If you've been following my journey for a while, you might recall that at the end of 2022 I ran a full marathon while battling a sinus infection. After, I wrote a LinkedIn post where I reflected that "I can do really hard things, but I would be a fool to think I can do them alone."
On the day of the run, miles 16 through 25 were excruciating, because my body was tapping out due to being sick, and I could no longer stay with the pacing group I began my journey with. I had to run alone for a while, focusing on one step at a time.
Little did I know that race was foreshadowing the next year of my life, where I would need to learn how to manage the emotional pressure of aloneness and transition in a way I never had before.
Being tested
This past year tested everything I knew about myself, my faith, my family and friends, my work, and my purpose. Never before had I felt such unyielding pain. Yet, strangely, the pain produced a feeling of aliveness that I did not anticipate.
2023 saw me get divorced. I said goodbye to dozens of meaningful relationships.
After leaving my city and church community, I moved to Spain, and practiced slower rhythms of life there while becoming a yogi.
In time, I returned to the States and road-tripped out west for a couple of weeks, visiting natural wonders such as the Road to the Sun in Montana, Banff National Park, and the Badlands.
A few months ago, I ditched my smart phone for the Punkt. phone, seeking less noise and more presence.
I also developed some new creations this year. Johnnie Moore and I partnered to host the Unhurried Design workshop series on designing with negative emotion, and I piloted the ‘Your Epic Ordinary Life’ storytelling and coaching experience with some wonderful people from around the world.
The truth is, I needed to create those experiences. They were as much for me as they were my clients.
Why am I baring myself before you like this?
Because I believe many people show up to work and communities and relationships while secretly contending with suffering, leading splintered lives, unsure of how to integrate them, of how to feel light and free without faking it.
New beginnings
I take great comfort in the idea that we can—at any moment—choose to 'begin again.'
As the new calendar year begins, I believe what I am really after in life is not uncovering its purpose or arriving at some future idealized state of self.
Rather, I seek more moments of sheer, unapologetic aliveness.
To be present with self, others, the natural world, and the God of my understanding.
If you are interested in this sort of thing, too, then let’s get to know each other further. I welcome a good virtual coffee chat, and can be reached at soliday@hey.com.
More to come soon enough…
About Jordan Soliday
Hey! I'm Jordan, creator of Unhurried Design and Your Epic Ordinary Life. I am interested in designing a lighter life for myself and others. I use this space mainly to tell stories, and through them reflect aloud on everything from leadership and innovation, to the natural world and the human condition. Thanks for visiting, and thanks for reading.
