greg mckeown — Blog

Last weekend I re-visited to the Appalachian Trail in an attempt to hike double-digits on a day hike (a feat I have yet to accomplish and one of my 2019 goals). Unfortunately, I miscalculated the start date of daylight savings and was only able to eke out 9 miles before sunset.

My reward for trying (other than soreness, strength, and the satisfaction of a whole four and half hours in the woods by myself) was getting out of the woods in the magical time of around a half hour after sunset. The autumn leaves lit up in a show as the fiery sky allowed its last traces of light on the day. It was breathtaking.

I chose the book Essentialism by Greg McKeown to listen to on the hour-long drive to the trail. Mindfully choosing audiobooks in order to ponder new thoughts and ideas in the silence of my solo hikes is a ritual I have written about before. However, the day prior, I also got the lucky chance to meet one of the legends of rock climbing, Alex Honnold, who has greatly inspired my thinking and approach to life. Alex made a whirlwind trip from El Capitan to my climbing gym and back again in order to give a talk on the impact of giving, to share some cool new stories, and to sign autographs.

Over those 4.5 hours on the hike, there was a lot of time to think. The gratitude I felt from manifesting the dream I had to meet Alex (and more specifically to shake his hand) was palpable and a feeling I carried with me the entire hike. But, more importantly, his words stuck with me. During the talk, he spoke about the privilege of being born into the comfort and relative safety of a developed country and the moral imperative that drives his own philanthropy. He approaches life with gratitude, not only because he is living his dream, but also because it is what allows him to make the biggest impact.

Essentialism echos these sentiments in its own way. It is a book about mindfully curating a life that fires you up. McKeown emphasizes the importance of creating time to think, something that Alex had plenty of time for on one of his deep water soloing expeditions, which he told us ultimately inspired him to create the Honnold Foundation. McKeown advocates focusing our energy, time, and efforts on the tasks and ideas that allow us to make the highest possible contribution to the world. In a capitalist meritocracy of “more, more, more” where burnout is a badge of honor, he asks us whether busy is the enemy of true productivity. In pursuing fulfillment there is another path. It is to define what is essential and to relentlessly focus on only those things, saying “no” to everything else.

So, my hike became an opportunity to further refine my intentions and to let go… I resolve to continue to use my time to write, to teach, and to protect the natural world and its inhabitants, aiming to always lead with gratitude. I will also remember the necessity of carving out time to think, to ponder, to enjoy nature and the gifts of being alive.