So much has happened in 2024. What do I have in mind for 2025? I’m looking forward to reading all my 2024 journal entries—I’m excited to see optimistic Craig get punched in the face (only because I know how that story ends.) I’m also looking forward to getting back to writing regularly here on the ‘ol blog. This is, after all, where the shift into my current epoch started.
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Frankly, that’s seems impossible.
First, unrelated to podcasting, I’d like to jump on my soapbox about keeping a personal journal. It takes a lot of effort, but it is invaluable for getting perspective on one’s own life. It’s also just plain fun to read your own thoughts many years later. The best day to start journaling was yesterday; but today would also be good.
December 27th 2016 is my “okay, fine, I’m starting a podcast” date. The first episode of the Movers Mindset podcast (with a different name back then) came out in early January 2017. So—despite my disbelief and denial—it’s been 7 years. And 2,000 episodes? …I don’t know the exact number, but it also seems impossible.
Some things I’ve done on purpose. What happens if you try to publish a daily show for four years? What happens if you have a show you love and just ignore the urge (and advice) to publish on a schedule, and instead just put them out whenever?
Some things have just been a delightful surprise. The times people surprise me and ask me to join them on their show. The countless conversations next-to the conversation that became a podcast. The countless hours of my life spent with others who are passionate about podcasting. The times I’ve said, “Hello, I’m Craig Constantine” in person, and been recognized by the sound of my voice! And, when someone says that some podcast conversation really helped them as a listener, or as a guest.
I’ve taken the enormous amount of opportunity, resources, luck and others’ passion that I’ve been so generously given, and poured in as much of my own (passion, time, energy, blood, sweat, tears, money) as I can. The result has been miraculous.
This post is prompted by someone asking me how many years it’s been… and my stumbling over the math. Hey, thanks Özlem, for asking.
Takeaway? CYCLES!
Everything flows and ebbs. Be grateful for the flow and for the ebb. You already know that. I already knew that before Dec 27, 2016. The takeaway is to find a way to be reminded of this.
I hope you’re doing well, and I wish you the strength and courage to move along your own path tomorrow, next month, next year, and beyond.
Cheers!
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Reading time: About 4 minutes, 900 words
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This issue is https://7forsunday.com/12
Almost fifty years after it was detected, the Wow! Signal continues to tantalize and defy explanation. […] In 2020, interest in this candidate [extra-terrestrial intelligence] signal was revitalized when Cabellaro identified a Sun-like star in the vicinity of the sky where the Wow! Signal was detected. If the analysis is correct, this famous signal may have come from a Sun-like star located 1,800 light-years away.
~ Matt Williams from, There Could Be Four Hostile Civilizations in the Milky Way
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More amazing is that actual progress continues to be made towards understanding the original signal’s origin. Fifty years ago, the area of the sky was known to contain a bunch of stars. Today? We know which of them have planets. …and which of those stars have a planet in the so-called habitable zone. The article is both a good introduction to the famous (among astronomy enthusiasts) signal and a good story about continued research.
And just ignore the article’s click–bait title, which comes from a tangential discussion about whether we should only listen for extraterrestrial intelligence or actually try to contact ET.
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Turns out they were the best decisions of my life. Because each one of those difficult decisions that looked like failures (at first) took me a bit closer to my real self. Each of them empowered the real me. Each of them woke me up from the illusion. At this point, I can see a clear pattern of rejection every time I try to get closer to my real self, so the feeling of “looking like a failure” has become more of fuel than a burden.
~ Jérôme Jarre
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With emotional empathy, you actually experience a weaker degree of what somebody else feels. Researchers in recent years have been able to show that empathic responses of pain occur in the same area of the brain where real pain is experienced.
~ Shane Parrish from, Making Compassionate Decisions
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It seems obvious to me that being empathic is helpful since it suggests where to direct one’s compassion. However, is it necessary to be empathic in order to be compassionate?
Without compassion is empathy beneficial? Without compassion might empathy actually be harmful?
Why is my mission creating better conversations to spread understanding and compassion?
