Curveballs and life changes

Sometimes life throws you curveballs.  They almost always come when least expected and have a way of trying to get you down.  I feel a bit empty right now and I’m not sure if it is diet, the relentless pursuit of Portland rains, lack of decent sleep or the absence of a great friend, but it’s there and you have to deal with it.

You can either use these events as an excuse to sit down and let the world pass you by, or you can take charge of your happiness and battle through them.  I’ve learned over the past year that everything comes in tides.  No matter how down you are feeling at the present, there is always a better time on the horizon and it’s crucially important to know that a bump in the road is just that, no matter how long it may last.

My golfing and training are great, perhaps better than ever and when I’m on the course I feel elated, it’s become my sanctuary and I look forward to getting out and learning something new every day.  The harder parts are what happens outside of golf and the collateral damage that comes with a, perhaps selfish, pursuit like the one that I am in the middle of.  It requires so much of me physically and mentally that I have been neglecting many other aspects of my life.  I signed up for this and am going to give it 100 percent of my energy for the entirety, however, there are days where the negative impact of focussing so wholeheartedly on one concern can be clearly seen.  Relationships (in the loose sense, referring to friends, family, hobbies, lawn care, etc) tend to suffer because they transform from a core matter to an externality.

Please don’t get me wrong, I am not second-guessing The Dan Plan or regretting my decision.  This is who I am now and where I want to go can only be realized in time.  Every day I am one day closer to my dream: realizing the potential that hard work can achieve.  But at the end of the day, no matter who you are or what you do, you have to save some room for Jello, and by Jello I mean loved ones, of course.

Oh, and, PS, fast food is really not good for you.  Just saying.

Marijke and I have broken up.  It’s not because of the project, but the project hasn’t exactly helped our relationship.  We have just changed and grown apart over the past few years.