Kyle Koch | Nature Health and Movement →

Published February 19, 2020  ·  All posts on Feb 19

On Castbox.fm — Kyle Koch | Nature Health and Movement

How can connecting with nature through movement and sensory experiences improve overall well-being and personal growth?

Connecting with nature can transform your health and mindset by simply spending time outdoors without distractions.

I believe in becoming the more heroic version of yourself. Movement and nature are key.

~ Kyle Koch (6:09)

The conversation highlights the importance of reconnecting with nature and movement as pathways to physical and mental well-being. It explores how modern life often limits sensory engagement and dynamic movement, which can negatively impact health. Simple actions such as stepping outside, observing greenery, and allowing oneself to be present can lower stress and improve eyesight.

The discussion touches on how nature remains present even in urban environments, subtly integrated into cityscapes. Practices such as walking, sitting in outdoor spaces, or even engaging in Parkour within natural settings can reshape awareness and resilience. Kyle emphasizes that movement in unpredictable outdoor environments fosters adaptability and enhances physical health.

Takeaways

Movement through nature — Engaging with natural environments fosters adaptability and resilience.

Outdoor sensory experience — Simple exposure to greenery can lower stress and improve health.

Urban wildlife — Nature adapts to cityscapes, remaining present even in unexpected urban spaces.

Restoring eyesight — Looking at distant natural views can reduce nearsightedness.

Small consistent practices — Spending 15 minutes outdoors daily can yield long-term health benefits.

Resources

Trotting Sparrow @trottingsparrow

Art of Retreat — The event where the conversation took place, focusing on Parkour leadership and education.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

ɕ

Single-serving sized visits with books →

Published February 19, 2020  ·  All posts on Feb 19  ·  ,

Imagine you have a book problem. (Don’t judge me, please.) You’ve read countless books. You’ve given away countless books in an attempt to get the foundation of your house to stop settling to one side. You’ve gone through your to-read book shelves and culled as many as you can bear over to the normal shelves, resigned to being okay with never reading them.

…and you still have hundreds of books that you really want to read.

There are two common ways that people recommend reading books: One-at-a-time, (whether thoroughly and carefully cover-to-cover or by breezing through them more quickly,) and multiple-at-a-time. In both ways however, you intend to pick some book and to completely, (whatever that means to you,) read the book.

I want to explain a third way: Single-serving sized visits.

Begin by allocating a set amount of time. Something like 45 minutes seems to work well for me, but it can be any amount that you can do in one sitting. Extra bonus points if you can make this a recurring thing you do regularly.

You will need post-it notes and a writing instrument. You will not need a bookmark.

You’re going to pay a short visit, (say 45 minutes,) to your book collection by picking one book. Take the book (and your post-its and your writing instrument) and head for your reading spot. (You do have a designated reading spot, right? :)

Spend 45 minutes reading the book however you wish. Skim it. Read the prologue. Dig deep into chapter 4. Start reading at page 88. Turn it upside down and read it [upside down] backwards. Whatever. If you really don’t like the book, you can walk out on the date and put the book on your read pile.

As you read it insert post-its…

  1. …on the upper edge of pages whenever you find a reference to any other book. It doesn’t have to be a book you have, or have read, or even want to read. Just start leaving “top” post-its referring to books. Write the name, (and author, etc., as much or as little as you like—”I have this”, “I want this book”, whatever) on each note.
  2. …on the outer edge of pages whenever you find something interesting. A quote, an idea, killer prose, whatever. Write a note explaining the reason you like what you’re noting, maybe try to position the post-it, and include a little arrow that points to the part—Or just a blank post-it, and write directly in your book if that’s your style.

After the allotted time, your visit is over. Put the book back, either in the to-read area, or maybe in the read-these area. (If you bother to distinguish.)

Over time, you will slowly get to know more and more of your books. You won’t feel like you need to read the books—you already know you can’t possibly finish them all. At least this way you’re going to have hundreds of great little visits with these ideas you’ve collected.

Over time, you’ll find more and more top post-its as you build mental links to other books. You’ll find all those side post-its marking ideas you like. You can also pick up a book and see what you think of it— I’ve never touched this book. [It has no post-its.] I clearly love this book. [It furry with notes.] When you want to recommend a book, you are likely to have post-its that have the good bits you’ll want them to see first. The top post-its are going to suggest other books in your collection you might want to visit next.

