A mentality to have

The country all saw last week as Texas became victim to a winter storm that brought the Lonestar state to a halt. Frozen temperatures and ice caused power outages to surge and water pipes to freeze, in many cases leading to no heat, and no running water for days.

The state, with not having seen temperatures like these in 30 + years, was now in a matter of days put under immense duress. A storm coming due to a cold front picking up speed in the northern plains from the heat of the Great lakes, had caught many Texans by surprise and for the most part unprepared.

When I first started to hear of some of the affects and the circumstances my attention was closely caught. The mainstream news had done well.. the mainstream medias part. It wasn’t until I messaged one of my better friends, Nick Sherry that I truly got to thinking.

‘Bro I feel like sure it’s terrible but at the same time you guys are learning about your PRIMAL beings. Survival of the fittest.. Pre- historic days’

He then responded in a diction of his that I have gotten to truly appreciate throughout the years, ‘ It has been an important experience — don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.’

The struggle and challenges from externalities, in this case the aftermath from frigid temperatures in a place that generally speaking is not used to them, is something that in hindsight can provide us with greater strength in ourselves. If we begin to dig deeper, we can extract that yes, it was freezing in Texas, but the people saw themselves persevere. Basic human resources weren’t as plentiful, as scattered buying was undergone, so the people began to ration. Persevering, again.

Why? Not to discredit anything from Texans as they are fine people, I used to live in their land – but because when humanity is faced with adversity we enter neurologically into a fight or flight mode. Although, survival of the fittest, could be a bit drastic In the Texas snowstorm, it is that type of mentality that Nick and others likely had come to mind in the circumstances. For a truly remarkable example I suggest looking into the plane crash in the Andes Mountains of the Uruguayan Rugby national team that 16 of the players survived after 2+ months stranded.

If you are to take anything away form this post, let it be that having a primal mindset and being prepared for anything in this life is not of choice, but rather a necessity.

Texas strong!

Image result for texas cold

Reaction

We have all been there: A significant amount of effort put in to please someone, just to be disappointed by their reaction. A huge client meeting set, only to run into traffic from a wreck in front of you, that makes you completely miss it. Everyday, we are faced with situations that are out of our control, & that test our mood & attitude. The way you react is how you advance. It is important to remind ourselves that we cannot remain fixed or grudged on results that do not go our way. Be them little, or big. For that is time wasted, time forever gone that wasn’t spent constructively. One may say, well SK ‘not every moment in life can be constructive?’ I get that, I do. One is a fool to believe that everything in life is to work out in your favor. What I am saying, is that it is much better to accept, learn, move on, & NOT complain, blame, and be frustrated. For you are, what you feed the mind.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs

Some of us may have heard of this more this than others, however familiar you are with Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, one thing is evident- this model is one of the best references we have to just plain out living. I’ll be explaining symbol by symbol here, (for newcomers, that weren’t paying attention in their PYCH 101 class). Furthermore, I’ll be highlighting the divide of ‘deficiency needs’ ‘growth needs’, with the point of looking to provide an outlook to first – world & third – world means in differences. As well as emphasizing how the model can be used to check yourself as you maneuver through life’s happenings.

Physiological needs– The basics here, how we feel nourished, how we can keep our system afloat & are subconscious thoughts (breathing oxygen, heart beating), shelter- a place to rest and feel protected.

Safety needs– Security, finances/job security, how we support ourselves. Keep ourselves safe from outside forces.

Social/belonging needs– Friends/family. Care and nurture. Acceptance, intimacy, & giving are all under the umbrella.

Esteem Needs– Self-confidence & respect from other people. An evaluation of yourself. Be it status, job, education, relationship, home, etc. How you see yourself in the world.

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Cognitive needs– Pursuit of knowledge & understanding/ The biggest keys to self-actualization. Cannot be blocked, because nothing will flow. The expression of the natural human need to discover, create, learn, and explore.

Aesthetic needs– The pursuit of beauty and creativity. To express oneself in pleasing ways.

Self-actualization needs– Uncovering your full potential, fulfillment. Finding what you are best- fitted for.

Self- transcendence needs– Added need. Going beyond yourself, being spiritual & charitable. Greatest sense of awareness.

All of these 8 needs are achievable, but are they all attainable for everyone? No, not everyone has the same opportunities to have these under their arms. Based of geographical location, status-level, and family interference or affection these could vary for people being able to have. That is why there is a fine divide between, ‘deficiency & growth’ needs.

