Everyone is Fighting Something

 The Fighters Mind by Sam Sheridan is a very insightful read. It details the various philosophies that amazing fighters and athletes employ to read such a high level of success. Here are some of the fighters mentioned.

Dan Gable is a wrestling icon. He is mentioned for his fanatical drive and relentless training ethic. He solemnly believed that the harder you train the better your results will be. He is cited as training "five or six times a day and he ran from class to class with ankle weights strapped on." No wonder he went on to have a record of 183-1 in high school and college. He also was a gold medalist at the Olympics in 1972 without yielding a single point to his opponent. I think he embodies the true nature of determination. He never settles for ok. He raises the bar until its sky high and then raises the bar even higher.

Mark DellaGrotte, a Muay Thai Kickboxing champion, discusses the ability of a fighter to accept who they are in the ring. He makes the very valid point that you can't lie about skill, speed, or strength in the ring. When you comfortable in your own skin and relaxed then you are able to do some real damage and achieve what you set out to achieve. Phrased differently, once we accept ourselves as we are, then we are liberated to do what we want and reach our true potential. Being honest to yourself and others frames things in a real way so that we aren't confused when things occur to us.

Marcelo Garcia is currently the pound for pound best Brazilian Ju-Jitsu champion of the world. He has won the gold medal in many Abu Dhabi events (like Ju-Jistu Olympics). Now what separates Marcelo from many other athletes is that he does not do it for the glory or the fame. He does it out of a pure love for it. I truly believe that if you love what you do, you will be successful. From a guy that is always smiling and is very pleasant to meet, he is quoted as saying "Maybe I am not better than my opponent, but I know for sure I love my training more"  I have personally trained with Marcelo, I can testify that he is by far one of the nicest people to train with. He carries himself with such humility that his dominance on the mat is completely surprising and breathtaking. He is a true master in his craft and also an incredibly inspiring individual.

Randy Couture is an All-Star in the UFC.  He has won the heavyweight Title numerous times and is considered a legend for being able to compete and dominate opponents for so long in the octagon. His stats before the UFC are also incredibly impressive. He was NCAA- All American in Wrestling. His key to success seems to be his view on life.  His defining philosophy is to accept defeat and learn from it. He doesn't spend time worrying about past defeats. He learns from it and moves on. He is quoted as saying "The first thing is perspective. I frame things in a positive way and stay reflective. It's almost  a cliche', but in the grand scheme of my life, if the worst thing that happens to me is I lose a wrestling match, even if  it's the Olympic finals, then I'm doing pretty damn good". He doesn't slack but yet doesn't put pressure on himself. He chooses reflection over anxiety. Its always easy to beat yourself up over past failures/defeats. It takes strength to accept it, learn from it, and move on.

These are just a few of the many athletes mentioned. I don't do the author justice by these quick excerpts. I certainly think this is a good book for any athlete and for anyone in particular because as the author states "Everyone is fighting something".

Feed Your Curiosity

The best free cultural & educational media on the web - This is a link that serves as a starting point listing many of the free programs universities offer.

Many IVY league universities offer their courses online for free on the web. Its a new initiative called Open Courseware. Its meant to allow people with the ambition and interest to go and learn things they have always wanted to learn. Topics range from sociology to law, to engineering, to the pure sciences. Naturally you don't get any exams but you do get a lecture and insight from some of the leading thinkers and researchers in their respective fields.

I have used this a few of times to pick up some things in Electrical Engineering, Math, Physics that I was curious about. This is perfect for anyone who wants to learn something new but doesn't have the time or money for grad school. This serves as a very informal way to pick up something that you are curious in exploring.

Some of the participating Universities are:

MIT
Columbia
Harvard
John Hopkins
Notre Dame
Oxford
Tufts
Standford
Carnegie Mellon
Princeton
Duke
Yale

Acts of Kindness Spread Surprisingly Easily: Just a Few People Can Make a Difference

Acts of Kindness Spread Surprisingly Easily: Just a Few People Can Make a Difference

The article reads:

ScienceDaily (Mar. 10, 2010) — For all those dismayed by scenes of looting in disaster-struck zones, whether Haiti or Chile or elsewhere, take heart: Good acts -- acts of kindness, generosity and cooperation -- spread just as easily as bad. And it takes only a handful of individuals to really make a difference.

In a study published in the March 8 early online edition of theProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from the University of California, San Diego and Harvard provide the first laboratory evidence that cooperative behavior is contagious and that it spreads from person to person to person. When people benefit from kindness they "pay it forward" by helping others who were not originally involved, and this creates a cascade of cooperation that influences dozens more in a social network.

