Marlow's Musings 12/8/24
Insights, adventures and fun stuff from this week.
Audio narration by David Marlow
Stopping by the pond on my run I felt the wind whip through me like a knife. The surface glazed with a thin layer of ice. It was such a joy to be running again the cold didn’t bother me at all.
The past month I’ve battled an issue with my hip, unrelated to running, keeping me from lacing up my shoes and hitting the trails.
My running rebirth 14 years ago was prompted by another knife-like pain, this time in my shoulder. Despite months of physical therapy I ultimately needed surgery and was advised to do something ‘brisk’ to get blood flowing to the tendons in the rotator cuff.
The surgery seemed straightforward enough until the doctor surprised me with an unexpected question.
"What are your goals?"
Goals? I hadn't thought about goals. Wasn't the goal to fix my shoulder?
He explained that my treatment plan would be shaped by what I wanted to accomplish afterward. Some patients my age—in their late forties—were satisfied with basic movements, like reaching for a coffee mug in the kitchen cabinet. Others dreamed of scaling mountain peaks.
“I want to play catch with my grandkids.”
I hadn't consciously thought about this dream until that moment. Yet there it was, rising from somewhere deep inside me, a truth I hadn't even known I carried. My own children were still years away from marriage, and grandchildren existed only in some distant future if at all.
In my Ikigai teaching, I speak about being “Better Next Year.” It's about staying fit-body, mind, and spirit-so we can remain active and engaged with life.
Even without grandchildren, I knew the kind of grandfather I wanted to be. I saw myself running and playing with them. But first, I needed to take care of myself.
I threw myself into physical therapy and started running to speed my recovery. Within a year, my doctor told me I had the shoulder flexibility of a 20-year-old.
“Since I can move my arm like I did at 20,” I joked, “let me give you a list of other things to fix.”
He raised his hand and laughed. "I only do shoulders."
🌱 Ikigai is about experiencing your essence and purpose in harmony in everything you do.
To thrive in our purpose, we must nurture our well-being. Movement, exercise, rest, and proper nutrition—these are the fundamental elements that enable us to pursue what we love.
All this flashes through my mind in that moment by the pond. Then I think of Haruki Murakami's words: “I’ll be happy if running and I can grow old together.” Each stride bringing me closer to my calling.
The wind cuts through me again, a reminder—the pause is over. Time to run.
Word of the Week
Eudaimonia (n.)
/juːdaɪˈməʊniə/
1: A state of human flourishing; living well and achieving one's highest good through purpose, and virtue.
2: The realization of one's potential.
From ancient Greek eu (good) and daimōn (spirit), eudaimonia transcends simple happiness to encompass living a life of meaning and excellence. Aristotle believed it was the highest human good—not a fleeting feeling, but a way of being.
My shoulder surgery story illustrates eudaimonia in action. The doctor's question about goals wasn't just about physical healing; it was about envisioning a life of flourishing. My spontaneous answer about playing catch with future grandchildren revealed a deeper truth about the kind of life I wanted to create.
When we approach life through the lens of eudaimonia, we see that true well-being isn't about momentary pleasures but about aligning our daily choices with our deepest purpose. It's about becoming better next year not just for ourselves, but for all the moments of joy and connection that await us.
In case you missed it…
This week there were two Ikigai Thoughts for Today. Interesting that many people merged these two ideas which powered unique reflections. Two of the most talked about thoughts so far.
The first…A Radical Idea
Let’s talk about a radical idea…
I came across the original meaning of ‘radical.’ It was stunning to find the origin had nothing to do with being innovative, outlandish, political or any other ideas I had about the word.
Next…Open to the Message
As the year draws to a close, I invite you to reflect on these past months with gratitude, then listen quietly for what next year might be calling you to do—you may be surprised, as I was, by where it leads.
Ikiquest+
This week’s Coffee Contemplations…Your Future Self Today
I explore the idea that if Ai and automation are going to take away mundane things in the future and leave us time for creativity why not do those creative things today?
Ikiquest+ subscribers can listen to it in audio narration or read the transcription.
If you aren’t yet an Ikiquest+ Subscriber, give it a try for free by clicking the box here.
Interesting Thing
So many of you enjoyed the video I shared last week I decided to share another perfectly timed for this season of the year.
I love this video for many reasons beyond the obvious (and awesome) message of a grandfather’s love for his granddaughter. Check it out and see if you can spot the many messages of Ikigai.
Comment of the Week:
So many marvelous comments over the past several weeks, you all are making it hard to pick only one. This week’s Comment of the Week comes from Jon in response to the Coffee Contemplation Recipes and Ideas.
Maybe the gift we give this season is the opportunity to explore. To stretch. To inspire.
To… quest.
There remain a million problems to solve and the amazing thing is there are a million and one solutions out there. Questing is one of the best ways to find them.
Quote I’m Pondering
This thought is from author Henri Nouwen…
“When we live with hope, we do not get tangled up with concerns for how our wishes will be fulfilled. It is not a question of having a wish come true, but of expressing an unlimited faith in the Giver of all good things. Hope is based on the premise that the Other gives only what is good. Hope includes an openness by which you wait for the promise to come through, even though you never know when, where, or how this might happen.”
Final Thoughts
Some years ask questions and other years answer them.1 The year of my shoulder surgery was both. Though the answer would take years to fully understand, it would change my life for the better...forever.
Quest Well.
“There are years that ask questions and years that answer them.” Zora Neale Hurston
I was writing last night, and one of the things that came out of me was the fact this year turned everything upside down for me. The problem is that it is still in the 'upside' part of it, the 'down' hasn't yet arrived. Hopefully, it will happen soon. Thank you so much for your reflections and wisdom. 😊
All of this speaks to a invitation I received while working in the garden during what would have been a talk entitled The Best Kept Nutrition Secret of 2024 I have delivered many times. It started as a global digital summit that links the Earth with the digital space through the fusion of Eastern, Western & Indigenous wisdom & has now become...The TINA Talk That Transformed the World. 🤷♀️
*Transform
Introspection &
Non Judgement into
Art 🤌*
So far, that's "all" I have 🤭
ALSO, I have often wondered what Picasso's logo would be thanks to his "learn the rules like a pro so you can (ethically) break them like an artist" quote.👨🎨
Words alone will never be sufficient to thank you David 🙏♾️... for sacred places like this to geek out AND sledding with my son yesterday .. reminds me how imperative play is to birthing the collective dreams in our hearts! ❤️🔥