Month: August 2023

I have been thinking a lot about the impact I have (or don’t have) on others. It is an important part of my mission statement, and, frankly, I often feel that I am having little effect. Thankfully, I get reminders in my periods of deepest doubt. (Grattitude to Zach and Jordawn for their recent uplifting support.) I think we all have a desire to have an impact—a “legacy”, to “leave our mark”, etc. We all have our doubts, as well.

Success is not something we achieve in isolation. It can be said that we succeed in life by reaching up and reaching down. This means that achieving success involves both seeking guidance, inspiration, and mentorship from those who are more accomplished or experienced (reaching up) and offering support, guidance, and mentorship to others who may be in need (reaching down). It also means that encouragement is a two-way path.

Reaching up is the act of seeking out role models, mentors, and individuals who have achieved what we aspire to achieve. They can provide guidance, knowledge, and inspiration to help us grow, learn, and progress on our own journey towards success. It involves challenging ourselves, as well, but allowing ourselves to risk fail by competing with those who are better or more experienced than we are. Reaching up involves recognizing that we can benefit from the wisdom and experience of those who have already achieved what we desire.

Reaching down involves extending a helping hand to those who may need support, guidance, or mentorship. It involves sharing our knowledge, experiences, and resources to uplift and empower others. Reaching down allows us to make a positive impact on others’ lives and contribute to their growth and success. Reaching down is also accepting the risk (and dare I say, expecting) that those will help today might exceed us tomorrow.

By both reaching up and reaching down, we create an environment of learning, growth, and support. We expand our own knowledge and skills by seeking experience of others, while contributing to the lives of those who may benefit from our knowledge and experience. This mutual support fosters personal development, builds meaningful relationships, and creates a positive ripple effect in both our own lives and the lives of others. From a team perspective, everyone benefits. We learn and grow together.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

I asked ChatGPT for a definition of “well-centered fitness”—a common theme on this blog. I was curious with what artificial intelligence (AI) would come up with. “Well-centered fitness”, after all, is a wholly human construct. Here is ChatGPT’s definition:

“’Well-centered fitness’ is a term that typically refers to a holistic approach to physical well-being and health. It emphasizes not only the development of physical strength and endurance but also the cultivation of mental and emotional balance. This approach recognizes the interconnectedness of physical, mental, and emotional health, and it aims to promote overall wellness and vitality.

Key components of well-centered fitness may include:

1. Physical Exercise: Engaging in regular physical activity to build strength, improve cardiovascular health, and enhance flexibility and mobility.

2. Mental Well-being: Incorporating practices such as mindfulness, meditation, or yoga to promote mental clarity, reduce stress, and enhance focus.

3. Nutrition: Paying attention to dietary choices that support physical health and overall well-being.

4. Emotional Health: Developing emotional intelligence and resilience to manage stress, anxiety, and other emotional challenges.

5. Rest and Recovery: Prioritizing adequate sleep and relaxation to allow the body and mind to recover and regenerate.

6. Lifestyle Choices: Making choices that align with one’s values and contribute to a balanced and fulfilling life.

7. Holistic Approach: Viewing fitness as a holistic concept where physical, mental, and emotional aspects are interconnected and equally important.

The idea behind well-centered fitness is to achieve a harmonious balance in all these areas, ultimately leading to a healthier and more fulfilling life. It’s a departure from a purely physical or aesthetic focus on fitness and places a greater emphasis on overall well-being and quality of life.”

I typically define the components of well-centered fitness as Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social. Surprisingly (or not surprisingly), ChatGPT made no reference to the Spiritual or the Social dimensions. Two dimensions that I would argue are essential to the well-being of humans.

A common question regarding AI is whether it will do away with creative writing. I think (at least for now) that is unlikely. (Writers for television and movies who are worried that AI is taking their jobs should be asking themselves “why?”. Indeed, we should all be asking why we are willing to consume entertainment that is lacking human creativity—frankly, any creativity.)

