You Don't Need Anything More

By David Valentine, co-founder of Rethink and partner/board member/practitioner of the Veritas Lifestyle and Veritas Life Adventures

If you were just thinner…if you had a girlfriend, got a raise, made a 4.0, won state, got the newest iPhone, had more sex—you’d be happier. These are the messages we’re sold everyday, usually with some innovative dish soap (how innovative can dish soap be anyway?). The reality is you don’t need anything more than what you have right now to be fulfilled.

You may be thinking, “Come on. Do you know my life? A little extra cash would go a very long way.”The reality is…none of those things would actually fill the void. None of them would bring about the promised fruit, because they bring happiness for a while until that happiness runs out.

The secret to a fulfilling life is contentment. And contentment starts with an evaluation of what you already have in plenty.

Are you healthy? Can you walk, run, jump? Do you have people in your life who genuinely care about your well being? Have you eaten today? How many meals have you had? Do you have a home to go to? Is there air conditioning in that house? How many cars sit on your driveway or in your garage? Is the water you drink clean?

If you’re reading this you have a body—and it’s capable of doing amazing things. More than likely there is someone, somewhere who deeply cares about your well being. It’s reasonable to assume you’ve eaten at least once today (since you’re reading this on the internet). You probably are reading this on your iPhone while sipping a latte at Starbucks in fact.

So…you’re healthy. You are loved, you are fed, clothed, and have a place to call home. Not to mention you never wonder if your water is safe to drink.

You’ve got everything you need right here, right now. The key is to recognize how much you already have.

You don’t need anything more. We already have more than enough.

Revelation Trip 2015 Conclusion: A bitter sweet symphony

By Grant Boatwright, ED Veritas Life Adventures

I know, a really cliche throwback reference to a great song; both dating myself and hopefully giving you a bit of a chuckle at the same time.  However, I cannot think of any better way to sum up the 2015 Revelation Trip with our graduating (well graduated now) Seeker men.  And much like a symphony's crescendo, the trip delivered a beautifully harmonized and emphatic climax to all our time, trials, growth, perseverance, setbacks, and triumphs that brought our Seekers 'there and back again'.  No great journey is accomplished without pain, both good and bad, and only the truly great ones continue on past their destinations.

I believe I can honestly say that for these 3 men, they were able to accomplish their journey with Veritas Life Adventures through the pains of growth, physical and spiritual hardships, and nutritional barriers better than anyone could have hoped or anticipated at their acceptance into the program.  In addition, I know that is not the end for these men as they returned home graduated Seekers of the program, but their true beginning into the lifestyle and application of all that they have learned over their terms in the program.

May the Lord bless you and keep you, triumphant men of God, and you always hold fast to those people, lessons, and your relationship with Christ that have brought you thus far!

Now, off the box, and onto how the rest of the trip went:

Let's see where did we leave off...oh yeah 31 miles of hikes including

Workouts in the morning to get the blood and muscles prepared for the beat down to come.

Thin air, 15 min AMRAPS, not easy.

A 13 mile hike to Latir Mesa with breathtaking views stretching all the way to Colorado.

LatirMesa

A 4.6 mile plunge and return in the opposite direction down the Rio Grande Box Canyon, complete with a 'legal' swim across the Rio Gande with a current that took us about 100 feet down river from where we started!

The top of the box

Contemplating the swim

Erik having a thought half way across on our 'wow that was harder and faster current than I expected thinking rock'.

Conner's swim underway

Jathan's survival pose after swim.

The 13 mile culmination, climatic, revelation single day hike to Wheeler's summit that....of course ended in us racing down the hill being chased by storms; including, but not limited to hail!  However, it did also have some the best weather, skies, sweeping panoramas, and greatest challenge with greatest reward!

Ummm...gorgeous Wiliam's lake...nothing more.

One of those sweeping views I mentioned. This one at Williams Lake below Wheeler.

The panorama from Wheeler's summit.

Last one, I promise.

Yep, we made it!

Now for excitement on the way down: skiing (in the summer), hail, you know...the typical stuff.

Who says you need skis, or winter.

Umm, the little white things, yeah that's hail.

And so ended our day mountaineering section of the trip, having survived the elements of mountain storms and swift currents in spectacular fashion.  We also gained and lost over 8,000 feet in elevation.  Also, if you are keeping up with the millage, you'll notice it is not quite 31 on the Garmin tackers; however, we started them late on a couple of the hikes so we added what is not recorded on to make it accurate (no, we are not cheating).  Naturally we ended with a most amazing meal of meat and mashed potatoes; only we did it Veritas style and sear/baked 24 hour marinated lamb chops instead of steaks, and mashed cauliflower and parsnips instead of mashed potatoes.  Extremely hearty and delicious after such a treacherous and tumultuous hike, so I will be sure to share the recipe on our blog page shortly!

