The 55th Edition

Find what lights a fire in you and pursue it!

Something to Think About

The things that change our lives often start as quiet curiosities, not loud declarations.

Something to Ask Yourself

What’s that thing that sparks something in you, even if it makes no sense to anyone else?

Article of the Week

Ever feel like you’re pushing through work just for the sake of it? This read breaks down why intrinsic motivation, doing something because you genuinely want to, is far more powerful than chasing rewards or avoiding punishment. Expect insights on how to build workplaces (and lives) that thrive on meaning, autonomy, and mastery.

Track of the Week

I was obsessed with Assume Form when it came out! James Blake hasn’t released anything as good since in my humble opinion.

This week’s track of the week is…

By the way, if you didn’t know, I put all these tracks in a Spotify playlist…

Personal Lesson

During lockdown, I went down a YouTube rabbit hole. While others were learning how to make sourdough, I was glued to shaky footage of people hallucinating their way through 100-mile races in the desert. It wasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t trendy. It just spoke to something deep in me. At first, it was intrigue, a fascination with the absurdity of it. Who would do that? And why?

But something kept pulling me back. I started running longer. I started training smarter. Not because I thought it looked cool – trust me, there’s nothing cool about chafing between your butt cheeks half way through a long run – but because it made me feel more alive than anything else ever had. I didn’t tell many people about this fascination I had. It was mine. And I loved it that way.

Fast forward five years, and that weird little obsession is now the foundation of my work, my purpose, and my lifestyle. But I never picked ultra running because I thought it would impress people. I picked it because it lit me up. That’s why I think it’s worked. It’s why I think I love it so much. It feels like mine. My obsession, my hobby, the thing I could talk about for an entire evening. That’s the only compass I’ve ever needed, and the only one I trust.

I see a lot of people chasing milestones or achievements they think will impress others or they think is what they’re supposed to chase. These goals die. There’s no passion in chasing other people’s goals. Find the thing that you can’t stop thinking about, make it big, make it ambitious, make it ridiculous, make it YOURS… and chase that.

Running – Life’s Metaphor

When the miles stack up and everything starts to hurt, you don’t keep going because people are watching. You keep going because you’re doing it for you.

Final Thoughts

We often choose paths based on what we think will earn respect, admiration, or applause. We chase titles, aesthetics, status. Things that look good on the outside but often feel hollow on the inside. But the problems is when things get hard, those reasons don’t hold up. If you’re not lit up from within, you burn out.

The turning point in my life wasn’t when I started running ultras. It was when I gave myself permission to pursue something for no reason other than I loved it. That’s when things started to move. That’s when I felt grounded, excited, and deeply fulfilled, even when no one else really “got it”.

If you’ve found something that lights you up, don’t dim it to fit in. Don’t wait for validation. Don’t explain it away. Pursue it like it matters. Because it does – more that you know. That tiny spark of interest might be the doorway to your purpose.

The world doesn’t need more people doing what’s impressive. It needs more people doing what’s authentic. What sets your soul on fire. What makes you feel like you. Start there, and trust that it’s more than enough.

Thanks again for reading and subscribing.

Run the runnable, and keep showing up for yourself!

Tommy 🙂