Attempt 1

I first decided to go after the skill of a balancing a handstand a few years ago. The thought process that led me to that decision was roughly came through seeing someone do a handstand online, thinking “wow that’s cool” and off I went.

I joined a gym and trained towards a handstand 3-5 times per week for about 2 months. My training looked like lots of attempts at kicking up and balancing and a few back to wall handstands. I saw very little progress so gave up.

Attempt 2

Maybe 1-2 years passed, and I found myself interested in giving this goal another go. This time, I’d be smarter about it though. I sought input from an online community connected to the Stretch Therapy Community Forums. I was encouraged to try drills like chest to wall handstands and back to wall handstands where I practice pulling my feet from the wall through the force of my hands. Progress was occurring this time! But it was slow and I wasn’t enjoying the process.

Also, I became confused as to what approach to learning the skills was best. I had seen some videos of someone advocating for a chest to wall front split like handstand which was unorthodox but looked potentially promising.

However, lack of enjoyment and confusion as to how to program for the skill is what resulted in giving up a second time.

Attempt 3

Now I am here today currently doing attempt number 3. What am I doing different this time? I have put myself under the guidance of a trainer who has a record of students he has taught how to handstand. Although I told him all I care about is handstanding, he’s given me a balanced strength programme alongside handstand work. Mixing exercise up between handstands and other movements has kept things fresh and I’m moving in a positive direction. Stay tuned with this work in progress.

#Journal

One night in Cartagena, Colombia, I joined social event at my hostel hoping to make new friends. Little did I know that this evening would lead to a change in my wardrobe choices.

There was about 10 of us, huddled around a table playing a game where we try Colombian sweets and give them a rating. Amid the awkward laughter, someone stood out. I saw a guy wearing a t-shirt in the design of my favourite name, Naruto. We connected instantly over Naruto and boom, I had found myself a new friend from Mexico. Before I knew it, through this connection, I met a whole new friend group eager to have me join their adventures. Simply awesome.

Inspired by my Mexican friend, I’ve decided to express more of myself through my clothing. I now wear Naruto socks. Two pairs to be precise.

Here’s why I like wearing clothing that reflects who I am:

It feels cool.

Instead of wearing plain socks to the gym, I now sport Naruto socks, allowing myself to become a ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village. Instead of wearing a plain t-shirt out, I wear my Chilean t-shirt – definitive proof that I’m a badass traveler. Wearing these things gives a unique sense of empowerment.

Build instant connections with strangers.

Sharing common interests often leads to meaningful connections. But it’s not always easy to figure out those interests. Wearing those interests communicates them without the need to converse, allowing instant connection, even with strangers in Cartagena. So exciting.

It lets my friends get to know me better.

I’m the kind of the guy that likes to answer open questions with “good” and nothing further. A well intentioned conversation killer. However, by wearing something interesting, it opens up a portal to a whole different kind of fun conversation that I could ramble about incessantly. By doing this, it’s easier to share my joys with friends and we connect further.

In conclusion:

My wardrobe has traditionally been very simple, avoiding visible logos in favour of plain colours. While I still have this style to a large degree, I beginning to spice things up a little. Naruto socks could be the start of a greater shift towards rocking more clothes that represent my interests.

#Journal

There’s a quote attributed to Einstein that says, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Another wording of the same concept the phrase, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got.”

While true in certain contexts, the opposite can also be true. Doing the same thing can yield new and exciting results. The clearest area where this is evident is in the learning of a physical skill. Often what’s required is day after day of repetition of an appropriate progression and then, boom, one day something new connects and the skill is gained.

Let’s consider this idea of doing the same thing with a less concrete example now: this blog.

From the perspective of wanting an audience, as long as I keep doing the same thing – writing to a decent standard and posting – then the likelihood of getting more views per day is likely to increase. I also get to learn which posts generate the most interest which could shape what I choose to write about in the future. Continuing to post will result in a more views and potentially a new direction.