Now we took a well deserved day off from our intense activities to recuperate and rest....NOT!!!!!  With all the rain the Midwest and Mountain regions have gotten this year the Rio Grande was finally up enough in volume to allow us to brave class 3 & 4 rapids down a 13 mile white water rafting run near Taos, NM called "The Box Run".  While paradoxically serene and peaceful at times, allowing you to enjoy the sounds of the river, gazing up at circling birds of prey returning home to their nests in the canyon walls,  and watching playful river otters and leaping big horn sheep; this run could turn instantly into a gauntlet of adrenaline pumping, wave crashing, paddling for survival torrent of adventure that clears the mind, focuses the senses, and leaves you rung out and giddy with fearful joy all the way to the end!  Thank you Cottam's for another amazing water adventure down the river.

The deep breath before the plunge.

Pure elation having survived all in the boat (Rule #1).

Driving back to the cabin content, sore, and basking in the revelations of all we had accomplished, thoughts and memories of the past four years swam through my head.  I am truly a blessed man to have been able to guide these 3 young men along the path they have journeyed with us and God.

I was quite depressed that I missed their high school graduations a few weeks back and had been told that it was impossible to get video of them walking across the stage.  However, being the cheeky little devils that they are,  they were but toying with my delicate emotions as they sat me down after all our extreme adventures were over and told me to watch something they took it upon themselves to put together.  What brought me to tears in the next few minutes was as follows...

I understand it may not move you as much as it did me, but to have these men do this for me, show us all they have experienced and learned, and do this of their own volition speaks volumes.  It speaks to the men they are now: men of action, men of principle, men of faith, hope, and love, and men ready to step into the world prepared to be the leaders of tomorrow.  Cheers brothers!

As we sat down together reflecting on all the nights journals we wrestled through and reading together what it was all for in His book of Revelations; we ended with the promise of a new name on a white stone, known only to him that He gives it, and only revealed to him that believes, accepts, and follows.  And so concluded our time together on the Revelation 2015 Trip, and so concludes our time together in the 2015 Veritas year with only our woman's Seeker graduate trip to go.  So be on the lookout for her trip blog detailing her adventures soon.

And thank you on behalf of the 2015 Veritas Seeker men for sharing in our adventure!

The men after completing their first hike on the tip at Cabresto Lake.

Defeat Resistance to get what you want

By David Valentine, co-founder of Rethink
and partner/practitioner of the Veritas Lifestyle and Veritas Life Adventures

Everyday I wake up, the day has unlimited potential. I can choose to do what’s most important and life giving: Meditate, read, work-out, do incredible work at my job, and spend time with people who are most important to me. The problem is…as soon as I wake up Resistance meets me.

I capitalize Resistance for good reason, because I believe it to be a force that stands against us doing what is most important each and every day. Resistance wants to keep us from being who we are, and what we were created to do. You’ve met Resistance if you’ve ever tried a new diet or work out program. You know the voice telling you it’s too hot outside to go for a run? That’s Resistance in all of its glory. It’s the voice that employs some bit of logic to stop us from doing the things that will bring us the most satisfaction.

Here’s what Resistance tells me everyday I wake up, “You’ve got important work to do today. You run social media channels for a lot of your clients. It’s probably worth surfing the web a bit to see what’s trending to get your day started…. You need to write a few blogs today, but you need to get the perfect cup of coffee first, then find a good playlist to really set the atmosphere for creativity, your desk is a little disheveled clean it up first, maybe you need to read some articles to spur on your creativity…

Working out today, totally going to happen. You probably need to drink more water before you work out though. You are going to eat in 30 minutes, so you’re work out is going to suffer because you’re hungry. You’ll probably need to wait an hour to work out because you just ate.”

I’ve been working to beat Resistance everyday with one simple tactic.

Get stuff done.

Don’t wait until tomorrow, don’t surf the web, don’t wait until after lunch do it now. Get after the things that matter early and often. I write 3 pages every morning as soon as I get up. I wake up before Resistance does, and after he wakes up, to his dismay I’ve already accomplished something.

Today you can choose to beat Resistance by doing the things you were created to accomplish. Don’t listen to the voice telling you to put down the pen, pick up your phone, or pause before you work out. Today, get stuff done.

