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Week 37: Selling Horses in the Advent of AI & Failing in Order to Succeed as a Parent

I sat here staring at the blank screen for a while today, waiting to see who made the first move.

I finally went first in the end.

And away we go!

Leadership

Last week was my annual leadership conference at work.

While it’s virtual as the company doesn’t want to spend any money that could be going to shareholders, it’s still got a lot of good training and discussion if you use it right.

Previous years were full of breakout rooms and interactive segues. I only had one breakout room this year, perhaps other modules did more. Oh well.

Our keynote speaker was an AI expert who’d worked with some of the top technologists in the world.

In previous years, they’d been recognizable faces like Seth Godin and Mr. Wonderful himself Kevin O’Leary. Another sign of a rapidly changing world.

Throughout his presentation on how AI was going to change everything, I found my mind wandering. I felt like a horse salesman at the advent of the automobile. I felt out-of-date even though my company’s signature product now centers around AI.

I felt…left behind.

It’s a fascinating place to find myself with 20 more years until retirement (big fat maybe on that one).

While this one is going to require more thought, something seems to be clearer by the day.

Evolve or die.

Couch to Ultramarathon…and Beyond

Week 4 is now on me, which brings increased weight training, increased mileage and a vastly increased appetite.

But how to balance this so that I don’t just become a better runner, but a better person along with it? A more patient, kinder, more empathetic person?

One of my key weaknesses is a love for fast food.

The unfortunate part about running over 40 miles a week is your body needs more fuel than McDonald’s cheeseburgers can provide.

A shame if there ever was one.

But one thing that also tends to be true is that good begets more good. Good exercise goals lead to better diet goals. Better sleep. Better attention to recovery. Better blood pressure and more stable moods.

This quest for ultramarathon glory in the mountains is forcing me to become that better version of myself. It’s what I wanted. It’s why I came to this.

Quiet moments in the woods are great for reflection and realizing just how good we’ve got it sometimes.

Onward.

Philosophical Dad Stuff

Part and parcel of being a parent is failure.

Well, sometimes I guess.

We buy and cook foods our kids reject. We spend time and effort getting to places our children are bored by. We give our attention and resources to endeavors they don’t value.

It can seem…draining at times.

This is coming off as extremely negative and I don’t mean it that way. I don’t take those things personally. I don’t think my children have to be just like me when it comes to what I enjoy or think is interesting.

It would just be a lot more convenient if those things matched up more, ya know?

But how do we know when to let them figure it out on their own and when to push them into things? Because it’s either important or because sometimes you just do things.

I thought about this a lot since my oldest son’s track practice this past weekend. He’s a good runner who doesn’t quit when it gets harder. If he’d learn to focus and not look around so much (he’s 6) he’d do even better.

He struggles on the ball throw. I mean tragically struggles (or perhaps comically depending on your point of view).

While watching the event, another parent laughed when watching him. It wasn’t a mean laugh, per se.

I put a smile on my face while I seethed on the inside.

“WE WILL SEE ABOUT THAT AFTER SOME PRACTICE, FELLOW PARENT” I thought to myself sitting there in the stands.

And there’s the rub.

Does it matter that he can’t throw a ball well? Objectively, no. But will his friends give him crap about it? Probably.

Is it my job to protect him from kids being kids? Kids picking on each other for anything and everything?

No.

But it is my job to equip him with the skills to navigate life as effectively as possible. Things like throwing a ball and riding a bike might not seem like much on the surface.

But those skills build the confidence to learn the next things, like shaking hands, looking people in the eye when you talk to them, and asking for a job. Or a raise. Or a date. Or someone’s hand in marriage.

I woke up in a cold sweat the other night thinking about how my child can’t ride his bike without training wheels and how this would prevent him from achieving the life of his dreams.

Insanity. Being a parent is crazy. 

But if we get it right, we get a front row seat to amazement for the rest of our days.

“Since it is likely that children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage.” – C.S. Lewis

Live triumphantly. See you next week.