Freedom + Structure = Booyah!!!

I love setting goals (Big Hairy Audacious Goals).  I enjoy dreaming big crazy dreams.  I love to plan and prepare.   

I also love freedom and not being tied down by structure and programs.

I think I need a healthy balance of both.

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In running long distances, I have to enjoy both "free runs" and "structured runs."

"Free runs" are the ones where I have no watch on my wrist and no headphones in my ears.  Where I just run.  Through the streets and up mountainsides, often rediscovering the joy of running and being outside exerting my body.

"Structured runs" are the ones where I plan to accomplish a training task,  discipline and setting specific tasks are involved.  When completed, they are the ones that give me the "I'm really happy" feeling, however they too don't excited me beforehand.   Why?  Because they are the ones I need to exert more energy than I'm used to, where I push my body to the limit.  To become a better, stronger, healthier runnier, I need these.

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I try to incorporate both styles into my runs.

A little Freedom + A little Structure = Booyah!!!

It's like life.

For the dreams we dream, and the goals we set, to the joys we wish to experience, to searching what it means to be human, and seeking the depths of our soul.

We need both freedom and structure in our life.

Freedom to experience our surroundings, to enjoy our friends without busyness and time limits...

Structure to help us achieve what we were created to achieve, and to do it well.

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There are a lot of things I want to do, and without both freedom and structure, I won't be able to.

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at one of the stops of my trip.  did some reading and juggled the soccer ball.  

Several years ago I took 10 days on a solo trip to Canada and back.  I took my bicycle, some running shoes, some food, books and good music.

I knew I wanted to go around the great lakes, up into Canada and come back down through Niagara Falls.

I knew what my starting and ending was going to be, but I didn't know the details in between.  It made for a great 10 days.  I enjoyed it, found it to be very relaxing.

this trip provided both the freedom and structure to make a great trip.

Freedom, waking up each day exploring and visiting new places.  Stopping wherever I wanted and going for a quick couple mile jog or bike ride.

Structure, knowing my trip was 10 days long, and I had a certain place I wanted to get to.  

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we need structure.

we need freedom.

we need a healthy balance of both.

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From Rob Bell's book What We Talk About When We Talk About God

I believe God is with us,
around us,
beside us,
present with us in every moment. 

The question, then,
the art,
the task,
the search,
the challenge,
the invitation is for you and me to become more and more the kind of people who are aware of the divine presence... (p.109-110)  

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We are the statues...

Allow us to begin with some thought provoking words by C. S. Lewis:

"This world is a great sculptor shop.  We are the statues, and there is a rumour going round the shop that some of us are some day are going to come to life."  Mere Christianity

Looking out over the cold North Dakota landscape, a whopping -10 wind degree temperature, drinking a large cup of hot tea, these words are stuck in my head

"Come to life" 

These words are found in the last paragraph of Lewis' first chapter of his fourth book in Mere Christianity.  They challenge and inspire me, while at the same time developing within me a deep tension as I wrestle with some tough questions:

What is the element, the spiritual force, the religion that brings humanity to life? 

Is the Christian religion a set of moral values instituted by Jesus Christ for people to uphold?  Can humanity uphold these moral views?

What does "come to life" mean?  How does one find the joy that overflows?  Can one even find that joy?  If so, how?  Or are we just waiting to be breathed into?  

Crazy, huh?  How reading one chapter of C.S.Lewis in the early morning can provoke inspiration and challenge. 

I'm often inspired and challenged by the created works of others; in this case C.S.Lewis' writings.  

I ultimately know other people's creations aren't the final work.  C.S.Lewis would be a fool if he wrote a book and claimed, "This is as good as it gets."

I could argue that C.S.Lewis is as good as it gets, but that for an other blog post, plus that would be foolish.   

Art.  

Each person is an Artist.

We've been created with an ability to Create.  How cool is that?

With each piece of art, we inspire people.  Hopefully our art inspires people in a positive way.  

Seeing someone do what they were created to do, inspiring.  

We are all artists, we are, truly.  Some people think of artists as left-brained people, not so.  Yes, left-brained people may be more inclined with drawing or making melodic noises with instruments, but everyone is an Artist.  Nature is God's canvas given to us in which we write and create our story.

Side note: I really dig this sticker:

Each person is an artist in their own respect.

What's your specialty?  

The art you are producing, is it making the earth a better place?

Do you "come to life" when you create it?

Simplify Your Life Into a Bag

20 days till the AMS journey begins

All of my possessions I will use for a year are on THIS cart.

clothes bag, first aid kit, food kit, computer bag, book bag and CHARLEY

A couple months ago, the movie 180 Degrees South was highly recommended by my brother.  So I watched it on Netflix.

A quote by Yvon Chouinard, stuck with me:

The hardest thing in the world is to simplify your life.  It's so easy to make it complex.   

I agree with Yvon.  It is tough to simplify one's life.  For me, these last couple months have been a struggle:  

What should I bring on a year long trek across Iowa? 

What shouldn't I bring?

All my clothes I will use for a year are in this bag

Button up shirt, short sleeve collared shirt, khakis, jeans, 5 pairs of socks/underwear, sweater

I've narrowed my library of books down to 5 books.

One of the books I'm taking.  One of my favorite books.

I've narrowed my coffee mugs down to my favorite mug.

a gift from Turkey

I'm taking the bare essentials.

If you had to pack all of your belongings on a cart, what would you pack?

This has been one of the toughest things for me to do.  So many things I want to take with me, like my Sega Genesis and TV, my records, my desk and my bed.

As I have had to simplify my possessions, it has required me to think and really ask the question What do I need?

This is something we all must wrestle with, especially with the holiday season upon us.  What do we need to be happy? 

Possessions?  

Money?  

Traditions?  

Faith?

Quality Time?  

People?

As I have wrestled with this, amidst the simplifying of my physical possessions, I have come to the conclusion the things in life that are most important, are not things... but rather time with family, friends and faith.  

May you be inspired to simplify your life, or realize that the things you have aren't what life is all about.

In the grand scheme of life, maybe the things we possess or try to obtain, are in fact what distracts us from the relationships that are of utmost importance. 

The hardest thing in the world is to simplify your life.  It's so easy to make it complex.