Mark:

I mean I’ll feed me

your I tend to I tend to be mellow. My track. I keep my track mellow.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

Yeah.

Justin:

Your mellow track.

Mark:

My mellow track.

Justin:

It’s like a soda.

Mark:

Yeah.

Justin:

Mountain yellow yellow mellow.

Mark:

Mellow yellow. Yeah.

Justin:

Mellow yellow.

Mark:

Yeah. We played a game the other night. Chris got a neat game. Um it basically there’s a there’s a bunch of uh letters around and you get a topic like, you know, uh female names and then you have to go around and each person has ten seconds to think of a one. There’s letters that aren’t there, but you know A B C right around and so uh Yeah, there were uh sodas.

Justin:

Uh

Mark:

names of sodas came to mind. It’s pretty you know, I was going way back there, you know, Fanta and you know just some of the

Justin:

still is a thing.

Mark:

It it is, but I I think about I haven’t Sure, I maybe I had some like over uh over the holidays, but I think I’ve been like three or four years without drinking a soda.

Justin:

Really?

Mark:

This far, yeah. I mean intentionally, you know, just like drinking a whole soda. We I think we had some ginger ale you know, in a punchy stuff, but yeah. Before that. Well, like I say, it’s just been uh I haven’t missed it.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

Yeah.

Justin:

It’s if if it’s a that’s a good one to avoid if you can

Mark:

Yeah, I think so.

Justin:

But yeah.

Mark:

But So yeah. But it made me think about it. It’s like, man, yeah, going way back.

Justin:

Did you come up with any other nibs that were

Mark:

Oh well like you say the mellow yellow, the Mountain Dew, you know, all those uh Dr. P uh Mr Pib.

Justin:

Mr. Pib, yeah.

Mark:

Yeah.

Justin:

Which I don’t think mellow yellow is a thing anymore. It became

Mark:

Or did it become something else? Sundrop?

Justin:

No, it became something else and now I think it’s called starry.

Mark:

Really?

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

Had no clue.

Justin:

Sierra Mist.

Mark:

Really? No, Sierra really?

Justin:

Uh I don’t know. I thought

Mark:

Days of Thunder, you remember Days of Thunder? He drove the mellow yellow car.

Justin:

Yeah Yeah, but I mean Mellow Yellow is not a thing anymore. No, I don’t remember that.

Mark:

You don’t? Oh, okay. A Tom Cruise movie. Okay. Sorry. Might be

Justin:

I actually never saw that movie

Mark:

Oh I think that was that was I think that was like when he f first met Nicole Kidman maybe being on the scenes of Mellow Yellow or uh Days of Thunder. Yeah. I’m not recommending it necessarily as a movie to watch, but yeah, made me think of it. Yeah. A little flashback for some of some some of the folks from my generation.

Justin:

Days of thunder.

Mark:

Yep. Welcome to How I See It with me, Mark Pratt

Justin:

and Justin Sternberg. This is a podcast that works to counter cultural polarization through thoughtful conversations. Yeah, so uh Speaking of days of thunder.

Mark:

Yeah.

Justin:

It’s uh about to be the new year.

Mark:

It is. Yes, it is.

Justin:

2024.

Mark:

Yes. 2024.

Justin:

Those years they just keep rolling.

Mark:

They do.

Justin:

You know?

Mark:

It’s kind of fun.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

Yeah.

Justin:

Do you remember Y2K?

Mark:

Oh, I well, I was just thinking about that. John is actually the same age as the year. Because he was he was a Y2K baby. Yeah. His uh his actual well he’s uh his birthday will be tomorrow.

Justin:

Nice.

Mark:

So there’s basically three days three days out of the year that his you know chronological age doesn’t match the year. So there’s three days and twenty-three that he’ll be twenty-four.

Justin:

That makes it too easy. How old are you? Hmm, what year is it? Yeah

Mark:

And the funny part of that is he’s he’s thirty years I’m thirty years older than him, so it matches up with mine as well. So I’m fifty-four and twenty-four. Yeah So

Justin:

that’s pretty handy. Yeah, I would like to have a trick like that. I don’t know. I was born in eighty-three. That really is not a great

Mark:

You were born the year my brother brother graduated from high school.

Justin:

That’s why

Mark:

Yeah, that’s that’s that’s that’s exactly like so just ask him what reunion he’s on, that’s how old you are.

Justin:

There you go.

Mark:

Yeah, now you have something to

Justin:

41st

Mark:

Yeah.

Justin:

So you just had a good one probably.

Mark:

He might have. Maybe. I’m sure they do. I’ve never been. He went back to Troy and like spoke at the you know clo the graduating class reunion to

Justin:

his 40 year

Mark:

Yeah, I think so. Something like that.

Justin:

Nice. Very nice.

Mark:

‘Cause they do the you know, the eighty-three, the ninety -three, you know, there’s a spokesman from each mm class that kinda speaks. Yeah.

Justin:

That’s cool

Mark:

Yeah. Days of Thunder.

Justin:

Days of Thunder.

Mark:

So yeah.

Justin:

2024. Yeah, 2024. Days of Thunder.

Mark:

Yes, I do remember Y2K.

Justin:

Okay.

Mark:

They answer your question. We were uh Chris and I s were at the ’cause that the hospital had John. We were. Well, John had been born on the twenty-eight.

Justin:

Wow. Yeah. So

Mark:

as of the 31st, basically, we had the option. It’s like, do we go home? you know, and brave it out just away from everybody because you know the hospital is kind of in town, in the city, if you will, city of Elmira. And it’s like, you know, well we

Justin:

Elvira

Mark:

Elvira that was. But yeah. Uh either way, yeah. Well, you know, do we do we stick it out here in the city in the hospital where, you know Yeah, if things shut down, the generators are gonna kick on and you know, we can ride it out a little bit, but

Justin:

maybe everyone’s

Mark:

Yeah, and then you know all all anarchy’s gonna break out in the big city. So yeah, we went home and uh braved it out there, but it was you know Yeah, but I remember I remember the anxiety of sorts that that kind of went along with that, you know, the computers are gonna shut down when they go to zero zero.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

Yeah.

Justin:

What’s funny about that is how Fe I mean I was young, so I guess I didn’t have a good maybe a great perspective on it, but it seemed like literally no one knew if it would gonna mess up or not.

Mark:

Right. Yeah, that was the whole question.

Justin:

Yeah. And I remember scary. What are our computers gonna do? I don’t know. Ask the programmer. I don’t know. I wasn’t there, you know like

Mark:

it was that conflict between cobalt and you know and These other, you know, programs, it’s like yeah, I remember that. And Larry Briquette, I remember him, you know, he was a big proponent that the whole financial systems would shut down and He they didn’t. But like you say, I think he I give him credit. I think there was a lot of people I’m not sure it made all that difference, but I think there was a lot of people that were proactive about it. That probably helped in some ways that we may not may never know of, but

Justin:

interesting movie The guy who prevented Y2Gay. There you go.

