Power of Walking & Ideas, Stephen Wilson Jr & Youth Sports

3 Things I'm Loving, Reading, Watching or Doing

Quick Fitness Tip:

Walk Your Way Out of Pain

I’m currently teaching a course on building a resilient back, and one of the most powerful—and overlooked—exercises we use is walking. Here’s how to walk with purpose and precision to feel better:

✅ Land full-footed, with a strong push-off from your big toe. Avoid heavy heel striking or locked knees—those can signal over-striding.

✅ Swing your arms naturally in opposition to your legs—this reciprocal motion is key to balance and efficient gait.

✅ Let your torso gently shift toward the lead leg, like a confident (but not exaggerated) runway walk.

✅ Avoid over-striding. Reaching too far forward can stress your lower back. Instead, take quicker, smaller steps to increase speed without compromising form.

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Music I’ve Been Loving Lately:

Stephen Wilson, Jr.

Discovered him recently, and I’m surprised how much I’ve gotten into his sound. A little more twangy than I normally go for, but I dig it. My picks.

• Father’s Son — gets you right in the dad feels.

• Year to Be Young 1994 — 90s nostalgic energy.

• Grief is Only Love — simple and powerful.

• His Stand By Me cover — beautifully done.

Worth a listen, especially if you're in a reflective season.

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Most fun thing I’ve done the last few weeks:

Watching my kids play sports.

Right now, it’s soccer and track. I don’t love all the travel, but I always enjoy seeing them out there. As parents, we have the inside scoop—the practices, the setbacks, the hard work, the late nights and early mornings—so when they succeed, it means that much more. This time is fleeting, so let’s relish these moments!

In related news, see my latest Instagram post for my tips on sideline behavior. 🤣

2 Quotes Worth Pondering

It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. — Frederick Douglass

Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.— Depends who you ask, but Eleanor Roosevelt or Socrates

1 Big Dad Idea

Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.

It doesn’t really matter whether Socrates or Eleanor Roosevelt said this first—the message remains powerful. If we want our kids to grow into curious, open-minded thinkers, we need to start having idea-driven conversations with them early on.

Of course, talking about people and events isn’t inherently bad—it’s often where the fun is! In our family, we share plenty of laughs over friend gossip and the inevitable drama that comes with five kids in public school.

But if we want to raise independent thinkers, we have to move beyond surface-level chatter and into deeper discussions. Conversations about ideas help kids develop critical thinking skills, learn to formulate arguments, and consider different perspectives.

For younger kids, this often means asking open-ended questions:

• “What would you have done in that situation?”

• “If you were in charge, what would you change?”

• “Why do you think that happened?”

As they get older, though, meaningful conversations can be harder to come by. Between school, extracurriculars, and social lives, quality time is limited. And even when you do catch a moment, it can feel like pulling teeth—cue the one-word responses and indecipherable teenage slang.

That’s one reason I started writing my teenagers a weekly email every Sunday. It creates an opening for thoughtful discussions and often leads to better in-person conversations.

Most importantly, be prepared for their opinions to differ from yours. The goal isn’t to convince them you’re right (although you probably are :). But, that’s a surefire way to shut down dialogue. Instead, focus on really listening. As much as I sometimes don’t like to admit it, I usually end up learning something new myself.