Month: October 2018

Sometimes the most challenging dimension of well-centered fitness is the Emotional dimension (certainly, for me, it is).  I can exercise regularly and eat right (Physical), and prayer, meditation, and journaling help remind me that I have a purpose that exceeds self (Spiritual).  I am a professor, so the Intellectual dimension is a kinda my life.  The Social dimension is the pinnacle of well-centeredness.  The Emotional dimension is, however, the keystone.

I can start the day on track and “well-centered”… then the day starts.  Getting the kids off to school, traffic, etc. can quickly throw me off center.  Most days, it is a battle to remain positive.  It is not impossible.  It can just be hard.  It takes energy to lift the keystone in place.  Once it is there, though, it supports the rest.

The dimensions have to play their proper roles.  When they do, everything holds together.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

 

Today’s topic was suggested by my friend Andy Lausier, head wrestling coach at Davidson College.  Funny that he would suggest this, as he has taught me much about eliminating self-doubt with his philosophy of “’have’ to ‘get’”.  Andy is also the reason I have pressed to share a blog post a day for what is approaching two years.

A bit more than two years ago Coach Lausier set out to bike from Fairfield, CT (where he was then coaching at Sacred Heart University) to St. Louis, MO (where the NCAA Tournament was being held that year) in seven days—that is roughly 1100 miles!!—to raise money for his program.  Andy had an epiphany on this journey and came to realize that we often face life from the perspective of “have”—e.g., “I have to bike….”—rather than from the perspective of “get”—e.g., “I get to bike” (considering that countless people would love to endure the pain of cycling 160 miles, if only they had not lacked the physical ability to do so).  This was a two-by-four to the head in my own battles with self-doubt.  It prompted me to take the daily approach of looking at the “challenges” and “barriers” in my life as opportunities. 

Self-doubt is nothing but a distorted perspective on reality.  It is a choice we make.  Unfortunately, it is most often the wrong choice.  (The exception being something stupid that we should not be doing).

Years ago the pastor of the church I was attending at the time shared a lesson that his father had taught him.  Mr. Schurter taught us that “’Can’t’ never did nuthin’”.  “Can’t” is a phrase that I do not allow in my children’s vocabulary.  We may not be able to do something given our current resources and abilities, but that does not exclude there being a way. Effort and preparation are the key to any desire.

I have an appreciation for Dr. Robert Schuller’s approach (e.g., the Crystal Cathedral) to monumental opportunities.  He referred to this as the “power of possibility thinking.  If you have an opportunity, break it down.  If you need to raise a million dollars, it is possible that you might find one donor to contribute the $1,000,000.  It is more plausible that you could find two donors to contribute $500,000 or four to contribute $250,000 or ten to contribute $100,000 or 100 to contribute $10,000….  No opportunity is too overwhelming when you break it down into manageable steps—“baby steps” according to Dr. Leo Marvin (What About Bob?).

When I consider self-doubt, I always think back to one of my rare victories in high school wrestling.  I was wrestling a kid, Leroy, and almost immediately caught him in a head-and-arm to put him on his back.  I couldn’t quite get his shoulder to the mat, and we struggled for the first period.  My teammates were yelling: “Pin him!”  His were yelling: “Get off your back, Leroy!”  After some time, he turned to his teammates and groaned, “I can’t.”  I knew at that point he was defeated, and the match was mine.  And, yes, I did win.

Jesus taught that doubt was the enemy of one’s faith (Matthew 14:31-33).  What may fail to notice in this story was that Peter was walking on the water.  Doubt comes from within.  The only way to eliminate is to deny it.  As soon as we allow doubt the slightest hold on us, we are defeated.  So, choose self-confidence.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

A good friend of mine suggested the “health benefits of laughter” as a potential blog topic.  This is a friend who has given me so many belly laughs over the years that my life should be extended well into my 100s.  There is no doubt that laughter makes us feel good.  It only stands to reason that laughter is good for our health.  It certainly fits with the well-centered fitness model.  Laughter keeps us Spiritually, Physically, Intellectually, Emotionally, and Socially well.

Spiritually, a sense of humor helps us take life too seriously.  Remember, we are not the center of the Universe.  We can begin by laughing at ourselves—not in a self-degrading way—by accepting our faults and failures.  Spiritually well-centered, we don’t share a laugh at the expense of others.  We create laughter to make others feel good.

