Immersion

It used to drive me nuts when our three sons would insist on doing their homework with MTV or other cacophony blaring in the background.  But they kept bringing home top grades in advanced courses, so there wasn’t much I could really say, except “Great Work” when the report cards came in. 

For many years, I rationalized that these “blunt force” sound and sense saturation vibes were simply attenuating spurious neuron firings that might otherwise have arisen from other sources, allowing greater focus on the studies at hand. 

However, I now have enough experience of my own to suggest that the superimposition of certain kinds of background activity may, in fact, facilitate and enhance “immersion” in the work being done.  It’s like working on a factory floor, simply keeping pace with everything else that’s going on.   Maybe there’s some kind of “rhythm” involved? 

In my case, the primary facilitating and enhancing “immersion” background is physical exercise.  Whether it’s walking, climbing stairs, mowing the lawn or working out on equipment, I experience an almost instantaneous sense of “Centering Down”.  This also happens during driving and flying … as though other forces at hand are part of the package – indeed, an essential part of the package.   

So what might happen if we got ALL the senses involved, engaged and IMMERSED in what we’re doing?   

Mothers, listen up:

Maybe those month-old pizza boxes mixed in with dirty underwear plus the entire wardrobe spread across the floor are merely part of the “IMMERSION” experience your son or daughter needs to feel fully engaged???    

Who knows?!?

Perhaps we could fine-tune things a bit – and maybe even vary the formulation for different purposes: One module of sounds, lighting, scents, physical engagement, and taste (perhaps sugarless chewing gum rather than chips, dip and Ding-Dongs?) for reading and a different module for writing and another for STEAM-related activities ...  

Wow!

And don’t forget your “By-God Armorall Coveralls” … and maybe some incense … maybe a trickling waterfall …

What’s YOUR Go-To “immersion” formulation for stuff YOU really need to do? 

I’m not a big devotee of Feng-Shui.  But, hey … whatever works!  

Quartermaster

Random Walk Ponderings

“[The] random walk is a mathematical [representation] of a path that consists of a succession of random steps. For example, the path traced by a molecule as it travels in a liquid or a gas, the search path of a foraging animal, the price of a fluctuating stock and the financial status of a gambler can all be modeled as random walks … Random walks explain the observed behaviors of many processes … and thus serve as a fundamental model for the recorded stochastic activity.”    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_walk

In chemistry and physics, the random walk describing molecular activity is often represented as the trajectory of a befuddled drunk trying to find his way home after a barn-burner night on the town.   

While life is not entirely like a Random Walk, it can have a very similar lack of trajectory and outcome if not strategically guided and purposefully engaged – by some means.  Who’s driving and to what perceived destination makes a big difference! 

As Maslow pointed out [“in his 1943 paper ‘A Theory of Human Motivation’ in Psychological Review” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs], both voluntary and involuntary driving forces are at work in the human soma and psyche that essentially “direct” our behavior.  

But once fundamental / baseline needs are met, the trajectory becomes a bit “fuzzy”. 

In fact, “fuzziness” seems to be our preferred or intrinsic modus operandi: Unless imposed upon by external forces (parents, teachers, coaches, other “authority” figures or new and different circumstances), we tend to leave imprints in the sand that appear to be entirely random.  And WHEN imposed upon by such forces, we tend to react with more than equal force in completely opposite directions!

However, when not imposed upon by external forces, the Second Law of Thermodynamics tends to take over:

“Any system left to itself tends toward the state of greatest disorder.”

A third behavioral profile relates to the need/desire for stability: In this case, we seek out the most pleasurable pursuit with the least hassle – camping out as close to our comfort zone as possible for the duration.  Complete randomness is avoided in this profile by getting in a rut and continuing in that direction until it doesn’t work anymore. 

[Insert your own favorite “Roadrunner” cartoon here]

NOTE: Complete randomness beyond this point is further reduced by constraining factors that progressively limit our available options / open paths the further we go in our “rut”; if you haven’t gotten the certifications required for advanced navigation, you can’t navigate the deepest waters. 

So the random walk, “fuzziness” and “rut-running” have lousy track records in getting us where we want – or NEED … or “deserve” – to go. 

Fight “randomness”, “fuzziness” and “rut-running” every step of the way!  Hitch your wagon to a STAR.  Dream BIG and don’t let Dreams and Goals go untended.  Be purposeful.  Be totally intentional!  Become the Commanding Officer of your own Destiny – the principal Driving Force in your own journey.  Quartermaster

"Riffs" and "Reps"

The person in charge of things I’m not in charge of [which represents an entire alternative universe] dragged me to the local fitness center during the holidays to sign me up for an almost limitless list of physical fitness options – never mind the fact that I have both an exercycle and a NordicTrack e9, plus approximately 200 sq. ft. of open, carpeted floor space plus lead bricks and flex-stretch bands to entertain me right at home … all of which I actually utilize to varying degrees. 