Deficiency needs (Blue) meaning you cannot live without these being had and present in your life.

Growth needs (Green) meaning more along the side of luxury, pleasure, & going beyond.

For the most part, unless under an extreme situation, everybody in a first-world economic and social standing has the full 8 phases felt & attained. On the other hand, third world- countries deal with a larger challenge. A lot of the times education is limited, social & family dynamics, can have a toll, & overall opportunities can be limited for some to reach a full-potential, (some could be oblivious to what that even consists of).

Complaining about a job that you really wanted & didn’t get, check yourself.

Frustrated about not having enough space in your house, check yourself.

Grumpy because of a rash on your skin, check yourself.

Angry because of a bad grade, study more, & check yourself

So next time when something doesn’t go your way, or pan out how you would have liked, count your needs that are already full-filled, be thankful that you have the basic needs down, and the ‘higher echelon’ ones can be all figureoutable.

Use the model to see if how you are feeling matches up with some of your deficiency and growth needs, as it could very well pave the way to figuring out what is missing.

Thoughts? Let’s connect.

Production V. Consumption

Innate opposites. One easy the other a bit of a stretch. This post, and really the purpose of this whole blog series is about getting more out of yourself. Capitalizing on your time, stretching yourself, being more creative, being healthier, more mindful.. you get it . We live in a world where there is so much competition for your time & attention. If it isn’t this brand it is the other, if not this show or game the other, if not this social media platform, well the other. My urge to you is to turn the tables. In the sense of taking a stand forward and being more directional with your time- aspiring more & not submitting to mediocracy. Problem in your community? Start an initiative. Difficulty in a sales process? Do market research and implement a new one. Tired of seeing the same news on social media and T.V? Turn it off. The world not enticing you enough? Entice the world. Create a cooking channel, start a Shopify page on your favorite product, create a culture BLOG. The same Saturday routine, of revolving your day around the games, man you are cutting yourself short. The Production V. Consumption battle will always exist, but we can make it more favorable. Some ideas can be letting our consumption be treats for our production. We can reward ourselves for our creativity, or initiatives & efforts. We could also measure and create a weekly ratio from when we produce to when we consume content. I have found when it’s in front of you, you are held more accountable. Let me know how I can help!

OUR 24 HOUR BODY CLOCK



When I came across an image of a proposed 24 hour human body clock, my curiosity started to grow & my research began. Is there a tailored way in which we are to live our days by? To each their own, everyone is different, are some phrases everyone has heard.. but based off some findings there could be a science to getting the most out of our days. This is not the answer to productivity, but could be used as a guideline to referencing to in your day- to-day. And oh could we use as much as that these times…
As a note** You should value the act of being present over productivity but hey, that can be saved for another post!

Let’s attack evolution & sunlight here to start- Our ancestors used to be hunter-gathers back in the day day.. alongside spearing for food, came the lack of the knowingness of time, which they had no concept of (obviously it was near 12,000 years ago to give you an idea, but bear with me for build up). In turn, the sun was the deriving factor for wake/sleep cycles. Getting up with the sun, and going to sleep with it were common traits. Based with our Sun & combined with some insights from Chinese Medicine and the Ayurvedic diet I came about with a framework – to how we are able to maximize the days time slots for best use.

Before the Egyptians established our 24- hour day period, as mentioned before, our days went with the rise and fall of the the sun. Fast forward, some thousands of years and even though clocks are everywhere & our beds are featherlike, we should be up and out of bed before 8 am. From there we should sun bathe and hydrate with a 16 oz. glass of water, as well as stretching our bodies- promoting wakefulness, Vitamin- D, and hydration. A light breakfast could then follow. Unless fasting.. (plentiful of benefits, but up to you). From here our days should really stem forward.

On a piece from Psychology today, titled The 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘺, Nigel Barber says, “more jobs get accomplished between the hours of 9:00 and 11:00 than at other times of the day, based on the activity of workers doing online piece work.” He begins to talk about our circadian rhythms as well, which is basically our internal body bodily clock from our sleep/wake cycles that regulates alertness. Stating that around the pocket hours of 9-11 it allows us to be most alert.

So in retrospect, From 10-12 or 9-11 depending on where you are in your morning ,we should use our hours towards being the most productive of our day. Which then leads us to noon – where we should feel our greatest energy levels, based off the amount of time we have been awake.