Physically, laughter not only gives our abdominals a workout.  Laughter boosts the immune system, lowers blood pressure, and releases endorphins.  Laughter relaxes us.  The effects of laughter are similar to exercise.  In fact, laughing can burn in the neighborhood of 3-5 kcal per minute (minus the sweat!).

Intellectually, laughing won’t make us smarter, but it is good for the brain.  Laughter affects many areas in the brain—e.g., the motor cortex evokes the physical effects of the joke, the left cortex analyzes the words and structure of the joke, the right cortex allows one to “get” the joke, the frontal lobe is involved with the emotional response, and the occipital lobe processes the visual of the joke)*  Endorphins make the brain feel good, making it one of the best pain medicines.

The Emotional benefits of laughter should be quite obvious.  Laughter lightens our emotional burdens.  It eases anxiety and relieves stress.

Socially, a good sense of humor makes one more attractive.  Humor strengthens relationships (when not intended to be at another’s expense).  Humor promotes teamwork and comradery.  As well, it can diffuse stressful situations.

Everyone likes a good laugh.  In all the divisiveness and uncertainty in the world.  We need to laugh more.  Sadly, we are also being made afraid to offend and are also so easily offended.  Maybe it is time we open up and allow ourselves to be vulnerable—to let a little humor in to break down barriers and start a healthy conversation rather than being so catastrophic. Let’s lighten up and have a good laugh.

Be funny today; be funnier tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

*https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/emotions/laughter3.htm

Often when one asks about core strength, they are likely to get a flash of someone abdominal muscles (AKA “six-pack”).  Having a six-pack is great for the beach, but other than that (and, of course, competition for physique athletes and bodybuilders) they are meaningless to athletic performance.  Core strength is more than doing sit-ups and crunches.  Core strength is essential for stability it producing force and for agility.  This core strength should be trained to stabilize and accelerate/decelerate in multiple directions.  Fortunately, this does not require hours of exercise dedicated to the core.

Planks are a great beginner exercise for the core, but, in my opinion, they are over-emphasized.  Once one can hold a good plank position for a minute or more, the productivity of the exercise begins to diminish.  Sure that are countless variations, but at some point the plank because useless.  The same effect can be had by stabilizing the spine for heavy lifts (e.g., the “basic 5”—squat, deadlift, bench, row, and press).  As these exercises are progressively overloaded, so, too, are the core stabilizers—especially, when proper technique is emphasized and belts are used only for near maximal lifts.  Pushups are also a great “variation” of the plank.

Another great beginner exercise is the Pallof press.  This is performed standing, feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent, parallel to a cable machine or using elastic resistance (e.g., a band or tube) and holding the handle or band in both hands.  The handle is brought to the center of the chest and pressed out, extending the arms fully, resisting the tendency to lean toward the cable.  The hands are returned to the chest, and the movement is repeated for 8 to 12 reps on each side.  The works the anti-rotational aspect of the core stabilization.

Beyond stabilization, the core muscles are the muscles that allow one to change direction quickly and accurately—and forcefully.  Is involves cycles of acceleration and deceleration both linearly and rotationally.  Thus, explosive multi-directional throws (e.g., medicine ball throws) are effective, but they have less effect on agility.  My preferred tool for core exercise is the Bulgarian bag.  These are well-designed (with wrestlers in mind) for a wide variety of movements and allow much creativity.  As a basic core workout, I use what I call the “core-550”.  This is a series of 5 sets of 10 hip thrusts (think kettlebell swing), 10 side throws left, 10 side throws right, 10 spins left, and 10 spins right.  There are plenty of variations off of these, but these are a good beginner to intermediate workout.  Similarly, one can use a sandbag or medicine ball (though the Bulgarian bag is ideally designed for these movements).  Depending on the rest between super sets (ideally, less than 1 minute), this workout should take between 8 and 10 minutes.  Beginners can start with fewer repetitions and sets and progress to the “550”.

The core is important.  It shouldn’t be neglected.  As well, it should be trained properly.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

A while back (July 6, 2017), I wrote a post, “Coach wants him to add 50 pounds”.  Recently, a friends said that her 13-year-old son’s basketball coach wanted him he needed to put on weight.  Last night another friend offered this as a potential blog topic.  Having a 13-year-old son, myself, it a worthwhile discussion.

