Month: November 2018

The logo for the Pittsburgh Steelers represents the three materials (yellow for coal, orange for iron, and blue for scrap steel) forged in the crucible to form steel. The three hypocycloids are also representative of the attributes of steel: “lightens your work”, “brightens your leisure”, and “widens your world”. In the aftermath of the shootings at the Tree of Life Synagogue, the city of Pittsburgh as united stronger and more resilient—an example to the rest of the nation.

As I watched a rally that included my beloved Steelers, I thought of the logo and of the city. While the logo began as a symbol for U.S. Steel and the role of steel in the building of this great city, it is fast becoming a symbol of unity and community. The city has be put in the crucible and is forged stronger. The three hypocycloids may well represent the attributes of community: “lightens your work”, “brightens your leisure”, and “widens your world”. While the “melting pot” analogy for the United States of America may have its limitations, the crucible of steel is, in my humble opinion, well suited. We are stronger when we are forged as one. The fire of adversity should bring communities together rather than tear them apart. I, personally, see Pittsburgh’s response to the recent assault on the community as an example for the rest of the nation–#strongerthanhate.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momentto!

“One of the greatest dignities of humankind is that each successive generation is invested in the welfare of each new generation.”—Fred Rogers

I feel my greatest responsibility is my two children. How I raise them will have an impact on the world—however great or small. They are my responsibility to the future. So, too, are the students who grace my classroom each term. This is the investment I make. We all have a stake in each new generation. As parents, coaches, teachers, employers, neighbors, and, yes, even politicians, we are affecting this and future generations through the quality of our education system, through our fiscal and environmental practices, through our example, and through our words and relationships. As such, we must constantly be aware of the consequences of our actions and inactions. We are all responsible for what is within our control. Others may affect our decisions, be we ultimate choose our course.

I worry that we are not teaching our young to be resilient—and certainly not to be “anti-fragile”. Fortunately, many young people are capable leaders and can correct our mistakes.  They cannot fully embrace their role as leaders, however, without first being capably led. As well, must not be left to become leaders from learning what not to do.

Whatever our role in society, we all affect each successive generation. There is no escaping responsibility. We just need to decide upon the world we wish to leave for them .

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“Peace means far more than the opposite of war.”—Fred Rogers

To live in peace is to live harmoniously with others and with oneself.  Just because there are no “boots on the ground”, this does not mean there is peace in the world.  Just because there is no shouting or physical abuse, this does not mean there is peace in the home.  Moreover, just because we are “peaceful” on the outside, it does not mean there is peace in the heart.

I large percentage of Americans believe that all the vitriol and hatred in the nation can and may erupt in “civil war”.  Just because we Americans are not at war with amongst ourselves, it does not mean we are dwelling peacefully together.

We must make peace with ourselves and with our neighbors (no exceptions).  I hear blame on the President and on the media for our division.  The reality is that we are responsible for our own actions (and inactions)—for how we deal with our neighbors.  Peace is a choice.  Peace is not achieved only by strength, but by strength and humility.  Peace is a Spiritual concept.  Until each of us recognizes that we are a part of a greater whole—and not the center of the Universe—we will not be at peace.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

A friend messaged me a topic for this blog. She suggested: “immune boosting myths and facts”. I have no claims of being an immunologist (though I can credit Dr. Michael Flynn for instilling an interest in exercise immunology as a mentor in my graduate program at the University of Toledo). I can also boast that I rarely get sick—which may be a natural trait, as I missed very few school days as a child and can count on one hand the times I have been in bed sick in the last 25 years or so. I don’t have any secrets. I just don’t get sick. I am blessed with a very good immune system. I often joke that my secrets are exercise and the “5-second rule”.  I don’t have a list of immune-boosting foods. I think that any attempt to identify the “myths” associated with the immune system, I would be overwhelmed.

