Welcome to the fourteenth edition of The Detour.
On Sundays, you’ll receive mind musings from me, Olivia. I’m not entirely sure where we’re going or where we’ll end up. But I’m glad you’re here, and hopeful this little experiment will spark new ideas and make us question what’s next.
Musings (aka the tunes & text making me think)
Here are a few songs I think you’ll enjoy:
Plus something(s) to make you think:
The Summer Olympics are coming to a close today. Over the last 16-days, the spotlight has not only been on the physical feats of these athletes, but their mental hurdles too.
I didn’t grow up talking about mental health, despite having my own struggles, so it’s incredible to see this conversation moving into the spotlight, especially as it relates to sport.
Athletes are human beings and as human beings, we all have struggles. So here are a few pieces, from incredible athletes and olympians.
U.S. runner Molly Seidel just won Olympic bronze in her 3rd ever marathon. She’s also only the third U.S. women to ever medal in the race. Here’s her in January 2020 talking about Navigating Mental Health & Running Professionally.
This Netflix DocuSeries gives an intimate look inside the life of one of the most gifted athletes, Naomi Osaka, and the mental/physical challenges that come with being world class.
Allyson Felix sharing her fear of letting people down
Now for this week’s Detour…
If someone were to ask you to describe the type of person you are - how would you answer the question? An artist? An athlete? Disorganized? Type-A? A morning person? Hardworking? A photographer?
If you’re like me, the answers to this question requires very little thought. Historically, the way I self identified was like an email auto-responder. There have been points in my life where I’ve reevaluated the way I identify and describe myself to others.
Moments where I ask myself:
Is this who I really am or someone I used to be?
Is this who I am or how other people, like my parents and friends, have described me?
Does this identify still feel true and authentic?
One of these moments of reflection was at the end of my vagabond summer. For those of you who are new here, in June 2020 I packed my bags for a 1-week trip to Colorado and ended up staying for 4-months.
There was no plan.
I stayed at my cousin’s house for 2-weeks. A friend of a friend picked me up in Dillion and let me stay with him in Colorado Springs for almost 3-weeks. I slept in the same bed as my friend Jordan for over a month (our ex boyfriends were best friends in Chicago, which is how we originally met). I road-tripped around Utah and Arizona. Went on a Bumble date in New Mexico and ended up staying at his house for a week.
During this time, I would’ve described myself as a nomad. The kind of person who is endlessly easy going. Who always says yes to adventure and exploration. A trail runner who drinks beer every night. Free spirited.
If this trip was planned ahead of time, I never would’ve gone because it didn’t fit into the way I previously identified…
My auto-responder identity was: Type A, structured, laid back - but not easy going. The sporadic nature of this trip allowed me to come into a different part of myself.
Have you ever had a similar experience, where a situation or place invites you into unknown territory? To see who you become when your systems and structures are removed.
It’s funny because for the last few weeks, I’ve wanted to write about systems and structures. My business partner recently recommended reading Atomic Habits, which only fueled my interest.
The TLDR of Atomic Habits:
Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. Most people repeat 1% errors, day after day, replicating poor decisions and rationalizing little excuses - our small choices compound into toxic results. Setting up systems, structures and self-identities that power good habits are essential.
When I sat down to write, I thought I’d talk about how powerful systems and structures can be in our pursuit to become the person we want to be. While I don’t disagree with this sentiment, I’ve also recognized how limiting they are.
What if you gave yourself to be permission to just be?
To be the kind of person who is exploring the world and themselves? I’m not saying you have to abandon all your discipline or routine..I certainly won’t. But acknowledging that there’s a lot of joy to be found in allowing life to take you in a direction you never thought you’d go.
To be a person you never thought you could be. And with that, it’s time to buckle up & hit the road.
-OO