Mark:

Yeah. But I think in that in that context

Justin:

Or no, Y2K24.

Mark:

There you go. In that context, when you think about preventative you know, things or planning for the future or yeah, in that process of 2024, planning with the end in mind sometimes as we uh as we talk about. What comes to mind for you?

Justin:

What about you, Mark? Yeah, I’ll be honest and say my I uh I’ve been real focused just on getting some side work done and

Mark:

Okay.

Justin:

My my mind has been very occupied for the last. Yeah. Yeah.

Mark:

Just one just doing the next thing.

Justin:

That’s right. Yeah. Yeah. Yep

Mark:

Yeah.

Justin:

Yeah, haven’t really had an opportunity to reflect in that way, but I’m glad we’re talking about it because I I I I I enjoy that part, right?

Mark:

Sure. Is that something you would routinely do? I mean is this year a little different for you in that context?

Justin:

Um I was never I was never like uh flip the year over and have all the pl like For me, January was kind of the huh, it’s January, it’s time you know, it’s kinda like kicked off those thoughts more than more than kind of rolling into the new year with so But yeah, typically I think one of the things we’ve done uh you know, Megan and I and you know through the years have kind of chosen a word for the year. Which, you know kind of s tries to set up kind of a kind of a mental mindset for the year, I guess, I think is a good way to put it. And I like doing that. Um but yeah, as far as I I also not I I have a a blog post actually and we probably talk about it a lot of times. I’m not a huge fan of specific goals as much as I um desire to have like long term goals that, you know, can’t necessarily be met in a year. Um that but I’ve also kind of vacillated on that. I th I think goals are good. I don’t I don’t think I think it’s silly to say they’re bad, but I think they can be tyrannic tyr tyrannical.

Mark:

Sure.

Justin:

If if not um held loosely.

Mark:

So you’re not you’re definitely not a resolutions guy.

Justin:

Nope.

Mark:

No. I got

Justin:

been a resolutions guy.

Mark:

I understand.

Justin:

You know, and I thought that would be the you know, like the th

Mark:

Yeah.

Justin:

I I think it turned out okay not to be a res resolutions guy. Like I don’t I don’t think I missed out on opportunities, but um But yeah, how about you?

Mark:

Well I was thinking you you mentioned uh you mentioned vacillation, you know. And so then I tend to think of those, you know, as we’ve talked about before, the love styles. You know, and you know, that first stage is, you know, um stress management. We have those styles because we, you know, have a certain stress and we adapt. But uh uh the second stage of that is uh self and others awareness. And I think that’s what um what my next year, you know, is about for me thinking about my self-awareness not in a not in a way that makes it selfish not that in a way that I’m selfishly focused but ways in which I desire to grow in the ne in the coming year and I think part of that growth is that ability to know myself a little better as I age, that kind of thing. And I think for me, sometimes the you know, what I think about for what I’m thinking about now for twenty twenty four in some ways are the things that I didn’t get done in twenty twenty-three. You know, that kind of roll those things over, but yet I’m also growing in a

Justin:

like your self-awareness. Still haven’t gotten it.

Mark:

Yeah, exactly. Just waves. Is that one That’s that’s a part of it. Oh god. Yeah, continuing to grow in self-awareness. And I think um I think part of it for me is maybe even in some ways um pulling back Not n I’m I’m still wrestling with this, but um I think at times Um, there’s something to be said for being forthright and having, you know, just addressing the issue And you know, and in my line of work, I routinely do that, you know, with people in such a way that is rather forthright. And I can probably stand to kind of pull that back just a little bit.

Justin:

Really?

Mark:

Yeah, I’m I’m thinking about that. I think it’s more so with my family. You know, because I’ve definitely, you know, just plotted right ahead into a difficult topic and I probably could have used a little more tact. You know, I probably could have used a little more I could have done it more gracefully. Yeah, that kind of thing. And I think, you know, especially, you know, with my with with Lizzie and and Chris, you know, they’re just a you know, a little more on the softer side, which is good, but yeah, I just need to be because sometimes I’m I I know Chris is fully aware You know, she has self-awareness and yet sometimes I see that and I might address something in a forthright manner that makes it seem as if I’m being critical of her.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

Even though I know she’s aware and she might be aware that I’m aware, but it’s not something that I need to necessarily you know, say hey, what are you thinking about this, you know, or what do you want to do about that? Or you know, that kind of thing. So That’s a part of it for 2024.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

Yeah.

Justin:

That makes sense.

Mark:

Growing in that. And I think there’s a part of it too. Um, and I think I think from my perspective, um W how I view the aging process is also changing my 2024, you know, as far as um thinking about changing up some Some of my exercise habits, you know, kind of areas that I need to focus a little more on. You know, maybe a little less running That just kinda you know, it’s not like

Justin:

tears down the body.

Mark:

Yeah. It’s not like I need to drop you know, lose calories. I’m not burning calories. I need to hold muscle maybe a little more, you know.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

As I’m growing. I mean granted it it’s a it’s a it’s a balance.

Justin:

It is.

Mark:

Type thing. But I am that that that is something that I’m aware of. Um and in that process I’m thinking about my uh my spiritual aspects of still wrestling with that. what I do in my strength w versus how I wait on God. In some ways that’s another component for me as far as and maybe it’s still out of that awareness piece that I’m recognizing okay these things are far bigger than I am. And how do I kind of pull back? Because I think there is that age that a part of the aging process has helped me recognize that my energy isn’t sufficient.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

You know? And it just tends to wear my body down trying to think that way.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

You know, it’s futile.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

Much like scripture talks about. But you know, and then I think, you know, there’s just I’m uh I think with my parents, you know, I’m more mindful of like end of life type dynamics, you know. And I I think in some ways uh you when you mentioned the um the the word of the year, you know, my word of the year type thing. Um I’m wrestling, not wrestling, but um part of mine is that ability to Confidence isn’t the right word and but yet it’s an aspect of Recognizing that I need to be mindful of what I’m doing because I respect the fact that my in other words for an example, I’m just thinking of different people that I pray for who have fallen, you know, in their old and I and I tend to think about that now because it’s like I used to be able to stand on a six foot stepladder, eight foot, you know, on the very top. and reach something, you know. But I just realize I’ve I’ve noticed that my balance isn’t the same as it used to be You know, to where that’s that’s foolish for me. Well it was foolish then. Clarification. It was foolish then. But I could do it.

Justin:

Yes

Mark:

Because my body was able. But it’s like now

Justin:

it’s like people who say, I’m a functioning drunk or function functioning alcoholic. It’s like, well, yeah, pr maybe.