First question to ask is: “What do we mean by ‘bulking up’?”  I associate bulk with more indiscriminate weight gain.  In other words, muscle mass is most desired, but there is less concern with subsequent fat gain.  Many bodybuilders, for example, will undergo cycles of bulking (more appropriately termed “massing” or “hypertrophy”) and cutting (i.e., dieting to lose fat—while maintaining muscle).

Pre-teens are inherently in a bulking or massing phase.  As puberty hits, boys and girls are at peak rates of growth.  What is most important for pre-teens is that they learn healthy eating habits and get sufficient fuel to grow.  During this time, every body will be different.  If pre-teen means under the age of 13 years, most are just hitting puberty.  We, as parents and coaches (especially coaches) should be focused on getting them through the awkwardness of puberty and the rapid rate of change to their body proportions.  Telling a pubescent boy (or girl) that their body is in anyway inadequate is asking for body image issues.  Let the body develop at its own pace.

Pre-teens can lift weights and set the course for “massing” when the time is appropriate.  Until then, weightlifting should focus on technique.  The athlete should also be emphasizing motor skill-related fitness (speed, power, agility, balance, coordination, and reaction time).  In other words, the focus should be on athleticism.  I suspect that most college football coach would take technique over size (knowing that the strength and conditioning coach can put on the right kind of weight on the athlete).  Strength and hypertrophy are built on solid technique and a foundation of core, hip, and shoulder strength and mobility.

Don’t rush a kid to put on weight.  Feed him/her and provide the pre-teen with access to plenty of healthy food options.  If the kid is significantly underweight, emphasize more good food as opposed to allowing more crappy food to supply the snacks.  I have seen many “skinny” kids get fat in adulthood when that “fast metabolism” leaves the building.

Lay the foundation for growth.  Don’t start building too soon.  It will be a lot easier in the later teens to add muscle than to cut fat.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

There are far too many options when it comes to dieting for fat loss.  (Remember the goal in to manage body composition and not just “weight”.) As well, the diet we follow for weight loss should be the same diet we follow for weight maintenance and weight gain (ideally, muscle gain).  The only difference will be caloric balance—i.e., hypocaloric for weight loss, eucaloric for weight maintenance, and hypercaloric for weight gain.  Among the options that are gaining popularity is “intermittent fasting”.

Intermittent fasting is basically just an approach to nutrient timing.  There is a range of possible fasting to feeding ratios, and it really comes down to preference and what works for the individual.  Perhaps the most common approach is 16-hour fast followed by an 8-hour feed.  When it is considered that sleep is usually about 8 hours, then the dieter is looking at having to manage eight hours of hunger.

Intermittent fasting is essentially a variation of the “ketogenic diet” as it will force the body into a period of ketosis.  As such, it can promote more rapid fat loss.  One thing to consider is that fat loss comes from being hypocaloric.  Thus, any diet that restricts calories will facilitate fat loss.  (Conversely, overeating during the feeding periods will impact weight management.)

There are benefits to intermittent fasting, if one has a tendency to binge eat in the evening.  One goes as long as possible without eating, leaving the bulk of the calories to be consumed in one of two meals.  It is important for the dieter to realize that restricted feeding time does not mean unrestricted feeding.  Calories count!

There are challenges with intermittent fasting.  This is especially true for those who are exercising.  While fasted cardio might promote greater fat loss, weight training fasted is less effective.  Ideally, one looking to gain muscle and strength will consume protein and carbohydrate in relative proximity to training.  For many of us, training times don’t coincide well with the principles of intermittent fasting.  (Personally, I prefer to have a morning and afternoon training session.  As such, intermittent fasting doesn’t work for me.)

If intermittent fasting doesn’t suit you, there is a compromise.  For most, working a busy schedule it is a bit easier to “skip” eating through much of the day.  I find a buttered coffee (1 T coconut oil and 1 T grass-fed butter; ~220 kcal) for breakfast can sustain me for quite some time.  Once I get busy with my day, I don’t think much about eating.  (Conversely, a high-carb breakfast will be higher in calories and leave the body screaming for a midmorning snack.)  The less one eats during the day, the more that can be eaten at night, when most have the greatest tendency to binge.

Feeding while intermittent fasting should be the same balanced macro approach we would take in any “diet”—adequate protein (e.g., 1 g/lb) and mostly vegetables.  “Premium” carbs should be limited for fat loss and on non-training days.  One might prefer, then, to eat more “keto” during the feed.  Whatever the macro balance, choose wisely.  Crappy food is still crappy food, even when eating in a restricted time frame.

