Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator # 237
The Need to be Stupid (11-17-08)
Have you ever watched one of those shows on television where a series of videos are aired of people doing things that only morons or complete jackasses would attempt? You know the ones. A couple of guys decide to imitate a wrestling show they saw and one guy body slams the other down on a table with the intention of breaking it, only to find that the human body is slightly more breakable than a table, especially when said table is real and not a prop.
I happened across one this weekend of a group of college kids at a party who set shot glasses of vodka on fire and then attempted to drink them. This, by the way, is supposed to be the new craze at frat parties. One guy caught his clothes on fire and suffered serious burns on his leg. Another fired the shot into his mouth and missed setting the side of his face on fire and belching a three-foot plume of flame at his companion revelers while running to the bathroom to extinguish his bright idea. He, too, suffered some burns, but both survived. It is rather disturbing to think that these guys actually had the intelligence to gain entrance to any college or university, and even more disturbing to realize that here, in all their flaming glory, were our future doctors, lawyers and engineers.
Well, I had to sit back and have a good laugh, because in my own way this past week, I was doing something stupid. No I was not body-slamming friends into tables, although there are a few people I can readily think of that I wouldn’t mind trying that with. And, no I was not performing a Joan of Arc on myself with a flaming shot of vodka. Hey, I’m no saint. What I was doing was deadlifting. Yes, deadlifting. . . and deadlifting . . . and deadlifting. I started out on Monday and by Sunday I had deadlifted a 225 pound weight an even 700 times. Now, if that isn’t stupid, I don’t know what is. And, what is more insane is that I am not even close to being finished. You see, I joined this challenge to see how long it would take to lift a million pounds. As friends will tell you, I am pretty conservative and not one to throw caution to the wind. In this case however, my curiosity and my ego were prodded and poked to the point of no return and I wondered if I could even make a dent in the goal.
When I look back on my brief lifting career, it could have seemed pretty stupid for a 52 year old guy to suddenly decide to start lifting weights. What the hell was I thinking? There are easier and less stressful ways to lose a few pounds or get back into shape, but I threw myself into it wholeheartedly. And where did it get me? Here I am 8 years later, on the cusp of turning 60, and doing something stupid again. By my calculations, I’ve already lifted a good-sized locomotive, albeit a piece at a time. With that in mind, I cannot find it within me to quit, regardless of how stupid it might seem.
I wonder how many things we take for granted today were the result of someone just going ahead and doing something stupid. Hell, while not major accomplishments, the Guiness Book of Records is full of people who found the need to do something stupid, to beat the other stupid guy who did the stupid thing before they got the stupid idea to beat his stupid record. And when they beat it, I can bet you they didn’t feel stupid at all.
I’m going to try to be careful. I am going to try to keep as much common sense about this challenge as I can. But, I am also going to try to finish, even if I don’t make it to one million first. Why? Because no matter how knowledgeable we may be; no matter how intelligent we fancy ourselves to be; no matter how much pride we take in our good sense, every so often, life presents us with an opportunity, an opportunity that we cannot ignore. At that point, we need to become ignorant of all that we know. We need to throw common sense out the window. We need to let that inner voice be heard telling us to go for it. And we need to be stupid.
____________________
Copyright 2004-2008 John R. Gesselberty. Mahler's Monday Morning Motivators (MMMM) may not be copied or used without permission of the author. All rights reserved.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Hit the Road
Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator # 236 – Hit the Road
Hit the Road (11-10-08)
A friend, who knows my passion for fitness, sent me an funny list of questions and answers that brought a few smiles to my face because I truly get the impression that some people actually think this way. Let me give you just one example. The first question asks, “Is exercise good for you?” The amusing answer is “Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer. That's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.” I got a good laugh out of that one, because I know people who rationalize their inactivity in just such terms.
Now, it may not be the idea about the finite number of heartbeats, but it is a familiar anthem and I am sure you have heard one or all of the variations. Suffice it to say that some people see anything that raises their heart rate, promotes a bout of heavy breathing or causes them to break a sweat as detrimental to their health and wellbeing. After all, these things are not normal occurrences in their lives and must surely take a toll.
The amusing, if twisted, rationale of comparing the body to an automobile is actually closer to the mark than you might think. For example, what if I own a car and use it for short hops to the store, never take it out on the highway, and fill it with cheap gasoline. And, because I use it so infrequently, I rarely take it in for an oil change or a tune-up, or any regular maintenance. This sucker is going to last me forever, right?
