Primal Stride is an effort by me, Seth Simonds, to share with you my discoveries in a search for a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle.
I am:
-A writer
-A thinker
-A friend
-A guinea pig/test victim for new ideas
I am NOT:
-A personal trainer
-A doctor
-A sleep therapist
-A psychiatrist
-Martha Stewart
-Dr. Phil
In my search to discover why I slept poorly, ate badly, communicated ineffectively, and was generally unhappy; I came across countless road maps to success. I tried many of them only to discover that the map was meant for a car with better tires, a more powerful engine, or greater ground clearance. I specifically remember one diet that seemed to require unicycle-like balance for success.
The Sleep professionals told me to go to bed at the same time every night. But my life isn’t so rigid that I can hop into bed at the same time every night. I didn’t need to know to stay in bed for 8 hours. I needed to know how to rest.
Health professionals told me to eat less and exercise more. But the only ways they offered customization was for me to type my height and weight into a calculator and stare at the three digits standing between me and “success”. I needed to know how to manage my hunger and motivate myself.
Sociologists told me to reach out and be honest with everybody. But they didn’t tell me what it meant to be honest or how to find balance between new friends and old battle-mates. They didn’t offer ways to help me get to know myself better so I’d have a fighting chance at honesty. I needed to know how to create and enjoy a connection with different kinds of people without feeling compelled to change myself.
Psychologists told me to smile and watch the world smile back. But they didn’t tell me how to find smiles when the whole world was frowning along with me. I needed to understand where my own happiness came from and how to find joy in spite of my circumstances.
I was standing in a lake of knowledge with no way to bring any back to my dehydrated life. I needed information that wasn’t just informational, but actionable. I needed to know why things worked and how to make them fit into my own life.
So I started trying things and keeping track of how they worked for me. Not just the specific numbers (such as how much I was sleeping each night and when), but the intangibles (how I felt when I woke up and what I thought about before falling asleep). I found that I had a certain rhythm. A primal beat, as it were, that seemed to play a role in why some things improved my life while others were simple nuisances. With each new focus, I gained greater insight into how I function as a person. With each decision, I had a better idea of which step to take next. With each step, I had a better sense of rhythm. I call that process my primal stride.
Sharing that process with you and understanding your thoughts, concerns, and suggestions is why Primal Stride exists. I’m blessed to be here.
Best to you!
Seth
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