Father/Son Marathon

I believe with every fiber in my being that I was put on this earth to be a father.

From day one, I’ve loved the job and embraced the challenge.

I’m also proud to report that I’m good at it. Not because of any natural talent but because I take it seriously and work at it.

One of my core tenets as a father is to “lead from the front.”

I’ll never ask my kids to do something I haven’t done or am unwilling to do. In my opinion, this is leadership 101.

Ok, I’ll get to my point now.

I’ve always had a strong relationship with my son, Jude—but in 2023, we became best friends.

And it wasn’t by accident.

Earlier this year, he started asking questions about some of the things I do.

• Why do you lift weights?

• Why do you run?

• Why do you sauna/cold plunge?

• Why don’t you ever eat junk food?

We began having a lot of deep conversations about life. The importance of living with purpose. The difference between instant and delayed gratification. The value of getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.

I got to explain to him that not only do these things make my body stronger and my mind sharper—but more importantly, they make me a better husband, a better father, and a better Christ-follower.

He bought into the lifestyle, and we started working out together regularly.

About three months ago, he randomly asked me if I thought he could run a marathon.

My quick answer was, “Absolutely! Let’s start training, and maybe by the time you’re 18, we could run one together.” He then told me he wanted to run the Bass Pro Marathon with me THIS YEAR.

It seemed crazy (even to me), but we started running regularly to see what he was made of.

Last month, we successfully ran two half marathons, so I decided he could handle the big leagues.

This morning, I finished my fifth marathon, and he finished his first.

We crossed the finish line together, and it was, undoubtedly, my proudest moment in 38 years on planet Earth.

To be clear, I’m incredibly proud of the physical accomplishment (26.2 miles is a long way for anyone to run, let alone a 13-year-old), but I’m much more proud of who he’s becoming.

The kid is special. He is disciplined. He is humble. He has integrity. He is wise beyond his years.

Being his dad is an honor and a privilege.

I’m proud to report that the trajectory is good.

PS — You’re technically supposed to be 18 in order to run the full marathon, so we signed him up as Bre Stewart, and he ran in the 35+ women's division. I don’t like to lie, but I’m at peace with the decision. If any Bass Pro representatives read this and I need to pay a fine or serve some jail time, just let me know.

Godspeed.

Continue Reading

Unsolicited advice from a 36-year-old

Hey everyone, Josh here.

Today is my birthday. I’m feeling thankful, sentimental, and approximately 2% wiser than I was when I was 35 years old.

It's my goal to check in on this thing only when I have significant news to share, value to add, or feel like I can make people smile. Now that I'm 36 and have life completely figured out (kidding), here are a few more life lessons I feel compelled to share:

1. The obstacle is the way. Most people look at problems as an obstacle in their path, but the reality is that the obstacle is the path. This is a perspective shift that will change your life if you can accept and lean into it. Everything that happens — good or bad — is a chance to learn and improve. You don't always have complete control of your circumstances, but you can have control of your attitude and how you respond.

2. Focus on the good in every situation. Being positive isn’t merely saying “something bad is good” — that approach can actually be toxic. Being positive is saying “I can make this bad thing better.” Too many people in life are quick to openly complain and bemoan the inconvenience, but few will actually manage to do anything about it. You're better off applying the energy you spend on complaining toward solving the problem. In general, this world desperately needs less problem spotters and more problem solvers. Perception is key (see point #1).

3. Stay the course. It's easy to overestimate what you can accomplish in a day and underestimate what you can achieve in a year. Improving a skill by 1% daily might not seem exciting or noticeable for some time, but the payoff is great in the long game. Keep showing up. This is how compound interest works and I've found that it's applicable to more than just money.

4. Read books. In my opinion, books are the single most undervalued commodity in the entire world. Reading books allows you to tap into the minds of some of the most brilliant individuals that ever walked the earth. Most of them dedicated large portions of their lives to learning and have summarized their endeavors in tiny little squares with pages and words. Amazing!

5. Intentionally define your circle of influence. You should associate with people who want the best for you, but that also means allowing them to demand the best from you. I have a group of men that I meet with every Friday at 6 am. We do life together. We challenge each other. We pray for each other. We confide in each other. In the past five years, this group has had the single biggest impact in my life. I love these dudes like they’re my brothers. Jacob, Rick, Austin, Sidney, Josh, Brenton — to name a few.

6. Challenge most things and form opinions based on research and data from a variety of trusted resources (maybe not just what you see on television or Twitter). We all have a cognitive bias, it’s best to acknowledge this in an attempt to increase overall self-awareness, understanding, and empathy. Facts might change your feelings, but feelings never change facts. Read this one twice.

7. Keep seeking God. He's there, I promise. He doesn’t hide from us, my hypothesis is that He hides FOR us. It’s in our best interest that we spend time seeking Him. His delight is in our discovery, and our reward is in the pursuit.

8. Macadamia nuts are the best nuts. Cashews are good, but still a distant second.

Ok, that's basically everything I have in my brain at the moment.

Comment below with who you voted for and whether or not you're vaccinated, so we can get back to what really matters.

Godspeed.

Disclaimer: I reserve the right to change my mind and get better every day.

Continue Reading