'm not doing. If I found out today my life would end next Wednesday, I would leave work and drive home listening to bluegrass music--Old Crow Medicine Show for starters. At home I would call my wife, my family and my friends to give them the news. I'd probably have a lot of explaining to do and a lot of questions to answer and probably a lot of convincing to do. I would call people at work and let them know I would be stopping by tomorrow to finish everything that needs finishing and to say my goodbyes. The rest of the week would be spent in the mountains and at the beach. I can't write or think about anything else because my imagination's a little too strong and the thought of truly saying goodbye is too much.
So the question is a little silly to me. What Mr. Mead wants me to do is to create a list of things I will do because there's no point in NOT doing them anymore. The purpose of this exercise is to spur creativity and free me from the roadblocks I've imposed upon myself. In that light there are many things I would do differently but these are the top five:
1) Write the story that's been bouncing around in my head for years. If it takes 10,000 words or 1,000,000 it needs to see the light of day.
2) Work on the Habitat for Humanity house our church is working on. How many more times will I say "next weekend" until the house is finished and I've done nothing to help?
3) Take dance lessons with my wife. This is WAY overdue.
4) Learn how to play the banjo and form a band to play with. Nothing fancy, no recordings, only for the love of creating and playing music.
5) Go to Oregon to visit my brother.
So, if I change this from a "To-Do" list to a "Stop-Doing" list, this is what it would look like:
1) Stop making excuses for why I can't write. I have the time. I have the talent. Get to work.
2) Stop putting it off. I'm not doing anything this Saturday. Looks like a good day to have a hammer in my hand.
3) Stop making excuses. There's more than enough money and time for this and much more.
4) Stop limiting yourself and stop forgetting the amazing musicians that surround me.
5) Stop saying "I want to..." and start saying "I will..." See #3 and start putting money away.
This blog grew out of a desire to start living the life I want and running came from that same urge. I've left both of them behind and I can feel the pull. Time to get back on the road and see where it takes me.
Ryan
Life wastes itself while we are preparing to live. – Ralph Waldo EmersonIf you had one week left to live, would you still be doing what you’re doing now? In what areas of your life are you preparing to live? Take them off your To Do list and add them to a To Stop list. Resolve to only do what makes you come alive.
Bonus: How can your goals improve the present and not keep you in a perpetual “always something better” spiral?
(Author: Jonathan Mead)
Every three months or so I ask myself a version of this question. The problem with the "One Week Left to Live" scenario lies in the fact that unless I'm living every day as if it were truly my last, I will always have something to change and something I'm not doing. If I found out today my life would end next Wednesday, I would leave work and drive home listening to bluegrass music--Old Crow Medicine Show for starters. At home I would call my wife, my family and my friends to give them the news. I'd probably have a lot of explaining to do and a lot of questions to answer and probably a lot of convincing to do. I would call people at work and let them know I would be stopping by tomorrow to finish everything that needs finishing and to say my goodbyes. The rest of the week would be spent in the mountains and at the beach. I can't write or think about anything else because my imagination's a little too strong and the thought of truly saying goodbye is too much.
So the question is a little silly to me. What Mr. Mead wants me to do is to create a list of things I will do because there's no point in NOT doing them anymore. The purpose of this exercise is to spur creativity and free me from the roadblocks I've imposed upon myself. In that light there are many things I would do differently but these are the top five:
1) Write the story that's been bouncing around in my head for years. If it takes 10,000 words or 1,000,000 it needs to see the light of day.
2) Work on the Habitat for Humanity house our church is working on. How many more times will I say "next weekend" until the house is finished and I've done nothing to help?
3) Take dance lessons with my wife. This is WAY overdue.
4) Learn how to play the banjo and form a band to play with. Nothing fancy, no recordings, only for the love of creating and playing music.
5) Go to Oregon to visit my brother.
So, if I change this from a "To-Do" list to a "Stop-Doing" list, this is what it would look like:
1) Stop making excuses for why I can't write. I have the time. I have the talent. Get to work.
2) Stop putting it off. I'm not doing anything this Saturday. Looks like a good day to have a hammer in my hand.
3) Stop making excuses. There's more than enough money and time for this and much more.
4) Stop limiting yourself and stop forgetting the amazing musicians that surround me.
5) Stop saying "I want to..." and start saying "I will..." See #3 and start putting money away.
This blog grew out of a desire to start living the life I want and running came from that same urge. I've left both of them behind and I can feel the pull. Time to get back on the road and see where it takes me.
Ryan
Saturday, June 4, 2011
One Item on the Bucket List
Today's #Trust30 prompt:
Travel by Chris GuillebeauIf we live truly, we shall see truly. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Not everyone wants to travel the world, but most people can identify at least one place in the world they’d like to visit before they die. Where is that place for you, and what will you do to make sure you get there?
