Forged in Fire

After a brief hiatus from writing, I’m back in the saddle.

That is a lame thing to say – I know.

Oh well. Here we go.

This Holiday season, I intentionally set aside some additional time for the things most important within this life of mine – my family.

Something that I’ve come to know is that time is everything. It’s fleeting and precious, and the amount with which we’re granted is completely unknown. 

Throughout the passing days of this Winter break, I was fortunate to spend a lot of quality time with my wife and daughter. We were blessed with the ability to share our first Christmas together as a family unit, and will soon close the pages of what has been the most fulfilling calendar year to date.

By slowing down and soaking up these once-in-a-lifetime moments, I was offered a unique and profound opportunity to reflect on the year that has passed by. In doing so, I’ve compiled a list of just a few of the highlights.

• My wife and I began our family with the birth of our daughter on February 3rd, 2023.
• Since her birth, I’ve watched in awe at both her growth and my wife’s transition into motherhood.
• We’ve continued to turn our house into a home one project at a time.
• I ran thousands of miles and a couple more ultra-marathons.
• My body and mind grew in ways I’d never expected.
• In March of 2023, I made the decision to kickstart this very blog and the corresponding newsletter. 
• What it means to be a strong man became more abundantly clear than ever.

Though this only serves as a brief snapshot of what this past year provided me and mine, I believe that it encapsulates so much of what has become imperative to my life. 

Amidst all of this reflection, and thinking of days gone by, I can’t help but look forward to the year ahead. As we wind down and move into the year 2024 (that year can’t be real,) here are some things that I hope for in my own life and in yours as well:

• A newfound passion.
• Increased physical and mental health.
• Bulletproof list of priorities.
• An abundance of gained knowledge.
• Actions over words.
• Strengthened work-life balance.
• Endless love to and from those nearest and dearest.

To close out what has been the most eventful and memorable year of my young life, and transition into a fresh slate – a situation perfect for setting new goals, and pointing our sails toward whatever it is we hope to accomplish in the year ahead, I’ll leave you with this:

No matter how big or small your ambitions may be, or the adventure(s) that lie ahead in this journey of life – the most important step is the first one that you take. Into the darkness, into the unknown – a step into something new. 

God bless you and those that you love. Happy New Year!