From giving up my lease and stable job in London to live out of carry-on luggage while focusing all of my energy on this business, to my father passing away, 2022 has been a year unlike any other. I will be publishing an oakpool year in review in the first week of January, but I wanted to take a moment to reflect on  personal lessons and affirmations from what has been a transformational year in my life.

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Stats:

Approximately 1,825 miles walked & run 🏃🏻

12 books read 📚

12 countries visited ✈️

12 airbnbs 🏡

7 black comfort colors t shirts 👕

6 weddings 💒

5 hotels 🏨

3 pairs of running shoes 👟

1 funeral ⛪️

1 run-in with the Egyptian authorities 🚨

1 duffel bag 💼

1 backpack 🎒

1 blazer 🤵🏻

1 pair of black jeans 👖

Infinite gratitude ♾ 🙏

Lessons & Affirmations:

Spend time with the people you love, be present, and tell them how much you love them. Leave nothing to assumption. Take nothing for granted. 

Patience, persistence, and positivity. Always. 

The magical power of difficult conversations.

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Be grateful for everything. Honor that which you wish to repeat.

Love yourself, imperfections and all.

The concept of compounding interest applies to nearly every process in life. 

Progress is binary. 

It’s always 2 steps forward one step back. Don’t let the step back kill your momentum. 

Money. Sex. Substances. Mental Health. If you make something taboo, you will develop an unhealthy relationship with it. Explore the things that make you uncomfortable.

You can’t pour from an empty cup.

Embrace the mystical.

The importance of balance.

Always check your mind with your gut. Always check your gut with your mind. 

Cheap is expensive.

Honesty is the greatest gift you can give someone.

There’s a difference between being kind and being nice. Be kind. 

Through the earth and the cosmos, we are connected. We are all manifestations of a single life force.

Resilience is about more than our reaction to outside forces. We must be resilient to our  own actions and imperfections as well. 

Take the time to analyze how your relationship with a particular concept or part of your life was formed. You’ll learn a lot about yourself, and you’ll create opportunity for change. 

The most rewarding pursuits in life are asymptotic. There is no finish line. 

Don’t check your ego. Murder it. 

Everything exists on a spectrum. Life is rarely black & white. Avoid polarized thought patterns. 

When you find a person or an activity that brings you energy, lean in. 

We all get lucky from time to time. Recognize your luck when it comes, show gratitude to the universe, and lean in. 

Mental health, physical well-being, and a connection to the planet is my personal recipe for fulfillment. 

Be love. Spread love. 

We’re all just walking each other home ( 🙏 Ram Dass)

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