That End of Summer Feeling

You know it. Everybody has felt it. It’s that feeling when your heart sinks and you realize this time of carefree, easy wandering has come to an end. Though you’ve been working this whole time, you tell yourself, “it’s time to get back to work.” And though every day has been a blessing, you now begin to cherish what little time—if any—you have left to be free.

These last days of summer are squeezed until every drop is salvaged. We do everything we’ve put off until now, and we reminisce of the good times we had in the past months. We appreciate the past and look forward to the future, full of fear and hope and angst as we anticipate the stories of our lives. These final days and beautiful and surreal. They are treasured for they are few.

The real winners in life are the ones who recognize that every day is a a day in the last week of summer. Every day is to be cherished, to be experienced fully. Nothing is to be left on the table. A fall is always around the corner, so this is a time for gratitude.

God bless this final week of summer.

Fasting For a While

This weekend has been full of love and laughter. My family and I have been coming to spend time at Lake George with our extended family ever since I was a baby. Every time I’m here I feel so much joy and my carefree spirit is reignited. The conversations have been good and the food has been better.

But every good vacation must end, and now it’s time to get back on track. Senior year of undergrad starts a week from tomorrow, and I’m not quite ready yet.

To prepare, I decided to do a 70 hour fast. That means from Sunday at 7:43 pm until Wednesday at 5:43 pm I won’t eat any food. I am allowed to drink water, herbal tea, black coffee, and take mineral supplements, but that’s it.

The benefits of doing prolonged fasts like this are immense. From boosting cellular atophagy (while promotes healing) to healing the digestive track to giving your blood sugar a break from being tortured, fasting has proven benefits. Recent studies indicate fasting may also have an impact on increased longevity and a lessening the probability of contracting a chronic disease. My longest fast to date is 43 hours. I’m going above and beyond here. I want to see what I can do.

It’s completely healthy to fast. It’s a healing modality, and I want to learn how to heal in any way possible. It’s my mission on this earth. Here’s to. Successful 70 hours!

Consistency Over Perfection

We don’t have the most glamorous Instagram page. We don’t have the most beautiful first product. We don’t have the baddest blog on the internet. We don’t have fancy filming equipment and personal photographers. We don’t have our own gym.

But we have a dream of helping people discover who they really are through meaningful exercise. This is how Paul and I became who we are now. It was through suffering and growing during hard workouts, stressing and straining over barbells that were sick of being lifted. Our dream grew as our passions grew deeper. And we’re still just figuring it out.

We won’t have the nicest Instagram page. But we will show up consistently every day until this mission is done. I will blog every day until this mission is done. We may not have thousands of followers, but we have each other’s backs. We’re going to make some waves. We hope you’re there to catch them.

Lake Bath

I’m staying in Lake George this weekend with my extended family. We all love each other. They live right on the lake, and today I chose to take a bath in the water instead of taking a shower. I washed my body with Trader Joe’s honey-oatmeal soap and I washed off my spirit with the waters of Lake George, thousands of years old and rich in history.

How many people have cleaned themselves in these waters? Who were they and who did they love? Why do I still believe that I’m more important than they were?

We are the keepers and writers of history. Our days become stories too rich to recite again. We choose what we remember and always forget the uncomfortable.

How can we make ours a story worth remembering?

Medicine

Medicine has to be practical in order to be helpful.

Drive Slow & Don’t Forget Your Wallet

Today I stopped by the grocery store on my way home. My goal was to pick up some snacks for the six-hour journey to Lake George, NY tomorrow. Upon arriving to the grocery store I realized I forgot my wallet. The only currency I had in the car were 3 dollars in quarters. I was about to go buy a bar when I realize the refuel light was on. If I ran out of gas, I was going to need those 3 dollars more than a protein bar.

I didn’t think about using the debit card in my Apple Wallet, or paying via Apple Pay, or using any of the other 5 virtual payment apps I have. I was stuck in my own small-minded bubble, too shy to work out a solution with the cashier. Instead I drove home—very slowly. Speed kills the gas tank. I made it.

One day, those 3 dollars will come in handy. I’m sure of it.

The best restaurant you’ve ever been to…

…is probably one you haven’t been to yet. Actually, it’s probably the restaurant directly next to your go-to place, the place that was so good you have to keep going back. Because let’s be honest: once we find something we like, trying something different—something unknown—is out of the question. We choose comfort in the familiar to avoid the inconvenience of having a bad experience.

So next time you’re choosing a place to eat, make it a new place. The best things in life are found beyond your comfort zone.

You TikTok Famous Yet?

I’m not TikTok famous yet, but I will be soon.

It’s fascinating how Social Media becomes generational. Not many 20 year olds are on Facebook anymore, but if you’re 30 and up it’s your go-to social hub. And if you’re currently in college and not on Instagram, most would say you’re missing out—it’s the place to be.

But now TikTok is what’s new and fun. It’s a video sharing app where you can do fun edits and add in music to the background. Videos go viral almost as fast as twitter (only there’s no news agencies or politics so it’s still fun). Most users are young, and this makes the older ones (like Howie Mandel) that much funnier.

It won’t be long until Instagram becomes Facebook and TikTok has CNN ads, leaving the next platform to arise for kids born after 2015. One thing is for sure: this social media thing isn’t going anywhere. So you better get on it if you want any attention.

Grateful for Another Day

I’ve been feeling a bit down recently. Sometimes it’s death that gets me down and sometimes it’s just small waves of inexplicable sadness. When it happens, I try to make time to be with myself instead of distracting myself like usual. Today I went to the park before mass.

After really thinking about my life, I made a list of the person I want to be and what that person would do. There’s a famous Matthew McConaughey speech where he says his hero is himself in ten years. I feel that. After making my list, I looked it over and realized how blessed I am to even have this life to worry about.

In that moment, I was grateful. I wrote down a list of 10 things I am most grateful for. 4 of those things had to do with the sacredness within myself and in those around me. I find that if I turn to gratitude in a time of distress, I’m less likely to be upset. It’s always a good answer.

Plant Table

On the way to work I drive by a ranch. They have a Plant Table for sale in the front yard. It looks like an ordinary table, just a bit higher off the ground. Actually, it is an ordinary table. What sets it apart is its purpose.

A Plant Table is a place where seeds are planted in rich soil and, through nurturing and loving attention, grow in maturity—into flowers, vegetables, and fruits.

Maybe I should start treating my mind like a Plant Table, a place where ideas and passionate endeavors can be nurtured and supported. One day those ideas may mature, producing the greatest yield possible. Or maybe not. I know one thing for sure: there is endless possibility on a Plant Table.