The research was conducted by James Fowler, associate professor at UC San Diego in the Department of Political Science and Calit2's Center for Wireless and Population Health Systems, and Nicholas Christakis of Harvard, who is professor of sociology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and professor of medicine and medical sociology at Harvard Medical School. Fowler and Christakis are coauthors of the recently published book "Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives."

In the current study, Fowler and Christakis show that when one person gives money to help others in a "public-goods game," where people have the opportunity to cooperate with each other, the recipients are more likely to give their own money away to other people in future games. This creates a domino effect in which one person's generosity spreads first to three people and then to the nine people that those three people interact with in the future, and then to still other individuals in subsequent waves of the experiment.

The effect persists, Fowler said: "You don't go back to being your 'old selfish self.''' As a result, the money a person gives in the first round of the experiment is ultimately tripled by others who are subsequently (directly or indirectly) influenced to give more. "The network functions like a matching grant," Christakis said.

"Though the multiplier in the real world may be higher or lower than what we've found in the lab," Fowler said, "personally it's very exciting to learn that kindness spreads to people I don't know or have never met. We have direct experience of giving and seeing people's immediate reactions, but we don't typically see how our generosity cascades through the social network to affect the lives of dozens or maybe hundreds of other people."

The study participants were strangers to each other and never played twice with the same person, a study design that eliminates direct reciprocity and reputation management as possible causes.

In previous work demonstrating the contagious spread of behaviors, emotions and ideas -- including obesity, happiness, smoking cessation and loneliness -- Fowler and Christakis examined social networks re-created from the records of the Framingham Heart Study. But like all observational studies, those findings could also have partially reflected the fact that people were choosing to interact with people like themselves or that people were exposed to the same environment. The experimental method used here eliminates such factors.

The study is the first work to document experimentally Fowler and Christakis's earlier findings that social contagion travels in networks up to three degrees of separation, and the first to corroborate evidence from others' observational studies on the spread of cooperation.

The contagious effect in the study was symmetric; uncooperative behavior also spread, but there was nothing to suggest that it spread any more or any less robustly than cooperative behavior, Fowler said.

From a scientific perspective, Fowler added, these findings suggest the fascinating possibility that the process of contagion may have contributed to the evolution of cooperation: Groups with altruists in them will be more altruistic as a whole and more likely to survive than selfish groups.

"Our work over the past few years, examining the function of human social networks and their genetic origins, has led us to conclude that there is a deep and fundamental connection between social networks and goodness," said Christakis. "The flow of good and desirable properties like ideas, love and kindness is required for human social networks to endure, and, in turn, networks are required for such properties to spread. Humans form social networks because the benefits of a connected life outweigh the costs."

The research was funded by the National Institute on Aging, the John Templeton Foundation, and a Pioneer Grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Different Ways to give during the Holiday Season

Geese, cookies and iPods: Buying gifts that give back

This article presents a variety of different ways to give back during the Holiday season. It caters to various interests. Its worth looking at.

Momentous Heart Beats

Here a list of songs off the top of my head that always seem to motivate me and jump start something inside of me. Its by no means complete but just a glimpse into what motivates me.

Inspiring music seems to always speak quietly to the voice deep inside of me somehow. It may not be profound in its own rite but its affects certainly are. It always ultimately translates to a simple but solid and intimate "you can do it". That subconscious voice inside me then "starts off like a whisper" and slowly becomes bolder and more determined. Gaining momentum and strength ,it grows louder and louder until its a "battle cry" that demands respect. It yells and nags at me unceasingly, almost deafening me, until it feels its being heard. It breaks the spell, the addictive trance of cower. Empowered by such a persuasive cheer, the sleeping giant awakens inside of me. I take a deep breathe, feeling alive, full of vigor, blood coursing through my veins again.  The Iron Maiden that I have been self-imprisoned in burst open. A brand new moment has arrived and its mine for the taking. My demeanor changes and I realize the obstacles ahead of me aren't monumental but rather temporary; trivial in hindsight. I quietly but confidently respond back   " I can do it".

What songs/music inspire you?

60 Ways To Make Life Simple Again

60 Ways to Make Life Simple Again

The article reads the following:

When we were young life was easier, right?  I know sometimes it seems that way.  But the truth is life still is easy.  It always will be.  The only difference is we’re older, and the older we get, the more we complicate things for ourselves.

You see, when we were young we saw the world through simple, hopeful eyes.  We knew what we wanted and we had no biases or concealed agendas.  We liked people who smiled.  We avoided people who frowned.  We ate when we were hungry, drank when we were thirsty, and slept when we were tired.

As we grew older our minds became gradually disillusioned by negative external influences.  At some point we began to hesitate and question our instincts.  When a new obstacle or growing pain arose, we stumbled and a fell down.  This happened several times.  Eventually we decided we didn’t want to fall again, but rather than solving the problem that caused us to fall, we avoided it all together.