Bottom line?  Caloric balance is half the battle.  Keep calories in < calories out, and you should lose weight (fat).  Intermittent fasting may help some keep the calories restricted.

Ideally, exercise should be fueled with some carbs and protein.  This is not such a big concern for most (especially those of us looking for more general fitness).  Food takes time to digest and be absorbed into the blood.  Nutrients from the foods ingested during the restricted feeding time will take time to get to the tissues.  Make healthy choices (i.e., choose high fiber and healthy fats) and nutrients will be available to fuel the body.  Worry less about when and more about what you eat (in particular, how much).

Intermittent fasting need not consume your life to be effective.  Work it in as it fits your schedule and preferences.  For example, fast on non-training mornings or on days you know you are at high-risk for consuming high calories (e.g., days with planned social events, holidays, etc.).  Have a more traditional approach to nutrient timing on hard training days to make sure that the workouts are effective and there is fuel for muscle performance and recovery.  Like any diet, use it to your advantage.  The goal in weight management should always be to keep body fat lower and muscle mass higher.  If you aren’t hitting your targets, adjust.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

There are three types of muscle soreness.  While we often measure soreness as an indicator of a good workout, this is not always the case.

Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS).  DOMS is that soreness that suddenly appears in the muscle 24-72 hours after exercise—usually a novel exercise with a great eccentric component.  It is an immune system response.  It is the body’s natural response to muscle damage.  It subsides over time and actually produces a protective response in the muscle (i.e., “repeated bout effect”).  The best treatment?  More of the same in the next workout.  Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g., ibuprofen) may actually impede muscle growth by blocking part of the arachidonic acid cascade, thus inhibiting inflammation and limiting the muscle resynthesis (i.e., muscle growth and repair).  So, their use in treating muscle soreness should be limited.

Post-exercise soreness.  Post-exercise soreness is most associated with the metabolites (e.g., lactate or “lactic acid”) produced during strenuous exercise.  This is that “burn” one feels after a workout.  Lactate is rather quickly oxidized or removed from the blood, so such soreness should be rather short-lived.  The rate of lactate removal will depend on training, but, generally, a low intensity (30-40% of maximum) cooldown will facilitate clearance.  Usually, this soreness has subsided within an hour or so post-exercise.

Prolonged muscle soreness.  Soreness that lasts for several days post-exercise is indicative of poor recovery strategies—and, possibly, over-reaching or over-training.  The exerciser needs to allow for adequate rest between workouts—time for the muscle adaptations to occur.  Chronic soreness may suggest the need for more rest or lower-intensity active recovery.  Prolonged soreness may also result from dehydration and/or poor nutrition.  Active muscle needs adequate hydration and plenty of carbohydrates and protein to aid recovery.  Consider adjusting the training volume (you may be exceeding your maximal recoverable volume) or your training frequency.  Add more carbohydrates—especially “premium” carbohydrates—around training time.  Eat more vegetables and emphasize fruits, such as bananas, blueberries, apples, kiwi, watermelon, and avocado, which provide a variety of recovery benefits.

It is not always good to be sore, but it is not always bad, either.  Know your soreness and treat is accordingly.  Push hard, but always manage your recovery wisely.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

Ever since I started my undergraduate schooling, I recognized that from about 2-3 in the afternoons I would be drowsy.  I simply could not stay awake in afternoon classes.  My solution was to make this my exercise time.  This helped.  The problem never really went away, but I managed it.  I always chalked it up to hypoglycemia and the long history of having sports practices during this time in high school.  I also learned to enjoy naps.  A friend asked me recently about her afternoon fatigue.  It has become a serious struggle for her.

Of course, the first thing to ask when addressing this afternoon drowsiness is whether there is an underlying metabolic disorder, such as prediabetes or reactive hypoglycemia.   Thus, a physician should be consulted.

