This episode of The Unobstructed Podcast is a personal reflection from Derek MacDonald on self-discovery, communication, and personal growth.

I get into my self-inflicted social isolation as well as my changed relationship with the outdoors. I used to be very active… and I’m not anymore. Before my traumatic brain injury, I worked, lived, and socialized in the world of outdoor sports. Then, after the accident, I’d hoped I could love the outdoors again in ways where my livelihood wasn’t attached to it. And I haven’t been able to recover that, which is hard. Repercussions hit my social life too. Which is why I’m so focused on becoming better at communicating.

I try to share things in ways that allow people to grab on and join in. I recently wrote an essay about male loneliness, admitting that I’m lonely in my social life, and that essay took off on Substack. People really latched on. In under a week, it got more views than anything I’ve written in the last year—more likes, comments, shares.

Part of my loneliness came from a self-imposed isolation over the last few years. And it was intentional in order to work on myself. Everything I’ve been working on lately has been in service of finding my voice again and feeling good about using it.

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The Unobstructed Podcast: Listen in on big thoughts and small steps for navigating agency, grief, and creativity in daily life. New episodes every month.

About the hosts:

Derek MacDonald — writer and systems consultant who likes building websites, running, and getting lost in a good book with a strong cup of coffee. You can learn more about Derek, his writing, and his live storytelling at derekmacdonald.com.

Caleb Walker — digital marketer by trade, outdoorsman, hobbyist chef, and avid reader who just likes hanging out with his family and spending time outside.

Read the latest from Derek and Caleb at theunobstructed.com

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