Little Changes

So I've decided that a Good Life is really just a cumulation of good habits.

In my experience with it thus far, Life comes at me in random and unpredictable spurts. There is little rhyme or reason to it from where I sit. A few Sunday School lessons, Holocaust stories, and observations of Middle Schooler's interactions has taught me that what determines whether it ("it" being Life in this case) is a good or bad experience is how you react to it right?

So reactions are pretty important.

Important stuff for me means planning and preparing and rehearsing and rewriting and editing and practicing some more and having your bff review and approve and planning etc.

But I've never really gotten a lot of lead time when big Life moments have come before and I feel, to an extent, that I've blown a few of them because I reacted poorly.

So, in an effort to focus energy on solutions and not problems I've thought:

"OK - I need to react well to everything so that when another Life moment happens I'll see it as just another thing and do well."

"Well" meaning: according to my faith, proportionally to the person and situation, respectfully, without entitlement, and with grace or "like a Lady" for short.

So practicing reactions is stuff you do every day. Then I realized that none of that is a new concept. They're called habits and people have been preaching this for years. Like I said before, I'm slow.

I've realize that I have many different habits. Stress habits, work habits, emotional habits, grooming habits, social habits, mental habits and I found good and bad ones all over the place.

So, therefore if my rhetorical calculations are right; if I change my habits I change my trajectory, or Life. That works for me.

On changing habits: my AP Physics class taught me that nature hates a vacuum. I can't just wake up and let myself think/ say:

STUPID THINGS ARE STUPID SO I'M GOING TO STOP DOING STUPID THINGS. RIGHT NOW. FOREVER. I'M GOING TO BE STUPIDLESS AND SHINEY AND GOLDEN! NONE SHALL THWART MY CARTOON APPROACH TO SELF IMPROVEMENT. I'M STRONG AND AMAZING. I CAN HANDLE IT.

Why yes my inner monologue is in caps, especially when it's being declarative (and irrational) and frequently sounds like Anne Shirley........ What? Don't judge me.

So I'm changing habits - going for the jugular if you will.

After listening to my initial reaction I hear my AP Physics teacher, Mr. Davis, say in is most somber voice "Nature hates a vacuum. Whatever is closest get's the job".

So the ripping out of a bad habit typically sucks in a neighboring (and sometimes worse) bad habit. Less effective**.

Sports and Music have taught me that excellence comes from doing the same thing over and over with consistent little corrections. One just doesn't go to water polo camp for two weeks and come back an Olympian***. One can learn a lot there, theory wise, technique wise even, but conditioning and repetitive, accurate, execution is the only thing that will ever make water polo player a good water polo player. Instant change isn't real change. My goal is a serious habit remodel so my initial/Annesque solution won't work. Ever. Hence, good habits are cultivated by practice to gingerly and deliberately replace bad habits. Like Indy at the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Arc. Not that I consider my disposition and approach to life a bag of sand - but you know what I mean.

Inconsistency is one of my bad habits. I never to go sleep at the same time or have the same thing for breakfast etc. This quality lends itself to a lot of complications so I'm taking and making opportunities to practice consistence. One of these is also an effort to enrich myself, make best use of my time, and create some continuity to my days. I've started listening to NPR on my way to work. I realize this isn't very news worthy or unique and I'm OK with that. There is power in simplicity.

I love NPR but neither habits or it are NOT the point of this post if you can believe it.

The point is; I've been following the most wonderful series/story and I want everyone I know to share the awesome.

Steve Inskeep from Morning Edition has been making his way along the Grand Trunk Road in India and Pakistan. One 5th of the world's population lives around there and over half of that area's population is under age 25. Seeing how small of a place the world is becoming I've realized and embraced the fact that these people are going to be my contemporaries, are going to change the world, and I am VERY interested to know about them and their lives.

I've just love-loved it. Give it a listen/read and tell me what you think. I'd really love to start a conversation about this.

**The Missionary Guide, or "Gia" as the Spanish types said, had a series of training modules. There was always a feedback section and I suppose in an effort to be positive, whoever wrote them only ever termed something as "Effective" or "Less Effective". It was this random ubiquitous phrase in our little worlds and took on epic meaning. If something was just beyond an epic fail it was "less effective", or as we said in the Spanish program "menos efficaz"

Project Michelangelo

The following story is true. Sort of.