More likely the cause is diet related.  More specifically, it is probably tied to meal timing and composition.  Typical “healthy” lunches are loaded with carbs—i.e., breads and fruit.  These may be initiating an insulin spike that drops the blood sugar in the late afternoon.  Usually, when this happens, we follow one of three options: we snack, we nap, or we get some physical activity.  Snacking, of course, fuels our unnecessary or undesired weight (i.e., fat) gain.  A power nap may be just what we need—especially, if we are not getting adequate sleep at night—but it may not be possible (one’s boss might be opposed to you sleeping at your desk, or, like me you might have to drive in the late afternoon which is not a good time to sleep).  Ideally, we are getting adequate sleep at night.  Exercise, may not be possible, but one can always take a quick brisk walk (ideally in the sunshine), stand for a bit, or do some isometric exercises at one’s desk.  If possible, schedule some time at the gym.  Above all else, examine the diet.  Consider the macro composition (i.e., carbohydrate, fat, and protein content) and timing of the meals.

Those of us who are struggling to manage our body composition must consider our total calorie intake.  In a calorie restricted diet, an unplanned snack may leave you without calories to get through the night.  As a result, one is at greater risk of slipping over the calorie target for the day.  Thus, one will want to reserve calories through the day for evening consumption (when one is more susceptible to binge eating).  This is where healthy fats can help.  Unlike carbohydrates that empty rather quickly into the blood an prompt an insulin spike, fats empty the gut more slowly maintaining satiety much longer and allowing more steady control over insulin levels.  Though fats have more calories than carbohydrates (9 kcal/g v. 4 kcal/g), the sense of fullness they provide may allow one to actually eat fewer calories over all.

One approach that might help combat the afternoon slump is to emphasize fats and proteins in the early part of the day and reserving carbohydrates for the evening meal.  This will serve to promote fat metabolism and to better regulate blood glucose throughout the day.  Since fats are more filling and slow digesting, this will delay hunger between meals and prevent unwanted calories as well as sugar-crashes.  These fats should be “healthy” fats—avocado, nuts, olive oil, coconut oil, grain-fed butter, etc.—and with the least processing possible.  Personally, I have made a habit of putting coconut oil and unsalted butter in my morning coffee.  This can easily sustain me for some time, and my afternoon slumps have greatly diminished.

Try to reserve carbohydrates, particularly carbohydrates with a high glycemic index, for the time surrounding workouts and late evening.  Around the workout, the glucose is most likely to enter the muscle and fuel the exercise or replenish muscle glycogen that is depleted during exercise.  At night, it will promote sleep and assist in muscle recovery.

Keep meals to 1-2 palms of protein, two fists of vegetables, and fruits and carbohydrates according to the training schedule.  If you need a snack between meals look for something with protein and fat (e.g., nuts or cheese).  Keep dark chocolate (the higher the cacao content the better) handy for when you need something “sweet”.  Dark chocolate is full of healthy fat and antioxidants with a bit of a caffeine kick.  Remember thought that total calories need to be kept within the plan.  Keep hydrated by drinking water, as well.

Everyone is different.  So, if you are experiencing regular afternoon fatigue, look at your daily habits.  Adjust the diet accordingly.  Be active.  Get sleep when you should be sleeping.  Also, try to keep stress to a minimum—take productive pauses throughout the day to relax, meditate, or otherwise collect yourself.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

For years we have been told that we should be eating a low-fat/high-carbohydrate diet.  The result has been an ever-growing obesity crisis and continued heart disease.  Now, we see a shift toward a high-fat/low carbohydrate diet (e.g., the ketogenic diet).  Of course, we are also taught that the body needs carbs for performance.  So, which is it?

We teach in physiology and biochemistry that “fats burn in a carbohydrate flame” (more correctly, a “oxaloacetate flame”).  Short of a full-on lecture on glycolysis, we know that in a state of fasting or starvation carbohydrate is depleted and oxaloacetate (the end-product of the tricarboxylic acid cycle or “Krebs cycle”) is not available to metabolize acetyl CoA from glycolysis and/or beta-oxidation (free fatty acid metabolism).  Thus, acetyl CoA is converted in to ketones, which can be used for energy in the brain, heart, kidneys, and other tissues for energy.  The result is less ATP being produced from fat—which can lead to increased fat loss.  The question remains: does this result in decreased muscle performance.  The quick and easy answer is, “yes and no”.

Claims are made that “studies show”, but these studies have almost all involved endurance exercise.  It should be understood that there is an inverse relationship between carbohydrate and fat metabolism in relation to exercise time and intensity.  (This is termed the “crossover concept”.)  Fat will be the primary fuel for low-intensity/long-duration exercise, and carbohydrate will be the primary fuel for high-intensity/short-duration exercise.  So, true, for most endurance exercise, there will be no detriment to performance on a low carbohydrate diet.  (It would seem that all that talk about carbohydrate loading in the ‘70s and ‘80s was for naught.)

