Craig Constantine

The same old thing →

Published January 7, 2019 · All posts on Jan 7

Now just as we pick out and exaggerate the pleasure of eating to produce gluttony, so we pick out this natural pleasantness of change and twist it into a demand for absolute novelty. This demand is entirely our workmanship. If we neglect our duty, men will be not only contented but transported by the mixed novelty and familiarity of snowdrops this January, sunrise this morning, plum pudding this Christmas. Children, until we have taught them better, will be perfectly happy with a seasonal round of games in which conkers succeed hopscotch as regularly as autumn follows summer. Only by our incessant efforts is the demand for infinite, or unrhythmical, change kept up.”
~ Screwtape, from Getting Over the Horror of the Same Old Thing

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C.S. Lewis wrote the Screwtape Letters from the point of view of a senior-level demon named Screwtape providing instructions to his direct-reports (ie, demons doing actual work) on how to be great demons. The quote above is a wonderful glimpse into just how visionary Screwtape really is.

2019 →

Published January 6, 2019 · All posts on Jan 6 · Apogee

Early each month, I take time to review my journal entries. I sit down and read the new month’s entries from 6 years ago, 3 years ago, and 1 year ago. When I started journaling, I never imagined I would have enough entries to do that.

It has felt like I am reading monthly installments from three completely different novels which arrive just often enough that I can remember what was happening. Every month, each of these three people’s stories gets advanced. I’ve been doing this for over a year. I’m not sure what is going to happen [to my brain] when, in my reading of the 3-years-ago novel, I get to the part where the 1-year-ago novel is today. But, since it will have been a while since I read that part, I suspect it will feel like a fresh installment. For that matter, if reading the 1-year-ago novel today already melts my brain, what will happen [again, to my brain] when the 6-years-ago novel gets to where the 3-years-ago novel is?

So, the first thing I’ve noticed is that these novels are wild. I feel as if I’m getting installments from some insane author who doesn’t take his job very seriously. Sometimes I get big entries for every day of the month droning on and on with all the gory details of the character’s life; it’s like work from some drunk author who needs to learn to edit sober. Sometimes I get these notebook-bulging multimedia scrapbook things. Sometimes the author just phones-it-in with a terse, “there’s not much to say,” and sends one journal entry that reads, “didn’t write much,” and I wonder why I’m paying him to write the novels. Sometimes—and this is the worst—the action stops mid-scene at the end of the installment.

The next thing I’ve noticed is that the relationships between these three characters is wacked. I am, after all, just reading the same huge novel with three bookmarks at different places in time. Even though it is literally the same character, their relationships seem tenuous at best. The 6-years-ago character is hopeless: What are you doing, and are you actually blind?! Meanwhile the 1-year-ago character strikes me as simply naive: Do you seriously think 2018 is going to go well now that you’ve “had a chance to look back” on 2017; how quaint, and you are clearly, completely unrelated to this 6-years-ago character. And don’t get me started about the 3-years-ago clown: You seem to have read the 6-years-ago novel by skipping over the lessons and reading only the racy bits.

But, I keep paying the author and he keeps sending me installments for the three novels. Every month, as I sit down to read, I think that maybe—as in, “maybe drawing for an inside straight will work”—the today-me can manage to extract something useful.

I—the today-me writing this—note that in this process there’s nothing special about a January. I read the new installment for all three novels every month. Every month I think: If 6-years-ago me is hopeless, and 3-years-ago me is a clown only reading the racy bits, and 1-year-ago me is simply naive— …that’s TERRIFIC!! Now that I know, I can do a better job of choosing my actions. But wait, how long have I been reading these novels? It’s been more than a year. Uh-oh, that means 1-year-ago me has already tried to change. Uh-oh, what does it mean if the 3-years-ago-me doesn’t change in two more years? Actually, clearly he won’t change, because I’m reading the 1-year-ago novel right now, and he hasn’t solved it! Ok wait hold on— …should I write, the 3-years-ago me “doesn’t” change, or “didn’t” change— …err— …wait— Will the 3-years-ago me have [or is it “have had”?!] this exact same thought, about 24 months ago— …no, 24 months from now, when he reads that part in the other novel— …now I’m actually confused.

