If you say that brotherhood matters to you, why is your brotherhood so cheap? Why is it given so freely? Do you ask nothing in return for your brotherhood? What does your brotherhood offer?
~ Jack Donovan from, «http://www.jack-donovan.com/axis/2017/02/we-are-not-brothers/»
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A lot of times we procrastinate because we have to jump through a lot of hurdles before we can do the thing we actually want to do. For example, let’s say you need to prepare dinner. So you need your dishes, cutlery, pots and pans. But what if they are still in the sink from the time you used them for lunch? That means before you can actually start cooking, you need to wash them first.
~ Thanh Pham, from How To Stop Procrastinating By Learning One Simple Habit
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~ Sensei Wirth
If you want to go east, go east. If you want to go west, go west.
If there’s somewhere you need to be, you need to start walking.
~ uncertain; possibly Lao-Tzu
Each of those quotes expresses a certain commitment to beginning; to taking action; to moving in a direct way. But what really is commitment? I thought I knew what commitment was, until I started to think deeply about it. Now, I’m uncertain.
There are some things to which I am deeply, unshakably, committed; Take breathing for example. At first glance this seems trivial since it’s a physiological imperative managed by the body. But if I imagine a scenario where someone is trying to prevent me from breathing, I can easily imagine myself consciously acting — wildly, vigorously, berserk even — to achieve the goal.
What would it mean to be that committed to something of my own conscious choosing?
What does it mean to “be committed to” a new habit?
Sure! I’m committed! I like this new idea — this new habit. I’m going to really stick to it! I have goals, and a plan. Let’s do this!
…and a month later the habit is nowhere to be seen. Does that failure mean I was actually not committed when I thought I was? Did my commitment evaporate over time? Are there degrees of commitment? Is there some minimum level of commitment necessary at the beginning to achieve certain goals? Does commitment need occasional inputs of energy to keep it going, like a spinning top? Or is commitment a simple binary — yes, or no?
Perhaps understanding commitment would be easier if I tried to untangle a simpler type of commitment. What does it mean to “commit to” a physical action in the very near future?
This jump scares me. But I know I can make it; I’ve definitely jumped this distance successfully many times. I know there’s value in doing this jump. I should do this. I want to do this! Okay, I’m committed! I’m ready! Here I go! abort! ABORT!!
What happened? I thought I was committed? Was I lying to myself when I said, “Okay, I’m committed”? What would it mean if it was possible to lie to myself– to truly believe myself when I was lying? Did my commitment somehow evaporate in the moment just before I aborted? Did my body — my physical corpus separate from my mind — somehow, literally, physically refuse my mind’s directions? Is that even be possible?
Here’s another experiment I’ve performed countless times: I get set up for a jump which pushes my limits. There are some consequences to missing, some real bit of danger is present, but it’s a good jump, something I know I can do. I’ve checked my surfaces, and I’ve explored and thought out everything to look for unknown-unknowns. I’m ready. The thinking-me-brain commits — really commits — we (the me-brain and the body) are ready to do this! And then I notice that my palms are sweating. Wait- What? Who called for sweating palms?!
Therefore I’m forced to wonder: Does my body have a mind of its own? In fact, I believe this is the case. We know the brain — the entire central nervous system — is an amalgam of layers. The thinking me’s consciousness is just the topmost layer, and there are deeper layers, sometimes called the “lizard brain”, performing fully autonomous functions. Performing many autonomous functions.
After all of that thinking and experimenting, I’m starting to believe that commitment is actually easy. The thinking-me-brain is good at committing to something after a bit of reasoned consideration. Committing may be one of its greatest skills, in stark contrast to the body’s short-sighted visceral behaviors.
So what then is hard?
Learning what level of control I am in fact able to exercise over the rest of my body is hard!
My commitment evaporates when my body rebels; When it literally, physically refuses my thinking-me-brain’s commands. My commitment evaporates when unconscious triggers, and reward/feedback loops, guide my actions when the thinking-me-brain isn’t actively paying attention. The teacher leaves the classroom and the students start throwing paper airplanes. “I thought we were committed to reading our studies! …why all this fooling around?!” I thought we were committed to this jump! Why have we not jumped?! Why are our palms sweating and heart racing?!
The more I examine this situation, the more it feels like the thinking-me-brain is a tiny little prisoner who has very little control over almost nothing.
“Commit to the move,” the book says. The tiny, weak, thinking-me-brain would love to practice talking the body into doing things it doesn’t want to do. So let’s — thinking-me and the body — let’s go out and see what we can agree to commit to!
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There has been a misunderstanding regarding the nature of our energy problem. Many people believe that we will “run out” of fossil fuels, or that the price of oil and other fuels will rise very high. In fact, our problem seems to be one of affordability: energy prices don’t rise high enough to cover the rising cost of producing electricity and other energy products. Adding wind and solar tends to make the problem of low commodity prices worse.
~ Gail Tverberg from, The “Wind and Solar Will Save Us” Delusion
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Presented without comment.
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A stretch of sky, a garden wall overhung by green branches, a strong horse, a handsome dog, a group of children, a beautiful face — why should we be willing to be robbed of all this? Whoever has acquired the knack can in the space of a block see precious things without losing a minute’s time… All things have their vivid aspects, even the uninteresting or ugly; one must only want to see.
~ Herman Hess from, Hermann Hesse on Little Joys, Breaking the Trance of Busyness, and the Most Important Habit for Living with Presence
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What steps can be taken to normalize play and movement for adults in public spaces?
Caitlin Pontrella discusses the Movement Creative, explaining its goals and vision beyond simply teaching parkour. She unpacks her thoughts on the concept of play, how it relates to parkour, and the benefits of both play and risk. Caitlin wraps up by sharing her insights into starting new projects and how to involve your community.
Risk gives you choice, and it gives you opportunity to explore and challenge yourself.
~ Caitlin Pontrella (5:17)
The conversation centers on the concept of normalizing play for adults and making public spaces more engaging. Caitlin Pontrella discusses her work with the Movement Creative, a social enterprise aimed at fostering creativity, movement, and education. Projects like “movement snacks” provide subtle invitations for play in public spaces, aiming to remove the stigma associated with adult play while promoting accessibility and inclusivity. This shift can lead to a cultural transformation, encouraging adults to view movement as a natural, joyful part of life.
Topics also include the importance of risk in play, the concept of Parkour vision, and how it changes perceptions of urban environments. Caitlin emphasizes the value of partnerships and community engagement when implementing ideas to enhance public spaces. She shares examples of playful initiatives, such as “mice on Main,” which successfully create a sense of wonder and interaction within cities. The conversation underscores the transformative potential of play and movement to enrich personal and communal experiences.
(more…)When everything feels like an uphill struggle, just think of the view from the top.
~ unknown
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Aaah! windy. tshirt. 50s. mistakes were made….
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FirstARDV I attended was here….
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Strolling Boston’s North End, short cut thru an alley… the door really is as short as it seems
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