Once upon a time on a warm and dusty summer day in Tuscany, a very tired merchant was having a glass of wine at the local tavern. It had been a long day. The door to the place was a holy worn piece of green canvas that was failing in its job and letting in one too many friendly flies. 1000s of people had been swarming the city since Michelangelo had become the popular rogue among the crows and cuckolds at the Vatican (maytheirholynamesbeblessed) so it had been a loud, crowded, and tiring day. It was Michelangelo's fault but no one faulted him.

Everyone knew he was there against his will, only the threat of never having another paycheck and eternal damnation kept him there taking Pope's Julius II's likeness and slaving over the army of statues he wanted for his tomb.

The city was positively ripe with people and it wasn't fun. Market days lasted every daylight hour but most people were rich with vision, not coin. More work and the same money didn't translate too well with everyone that lay slumped over their cups underneath the weight of the day. A number of big names had come in and through the city but one endured, Michelangelo.

Everyone that saw his work cried. He was that good and it was that beautiful. It was a bit of a conundrum because anyone that had ever met the man said he was a coarse, moody, and all together unpleasant fellow. He spent most of his time alone brooding over his work and growling at anyone who dared to interrupt him.

So imagine the inner groan our merchant had when none but two tables down he saw the paint sodden grumbly man himself. It wasn't yet dusk but there were one and a half empty wine bottles at his side and a good amount of charcoal shavings. He thought if there ever was a time to have his own Michelangelo story it would be right now and he'd love to be able to contradict all the unfriendly rumors. He had no idea what he'd say. Women were out. He didn't know a thing about painting. All he really knew of the guy was the huge statue of Moses that was displayed in front of Vatican City gates.

So emboldened by his wine and the fatigue of the day he got up and approached the pile of morose genius, loudly flopped himself down, and asked

"So how do you do it? How do you decided what to sculpt? I've seen that there Moses and he's pretty real. Ready to yell at me he is. Ready to yell just like the lot of the rest of the velvet vultures -maytheirholynamesbeblessed" and punctuated his irreverence with a long swig.

Michelangelo didn't move his head, just his eyes and registered the man. It was a question he got a lot and he always gave the same answer:

"I don't see a piece of marble and decide what to sculpt. All I do is simply reveal the form trapped inside."

The answer would have stumped the man cold sober. He didn't respond. He just got up with a bow and left the man to his work, stumbled out the holy piece of green canvas towards the Holy Gates to go get a second look.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That conversation did take place with Michelangelo, though I can't remember how I heard about it and under what circumstances it took place but that quote is true and had reverbed through centuries. It registered in my very young brain and hasn't left.

So naturally when I started looking at health and fitness goals this was one of the first things that came to mind "I'm just revealing the form inside" and I have unofficially called my health plans "ProMi" or Project Michelangelo for years.

Health and fitness is not something that comes naturally to my family. There are a lot of things that do, but this is one thing we have to work at. We all have layers of genetic, emotional and social conditioned angst that complicates things. I've always anticipated my road to fitness to be laced with a lot of emotional upheavals (because well - I'll get to that) so its not just fat percentage points I'm dealing with, its becoming a more complete and healed person.

What's funny is that most of the kids in my family are pretty active and athletic. I played water polo and tennis for years for my college. My brother was super-mr-baseball man, they all played soccer and on and on blah so it not an activity issue. It's a lot more.

I started swimming because I hated running. I found it a traumatizing and horribly boring activity. As I grew older I realized that it was the one thing that I needed to do because it was the thing that I hated so much. Its the athletic equivalent of praying for my enemies. So in the spirit of my New Years resolutions and being inspired by a few of my friends who have already done it, I downloaded and am doing the "Couch to 5K" running program.

*screaming applause and accolades from the crowd*

Its this super spiffy podcast that takes you through 9 weeks of going from absolute sedation to being able to swing a 5K. So, considering it's one of my lifetime goals to be able to run a mile nonstop, which I've never been able to do, this is ambitious. I can tread water with weights for 2 hours straight but run a mile? Fuggeda bout it.

I have a lot of work to do before I complete a marathon which is another goal....

I was just short of amazed when I got through the first work out with out dying. Its a 3x a week run that ratchets you up and after these first few days I think I might actually be successful.

So yay me in week 1. I'll keep you posted

Flacktoids and Fitness Orbs

There are some days when its all I can do to not uncontrollably laugh at myself. Well, that's most days now that I really think about it, but today is turning out to be a non-stop giggle fest. Why you ask? Well - it all started last week on a weight machine at the gym.