Disclaimer: A book I’ve been reading has been incredibly instrumental in helping in writing this blog. “The War Of Art” by Steven Pressfield speaks at length about Resistance, and how it stops us from accomplishing our goals, hopes, and dreams. I highly recommend it for anyone who is trying to achieve anything of significance.

Why Mystery Is Necessary

By David Valentine, co-founder of Rethink and partner/practitioner of the Veritas Lifestyle and Veritas Life Adventures

A couple years back I was talking with a dear friend who claimed to be an agnostic for years. I asked him if he had come to any conclusions? He said, "I've actually come to the conclusion that I'm an atheist."

"Well...that must be comforting to have figured it out," I said.

His response was unnerving, "Actually it's quite depressing. There's nothing beyond this, and I've figured out how the universe works."

What was so interesting was…I, as a Christian, had come to the exact same spot. I believed in Jesus, God, the Holy Spirit, Church, the resurrection, and I was miserable. I believed I knew how the universe worked.

Life had lost its mystery. I was depressed, and slowly the pendulum began to swing the other direction—questioning everything I thought was for certain.

Mystery, it seems, is a necessary element for the human soul to thrive. When we fall prey to the idea that we have this world figured out our soul begins to shrivel and die. It doesn't matter if we come from a religious perspective or non-religious perspective—this belief system is toxic.

The philosopher from Ecclesiastes says of God, 'He has put eternity into mankind’s heart...

An infinitude of time and space are dwelling within the finite beings of men and women. So of course we become depressed when we believe we have it all figured out, because it goes against an intrinsic voice deep in our being that whispers, "There is more.

This is why my parents used to set a place at the table for my imaginary friend when I was 3. For a child there is most certainly something or someone more than meets the eye. The universe is a great mystery, and they are just scratching the surface.

The problem is we ‘grow up’, our creativity wanes, and awe for life shrivels.

The solution to my depression was subatomic particles.

The world had lost its wonder, until I began to further examine how the world works at its smallest levels. Growing up we are all indoctrinated with Newton's understanding of the universe functions. An object will stay at rest or remain in motion until an outside force acts it upon. A + B = C. The world is predictable and acts in a certain set of predefined ways.

Which generally works in our every day lives. However, at the subatomic level, Newton's laws don't apply. Electrons do not rotate around the nucleus in defined rings, but rather appear in one location and then appear in another location. They do this without passing through the distance in between the two locations where it was seen. Not to mention the location in which it appears has no predictability.

Atoms are made up of 99.9% empty space. So if all of the empty space in atoms were removed the entire universe (Every living thing, planets, solar systems, galaxies) would fit in a sugar cube.

If two subatomic particles are merged together and then torn apart they would maintain an awareness of the other after their separation. They would mimic—it's hypothesized—one another's movements.

The universe is more bizarre, out of whack, and crazy than our daily lives would like us to believe. When brilliant subatomic physicists say things like, "Yea....we don't know why it happens that way" it tells me something about God.

God is bigger than our conceptions of him. We can use very specific language about Him and yet, we need more poetry than specifics. Because we don't know everything about Him, the universe, or the subatomic world.

I found myself walking out of depression this Spring as I slowly began to embrace the overwhelmingly beautiful truth that I don't know everything.

The universe, and God, is bigger than that.

Every step, intentional

A 30 Days of Veritas Tale

By Grant Boatwright, ED Veritas Life Adventures

One thing I have always told the Seekers in the program is, “I will never ask you to do something I am not willing to do myself.” The same goes for my buddy David when he started this #30daysofveritas initiative. So in conjunction with his lifestyle transformation I am challenging myself right alongside him to push myself further than I have before, trying to outdo one another in honor, and keeping each other accountable in what to American’s seems an eternity of time: 30 days straight of the Veritas Lifestyle, no matter the circumstances. Like David pointed out, this would not be easy; no simple pill or instant gratification will see this accomplished, so the only thing to do to make it to day 30 is begin with…

Every step, intentional

My #30daysofveritas fell just before a long 2-week road trip my wife and I had planned for two years: journeying across southern US states from Texas, up the southeast coast, cutting across the Smokey Mountains, visiting her graduate school and family in the northern heartland of Indiana and Illinois, and finally circling back to Texas where we began. How in the world was I going to keep the Veritas lifestyle going on the road, driving for multiple hours a day, no home gym to work out in, and having to miss our church home group multiple weeks? Unable to feed my body what it needs, work it out, or feed my soul in the usual, easy, and routine ways I had formed around my house, I was going to have to get inventive.

