Month: December 2016

“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, ‘It will be happier.’”—Alfred Lord Tennyson

Hope has been greatly politicized of late.  I don’t agree with it.  Hope is not to be found in political figures.  Our hope comes from within ourselves and our higher Power.  Hope comes from no one else.

As we close out this year and enter into the next—as if the passing of one year to the next is like magically passing through the transom into some wondrous (or terrifying) new world—let us look to the opportunities which lie ahead.  We are not without some control of our futures.  True, we do not know what tomorrow will bring, but so what?  Live in the moment.  Carpe diem.  As the Christ instructed: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34, NIV).

Hope is for that which we have not seen.  Thus, for what is yet to come, we still have a choice.  Our actions—our personal actions—impact what happens next.  True, we do not have total control, and less pleasant events may lie in wait.  Over such, we have no control.  We do, however, have total control over our response.  Thus, hope is ours.

Whatever happened in 2016 is history.  A new year, 2017, lies just beyond the horizon.  We have no idea what 2017 will bring.  But, we can know how we will choose to respond to what will come.

If you are inclined to make new year resolutions, resolve to have hope in tomorrow and act today to make it so.  May you be blessed in 2017 and make the most of every opportunity!

Happy New Year!!

As the New Year fast approaches, the “new you” and hyped-fitness sponsored ads are on the increase.  Don’t be duped by purported “quick fixes” and lists of “dos” and “don’ts”.  Improved health and fitness requires small, simple, changes to one’s lifestyle.  No special products or secret foods.  No special exercises or workouts.  Just basic nutrition and exercise. Shape, Men’s Health, Muscle & Fitness, etc. have no special “secrets”.  You don’t need to spend hours in the gym.  You just need to stick to the basics–basic (complex) movements and basic (healthy) food choices.  Spend as much time as you can being active, without sacrificing time (unnecessarily) with family.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.  (May that be the only resolution you have to make for 2017, and, if you don’t hit your mark every day, so be it.)

Though a bit premature, Happy New Year!

“If you have a family mission statement that clarifies what your purpose is, then you use that as the criterion by which you make the decisions.”—Stephen R. Covey

I have written some about personal mission statements, which is something I would encourage all to consider.  This is an especially good time to do so, as many consider resolutions for the new year.  I would also encourage families and couples to write a collective mission statement, as well.

I led my wife to write her personal mission statement, and I have to credit her for turning the table on me and suggesting that we consider a family mission statement, as well.  This is something that Stephen R. Covey suggested in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families, and I couldn’t agree with her more.  So, we are working on ours.

I would strongly suggest that young couples consider a common mission statement as an exercise in premarital counseling.  If not before marriage and children, as soon as possible.  Perhaps one of the best things that we can do to safeguard our relationships is to make sure that we are functioning on a foundation of shared values and mission.  Our biggest decisions should be made on such a foundation, and these can be a source of great stress on any relationship.  Decisions are easier when there is a unified sense of purpose and intent.  Having a common mission also allows for more independent decision-making (when decisions are made from an understanding of the common mission).

A personal or family mission statement need not be a static document.  It can evolve over time as certainly families and relationships will over time.  Indeed, it is probably a document that should be revisited on a regular (say, annual?) basis.  It is also something the should include input from the entire family.  One will, after all, want buy-in from all members of the family.

It would be my suggestion to begin with a discussion of values.  Once the question of “what do we value as a family?” has been resolved, a mission statement can be shaped from this skeleton.

In order to be a “well-centered” family, values should be focused on the Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social dimensions.  In addition, as a family, there must be consideration of professional and financial goals.

If individual family members have already developed a personal mission statement, it will be important that there be congruency among the statements.  If, for example, a couple have dissimilar personal missions, it will be challenging to come to a common family mission.  Likewise, one cannot claim to support a family mission yet maintain a very different personal mission.

A family mission statement can go a long way toward resolving family conflict and providing a platform of mutual understanding.  If, for example, a parent is working long hours to provide for the family and to save for the children’s college education, the children might be more understanding when certain important activities have to be missed.  If, on the other hand, the parent is working long hours only to have expensive things or for status, it may be a bit more difficult for the children to understand the parent’s absence.  When there is a common mission or purpose, each member of the family can better understand his or her role in the family and act to fulfill the common mission.  A child can understand why they have chores or why they can’t have or do certain things.  A spouse will be more supportive of the other knowing that each has needs and a role in the functioning of the family.  All decisions made as a group or individually will be accepted (or should be) when it is consistent with this mission.

