Trail running, podcasts, parenting and writing

I’ve been getting back into trail running and am feeling great. My first run last month was painful, but since then my muscle memory and self-efficacy has kicked in and I feel fortunate to have such amazing trails nearby. One of my favorites to fit in during my daughter’s nap is a short, challenging loop along the Bay Area Ridge Trail that gives me 35 minutes of switchbacks with views of the Carquinez Strait and Mount Diablo.
 
On my runs I enjoy listening to podcasts and on my playlist as of late have been Adam Grant’s WorkLife and ReThinking. Over the weekend I listened to his interview with Celeste Ng, whose books have been on my to-read list for quite some time. Besides motivating me to place a hold for her first novel at my local library, the podcast illuminated something that I have been reflecting on in my journey as a parent: the power of writing.
 
As Adam shares in this episode, writing is a tool for thinking. "It’s not only a vehicle for communicating ideas, but a tool for crystallizing them". And I couldn’t agree more. Taking time to write and reflect is a powerful tool for personal growth. It can also be calming. When we take time to write, we can keep track of our progress to stay accountable. We can practice gratitude. We can recognize our habits and values, articulate our feelings, and identify who and what we are.
 
As a parent, I am starting to believe that writing is essential. It gives us the emotional release we need while documenting our children's lives. It lets us take in the good while improving our self-awareness as we reflect on our snafus or patterns of reactivity. As Hunter Clarke-Fields shares in her fantastic book, “when we understand why we are so reactive—what old patterns and wounds are being triggered for us—we can begin to heal and choose a different way of being, rather than repeating dysfunctional family patterns”.
 
So that is where I am at right now. Trail running, listening to podcasts, feeling inspired to write and reflect, and breaking generational patterns in parenting. And the important next step as Arthur Brooks shares is to take action with the information we glean through writing. Wish me luck!
 
“Write clear and hard about what hurts” - Ernest Hemingway