Seven to Go

"Seven to Go"sounds like a title for a workout on Strava and it acts like one too. Workout titles are sort of like the act of making your bed. It's an activity that you can actually start and finish successfully so long as you commit to doing it. There are no real impediments except your own attention to completing the task. The act of figuring out a clever title during a workout somehow makes the workout count a bit more even if the physical effort did not live up to expectations.

This particular title comes from my being curious about how many entries I need to write before getting to the magic number of 21 that used to be enough to start a by 1960's standards. I have seven entries left. Six if I count this one.

It is getting easier and I can feel a change occurring in my writing. I can feel a style emerging. I feel more humble, authentic and articulate and every day that I write now I think of the many artist who believe that we are all just conduits for ideas that already exist in the world. They have said in so many words that the job of a creative person is to practice being ready to translate those ideas into a format that the rest of the world can experience.

I feel ready.

Cold Showers

You've probably heard that cold showers are good for you. Until this article by Tony Robbins I didn't really know how to start.

I suppose this is part of what makes Tony Robbins Tony Robbins. He gets you over the hump of doing things that you know you should have been doing all along.

After 3 days of cold'ish' showers I'm not yet converted, but I'm willing to keep trying.

I have to admit though--while I'm freezing my[self] in the shower--I am constantly thinking that the relaxation of a warm shower must have health benefits that offset the stress of this exercise. Time will tell.

Note How it Feels

You've probably heard this before:

"Now try it with your other hand, and pay attention to how that feels."

I can't recall when I first heard the idea, but I also can't remember a streak long enough to be noteworthy where I stuck to the training. I say 'training' because 'other side' efforts require a conscious effort to stress our muscles and our brain in ways that are not natural.

Our familiarity with how easily we get something done on one side provides a built in benchmark for how we'd like it to feel on the other side. We conveniently get to observe ourselves going in and out of a state where our brain and musculature are challenged. But explaining this concept was that's not what I was thinking about today.

Today, and not for the first time, I was reminded of the infinite number of opportunities we have to practice these 'other side' efforts.

For example, I walk down three steps to go into my office. I typically lead with my left foot. Today, I stepped down with my right foot first. If you are a snowboarder, you'll recognize this as 'goofy', and noted how it felt.

I poured my coffee with the other hand and noted how it felt.

I cleaned my glasses with my other hand and noted how it felt.

I put a sweater on with the other hand first and noted how it felt.

And then when I started to type this entry I noticed that my eyes and body were pulling to the left, and still are a bit. My brain is working to bring me back to 'normal' but new paths were clearly created. That's exciting. That means new synaptic neighbors with whom to create new ideas or new ways of thinking. That means new roads in my brain, or new rivulets on the mountain. Pick your analogy.

Furthermore, by noting how this feels it helps me to get more comfortable with being uncomfortable. It inspires empathy for people who might be trying something for the first time, like a child.