(Author: Chris Guillebeau)
For me the place to go has been and continues to be Australia. As a kid I had counselors at summer camp (Camp Kanata) that came every year to work and play in the US before heading back to the Land Down-Under. Their accents, attitudes and stories of life in a country where summer was winter and spring was fall captivated me like nothing had before. Add to that the incredible animals--koalas, kangaroos, dingoes, etc.--and I was hooked. The Disney movie "The Rescuers Down Under" probably contributed to this dream as well.
In high school I planned to go to college and study abroad in Australia for a semester or a year. I would have friends to visit and places to stay and it would be the trip of a lifetime. As I got closer and closer to the time for applications and decisions the choice wasn't so easy. Because of the seasonal differences in the southern hemisphere, Australian school semesters ended in July, right in the middle of summer in the US which conflicted with another dream of mine: to work at Camp Kanata as a summer camp counselor. I was always painfully aware of the tie between my two dreams and eventually made the decision to study abroad somewhere else so I could realize a dream that had just a bit more pull. (As fate would have it, I met my wife studying abroad in London so it all worked out in the end.)
So, all these years later, I'm still pining after Australia and hoping that one day I'll make the ridiculously long plane trip and reunite with friends and mentors from my summer camp days. Hope turns to reality through planning and saving. I know the trip will be expensive and I know that my wife and I are committed to living a debt-free life so it's going to take some careful preparation and some discipline to get us there. Funny enough, the author of this prompt--Chris Guillebeau--writes a blog (link above in the prompt) that I've been reading for a few months now. There's methods and means to travelling on the cheap but there are some compromises I've got to make before then--ie getting a credit card just for frequent-flyer miles.
So Australia, I've got you in my sights and I'll be there sooner rather than later so keep the Outback warm for me. Oh and world population? Hey, it's Ryan. Can you make sure we don't destroy the Great Barrier Reef before I get there? That would be great thanks.
Cheers
Ryan
Travel by Chris GuillebeauIf we live truly, we shall see truly. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Not everyone wants to travel the world, but most people can identify at least one place in the world they’d like to visit before they die. Where is that place for you, and what will you do to make sure you get there?
(Author: Chris Guillebeau)
In high school I planned to go to college and study abroad in Australia for a semester or a year. I would have friends to visit and places to stay and it would be the trip of a lifetime. As I got closer and closer to the time for applications and decisions the choice wasn't so easy. Because of the seasonal differences in the southern hemisphere, Australian school semesters ended in July, right in the middle of summer in the US which conflicted with another dream of mine: to work at Camp Kanata as a summer camp counselor. I was always painfully aware of the tie between my two dreams and eventually made the decision to study abroad somewhere else so I could realize a dream that had just a bit more pull. (As fate would have it, I met my wife studying abroad in London so it all worked out in the end.)
So, all these years later, I'm still pining after Australia and hoping that one day I'll make the ridiculously long plane trip and reunite with friends and mentors from my summer camp days. Hope turns to reality through planning and saving. I know the trip will be expensive and I know that my wife and I are committed to living a debt-free life so it's going to take some careful preparation and some discipline to get us there. Funny enough, the author of this prompt--Chris Guillebeau--writes a blog (link above in the prompt) that I've been reading for a few months now. There's methods and means to travelling on the cheap but there are some compromises I've got to make before then--ie getting a credit card just for frequent-flyer miles.
So Australia, I've got you in my sights and I'll be there sooner rather than later so keep the Outback warm for me. Oh and world population? Hey, it's Ryan. Can you make sure we don't destroy the Great Barrier Reef before I get there? That would be great thanks.
Cheers
Ryan
Friday, June 3, 2011
From Challenge to Question
June 3rd #Trust30 prompt:
Post-it Question by Jenny BlakeThat which each can do best, none but his Maker can teach him. Where is the master who could have taught Shakespeare? Where is the master who could have instructed Franklin, or Washington, or Bacon, or Newton? . . . Shakespeare will never be made by the study of Shakespeare. Do that which is assigned you, and you cannot hope too much or dare too much. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Identify one of your biggest challenges at the moment (ie I don’t feel passionate about my work) and turn it into a question (ie How can I do work I’m passionate about?) Write it on a post-it and put it up on your bathroom mirror or the back of your front door. After 48-hours, journal what answers came up for you and be sure to evaluate them.
Bonus: tweet or blog a photo of your post-it.
After a retreat with the young adult group from our church a few weekends ago I came to the realization that fear holds me back from doing more with the time given to me. I often sleep in when I could be up reading, praying, thinking, running or playing the guitar. On the surface I feel tired and sleepy. Underneath I'm really afraid of what the day will bring and afraid to leave the warmth and relative safety of my bed.
