There is tremendous power in being fit.

You’re able to take the little things for granted. Waking up in the morning without pain. Getting in and out of the car without issue. Shoveling snow in the winter, hauling groceries up a few flights of stairs, moving up and down the sideline during your kid’s soccer game.

We marvel at the likes of Thor, Ironman and Scarlet Witch. Their supernatural abilities fuel our deepest fantasies. But what most of us fail to realize is a fit body harnesses incredible power in its own right. It’s strong, resilient, and capable. It can…

I’m one of the lucky ones. 2020 was relatively easy for me.

While I would get cabin fever from time to time, I had little issue transitioning to working from home. I’m a runner by nature and by nurture, so my training suffered no interruptions. My family and friends were spared from Covid, and God willing that continues to be the case.

I was eventually furloughed at work, but that meant more time for writing. And reading. And running. And a variety of other things I would rather do than work a run-of-the-mill marketing job.

Then 2021 hit and everything…

Renowned surfing legend Kelly Slater has this to say about his chosen sport:

“I didn’t start surfing because I expected it to be my career. It was something I just had a good time doing. But once I started, I couldn’t stop. Nothing compared to the thrill of riding waves.”

He would eventually ride to 11 world surfing titles as part of 55 career victories. He has the distinction of being the youngest and oldest world champion in men’s history. In short, he’s the greatest surfer of all time.

Kelly’s accolades are obvious and apparent. A quick Google search returns…

When we think of fitness, we think reps and sets. We think long hours in the gym or the studio. We think countless miles on the trail. We separate fitness into its constituent components — weight training, running, yoga, the list goes on.

While not inaccurate, this is an extremely limited interpretation. We’re only looking at the nuts and bolts. We’re missing the big picture, the forest through the trees.

Because our perception of fitness is so narrow, so too is the meaning we derive from it. We see fitness as a task to be completed, an item on a…

Mid-June, 2019.

The alarm goes off at 5 AM. I fall out of bed and slip into my running clothes. I down a pre-made cup of coffee and throw some toothpaste on the pearly whites. I hastily grab my headphones, ID, and keys. Shoes on, out the door.

I hope I’m not too late.

I leave the doorman with a look of blanket confusion as I barrel through the revolving door. It’s early, there’s no traffic. I haul ass down the middle of Chicago’s Wells Street in a panic.

I’m going to be too late.

A few blocks later I…

My sister Emily is a Physician Assistant specializing in mental illness and its treatment. She recently made me aware of a phenomenon known as the “Echo Pandemic”, the idea that Covid-19 is clobbering us mentally, causing widespread fear, anxiety and depression.

Like the virus attacks the body, the Echo Pandemic attacks the mind.

She explained there are three main components to the Echo Pandemic:

Financial instability and concern: People are furloughed, unemployed, and less financially stable than ever before. …

I’m 33 years old and just went through my first breakup.

Traditionally, I’ve never been one for relationships. They’ve never appealed to me. The idea of incorporating someone else into my life’s frame seemed, well, unnecessary. I’ve always had a lot going on both personally and professionally. I’ve been constantly on the move for as long as I can remember. I didn’t need to add something else to the mix, especially something as (seemingly) complex as a relationship.

A little over a year ago, I met someone who changed my entire outlook. We had many shared values and hobbies. We…

Stoicism is an ancient philosophical framework for living well.

Its principal focus is to live virtuously, maximize happiness and reduce negative emotions. It teaches us how to deal with adversity, how to handle prosperity and how to stay balanced through the inevitable ups and downs of everyday life.

Namely, Stoicism is about understanding control. About knowing what we can control and what we can’t. About accepting the things that happen to us, even the bad things, and not letting them deter us from our mission. …