Mark:

Yeah. But I think, you know, so those are the things that I’m a little more aware of. what my body can and can’t do or isn’t, you know, as able to do as it used to. And just being able to admit that And then adjust in such a way that continues to, you know, say, okay, it’s it’s okay to amend, it’s okay to adjust, and yet we can still have a, you know, God confidence that I don’t have to pull back in a fearful state. Yeah. I guess is that’s that’s kind of the difference. It’s like Helping me recognize what is real.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

What is Still looking for that word. So

Justin:

Well, yeah. It’s kind of like the golden goose analogy where you could keep you know, like right now the g you know, as you’ve live like the the golden eggs keep popping out kinda for free and now it’s like well if I do certain things I might cook the golden goose. So I gotta be careful about you know so it’s more like I don’t know, it’s like a perspective on longevity.

Mark:

Yeah.

Justin:

That’s a good word.

Mark:

That is a good word.

Justin:

You’re free to use it if you like

Mark:

I appreciate that. This

Justin:

idea of like confidence. Not it’s not losing confidence, but it’s like adjusting what you’re confident in for the purposes of longevity. Yeah.

Mark:

No offense, I don’t think that’s quite the word yet. I see the questioning in your own eyes, you know, as you think about it. But yeah. I’m hearing a voice inside my head that says that’s the word.

Justin:

Sorry. That’s the word. Uh anyway, yeah, no, that’s all but the um kinda all the things you said seem to be geared towards How can I adjust right towards kind of longevity. Like being being able to do what you’re doing but at an adjusted level that says I can keep doing

Mark:

Yeah.

Justin:

Yeah. Running is a good one ’cause I feel like uh It makes me think of Megan’s dad who um owned, say maybe ten ten years ago or something. He was running like thirteen miles a day.

Mark:

Sure.

Justin:

And he just he loved it. Like he he was just He I mean when you talk about runners high, I think I think he was high all the time. Thirteen miles a day. Uh but it destroyed his knees. Okay. And he can’t run now. So you know, he does other things. But um Yeah, it’s it’s running is one of things those things that’s kinda I feel like it’s kind of a young man’s game.

Mark:

Yeah.

Justin:

Just my perspective on uh people who are runners and then they end up having bad knees, bad so many things hips Bad hips and I kinda said, you know, I shouldn’t have r pushed it, you know, run as much or but I don’t know. Granted I’m not in that cat

Mark:

I’m not in that category, but like you say, a three, four miler is fine with me, but you know Yeah.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

And then yeah, I that’s that’s part of that. It’s like, okay, what is enough?

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

And granted, I’m aware, you know, like when we play Frisbee. You know, you’re out there on a grass, you know, field. Yeah. You know, it’s far different than, you know, running on Macadam or you know, stuff like that pavement, you know, that does kind of and I

Justin:

wear on the joints.

Mark:

Yeah. So yeah.

Justin:

Yeah. I like to save my running four Frisbee, so

Mark:

I hear you.

Justin:

Preserve it all to try and catch John as much as I can.

Mark:

No offense. Good luck with that.

Justin:

I haven’t had much.

Mark:

That is one thing I gave up on a few years ago. Yeah. Yeah.

Justin:

Boy, don’t stop running.

Mark:

It’s just so easy for him to run fast. Yeah. That’s the yeah, yeah, that’s the beauty of it.

Justin:

Not just run fast. I mean he he uh he just like has this natural springy mo like motion, you know what I mean? Where I don’t know.

Mark:

Yeah. It was uh it was fun. We did uh actually Good Christmas memory. We played some flag football.

Justin:

Oh wow.

Mark:

Yeah. And uh they were they were b over over Christmas, well prior to the weekend before Christmas. But uh yeah, it was good. I’m busting on John just a little bit. I think uh You know, ’cause he would the minute we’d get the football on our end, he’d fly up the field. But fortunately for me, we were playing flag football.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

So if I timed it just right, I could swivel my hip enough to move the flag and he would go flying right on by and then you know then it was far. You know, the rest of my family members were a little more evenly you know, even th physical ability. You know. So once I got by John, it was like, okay, I’m I’m much better off now. But yeah, the the timing was everything. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But there was a s I I I I think I I think I’m pretty sure I had the uh I uh he had missed my flags more times than he got in on that kick off return type stuff. Well done. Yeah. They were bust on me because I was stretching out later. It’s like, well hey, you know, those hips flexors I can still stretch them but you know it’s all that movement you gotta be able to do with those flags but yeah yeah that was fun but yeah

Justin:

that’s awesome

Mark:

fun times

Justin:

so which side of the family was that one

Mark:

That was uh that was my mom’s side of the family.

Justin:

Okay, cool.

Mark:

Yep.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

Yep. That was when we went up to Pennsylvania.

Justin:

Nice.

Mark:

Be able to yeah.

Justin:

Well last time I played flag football, I did that to my fingers.

Mark:

That crooked uh ring finger finger.

Justin:

Crooked ring finger, yeah.

Mark:

Yeah.

Justin:

Yeah. That was with the Jenny Klein’s family. She would

Mark:

Oh wow

Justin:

He she would be very appalled to know I s I t said uh called her out on that, but it wasn’t their fault, that was just uh like a bad like a tackle and then like I jam my f I thought I jammed my finger but no it was stayed permanently like that.

Mark:

Wow. Yeah.

Justin:

So flag football you know it’s supposed to be the tamer one but sometimes I don’t know about that.

Mark:

Yeah My family tends to be a little more competitive anyway, so that’s uh tame, tame, tame competition isn’t, but yeah, it is far better than being tackled.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

No doubt. I could just imagine how much that would hurt.

Justin:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Go ahead.

Mark:

Yeah. I did take out the neighbor’s fence by accident. That was the dirty little garden fence.

Justin:

But they didn’t need that, right?

Mark:

Yeah, we’ve we got it straightened back down. It was one of those little rabbit fences.

Justin:

Oh nice.

Mark:

And I was running down or on that side to To get John’s flag and yeah, I got I saw the fence, but then I didn’t see the bricks. They w had little brick pavers at the edge of it. Well no, I I didn’t it wasn’t bad But the what the funny part was I stepped on one of those brick pavers and it slid. Oh. So then it’s like I couldn’t quite stop, so then I couldn’t catch my balance and then I fell onto the fence. So it really wasn’t a a big deal. I didn’t like full on run into the fence. If I hadn’t have slipped I could have avoided it, but didn’t see those bricks underneath the grass and away it went.

Justin:

Sound like it would hurt.

Mark:

I just kind of fell on to it.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

Yeah. It look it looked a little more

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

Hurtful than it was.

Justin:

I gotcha.

Mark:

Yeah.

Justin:

Well good job not getting hurt.

Mark:

Yeah. That’s see, that’s where I’m at. So I’m at this point of you know finding that balance of uh

Justin:

how much effort to put in and

Mark:

not getting hurt.

