mental-health

Embracing Presence: Finding Solitude in a Busy World

Empty chairlift over misty mountains with clouds below
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Empty chairlift over misty mountains with clouds below

The snow is starting to melt, and just like that, another ski season in Utah is coming to an end.

It wasn’t the season we hoped for.
Dry. Unpredictable. At times, challenging.

But we still showed up.
And somehow, that made it matter even more.

The first weekend of April is one I’ll hold onto. I spent it up at Solitude and Brighton with my niece, catching what felt like some of the last real powder days. Amazing good ‘carfuga’ snow, time together, and being present in it. 🙂

That’s what I’ve come to appreciate more each season. Not chasing perfect conditions, but recognizing when I’m actually there… fully in it.

Since then, life has picked up pace.

Work. Commitments. Saying yes to things without really stopping to ask why. It’s been full. Maybe too full.

Yesterday gave me a different kind of perspective.

I went on a discovery flight out by the Oquirrh Mountains in West Jordan. At one point, I was handed the controls. Bank left. Bank right. A full 360. Climbing and descending over the valley.

And in that moment, something shifted.

Up there, there’s no noise. No distractions. No notifications. Just space.

It felt like unplugging in its simplest form.

Not just from devices… but from the constant pull to do more… be more… keep up.

Just being.

Earlier this season, I met a friend at Deer Valley who’s been sending me weekly quotes. One has stayed with me:

“The worst thing you can do is nothing… The second worst thing you can do is everything. Focus.” – Eli Amash

That one lands a little deeper right now.

Because if I’m honest, this past month hasn’t been about doing nothing, it’s been about doing everything. Filling every gap. Moving from one thing to the next without much space to breathe.

And that’s the tension.

Unplugging, for me, was never about stepping away from life. It’s about stepping back into it, with intention. Creating space to hear what actually matters. Letting go of the noise so something more meaningful can come through.

The mountains have always been that place for me.

The quiet on a chairlift.
The stillness after a run.
The way everything slows down just enough to notice.

And even yesterday, up in the air, I felt that same thing.

A reminder.

Spring has a way of inviting a reset.

A chance to realign.
To focus.
To choose presence over pace.

I don’t need to do everything.

I just need to stay connected to what matters most… and have the discipline to unplug from the rest.

That’s the work.

And maybe that’s the point of all of this. May we “Focus”, and remember to “not do nothing”, yet to also “not do everything”.

A special shoutout to Jordan with Aerotech Aviation for being an amazing guide and instructor, he delivered more than I expected and I for sure will return to fly again.

The Benefits of Unplugging: A Year-End Reflection

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As the year winds down, I find myself thinking less on what I accomplished and more on how I lived.

This year gave me a gift I didn’t fully appreciate until I slowed down: time unplugged.

Just recently, I spent two unforgettable days in Moab with my wonderful nieces. Red rock canyons, blue open skies, and the kind of laughter that only shows up when phones stay in pockets. No schedules. No notifications. Just presence. Those days were a reminder that the outdoors has a way of recalibrating us, quietly and powerfully.

That same sense of grounding showed up again over the many weeks I spent in Maui this year. Beaches that stretch forever, waterfalls tucked into jungle hikes, long climbs into the mountains, and, most importantly, unhurried, well‑deserved rest and recovery time with my soul mate. Maui has a rhythm that doesn’t care about inboxes or algorithms. You either match it, or it gently forces you to.

Somewhere between Moab and Maui, I realized something simple but important: unplugging isn’t about escaping life, it’s about returning to it.

A close friend of mine put this into words better than I ever could when he shared his experience with No Phone Sundays. His message really stuck with me:

Been doing it for around 5 months and place my phone on my nightstand or corner of the counter (out of sight out of mind). Since doing this it has alleviated stresses I have about Mondays and starting the week in general and has promoted a good energy in me as well as excitement to start the week. Not checking emails, social media, texts has allowed me to have a day where I don’t feel tied to anything and can really focus on unwinding and resting without distractions. It’s also cultivated a better home environment with higher quality time spent with my wife and kids making the day overall much more enjoyable. Good to give ourselves a break.

