Picturesque. But the mosquitos… professional mosquitos!
Along the Ashley River →
Apply ass to chair →
Literally for writing, but metaphorically in general. Discipline is the only way. Discipline does not mean one has to be austere; It implies clarity and fidelity about one’s goals. Discipline is deeply tied to affecting real change within oneself and to personal integrity.
Discipline, primarily, is our capacity to make a commitment in time.
~ Robert Fripp from, The meaning of discipline
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Motivation will get you out the door, but it fades over time. A good book or podcast might give you the momentary impulse to take your first steps along a path, but when the road gets tough only discipline will keep you moving forward.
~ Dan Edwardes from, Motivation is Temporary
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Without discipline I’m the pinball in the pachinko machine: I’m clearly directed (me by my goal, the pinball by gravity) but buffeted randomly (me by everything, the pinball by the pins) ending up in an uncontrolled final position. The critical thing to combine with discipline is ease. Not bashing, not self-loathing and certainly not self-violence. Ease within training.
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Humor →
What a strange world this would be if we all had the same sense of humor.
~ Bern Williams
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Humility →
Each year I choose a word or short phrase as a reminder. I use it as a talisman throughout the year. Some years I’ve chosen something to keep me mindful of a goal, and in other years something to keep me away from a pitfall or mistake I see that I’m too-often making. In the most recent years I’ve been choosing something aspirational; I’ve been choosing something which every day—even after 365 days—reminds me of where I want to be going.
You can also see how it might similarly interfere with your ability to change your beliefs in pursuit of the truth – it’s hard to let go of false beliefs when they feel true because you believe them. It’s hard to imagine things from perspectives that are not your own. It’s hard to accept that you are limited and fallible, prone to error.
This is where humility comes in.
~ Jen Cole Wright, from Humility is the foundation to a virtuous life
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For 2024 I’m choosing the word humility. There are lots of reasons why I think humility is a virtue. But I’m picking it because it feels difficult for me to aspire to being more humble. I have clear evidence (journaling for the win) that humility is a powerful antidote to my occasional fits of petulance. And, as an echo of Yoda‘s wisdom, putting a fine point on something I can improve, by making it my touchstone for 2024 is the way forward for me.
As we’re approaching the end of 2023 I’m sure you, Dear Reader, have already begun some self-reflection. I wish you peace and flourishing for the coming year and I look forward to our continued journey together. Cheers!
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December 10, 2023 — #62 →
Reading time: About 5 minutes, 1000 words
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This issue is https://7forsunday.com/62
Chop wood, carry water →
There is a well-known trumpet player named Rick Braun. Although a few years younger, he was born in the same city and went to the same high school as my dad. And if my memory serves, they were in high school at the same time and at least knew of each other. My dad played the trumpet in high school, even performing in a band. Many year ago, my dad saw Braun somewhere—a concert I think—and had a chance to speak with him. The story goes that my dad said something complimentary about Braun’s ability and talent. (Yes, this is all hearsay.) Braun’s reply? “What a lot of people mistake for talent is simply a lot of hard work.”
At Time in the nineteen-fifties, the entry-level job for writers was a column called Miscellany. Filled with one-sentence oddities culled from newspapers and the wire services, Miscellany ran down its third of a page like a ladder, each wee story with its own title—traditionally, and almost invariably, a pun. Writers did not long endure there, and were not meant to, but just after I showed up a hiring freeze shut the door behind me, and I wrote Miscellany for a year and a half. That came to roughly a thousand one-sentence stories, a thousand puns.
~ John McPhee from, Omission
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John McPhee is a stellar writer. He’s written a lot and, okay, sure, I get that. There are greatest-of-all-time musicians I’ve heard of who still do scales daily 30 years on. And McPhee wrote a thousand puns(!), a thousand titles, and a thousand one-sentence stories cut-down from larger stories. (And go read McPhee’s article right now, about omission.) And now here’s Braun’s comment. Frankly, I’ve heard this sentiment countless times in countless variations: The path to mastery? Chop wood, carry water.
The thing I’m not certain of though, from my dad’s story, is whether the takeaway for him was, “Oh cool, Braun’s just a regular guy who worked really hard!” or “Fudge, I shoulda’ stuck with the trumpet!”
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Learn something →
No day in which you learn something is a complete loss.
~ David Eddings
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What would it take? →
A little more than a decade ago I rediscovered my need for play. A few years ago I started working on my writing as a direct application of filtering and improving my thinking. All of that was built upon a lot of reading—a reimmersion of myself into reading as it were. *sigh* There’s still, a bit more reading to do.
Before he became unresponsive and refused to speak even to his family or friends, [John] von Neumann was asked what it would take for a computer, or some other mechanical entity, to begin to think and behave like a human being.
He took a very long time before answering, in a voice that was no louder than a whisper.
He said that it would have to grow, not be built.
He said that it would have to understand language, to read, to write, to speak.
And he said that it would have to play, like a child.
~ Benjamín Labatut from, A Brief History of the Mind in the Machine
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Grow, read, write, speak, play… There’s an immense variety of human beings resulting from that. There’d be an immense variety of those other beings too. Good!
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Attention →
The most sincere compliment we can pay is attention.
~ Walter Anderson
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Intentional with Chris Garay →
Intentional – with Chris Garay
What is the role of discipline in shaping personal practices and fostering a sense of community within movement-based activities?
Chris Garay joins Craig to discuss balancing varied practices, and how much discipline is actually required for intentional growth.
The conversation revolves around their shared interest in fitness, as they discuss aspects of physical training, the significance of community in fitness spaces, and the challenges of prioritizing various physical practices effectively.
When we show up, we know that [we’re trying] to get better at something via practicing intentionally. But yeah, if it’s not fun, you’re probably not going to stick around and keep going. And that even— honestly, goes back to the discipline [and] willpower. If you constantly have to overcome something just to to start, then you probably won’t start. So if it’s enjoyable and there’s momentum there, that can be very helpful over time.
~ Chris Garay 30:47
Chris and Craig emphasize the need for a balance between discipline and enjoyment in fitness routines. They explore the concept of a gym as a community space, highlighting the value of shared language and camaraderie in training environments. Additionally, they value trying diverse physical practices, but acknowledge the challenge of balancing multiple interests without compromising progress in any one discipline.
Takeaways
Importance of Intentional Practice — the significance of intentional, deep practice in fitness, aiming for progress through focused training rather than scattered efforts across multiple disciplines.
Balancing Discipline and Enjoyment — the necessity of finding a balance between discipline and fun in fitness routines, acknowledging that enjoyable practices lead to more consistent adherence.
Community in Fitness Spaces — the value of a fitness community, where shared language and camaraderie create an environment fostering encouragement, motivation, and a sense of belonging.
Challenges of Multidisciplinary Training — Exploring diverse physical practices poses the challenge of balancing interests while maintaining progress in each discipline, acknowledging the limitations of time and resources for comprehensive development.
Practical Decision-Making — the importance of decisive choices in allocating time and resources, acknowledging that saying no to certain pursuits is crucial for effective focus and progress in chosen areas.
Resources
https://www.physicalitydc.com — Chris Garay’s gym in Washington, DC.
@chrisgaray87 — Chris on Instagram.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
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