Justin:

Yeah, not getting hurt, yeah.

Mark:

Longevity

Justin:

Yeah. Do

Mark:

planning with the end in mind, continuing to maintain, you know, healthy physical and I th I it’s funny ’cause as we as you and I talk, you know, it’s like I I find myself kinda stepping into that old person perspective. But it’s it’s funny ’cause as I think about it, you know, it’s fun to think about the different stages. And, you know, even with like Frisbee You know, we’re interacting with twenty somethings, thirty somethings, forty somethings, you know, I’m in the fifty somethings. And you know, it’s it’s fun just to kind of observe that uh it’s just fun to observe that difference, you know, in people, you know. It’s just, yeah That’s that’s it’s fun to watch.

Justin:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Mark:

And that that it’s it’s funny because uh we knew it that’s that will be a future topic. We’ll we’ll foreshadow here just a little bit. We uh we have some generational plans in the future so that’s a that’s a good way to think about it. The the the pros and cons, if you will, yeah of Yeah. It would be a dangerous thing. I don’t know if it would be a dangerous thing, but it would be a interesting thing to have. Well, it would be a dangerous thing to have a 20-year-old you know, mind in a fifty year old body. You know what I’m saying? Because it’s like your your fifty your forty year old body doesn’t run the same right as it did when it was a twenty year old body. You know, and that’s just yeah.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

Yeah. It was cause that was the it was funny ’cause my dad we went, he he had Christmas, you know, with us. And it was funny ’cause he took about a two hour nap the same as my niece. Yeah. Let’s see. My niece’s daughter, you know, who’s you know Uh she’s probably four or four three three or four. Yeah, she took a two hour nap that day too. And my dad took a two hour nap at the same time. It’s like, yep, okay. That’s about that’s what happens about that time, you know. Yeah.

Justin:

That’s what we should have on your dad and your niece or

Mark:

the niece the niece’s daughter would throw might you know be a little tough, but yeah, it would be f I’m uh that’s what we do need to do is do that uh you know a Yeah. Pull out a pull of twenty something and a, you know, octagenariational, you know, octogenarian.

Justin:

Octogenarian.

Mark:

Yeah. Octagenarian. You know. And just kind of walk that difference.

Justin:

That should be your award of the year.

Mark:

Hmm. I’m still working

Justin:

goals.

Mark:

Speaking of you deciding my goals for me, yes.

Justin:

So What is the benefit or maybe even if you can think of detractions or, you know, bad I guess bad sides to kind of this annual cycle and us kind of renewing our or look on things in the beginning of Jan you know, beginning of the year. Um, what are some of the pros and cons to that you think?

Mark:

Mm. I think I think part of the pros is, you know, a new year is a new opportunity. You know, yeah, not that every day isn’t a new opportunity, you know.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

Each day is new. His mercy is new each and every day. You know, that kind of thing. And I think, you know, in that context, even with CR, you know It’s not about, you know , five days from now. It’s about what I do in the next five seconds, five minutes, you know, that kind of thing. So

Justin:

one day at a time, one moment at a time.

Mark:

Exactly. And I think, you know, each day is a new moment.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

You know, where we can and I think that you know, there’s a similar dynamic where years are concerned. You know, I can have an awareness of what last year looked like generally. And yet I can still think about it in this context of, you know, well what do I want this year to be, you know, how do I want this year to be different? And I I was uh reading uh like um It was kinda like a small personal retreat type information, you know, as you th as you thought about, you know, and and it was asking about, you know, what the disappointments of the last year were and you know how they affected you, you know, and what were the wins of the last year and you know and what can you take away from that. And I think, you know, when we look at circumstances in the context of a year, we can recognize how, you know, there were certain hurts of last year. You know, and some of those we can probably avo some of which we can avoid, and some of those were unavoidable. you know, those aspects that have changed us and you know, and I and I I there’s that part of me that would say, you know Um, just kind of my mom’s death and, you know, working with my dad and his process, you know, that that has probably hit me a little harder. you know, than I would have prior to just because of that longevity perspective. It’s like, yeah, nobody’s guaranteed tomorrow. You know, I’ve known but I think it was a reminder for me from that era. You know, I definitely felt that more, you know, in years I’ve been three years with you know since the the the blood clot type stuff But that was a that was a wake up call then and I think, you know, it’s a further wake up call. And I think, you know, each each year is new and to be able to look back And, you know, see where we’ve come from, you know, what is what has happened.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

And how that has changed my perspective. And is that change Healthy. You know, is it is it something that I need to challenge, or is it something that’s beneficial and it’s actually wisdom? And I can I can grow in that. And I I think that’s the the thing that makes it beneficial, you know, whether I’m 20, 30, 40, you know, 80. 90, you know, to be able to say, okay, what can because I think a lot of it does come back to that kind of open-mindedness type thing.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

So often we get fixed in doing the same thing the same way day after day and those become, you know, habits and ruts and

Justin:

Or injury points when our abilities. Slow down ya.

Mark:

Yeah. Just ki just kinda that ability to be able to say, okay. Who do I need to be listening to? Who do I need to not listen to anymore? Or, you know, just in that in that process of, you know, kind of those both the benefits, the pros and cons, if you will.

Justin:

Yeah. Yeah, I think yeah, I like I like what you’re saying. I th you know, s celebrate recovery, you know, it really pushes the the daily, you know, one day at a time. Um and they have you know specifically in regards to inventory, which is very similar to what we’re talking about with the annual turn turnover and what you what what we do often or should be doing. Um I don’t know that it’s um Always pushed as much as the looking, you know, like the resolutions as as much as hey, what about last year? How did that just you know? How would you sum that up? And I think that’s it reflect reflection is important and I think this is a good opportunity for that.

Mark:

Yep.

Justin:

Um anyway what I was gonna say is CR kind of taught me the value of the daily and weekly you know inventory and kind of that process to where I’ve gained more in the last ten years of really focusing on that. Um, you know what I mean? Than than you know, kind of the the old style of like, oh, the year’s turning over, I guess I should think about this again. You know what I mean? Like I just don’t think that’s enough if you really want to see real change or real growth.

Mark:

Yep.

Justin:

I think you need something that’s daily and weekly and you know. Um you know, we talk a lot about kind of quiet time reading. Time with God, that kind of thing. And I think that’s an important time of the day, one moment at a time, one day at a time to kind of reflect on the day and um but yeah All that being said, I do think there’s value in the annual aspect for what you are saying is essentially the ability to zoom out a little bit in the daily and weekly. Like you you can’t necessarily zoom out to that level. Um if unless for some you have this special ability to kind of keep a rolling year, you know, you can but uh even then.

Mark:

But I do think there there is that context of, you know, as we talk about a daily quiet time, I think the first of the year is a good way to kind of look at, okay, God, here’s the next year, kinda in the context of what do you have for me today. What do you have for me this year in that context of yeah?

