The Savage Philosopher

Rule one, don’t suck! Sounds easy, but actions speak louder than words. There are just times when we are not feeling it.Times when we want to lay in bed rather then come up with the reasons to care. But then again, this is the struggle that us humans are blessed with. For the last couple weeks I have personally been struggling with finding my path and with finding reasons to be awesome. Being mediocre is so easy. It barely takes any effort at all. I have been trying to dig deeper into myself and I realized that I need more reasons to put in the effort. I need hope, I need the dreams, and I need to be inspired. When I don’t have these things my thoughts range from apathy to chewing on bullets. Deep down I know that I am not alone with these thoughts. I know that others are suffering in silence seeking some sort of glimmer of light in the darkness. So what to do about it? I have chosen to enact my divine right of choice. I am going to choose a higher purpose to believe in and ex

I am blown away of how we are attracted to stories and images of sex, tragedy, and beliefs. Another celebrity sex tape and I am left wondering why such a story so important to the human population? Is it simply our procreative instincts kicking in? Or something deep down in us that reflects our species worldview? Or maybe it is a welcome distraction… Maybe it is too much to ask to be curious why the president of the United States is in India, the impacts of a giant volcanic eruption in Indonesia, or debating melting over 3 million weapons currently held by Americans. When I compare and contrast events that may have a direct impact on my life, a celebrity sex tape doesn’t even register. I am impacted by trade agreements other countries. I am impacted by volcanoes spewing tons of ash into the atmosphere further the cooling of the planet. I am impacted by the fear in political discourse that may shape my kid’s future. Neuroscience teaches us that the brain deliberately attempts to co

I am not sure if the Reaper came knocking or just did a drive by, I decided not to take the chance and ended my Fast. I started it officially on Monday evening at 1900 and ended on Friday at 1600; a total of 93 hours without food. My only consumption was lots of water, black coffee, and a 20 oz Gatorade split over two days diluted in the water. I went from 230.6 pounds to 222.4 pounds in that time frame and slept about 40% less than normal. I also worked out every day. Other than what was reported, on Thursday I jogged with a 12 pound weighted vest for 25 minutes in 100 degree weather followed by 10 minute rest and another set of 35 minute speed walking. Then on Friday, I took an easy and inclined walked for 20 minutes at a moderate pace without the vest followed by 20 minute sauna time. Bottom Line: I learned that I can control my hunger and push myself physically and mentally much further than I ever thought. I learned that by having big goals and not small ones are the key to a

An animal does not need to think about the benefits of exercise or eating right. It simplies taps into its instincts and does what it needs to do. The Human animal has the same level of instincts with the added ability to think about them. What we have lost over time are the proper conditions the instincts were designed to help us survive in. I assert that by better understanding where our instincts come from within the body, we will have the ability to utilize them to help us survive and thrive in the modern world. The five hormones that form the basis of our instincts are: Endorphins, Dopamine, Serotonin, Oxytocin, and Cortisol. Here is the basic break-out of what they do and why we have them. The Big Five Endorphins - Released during physical activity to inhibit the transmission of pain signals. Also known as the “runner’s high”, this hormone allows us to hunt prey and move over long distances. Side note, laughing also produces endorphins. Dopamine - Released a

I was laying in my bed one Saturday morning watching a number of YouTube videos on personal development. Somehow the rabbit hole I was following led me the topic of OMAD, One Meal A Day.  According to a number of different so-called experts, this particular diet increased longevity, productivity, and overall health of the human body. I have been thinking about fasting as a way to decrease the number of calories I consume over course of a week anyway. I decided that this Saturday would be the first time I attempt this diet. I failed. I did not fail because I was hungry, I failed because it did not organize my life around this idea. That weekend made me realise how dependent I was to the timestamp of the three meal a day plan. For the following month, I attempted the OMAD meal plan with mixed success. The days I failed were the days I felt obligated to eat another meal with my family. My eventual solution was to get my family on board with my meal plan and not expect me to eat multiple

My journey so far has been one of self discovery. Over the last couple of days, I realized that I will need something more than self discovery to succeed evolving into something greater. I need to completely change everything I do and the way I do it. Every moment of every day needs to be aligned with the desired life that I want to live. To include the actions I take and the habits I form to support my long term goals. The truth is that life is only what we make it; to quote the Great movie series ”there is no fate but the one we make.” I also have a confession to make. I have been holding back on all the things that I am doing to prepare myself for my next step. In this post I'm going to rectify that error. Bottom line: I have chosen to embrace suffering and pain so that I can know myself on a deeper level. This is done through newly formed rituals and habits: I only take ice cold showers. I don’t mean that at the end of a hot shower I rinse off in cold water. I mean

I see myself as a Savage and a Philosopher. I try not to shy away from the brutality of life, but use the opportunity to learn. These past couple of days have been brutal on my psyche as I am no longer distracted by the normal rhythms of routine. I dig deep into what drives me, I need to accept what I find as my truth (at this time). Then, if I choose, I can change. I spent the most of the day yesterday in a couple different types of meditation in an effort to get to my core, or at least into a deeper part of my subconscious. Results: I am truly happy when I am teaching. The topic of the book I’m going to write is on ‘Small Team Leadership’. I need to understand how to set up systems. Review of Yesterday. Overall, a lot of adulting got done. The dishes, bathroom, laundry, and some of the rooms were tidied up. I wish I could take the credit for all the activity, but to my surprise my kids decided on their own to chip in. They took care of the bathroom and living