The family mission statement must be a document that has full agreement among the family members.  This is not something to be driven by one member.  It needs to be a collective effort.  Even the youngest of children can contribute.

Give this a try.  The first effort may not (most likely will not) be perfect, but time will tell.  As the mission statement is revisited, edits can be made.  Nonetheless, what is decided upon should drive the family efforts.  As challenges come up, consider these opportunities to revisit family values and mission.  Families, like individuals, should strive to be their best today, and be better tomorrow.

“Where there is no vision, there is no hope.”—George Washington Carver

I have a reputation among my friends and students of dismissing most of the current trends in fitness—mostly because they are dressed up twists on the old trends in fitness or because they are not all they are purported to be.  I tell my students that if they can bring me strong physiological support then I will buy in.  Rarely do the trends hold up to the test.  Usually, they hold some merit, but are really nothing new—just better marketing.  So, when I friend asks for advice on something that I am not so quick to reject, it warrants sharing (mostly so my reputation isn’t wholly negative).

Today, a friend asked me for my opinion about a specific product that is essentially a modernized Indian Club (with a fancier and more appropriate name).  Truthfully, I find it to be a reasonable product.  And I share some of my response in what follows.

“Indian Clubs have been around for hundreds of years.  Like kettlebells and the Bulgarian bag, they have usefulness and limitations.  These are a lot less trendy than some of the other crap out there. It depends on the goals.  I would probably like them more (and kettlebells, too) if they weren’t so expensive and limited.  I like versatility, and I am cheap. I want bang for the buck and, as I teach my students, ‘opportunity costs’. What do I have to give up to use them? My workout time is limited, so I am gonna spend as much time lifting free weights and some time doing cardio and my Bulgarian bag.  For you and your wife, this might be more up your alley.  (It might, for example, be a good counter to the unidirectional rotations in golf.)  I haven’t searched, but I might be inclined to fashion a diy club that could be adjustable. In short, it can have limited merit, depending on the goals and intended use. Its biggest limitation is in the lack of overload, but there are uses that are only limited by creativity and time.”

It turns out that my friend was interested in the product for golf.  So, this might be useful for the reason stated above.  They can also be great for overall motor control, balance, core stability, and the like.  They, as do kettlebells and my beloved Bulgarian bag, present a couple of issues.

1. They are relatively expensive.
2. They are (with limited exceptions) not adjustable, which limits the ability to progressively overload or use different levels of resistance for different movements.
3. They offer limited progression, so this limits the usefulness as a strength training tool.
4. They will take away from other planned exercise activities, and one must consider “opportunity cost”.

In addressing the cost issue, I might recommend a do-it-yourself option to get started.  This would allow one to try them out before investing in a more polished and pricey option.  I quickly found diy videos on YouTube.  I recommend exploring these for what might be most appealing.  Some involve filling toy plastic bats with sand, which is quite simple.  The video link shared below is a clever diy adjustable Indian Club that is fashioned quite nicely.  If you have the budget, the WeckMethod™ RMT Club is a nice design.  Expect to spend up to $110 for an 8 lb club.  A similar tool is the Shoulderök by Kabuki Strength.  It is more advanced than an Indian Club, but it is adjustable.

Like I mentioned, most Indian Clubs (and most kettlebells) are not adjustable.  The link below has a nice adjustable diy design.  I would recommend using a threaded rod with a thick thread that will remain durable over time.

Indian Clubs, kettle bells, Bulgarian bags, sandbags, etc. are great conditioning tools—especially for functional core strength.  They are not intended (in my humble opinion) as a strength training tool.  If you want to get stronger, you must lift heavy weights.  They are also not great for cardiovascular fitness (though with the popularity of HIIT these might be marketed as such).  Nor are they great for muscle endurance.  They are best suited to aspects of motor skill-related fitness—namely, balance, coordination, and agility training.  I believe they have a place in one’s fitness programming, it they can fit it.

This brings me to “opportunity cost”.  This is the idea that whatever you add into your fitness program is going to take away from something else—unless you have unlimited time to exercise, which I suspect you don’t.  So, you have to be judicious in what you include.  Prioritize your goals, and, if there is a fit, by all means include these.  If you work out at a commercial gym that has these, then feel free to experiment with them.  If you work out at home, like me, you probably have to be careful with the use of space and wise with the budget.  I, personally, prefer my Bulgarian bag.  I have an 18 kg bag that serves me well.  I like to squeeze in a few short sets of rotational exercises for the core and/or HIIT sets for a little variation in my calorie burn.  My priority is weights for strength and hypertrophy, followed with some cardio.  There isn’t always time for something like Indian Clubs (though my friend has me considering a diy adjustable set to have on hand).  But, my priorities are not your priorities.  So, judge accordingly.