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

I may I may be able to accomplish these things But yet there’s probably some things that I won’t be able to accomplish and that’ll still be two thousand twenty five. You know, should the Lord Terry that kind of thing.

Justin:

Have you heard that saying um we underestimate what we can accomplish in five years or overestimate overestimate what we can accomplish in one year and underestimate what we can accomplish in five years.

Mark:

Yep.

Justin:

Um I almost wonder, you know, if we should be doing that more too, right? Like the five year planning.

Mark:

Yep.

Justin:

To be able to say you know, here’s my desire for f in five years and here’s maybe what this year will look like in terms of accomplishing that. But it’s not make or break on the year turn

Mark:

exactly.

Justin:

Whether you you know, ’cause you’re living bigger than that, right? And I think I think that would be a cool pr you know, effort. Cool kind of a cool thing to push is this idea rather than simply focusing on a year, rather spend that effort on the five year Every year.

Mark:

I gotcha.

Justin:

Right. So instead of it being an annual thing every year, it’s a f it’s a rolling five-year review.

Mark:

And the thing I like about that dynamic is it It I’m not even concerned so much about the five year in the context as long as I’m faithful Each year, I think at the end of five years, I might be able to look back and say, wow, look at what God has done in that process. Yeah. ‘Cause I think, you know, yeah, we we do tend to think well I can do this and this and this. And maybe I don’t get all four of those things done. But if I get three of those and uh you know and something else that just kinda came along And I look back at the end of five years, that’s give or take 20 things, you know, that have been, you know, done. And yeah.

Justin:

Yeah. And some things are five year things. Yes. You know, like I wanna become a public speaker. You know, like I wanna become better at public speaking.

Mark:

Yep.

Justin:

I think o again, often we’ll overestimate, yeah, I can figure that out in one year. Like I can just whatever. And I think that would be a realistic five year thing to say, how did this year push me toward that, you know, and because i if in order to become what I would call good, I think it is a five year process. You’re not gonna become a good public speaker in one year. Or you know, you replace public speaker with Many, many things, right?

Mark:

Well, and I think part of that too, you when you think about, you know, life, uh each each moment for learning is is about opportunity. You know, and you’re not gonna have enough ability, in my opinion, I mean granted, unless somebody, you know, out of the blue makes you a pass of a a church or something, you know, you it’s not like you’re gonna have the context to be able to be a public speaker on a daily basis.

Justin:

Right.

Mark:

You know, but you’re continuing to kind of grow those as the opportunities provide themselves. And, you know, at the end of five years, yeah, that’s you know, and more opportunity comes as, you know, you put yourself out there. Mm-hmm. But yeah, I think I think there’s something to be said for, you know, as as I grow in my desire to do something, I think it’s neat how God provides opportunity.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

You know, for that.

Justin:

Yeah, that’s true.

Mark:

You know, that I might not have had otherwise, but once I start kind of, you know, putting my f toe in the water, I think of you, you know, as you you kind of began your your worship journey. You know, it’s like it wasn’t something you necessarily sought out to do, you know, from a kid. You know, it was very much something that came to you later on and you know that kind of thing as you’ve learned to play and sing and you know and you pick up another instrument or you know do the rhythm rhythm piece, you know that kind of thing in the context. It’s just it’s just fun to watch. Yeah.

Justin:

And you’re right about those opportunities kind of opening God opening those opportunities if when your heart, you know, is has a d certain desires or whatever, it definitely Yeah, the amount I could do, you know, music or worship is way more than I have the opportun you know, the the time and uh you know, you know what I mean, the bandwidth for now, where that wasn’t, you know, true for a long time. But it was kind of a growing and that’s That’s how it works, right? The more uh competent and the better your abilities are in any given area, the more opportunities will come your way.

Mark:

Yeah.

Justin:

Um But I was also thinking too like about public speaking or music, that’s a good one. If you like I want to learn to play the guitar or piano or whatever, you know, I he I hear that a lot and I think that’s amazing. Um I think it’s so important to realize too if you’re sticking with a one year plan. You’re not gonna be good in one year. It doesn’t like you’re s you’re gonna be very disgruntled in one year. So if your pl if your goals are, you know limited to one year. Well, the end of one year you know, there’s a good chance you’ll give up.

Mark:

Yeah.

Justin:

But if you have a goal of in five years, I want to be able to play at this event. Right. Or I want to be able to speak it to this number of people and be comfortable or whatever that is, right? Well, at the end of one year, you’re gonna like I said, it’s not gonna be All amazing and happy and whatever, but you’re gonna see that the footsteps you took in that one year that are contributing to that five year goal. And you can say And then year two I can build on this foundation that started in year one.

Mark:

Agreed.

Justin:

And I think anything like those kinds of things are gonna require a much bigger goal mindset. No doubt. Especially again learning something new that first year always sucks. It just does. Unless you’re mine like water. the journey or whatever, but I was never that way. Like learning a new thing. Um, I always hated it because it’s like I I was supposed to be good at this already

Mark:

Yeah. We want that instantaneous you know, ability and reward without the the sweat equity, you know. It’s like, yeah.

Justin:

Yeah. And you know, there’s some things that in life that come easy and other things that don’t. You know? And like um I was pretty good at getting good grades in high school and various things that it nothing ever seemed super hard.

Mark:

Sure.

Justin:

Until I tried to learn the guitar and I’m like, this should just be

Mark:

like all those other things. Yeah, like

Justin:

it shouldn’t I shouldn’t be so it shouldn’t be so frustratingly hard and I the really felt that way for a long time. And then as I started to learn to sing and do that, it was kind of the same thing. Like

Mark:

Yeah.

Justin:

Why is this not as easy as it should be? You know, it’s like, well, my perspective’s a little off, I think. Yeah, I’ve learned to appreciate it. that more.

Mark:

It’s interesting to think about that in the how have you uh how have you learned to decide what to challenge yourself to continue in? And what you say, okay, this this isn’t me.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

And it was just a a nice thought, but that’s something I need to to to set aside

Justin:

It’s a good question. I mean I have yeah, I have thoughts. Do you have things like that too? That you I mean, I’m sure you can con

Mark:

Well it’s um For m for me, I I was I was asking you because I realize you do have more of a a higher expectation. uh from from my perspective you know

Justin:

yeah of

Mark:

of your ability

Justin:

yeah

Mark:

you know and granted some of that you know maybe my expectation of myself has mellowed with age You know, to where I don’t I don’t necessarily I do what I can to the best of my ability, knowing what I can. But it’s like and that’s why I was thinking about it from a a a multi generational, you know, it’s like, how do I know? How do I how do I recognize the areas that I need to challenge myself in? Yeah where I still need to be stepping out, taking the new ground. If you will.