NOTE: Someone on NPR recently marveled at the uniqueness of business plans for commercial fitness centers where people actually pay good money to access equipment they never use!  The facility we visited had a capacity for about 350 people simultaneously working out on various pieces of equipment and in various classes, but had only 3 clients engaged at the time.  

However, there are more than a few personal challenges with MY new plan to use the awesome and impressive new fitness center – even though, for me, it’s FREE through “Silver Sneakers”.  

First:  Whether it’s at home or at an official physical fitness site, I get bored easily, and boredom is neither fun nor productive.  So spending an hour a day or 3 hours a week or any other permutation of scheduling – in addition to preparation, unbundling and travel – isn’t something I’m going to get really excited about.   

Second:  I don’t tolerate “mindlessness” very well and can only stand microseconds of drivel on TV.  It turns out that the fitness emporium has megabanks of TV monitors for every fitness station.    

Third:  My short-term memory is shorter than that of the average bear.   So, since exercise stirs the creative juice, I can only go about 5 minutes at a time on a machine before I have to write something down to keep from forgetting it.   

Fourth: I don’t easily do “easy” … I’ve always got to push to the max – which leads to early exhaustion and, sometimes, muscle/nerve/joint discomfort.   This causes preemptive fatigue, minimizes the benefit of sustained effort, and can be, at least temporarily, debilitating.   

Those are the realities, not excuses!  In fact, I DO my exercise, but I don’t get the maximum benefit out of all the possibilities already available.   

So what’s the solution here?  What would the certified Physical Fitness Trainer at the new fitness emporium suggest I do?  How about: “Simply work at your body’s own pace …

… and STOP TRYING TO BE AN OVERACHIEVER!”

Duh!  Then it occurred to me … jazz musicians only do short passages of high intensity “riffs” during the totality of a performance, and physical fitness gurus talk about doing multiple “reps”.  So how about mixing up the “riffs” and “reps” in much shorter and more manageable segments to achieve a much more thorough overall outcome?  [It sounds almost like “Bitesizing”, which we encountered previously on this journey (http://lifemasterymusings.blogspot.com/2014/09/bite-sizing.html)].     

So yesterday I tried it.  Instead of 30 pushups and 30 sit-ups and all the rest all at once, ending up exhausted, I did 15 of each four times over a much longer period interspersed between stretching, jogging in place, e9 and exercycle reps, writing and making lentil soup.  Wow!  I was so “pumped” I had a hard time disengaging!!

 

So now I’m going to try to generalize it.   

Nutrition is the next big challenge.  It turns out that I’ve always treated foraging just like exercise, rendering Olympian effort to get the most calories I can pack in at any given “sitting”.  Although I’m a slow eater, I generally don’t give up, in or out until the table is completely clear!  It does have downsides, including packing on pounds, creating a feeling of over-satiation and inducing lethargy.  So now I’m doing smaller “riffs” and more “reps”, as well as minimizing the calories and adding more roughage ... in fact, trying to be an “overachiever” in a markedly different sense!    

Then there’s actual productive “work time”.  I’ve started doing more “reps” with more definitive intervals between “riffs”.  This helps eliminate dead space within and between projects, and maximizes “fresh approach” possibilities with greater focus and more energy.

Now the biggest challenge is STOPPING a given “riff” before the full statute of limitations on endurance has run out; knowing I could do more and not doing it seems patently unconscionable!  It’s going to require a different kind of discipline as well as a greater awareness of when each “riff” has run its most productive course, thereby needing to get out of the way.  I already know there’s been “riff-creep” on exercise – a tendency to extend the riff cycle.  But I think that goes with better “conditioning”, so I’ll try to be “attentively permissive”.   

I don’t know exactly how the Silver Sneakers deal is going to fit into this new lifestyle management plan.  One possible advantage would be to limit the overall time spent on physical fitness to a specifiable interval and to explore riff/rep options I don’t have readily available otherwise.  I’ll give it a try and hope to keep an open mind.  For now, I’ve gotta move on to another “riff” and do some more “reps”!   Quartermaster

“I shan’t be gone long. – You come, too.”

Robert Frost

“The Pasture”

To Be Human

What differentiates the “human being” from non-human beings?   