Screw it. I’m having a drink and phoning-it-in.

There’s not much to say; Didn’t write much.

But just to mess with all three future-me-s reading the novels, this author is plagiarizing this post and copying it directly into the journal entry for today.

Happy new year!

Holobionts? →

Published January 4, 2019 · All posts on Jan 4 · Health

The tighter the integration, the more closely intertwined the fates of host and microbe become. For such holobionts, Bordenstein says, you can’t understand the evolution of either the host genome or the microbial genomes in isolation because the community of organisms as a whole shapes the traits of the individual. “We need to understand what the microbes make, what the host makes and potentially how those products work together,” he said. The holobiont, he argues, adds up to more than the sum of the host and microbes. Out of their interaction emerges a coherent entity that natural selection might act on alongside other units of selection, like the individual or a gene.
~ Jonathan Lambert, from Should Evolution Treat Our Microbes as Part of Us?

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I’m am fascinated by the reality that there are countless microbes which coinhabit our body.

You have the right to… →

Published January 3, 2019 · All posts on Jan 3 · Wisdom

You have the right to a purpose. If you do not have a purpose, one will be appointed for you.
~ David Cain from, Never Forget Your Rights

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What a delightful riff on the standarized wording commonly known as the “Miranda rights”!

Dan Edwardes | Cultivating Confidence, Fear, and Flow →

Published January 2, 2019 · All posts on Jan 2

On Castbox.fm — Dan Edwardes | Cultivating Confidence, Fear, and Flow

What are the most effective methods for understanding and managing fear in physical and mental practices?

Exploring how fear shapes movement and mindset in Parkour and beyond.

The stories can be changed, but fear as a raw emotion is a good thing.
~ Dan Edwardes (4:26)

This conversation focuses on the role of fear in Parkour training and its broader implications for personal growth. Dan explains that fear itself is a natural and helpful emotion, distinct from the stories or narratives people attach to it over time. He challenges the conventional approach of overcoming fear through adrenaline or suppression, advocating instead for building a positive relationship with fear by understanding and accepting it as an ally.

The discussion highlights practical techniques for coaches, such as familiarizing students with the emotion of fear in controlled settings, separating the raw emotion from its associated narratives, and encouraging a focus on controllable elements of challenges. Dan emphasizes that this approach not only enhances physical performance but also fosters deeper psychological resilience and confidence.

Takeaways

Fear as an ally — Fear is a protective emotion that can be transformed into a helpful guide when understood and accepted.

Narrative distinction — Separating the raw emotion of fear from the stories attached to it is key to managing it effectively.

Coaching strategies — Coaches can help students by familiarizing them with the sensation of fear without immediate action, fostering comfort with the emotion.

Controlling the controllables — Focusing on elements within one’s control, such as technique and preparation, reduces fear associated with specific challenges.

Limitations of suppression — Overcoming fear through suppression or adrenaline may yield short-term results but lacks the depth to build lasting confidence.

Parkour as a fear practice — Parkour uniquely integrates fear management into its core, making it a valuable framework for broader life applications.

Resources

Parkour Generations — Organization co-founded by Dan Edwardes, focusing on Parkour training and education.

ADAPT Qualifications — Certification program for Parkour coaching and training, developed by Dan Edwardes.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

The only way out is through →

Published January 2, 2019 · All posts on Jan 2 · Self-improvement

But that won’t work. The “sickness” is not that some nasty people have come into power, but that human beings across the board are still working primarily from their stone-age instincts. The detractors of The Establishment are just as consumed by their own needs for personal power, righteousness, security and social dominance as the people they so proudly hate.
~ David Cain from, If Society is Sick, What Should We Do About It?

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To some extent, this article is cynical. Although, it’s not nearly as cynical as this pull-quote I’ve selected makes it sound.

