In May I embarked on a low-carb diet. Shortly after choosing to start this, I resumed the “slow carb diet” which was popularized by Tim Ferris when he released his second book, the four hour body. I tried the diet last year after the book first came out, with lackluster results. This time, it worked. Continue reading “Slow Carb Diet Success”
Hmm… That's Interesting
I get frustrated… a lot. Not genuinely angry, mind you, but suffice to say people often do things that tick me off. For the next 30 days, I will take a different approach. Instead of getting angry or frustrated immediately, I will make my best effort to say “hmm, that’s interesting,” and understand what led to my frustration, as well as the other person’s actions.
As I write this, I see that this is a version of Stephen Covey’s “seek first to understand” habit.
And, I am now typing this on my iPhone 4S, rather than dictating to Siri, who has very interestingly stopped processing my input.
Hmm… That’s interesting. Off to a good start!
An Eagle Died A Chicken
A man found an eagle?s egg and put it in a nest of a barnyard hen. The eaglet hatched with the brood of chicks and grew up with them.
All his life the eagle did what the barnyard chicks did, thinking he was a barnyard chicken. He scratched the earth for worms and insects. He clucked and cackled. And he would thrash his wings and fly a few feet into the air.
Years passed and the eagle grew very old. One day he saw a magnificent bird above him in the cloudless sky. It glided in graceful majesty among the powerful wind currents, with scarcely a beat of its strong golden wings.
The old eagle looked up in awe. ?Who?s that?? he asked. ?That?s the eagle, the king of the birds,? said his neighbor. ?He belongs to the sky. We belong to the earth?we?re chickens.?
So the eagle lived and died a chicken, for that?s what he thought he was.
Book Review: "The Way of the Superior Man"
Last year, my bible was “The 4 Hour Workweek” by Timothy Ferriss. Now I see that it is the “new testament,” and David Deida’s “The Way of the Superior Man,” is the old.
Continue reading “Book Review: "The Way of the Superior Man"”
Daily Exercise Goal Achieved (or "Hat Retrieved")
Last month I set a goal to do some sort of short form, intensive exercise every day for 30 days. Today is day 30. And now, as of this morning’s 50 kettlebell swings, I have retrieved my hat.
Book Review: Living the Martial Way
Earlier this year, my best friend recommended I read Living the Martial Way : A Manual for the Way a Modern Warrior Should Think
Daily Exercise
Let’s be honest, New Year’s resolutions rarely work. That’s why I don’t make them anymore. However, from time to time, when I find something worthwhile, I will still resolved to do it. I have mixed results. Therefore, leveraging a new technique I just learned, I have vowed that I will resolve to get some exercise, whether it’s kettlebell, push-ups, crunches, squats, or suburi, every day for the next 30 days.
Continue reading “Daily Exercise”
Nidan
This weekend I attained a goal I set for myself sometime between 15 and 20 years ago, namely, second degree black belt (nidan) in aikido. I set this as a goal for myself during a conversation with my first aikido sensei, who said that most people, in his experience, who quit aikido did so after reaching shodan (first degree black belt). So I figured setting my sights beyond that would be a good target. Continue reading “Nidan”