Ashton.Gustafson

Today I celebrate my 10,950th sunrise on planet Earth.

Here’s a quick rant and recap of what I’ve found (or what’s found me) in these sunrises….

Before age 22 everything is about the finish line: finish your veggies, finish your paper, finish studying, finish high school, finish college, finish your resume, etc.

And while all these things can be finished…they still leave us longing for more. I believe the longing comes from not being responsible for the start of what you were asked to finish. The veggies were forced (for good reason of course), as was the test, the paper, school, and probably the resume. None of this was our idea, so when they were finished we were…well…finished…and finished does not necessarily translate into satisfied or fulfilled when it is something you didn’t think to start.

Perhaps it is simply permission to start something that our youth needs – not necessarily the “opportunity.”

Today I’ve found that what I’m truly after doesn’t have a finish line and every day in this pursuit feels as though it’s day one. To be able to write, understand, and speak this is richness found in my life.

I don’t want to finish growing, being a father, being a husband, or being a thought leader…a finish line is the furthest thing from my mind in regards to these pursuits.

If you’ve never been given permission to start…consider this your invitation.

Secondly, two years ago I began to learn and study things that truly excited me. Things like high performance, building things with meaning, living at your full potential, and living a great story.

I’ve found for all these things to happen there’s a fight.

We fight for experience against resistance with intention.

We fight for connection against resistance with soul.

We fight for awareness against resistance with focus.

Nevertheless, this is a fight that never ends…we can only hope to contain the resistance that blocks our efforts for experience, connection, awareness, meaning, and hope.

In all reality, resistance makes all of these things worth the pursuit…so either welcome him to the ring or don’t be shocked when he arrives.

Forget the finish line and fight the fight tooth and nail.

For me, this is what 30 looks like.

PS – This is a rant – and should not be graded with a gramatical lens.