Justin:

Even when it’s hard. Pushing through the hard.

Mark:

Pushing through the hard, no matter how old I am.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

But be also being able to recognize that okay This this isn’t what I was designed to do. And, you know, though though that that week was just that week. You know, it’s like I’m not I’m not gonna be I’m not gonna from my perspective, I’m not gonna be a worship leader. You know what I mean? I just don’t have a voice for leading worship By my range, you know, those kind of things. I’m not a great singer. I mean granted, I can I don’t mind speaking, you know, but you know, that would be something that’s like from my perspective, it would be foolish for me to take on that role of wanting to be a worship leader.

Justin:

Yeah, I get it. And I I I also feel like so many people who say that and I and I don’t think this is a I’m not saying this is true of you, but so many people say that just

Mark:

Yes Mark, you’re right, you can’t sing.

Justin:

No, I’m saying some people say that aren’t willing to endure what it would take to become good at it.

Mark:

Agreed. Agreed.

Justin:

You know, it’s like, well I’d have to sing in front of people and I would sound bad and I can’t endure th just that. Just just that in and of itself isn’t worth the pain. Um and I understand that. And for me, one of the things that um like preaching at church was one of those things that I kind of had this I remember desire of my heart to do that from the time when I was a teenager. Just thought that was gonna be a big part of what ministry looked like for me. And Um so I’ve I preached at Generations a couple of times and I I feel like I did fine, great, whatever. Um But the toll that it took on me. Mm. Um, so and it it’s one of those things where it definitely was a struggle of what you’re saying. Like, when do you push through that pain and that difficulty because it’s worth it? And for me it was always like, Well, of course that thing’s worth it and of course you sh you know but it got to the p like, it would trigger depression almost every time I preached. Okay. And I would have to fight through that. Wow. And sure it was just such an like an existential thing for me. Um and you know, other things have been that way too, but often for me, um when it kind of triggers into that certain you know, that level, that’s when I have to really take it seriously. Like, is this really worth that or not?

Mark:

Sure.

Justin:

You know.

Mark:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. When you recognize the consequences that go along with that activity, it’s like, okay.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

Yeah.

Justin:

And music is certainly hit that nerve of many times through the my time working at it, but the difference was the amount of time in it. So like With music, I almost never worry leading up to an event or performance. I don’t I don’t s really struggle with that. That those nerves. I mean, you know, good nerves, but not like Oh am I gonna am I gonna stop right am I gonna mess up? I kind of just just assume it’s gonna be fine and I’m gonna do fine. And then when I don’t, that’s when it’s kind of devastating. Like I can’t believe I messed up. Like how you know, that’s impossible. You know, I just this my this like really shakes me. Like wow, I really messed up, you know.

Mark:

Sure.

Justin:

Um especially f you know previous I would say I’m I’m growing through that. Now it’s it’s not nearly as impactful, but for yeah, a long a long time there. And then it’s also depending on the context. Like if I messed up in church Like that felt like it had a m much bigger impact because of specifically people I was trying to impress or cared about their opinion and knowing, you know, that this could impact that. was really, really hard on me and I would struggle with that for a good week sometimes. But preaching it would be the leading up to. So I would know I was preaching, you know, s in six months. Right. I’d know that far in advance. And

Mark:

And you’d have a topic at that point routinely? Um would the schedule go out that far?

Justin:

Yeah, you d usually have the sermon series that far out, right? Like we’re talking about whatever. And um so I would start mulling on it and I always enjoyed that part, but as the time got compressed, my stress just exponentially would increase and I would be dwelling on thinking about like am I gonna get it done in time? You know, like just like There’s so much to do and you know, so much prep and so much it just and it really honestly when I look at the prep and all that stuff, it wasn’t crazy like espe my mind just couldn’t quite chill, you know? And it would always just really take a toll on me to the point where I would just be like, why am I doing this? And why am I doing anything? You know? Gotcha. Or really really mess with me. And so after, you know, so many times and do and then and then here’s the the kicker too Again, a lot of this ties into approval addiction, but I’d get up, I’d do the thing, I felt like I did a good job and then I was like, why isn’t everyone banging my door down saying how good a job I did? Like this how is this worth it? You know, and then of course at preaching, right? Like I put that on the altars every single time and I’ve had to just be like, of course this isn’t about that. Um and then it I almost had to get to a place where Mentally I didn’t care what people thought, but that also felt f so flat and empty. Like I do care. It does matter. I want this to matter. And like If I don’t care what people think, I wanna care I do care that it impacts them or else why the heck am I doing it? You know what I mean?

Mark:

Yeah.

Justin:

And so that that be started to become a thing like did it did anyone hear it? Did it matter? Did it make an impact? You know?

Mark:

Sure.

Justin:

And all of those things, the trade off just wasn’t worth it. Where something like this, podcasts Minimal prep and I feel like, you know, I’m able to make whatever impact I’m able to make, but it’s the stakes aren’t so high.

Mark:

Sure.

Justin:

Right.

Mark:

Yeah.

Justin:

Um so for me that ‘s a good example of something that I just said, you know, I just don’t think that’s what I’m meant to be doing right now. Like I have t I care about my family too much to take myself out of the game for two months or a month or whatever that. You know, ’cause it really would just like Megan would say, it was just like it is a different place, whatever you know.

Mark:

Oh wow.

Justin:

Like it my mind was just always I don’t know, it was consuming So I think that’s a good example for me is if it’s uh we talk about um in my accountability group we meet once a week and we have these questions we go through. One of the questions is Um, are uh are there any distractions in your life that are preventing you from pursuing God’s purpose in your life? You know, the specific things God’s called you to do. And for me it was kind of a eureka moment or a slow eureka. It certainly wasn’t like, oh, that’s what, but it like slowly over time realized. Preaching’s a distraction from what God’s called me to do.

Mark:

Oh wow. Yeah.

Justin:

Right? And like you you you know, you never would think that’s true.

Mark:

Yeah.

Justin:

And it became where that was a realization for me. Like I’m called to be a father and a husband and you know CR very involved there and I’m supposed to be doing that and that’s a that’s a But one of the purposes

Mark:

right now.

Justin:

Yeah, right now too. It’s also about uh maybe someday. Right. And I think that’s an important piece to this question you asked too, but like maybe someday.

Mark:

Yep.

