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Showing posts from March, 2016

Being okay with "hunger"

Daily Practice ... missed out on the chin-ups and burpees, and need to get back on track. But! I did wake up feeling awesome and delayed my coffee intake to later today. Being okay with first world "hunger" When I feel hungry, I often have the urge to satisfy that hunger, instantly. I don't know what it means to be truly hungry. To not have food for survival. For me, today, it's okay to feel hungry. It's okay to not instantly gratify my cravings. I'm learning to be more mindful of my physical and emotional cues. And choosing the response, instead of reacting from a primal instinct.

Sweating the small stuff

Daily Practice 3x5 Chin-ups 3x10 Burpees 10 min oil pulling Sweating the small stuff "Don't sweat the small stuff." Agreed. Yet, sometimes it's useful to sweat the small stuff. To pay particular attention to details. Michelin Star restaurants have the details nailed down. My fiance appreciates when I put thought and care into the small and trivial. How I approach my work, start / end my day, interact with others ... caring makes all the difference. Sometimes people care too much. Sometimes people care too little. But you know when you found that sweet spot, energizing your very being, and those around you.

A breath of fresh air

Daily Practice Back at it! 3x10 burpees 3x5 chin-ups -- 10 min oil pulling A breath of fresh air Today I stepped outside to run an errand. Then I continued to walk, basking in the sun. The crisp afternoon air and clear skies brought a smile to me. Too often I find myself running aimlessly. Taking time to stop, reflect, and be in the moment can breathe life back into the mundane.

Still some fight left

Daily Practice I took a break from the chin-ups and oil pulling. However, I did get a chance this morning to contemplate life over a cup of tea before running a 6 a.m. bootcamp class :) Still some fight left Sometimes I feel I have no more energy left. I'm tired of fighting. And I forget why. Then, I remember why. Then, I remember I fight with God's strength, not my own. One more round. Let's go.

Live Longer

Daily Practice  3x5 Chin-ups 3x10 Burpees -- 10 min oil pulling Live Longer An interesting link by Mark Sisson on predictors of longevity. Check it out: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/10-interesting-predictors-of-longevity/

Getting Less Bad at Stuff

Daily Practice 3x5 Chin-ups 3x10 Burpees -- 10 min oil pulling Getting Less Bad At Stuff Embrace Fear. Make Foolproof Goals. Persist in your Practice.

Mediocre Workouts

Daily Practice 3x10 burpees 3x5 chin-ups -- 10 min oil pulling Mediocre Workouts Mediocre workouts are generally better than no workouts. Earlier today, I had the intention of hitting a heavy set of squats. Instead, I worked up to a comfortable but tough set of 5 and moved on. I entered the gym with the intention to hit my "ideal" workout. Instead, I hit the workout that was right for me today. I could have done those heavy squats, pushed harder on the bench, and squeezed in a set of deadlifts. But why? Training is a practice, not a performance. Train with purpose.

Busyness: Curse or Blessing?

Morning Practice Burpees 3x10 Chin-ups 3x5 -- 10 min oil pulling Busyness: Curse or Blessing? Many times I find myself overwhelmed with busyness. Busy with things that don't matter. Yet busyness can be a blessing. You have something to do and relish the feeling of a job well done. The key I find is choice. Busyness becomes a curse when you can't choose what to be busy with. Sometimes, we don't have a choice. Our boss tells us to do this or that. Other times, we do have a choice. We can choose to align our work with our identity, values , and priorities . This kind of choice takes courage. Courage to say "no" so you can say "yes" to the things that matter most to you.

Adults and Children

Morning Practice Burpees 3x10 Chin-ups 3x5 -- 10 min oil pulling Adults and Children As a child, I was immature and reckless. Seizing the day. Living in the moment. More responsibility comes with maturity. I used to shy away from responsibility. Yet responsibility marks the grown man (or woman). Yet sometimes, we can be too mature. Analyzing all the options. When we forget to see the "colours of the wind".

The Beauty of Toastmasters

Morning Practice Burpees 3x10 Chin-ups 3x5 -- 10 min oil pulling The Beauty of Toastmasters I participate in a corporate Toastmasters club. We spend 1 hour a week to work on our communication and leadership skills. The beauty of Toastmasters is the constant practice we get at public speaking and the immediate feedback. Practicing and reflecting on your practice will help in any endeavour.

E-mails and FOMO

Daily Practice Burpees 3x10 Chin-ups 3x5 -- 10 min oil pulling E-mails and FOMO Sometimes I feel I spend much of my time putting our fires. Responding to e-mails. And getting nothing meaningful done by the end of the day. FOMO = fear of missing out. If I don't respond right away, life will still go on. If I don't check Facebook every 2 seconds, my friends will still like me. If I don't go out to lunch with coworkers, I still get to work with them on meaningful projects. By saying "no" to many things, I get to say "yes" to things that matter most. I get to choose where to spend my time and money.

Failure IS an option

Daily Practice Burpees 3x10 Chin-ups 3x5 -- 10 min oil pulling Failure IS an option ... and often the better  option than not trying. Failed attempts come from ... attempts. Consistent practice will surely lead to progress. It's okay to fail. Failure is your friend and teacher on the road to your dreams. Don't be afraid to fail. Embrace it.

Am I really hungry?

Daily Practice Burpees 3x10 Chin-ups 3x5 -- 10 min oil pulling Am I really hungry? My stomach growls. I'm hungry. Again. I want to eat. Now. Instant gratification. When I give in, I'm rarely satisfied. What if I wait? What if it's okay to feel hungry? To live in this tension? I grab a glass of water. I wait. Clarity and focus replace mental fog. I savour every bite of my meal with gratitude.

The Purpose of Strength

Morning Practice ... Personal reflection ... :) The Purpose of Strength You train tirelessly. You clean up your diet. You get stronger. In body, mind, heart and spirit. Then what? Strength is not the goal. Not even mastery of the mind. What will you do with your new-found strength?

Reflections on Strength

Morning Practice Burpees 3x10 Chin-ups 3x5 -- 10 min oil pulling Reflections on Strength At times I feel emotionally spent. All the self-help in the world seems meaningless. Building physical strength helps me build emotional strength. Strong body. Strong mind.

Lessons from Seth

Morning Practice 3 x 10 burpees 5 chin-ups -- breakfast (3 eggs) / brew coffee / shower Reflections:   Inspired by Seth Godin,  How Seth Godin Manages His Life - Rules, Principles, Obsessions On raising kids You'll raise different kinds of children if you spend ~2 hr/day invested in their lives, present / uninterrupted / cell phone off, sharing stories, going for walks, cooking together, ... than if you did not. Public school has a lot of benefits, but after 3 p.m.... that's homeschooling. Teach kids how to lead and solve interesting problems. Instead of wondering how they scored on their spelling test, be interested more in if they have something to say with the vocabulary they learned Roasting your own beans is the most important part of coffee making process - garbage in, garbage out ... also a metaphor for other aspects of life. The cure for writer's block--if you can't think of anything good to write--is to write poorly ... and to keep