On the other hand, what if my car is used for highway driving, and I take it out on the road a few times a year for a long trip. I keep it filled with a good recommended grade of gasoline, change the oil frequently, as well as getting regular tune-ups and maintenance. There is a better than good chance that this baby is going to last just as long, if not longer. And, you know what? I have actually gone somewhere with it.
Like the first ever-so-cautious car owner, some people are content with using their body at the basic minimum. A few short trips a day, perhaps to the refrigerator, keep it parked on the sofa, and don’t exert it. At the same time, they may ignore giving that body the right grade of fuel with poor nutrition. And, of course, there is no maintenance plan for keeping muscles, bones, joints and heart in good working order.
I think I much rather prefer to treat my body like that second car owner and get out on the road and make a few long trips. I like to rev the engine once in a while and watch the tachometer needle climb a bit. I will give my body some decent fuel and provide regular maintenance to make sure I am in good working order and will stay that way for a long time to come. And, what’s more, I will have actually taken it somewhere, beyond what I thought was possible.
So if someone ever poses the question about why you work out or asks if exercise is good for you, why not just tell them to hit the road.
____________________
Copyright 2004-2008 John R. Gesselberty. Mahler's Monday Morning Motivators (MMMM) may not be copied or used without permission of the author. All rights reserved.
Hit the Road (11-10-08)
A friend, who knows my passion for fitness, sent me an funny list of questions and answers that brought a few smiles to my face because I truly get the impression that some people actually think this way. Let me give you just one example. The first question asks, “Is exercise good for you?” The amusing answer is “Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer. That's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.” I got a good laugh out of that one, because I know people who rationalize their inactivity in just such terms.
Now, it may not be the idea about the finite number of heartbeats, but it is a familiar anthem and I am sure you have heard one or all of the variations. Suffice it to say that some people see anything that raises their heart rate, promotes a bout of heavy breathing or causes them to break a sweat as detrimental to their health and wellbeing. After all, these things are not normal occurrences in their lives and must surely take a toll.
The amusing, if twisted, rationale of comparing the body to an automobile is actually closer to the mark than you might think. For example, what if I own a car and use it for short hops to the store, never take it out on the highway, and fill it with cheap gasoline. And, because I use it so infrequently, I rarely take it in for an oil change or a tune-up, or any regular maintenance. This sucker is going to last me forever, right?
On the other hand, what if my car is used for highway driving, and I take it out on the road a few times a year for a long trip. I keep it filled with a good recommended grade of gasoline, change the oil frequently, as well as getting regular tune-ups and maintenance. There is a better than good chance that this baby is going to last just as long, if not longer. And, you know what? I have actually gone somewhere with it.
Like the first ever-so-cautious car owner, some people are content with using their body at the basic minimum. A few short trips a day, perhaps to the refrigerator, keep it parked on the sofa, and don’t exert it. At the same time, they may ignore giving that body the right grade of fuel with poor nutrition. And, of course, there is no maintenance plan for keeping muscles, bones, joints and heart in good working order.
I think I much rather prefer to treat my body like that second car owner and get out on the road and make a few long trips. I like to rev the engine once in a while and watch the tachometer needle climb a bit. I will give my body some decent fuel and provide regular maintenance to make sure I am in good working order and will stay that way for a long time to come. And, what’s more, I will have actually taken it somewhere, beyond what I thought was possible.
So if someone ever poses the question about why you work out or asks if exercise is good for you, why not just tell them to hit the road.
____________________
Copyright 2004-2008 John R. Gesselberty. Mahler's Monday Morning Motivators (MMMM) may not be copied or used without permission of the author. All rights reserved.
Monday, November 3, 2008
The Season of Excess
Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator # 235 – The Season of Excess
The Season of Excess (11-03-08)
Over the past weekend and with a simple step on the scale this morning, I am reminded that we have entered what I like to call “The Season of Excess.” Yes, excess, as in too much, more than what is needed, indulgence, intemperance, or just plain gluttony. A good example, on a broad scale, might be the presidential election campaign. I don’t think there is a person I have talked to or corresponded with, regardless of their political stance, who is not just plain sick and tired of the campaign and cannot wait until it’s over. It has been a long and grueling feed at the trough of posturing for both sides. I am reminded of a little joke I once heard that it is so appropriate, that elections are held in November in the United States, since it is the month of Thanksgiving and voters elect the next group of turkeys.
