Category Archives: Conscious Living

Commitment

Conscious Living, ,

commitment

Is commitment really a choice we make?

I’m not sure it is.

The way I see it, we’re all committed to something. The main difference is the degree to which our commitment lies outside our personal comfort zone. The farther away from familiar territory we get, the more conscious we become of our commitments. By definition, we almost have to be consciously aware of these commitments. Doing anything outside of our comfort zone on a regular basis takes effort, and effort is something we can’t help but be mindful of. Continue reading →

Life Is Long

Conscious Living, mindfulness,
Photo credit: http://www.dealerelite.net/profiles/blogs/what-is-now

Photo credit: http://www.dealerelite.net/profiles/blogs/what-is-now

“life, if you know how to use it, is long”

– Seneca

Life truly is long.

It’s been just over a year since I took steps for a full week without crutches, after seven and a half months of incapacity. In some ways this seems like just yesterday, but in all the meaningful ways it feels like a lifetime ago. Continue reading →

Don’t Go to the Gym

Conscious Living, Lifestyle
Photo credit: http://www.officialpsds.com/

Photo credit: http://www.officialpsds.com/

In my prior life as a Type A-holic, I used to hit the gym 5-6 days a week without fail. That’s not something I’m proud of, just the truth. Working out was so ingrained into my routine, I sacrificed sleep (and sanity) to cram it in every day.

And not only that, but I never missed a workout. Really, I literally can’t remember ever voluntarily skipping a planned workout day during that time. If I committed to going to the gym, I was going to get some kind of workout in, even if I had to improvise when circumstances placed me away from a traditional gym environment.

I’ll admit, this might not sound like the worst habit to have developed. Just showing up to the gym consistently is more than half the battle for most people, and I get that. But looking back, I was probably taking things to an unhealthy extreme. Continue reading →

3 Tips For World Domination

Conscious Living, Getting Started, Lifestyle, Motivation,
WDS sign

Photo credit: Armosa Studios

“How do we live a remarkable life in a conventional world?”

This was the question posed to me and 3,000+ attendees at the World Domination Summit (WDS) last weekend in Portland, Oregon. The event brought together a wily group of entrepreneurs, bloggers, and big thinkers to mingle, listen to amazing speakers, and unpack what it takes to live a remarkable life. Continue reading →

A Real YOLO Weekend

Conscious Living

Last weekend I pulled a true YOLO maneuver.

After my alma mater and childhood college basketball teams (Wisconsin and UCONN) each made the Final Four, I pulled the trigger on flights to Dallas, and quickly bought tickets to both the semifinal and championship games. Being a big sports fan, I realized how rare it was for two teams I root for make it to the semifinals with the possibility of matching up for a championship. I decided I had to be there.

Continue reading →

My Knee Story, Part 2: Reflections

Conscious Living, Knees, Pain Management,

This is the second of two posts explaining my one and a half year recovery from a chronic knee injury, and reflecting on the experience. You can read part one here. This post reflects on my injury, recovery, and lessons learned. 

Part of what kept me going was knowing I could share my story and hopefully help other people. I view these posts as part of my healing process. 

I haven’t been myself since February 12, 2012. That’s the day I injured my right knee running up a hill in San Francisco, on my way to a casual five mile race. I was fit, active, and bursting with the energy and perfectionism typical of a driven young professional in his early 20’s. But over the next year and a half, I would be tested mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, whittled down to nothing but the core of who I am as a person. A core that’s been shaped and re-defined by the experience. Continue reading →