I did a quick Internet search and turned up the usual lists of 4, 7, 10, 15,… ways to boost the immune system. The best was, perhaps, WebMD* (which is oddly linked, since the title is “6 Immune System Busters & Boosters”), which seemed the most sensible. Spring-boarding off of this, here are my suggestions:

Sleep. Sleep is important for recovery from all the stressors life throws at us. When I give exams, I invariably notice an uptick in the number of “sniffles” in the classroom. Finals week is always the worst. We need rest to recover from exercise and the activities of the day. Sleeps affords the immune system the opportunity to kick into gear and rid the body of pathogens what might cause us to get sick. Sleep also helps control the stress hormones that lead to inflammation and weaken the immune system. We should target about 7-8 hours of sleep a night. Quality is more important than quantity. Sleeping too much is of little benefit (except perhaps when we are sick), but 7-8 hours of tossing-and-turning and staring at the ceiling are of no benefit.

Exercise. I love teaching about “Neiman’s ‘J’”—a principle introduced by exercise physiologist, David Nieman, from Appalachian State University. Essentially, the concept teaches that moderate exercise reduces the risk of upper respiratory tract infections from sedentary levels while prolonged, intensive exercise increases the risk. I truly believe my immunity is stronger because I favor more frequent moderate workouts over less frequent intensive workouts. I prefer two 30- to 60-minute exercise sessions (weights, cardio, and/or HIIRT) six days a week (8-12 sessions per week) over more traditional blowout sessions, 3-4 days a week. This tends to favor an elevated immune system with less risk of the “open-window” (i.e., a suppressed immune system for the few hours immediately following exhaustive training.

Eat healthy. No list of special foods. Just eat good quality food and avoid sugary and processed crap food. Follow the guide of a palm of protein, two fists of vegetables (with limited premium carbs), and a thumb of healthy fats each meal (adjusted according to needs) and eat healthy snacks. No big secrets. I prefer to eat—rather than drink—vitamin C and other nutrients. Of course, drink plenty of water.

Deal with stress. Notice, I didn’t write “avoid stress”. Stress is inevitable. Some stress is good. In fact, like exercise, moderate stress levels can have an effect of boosting the immune system. The key is to have effective strategies for dealing with stress and anxiety. This includes diet and exercise, but also journaling, prayer, meditation, etc. In other words, having a “well-centered” approach to life will have a positive effect of the immune system.

Be other-centered. Meaningful relationships can boost the immune system. Being positive and supportive of others limits the stress hormone responses, as well as boosting endorphins. When we feel better, we are less likely to notice the response of the immune system when it is fighting something. In other words, we feel too good and too busy to “get sick”.

Laugh. Laughter is the best medicine. Laughing reduces stress hormones and stimulates certain immune system cells. Remember Norman Cousins?

Much of our defense against illness comes from within—our personal well-being (our “well-centered fitness”).  Living right is the key to good health and longevity.  There are no big secrets.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

*https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/10-immune-system-busters-boosters#1

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, look for the helpers. You will always find the helpers.”–Fred Rogers

Be a helper. In all the divisiveness and “us v. them”, we need sensible people to be bridges—to help unify. We need healers. We need people who can be trusted to pick us up when we fall and protect us when we are attacked.

On thing that angers me most on social media are the videos (yeah, I could pretty much stop here) of people being bullied, attacked, abused, harassed, etc. Put the damn smart phone down and help! We are a society of bystanders. It is shameful.

In the parable of the “good Samaritan”, it was the man who was despised by the man to be helped—not the religious passers—who cared for the man in the ditch and was called a “good neighbor”.  Think about that.

Mr. Rogers told us children: “You will always find helpers.”  Sadly, I am not so sure that is right anymore.  It doesn’t help, either, that we are teaching kids to fear the would-be helper.

Time to step up and be helpers—to be good neighbors (no exceptions).

