Today's Run: Becoming a Warrior

(photo as it appears on: http://www.vogue.co.uk/beauty/2015/04/09/dynamic-running-therapy---psychoanalysis-outdoors-william-pullen)

I am grateful for today's run. Every run presents its own challenges. Maybe my knees start hurting and tightening up and I have to stride extra super carefully to be able to finish (and hopefully not slow down too much). Maybe I didn't eat enough and I feel weak. Maybe I ate too much and I feel nauseous. Maybe my mind is telling me I can't make it when I push myself to go harder and faster.

This is why I love running. It seems as simple as putting my feet to the pavement, but there are a million internal battles that go on under the surface. And every time I push through and make it to the finish, I emerge victorious. I'm training my mind and body to become warriors; to be able to face any challenge undaunted; to embrace obstacles as opportunities to become stronger. Some days (like today), it's hard to motivate myself to get out the door and run after work, but in the end it's always worth it.

That runner's high ain't bad, either.

My Mom

Happy Mother's Day to all those past, present, and future mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers (though aren't they all great?). Today, I am grateful for my mom. Along with my dad, she worked tirelessly to support my sister and I. She put up with all my nonsense as a kid. She tried to instill as best she could what it means to be a good human being (Yes, I remember being taken to the picket line when she and her fellow nurses stood up for themselves and went on strike because they weren't being given what they deserved back in the late '90s—and yes, I remember Bernie Sanders coming out to support them! Who knew...).

Thank you, mom, for everything you sacrificed to create a loving, caring home for us. Thank you for being supportive as we embarked on creating lives of our own. Thank you for always being there for us and may we be there for you when you need it.

Thai Food

(photo as it appears on: https://zestyrhythm.wordpress.com/2011/09/29/thai-chicken-curry/)

I am grateful for that delicious Thai food I just had for dinner. I am grateful for my wife, our friend, and her son for joining us. I am grateful that I live in a place where I get to choose what kind of food  to eat and don't have to wonder whether or not I'll be able to eat anything at all. I am grateful that food exists in an abundance and that I have full access to it—so much so that I sit here painfully full as I type this.

I am grateful that in becoming aware of how much I have, I also become aware of how little others do.

Cool Morning

I am grateful for the cool morning we had today. I've been fearing the upcoming heat that's due pretty soon and this was a lovely surprise. It made for an especially nice early morning bike ride to work.

Stay cool.

Everyday Challenges

(photo as it appears on: https://www.petcarerx.com/article/how-to-groom-a-dog/685)

I am grateful for everyday challenges. I'm not talking about the big, life-changing ones, but the simple choices we make everyday about mundane things. For example, my dog needs a bath. However, I just got back from work and I don't feel like expending that energy right now. So I'm faced with a choice: do I postpone this chore (again) or do I acknowledge that while I am indeed tired, I accept this challenge and wash our dog. I am given this golden opportunity to either quash that which holds me back or to give in to what my mind is telling me and stop being productive for the day. What a beautiful gift! The chance to overcome my own obstacles and—after numerous encounters and consistent responses of "challenge-accepted"—an internal resilience and drive to dig deep that has been cemented in habit.

Contrary to what "Fight Club" says, I think self improvement is an amazing thing and one of the most incredible experiences we as humans have. We possess the ability to infinitely refine and perfect our skills, not to mention build and explore new ones. What a beautiful life.

Now let's wash this dog.

New Skills

I am grateful for these new skills I'm acquiring. We may not love every moment and every responsibility we have, but we can always learn from them. These may be life and character lessons or they may be something more practical. For example, I've learned how to make my own almond milk. Not only is it more cost effective, but I can guarantee the freshness of what I'm consuming and that there are literally only three ingredients: water, almonds, and maple syrup; no added extras that they need in order for the product to survive shipping and sitting on a shelf for days or weeks. That makes me feel good. And it makes my body feel good.

Here's to learning something new everyday.

(photo as it appears on: http://livingprettynaturally.com/how-to-make-your-own-almond-milk-some-thoughts-on-dairy/)

Tiny Home

It was the real deal. On Friday, my wife and I (and her parents) brought back our first home. And it wasn't just any home, mind you, but a Tiny Home! We are super excited. It's in fantastic condition and, really, the only modifications we need to make are aesthetic. It's going to take a while for us to transition into that tiny space, but yesterday I dropped a couple things off and couldn't help but smile and imagine what's to come.


(This is pretty much it! Photo as it appears on: http://vintageairstream.com/photo-archives/1973-overlander-27/)

Thank you, Tiny Home, for being the real deal and giving my wife and I the house we've been dreaming of. Thank you, seller, for being a cool guy and allowing us to start our journey of tiny home ownership. And thank you, friends and family, who pulled together and made this possible. Without you, we would have only been able to look at the pretty pictures online and be forced to move on. Let's get tiny.