Month One
(I started writing this as a journal entry and figured why not tweak it a bit and share it with the world rather than keeping it locked up in my encrypted journal…)
Welcome to February, a new month. Month one was recovery. It was a month characterized by colder mornings and a bit of a depressing post-holiday tune and that's totally fine. Month two is a new dawn, a new day, a new epoch. It's really the turn in to 2020 rather than the awkward handoff from 2019. It's the month leading up to 30 for me. It's a wild time and mental ride. If I can really look at what's happened over the last month, I can start to characterize it in a few ways. If we look at health, it was a month of doing nothing. I didn't exercise, I couldn't. I couldn't run or bike because my hip needed time to rest post surgery. Time to really let it sink in and heel properly. The second you really try to push it is the second you would have a set back. Month one was about friends. I saw and spoke to friends a lot. With the added downtime, I tried to make sure I found time to hear from and be around those that would be positive influences.
On the work front, month one was about building a team and preparing for the year ahead. It was about building a team up so that we can build a machine rather than just building a one man wrecking ball. That really is why they say that if you want to go far, go together. If you want to go fast, go alone. It's true and you see these massive companies doing huge things because they know how to band together.
Month one was about co-habitating. Laurelle and I both were around a lot and we tested our abilities to be together in the same space and work through apartment movement together. The surgery was a real recovery process and Laurelle's ability to work through it with me shows her caring and loving nature. Month one really went on for a long time. I really felt that. I felt it drag along but elongation of time in my eyes is a good thing. It's a shorter month coming up so it's important to remember that 10% shorter feels 20% abridged.
Month one I returned to some childhood memories. I played a lot of video games and that really satisfied my needs for month one of inactivity. It was helpful to have a place and a non-creative outlet to just let down my guard and mentally disengage. I really enjoyed having my Xbox present and I think I'm ready to part ways with it as I get back to peak self. I'm ready to refocus on what I really want and devote my time to those goals. Month one was not the most glamorous for travel. I didn't go very far. I might have gone and seen the ocean a few times but mostly I stayed between Brentwood and downtown. I didn't go very far although I did get out to hike with a friend in the Angels Forest and I got out to bike the Mulholland Ridge with two more friends days before surgery.
There's a lot that we can take away from month one. Month one reminded me that it too shall pass. This feeling, this downtime is all a rejuvenation period and you have to learn to love it. In the passing of Kobe and Gigi Bryant I felt deep DEEP sadness. Sadness that I had never felt before. Sadness that crept up into my life that I could never have seen coming. I have lost family members but never someone so close to my nucleus that it rocked my boat. Contrarily, Kobe was not in my nucleus but his values and lessons were and they felt so close that his tragedy shook my core. He was always striving to be the best and mastery of his craft was always in his mind. He honored his craft, he bathed, brushed and groomed his craft. He worshipped the process and for that, I am beyond motivated to strive every day to fulfill my mission. I fall short on many days, but it's the mentality that wins out in the long run. His death and the passing of his daughter and the seven other victims put a real hole in my heart that I've never truly felt before. Crying while watching Lebron, someone I look up to, speak and handle the sadness made it all the more so harder to bear.
Month one reminded me that life is short. The days are long but the years are short. Spending time with fathers and hearing what they say about their kids growing up really prepares me. On the flip, watching people who work ungodly hours and neglect their family, kills me and I can't let that ever be my life.
Month one you taught me a lot. Lets see what you got Month two.