Justin:

Um But anyway, so that that became the realization, oh it’s a distraction. It’s not what I’m supposed to be doing and everything else is a distraction. No, it’s actually the other way around where these are the things God’s very clearly

Mark:

Wow

Justin:

called me to do and that thing’s distracting me from it, so I have to say no. having me to do right now. You know, my involvement with CR, my my family we they all do you know, my wife does music, my kids do music. Sure. So I was squarely kind of in that zone. And Again, it it wouldn’t take me out of the game for a month, you know, like it was it’s not that kind of thing. So uh that’s a long answer, but I do think it really has to do with the level of impact that it has on your life and whether that impact is worth the trade-off. And I think you have to the only way you know that is if you’re continually evaluating or taking time to reflect on it You know what I mean? So I think yeah. I think that reflection is so important. If you wait a year to figure out, am I on the right track? I think it’s important to continue that evaluation on a regular basis

Mark:

I think it is that what you’re describing from my perspective becomes that healthy self awareness type thing, you know, that I’m growing

Justin:

that’s a practice thing. Oh, that’s

Mark:

I agree. I agree. I agree, yeah, it is but it is, you know, even even knowing that that is a thing is definitely a thing, you know, to to be to be able to say, okay, yeah, what did I do? ‘Cause I I think I think from my perspective I don’t necessarily have real high expectations. I try to keep my expectations pretty healthy. And if anything I focus, you know, on the things once once I’ve done something. I’ve kind of I kind of focus on, okay, what could have made that better? Or, you know, what did I miss? Yeah, that that I won’t that I’ll try to remember to do better next time. you know, in that context of, you know, it’s like, okay, it was good, nice job, but okay, how can we do it better for next time? I think that’s kind of the it’s a little bit of the difference in our mindset. Yeah. You know.

Justin:

Yeah. Which I I very much value and I think I consider that wisdom and I have been trying to adjust my th way of thinking to that degree over the West.

Mark:

I gotcha.

Justin:

Whatever. Years. Like that is my goal is to get closer to that side of the equation. Yeah. Because as n you know, nice as it sounded what you were saying earlier about my expectations, is actually a problem, right? Like it it can be problematic to where it will it can cause a lot of distress.

Mark:

Sure.

Justin:

You know? Like you get up and you don’t do a hundred percent amazing then you deal with that and you fight with that and you wrestle with that and it’s a little bit over the top. Like come on Justin.

Mark:

No I I and that’s yeah, I think that’s a part of it. I I think It is interesting as I think about what you share and g kind of what my it’s like that six months leading up, you know. Typically I find that you know if I’m to do that, it is amazing how God provides what he wants me to say when he provides the opportunity. Yeah. You know, kind of that whole dynamic You know, not that I’ll still do it, you know, perfectly in my own, but uh well you were on the um the renewal that we did that it, you know, that we had for, you know, the couple that we know together, you know, that kind of thing. It was like uh most of what I said was something that just God brought to my heart out of a moment of time. Yeah. You know, and being able to say, okay, this connects with that. And it’s it’s amazing how God can do that and, you know, and then it kind of came down to the fact that, you know, in what I shared, I didn’t want it to come across as blaming and that that was the only thing that I would have changed. That uh there were moments when I compared the the horse and the dog. I didn’t want it to seem like I was blaming, but yet growing in that awareness.

Justin:

Don’t be the dog. Come on guy.

Mark:

Yeah, exactly. You know, and I didn’t want it to seem like I was fault finding but yet that ability to say okay yes this is my tendency I tend to be you know a little more um determined Or I tend to focus on what power looks like. And, you know, that’s just part of my self-awareness type stuff. And as I grow, I can recognize, okay. Yeah, the combination of the two. The combination of the two is good. So just because you like power and I might be more determined doesn’t mean that those things are bad. It’s that ability to recognize how we join them. in a in a

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

So yeah, that was

Justin:

that’s yeah, no, I I love that. I think I think you did a nice job and I think you while not saying it and I’m I’m I’m real disappointed in you Mark, but you you mentioned the stick in those aspects to be able to say

Mark:

that’s where the disappointment comes from

Justin:

very clear that you’re speaking about the stick. You should just say it and then give me credit.

Mark:

I should. I should. You are correct, Justin. I I my I might still see I still have room for self-awareness.

Justin:

Yes, exactly No, that’s the right thing.

Mark:

Justin wants me to remember the stick. He can take credit for the stick analogy.

Justin:

Uh anyway, yeah, one of the things I love about this dick is that it just gives so much balance to the conversation and it’s much easier to talk about the hard stuff because it’s attached to this good stuff and it’s really Sure. You can’t really detach ’em, so it’s it’s about talking about the balance and I feel like that’s exactly what you are doing. Um I think the struggle is when we use words like no offense or whatever, when it’s like Well, why is that offensive? You know, and it or we try and cover for the bad. And it’s like, I don’t think we need to cover for the bad. I think we can just speak to it in a way that says this is a reality and so this And it’s balanced by this other thing and you know, they kinda go hand in hand. So it’s about, you know. Um anyway, and I feel like that’s what you did. I feel like you did a good job of that. And um but I I I as you described what you were saying, I could hear like I c I could see what you’re saying, I could see how you could reflect on that. I could but I certainly

Mark:

And sometimes I think, you know, it is that aspect of people don’t hear it that way. Right. But yeah, I’m concerned at times that it could have come across that way. You know, it’s it’s not It’s good.

Justin:

I think it’s good to iterate on yourself that way.

Mark:

And I think that’s the the the beauty of you know communication in general.

Justin:

Yes.

Mark:

You know, so often, you know, it’s not just me saying what I’m saying, but it’s also how people hear it that I have very little control over. You know, so that’s that’s the you know, can you say what you mean? Can you understand what you hear type stuff? You know It’s it’s it’s reciprocal.

Justin:

Context matters so much too when you’re speaking.

Mark:

Yeah.

Justin:

Um, you know, and you are in a room full of people who just love you and like consider you our brother and like we do life with you and so we know who Mark is. I guess. We know what you’re saying, we know your heart So y you couldn’t do wrong in that in context. I in my I guess perspective. Like you could totally put your foot in your mouth and everyone would just be chuckling and love love you for it. Like I think context is Really important too to remember when you’re speaking it. Uh but maybe, you know, you put more iter you know, iterations, rounds into review. If you’re if you’re doing it, you know, a wedding for or vow renewal or something in a context where there might be antagonistic family members who are people who aren’t You know, whatever. Maybe they’re opposed to that gender biases or whatever. Like maybe you put more thought into it. You you have to consider that. But I think context really matters. And that’s one of the re so I I still speak occasionally at CR and that’s never a problem because That’s my family.

Mark:

Sure.

Justin:

You know, it’s an opportunity to talk to my family. I love talking to my family, whether it’s my family in the house over there or my family on Friday nights I always love I love talking to you, Mark. I love talking to my family. And you’re listening in our conversation. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. You’re our family. Oh, I see it family. We invited him into our home by uh taking some pictures of our trees and posting.

Mark:

Yeah. Thank you for doing that.

Justin:

I didn’t show you that, but we talked about it and then we did it. So I’m proud of myself. 2023 complete.