Further, from the perspective of myself as a writer, with every post I write, I’m developing the skill of writing. The art of articulating things in a clean way becomes easier with time. Also, as posts accumulate, I may notice insightful patterns in my writing. For example, I might discover a key theme in what I write about and then decide to intentionally become an expert in it.

As I’ve written about the example of this blog, I was appreciating that although it does involve doing the same thing – writing to a decent standard and posting – the process is saturated with change. So, the lesson I’m taking away from this all is that although doing the same thing may appear like the same thing to the naked eye, if done intentionally, will include tiny, unseeable changes. It’s those tiny changes that change everything.

#Journal

If someone has an idea for something, and that idea seems truly cool, then I strongly believe that it’s in that person’s best interests to do something to bring that idea to life.

By doing something I don’t mean much, I just mean take some tangible action, even if it’s small.

Sometimes a small action leads to nothing. Sometimes it leads to larger actions or new opportunities. And sometimes it leads to something real and truly awesome.

When acting on an idea, the final outcome is always an unknown. But there are other things are guaranteed like the development of creative skills and the satisfaction that comes with exploring a curiosity.

Here’s a story about an idea I’ve acted on but haven’t completely brought to life.

While travelling Colombia, I had a photo taken of myself in the Valle de Cocora in a small town called Salento. Looking back on that photo, I came up with a funky design idea based on Salento which I thought would look cool on a sock. (Socks are the best place for funky designs, am I right?).

For context, transport at Salento happens by jeep and the town is in the famous coffee region of Colombia.

So I thought maybe I’ll see if I can edit the photo to look like the design I had in mind. I had heard that AI art was a thing so I played around with some free versions without much success. I then gave in and tried a paid version (DALL.E). Then, behold, I had found the image I was after.

Then I got thinking, what would it take to actually make a sock design? So I Googled “Freelance sock designer” and messaged a sock designer. We corresponded a little, I sent them the image above and it seemed like a good fit. So I took them on and the outcome is what you see below.

At this point, I’m not sure what to do next. Maybe it is worth creating a kickstarter and actually making some socks. (Let me know if you think I should.) Regardless, it’s been fun and very satisfying exploring this creative process so if this is where the idea ends, I’m content.

#Journal

In recent weeks, I’ve been thinking about how I set priorities and discern vocation. Out of that I want to share one concept I find helpful. I’m calling this concept boomerang desires. Boomerang desires are desires that can be thrown out only to see them faithfully return.

In the world of life advice, I’ve heard it said that people should dedicate themselves towards doing what they can’t not do. I agree with this and think that boomerang desires are one great way of figuring this out.

Figuring out a boomerang desire begins with the throw. To use a personal example, I’ve had the goal of balancing a handstand before. But circumstances in the past led me away from it. My strategy wasn’t effective and I had other interests consuming my time. So I threw the goal away and let it out of my grasp, perhaps never to return.

Then comes the return. About a year later, my context has changed and I’ve noticed an increasing desire to pursue the handstand again. It’s almost as if, in some way, instead of me choosing the goal, the goal is choosing me. I think this is why some like to describe vocation as calling.

#Journal

I’ve recently been appreciating how my journaling practice feeds my blogging practice.

I remember when I first tried having a blog about two years ago. It was unexpectedly challenging to write anything at all. Part of the struggle was rooted in my perfectionist tendencies. I would write a one paragraph post only to edit it five times that same week. However, my main limiting factor was that I had never developed a writing practice.

This time around, I’ve approached blogging differently. I blog within the context of having a private writing practice where I journal almost daily in a one page journal. This difference has allowed me to build the necessary writing muscles I use in blogging. Just like knee push ups help someone work towards a push up, journaling helps me blog.

So, what makes journaling so effective? The key difference is this: journals are written with the assumption that they will never be read and therefore, judged by anyone. This freedom from others, allows expression to be what matters. Quality is set aside.

Creating a space for journaling has been freeing for me as I nurture my writing ability. It’s much easier to write when sentences don’t need to have a logical flow and topics can change without justification. This approach lets me establish a sense of flow with writing. I don’t need to try too hard, words simply flow. From this foundation, I can then transition toward developing ideas for the context of a blog.

