How I plan to change the world 

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I began with the question. 

" What do you feel is the greatest pain in the world ? " 

How could you apply your gifts/passions towards making it better ? (movement towards solving the problem | the application of the gift ) 

 

For example for me, the greatest pain is humanity not living to their full potential. As I say full potential, I speak to not using one's gifts and passions on a daily basis. Deferring dreams, or in many cases forgetting them. 

 

Why?

Why is this particularly painful for me? When I was playing soccer competitively, I was a practice phenom. The game would literally stop for me on the practice field. I was never able to manifest this on the soccer field. When the lights came on, I froze. It was like I was a different person. I wasn't as aggressive, I couldn't run as fast.  I never materialized into the player I could have been. 

 

The same thing happened in cross country. Day 1. I was among the fastest guys on the team as a freshman (freshman running against seniors). I hadn't even trained and I was running with the "cheetahs" - as I heard criticism from class mates " you run like a horse " "short shorts " - I began to regress. 

 

In each situation I cared too much about what others thought of me, and because of that I didn't live into my potential. The gift never lived, never shared...

 

I've had other pain points too ( never fitting in with the cool kids - some bullying - girls turning me down, our destruction of nature, carelessness, greed, and career climbs that led nowhere, the world being so divisive versus living in unity and harmony ) 

 

How do I individually change that?

Start with me. Tap into my gifts. Unearth my potential. Share it with others 

 

Method

How did I begin to tap in? I started exploring things that I might love to do 

I didn't know so I began trying different things. Hiking, biking, photography, video editing, running, editing content..

 

Honing IN

 

As I explored I found some things I liked, and some I didn't. Each of the things that I liked, I had to give time, like 30-60 days !! It reminds me of my new purchase of my Mac Book - at first I was like what is this?! I don't know how to do anything on it. haha, but with research, lots of YouTube and trying different things, I came to love it. Same with running. It was a slow start but as I gave it a chance, and began to hone in, I started to find things that I liked, this became things that brought me to life. ALIVE !! 

 

Things that I found that brought me JOY

 

- running and the process of training

- being in the trees

- seeing new places 

- meeting new people + establishing relationships

- learning more about my own potential (pushing limits ) 

- photography (editing and sharing a message with the image)

- video ( telling a story through video ) 

- helping my son grow (playing + doing things together )

- going camping with my wife and son + exploring new places together 

- great food

- reading/learning

- deep conversations 

- training others + building others up into their potential 

- inspiring 

- idea generation | creating things 

- I love sharing what I know in running, diet, life (helping people step into their own truth)

 

The two obstacles: Time and Money

 

These are the things that give me joy, so it is important that I do these things as often as possible. The challenge I had was once I found my joys, I was having a hard time doing them, because of limited available time. I had to make money so that took a good portion of my time. I knew I had to figure out how to enable more time but I didn't know how. At first. I kept saying, gosh I love this so much - how do I do this more?! 

 

What I did

 

How I started. I found little windows of time to run. I started watching videos on how to edit film and edit on my own time. Waking up earlier or staying up later, and making it a priority to learn. I didn't have as much time to get into nature, but on weekends and such, I would try to get out into nature. 

 

I continued to hone in my skill. In videography I started offering different business's a free promotional video. I started filming different business's for free. Taking drone photographs for free. This began to get my get me better, and then one time, I made a free video for a company, and they loved it so much, they asked what it would take to work with them on a more consistent basis. BINGO! 

 

As the idea surfaced, I knew I couldn't commit to a full 40 hr work week because, deep inside I knew running was something that I loved loved loved and to be get better at it, I also felt that I had a bigger message to share. HENCE |  I needed more time. The specific type of running that I love is Mountain running, and it often takes 2+ hours for me to get to a good mountain to run. 

 

My thought was what if I could share a message through the combination of running, photography, video. I love making video of things, and running is for me, my purest expression of life. It's how I become unearthed. Detached from the world and just go into me. Its what fills my tank so I can pour into everything else, its where my best ideas come from. 

 

Through video, and imagery, I can share that message. 

The company that hired me offered a wage that allowed me to work 20 hrs a week, this allowed me to run and do all of the other things for the other parts of my week. I began to pick up sponsorships for running that have enabled some really cool things. A highlight was an all inclusive trip to the UK - I never thought that running would allow me the opportunity for a trip that would have cost me 5k out of pocket. 

 

 

This is just the beginning

 

The honing of the gift is just the beginning. I began to get better at all of the things that I love to do. As I got better at video, photography, web, and content creation through my work, I learned new things that helped me spur greater vision | The greater vision being the purpose of life and how do I use my gifts to do this. 

 

Complete shift of focus 

 

This is what I call higher ground. Instead of pursuing success, pursue significance. Significance meaning to make an impact. To make a positive difference. 

 

As I began to win, I found that winning was cool but it wasn't the end. Because after you win, you just feel like you need to win something else. What I've learned is the greatest living is giving. 

 

How do I use this gift of running + creativity to give?

I began to think about how do I use these gifts to fix/improve upon the pain that I see. If you remember from above, my greatest pain was humanity and individuals not living into their potential. 

 

I began constructing a plan. What are ways I could do this?

Insight 

- created social media outlets to share the message (over 28k combined followers)

Events

- created the Ohana Mud Run (1k+ participants)

- created the Dash for Trash

- created A bands purpose 

- created Everstrong (not yet released)

- created Last Man Climbing (not yet released) 

Places

- helped build Arise (fitness)

- helped build Indigo ( nature retreat designed to inspire inward growth) 

- launched Kind Coffee (failed op but still has hope :)

Experiences 

- helped create Imageo Dei ( an app that helps people become the reflection of God)

- I train people personally 

- leading retreats 

 

 

Further thought 

 

I am still transitioning/learning and growing different concepts but its a continual evolution towards positive impact. The key is, you must do the things that bring you to life. When you do the things that make you come alive, you will have the energy, creativity to make the difference into the the areas where you see the need for improvement. 

 

Lastly, don't discount the things that you see. The things you see and the things you have experienced in your life, will help you position you're gifts into the direction of need. Take notice when something bothers you, ask why? Take notice of the times you laugh, take notice of the times you cry. Step into these areas, they are lights into your total purpose. 

 

Collectively if we all begin to shift into and do the things that bring us to life, everyone would be happier, and in the expression of these gifts/passions, the world would be collectively so much better. We would begin to move towards restoration. A new Earth. 

 

Method in 4 words

Learn | Hone | Apply | Give 

 

Love and Light,

 

Alex