After reading it, what interests me is the idea that the more difficult path of wading into the society—as opposed to trying to remain “untainted” by it—may be the correct course of action. I like the idea that, yes, there is a great deal wrong with humans, but nothing so wrong that can’t be fixed through the continued application of some compassion, reason, and logic (in no particular order.) I used to think it’d be easy to be happy if I was just in an idyllic environment, but that continuing to strive in a lesser environment was to take the higher road. But in more recent years I’ve been thinking that it may not be possible to be truly happy in an idyllic environment; that having something against which to measure oneself may be a necessary component of happiness.

Clutter and focus →

Published January 1, 2019 · All posts on Jan 1 · Self-improvement

When your environment is cluttered, the chaos restricts your ability to focus. The clutter also limits your brain’s ability to process information. Clutter makes you distracted and unable to process information as well as you do in an uncluttered, organized, and serene environment.
~ Erin Doland from, «https://unclutterer.com/2011/03/29/scientists-find-physical-clutter-negatively-affects-your-ability-to-focus-process-information/»

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My personal experience agrees. Having spaces set aside for whatever-it-is-you-want-to-do pays off. Sometimes that’s a dedicated space. But sometimes it’s a space which has multiple purposes, which I somehow convert when I’m changing uses.

Having a space which I intend to be uncluttered also gives me the opportunity to clean it up and prepare it for the activity. Sometimes I’m just not feeling the vibe I need to begin whatever-it-is, and taking a few minutes to prepare the space — and maybe prepare some coffee too ;) — puts me into a focused and energized mood.

Traditions you love →

Published December 30, 2018 · All posts on Dec 30

Make a list of the traditions you love, and that you don’t love.
~ Leo Babauta from, How to Simplify the Holidays

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A couple of less-usual ones that I particularly love: The idea of having Friends-giving dinners, and a randomly-scheduled, rotating hosts, dinner party thing I have with a group of my second-cousins.

Martin Kallesøe: Coaching, coffee, and Street Movement →

Published December 29, 2018 · All posts on Dec 29 · Movers Mindset

Martin Kallesøe: Coaching, coffee, and Street Movement

What lessons can we learn from integrating Parkour into structured educational settings and promoting personal growth through physical movement?

In this episode of Movers Mindset, Craig talks with Martin Kallesøe of Street Movement. They discuss Martin’s unique introduction to parkour, his thoughts on coaching, and Danish Parkour’s coffee culture. He also touches on his first experiences with the Yamakasi, as well as the history and culture of Street Movement and the International Gathering at Gerlev.

Don’t lose joy. If you lose joy in Parkour, don’t quit. Tone it down, keep doing it, but do something else a lot for a while.
~ Martin Kallesøe (37:10)

The conversation explores the transformative journey of integrating Parkour into both personal practice and educational frameworks. It begins with the guest’s early exposure to Parkour during his university years in Denmark and traces his path to co-founding Street Movement. The discussion includes the philosophical underpinnings of Parkour, emphasizing self-discovery, collaboration, and adaptability. These principles are highlighted as crucial for teaching others while maintaining the joy of practice.

Further topics include the challenges and rewards of incorporating Parkour into academic settings, such as fostering peer learning and designing flexible curricula. The conversation also touches on the broader implications of creating inclusive learning environments, the role of international connections in evolving the discipline, and the need for mindfulness in both teaching and training.

(more…)

Insight →

Published December 29, 2018 · All posts on Dec 29 · Self-improvement

The greatest revelations are not when you discover something new and profound, but when you actually apply something you already “knew.” That is when information becomes real wisdom. Only then is it finally able to change who you are instead of just what you think.
~ David Cain from, Insight Is Not Enough

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I’ve been referring often to David Cain’s writing recently. Nothing wrong with that per se; it’s great stuff that makes me think. Anyway, you may wonder why that happens. Why do I seem to run in dashes of particular source material. It has to do with how I queue up reading material. I’ve some interesting hacks that I hope one day to share with the world. I hope.