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Application and capacity. Eminence requires both. When both are present, eminence outdoes itself. The mediocre people who apply themselves go further than the superior people who don’t. Work makes worth.
~ Baltasar Gracián
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It is amazing how obvious things are once you figure them out. Something I struggle to understand, can instantly be glaringly obvious once some final, little piece clicks into place. Small things, big things, click, click, click.
Question: Which is better, to be at the click part marveling at how clear something is, or to be in the puzzling part doing the work?
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What role should a national governing body play in shaping the growth and development of Parkour?
Collaboration among diverse voices is shaping the future of Parkour through the USPK.
This episode explores the US Parkour Association’s (USPK) efforts to address competition, coaching certifications, and international pressures. The association adopts a neutral stance on competition, aiming to serve as a platform for diverse practices while prioritizing safety and sustainability. It acknowledges the varied opinions within the Parkour community and strives to ensure competitions reflect the values of the discipline.
Coaching certifications are another key topic, with USPK focusing on establishing standards rather than creating its own certifications. This approach aims to ensure that certifications emphasize safety, best practices, and legitimacy. Additionally, the conversation highlights the challenges of globalization and external organizations attempting to influence Parkour, stressing the importance of maintaining the sport’s cultural roots through active community involvement.
Takeaways
Neutral stance on competition — USPK refrains from dictating competition formats, instead prioritizing safety and inclusivity across the community.
Role in coaching certifications — The organization seeks to set standards for safety and best practices rather than creating a proprietary certification system.
Diverse representation — The transition board brings together varied perspectives to reflect the community’s diversity and facilitate inclusive decision-making.
External pressures on Parkour — Parkour faces challenges from entities outside the community aiming to capitalize on its growth, necessitating vigilance and advocacy.
Importance of research and dialogue — Informed conversations based on facts are emphasized as vital for addressing controversies and progressing the community.
Building a unified voice — The USPK aims to identify areas of consensus within the community while respecting and preserving differing opinions.
Advocacy for engagement — Active participation in USPK by community members is encouraged to shape the organization’s direction and protect Parkour’s values.
Growth through collaboration — The potential for the Parkour community to advance lies in harnessing the collective expertise of diverse stakeholders.
Resources
USPK Official Website — Provides information about the United States Parkour Association and membership opportunities.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
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(Part 68 of 72 in series, My Journey)
The problem comes from how we deal with the feeling of insecurity. We might curl up and hide, lash out at someone in a hurtful way, harden our rigid views of the world so that everyone else is wrong and we’re continually angry. We might procrastinate and run to distraction, use social media to avoid feeling insecurity, try to control others or the world around us to end the feeling of insecurity.
~ Leo Babauta from, The Guide to Insecurities You’ve Been Waiting For
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I have been lucky—repeatedly over the course of several years—to have had Leo Babauta’s writing available to me. One theme that he repeats is the idea of being kind to one’s self.
The insecurity that I’m not good enough, in my own judgement, is deeply held. I regularly and often flee to easy comforts; it’s been many things over the years, but in the most recent years, it is food.
Not often enough, but sometimes, I find a way to practice being kind to myself. One that works well is: “Spend 30 minutes balancing on a rail. If you fall, simply get back on. Take your time. Be kind to yourself.” Each time I do this I know I will reach a barter-stage where I’m ready to be done. Each time I do this I know I will fall off often—it’s hard for me to even leave out the word “too,” from the phrase, “fall off too often.” Each time I do this it makes me sweat from the physical effort not from, (for example,) the fear. I do fear that some day this exercise will no longer work for me.
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(Part 3 of 5 in series, Travel Gear)
This third part — the last of the think-y pieces, I promise! — is about the process of reviewing and continuous improvement. The subsequent parts of this series are small ideas and inspirations about the literal things to take with you traveling.
Hey, great trip. Welcome home. Drop your bag. Sleep if you need to. But now it’s time to review!
Here you’re reviewing the things you did not have with you. You’re trolling your recent experience in search of things to add to your packing. Either things to always carry, or maybe just things to have on hand, ready to pack, to give you more options on future trips.
