[longish post] Slowly building this too into a habit. No great ambitions at the moment, just showing up. My experience with running has been that showing up is the key step — small good regular habits change us more effectively than some heroic, herculean, but very occasional, efforts. So far, it’s a mix of rowing and upper body strength training.

I post on this, as I do with running, for three reasons:

1. it helps me keep myself accountable,
2. if I can encourage others, why not? I’m the most unlikely man to be interested in sport, so never say never and
3. let’s face it, the dose of encouragement I get helps me keep going.

But it is not only about sport. This too is part of a long journey of self-discovery — perhaps part of a mid-life “crisis” at 46, and 25 years a Jesuit. “Crisis” is necessary, and can be positive (if you find the right way to embrace it). In ancient Greek, the verb κρίνω means to distinguish, to choose, to judge, to consider.

For me, it is learning:

• to discover myself more deeply (and increasingly more peacefully),
• to distinguish what is superficial and what goes deeper, what is life-giving and what is toxic,
• to choose to embrace what I have often set aside, perhaps feared or felt ashamed of,
• learning to choose, to let go of what has perhaps done completed its cycle,
• sometimes learning to stay with the darkness within.

This helps me slowly be more at ease with myself, healthier on different levels (physical, mental, spiritual), consequently, with the potential to be more at ease, more fruitful and more creative in my own mission, both academic and non. And, where I can, help others on their journey too.

posted on Instagram and Facebook on 14.10.2025