May 31st - Every Day in May

Wowah, Day 31 brings to a calendar close my Every Day in May adventure. It’s feels like a mini accomplishment to be here writing today staring down June a mere 40 minutes from now. Very little time has been spent thinking about June, but May 2020 will go down as one of my all time coolest months in my 40 years on Earth.

Health is Physical:

I had to finish the month + week on a high note and so I got out for not one, but TWO runs today. I went out in the morning with a friend around the Cal Poly campus for a cruisy 6+ miles, the weather was great and I went on a new road I had never been down.

Then in the early evening I headed out solo to run up to one of my favorite views at the MDO park sign. On the way down I was on fire and cruised home too fast for the dog who trailed behind me. Another 5.5 miles in the bank towards virtual Tennessee!

Strava says I got in 238 running miles in May, which feels baller and this is the first 50 mile run week I’ve had in quite awhile. I feel good too. The month has brought back some fitness and I forgot how good it feels to feel good (haha).

Health is Mental/Emotional:

So much amazing stuff came across my plate today that was mentally and emotionally healthy. This TED talk from Caroline McHugh on “The Art of Being You” rocked my world. My favorite quote from it as she was talking about the thread that links the magical + high performers + people killing it out there:

they managed to figure out the unique gifts that the universe gave them when they incarnated, and then put that at the service of their goals.

— Caroline McHugh

I know people who do this regularly, and I know when I’m doing it too. It was a bomb-diggity reminder to seek this space.

She also said something about honoring what you say you want, and who you say you are. I found this to be a succinct message that cuts to the core of showing up in your truth every day.

The other thing I ran into today was the most amazing comedian Maria Bamford. A true gem, I binged her today. She does comedy about the realities of mental health issues and I love her so hard. This short segment is like the biggest gold nugget imaginable. It’s deep, check it out here. I want to make a shirt that says:

“Late Fall, Grand Canyon, Google it.”

Health is Spiritual

I woke up at 7am this morning, violating my no alarm rule for only the second time in May, to attend a workshop put on by an athlete I used to coach Kelly Covert on a monthly practices workshop. She thought I would be interested as it had so much overlap with my Every Day in May adventure and she was right.

Her first exercise hit me upside the head. I don’t really want to share it because there is an element of surprise to it, but I will say that it got right into my soul and we were rolling hardcore from that point on. Her workshop was open enough and loose enough that you could use it to set some really tangible tasks for yourself for the next month, like meditate every day, keep a gratitude journal, etc. It helped you organize the why in your head so your tasks came from an authentic place.

However, for some reason, my answers to her questions went really spiritual. Really deep, and honestly to an overwhelming place. It showed me the work I have in front of me, and how important it is to keep on the path. It scares me to be honest. I’m afraid of where it will lead me. Like Bob and Doug, it’s an American Launch in an American spaceship, from American soil (I crack myself up).

And that work is soul work. And it involves every angle of it. Learning, finding mentors, talking, reading, moving, asking, listening, connecting…. but all those things in service to a deeper place inside me. And my brain and Ego screams THATS TOO WOO WOO, and my body yells…. HOTNESS AND ABS SHOULD BE THE GOAL. But this other voice is louder. It’s finally louder.

I listened to Brene Brown and Sue Monk Kid today on the Unlocking Us podcast and Sue dropped these two bombs.

One of the most elegant ways our soul speaks to us is through longings.

— Sue Monk Kid

And to sum up my thoughts on what is coming next:

The deeper we go into our own journey, the more likely we are to hit the universal.

Sue Monk Kid

Soul shaking stuff for me here on the final day of May. Headed towards the universal.

Insights

This completes the loop of this adventure. I would like to put together a resource post in the next few days outlining all the things I came into contact with over the month. That’s coming…

Some of you have reached out to me personally with stories or direction during this month, and I am really thankful for your insight. Thank you! I love you!

My theme for June is #BloominJune (it just came to me), but I’m not sure what it will tangibly look like in terms of public blogging or posting. Maybe a weekly post would allow me to compile my thoughts a little better. I will think on it over the week and see what feels right.

That’s a wrap… in good health.