For weightlifting exercise and explosive muscle movements, the question is trickier.  Clearly, explosive movements (e.g., sprinting, jumping, weightlifting, strength training, etc.) are fueled by stored adenosine phosphate (ATP) and/or stored muscle glycogen.  For such activities, carbohydrates are necessary to maintain a high level of performance.

The argument can be made that muscle can be built on a high-fat/low-carbohydrate diet and that muscle glycogen can be replenished via gluconeogenesis of amino acids and glycerol (from the breakdown of fats—triglycerides) in the liver.  This is likely the case if the emphasis in  training is on hypertrophy rather than strength.  The heavier the weight lifted (relative to maximum, i.e., the one-repetition maximum) the greater the dependence will be on the ATP-PC and glycolytic energy systems—and, thus, on carbohydrates.

The best approach to carbohydrates in the diet (i.e., in the macro balance) is to consider the training needs.  On non-training days or endurance training day, a lower carbohydrate intake is probably warranted.  On training days, carbohydrates should be relative to the training intensity/volume and be consumed near the training time (shortly before and/or after).  Most of the carbohydrate intake on all days should come from vegetables.  Fruits and “premium” carbs are best reserved for training days and selected with care.

Fats should not be consumed indiscriminately.  Animal fat is often consumed to excess in some ketogenic diets.  This is likely less than “healthy”.  Fat selection should emphasize nuts, fish oils, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, grass-fed butters, and the like.

Sensible recommendations for carbohydrates are: <0.5 g/lb of body weight on non-training days, 1.0 g/lb on most training days, and >1.0-2.0 g/lb on training days.  Thus, total calories are determined by the caloric need (eucaloric for weight maintenance, hypocaloric for weight loss, and hypercaloric for weight gain).  The ration of fat-to-carbohydrate will vary relative to training.  Protein, in general, should be between 0.8-1.0 g/lb of body weight for most exercising adults. 

Neither carbohydrates or fats are necessarily the enemy.  Some are, of course, better than others, but healthy carbohydrates and fats are fine in the appropriate balance.  That balance will depend on the individual.  Adjust the macros according to the individual needs and response.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“By the aid of millions of bricks a city is built; by the aid of millions of thoughts a character, a mind, is built”–James Allen.

James Allen (As A Man Thinketh) is my go-to for inspiration, particularly about how my thoughts guide my actions.  For so many reasons, my thoughts have gone to the subject of character and integrity.  The above quote is well in line with the admonishment to: be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Sometimes, I imagine this quote as a construction crew trying to outpace a demolition crew.  Our day can (and should) begin with intentional positive thoughts.  Unfortunately, it often doesn’t take much interaction with the world to see those positive “brick” be torn down.  This is my morning on an almost daily basis.

The idea of the Emotional dimension as the “keystone” dimension of well-centered fitness fits this analogy.  We must build a solid foundation of the Spiritual (being other-centered) and the Physical (with regular physical exercise and healthy habits) if we are to have any power over the destructive forces in our days.  As well, our Intellectual habits provide essential bricks.  What information with which we feed the mind will have great impact on how we see the world.  Sadly, many of us (often intentionally) allow ourselves to be fed with bias information and misinformation.  Often we consume a very selective diet of information.  On top of all this rests the Social dimension–our relationships with others.

Our mind and character are shaped as we allow them.  It is easy to be a victim of circumstance, but we are the product of our choices.  Every time we respond to someone or something (e.g., a comment on social media), we are choosing our words and our tone.  We are either constructive or destructive—to others, as well as ourselves.  Unfortunately, many allow themselves to be reflexive (fragile and easily offended) and oppositional (“us” v. “them”).  These responses can only take on the life of a snowball rolling downhill (headed to hell, like the classic country song).  It is all about choices.

Character is “one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual” (Merriam-Webster).  Thus, it includes others’ perception of us.  It also runs the spectrum from bad to good (to exceptional).  Typically, one perceives our character as one’s degree of moral excellence and firmness—as a measure of integrity.  We build our character by our choices.  It may be challenged, but when the bricks are formed of moral thoughts and actions, it cannot be easily destroyed.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!