…and on and on.

ɕ

Put a price tag on it →

Published February 18, 2020  ·  All posts on Feb 18  ·  

Yet that insidious voice keeps whispering. “But this is an opportunity, man! You gotta network. Get out there! Everybody promotes their stuff. Be a pro. Seize the moment, dude!”

One way to look at it is through the prism of money. If someone wants you to do something and the remuneration is “exposure” or “opportunity” … you have answered your own question.

~ Steven Pressfield from, Opportunities Are Bullshit

slip:4useoo3.

It’s important to learn to avoid the siren-call of such “opportunities.” I’m scare-quoting because, as Pressfield points out, they’re not actually opportunities. They are in fact a siren-call attempting to lure your ship onto the rocks. They’re a siren call because the message is exactly what you want to hear: “Your work is good. Your work is valuable. We want you to succeed.”

Actual opportunity sounds different. The message is just off to the side from what you wanted to hear: “What you’re doing is interesting. It makes me think of this thing I’m doing over here. It occurs to me that we might work together on it.” You’re left thinking about some interesting tangential idea. Instead of thinking, (as with the siren-call,) “is this going to be worth it,” you’re thinking, “that’s interesting, I’d like to be involved in that.” Certainly, true opportunities may come with money, but in your own thinking that’s an interesting nice-to-have; but it’s secondary. Take opportunities where the opportunity itself interests you. Don’t take “opportunities” where the potential, down-the-road benefit interests you.

ɕ

Turn it to advantage →

Published February 17, 2020  ·  All posts on Feb 17  ·  

Without an antagonist prowess fades away. its true proportions and capacities come to light only when action proves its endurance. You must know that good men should behave similarly; they must not shrink from hardship and difficulty or complain of fate; they should take whatever befalls in good part and turn it to advantage. The thing that matters is not what you bear but how you bear it.

~ Seneca

slip:4a440.

The force of your mind →

Published February 16, 2020  ·  All posts on Feb 16  ·  ,

I can say the same of a good man whom no difficult conjuncture has afforded an occasion for displaying the force of his mind. “I account you unfortunate because you have never been unfortunate. You have passed through life without an adversary; no one can know your potentiality, not even you.” For self-knowledge, testing is necessary; no on can discover what he can do except by trying.

~ Seneca

slip:4a437.

Yosemite valley →

Published February 15, 2020  ·  All posts on Feb 15

Random photo from an early morning stroll in Yosemite valley.

Banish distraction →

Published February 14, 2020  ·  All posts on Feb 14  ·  

You and I impose order onto our days not to make ourselves stiff or rigid or wooden but in order render impotent the pull of the superficial and the random and the current. We fix our attention not on the petty opportunities and emergencies of the day but on our inner Polaris, even if it’s something as humble as a kiosk business we’re trying to launch or a free app we’re aiming to design. We banish distraction so that we can address our call, our Unconscious, the summons of our Muse.

~ Steven Pressfield from, A Natural Life

slip:4useaa3.

Some days the call—the summons of the Muse—is pleasant and I skip through my tasks. Some days it is not. No matter how many times I study the lesson, it’s still hard for me to believe in what can be accomplished through small daily advances.

Increasingly, (compared to, say, 20 years ago,) my body doesn’t cooperate, and some days my mind doesn’t cooperate. But on balance, I can say I’m making progress on the things which are important to me. I don’t expect to finish anything—you should see the book collection, for example—and that’s fine by me.

Chop wood; carry water. (Read a book. Watch a great movie. Jump on stuff. Go for a walk. Mix and season to taste…)

ɕ

Lying to children →

Published February 13, 2020  ·  All posts on Feb 13  ·  

The first step in clearing your head is to realize how far you are from a neutral observer. When I left high school I was, I thought, a complete skeptic. I’d realized high school was crap. I thought I was ready to question everything I knew. But among the many other things I was ignorant of was how much debris there already was in my head. It’s not enough to consider your mind a blank slate. You have to consciously erase it.

~ Paul Graham from, Lies We Tell Kids

slip:4upali1.

Sure, there are lies of expedience. (“What is thunder?” “It’s clouds bumping into each other.”) But it’s a water slide of lies when you start thinking about it. I know I never really thought about it; I certainly wouldn’t have expected a quick summary of the issues to be 5,000 words.