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“The world needs a sense of worth, and it will achieve it only by its people feeling that they are worthwhile.”–Fred Rogers

The pursuit of Spiritual well-centeredness is the shift from self-centeredness to other-centeredness. It is the practice of “I am third” (i.e., “my God is first, my family and friends are second, and I am third”).  It is asking others, as Mr. Rogers taught us, “Won’t you be my neighbor?”  Above all it is loving your neighbor—without exception.

We are in a highly divisive time in this nation. There are shouts from the extremes that drown out the sensibilities of the spectrum in the middle. We are being led to believe that it is “us v. them”.  This division is fueling contempt and hatred. People are being stripped of their worth and it makes them angry and defensive—thus throwing kerosene on the fire.

There is a third way. It is the approach that Mr. Rogers taught us. It is the way of love.

We don’t have to agree on anything. We just need to respect others and give value to their feelings and ideas. Indeed, disagreement is good, because it often leads to better ideas.  The more we belittle and dismiss other, however, the more entrenched they will become in their ideas—the uglier our interactions are going to become.

It is time to pursue unity—to make everyone (no exceptions) welcome at the table. As Dr. Suess wrote: “A person’s a person, no matter how small.” After all, “Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?” (Confucius).

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“There’s no person in the world like you, and I like you just the way you are.”

Mr. Rogers showed us that everyone has a unique purpose in the world.  He showed us that we are special, but no more special than the next.  In many ways, Mr. Rogers influenced my understanding of Spiritual well-centeredness.

Mr. Rogers taught us to accept people of all faiths, colors, and levels of ability.  Officer Clemmons was black (and gay).  I recall countless neighbors with “disabilities” (a term Fred Rogers did not care much for).

“Part of the problem with the word ‘disabilities’ is that it immediately suggests an inability to see or hear or walk or do other things that many of us take for granted. But what of people who can’t feel? Or talk about their feelings? Or manage their feelings in constructive ways? What of people who aren’t able to form close and strong relationships? And people who cannot find fulfillment in their lives, or those who have lost hope, who live in disappointment and bitterness and find in life no joy, no love? These, it seems to me, are the real disabilities.”

Mr. Roger’s invitation, “Won’t you be my neighbor?”, was not exclusive. We were taught to invite people into our lives and be their neighbor.

I can easily accept the “there’s no person in the world like you” statement.  Admittedly, I do struggle with the “I like you just the way you are” part.  It is more a struggle with how people act, but I still have expectations that people will change to be more to my liking. I do believe it is clear, though, that, when Mr. Rogers says “I like you just the way you are”, he is not referring to bigoted, abusive, and hateful people.  Such people need a different kind of love. “I like you just the way you are”, by no means, implies that any of us need to remain the way we are.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”—Zig Ziglar

I would paraphrase the above quote to read: “Your grattitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” I struggle with this, which is why I write so often about “grattitude”.

This has been one of those weeks when I have been struggling with where I am in life—Spiritually, Physically, Intellectually, Emotionally, and Socially. I have been questioning, “Why am I here?” Not philosophically, but literally. I have been in my current teaching position for 10 years and have been living in Oregon as long. Still, I don’t feel “home”. This sense of emptiness is a barrier to “well-centered fitness”. So, how does one escape it?

Perhaps, we never really escape it as much as we deal with it.  After all, I have been contending with it for the larger part of 10 years—more off and on than constantly. The only way I have found to deal with it is to face it with an (albeit sometimes forced) attitude of gratitude—“grattitude”.

Opportunity. I have learned to begin my day with a list of “opportunities”. I seek to look at challenges and barriers as opportunities for growth and to do something impactive. For example, I have the opportunity to inspire my students on a daily basis—I get to teach. I have the opportunity to pursue the Purpose in what confronts me—seeing these as a part of a much larger Universe. Viewing life as such, I am reminded of the kid who get a pile of manure for Christmas.  Excited, he starts crawling though it gleefully.  Asked why he is so happy, he responds: “With this much sh**, there has to be a pony in here somewhere!”