On a more personal level and bringing the idea of this season of excess closer to home, it seems as though with the end of summer and the change of seasons a lot of our healthy eating and fit living habits tend to take a hike. Yes, they take a hike, but we don’t. In the summer months, the outdoors seems to bring out the best in us. There are so many activities and we seem to be just a bit more conscious of our physiques, what with the lighter and more revealing clothing we wear. As autumn approaches, the calendar presents us with so many opportunities to ditch all the work and effort we have put in during the warm weather. First comes Oktoberfest, prompting us to indulge in our favorite brews. Then Halloween, my personal challenge, where we are tempted with more empty carbohydrates than the most clever of wizards could ever conjure. There is something inherently evil about a peanut, covered in chocolate and topped off with a candy shell. Closely following on its heels is Thanksgiving Day where family and friends gather in love and comradeship to see who has to loosen their belt first before the football game comes on. Then Christmas sneaks up on us and we find ourselves neck deep in cookies, candy, eggnog, cheese balls, and goodies of all kinds. It seems the only thing we don’t eat is the damned fruitcake. I don’t think I have ever actually seen anyone consume fruitcake. It’s always there, but never gone. We finish off the season with more excess as we ring in the New Year with enough liquor to put a salty sailor to shame and literally brining many of us to our knees in homage to the porcelain god that sits stoically in the bathroom. And, after all is said and done, we resolve never to do it again and to get in shape in the coming year, until, of course, the next Season of Excess.
There may not be much that you can do about the holidays. They are what they are and I love each and every one of them. The Season of Excess is one of my favorite times of the year. But, with that said, I think I will try to also turn it into a different season, by keeping up with my workouts, by trying as much as possible to eat and drink in moderation, by making wise choices while reveling in the company of friends and family. It is possible, dare I say, to change The Season of Excess into The Season of Success. Well, at least I am going to give it a try. How about you?
The Season of Excess (11-03-08)
Over the past weekend and with a simple step on the scale this morning, I am reminded that we have entered what I like to call “The Season of Excess.” Yes, excess, as in too much, more than what is needed, indulgence, intemperance, or just plain gluttony. A good example, on a broad scale, might be the presidential election campaign. I don’t think there is a person I have talked to or corresponded with, regardless of their political stance, who is not just plain sick and tired of the campaign and cannot wait until it’s over. It has been a long and grueling feed at the trough of posturing for both sides. I am reminded of a little joke I once heard that it is so appropriate, that elections are held in November in the United States, since it is the month of Thanksgiving and voters elect the next group of turkeys.
On a more personal level and bringing the idea of this season of excess closer to home, it seems as though with the end of summer and the change of seasons a lot of our healthy eating and fit living habits tend to take a hike. Yes, they take a hike, but we don’t. In the summer months, the outdoors seems to bring out the best in us. There are so many activities and we seem to be just a bit more conscious of our physiques, what with the lighter and more revealing clothing we wear. As autumn approaches, the calendar presents us with so many opportunities to ditch all the work and effort we have put in during the warm weather. First comes Oktoberfest, prompting us to indulge in our favorite brews. Then Halloween, my personal challenge, where we are tempted with more empty carbohydrates than the most clever of wizards could ever conjure. There is something inherently evil about a peanut, covered in chocolate and topped off with a candy shell. Closely following on its heels is Thanksgiving Day where family and friends gather in love and comradeship to see who has to loosen their belt first before the football game comes on. Then Christmas sneaks up on us and we find ourselves neck deep in cookies, candy, eggnog, cheese balls, and goodies of all kinds. It seems the only thing we don’t eat is the damned fruitcake. I don’t think I have ever actually seen anyone consume fruitcake. It’s always there, but never gone. We finish off the season with more excess as we ring in the New Year with enough liquor to put a salty sailor to shame and literally brining many of us to our knees in homage to the porcelain god that sits stoically in the bathroom. And, after all is said and done, we resolve never to do it again and to get in shape in the coming year, until, of course, the next Season of Excess.
There may not be much that you can do about the holidays. They are what they are and I love each and every one of them. The Season of Excess is one of my favorite times of the year. But, with that said, I think I will try to also turn it into a different season, by keeping up with my workouts, by trying as much as possible to eat and drink in moderation, by making wise choices while reveling in the company of friends and family. It is possible, dare I say, to change The Season of Excess into The Season of Success. Well, at least I am going to give it a try. How about you?
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