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1 Minute Self Reflection

As a father learning things for the first time with my 2-year-old. I have had so many flashbacks to my formative years. Experiencing my son’s excitement as he figures things out takes me back to being the kid who loved writing and telling stories. I kept my parent’s old diaries and filled them with stories I came up with. In boarding school, I’d write when I longed for the feelings home and family bring. Writing down reflections has been important to attempting to put the pieces to my life’s picture puzzle together. Keeping journals and diaries still is my thing, and the act of writing keeps me grounded until this day.

Growing up may come with sheets covering our curiosity and things we love to do. We may leave it to sit and gather dust. The courage to look underneath those sheets and shake the dust off enthusiasm may be the step that awakens the desire to get better and better at something that matters. Don’t let fear stop you from doing the things you’ve always wanted to do. The creativity to do your best work is set free when you start exploring that hobby or skill you’ve covered with fear.

This is an essential ingredient when trying new things. The recipe for your best effort is unique to you and is connected to the things you are passionate about. Our experience is laced with learning points that are not clear until we evaluate them. The act of assessing puts our experience in perspective to reflect and find meaning. As we connect dots, we start to form our own principles.

Inspired to grow

Navigating these twisted paths, my thoughts are cloudy, and clarity is needed. I step out into nature’s way to air my head. Natures sweet voice whispers sweet nothings; the birds have their say; the winds sigh and give me the connection I seek. Every step forward leaving footprints behind, every contact with the earth reunites my soul with nature’s appeal. The feeling of oneness is a gift from heaven, a desire so true to our roots. Feeling connected to the force of nature’s gifts goes back in time. Humans lived off and depended on its offerings to survive. It was our companion, our protector and knowing how it worked gave us the power to heal and the advantage to overcome. This natural presentation that preserves us and teaches how to live; how seeds only grow by planting in its soil.

The seeds of tomorrow’s brilliance are planted in the soil of today’s activity

Todd Henry

Learning and growing these past few years, I have come to connect with the idea of nature. Learning to brave the outdoors and committing to this routine has exposed me to a stillness that I’m searching for more words to describe. The idea of letting go and letting the path lead has opened my thoughts and increased my acceptance of the things that I cannot change. I believe the opportunity to listen to myself think while I’m in contact with the natural growth out there creates the acceptance I need to forge on. There are things we can deliberately strive to change. There are also things we are going to have to accept. On this journey of acceptance, I have learned that I can lead the change I want to see around me. I can influence the things I choose to. I believe I am more than I think I am. All I have to do is learn to replicate this certainty when I’m back home off the beaten path and reality is staring me right in the face. Seeing through doubt and fear and focusing on all that could be.

The choice to dream and achieve beyond the confines of now requires a lot of faith and action that only I can influence. The decision to start today is the first step of many. Setting out on a path, I always never know what’s ahead. Most times I see where the trails leads, and I set out to keep moving and to conquer step goals I set. However, I find at the end of every walk, the insights are different. I learn something different about paths that connect, my thoughts, ideas and even something new from strangers along the trails. The action of stepping out puts me in a position to uniquely interact with nature, and stay open to learning from all that comes my way. I definitely believe learning puts me on the path to greater feats as I keep walking and engaging with the process and lessons along the way. I must say it isn’t straightforward knowing what path will be the best for me, but I believe if I keep showing up, I will be better for it.

What do you do regularly that makes you better than yesterday? What steps do you take that inspires you to grow? Please leave a comment or go for a walk; don’t stop learning.

The other side of fear


I remember wanting so badly to be brave enough to jump into a swimming pool. Going to swim for the first time at about the age of fourteen, I felt so bold being able to hold my breath under the shallow end of the pool. The first time in my late twenties, jumping into the deep end of a lake was heart-wrenching. I remember like it was yesterday; that fear of drowning still plagues me to this day.
Threading through fear and the narratives we come up with is no simple task. There is a voice within that fills us up with so much possibility. Our head fills with words emphasizing what could be. When that voice stops speaking; fear finds its way in, we stop and overthink. We supply our hearts with doubt and drown the endless possibilities in excuses and procrastination. There is little room for great feats when doubt and worry rule your heart.
In the past few years, I have jumped off diving boards, off cliffs into lakes, snorkelled in the pacific, and gone for swims in the north Atlantic. These experiences my younger self would balk at just the thought of. I have come to realize that the fear hasn’t left. The voice inside still whispers every time, telling me how much of a bad idea it is. I have become a better swimmer from overcoming that fear and jumping in, and I continue to improve. Situations and people we encounter can drive us forward or slow us down. We are reminded of why we set out to succeed or why we may have been wrong to ever start. Constraints are a necessary condition for creativity to occur, and our fear can push us to learn and grow.

What do you know?

In a chance encounter, a writer told me, “write what you know.” At the time, I was sure he just told me what I knew was the answer to a question I had battled with. I felt familiar goosebumps the moment he said it. Maybe it was the way he said it? However, months passed, and I found myself on the same boat, still pondering what I could focus on writing about. Don’t get me wrong, I continued to write what I felt solely for me as I have always done. I could not bring my self to let go of those feelings for other eyes to see or judge. My fear of how my writing will most likely be misinterpreted, or how my words may not be considered good enough got to me.

For me, It wasn’t merely about writing what I knew. I was more worried about how what I knew will be perceived by the people that got to read it. So to play it safe, I continued to write what I knew for my single fan… Me. After all, It is my feelings, experience, thoughts and words. Why do I have to put myself on the chopping block for the pleasure of other people?

I am still till this day trying to put a theme to my writing. I’m still working on pulling the words from all I know and learn from. With the way my head works, I’m confident it will take my whole lifetime to get all I know written. I believe in continuous learning, every new day teaches us something new. My challenge is to write something every day to keep up with the teaching. Writing through experiences and resources or situations I get to learn from is always going to be for me. I am going to have to be confident of being who I portray with my words.

The only constant? I love writing! Why worry about all else?. Not everyone is going to love your creation, that’s a fact! You feel better? Now go create for you and the people out there that need your work!

Our Creative Mindset

Creative solutions are present when we are in the right frame of mind to see them.

There are going to be obstacles on the way when we are on the path to growth. Overcoming these obstacles and marching forward requires that we keep getting up and showing up. Staying positive is hard when our perception of a situation is strongly influenced by what we believe people may think and how we talk to ourselves. Our air of positivity is polluted when we dwell on the negative words or impressions of ourselves that are always ready to filter through. Learning is accepting there will be negative and positive influences on our thoughts. We are staying positive to be able to identify creative solutions that are present when we are in the right frame of mind to see them. When we let our thoughts influence us, positively or negatively, our approach or view of the world takes shape. Staying positive allows us to see the positive connections and solutions that are always there if only we are focused on seeing it.