Monthly Mash Up (September 2017)

Reading, and learning are a key part to growth. They stretch your mind, fill it with new ideas, and introduce new and varied perspectives to what you already “knew.”

Below is a mash up of the books, articles, and more that impacted me this month.

Quote I’m Chewing On

“Remember that you don’t know everything. Listen and take advice from other people. Always be ready to learn and try  to be better.”

— Jocko Willink, Way of the Warrior Kid

Books I’m Reading

If only I could read faster. I am still working my way through many of the books I began in August. Here are the three currently on my desk.

1. Musashi

2. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World by D.A. Carson

3. On Killing by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman

Podcasts I‘m Listening To

1. Here We Stand - We are nearing the 500 year anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Here We Stand will introduce you to a new hero from the Reformation.

2. Barbell Logic and 3. Barbell Medicine - If you have questions about exactly what it takes to get strong, these two podcasts are for you. They answer the whys, hows, and whats of barbell training in a thoughtful and helpful manner.

From The Internet

1. Your Fast Car via Seth Godin

2. A Book Is a Tool, Not a Trophy via FEE

3. How to Not Overthink. Act Now With An Adaptable Plan via Jocko Podcast

Why do you workout?

Deep down in your bones, you know that exercise, or working out is important to your long-term health. You've known this since childhood. 

How often do you pause to think beyond the vague promise of a healthier life? How often do you consider a deeper reason for our sweat and tears? 

Working out is hard. It’s uncomfortable. It often hurts. And it pushes you to the breaking point on a regular basis. All that pain and all that suffering have to be about more than the promise of avoiding sickness. There’s no guarantee your time in the gym will help you avoid a cold or prevent real systemic disease from darkening your door. That promise can’t be made. 

So why put yourself through all that difficulty and pain, if there isn’t a guarantee? 

Because working out is about far more than empty promises and disease prevention. It’s about preparation. Preparation for future challenges of both a physical and mental nature. 

Running and lifting get your body ready for the next physical task. Be it a competition or a fight. It disciplines your body by exposing it to a milder form of pain today to prepare it for far greater pain at some later date. 

Showing up every day builds the discipline and mental toughness you need to conquer challenges that take place in a different arena as well. If you’ve been getting under the bar and placing yourself in uncomfortable situations for months and months, you’ll be less uncomfortable and stressed by life’s trials. You’ll have the mental resolve to power through and finish no matter how hard things get.

Workouts become training sessions in this new light. Each workout takes on a new meaning and purpose and either moves you closer to your goal or farther from it. 

Make each time you walk in the gym the training ground for life’s next great adventure. Look at all that sweat, time and pain as your best friend. Because that’s exactly what discipline is.