ryan's weekly wisdom roundup #1

June 11, 2022 Newsletter

Every day this week, I have woken up with a sense of gratitude in my heart to get to what I do every day: move my body and encourage others to do the same. The feeling of gratitude for physical movement–and gratitude for anything, really–has been tested by some of the most tragic news headlines and frustrating political lobbying. Here is what I remind myself: I have been given today, with an able body and an open heart, and I must use these gifts I have been given by sharing them with others.

Get out there, enjoy yourself, enjoy the company and camaraderie of others. When we do things together, we accomplish much more than going at it alone.

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June 18, 2022 Newsletter

Over the past few weeks as I have been on-boarding to the eseo team, the easiest part for me has been understanding the mission: every sport for everyone. I keep envisioning an eseo sports field, and every time I do, I do not see an endzone. Why? Because there is a place here for everyone, every sport for everyone. There is no last-one-picked or first-one-cut. You belong here. Nervous about showing up to something new this week? Remind yourself that: I belong here.

Get out there and make today better than yesterday, and do it with people.

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June 25, 2022 Newsletter

A friend recently gave me some of the most incredible, and simple, advice: Detach yourself from outcomes.

What exactly does this mean? It typically appears when we are avoiding situations that stir some anxiety within us. I quickly thought of the eseo platform and how users might benefit from this advice. How often do you see a pick-up game, fitness class, group run, etc. on it and know in your heart of hearts that it is something you should attend? Then, the day arrives and you skip the event because you could not imagine socializing with new people… what if they don’t like you?! These are all narratives we tell ourselves in our head, it is not reality. From the field to the studio to the track, when you get a group of people together and moving, something incredible happens: camaraderie. Get out of your head and your comfort zone, do not worry about what might happen, detach yourself from outcomes, and experience what is actually happening!

July 8, 2022 Newsletter

Right now, we are overwhelmed with emotion. For me, anger, frustration, hopelessness, all come to mind. 

Here’s the thing about feelings: when distilled down, they are all simply energy. Energy is a reusable resource, it can be recycled. What you can take away from feeling angry and/or frustrated is simply that you are ALIVE. From there, it’s a choice. Do you want to live in anger or do you want to live in joy?

Think about when you hit the court, field, studio, etc. You might arrive with a feeling of “I don’t want to do this,” but when you leave you are so happy you did. That’s the transformation of energy, the transformation of emotion. 

Next time the emotion comes up, remind yourself it means you’re alive. Be grateful to be alive, and get out there and turn that energy into something productive. 

See you out there.

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July 15, 2022 Newsletter

Have you ever woken up feeling a certain kind of way where you decided that today was not going to be your day?

What happens on days like this? You take it slower, you begrudgingly move from one thing to the next, your demeanor is unwelcoming. You are not attracting what you deserve, which is greatness in abundance!

Where we go wrong on days like this is that we decide there is no solution. I have a foolproof solution that has saved me on days like this time and time again: MOVEMENT. 

Movement activates the body, shakes out the negativity by working through it. It’s not just a stronger physicality you are developing through movement. It’s a stronger mindset. Use it powerfully. Use it for change.

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July 22, 2022 Newsletter

A fellow instructor recently shared with me this quote by Maya Angelou:

Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.

The way I approach my teaching is to meet my riders where they are every time they clip in. I am not up on the podium to show anyone what I can do, I’m up there to demonstrate what can be done.

Think about that for you, and you don’t have to be a fitness professional to feel responsible for something like this. Every time you show up as the best version of yourself, you are showing someone else what their better could be. Every time you show up, you are giving yourself the opportunity to see someone else’s best, which could identify what your better is… how you are going to level UP.

See you out there.

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July 29, 2022 Newsletter

This weekend begins my final week teaching at SoulCycle in Philadelphia as I move to being a full-time New Yorker. 

With that, there is a lot on my mind. I think about what I wanted to accomplish throughout my tenure in Philadelphia. Over six years ago, when I helped open the first SoulCycle studio in the Philadelphia market out in Ardmore, PA, what I wanted was to build a community that was rooted in love and inclusivity. A community that maybe showed up because they wanted to take my class, but ultimately the reason why they rode as because of the riders they were taking class with. To put it more simply, I wanted to create a vibrant, energetic, loving studio that would feel that way with or without me in it. As I teach my final few classes, I feel I did what I set out to do.

Think about that for yourself and why you show up to the activities you show up to. You might have an affinity for an instructor or a passion for a certain modality, but what locks you into the routine is your TEAM!! The weight of the responsibility to show up to an experience for yourself has gravity, but it increases exponentially when you extend the responsibility outside of yourself and make it about others. The opportunities we find on eseo are more attractive to us than other options because they involve other people. You have the power to make someone’s day when you show up, you have the power to change someone’s life (yes, I said it!) when you show up… treat that responsibility with care and SHOW UP.

See you out there.

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