Out of the Cage

I love a good audiobook

I love a great podcast

Getting a new perspective

Learning from an expert

Hearing someone else’s story

However, the way I am consuming this content is no longer serving as intended

In fact, I’ve noticed unintended consequences that I need to resolve

Exercise is my healthy addiction

From lifting weights, to cardio, to playing sports, I love to be in motion

For the longest time, I would just listen to music while exercising

A few years ago, I realized I could “get more done” by listening to an educational audiobook or podcast while at the gym

It sounds great in theory, and over months to years it has allowed me to consume a lot of great material

Right now, I listen to an audiobook for about ? of my workout, and go headphones free for the second half

Despite the withdrawal, I do feel the more present, more focused, and more in the moment when I am without the external stimulation?—?see Blinders

That said, I think it is time to make an adjustment

There is something different about music?

It can tap into our emotions?

By listening to an audiobook at the gym, I take away a sense of release

I find myself interested, distracted, and curious about the content

Yet it is coming at a cost…

Where I had previously used the gym as an outlet to let go of internal emotion

I am now blocking these feelings from coming out

I find myself going through the motions

Still at a fairly high-performance level

But without the same feeling of satisfaction

It almost feels like Groundhog Day

I still enjoy going to the gym

Where I can escape, feel a little bit of calm

But is that really what I need?

What if I need an outlet to let out of my anger?

My frustration?

To loosen the grip I’ve kept on myself throughout the day

Eventually, if that emotion is not released, it gets suppressed

It feels semi-subconscious, without direct awareness

Yet, I can feel that something is off

My drive doesn’t feel the same

The hunger seems to be missing

Like an animal that needs to be let of its cage

If not, it forgets its instincts

I’ve been letting myself go soft

It is time to turn the music back on

To take a break from education content at the gym

Let it return to its place of emotional release

The scholar will need to take a backseat

It is time to let the animal, back Out of the Cage