“Whatever your hand finds to do….” I try to approach each day with the attitude of “leave it all in this room.” Somedays are more exhausting than others, but it usually results in that “pleasant sense of fatigue” that we exercise physiologists refer to when talking about working out. I try to look at each day (albeit forcefully sometimes) as a stimulus for growth. I hate exercise, but I know how good I feel when I am done. Work can be the same. If I throw myself into it, the feeling at the end of the day is much more positive than if I let it be burdensome.

Don’t neglect the important relationships. My wife gets the worst of me when I am struggling.  She certainly doesn’t deserve that. At times like this, I need our “15-minute check-in” more than ever. (We try to set aside a minimum of 15 minutes each day to share and just communicate. It is a very necessary pause in our day.) I have to be very careful, however, not to bring my negativity into this time. It is a great opportunity to “let the soul speak”.  More specifically, to let go of self and let her talk and to speak with my heart rather than my brain—which may still be agitated from the day.

Seek to understand why. Rather than feeling trapped in my job or this state, I have the opportunity to consider why I am where I am. Spiritually, I am not the center of the Universe. There is “greater than self”. Frankly, it is not about me. I am far more likely to be in the circumstances I am for my wife, my kids, my students, and countless other above my own benefit. I admit that this is a hard pill to swallow without choking from time to time.

Consider other options. There is nothing wrong with consider the “grass on the other side”—in considering what other possibilities are out there. There is always the possibility that it might be time for a change. More often, such consideration will bring attention to what is being neglected on “this side”. Very often, the grass is greener on the other side because the grass on this side is being neglected.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.”—Fred Rogers

#lovethyneighbor (no exceptions)—need I say more?

We don’t have to agree with someone to love them. We don’t even have to like someone to love them. We simply need to respect them and treat them humanely.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”—1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV)

We need to go beyond angry discourse—beyond “tolerance”, “intolerance”, and “intolerance of intolerance”—and practice acceptance for every person “exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.”  This is love.

If you don’t like someone?  Deal with it in love.  If we don’t like someone’s ideas?  Hear them and make our case—in love.  There is no room for hatred in our crowded world.  We need make love with our neighbor (not the fun kind, but the difficult kind—the self-sacrificing, “I am third” kind of love).

Mr. Rogers taught us to be good neighbors.  Let’s practice this together.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

I came across an article the other day, “7 Mr. Rogers Quotes to Get You Through Upsetting Times”.* It was written in response to the horrific attack of a Synagogue in the Pittsburgh—the city I still call “my city” and “my home”, even though I haven’t lived there in 23 years—on October 27^th. I thought I might take a day each to reflect on his words.

“There are three ways to ultimate success—The first way is to be kind, the second way to be kind and the third way is to be kind.”—Fred Rogers

Mr. Rogers always had a simple message for children (and adults). “Be kind.” It seems so simple, yet kindness is so poorly executed in our society. “Ultimate success” is successful relationships.  It is not money or possessions. Success is people. Success is having a positive impact on the lives of others.

Kindness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). When we consider fruits, we should be aware that they don’t just magically appear in the grocery produce section. Fruit must be grown. It takes cultivation. It takes care and tending.  It must be defended against insects and disease. In other words, we have to work at being kind (as well as expressing love and being joyful, peaceful, patient, good, faithful, gentle, and having self-control).

I am not inherently kind.  It takes effort, and sometimes I am lazy (very often, I am lazy). This no doubt impedes my success and the success of others.

We teach our children not to expect the world to be kind, but to we teach them to practice kindness in the face of unkindness?  Do we show them how to be kind when the world is not?

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

*http://www.pittsburghbeautiful.com/2018/10/28/7-mr-rogers-quotes-to-get-you-through-upsetting-times/?fbclid=IwAR1M8wzriC2C6y-lOG6K45XXv1YbLtpVfyrusH2hzdZf0L8mCjTNEp5O0EM