• Now lunch- it should be a heavy meal, with lots vegetables (eaten first for digestive purposes, similarly to the way fruits are too) then beans and/or carbs, making sure you are getting a sufficient amount of protein- be it with animal or without.
• With the culmination of lunch, we should then tackle our biggest problems of the day, or our most tedious tasks.
• Leading then to our creative portion of the day- being creative and stimulating our right brain as much as possible for a an hour period or so. •
• From 3-5, we should finish our work/study and then have a cup of green tea for its antioxidants benefits & calming effect to the end of the work day, combined with a small snack, such as a fruit or some nuts.
• This leads us getting into a workout period with exercise aiming for whatever time you feel is sufficient enough to classify an effective workout, pushing heart-rate up stressing your muscles and stretching your body. Exercise can also be used strategically, to release tension from a days worth of working / studying.
• Next is Dinnertime. Dinner should be had no later than 7pm, and should be lighter than lunch but heavier than your breakfast.
• Lastly, a wind down that includes light reading/some tv/ self-love/ or sexual activity/flirting. Relax a bit more, to be in bed before 11pm.
Then do it all again tomorrow.


Connect in comments or feel free to reach out! & may your time be ever in your favor!

SOURCE:
Barber, Nigel. “The Most Creative Time of Day.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 6 June 2019, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-human-beast/201906/the-most-creative-time-day.

StoLat


I touched on last week the Daily Stoic, Ryan Holiday’s blog on Stoicism, and how it portrays principles of being and staying present. This time around- I wanted to bring light to the effectiveness of the philosophy, as well as getting across to the two different portrayals of being actionable through Stoicism, as well as the carrying use of it.

Stoicism, in a nutshell, is endurance without complaining.  Showing resilience, in the times of adversity. Wisdom, Temperance, Courage, & Justice aligning as its four pillars & at the forefront. The Greeks brought it to light, through Zeno, in the 3rd century BC, however the Romans truly cultivated it. With Seneca and Marcus Aurelius being the main establishers and the architects in the Roman Empire.

Stoicism holds that the key to a good, happy life is the cultivation of an excellent mental state, which the Stoics identified with virtue and being rational. The ideal life is one that is in harmony with Nature, of which we are all part, and an attitude of calm indifference towards external events.

I believe more in applied Stoicism than only the teachings of it for literature or pleasure purposes. (if you are really about pleasure you may want to have a peak at Epicureanism though.) Applied in the sense, because at the end of the day, we are not near our potential without our actions! Some Stoic actions may include martial arts, cold showers, long hikes, or rock climbing, to name a few. Basically, anything that stretches you out of your confront zone, shows you some struggle and allows you to have to really put your best foot forward to prevail. As an act of a philosophy, Stoicism can be used to make you stronger- willed in events of pressure, more rational in times of altercation, and overall greater positioned to withstand the wind that will try take you off your tracks. Stoic principles can lead to a better locus of control, allow you to better guard your time, as well as standing your ground. If you want to take it a step further, I suggest to look to partake in stoic actions that can grow an armor on your skin for your life! 

Present v. Productive

I have always placed a lot of emphasis in being productive. Deriving a lot of worth from my day when I feel that I accomplished ‘a lot.’ Maybe for some a winning day is when you check your To – Do List all off, or when you work till the wee hours submitting a proposal, or turning in an assignment. We all know that feeling of rejoice when you finish.. But does it come at a cost? Can you become obsessed over finishing, and the checking of the ‘next thing’, that you lose your sanity, see relationships start to falter, and become so consumed to your work that you forget to smell the roses? Upon hearing more content from two greatly expressive and conveying writers/podcasters named Ryan Holiday & Case Kenny. I began to look twice at my day to day. Both men come from a perspective of practicality combined with mindfulness. In the sense of- you can be efficient with your work or craft without getting consumed over the result of it. We must not get wired over our tasks, but rather immerse in them. You acquire more knowledge when you are present and not rushed, as well as being able to retain more. You can always be productive, but you can maximize it by being present in your craft more. So next time you see you have a million and one things to get done in the coming week, think to yourself quality over quantity. We aren’t to be on a treadmill every day of our lives! Here are links to Ryan and Case’s sites.

https://billowing-sea-7267.ck.page/79d6c63e9f

https://newmindsetwhodis.com/pages/the-man-behind-the-new-mindset-journal-case-kenny?gclid=Cj0KCQjwqp-LBhDQARIsAO0a6aKWhXMELpNbmMaibL6EJ5v7rrKXP5-2iEy4F4r2D2-cjsRY3ly5NVoaAtHBEALw_wcB