Reason enough to ask comes from both historical record and the daily account of man’s blatant inhuman behavior, reflecting an unchecked rush toward satisfaction of “animal appetites”.  Consider the “seven deadly vices” as ingrained animal kingdom characteristics which are, of course, markedly advanced in the human:  

* Lust                                       * Pride                  

* Avarice (greed)                    * Envy

* Sloth                                     * Anger

* Gluttony

Perhaps VIRTUES differentiate the “human being” – when they effectively override animal instincts?  Let’s take a look …  

Articulation of “virtues” has been a central occupation of philosophers since earliest civilization [NOTE: “Civilization”, itself, being a cornerstone human invention, creates an expanded need for all the “humanity” we can muster!]  Commonly held Virtues are summarized in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtues  and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_virtues  

“Virtue (Latin: virtus, Ancient Greek: ἀρετή "arete") is moral excellence. A virtue is a positive trait or quality deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being.” 

Ancient Egypt             Plato/”Cardinal”           Theological                  Heavenly

Truth                            Temperance               Faith                            Chastity

Balance                       Prudence/Wisdom      Hope                           Temperance

Order                           Courage                      Charity/Love               Charity

Law                             Justice                                                             Diligence

Morality                       Piety                                                                Patience

Justice                                                                                                 Kindness

                                                                                                            Humility

Or how about the Boy Scout Law?  A Scout is:

Trustworthy                 Loyal                           Helpful

Friendly                       Courteous                   Kind

Obedient                     Cheerful                      Thrifty

Brave                          Clean                           Reverent 

And how do these differentiate the human from other animals?  Is “Man’s Best Friend” not trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, obedient and brave?  Are squirrels not thrifty in collecting and burying nuts for the winter?   Is a singing bird not cheerful?  Is a stalking/preying animal not patient?  How about an Emperor penguin being faithful, diligent, loyal, trustworthy, patient and obedient in balancing an egg on his feet for up to 66 days in sub-freezing cold without food?  Are preening birds and cats not clean?  Does a hungry bear not have hope of finding food and faith in being able to do so?   

Perhaps ulterior motives or innate instincts merely create the appearance of “virtue”? 

Here we also encounter another curious and potentially defining characteristic: Perhaps humans are merely better – and/or more creative – at “skirting” the virtues and turning virtues into vices!    

But there’s also an underlying, overarching defining characteristic of humanity here: 

The inclination/willingness and capacity to act unilaterally on others’ behalf.

Call it “Altruism”?  

Whatever you call it, the most defining expression of humanity doesn’t seem to come “naturally” – at least not to everyone, or at least not until “unlocked”, “activated”, mined, refined and distilled ... which explains why definition and articulation of the Virtues has been such a longstanding, relentless pursuit by those who think it matters.   

As we found in the exploration of “Character”, educational institutions are increasing their fundamental emphases on instilling/embedding the elements of Virtue.  (http://lifemasterymusings.blogspot.com/2014/12/character.html) 

And it’s extending to colleges and universities: 

“An education that exposes students to higher ideals — such as love of mankind, concern for the larger world and the common good, and respect and empathy for others — can help young people develop the moral character necessary to recognize the spuriousness of using usurped power to destroy others. 

The Roman philosopher Cicero suggests ‘we need every art to become human.’ “

Seamus Carey, President, Transylvania University http://www.kentucky.com/2014/12/29/3614872_education-helps-civilize-us-the.html?sp=/99/349/&rh=1#storylink=cpy

So how does one – or a civilization … a society … a nation … a world – put Virtue, Character, Morality, Empathy, etc., into practice; how and when do we start realizing our full potential as human beings?  

There’s a simple formulation here: 

JUST STOP ACTING LIKE ANIMALS! 

The sooner and higher we can rise above our debauched animal-instincts and vested self-interests (politicians take note … ), the sooner and more accomplished our “humanity” will become.  As Cicero suggests, the arts – which help shape and articulate the vision of a brighter and better world, and which advance our constructiveness and creativity – are crucial accessory occupations. 

 

Final Points to Ponder

“Animal instincts” are not all bad.  They evolved to provide a survival advantage!  When debauched and debased, however, they become “Vices”.  But if they are productively directed, they can become assets.  A key Life Mastery pursuit is figuring out how to do that.  Pouring all of one’s “animal instincts” into an identifiable PASSION – be it a career, the arts, a missionary enterprise, sports, etc. – not only provides a survival advantage, but can take one to “Top Dog” status! 

FINAL NOTE:  Exercise helps tame the “lion” and “tiger” within and fosters the emergence of virtue.  Don’t short the A-I (Animal Instinct) BURN!   Quartermaster