Mark:

Yes indeed. So that being said, 2024.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

As far as God allowing, you know, that that whole aspect, not the, you know, it’s not about us, you know, saying we’re gonna go here and we’re gonna do this. But in that process, what are you what are you being called to in twenty twenty-four that only that only Justin can do?

Justin:

So for the last few years, uh my purpose as a dad is just really cleared up and that’s a huge win for me, honestly. Um ’cause I was I’m always been about I’ve always been very distracted by Shiny. And for a long time I thought um Ministry and preaching, all those things, those are um the pinnacle. You know what I mean?

Mark:

Yep.

Justin:

And um I think that’s one of the beautiful things about my life is God has gifted me the opportunity to see what the quote unquote pinnacle was like and then said Are you sure that’s what you want? I don’t think that’s what you want. I think you should be doing what I asked you to do. Sure. And uh it I’m being tongue in cheek. I mean, I think it’s all part of the journey, but um I think that’s one of the beautiful things is being able to operate in some of those areas, you know, being able to preach a few times and going, you know, that’s not for me right now and that’s okay. And I also feel I also have felt such an incredible amount of accomplishment of like that’s something I wanted to do from when I was young and I was able to do it. And so I don’t take away from it. I think it’s um um Psheesh, I don’t remember the question. Oh prioritizing work. Yeah, so I so for me, that’s kind of the clearest thing right now. Yeah. And so really everything every opportunity that’s gonna come for the next few years is gonna be filtered through. How does this impact that? Um and even I’m been working on the side job and I put a lot of thought and conversation with Megan into like is this worth it? And by worth it I mean not just the money and the whatever, but like the time that will be taken away at Christmas and like where m where my focus will be And um in but even in that, like being able to disengage from that and engage with the family and realizing how important that is. Like where before it’d be like, Yeah, I have this work, I have to and I’m here but I really need to get back to work but now it’s like I’m here and I’m here. And then as soon as that done, okay, back to that and boom. So for me, that’s kind of the clearest thing in the next few years and everything, every opportunity that comes. is kind of filtered through that. Um because again, I think that is one of the beautiful things is I’ve reached some of the things that have been lifelong desires, you know, doing music and worship and preaching and Some of those things are hearts, desires, things that I I’ve been given in some senses and that just uh has I would say uh cured me a lot of a lot of stuff. Say uh work-wise too. There’s some things work-wise that have accomplished that I’ve recognized like Yeah, this pinnacle, you know, it’s uh it’s not as wonderful as uh, you know, whatever that looks like, like those accomplishments. So I think I’ve reached a point in my life where I’m okay with just one day at a time and and see you know, considering each opportunity as it comes and not being so busy, so planny, so intentional, but being intentional with the moments

Mark:

Sure.

Justin:

And uh I also realize in clarifying all of those things, one of the things that only Justin can do. And that Justin’s good at is one on one interactions with people and mentoring and and c and kind of that brotherhood relationship that I have with many guys and realizing like Of all the areas where I feel like I’m most most gifted, it’s in that relational one-on-one opportunity with people and being able to make sure my plate isn’t so full. that those can’t happen. Sure. Somewhat impromptu. Does that make sense?

Mark:

Makes perfect sense.

Justin:

So I don’t know that I have a really great answer as to like specifically twenty four twenty-four hours more as like kind of my broad perspective on the

Mark:

growing continuing to grow in prioritizing family you know is definitely what I heard in that process and and second to that is you know establishing you know, accountability type relationships with other, you know, people and continuing to make sure that I’m about the things that only I can do in that gifting that God has given you. That’s kind of what I heard in the process.

Justin:

Yeah. And all that Everything you just described, none of that looks like a a goalpost in the ground at the end of 2024, right? Like it like they’re not I can’t

Mark:

I also

Justin:

haven’t put that much time into thinking about it.

Mark:

No, but and and and yet part of that father role is gonna change or it’s gonna look different at the end of twenty four with a sixteen year old going on seventeen, you know, you know, just the different dynamics as your children change, you know, and having to not having to, being able to adjust. to those differences and you know and and how you and Megan do that as a couple, you know, in that kind of dynamic and being able to recognize, okay, yeah. this side stuff that you’re currently doing, there may be more of that. You know, if it’s if it’s beneficial both, you know From a financial perspective and it offers me more flexibility with my time, why not? You know, and that can be a part of that 2024, but I’m still gonna kind of hold that in a sense of looseness that says, okay, I may be open to a little more of this, but how do I create boundaries around it?

Justin:

Right.

Mark:

Yeah. No.

Justin:

And this has been a good test of that because I haven’t done any side work in quite some time. Um kind of s put that aside because Anyway, but it’s been good to just get okay, I can I can kind of define it, I can and then even some of our conversations about what what what how it could look better in planning for those things and some of the boundaries to put in place. And I think one of the things you and I talked about is not not allowing hard deadlines to being able to say I’ll only take things that I can say It should take between three and six months or sure you know, whatever and like kind of having if you want me, this is what you get kind of thing. And that’s been helpful for me in that mindset. But

Mark:

sure.

Justin:

But yeah.

Mark:

Yeah. No.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

Fair enough.

Justin:

Fair enough.

Mark:

I like it.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

So that being said, to you our listening family. Yes. Uh we

Justin:

What’s your five-year plans? Tell us.

Mark:

Yes, we encourage you to be able to take the opportunity for a new year and say, okay, how do I want to grow? in this next year and how can you know and even being able to look back and see how you’ve grown in the last five years and celebrate, you know, what God has done and how he has blessed your obedience in that process and yet continuing to recognize, okay, he’s not done with me yet.

Justin:

Yeah.

Mark:

And there’s still more for you two thousand twenty four and it’s not about resting on what he has done. It’s about continuing in the process of growing you know, in my faith and in my spiritual you know, sp spiritual relational mm relationship with Jesus Christ. So We invite you uh to uh join us on this journey for the new year, and we look forward to uh hearing from each and every one of you in the process and know that we appreciate you. Um we appreciate your faithfulness in two thousand twenty-three as you’ve listened and yet know that each opportunity we get to interact with you in two thousand and twenty-four is an opportunity we value and appreciate when you come up and say, Hey, I just just finished listening to your podcast and I enjoyed this or hey have you a thought about this and that kind of thing. Know that we relish and uh appreciate those opportunities to interact with uh with each and every one of you as as time and opportunity allows. So

Justin:

Amen. Happy New Year.

Mark:

Happy New Year to you as well, Justin That’s how we see it. Yes. That’s how we see it.

Justin:

Hey, thank you for listening to our podcast. If you like how I see it, please do all the things that podcasts tell you to do. Subscribe, rate, review, follow us, uh, and or talk nicely about us on social media. If you want to reach out, the email is us at howiseeit.click. Yep, I said dot click. As in dot C-L-I-C-K Please tell your friends about this show, and we’ll see you on the next one.