It is not always easy to be honest with oneself about the delta of who you are and who you want to be. But you will always be who you are, so why not start working on who you want to be?

As we wrap up our 4th freedive spearfishing trip to Mexico I'm happy to report my cooler is full of fish, my mind is full of memories and my heart is full of joy. As I enter into my 9th season spearfishing I find myself in a place of deep contemplation. A confluence of emotions swirls around my mind, feeling simultaneously proud of my accomplishments while still yearning for improvement. I wasn't always able to live in that dichotomy, it was either failure or success. Never wonderful with room for improvement. Being gentler with myself has allowed me to recognize the parts while maintaining a level of mutual exclusivity.

I can simultaneously enjoy where I am at while building goals to where I want to go. One of those goals is to obtain my Level 2 apnea certification (being able to dive down to 100 feet on a single breath of air), the other is to incorporate a variety of apnea training (ie. breathwork) into my daily yoga and movement practice.

A mantra of mine is to live and build towards a well-rounded life. The positive externalities of that mission will lead me to an able and educated future, especially when I enter the back 9 of my experience on this earth (hopefully not for another 30+ years).

Currently I am fortunate to be in a very secure place in my life and I recognize that after food, shelter and water that there are 3 things that are of the ultimate importance:

Something to Love
Someone to Love
Something to Look forward to

The fish Brett is holding is the same species that Craig is holding!

My something to love are the activities I participate in, I tend to index on activities that have unlimited potential for growth and education (ie. Spearfishing, Bowhunting, Snowboarding and Acro Yoga). For me, and I think everyone, somebody to love encompasses, myself, friends, family and a significant other. And my something to look forward to is usually an amalgamation of the first two. (Ie. Spearfishing with friends, dancing with your lover or summiting a mountain by yourself.)

Incorporating these ethos into my life has left me with a full cup time and time again. It is only now that I recognize that even though luck plays a role, intention is everything.

Craig, Brett, Myself with our guide Luis and some Pargo Frita

I encourage you to take stock of your world and if you feel you are lacking ask yourself "Where are the gaps?" It is not always easy to be honest with oneself about the delta of who you are and who you want to be. But you will always be who you are, so why not start working on who you want to be?

The things that used to scare me are now the things I look forward to, the things that currently scare me are the things I'm working on.

If you're like me the goalposts will always be moving, but you can also learn to appreciate where the goalposts used to be.