But there it is none the less, well done by Graham. It contains a litany of ways we all lie to children, (including those of us who don’t have or care for children in any way.) Frankly, some of the ways we all lie seem like an excellent thing to be doing. And if that’s the case, then we all have the we’ve-been-lied-to baggage Graham is describing.

Suddenly! (“It didn’t stop. It didn’t stop!”)

…I feel like I need to toss out the closets of my mind.

ɕ

Angel Griffin | Performance 101 →

Published February 12, 2020  ·  All posts on Feb 12

On Castbox.fm — Angel Griffin | Performance 101

How can gym owners effectively create and manage performance teams that provide opportunities for athletes to grow and succeed in professional environments?

Building a performance team can transform a gym’s visibility and offer athletes pathways into professional arenas like Cirque du Soleil and stunt shows.

We live on the policy of, push our coaches to be the best that they can possibly be.

~ Angel Griffin (5:15)

The conversation explores the process of creating and managing performance teams within gym environments. Angel shares insights from her experience directing Firestorm Talent and Entertainment, emphasizing the importance of defining goals before launching performance initiatives. She outlines paths gym owners might take, such as raising community awareness, generating income, or offering new channels for coaches and students to develop.

Angel discusses how performance teams provide opportunities for athletes to transition into professional careers, citing successful placements in Cirque du Soleil and stunt shows. The conversation highlights the significance of supporting coaches’ ambitions, even if it leads them to leave the gym, and underscores the importance of delegating leadership roles to passionate individuals to ensure performance teams thrive without compromising gym operations.

Takeaways

Building community awareness — A performance team can increase visibility and attract new gym members.

Professional pathways — Athletes can transition into professional careers with proper guidance, including resumes, headshots, and demo reels.

Delegation and leadership — Gym owners should delegate performance team management to passionate individuals to avoid spreading themselves too thin.

Coaching retention — Supporting coaches’ personal goals often leads to long-term benefits for the gym and community.

Simple starting points — Birthday parties and small performances provide accessible entry points to build a performance team.

Clear goals — Defining the purpose behind starting a performance team is crucial for success and direction.

Training for success — Teaching performance etiquette and backstage processes prepares athletes for professional environments.

Networking value — Connections in industries like Cirque du Soleil can create opportunities for athletes to achieve their dreams.

Resources

Firestorm Talent — The official website for Firestorm Talent and Entertainment, showcasing performances and services.

Firestorm Talent @firestormtalent

Art of Retreat — Official site for Art of Retreat, the event where this conversation took place.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

ɕ

Do the work →

Published February 12, 2020  ·  All posts on Feb 12  ·  ,

She didn’t give me a chance because I was an “insider” or because I had the fire of an “outsider.” She gave me a chance because I did the work. When she was in on the weekends, she saw me there too. When she asked me to read something, she got a report on her desk the next day. If she took the time to solicit ideas from the window seats, I spoke up. I made an ass out of myself more times than I’d like to admit but I watched, read, and learned.

~ Steven Pressfield from, «https://stevenpressfield.com/2013/04/insideoutside/»

In all my years I’ve never worked a “real” job; I never had one of those corporate wage-slave jobs you may have heard of from the 80’s and 90’s. I had two, generic-type, hourly-wage-type jobs; one involving insane physical labor as a grounds-keeper on a golf course. I worked while in college, but only for the extra spending money, so I had the luxury of working jobs I wanted. Lots of people at those jobs helped me out, and lots of people have given me breaks along the way. Why?

Because I did the work.

I cut the edging of sand traps in the blazing heat, by hand, with a machete. I mopped floors, loaded and drove a delivery truck. Mowed grass, mucked horse stalls, loaded tons of paper into laser printers, read a room full of manuals, typed and then edited an entire book chapter full of complex math. Some things I did for money, some for favors, and some for fun. I put my back into it, literally and figuratively.

So now—on a Wednesday morning, relaxing before a fire, deciding what I will do today—I’m also thinking: Who do I know that could use a tip? Who could do wonders with an opportunity? Who could accomplish a lot if I just helped them get in motion?

Yes, each of us should seize the day, chart our own course, and begin now under our own power. But those of us in positions where we are able, we should be helping, nudging, pushing and guiding wherever our efforts can have outsized benefit.

ɕ