A Hangover With No Drinking

Today I spent the morning chained to a computer, and honestly, it had its own kind of enjoyment in it, working deep on the visual language for the business we're building. It went well. We each bring different instincts and languages to the table, but somehow we listened well enough to let the whole thing move forward without stalling.

Time slipped by quickly, and by the time we finally left the office, real ground had been covered. All that remained was to actually do the work. But riding back to school in the cab, I noticed something following me, a familiar kind of tiredness I hadn't felt in years.

Not physical. Mental. The kind of dull weight you'd expect from a hangover that refuses to lift, minus any of the drinking that would've earned it. Pulling on my gear for the evening session, I knew I had two options. Take it easy. Or train hard, and let the body do what it does best, pull everything back into balance.

I chose the second, and it turned out to be the best decision of the day. I trained hard, wearing the kind of grin a man wears when he's simply enjoying being alive and doesn't need a reason why. I loved every minute of it, basics, forms, and a bit of time helping a few students my coach had asked me to check on. Sweat, laughter, and underneath all of it, that particular feeling of balance I've come to treat as ordinary now, almost expected.

A good reminder, in the end, however busy things get, the real key to feeling right sits in the space between mind and body. It's not a hard thing to reach. I just have to keep choosing to make it a priority.