Wednesday, September 23, 2009

State of the Blog: Taking Stock

[photo: media.guelphmercury]

Someone asked me the other day why I haven't been blogging much this month. I told them that I just didn't feel like it. Besides, I've been rather busy traveling up a storm and I just haven't been able to catch my breath long enough to think about blogging.

But things are different tonight. Tonight I am feeling rather introspective. Introspective in a pensive, let's-take-stock-of-where-life-is-taking-me sort of way. To say that stuff is starting to crystalize and solidify in new and unexpected ways would be an understatement. There is much to talk about:

*There is definitely some movement on the career front. I think some of you will love where things are heading.

*I definitely want to tell you about what I learned on my recent trip to South America to scout out potential bike routes and get some one-on-one tips from other long-distance bike tourists.

*I've also come to the realization that I am absolutely starved for spiritual nourishment. In some ways, everything I have been doing up till now has been just been a precursor to a much more essential internal journey that I am only now prioritizing.

And this is just the tip of the iceburg.

Stay tuned.

12 comments:

Elizabeth Halt said...

very cool. looking forward to hearing more!

i often think that the internal journey is the hardest of all. well .. it's definitely the one i whine about the most. ;)

by the way .. i moved over to typepad. i was just looking at your sidebar and wondering why my photo blog stopped two months ago, LOL.

Me said...

We're always still reading your blog over here :) Still think you should have planned a trip to "fly over country" and taken part in our wedding celebration! :) I bet we could help in the spiritual aspect ;-)

Blogging is def on a back burner for me right now... I find it hard to be introspective, or even intelligent when I'm being pulled in about 50 different directions at once! I find it hard to believe myself, BUT, I am actually ready for winter this year! I'm ready to be "bored"... it's the best time to explore yourself :)

Hugs,
Dana

Anonymous said...

"In some ways, everything I have been doing up till now has been just been a precursor to a much more essential internal journey that I am only now prioritizing."

Yyyyeeesssss! Seriously, best of luck with this. I think you'll find changes and truths this way that make your choices up to this point look like a drop in the bucket.

Jack said...

@Elizabeth,

The internal stuff is definitely the hardest. And not talking about personal-internal, but spiritual-internal.

No worries, just made the correction.

@Miles,

Yeah, it sucked that I couldn't make it. Seriously, would have gone had it not been for all that traveling I've been doing. COngrats again, and let's hope winter comes fast!

@Anonymous,

I suspect you are right. It is such a big undertaking, but it is filled with excitement:)

SF Kid said...

I am not too religious or spiritual, but I am in favor of introspection, taking stock, setting a direction, and shedding the past to the extent it is not helpful.

So good luck w/ that!

kaeli said...

ahh! im dying of excitement to hear all that you have planned. I am so very happy for you and the journey you are taking, and you are definitely an inspiring force now in my life and my boyfriends life; when talking about the future we always make sure to keep voluntary simplicity in mind and what really matters, and your blog is the credit for much of that. We see from you that it is absolutely possible to live fully the way we truly want to without all the bullshit we encounter everyday.

Thanks!

Anonymous said...

You keep posting these mysterious remarks about new directions and such. I'm not quite sure what your intent is. Is it that you want to leave everyone hanging with a cliffhanger, the way cheezy TV shows do at the end of a season?

Kandice said...

Jack-

Bravo for you. At least for me, when my spiritual life is in order, so is the rest of my life. I am calmer, less crazed and have a better perspective. When I don't give my spiritual life the time I should, everything else seems to start falling apart.

I'd recommend you read the book The Shack. It has a lot of interesting things to say. http://www.theshackbook.com/

Good luck and I can't wait to hear about what is in store for you.

Jerry Critter said...

Oh, what a tease!

Jack said...

@SF Kid,

I'm probably feeling a bit more spiritual at this point than what you are describing, but I don't even know where it is going to lead me.

@Kaeli,

I'm glad you are getting something tangible from the blog. As someone who is still searching for so many answers it feels good to know others appreciate the journey that has unfolded thus far.

@Anonymous,

Definitely not my intent. I just can't touch on everything that's been going on in just one post. Just not my thing. Have to sit down and think about each issue and let it flow post by post.

bill h said...

on the spiritual front, have you ever read Merton? Seven Story Mountain is a classic about a transition to monastic life. I think you'd like it. thanks for continuing to share your journey

Jack said...

@Kandice,

Yeah, the spiritual side is looming big right now. Just another slice of change that I'm open to at the moment. And thanks for the recommendation.

@Jerry,

It's cool. Already started laying down the posts.

@Bill,

Nope, but it was a suggestion provided to my earlier post regarding books. It's on my radar for sure.