Every step, intentional

So I packed an extra bag of small workout gear: bands, push-up stands, my new suspension TRX toy, and my body weight (plenty of resistance there) for my workouts. We got easy snacks full of nutrition and light on calories for the long car rides: dried seaweed (like potato chips but better), kind bars (for that sweet tooth), kombucha (for digestion), and superfood bars (for extra nutrition). And of course to feed our souls we got a inspirational yet hard audio book (Unbroken) to realign our perspective and see how a man in TRULY overwhelming circumstances found and kept his faith, soul, and will alive!

Every step, intentional

The first part of the trip went swimmingly. Woke up at 4 am to work out with Jashley and start the road trip off right. Didn’t buy any extra snacks at gas stations (really wanted those powdered donuts). Then the storm broke… literally. The setting was our 7-mile hike to LeConte lodge in the Smokey Mountains National Park, Tennessee; this is where we really had to remember

Every step, intentional

Just like the 30 days of Veritas, we had an end goal when we started the trail: the lodge.  At the end of the 7-mile trek, the lodge promised both a comfortable bed and equally comforting dinner. Along the steady incline, lined with beautiful ferns, towering pines and oaks, and even boasting a rainbow waterfall; the thunder rolled in, and on came the pouring rain.

View fullsize

JGRainbowFalls

Every step intentional

Although we knew how long the trail was, and were fairly sure we were on the right one, the trail did not have any progress markers. To further compound our anxiety, we got a late start, 3:45 pm, and needed to be at the lodge no later than 6:45 pm or we would miss the very much-desired meal.

Every step, intentional

So with the thunder rolling around us, the rain blinding us, the slate rocks on the trial growing increasingly slippery, no indicators of how far we had hiked or how much we had left, Jashley accurately described our predicament as, “not being able to see the forest from the trees.” We had an end goal, but no way of knowing when, or if, we would reach it. Every bend in the trail looked the same, every tree looked like the next, and next, and next. Tired, moving slow, the incline of the trail only increasing, our wills started fraying. But this is why I train and why Jashley and I live the Veritas lifestyle. So, with my mind and will steeled, I encouraged Jashley (and myself really) to take it one step at a time, and make

Every step, intentional

At 6:30 we finally reached the trail fork I knew was near the end, just .6 miles of steep slippery slate rock trail to go (what the lodge staff called the hellish .6); and 15 minutes to do it. At 6:45 exactly we stumbled into the dinning hall, soaking, physically spent, and mentally haggard; but there, still waiting for us, was an abundant, steaming, mouth-watering meal. After dinner, the clouds broke, a beautiful sunset was arrayed before a breathtaking view of the valley below and we found a roof and soft bed inviting us in.

Leconteview

Every step, intentional

I want to tell you it was smooth sailing from there, but as I have always found in life, obstacles keep coming, trying to bring you down. However, I would not let my 30 days of Veritas falter.

When one of our friends could no longer host us, and as I was stuck in a 4X4 hotel “fitness center” I still got a good Insanity Max workout in. When, at a local park near my cousin’s house I tried to get some sprints in (via David’s inspiration) I misstepped, rolled my foot to the outside, and heard an old injury return in the form of two quick pops. My high intensity plyometric and run training on the trip was finished. For every step forward, it seemed like I was doomed to take four back; but I was determined to push forward, nurse my foot back to health, and make

Every step, intentional

I am now reduced to yoga and Tabata style controlled movement interval workouts. The foot is healing. Despite the temptation to eat out since we are technically on “vacation,” I kept up with my Shakeology meals and healthy eating. Then we get a phone text. My mother-in-law took a bad fall at work and fractured her femur; the news is still coming in. Needless to say it was a kick in the gut, especially after such a great day of work and presentations the day before at Jashley’s grad school. However, with consistent prayer and pulling together I know this will work out in the end, as long as we continue with

Every step, intentional

And so, my 30 days of Veritas tale continues. It has its valleys, and its peaks; and through it all I know I have Him with me. He tells me to take courage, that He will never forsake me (Joshua 1:5-7), that He has plans for me; which He promises to see to fruition, to benefit me, and give me a life of abundance (John 10:10, and Jeremiah 29:11). I am confident now that the good work I am doing during my 30 days of Veritas and beyond will not return void; that whether in my body, my mind, or my soul, through Christ I will see His work in me accomplished (Philippians 1:6).

In summation, I am seeing my body tested, but growing stronger. I am seeing that you CAN eat healthy on the road. And in all this I continue to see my faith and spirit awakened more each day. All I need do is continue with what I started, one foot in front of the other, keeping…

Every step, Intentional 

Now I ask you, what will your #30daysofveritas tale be?