Written by Design

As we witness change within this country, I am mystified (and a little horrified) by furies erupting over what to me are not huge matters. If we are going to be a country where all people are seen as equal under the law, some of the changes seem to me to be very pragmatic. I would say that if Colorado State University (where I achieved both my bachelor's and master's degrees) decided to put up a statue in my likeness, I would see this as a great honor. A celebration of my life's achievements. We now have scenarios around the country where statues of Confederate heroes are coming down. And we have many people very upset about this. I can only view this through my own lens but let's imagine a different scenario for a moment: Imagine you are a Jew. And imagine everyday you must attend a school or a courthouse or a public square and erected there is a statue of Hitler. A man who desired your extinction. How would you feel? So some may argue, "but the Civil War was not

Learning to rest. I think this is a valuable lesson to learn no matter what your pursuit. This benefited while getting my degrees, during my career, in fitness - in really anything I have done that required intense perseverance. For me, a perfectionist in many ways, I struggled with this for a time. I can pursue a goal relentlessly to the point where I chase that perfect momentum and refuse to break. This is a recipe for burnout. A perfect example for me was being in grad school when my dad passed away. He died on December 26th and I was due to start my next class on January 9th. I found I did not have the focus or the energy by then to pick right back up. So I took 8 weeks off and then went back. When I resumed classes, I felt energized and a lot more confident that I could manage the pace. I did have a little trepidation that a break would lead to me just quitting altogether, but that didn't happen. I got my rest, and then returned to my goals with renewed vigor and was able to p

People seem to live life like everything is the Superbowl. There are two teams and for better or worse, you pick a side. We just saw this with the COVID situation. Half my social media was full of people saying it was a joke, don't be fooled by this hoax, and if you wear a mask you're a sheep and a fool. The other half were people truly scared for their health and saying things like, "I hope you like your pedicure, it'll look great in your casket" - almost as if they hoped everyone who went out of their homes would become ill. Most issues are more complex than this. Why can we not be both concerned about our health AND our freedoms being revoked? Why can I not social distance AND enjoy my life? It is now the same with the fallout of the George Floyd situation. And I have deliberated and prayed hard about the position that I take and the words that I will choose when I speak and write about this because it is such a serious, delicate and complex issue. I support an