WINSTON WEEKLY^[1]

Vol. 2, No. 28

July 14, 2024

BOUNDLESS

Between watching the ESPYS this past week and attending Joyce Maynard’s author event in Kansas City the week before, the word “boundless” is foremost in my mind. One of my favorite phrases is “To live boundlessly is to live a life full of freedom, adventure, abundance, experience, and joy.” https://www.boundless.life.

Joyce Maynard and Steve Gleason exemplify different ways to live a boundless life. Joyce, a novelist, journalist, and speaker began her career in the 1970s and is a New York Times bestselling author. At the beginning of the pandemic, she was in Guatemala. How her life unfolded in Guatemala during the pandemic is but one example of her life of adventure, abundance, experience, and joy. Despite the adventures and joys that extend well beyond Guatemala, Joyce has experienced many difficulties, including parent-child estrangement.  In sharing her work as an author and her challenges, she provides insight and hope. Her recent novel is aptly titled, How the Light Gets In. You can learn more about Joyce at https://www.joycemaynard.com.

Steve’s boundless life started long before he became a safety with the New Orleans Saints. An avid sports fan, I recall watching Steve play with the Saints, but had little recollection of his journey with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) until this past week. Receiving the diagnosis at age 34, he was expected to die within two to five years. Thirteen years later at age 47, he was on stage at the ESPYS to accept the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Joined by his son, River, his speech resonated with me, especially this statement: “My view is that the fears and adversities we encounter are our opportunities to experience what is, and what is on the other side of fear. To grow stronger, better, and have peace of mind.”

THIS WEEK’S ACTIVITY

Consider your fears and how you can engage in a boundless life. What about the fears of the ones you love? Colleagues? Acquaintances? If you have children, how do your fears differ from their fears? How have fears changed over time? If age-appropriate, have children write their fears down, and encourage them to consider how to overcome them. If you have a child, niece, nephew, or friend going off to kindergarten or college, discuss their fears and yours and ways you can work together to address the fears.

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[1] Copyright July 14, 2024. Winston Weekly is a weekly newsletter and blog by Alysen Bayles and is available at www.baylesandbruce.com or by e-mail at baylesandbruce@gmail.com. Please feel free to share with the appropriate attribute. Alysen’s views are her own.