How to make adjustable Indian Clubs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMJkE4Ygldw&feature=youtu.be

WeckMethod™ RMT Club:

http://shop.weckmethod.com/products/rmt-club

Shoulderök by Kabuki Strength:

http://store.kabukistrength.net/collections/frontpage/products/shoulderok

Ironmaster Quick Lock Kettlebell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFS9qFZCwRM

Bulgarian Bag (the real deal):

https://suples.com/bulgarian-bag/

DIY “Bulgarian” bag:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1swIYdmJB1o

Here’s an unfilled/empty “Bulgarian” bag option (you have to provide the sand):

http://mmagrapplingdummies.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=61

or

https://www.amazon.com/Bulgarian-Genuine-Leather-Crossfit-Wrestling/dp/B01MCUP0MN/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482598792&sr=8-1&keywords=bulgarian+bag

[NOTE: I do not receive any compensation for suggesting any of the above products.  These are merely suggested starting points for your personal shopping.  Please, feel free to comment on your experiences with these.]

“I think the most important thing is to keep active and to hope that your mind stays active.”—Jane Goodall

We are made to be doing.  We need to be active both physically and intellectually.  “Use it or lose it”, as the saying goes.  Both our bodies and our minds require stimulation on a regular basis.

In exercise science, we differentiate between “physical activity” and “exercise”.  I suspect it is similar in the neurosciences.  Physical activity is defined as any muscle movement that is above the resting state—in other words, any energy expended above one’s basal metabolic activity.  Exercise is planned physical activity that is intended for the purposes of improving one’s health, performance, or body composition.

From an intellectual standpoint, we can look at neural activity as basic neural functioning and cognitive exercise.  Thus, cognitive exercise would be planned activities that are intended to improve brain function.  Such “brain training” is as important to long-term health as regular muscle training and aerobic exercise.

It is important that we consider the following as part of a regular routine:

1. physical exercise that overloads the cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle strength, muscle endurance, as well as improves/maintains flexibility and a healthy body composition;
2. cognitive training through regular reading and challenging neural exercises, such as crosswords, puzzles, testing recall, etc.; and
3. activities that challenge neuromotor skills.

The first two items on this list, probably, need little prompting.  After all, we are well-aware that we need to keep our bodies and minds sharp.  (Now, whether we actually follow through….)

I want to take a bit more time to emphasize the challenging of our neuromotor skills.  In categorizing “fitness”, we exercise scientist define two categories: health-related (i.e., cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle endurance, muscle strength, flexibility, and body composition) and motor skill-related (balance, coordination, agility, speed, power, and reaction time).  The latter of these are often reserved for athletes, as they are considered “sports-related”.  I contend, however, that these all the more important as we age.  Consider, for example, the increased risk or falling with aging.  Seems to me that motor skill-related is quite more important health-related fitness when it comes to effective movement strategies as we get older.

Motor skill-related fitness—neuromotor skill—requires a higher level of coordination between the nervous system and the muscle (thus, we highlight coordination, balance, reaction time, etc.).  Neuromotor skill training requires overload of the motor and sensory structures of the nervous system as well as the cognitive function and basic physiological function.  It requires a higher level of complexity to one’s plans for Physical and Intellectual well-centeredness.

As we set our goals for coming new year, consider adding a greater level of challenge to your routine.  Obviously, I suggest you read (at least 30 minutes a day), but challenge your mind more than you might typically.

1. read a textbook or sources that are out of your current knowledge base;
2. do math problems;
3. devote some time regularly to doing challenging mental activities (puzzles, crosswords, play trivia games, etc.);
4. learn a foreign language or to play a musical instrument; and/or
5. any thing that challenges recall (e.g., write your memoires, recreate your family tree, etc.

Physical exercise is, likewise important.  Step it up a bit (within your physical abilities, of course):

1. add greater instability to the exercises you perform (e.g., move up from machines to free-weight exercise, do exercises from a split or single-legged stance, etc.);
2. perform more complex body movements (in a controlled fashion);
3. incorporate physioballs and stability balls in your exercise;
4. get off the cardio machines and get outside; and/or
5. play a sport.

