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Category: Living Well

Delay The Urge To Stop

Published on June 20, 2022

Whenever possible, rather than stopping your forward momentum altogether, try slowing down instead.

One of the worst strategies for finishing a marathon is to sprint-stop-sprint-stop-sprint-stop the whole way.

When you feel yourself getting winded—adjust your pace; shorten your stride; give yourself more time to breathe.

And at all costs: delay the urge to stop.

While rest might seem like the most energy efficient decision in the moment, as physics demonstrates, keeping your body in motion is actually the most energy efficient option long-term.

So that we’re clear, I’m not advocating you never stop working.

I am advocating that you commit to a working pace that you can sustain rather than one that you have to constantly start-stop.

For example: rather than read 100 pages sporadically every month or two—commit to 10 pages per day. And if 10 pages becomes too much, don’t stop altogether. Drop it to 5 pages per day. And if that’s still too much, drop it to one page. And if that’s too much—you’re playing yourself.

Keeping the momentum alive in your daily tasks is key to efficient and effective forward movement in your life.

Starting a stopped body is much harder than keeping a body in motion.

Keep your body in motion even when (especially when) your mind wants to stop.

Seed Planter [Poem]

Published on June 19, 2022 
I am forever
A seed planter
Burying potential
in the endless mud
Of our collective mind

Some will grow
Many will die
What comes to be
Isn’t for me
to judge or define

I am not sun
I am not nutrients
I am not water
I am forever
a seed planter

What’s planted
In the mud
Of your mind
Is for the elements
Of your life

To nurture or decline

Just For Today

Published on June 18, 2022

…What a beautiful mindset for getting things done long-term.

Committing to something for months/years/life can be intimidating.

But committing to today?

No problem.

Just for today: read, write, draw, exercise, meditate, etc.

And simply repeat this mindset again when you wake—tomorrow.

Too Cool For School

Published on June 16, 2022

Today, I had the privilege of presenting a martial arts driven character development class to nine groups of Kindergarden through 8th graders.

It was highly rewarding and the message I was able to share felt well received.

When the 8th graders (13-15 years old) arrived for their session, however, the apprehension and self-consciousness was thick in the air.

Just about all of the kids were more concerned with what each of the other kids thought and wouldn’t so much as stand up without a strong enough prompt.

They had other things on their mind—boys, girls, being funny, being liked, being noticed, looking cool, looking rebellious, looking like a part of the group, etc.

And so I offered them a simple invitation: I’m here to show you how martial arts can add value to your lives. If you want to learn how, step forward. If you’d rather not, step back.

And I wish I could say they all stepped forward—but, they didn’t.

Only a group of about 6 (out of 30ish) did.

And so I focused all of my attention on those six. I even huddled them tight after the session and gave them more than I planned on giving—as a thank you.

It’s so easy to feel like we’re up against the majority in our lives—and often we are. And it can be tempting to just slide back and blend into mix of the group—certainly nobody would blame you.

But, to step forward in confidence? In spite of the group decision? At risk of social consequence?

This… my friends… is where leadership is born and how any noteworthy change—is made.

Instant vs. Delayed Gratification

Published on June 7, 2022

Instant gratification is choosing pleasure now.

Delayed gratification is resisting pleasure now for (or in hope of) a more rewarding pleasure later.

The kind of pleasure we feel with instant gratification is not the same kind of pleasure that we feel with delayed gratification.

One is a superficial, fleeting feeling of pleasure—the other is a deep, lingering feeling of pleasure. Some examples:

  • Eating ice cream now will give you pleasure while you’re eating. Resisting the ice cream now gives you the pleasure of feeling healthy for much longer thereafter.
  • Sitting on the couch now will give you pleasure while you’re sitting. Resisting the couch to partake in a workout gives you the pleasure of feeling strong for much longer thereafter.
  • Buying the luxury item now gives you the pleasure while it’s admired. Resisting the luxury item purchase to invest your money gives you the longer-term pleasure of financial security.

That said, it would follow that we should delay gratification as much as possible in our lives.

And I would agree.

The more we delay gratification, the more of that deep, lingering feeling of pleasure—what I consider joy—we’ll have. However, the conversation doesn’t stop there.

I also don’t think we should always delay gratification.

If happiness is a recipe, and instant gratification are the sweet ingredients and delayed gratification are the bitter ones, we need to masterfully combine the two for healthy AND delicious meals.

Too much sweet and we’ll be eating pixie sticks all day (and feel awful).

Too much bitter and we’ll be eating spinach all day (and become bored).

We need to learn how to masterfully combine both for healthy, great-tasting meals.

Content vs. Complacent (Round 2)

Published on June 5, 2022

Complacency is given.

Content is earned.

Complacency is sitting on the couch.

Content is sitting on the couch after a workout.

Complacency is eating crappy foods.

Content is eating crappy foods on your cheat day after an entire week of clean eating.

Complacency is binging watching TV.

Content is binge watching TV after a week of reading, writing, meditating, and contributing.

Complacency is what happens when we follow our lazy inclinations and accept regression.

Content is what happens when we follow our curiosities and challenge ourselves to grow.

Both complacency and contentment represent a sort of acceptance.

The major difference, that’s imperative to understand, is the trajectory of where you’re heading from that state of acceptance.

The trajectory of complacency is an increasingly downward slope towards atrophy, dullness, and discontentment.

And the trajectory of contentment is an increasingly upward slope towards strength, sharpness, and joy.

Don’t get it twisted.

Click here to read Content vs. Complacent (Round 1)