So I've been thinking a lot about how I can use my time more purposefully which leads me to this post-it, now above my computer and soon to be on my bathroom mirror:
What's your biggest challenge right now? What can you do about it?
Ryan
Post-it Question by Jenny BlakeThat which each can do best, none but his Maker can teach him. Where is the master who could have taught Shakespeare? Where is the master who could have instructed Franklin, or Washington, or Bacon, or Newton? . . . Shakespeare will never be made by the study of Shakespeare. Do that which is assigned you, and you cannot hope too much or dare too much. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Identify one of your biggest challenges at the moment (ie I don’t feel passionate about my work) and turn it into a question (ie How can I do work I’m passionate about?) Write it on a post-it and put it up on your bathroom mirror or the back of your front door. After 48-hours, journal what answers came up for you and be sure to evaluate them.
Bonus: tweet or blog a photo of your post-it.
After a retreat with the young adult group from our church a few weekends ago I came to the realization that fear holds me back from doing more with the time given to me. I often sleep in when I could be up reading, praying, thinking, running or playing the guitar. On the surface I feel tired and sleepy. Underneath I'm really afraid of what the day will bring and afraid to leave the warmth and relative safety of my bed.
So I've been thinking a lot about how I can use my time more purposefully which leads me to this post-it, now above my computer and soon to be on my bathroom mirror:
Ryan
Living Beliefs
June 2nd #Trust30 prompt:
One Strong Belief by Buster Benson
It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude. - Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance
The world is powered by passionate people, powerful ideas, and fearless action. What’s one strong belief you possess that isn’t shared by your closest friends or family? What inspires this belief, and what have you done to actively live it?
(Author: Buster Benson)
I'm finding it hard to think of a belief not shared by my closest friends and family as I think, almost by definition, we need to share a common understanding or our relationships would fade. Differences exist from person to person and there are friends I've known for more than a decade and we've invariably changed over time and our personal beliefs developed independently of one another in varying degrees.
In an effort to focus my thoughts and answer the prompt--rather than BSing my way through it like an essay from school--I'll go with my religious/spiritual beliefs. I consider myself a Christian but that tells you nothing about the structure of my beliefs and the opinions I hold. If I had all day to write I might begin to explain them all but I do not have the luxury of time and so you'll have to go without.
Katie and I began attending the young adult Bible study at our church with regularity in the past two months and over that time we've been reading two(1,2) challenging books that both address some of the struggles I've had over the years in reconciling my personal faith and understanding with that of the church, wherever that may be and whatever denomination I happened to be involved in. I like Brian McLaren's book the best right now and I'd read A Generous Orthodoxy a few years ago so I might be biased.
So, in answer to the prompt, my spiritual beliefs are personal and therefore not shared (completely) by my closest friends and family. I'm inspired by those Christians who are wiser (though not always older) than I am and who've seen and experienced more. I'm inspired by their example and the way they live out their faith in the world. I feel that my work is the largest way I live out my beliefs though I am always searching for more authentic ways to live out the life I've been called to lead.
With the lid off the box and the can of worms formally opened, we'll save some of this for another day.
Happy Friday.
Ryan
One Strong Belief by Buster Benson
It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude. - Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance
The world is powered by passionate people, powerful ideas, and fearless action. What’s one strong belief you possess that isn’t shared by your closest friends or family? What inspires this belief, and what have you done to actively live it?
(Author: Buster Benson)
I'm finding it hard to think of a belief not shared by my closest friends and family as I think, almost by definition, we need to share a common understanding or our relationships would fade. Differences exist from person to person and there are friends I've known for more than a decade and we've invariably changed over time and our personal beliefs developed independently of one another in varying degrees.
Katie and I began attending the young adult Bible study at our church with regularity in the past two months and over that time we've been reading two(1,2) challenging books that both address some of the struggles I've had over the years in reconciling my personal faith and understanding with that of the church, wherever that may be and whatever denomination I happened to be involved in. I like Brian McLaren's book the best right now and I'd read A Generous Orthodoxy a few years ago so I might be biased.
So, in answer to the prompt, my spiritual beliefs are personal and therefore not shared (completely) by my closest friends and family. I'm inspired by those Christians who are wiser (though not always older) than I am and who've seen and experienced more. I'm inspired by their example and the way they live out their faith in the world. I feel that my work is the largest way I live out my beliefs though I am always searching for more authentic ways to live out the life I've been called to lead.
With the lid off the box and the can of worms formally opened, we'll save some of this for another day.
Happy Friday.
Ryan
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