I started reading Cameron Hanes book Endure this week. At first, I wasn’t sure I liked it. Then it hit my soul in a way I hadn’t imagined possible.

I’ve summarized over 400 books and have started many more books than I’ve finished. I can tell when something’s BS or when a writer just doesn’t know what they’re doing.

Cam’s book was one of those until it wasn’t.“This guy is just telling his life’s story, I don’t care about all this,” I thought. But something kept me going.

A few chapters later it hit me. A lot of people write about principles. Work hard. Stay disciplined. Practice the right way. But Cam Hanes lives them then writes about what he did and gives you the lessons.

I wasn’t hearing his background just for the sake of it. Cam explains what happened and you learn from that rather than some stuffy professor-style how-to book.

This is the kind of reading I need more of. It’s the kind I can take with me on a hike and live it as I’m hearing it.

Take, for instance, how he knew he wanted to bow hunt but didn’t know how. So he found people who did know and had them teach him.

That’s probably one of the most overlooked reasons he’s one of if not the most successful bow hunter in the world. And one of the most overlooked differences between those who succeed and those who don’t.

Another lesson I learned about Cam is when he started talking about his blog. I realized that I’ve been embarrassed about mine and about my writing habit and I have no need to be.

If one of the most rugged men on earth has a blog, who cares if I have one? If the guy who is consistently up there with David Goggins when it comes to grit loves writing that much, then it’s not a big deal if I like it too.

That’s why I’m here right now. I’ve questioned how my writing should look since I started as a teenager but especially in the last few years. I never knew if I belonged with the writers on Medium and other places online but today I learned that I can be whatever I want.

Cam talks about how for some of us the wilderness is in our soul. That was the part that hit me hard because I belong outdoors and I’ve always know it. I couldn’t reconcile that part of me with the writer part of me until I discovered this amazing book that has helped me discover more about the kind of person I want to be.

Writing is in my soul just as much as the outdoors is. And that’s perfectly okay.

That means I can write and go backpacking alone when it’s 30 degrees and there’s a foot of snow on the ground.

I can be a bow hunter and enjoy having a personal blog.

Heck, I could even write about the life lessons I learn about discipline, perspective, and personal growth from hunting and backpacking. And I probably will.