#Journal

I’ve been making some good decisions for myself recently.

However, often just moments before a decision goes beyond the point of no return, feelings of doubt try to talk me out of following through. They can be quite convincing.

Feelings of doubt often come with good reason. Maybe a decision I’m making involves a significant financial cost so I should consider it carefully. But doubt can also be over-cautious and fearful.

If doubt were always king, my life would frankly be a very safe and boring one.

Is that the kind of life I want? No thank you!

So what overtakes doubt? I used to think that the best solution was large doses of reflective writing. I figured that if I wrote about my decisions enough, then the power of reason would eventually overpower my ability to doubt and I would be convinced of the best action to take.

While writing is helpful, recently what has helped me has actually been momentum.

Once I’m convinced of something, I’ve been taking actions fairly quickly to make the thing happen. So instead of weeks of doubt, I might just have two days worth. The momentum of a decision coming to life simply outruns the power of my doubts. Having less time to be afraid works like a charm.

In writing all this, I feel it important to share a couple caveats or thoughts on the limits of this piece.

1. The practice of acting quickly and gaining momentum is only helpful if one’s judgment is generally good and so should be trusted.

2. I believe this reflection is more applicable to people that are generally risk-averse over-thinkers. I imagine the journey towards making fast and good decisions for someone who is already more inclined towards taking risks and acting quickly would look very different.

#Journal

I’ll be honest.

My first two weeks back home have been tough. I have felt out of rhythm, reverse culture shock and money stress.

But there’s also been something very positive.

I’m more courageous to go after dreams.

At risk of sounding overly dramatic, solo travel and advancing Spanish weren’t just goals for me. They were symbols of the impossible.

So coming back home with those symbols completely redefined, I feel different.

I used to assume that all dreams were lofty, out of reach goals. Now, I assume that all dreams are truly achievable unless proven otherwise.

So with this optimistic spirit, I’ve begun going after some dreamy goals of mine. It’s early days, but in the coming weeks and months, those goals will start to take shape. As they take shape, I will be excited to begin to share them with you.

#Journal

I’ve learnt a few lessons through writing publicly on here.

One lesson has been this: it’s easier to blog in a journal format.

I came to this conclusion by reading back on my writings and noticing how I feel about each piece. As I read back, I noticed I was more engaged and proud of the journal pieces I’ve written. Anything with too much emphasis on how-tos or quoting others didn’t match.

It has also been a lot easier to put words to paper through a journaling approach. This is a significant factor for me as writing to an unknown public is surprisingly difficult at times.

So going forward, I’m going to aim to keep things like a journal. I’ll still share methods I find helpful, but they’ll be woven within the context of my story. This should keep things a little more engaging, regular and uniquely me.

#Journal

A while ago I quit my job and went travelling. Now I’m back home, living with my parents, and keen to get into the workforce once more. But there's been a little problem. I’m not sure on what kind of work I want to do.

To help me discern what work could be a good fit, I did the following:

1. Hopped on LinkedIn.

2. Scrolled through all my connections. If any connections had jobs that looked interesting that I could pivot into, I opened their profile in a new tab.

3. From all of the new tabs I opened, I looked through the profiles more closely and chose a few people that I knew well that I wanted to reach out to.

4. I sent messages on LinkedIn asking for a quick 30 minute call to hear their perspective on their work. (Since sending these messages, I’ve realised that if I’m friends on Facebook with these people then it’s definitely better to reach out through there with an more informal approach).

That’s it. I’ve had about 4 calls now and it’s honestly been really helpful. Each call reveals something a little different and I’ve noticed that some people are definitely more intelligent and helpful than others so it’s worth persisting to have those conversations.

I’ve found it psychologically difficult to initiate these chats because part of me feels like I’m showing weakness in saying that I’m not sure about my career direction and I need help. But I’m so glad that I’ve challenged that fear and reached out anyway. People are nicer than I thought.

#Journal