More importantly, this year, do things to challenge your motor skills:

1. dance (practice actual choreographed steps—waltz, two-step, whatever);
2. take art classes (drawing, painting, pottery, etc.) and/or take up a hobby to refine your fine-motor skills (knitting, needlepoint, carving, etc.);
3. do some good old-fashioned cone-drills for agility (it doesn’t have to be at NFL combine speed—just require your body to have to change direction quickly and accurately, trying to get better over time);
4. perform complex novel movements that require thinking about what you are doing (like jumping rope);
5. learn a new sport; and/or
6. just do things that challenge your mind and body simultaneously.

Don’t just go through the motions of “exercising” and “reading” and step up the challenges.  Carpe momento!

 

“At the end of our life, we ought to be able to look back over it from our deathbed and know somehow the world is a better place because we lived, we loved, we were other-centered, other-focused.”—Joe Ehrmann

One of the most challenging lessons I have had to teach my son is that of always giving 100% effort to whatever he is doing—be it sports, school, or chores.  Certainly giving one’s all is important for personal success, but it is especially consequential for team success.  I liken it to the parable of the talents.  If one does not bring everything one has to practice or competition he or she is letting down the team, the coaches, and him-/herself.  I want this to be a lesson he learns earlier, rather than later in life.

For any of us, if we don’t do our best at whatever we are doing, we are letting someone down.  I wrote recently about “leave everything in this room”.  This seems to be a recurring theme and worthy of repeat.  If I decide to “phone in” a lecture, go easy on my students in an exam, or neglect in anyway to intellectually challenge my students, I have failed them as a professor.  If a coach allows his or her athletes to “take it easy”, it is to the detriment of the team’s success—on and off the field.

I love the scene in the movie Rudy when Rudy Ruettiger tells an offensive lineman: “If I cool it, I won’t be helping you get ready for the games. You got it?”  Under-sized, but big in heart, Rudy knew that one-hundred percent 100% of the time was essential to his success, as well as the success of the Notre Dame football team.

Early this week, I had to lecture my son on giving his all in wrestling practice.  He was wrestling like a “fish”, and I could see the frustration in the eyes of his training partner as he lay on his belly stalling in the bottom position and when he allowed himself to be taken down with the greatest of ease.  It was hard to deal with my own frustration.  Fortunately, he took it to heart and his practices improved.  His practice improved to the point to where in last night’s practice I saw him intensely working moves, fighting off the bottom, and giving his partner a workout.  His coach acknowledged him at the end of practice for his effort (the transformational coach that he is) and, I trust, this has underscored the lesson.

For me, youth sports are not about winning (though winning is icing on the cake).  Youth sports are about learning the skills to succeed in all facets of life.

As adults, we must understand that we are not working just to better ourselves (or better our circumstances).  We are working to make everyone better—including those who are better that we are.  Success is predicated on teamwork and individual effort.  Our drive is to always be our best—be your best today; be better tomorrow.  When we are the best we can be and expect those around us to be the best they can be, everyone gets better.  Despite some trends in society to the contrary, competition is good.  Competition is healthiest when there is a push/pull for all to “leave everything in this room.”  The sweat and blood that are spilled (both literally and figuratively) in preparation are replaced with fortitude, drive, and determination—with greater skills and a stronger will.  There is always a place at the top for the person who is willing to work the hardest.  As a team, we rise and fall together.  Trust what the great Coach Lombardi said: “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.”

Carpe momento!

“No one has ever drowned in sweat.”—Lou Holtz

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

(Isaiah 9:6-7)

“And none of us will ever accomplish any thing excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone.”–Ralph Waldo Emerson

As we wind down the year and look forward to the next, it is time to consider our “why”.  I trust that there is a Path and a Purpose for each of us.  Perhaps our greatest challenge in life is in figuring these out.

Whether you believe that Purpose is divine or whether you believe Purpose is self-determined, there is nonetheless a Purpose for everyone.  Our Purposes are intertwined beyond comprehension.  Otherwise, what is Man without Purpose.

Before considering New Years Resolutions, consider your course for the coming year.  Where is it you believe you are going—or want to go?  What is your plan to get there?  Why there?

One can not fully appreciate Purpose if there is no desire to accomplish something.  There is no direction in life without a desire to get somewhere.  One has no need for a compass or a map, if one is not moving.  One need not look to the stars or the path of the sun, if one has no will to explore where life can take him.  There is no need for GPS….  Okay, I am sure you get the point.  But, do you?

Purpose is a tricky thing.  The human mind is, above all, deceitful.  We can be so convincing to ourselves that we know what we are doing and why we are doing it.  We talk so loudly that we fail to hear the quite whisper that commands our Path.

