Trail running is fun if you know your general route. Where do you need to be by what time? Am I doing a loop? Or is it an out and back? Maybe a one way?
Well, some trail runners are crazy. An old barber of mine was a world class ultra-runner (we’re talking female Goggins level – Death Valley, Pikes Peak Marathon, The Equinox…) suffice it to say, she runs day and night. She’s the type that just laces up her shoes and she's off.
For fun, she'll run in the day through sweltering heat, run in the night with little light. She has a general idea of the path she wants to keep and where she wants to go, but the exact directions aren’t always built in – some trails go unmarked.
Running in the Day
During the day, it’s easy to see where you need to go, even when directions aren’t immediately clear. Sometimes you might be graced with a perfectly cleared path, softened by all those who’ve trodden in before you. Maybe your path is surrounded by trees. But maybe it’s a little trickier… Maybe you’re following a stream. Maybe you hear cars out in the distance, and you know to parallel that sound. Maybe you’re on the side of the mountain and the trail is well cut, so you can clearly see the hill down which you’d fall if you were to slip to the side. But through that all, you can still tell the direction in which to run. Sometimes when have a hill to overcome or a corner to turn, you must slow your pace, but for the most part, you can keep running through the daytime.
When there’s no clear-cut path or sounds or sights to follow, it gets a little more tricky. You become unsure of where to run, turning to your compass for direction. Every now and then, you have to stop, look at the surroundings, analyze the map, trust the needle and your instincts, and gradually find your way.
This is all fine and dandy, but as the overhead sun begins to cut across the trees, fading into the twilight of the evening, the dwindling light forces you to slow the pace to a walk. Running is a little more difficult when you can’t tell where to safely step. But what happens when night comes?
Maybe you get a few peaks of moonlight, but the intermittent clouds disrupt your clear vision of where to place your feet… you can no longer make out the compass… your sole navigational ability is placed upon your instinct.
This is the time to walk tip toe forward.
What can you feel? What can you sense?
You get the idea.
Finding Our Own Trail
We’re all on our own trail. This is life. There are times to sprint and there are times to walk. The wise man understands when to run and when to walk. I am not yet a wise man, but I’m beginning to learn.
I’m a sprinter by nature. I see a finish line or a goal, and I want to get there instantaneously. But sometimes, the journey necessitates slowing to a walk, and this is where I need work. It's crucial at times to stop, take in what’s around you, figure out the direction in which is the best to proceed. Just like a trail runner.
So where is this all going? I wouldn’t say I’m lost. Not yet. But the sun has certainly gone down and I’m losing what was a clear sight of the path ahead. I’ve definitely slowed to a walk, but I’m desperately using all of my other senses to ensure I am in fact on the right path. This is natural in the journey of life. It won’t be sunny and bright all the time. Things might not simply flow all the time. But there’s beauty in that. There’s beauty in “embracing the suck.” There’s beauty in being right here, for now.
The suckiness of now makes you savor the moments of life where everything does simply flow, when life is simply bright.. Sometimes you need that bit of ambiguity and uncertainty to reflect about where it is you should be going or what it is you should be doing. It’s these times when values are hardened and when character is cemented.
Actual Updates
My little bit of disillusionment hinted at above is the result of a few things: I'll save the personal details, but the professional aspect was with a part-time job I picked up to help foot the bill for moving to the new city. After seeing a posting by Andrew Yeung and finding the startup on Wellfound and Crunchbase, I pursued an part time opportunity at a "scalable social club" for their Industry Partnerships role, described as "bringing in PE, VC, and entrepreneurial folks." Well after some tedious technical interviews, I got hired and my first assignment was to throw a "Latin Salsa Party." Their idea was that because they have no latin members, I would be able to attract some affluent latin folks that might be interested in joining the community. Okay - nowhere in the job description was "party promoter." Oh and I had three weeks to get a live band, multiple DJs, artists, and designers to come to attend - all of whom had to be latin. Oh, and they wanted me to get 750 people to RSVP, expecting less than half of those to actually show up. Challenge accepted. I grinded to get entertainers, VIPs, and other partnerships to make the party happen. Welp, I got a badass band, three DJs, an artist, two fashion brands, and a supper club all to come in... So when all was said and done, we had 906 people on the RSVP and just shy of 600 total attendees. Suffice it to say I blew it out of the park - but apparently the founders had no intentions of actually hiring me as a few days later, they congratulated me on the success of the party with a bonus, then proceeded to tell me that they didn't need me anymore. LOL. On to the next one.
In other news, I moved to Williamsburg with my friend Louis - it's awesome. We're right around the Bedford Ave. stop on the L train, so it's super easy to pop into the city. My commute to Greenwich in the mornings takes only about 20 min. NOMADIQ stuff is good, solidifying contracts with landlord this week. Loving New York as always... we were greeted with a little preview of springtime this weekend with a high of 67 on Sunday - we had sunbathers in the park and all.
Until next time!
Shoutouts
CM - I can't tell you how appreciative I am for your constant support - been loving hanging out and meeting all your other startup friends. Excited to see what's in store for you this year. HR - Dude, keep pushing forward. Been inspired by the challenges you've had to overcome. Keep moving! MD - You've been a life saver this month, thank you for being able to hop on the phone whenever, it's been super helpful to hear your insight.
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