This post is in relation to this article in Entrepreneur magazine about Adriana Huffington (of the Huffington Post) who was interviewed by Oprah.

It’s important to take a step back and realise what’s really important, balance ourselves, and think harder about what “success” means – it’s such a vague word. 

For me, breaking away from a soulless, empty, work and money driven lifestyle (paradoxically a means to this end admittedly) to make time to work more on chronic physical, social, and mental issues I have, has been incredibly enlightening.

It has taken time to find answers to important existential questions, spiritual introspection, and find fulfilment in doing things that I’ve wanted to do but never did enough of.

To me, success has become overcoming my issues, discovery of my genuine life purpose and values, and finding how I can live with these in mind, in harmony with the harshly financial and image conscious reality of our modern society.

 

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MORE ON SATURATED FAT

May 9

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Great article on the historical basis of half a century of misleading dietary guidelines from the Wall Street Journal.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303678404579533760760481486?tesla=y

What I learned from this article was:
– how easily the general population can be influenced to believe whatever they are told
– how much power those in the know, have over those who aren’t
– how easily money, politics, egos and self-interest can lead to perpetuating falsehood as truth
– how easily scientific studies can be manupulated and promoted as gospel despite not being scientific
– how easily misleading ideas can be perpetuated through generations and through the population

Stay vigilant, do your own research, educate yourself, and ask the right questions for your sake and the community’s sake.

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Posted in Diet, Fitness and Health, Medicine, Sociology

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STAYING OUT OF HOSPITAL

May 6

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This is in response to this article published on news.com.au

I always say, there are four main overarching reasons to end up in hospital, often a combination of these:
1) Elderly
2) Obesity
3) Foolish
4) Unlucky

Unfortunately for some, for whatever reasons (genetics, some unique circumstances or environmental exposure or who knows), they can do everything in their power and still get sick, like this poor man, who falls into the least common category of being exquisitely unlucky.

But the message here is not that we shouldn’t bother; because there are still plenty of other of ways in which we can end up in hospital, through aging poorly, eating poorly, gaining excessive weight and negatively affecting our body composition, or doing something stupid like getting addicted to drugs/alcohol/cigarettes or jumping off a roof while we’re drunk.

This man is in hospital by fate of misfortune; but his fellow hospital mates are there by their own design, and he is not impressed.

The point is, as expressed in the disgust this man has for his fellow patients: though on rare occasions sickness can’t be avoided, in the case of the 99.99999% of other reasons that it can be avoided, we should put in the effort and do the right things to stay out of the hospital. Because in the vast majority of the time it can be avoided, and thus we should not take our health for granted.

It is to the benefit of ourselves, and to our fellow man by the examples we set and the community resources we save by not ending up in hospital, that we do our best, within reason, to maintain as high a level of health as we can.

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Posted in Fitness and Health, Medicine, Philosophy, Political, Psychology

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Random adventures in my life – THE SALES BLUEPRINT

Apr 30

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Accidentally ended up at another network marketing presentation, I wonder why they all follow the same formula, regardless of what they are selling. I also wonder how I keep ending up at these things.

So it goes something along these lines:
1. Overly friendly and excitable initial contact (I was suspicious immediately), no description why they want to take us to a presentation except that it is really cool and will change your life. Curiousity and enthusiasm may hook you.
2. At the presentation, start with lots of hype and random cheering from the friends the presenters have brought along (still no description of product) and telling you how much your life sucks, and how absolutely this will make it all better, and you will be sailing on a yacht in the Mediterranean in no time.
3. Explanation of how the product/business system will change your life (still no description of product) with lots of talking and images and videos of beaches and fancy shit
4. Testimonials from friends about how the product/business changed their life (still no description of product) from being a depressed piece of shit to the champion/king/goddess that now stands before you
5. Finally a one line description of product (“it just works”)
6. Finally admit it’s network marketing and tell us all how great this model is, and how you will love the product and share it with your loved ones because you care about them so much
7. More random hype and cheering
8. SIGNUP TIME!!! Those already convinced have are now consumed by excitement.
9. A hard sell if you decline, one-on-one hardcore sales pitch about telling you how shit your life is, all your fears, and how this will be a once-in-a-lifetime thing that you have to sign up for RIGHT NOW

As soon as I stepped in I knew what was coming… and I was right, again. So all in all, a very educational experience. Now I have learned THE BLUEPRINT. 

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SOCIAL ANXIETY: AN ANALOGY

Apr 30

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AN ANALOGY: Dealing with SOCIAL ANXIETY is like learning to swim. If you’re worried about how cold the water is when you hit the surface, then you won’t get in, will never get comfortable with getting wet and never swim well. 

But once you force yourself past that troublesome barrier with a dive or pindrop, the initially uncomfortable feeling of shock when entering that cold water, start to warmup and move around, you may start to even enjoy it.

Even if swimming isn’t your thing, the more you push past that barrier, and the more you try, the easier it gets, and the more you can allow yourself to get comfortable with swimming, which you could not access before because of that disdain aand avoidance of the discomfort of the transition from dry to wet.

Like social situations, your sticking point may be getting past that coldness, and that transition from disengaged to engaged in the social situation. The more practice you get, the colder the water you can tolerate.

Just like with anything, training yourself to do this is all about repetition and internalising new habits. 

Posted in Fitness and Health, Mental Training, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology

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