For an upcoming episode of The Aging Well Podcast, my co-host, Corbin, and I asked ChatGPT for quotes that inspire successful aging and compared these to our own “top ten.” The selections from the AI software were quite shallow and generic. We noted that AI lacked what we labeled as “EI” or “emotional intelligence.”

Humans are social creatures. We need to have health relationships. It might seem that software does not (yet?) perceive this need.

The Spiritual dimension of well-centered fitness emphasizes the understanding that there is Purpose to our existence that we are not the center of the universe. This cannot be comprehended by computer software.

AI might mimic human emotion, but it cannot express it. We, alone, as human, can feel and express emotion—can recognize the interconnectedness of the Spiritual and Social dimensions of wellness, as well as the Physical, Intellectual, and Emotional. If we forget this, our existence will truly be in peril.

Can AI take the place of human creativity? I hope not.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.”—Eleanor Roosevelt

We are the sum of our decisions. We are not the product of our environment, per se. Rather we are shaped by our response to our environment—our choices.

We will be what we decide to do in this moment and each subsequent moment. Victims look back. Survivors, over-comers, and people with Purpose look forward.

Indeed, we are shaped by the impact of others in our life—those who have come before us and those seeming distant and detached from us, as well as those in our immediate environment. We cannot escape how others affect us. We can, however, determine the effect others have on us. A wise man (Dr. Geoffrey Mount Varner) recently shared with me the wisdom of his mother:

“Respond to the world the way it is versus how it should be while working on a world as it should be.”

We become a person who will change the world by not dwelling on the past. We become that person my making smart choices in the moment and making choices shape the future. A changed world is a product of our cumulative responsibilities.

Choose to shape the self and the world you desire.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye, to restore it, and to render it more fit for its prime function of looking forward.”–Margaret Fairless Barber

My family and I just returned home from a vacation to Ireland and Scotland. My wife got to meet distant relations in Galway who she had never met and see the statue of Pádraic Ó Conaire (another relative) and the church her grandmother attended. I got to visit Gilnockie Tower of the Armstrong Clan. There were cemeteries, churches, schools, palaces, etc. that pointed our children to the past that has shaped us. (My son wished that we could have seen more of the history that speaks to the Viking roots that run in this family tree—the Armstrong clan, as well as the Irish heritage have Nordic beginnings.) Though not a Scottish or Irish quote, I am reminded of the following:

“We are not makers of history. We are made by history.”—Martin Luther King, Jr.

It is important to consider how the past has shaped us—to look from where we came. It is important to know our history (the good and the bad), to honor it, and to have grattitude regarding it.

The motto of Clan Armstrong is invictus maneo (I remain unvanquished). It is a part of me. It is a part of my children and will be a part of their children. It became a part of my wife when we married (we included a ceremonial passing of the tartan that formally recognized this in our wedding). Likewise, I am forever joined to the Wrights and Nobles and rest of my wife’s family and my lineage in Ireland/Scotland and beyond.

I have often referred to the quote by Per Olaf Åstrand: “If you want to be an elite athlete, choose your parents wisely.” While, perhaps, we don’t actually “choose” our parents, we are a product of every generation that came before. This includes the experiences, as well as the genes. (I am increasingly fascinated by the growing field of epigenetics.) It is a blessing to know our past—to know how it has shaped our present and will continue to impact our future.

There was a sense of “home” in our ancestral lands, but, moreover, there was a grattitude for the home to which returned. Our children got a glimpse of who they are and a greater appreciation for who they are becoming. The roots of family run deep. It is a blessing to be able to know and understand these (knowing that for many the past is not well-known). As Marcus Garvey wrote: “A people without the knowledge of their past, origin, and culture is like a tree with no roots.”

To the extent that we can, we must learn of our past—individually, as well as a collective society. (I also had the opportunity to read The Fourth Turning is Here by Neil Howe during our travels—hence an even greater focus on the generations of past and present.) As I learn from the past, I learn even more to….

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!