If you recorded any notes, (“I wish I had brought…,” “Widget is broken,”) go over those notes and turn them into decisions:
Buy some thing, (or add it to your general list of things to do, “buy this thing when I have spare cash”,) find a solution for some problem, (or add “find solution to the problem” to your to-do list,) etc. Then get rid of the notes!
Aside: Those notes are the result of what is called “capture.” You had an idea, you captured it, but that’s not a solution. You have to convert that “captured” item into something; buy it, fix it, or turn it into however you keep track of things to do.
As you handle everything you’re unpacking, ask: Did I use it?
YES? Great, put it away. (Working it to neutral of course! Wash it, refill it, fix it, etc.)
NO? Why did I pack it? Should I pack it next time?
Some things always get a pass. For example, my medical/urgency kit usually does not get used, but I’m always going to carry it. Ditto for a few things like my travel flashlight. I put all of these “they get a pass even though I did not use them” items away first.
Anything left? Great! These are your first batch of things to review. Ask yourself: Why did I pack this in the first place? What was I thinking? What was I preparing for? In the future, would I be ok without this?
Aside: I once went over-night hiking along the Appalachian trail. Although we were planning to stay in a shelter, we brought a tent in case the shelter was full. I carried a hammer in case we had to drive tent stakes. I brought a hammer on a hike along a mountain full of rocks on the chance we might need to drive tent stakes. By the end of that hike, I had learned a very important lesson about carrying things which I only _might_ use.
Along the way, I started keeping lists– eventually very detailed lists– of everything I packed. I started by writing a list of what I was thinking of packing. Then as I packed, and added or decided against packing items, I kept the list up to date. When I returned, I would sometimes add notes about things I didn’t use, along with my decisions about whether I should pack that next time. For me this was particularly helpful for some of the less-used things I kept forgetting.
At the “Beginner” level, we gave a pass to anything we used. But at this level, we want to start thinking about anti-packing things even though we’ve used them.
Once you know what you are packing, you can go after obvious things to save weight and space:
One of the heaviest things in my bag turned out to be my iPad with its attached keyboard-cover in a Pelican case. I realized that for $20 I could buy a smaller version of the same keyboard cover, which not only weighed less, but also fit into the next size smaller Pelican case. This ended up being a huge weight and volume savings.
I travel with an external battery and charge devices from the battery. I charge the battery when power is available. I realized that I never drained the battery completely, and sometimes I’d go entire trips without recharging the battery. Since I was already carrying the charging cable and power brick, I bought a smaller battery which weighs half as much.
Soon I had “minimized” all the big items, and reached a point where I could fit everything I needed into my bag. At this point I was traveling comfortably. As my trips became more complicated and involved more movement, (walking longer distances, more complex transportation combinations, etc..) it became obvious that weight was the limiting factor.
I eventually went so far as to weigh everything. I literally weighed every individual item, to the gram, and put them in an outline with sub-totals. I can literally pack using the outline and predict what the final pack will weigh.
Why on Earth would I want to do that?!
When I had things in an outline with sub-totalled lists, I could look at each unit, (M’Urgency kit, bathroom kit, sleep system, etc) and look at the heaviest ones. I could then search for solutions to shave weight a tiny bit at a time. It adds up, and I was easily able to turn a 30 pound pack into a 25 pound pack, and know exactly what to pack if wanted to set a weight limit. (For example, if I know I have to be out-and-about for long periods with my entire pack. I can pack ultra-light sacrificing some comfort of course.)
This part concludes the large introduction pieces of this series. The following parts are actually the parts of the series which I first began writing. As I collected and organized them, I realized I needed to capture all the information in these first posts.
I hope you’ve found these introductory parts useful, and I hope you find more useful ideas in the following posts!
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Italians be like, “and now for a little dessert.” There are only ten of us…
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(Part 11 of 36 in series, 10,000 Reps Project)
Glorious weather (ignoring the fog) for working on long term goals. Doing my homework before Christmas day with the family. (Yes, the “40’s” for push-ups, squats and bar-precisions are small-ish numbers, but I have a lot of pull-ups to catch up on.)
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I find the harder I work,
~ unknown
the more luck I seem to have.
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