There I was in my coordinating yoga pants, obnoxious tee shirt, pigtail combo getting ready to lift some weights when up popped Mo. Yes- Mo. His name was Mo. He looked like a like dark Italian or Moroccan mix and his name was probably Mohamed or something equally cool. So there was Mo in all his smug-wearing-a-too-tight-trainer's-shirt glory and he started asking me "So what muscle group are you trying to work right now?" and all those other whizzbangs that they teach you in Training school apparently.


Aside:
This is the third time I've been picked off of the weight floor by a trainer at three different gyms. Either I have a cry for help on the back of my shirt or I just look utterly ridiculous when I'm on a machine. But honestly - who doesn't? I dunno. Its become a source of entertainment at this point. My cousin is a body builder and a personal trainer and my other cousin is nutritionist so its not like I don't have people that I already consult. I think I have some idea as to what I might want to do or be doing. So I knew that I was just getting sold in an elongated and slightly condescending manner.

And we're back:

So I politely stopped my work out and stood up with one hand on a hip and listened to his pitch (I've been in sales. I know how it is. Practice is precious and dealing with mean people can poison a whole day). I wanted to be nice. Plus - I mean - his name is Mo. How many people do you know named Mo?


The conversation went something like this:


Mo: Hey there! What's going on? I'm Mo.


Me: Mo?


Mo: Yeah - Mo. I'm the training manager here and I've noticed you're on this machine a lot. Do you think it's a good part of an exercise program? You've been coming for a few weeks now right?


Me: About 6 months


Mo: Oh - right. Well ... Yeah - I'm here everyday and I think I've seen you try to work this machine. So - uh- what muscle group do you think you're targeting right now?


temporarily speechless from being slightly annoyed but highly entertained. So with a raised eyebrow and deciding to play along but wanting to keep it simple having no desire to enter a biology discussion with "The Mo" -


Me: (standing up) my legs


Mo: OK - yeah - I can see that (It was a quadriceps machine)........ well if you want to come over here I can show you some other exercises that might be better


(enter Nick)


Nick: Is everything all right over here?


Me: Mo this is my brother Nick.


Mo: Good to meet you (shakes hands - but like the boy sizing each other up shake not the good-to-meet-you-shake) .......... so you guys seem pretty close. How long have you been friends?


Me: Mo this is my brother Nick -

Mo: Oh. Right ...... well do you want to come over to the mat and I can show you some stuff?


So after Nick came over with the endearingly sweet "Is there problem here?!" look and posture going on, *Gotta love protective brothers* we both got conned into letting him "work us out" for a bit. We found a few exercise balls and were reminded how out of shape we both still are and then we made appointment for a "full session" - to be further reminded. Yay and double yay. :D


That appointment was yesterday.


And today I can't walk.


Well ---- I can but its an effort and I think my legs and or abs might give out at any given time. So every muscle pain twinge I feel I just laugh. I mean, what else can you do? All we did was a bunch of different squats and leg lifts, mat work for the most part and it was only half an hour long but I feel like I got out of a 4 hour water polo practice. And then ran home.


So I've officially been "taken to the next level" and should be ready to "see some major results". Thanks Mo! It was awesome.

Tree-Hugger Tendencies

My best friend sent me a link to this website with some awesome recipes for homemade beauty products -body scrubs etc. Very good stuff. She's a pretty awesome best friend. The scrubs were lovely so I scrolled down a little farther and found a suggested recipe for a morning drink that was

1 cup of warm water
2 tbs of lemon juice
3 tbs of apple cider vinegar

Didn't seem so bad - said it was a gentle daily cleanse and metabolism lift. Pretty good deal for morning pick me up and I'm sure I've tasted stranger things. But let me tell ya - I tried it this morning and I feel good, but it was not a pleasurable experience. Frankly, it was hard not to gag on the stuff. I'll try it for a week and see if its worth it or if I acclimate to it. But honestly, I'm dreading tomorrow morning. Wheat grass was not nearly as difficult the first time around as this was.

I know there are people out there that are ridiculously healthy that take something like this everyday - but how do you suspend your pallet to get there? Thats the real secret I think.

http://www.robinmcgraw.com/recipes.html if you're wondering. I recommend the rose salt.