There’s wisdom in that simplicity. One day. No phone. No noise. Just rest, connection, and space to reset. Are you up for the challenge? I for one will give it a go!

As I close out the year, I’m carrying this lesson forward… I don’t want more screen time, more hustle, or more urgency. I want deeper conversations, clearer thinking, stronger relationships, and the kind of energy that comes from actually being present.

If this year taught me anything, it’s that the best moments don’t come from being constantly connected, they come from intentionally disconnecting.

Here’s to closing the year grounded, grateful, and a little more unplugged! For me, my plan is to step into the next one rested, recharged, and ready.

First Comes Love… Then Comes Marriage…

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Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Then comes baby in a baby carriage!!

This month, my youngest child celebrated another birthday. As I gave him a hug and patted his bum the amount of times of his age (a tradition from his first birthday) I reflected on how quickly the years have gone by and thought about how it felt like it was just yesterday that I was holding him in my arms, cradling him to sleep.

How fast time seems to slip by and how I am in awe sometimes as to how I and my lovely wife made it through our children being babies, to being toddlers, to children, teenagers, and now young adults! I reflect on the good times, focusing on our successes and reminiscing on the failures and learning experiences we had in raising our children.

For those who are looking for counsel as to how to be more successful in your parenting endeavors, I would say, read, re-read, and read again,  The Family: A Proclamation to the World. It is in this proclamation, that you will find the secret nuggets of wisdom which will guide you and give you the roadmap on how to be successful. One of my ‘ah ha’ excerpts from this guide is how it states that Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness. What a profound statement!

How does one raise their children in love and righteousness? Well, there are so many opinions out there, yet for what I have found, following the counsel given in the book Successful Marriages and Families: Proclamation Principles and Research Perspectives, edited by Alan J. Hawkins, David C. Dollahite, and Thomas W. Draper (2020) and learning the Authoritative Parenting Style you will be just that, successful! I really like how the book talks about ‘Love, Limits, and Latitude in Parenting’. Check out the following excerpts:

“The first of the three characteristics of authoritative parenting is Love, or connection. Brigham Young counseled, “Kind looks, kind actions, kind words, and a lovely, holy deportment toward them will bind our children to us with bands that cannot easily be broken; while abuse and unkindness will drive them from us.” Prophetic statements such as these, supported by research, suggest that warm and responsive parenting tends to promote lasting bonds between parents and children and “felt security” within children.” (Eds., Hawkins, et al. 2020, p. 108).

“The second element of authoritative parenting is Limits, known in the scholarly literature as regulation. Finding ways to effectively help children learn how to regulate their own behavior in noncoercive ways is one of the most challenging parts of authoritative parenting. Determining how and when to tighten or loosen the reins requires considerable creativity, effort, and inspiration.” (Eds., Hawkins, et al. 2020, p. 109).

“The third component of authoritative parenting is Latitude, or autonomy. Children benefit from being given choices and appropriate levels of latitude to make their own decisions in a variety of domains. Children learn and grow by learning how to make choices within limits that are acceptable to parents.” (Eds., Hawkins, et al. 2020, p. 112).

As babies come into our lives, we become parents, and I feel that as we become parents, we naturally learn how to love our children; we naturally set limits with our children; and I would even say we naturally learn how to give our children the autonomy needed to become who they are meant to become. We need to have faith in knowing that God will direct us, guide us, and lead us to knowing exactly how best to parent our children. In the premortal existence, we were born from a loving Father and Mother and I firmly believe that our heavenly parents taught us about our divine destiny, one of the most divine callings being that of being a parent. Let us remember this and give the best that we can in loving the children that are given to us to raise in love in righteousness.

References

Eds., A.J.H.D.C.D.T.W. D. (2020). Successful Marriages and Families: Proclamation Principles and Research Perspectives. BYU Bookstore Publishing Services. https://online.vitalsource.com/books/9780842528030

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (1995). The Family: A Proclamation to the World. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/the-family-a-proclamation-to-the-world/the-family-a-proclamation-to-the-world?lang=eng