The Kind of Writer Who Loses Weight, That’s Who

I’m banking on writing being one of the things thathelps me lose weight and reduce my blood pressure.

Seriously.

This started with a an exercise I did in a leadership academy I’m part of this year – formulate a wish you have for yourself, fully envision the outcome you’re hoping for, identify an internal obstacle threatening the fulfillment of your wish and the outcome you want, and then craft an “if-then” plan for navigating past the obstacle.

My WOOP is this: “If I am driven by an urge for evening snacks, then I’ll pursue an interest, passion, or exercise.”

Tonight represents my second effort in this most recent resurrection of my writing practice. I wrote yesterday this rebirth is taking place just shy of 5 years since my last pass at being a more regular writer. Feeling “wooped” into readying myself for this, I spent yesterday morning multi-tasking during CBS Sunday Morning – learn a bit more about Leonardo,  browse the App Store for writing themed apps, appreciate Tom Hanks’ affinity for typewriters and his recent foray into his own writing career, and download the WordPress, Word Palette, Brainsparker, Paperblanks, and Unblock apps.

As I toddle back into a writing regimen, I realize making use of a writer’s training wheels is a necessity. The apps are just that, guides to help me get my balance back. If, in teh course of this return to  writing practice I wobble, the apps will keep me from laying myself down on the pavement, so to speak. Moreover, they are in the “Writing Stuff” collection on my iPhone home screen so I can throw tinder upon the spark in the moment it flashes. Or, in keeping with my woop, they exist to lure me away from the snacks in leftmost kitchen cabinet, and steer me toward a healthier  Schlegs.

Tonight I tapped on Unblink. My reward? This inquiry and directive:

What kind of writer are you? Grab a piece of a paper and write down your answers to these questions.

First up, “What are some topics that interest you?”

• Man (me, actually) in the midst of nature
• Personal essays about my outdoors experiences
• Lessons learned from my life experiences
• My passions
• Human behavior
• Adolescents as a reflection of our society
• My fixes for what’s ailing the world (as far as I know)
• Matters of faith and spirituality
• Lessons learned from my spiritual pursuits
• Relationships
• Being a “man” in the world today
• Lessons learned from watching my sons grow up
• Observations on life as it’s lived in Minnesota
• Education practices
• My friends and heroes

Next, “What excites you? What are you passionate about?”

• I love, absolutely love living in Minnesota and accessing it’s beauty and outdoor opportunities
• Fishing from my canoe
• Wading in a stream with a fishing rod in hand
• Being in nature
• Reaching the school dependent, challenging to engage high school student
• Making school a place where ALL students belong
• Stephen Hunter novels
• Learning about myself and my place in the universe
• Giving a voice to my thoughts and ideas
• Laughing at my experiences and the lessons I learn through them

Next, “What are you knowledgeable about? What are you an expert in?”

• I know myself, and I pretty much an expert on that topic. Unless you ask my wife, of course.
• I know teens in crisis, and how to work with them.
• I know how to help kids on their journey to self-discovery and resolution of personal entanglements.
• I might be an expert at parenting – Shit! Did I actually say that? That seems arrogant AF (as my son might articulate it). Is anyone really an expert in that?
• I’m an expert at making a debacle out of a leader and tippet.
• For that matter, I’m top notch at fumbling my way through most any outdoor adventure
• While I’m no Google Ninja, I’m pretty much a badass at using Google tools and incorporating them into work routines.
• I’m dang good at pulling together data into spreadsheets and databases to be churned into different formats such as letters, emails, and reports
• I’m freakin’ awesome at crafting clever wordplay – there’s a reason I was limited to just one pun per mile during a half-marathon race I ran with a friend.
• I cook up some nastily obscure metaphors, too.

Third, “What topics are you curious about? What do you want to learn more about?”

• I want to learn more about basic tenets of Buddhism and Taoism.
• I want to learn more about different cultures and nations.
• I’d like to learn more about shotguns, and trap and skeet shooting
• Add bird hunting to that, too. I’m thinking pheasant, really.
• I’d like to learn more about the history of Minnesota, it’s natural resources, and the places that make this such an amazing place.
• I want to learn about fish and game behavior and habitats
• I want to learn about best practices and trends making an impact on alternative education programs
• I want to learn about the people and places that make America an amalgamation, a mixing bowl.
• I’d like to learn more about the places I lived in Germany
• I’d like to learn more about the lives and events that formed the work of musical artists I’ve listened to
• I’m curious about the brewing and distillation processes – what makes the different styles of beer (lager, ale, IPA, porter, stout, etc) and whiskey (rye, sour mash, Tennessee, Scotch, etc)
• Give me time, I’ll get curious about more – I LOVE learning about darn near anything that I didn’t give a damn about as a kid.

Fourth, “What is something you believe that most people may not?”

• Everyone has a story worth hearing – mankind is truly made up of Mellancamp’s “Million young poets/Screamin’ out their words/To a world full of people/Just livin’ to be heard.”
• A good conspiracy theory (even if it’s not entirely plausible or true) resides at the heart of many of the greatest stories written and told, and even many of the seminal events of our lifetimes.
• Minnesota is the greatest state in the land.
• Everyone should get out into nature with a rod or gun, especially those who never have.
• Meditation and prayer need not take place solely in an ashram, temple or church.
• Jesus would tell our pastors and the “body of Christ” they have it all wrong
• Extreme left, extreme right, they equally extremely harmful
• The world won’t fall apart if marijuana is legal, regulated, and taxed.
• The Big Red Machine and the 1975 World Series may have been awesome, but it was eclipsed by the Cub-Indians of 2016.

Okay, that should be worth a few ounces toward the old weight loss goal.

-Schlegs