If you are feeling the slightest bit disoriented or misplaced, PAUSE.  Listen to for the “whisper”.  Take pause, before diving headfirst into Resolutions and half-hearted goals, to know what you want—what the Universe wants of you.  Consider your values and mission.  If you have not, do so and establish a foundation for your “growth plan”.  Consider priority goals accordingly.

I prefer to categorize goals as:

Spiritual;

Physical;

Intellectual;

Emotional;

Social;

Professional; and

Financial

But ask yourself, first: “Why am I here?” and LISTEN.  Don’t try to tell yourself.  LISTEN.  Make it a part of your daily routine to find out.  When you hear the whisper, ACT!

“Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself, and know that everything in life has purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from.”—Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

This is usually a rather festive time for many.  But, for quite a few, there is a void this time of year.  My heart aches for those who have even the slightest hollow in their heart this season.  Many have loved ones—parents, siblings, relatives, and friends—who will be missed.  Some had lived long and full lives.  For these we celebrate with a mixed tear.  Some left us, what we believe, before their time.  Such loss is not without some selfishness, as we are the ones who feel the loss.  The season, however, I have a tremendous compassion for friends who have lost children.  I can only imagine the hurt they feel and know that it is a wound that will never heal.  And, honestly, I know that there is nothing I can say or do that will help.  I never feel more helpless than when I consider my friends.  No amount of love can replace the love that was lost.  All I can do is love the best I know how and hold my own children just a bit more tightly.  All I or any of us can do is be grateful for the moment we have.

Carpe momento!

If you are so inclined, give a gift to help prevent such loss for future families.  I have seen too many families face the battle with cancer in their precious children, so my heart tends there.  If you have nowhere to give, consider giving in memory of Joey and Christopher:

 

http://www.christopher-court.org/

 

https://www.jfccf.org/

“Life is an echo.  What you send out comes back.  What you sow, you reap.  What you give, you get.  What you see in others, exists in you.”—Zig Ziglar

It is really cool to me when I can feel like my meditations are in line with the Universe.  This thought of our lives being an echo was a seed in my thoughts when I saw the above words from the always-inspiring Zig Ziglar.  The concept is so spot-on.  We are what we give, and what we give must always align with the Path and Purpose God has set before us.

The slightest release of negativity always seems to come back to us echoing like our voice off the walls of a canyon.  Alternatively, the intentional release of positive energy returns with the same repeat.  So, then, there remains for us a choice—do we release a call of pessimism or do we beckon opportunity?

The idea that life is like a sound that is echoed suggests that life is a mere reflection of what we project.  What we send out in life, however, does not return unaffected by what it touches.

It has been a v-e-r-y long time since I have studied the physics of sound, so lets not go there, per se.  (And allow me a little latitude, if my analogies deviate from the science at times.)  Still, it occurs to me, as I consider this idea of our life as an echo, that sound is not merely reflected. It can bend and be distorted by the objects it encounters.  It is absorbed, as well as reflected.  It can pick up the energy of other sounds.  Thus, what is returned to us is a product of the environment, as well as what was sent.  Considering this, the nature of what we send is all the more important.

As my children serve to remind me every day, what we speak is received by others.  Careless words (and actions) once sent can not be stopped.  Their affect cannot be altered.  These are absorbed, and they are reflected toward others.  Ultimately, they are echoed back to us.

We have an impact on everything and everyone around us.  The more our words and actions are sent with the intent to uplift and encourage, the more they will drown out the negativity around us and leave a positive impression on everything and everyone.  In return, more positivity and encouragement is returned to us.  But, it begins with us.  The stronger the signal we send, the greater the effect.  The more positive the energy, the more it counters negative energy.

In my personal life, I know that, once negative energy is released, it will quickly amplify and overtake my mood and the projection there of.  Conversely, if I can release positive energy—even if a bit forced—it returns greatly amplified.

The start of the day is like the stillness of quiet.  The first “sound” that is released is what will echo in return.  Take care to start the day well.  Having a morning routine that sets a positive course for the day helps.  If one should awaken, as we often do, to stress and anxiety for what lies ahead, one need only to focus on the opportunities which lie before him or her and not dwell on these as burdens, and some of the positive energy that is released will no doubt serve to cancel the negative “sound”.   Begin the day with a positive thought or quote.  Select a mantra or affirmation that brings encouragement.  Moreover, remove that which is contrary to your Purpose and Path and surround yourself with those who encourage and support you.

Carpe momento!