As a result, we ate comfort food and drank alcohol to numb our wounds and fill our voids.  We worked late nights on purpose to avoid unresolved conflicts at home.  We started holding grudges, playing mind games, and subtly deceiving others and ourselves to get ahead.  And when it didn’t work out, we lived above our means, bought things we didn’t need, and ate and drank some more just to make ourselves feel better again.

Over the course of time, we made our lives more and more difficult, and we started losing touch with who we really are and what we really need.

So let’s get back to the basics, shall we?  Let’s make things simple again.  It’s easy.  Here are 60 ways to do just that:

Life is not complex.  We are complex.  Life is simple,
and the simple thing is the right thing.
- Oscar Wilde

1. Don’t try to read other people’s minds.  Don’t make other people try to read yours.  Communicate.
2. Be polite, but don’t try to be friends with everyone around you.  Instead, spend time nurturing your relationships with the people who matter most to you.
3. Your health is your life, keep up with it.  Get an annual physical check-up.
4. Live below your means.  Don’t buy stuff you don’t need.  Always sleep on big purchases.  Create a budget and savings plan and stick to both of them.
5. Get enough sleep every night.  An exhausted mind is rarely productive.
6.  Get up 30 minutes earlier so you don’t have to rush around like a mad man.  That 30 minutes will help you avoid speeding tickets, tardiness, and other unnecessary headaches.
7. Get off your high horse, talk it out, shake hands or hug, and move on.
8. Don’t waste your time on jealously.  The only person you’re competing against is yourself.
9. Surround yourself with people who fill your gaps.  Let them do the stuff they’re better at so you can do the stuff you’re better at.
10. Organize your living space and working space.
11. Get rid of stuff you don’t use.
12. Ask someone if you aren’t sure.
13. Spend a little time now learning a time-saving trick or shortcut that you can use over and over again in the future.
14. Don’t try to please everyone.  Just do what you know is right.
15. Don’t drink alcohol or consume recreational drugs when you’re mad or sad.  Take a jog instead.
16. Be sure to pay your bills on time.
17. Fill up your gas tank on the way home, not in the morning when you’re in a hurry.
18. Use technology to automate tasks.
19. Handle important two-minute tasks immediately.
20. Relocate closer to your place of employment.
21. Don’t steal.
22. Always be honest with yourself and others.
23. Say “I love you” to your loved ones as often as possible.
24. Single-task.  Do one thing at a time and give it all you got.
25. Finish one project before you start another.
26. Be yourself.
27. When traveling, pack light.  Don’t bring it unless you absolutely must.
28. Clean up after yourself.  Don’t put it off until later.
29. Learn to cook, and cook.
30. Make a weekly (healthy) menu, and shop for only the items you need.
31. Consider buying and cooking food in bulk.  If you make a large portion of something on Sunday, you can eat leftovers several times during the week without spending more time cooking.
32. Stay out of other people’s drama.  And don’t needlessly create your own.
33. Buy things with cash.
34. Maintain your car, home, and other personal belongings you rely on.
35. Smile often, even to complete strangers.
36. If you hate doing it, stop it.
37. Treat everyone with the same level of respect you would give to your grandfather and the same level of patience you would have with your baby brother.
38. Apologize when you should.
39. Write things down.
40. Be curious.  Don’t be scared to learn something new.
41. Explore new ideas and opportunities often.
42. Don’t be shy.  Network with people.  Meet new people.
43. Don’t worry too much about what other people think about you.
44. Spend time with nice people who are smart, driven, and likeminded.
45. Don’t text and drive.  Don’t drink and drive.
46. Drink water when you’re thirsty.
47. Don’t eat when you’re bored.  Eat when you’re hungry.
48. Exercise every day.  Simply take a long, relaxing walk.
49. Let go of things you can’t change.  Concentrate on things you can.
50. Find hard work you actually enjoy doing.
51. Realize that the harder you work, the luckier you will become.
52. Follow your heart.  Don’t waste your life fulfilling someone else’s dreams and desires.
53. Set priorities for yourself and act accordingly.
54. Take it slow and add up all your small victories.
55. However good or bad a situation is now, it will change.  Accept this simple fact.
56. Excel at what you do.  Otherwise you’ll just frustrate yourself.
57. Mature, but don’t grow up too fast.
58. Realize that you’re never quite as right as you think you are.
59. Build something or do something that makes you proud.
60. Make mistakes, learn from them, laugh about them, and move along.

Jumo - The World Cares

Facebook co-founder launches social network Jumo for social good

Jumo launched recently which looks to be a major avenue in connecting those wanting to serve the community and others, with those organizations/people that need it. It uses social networking/Facebook for the greater good, rather then the status updates, witty photo comments, and numerous pokes that otherwise occupy our time on that site. By signing up through Facebook Connect, a user can sign up and specify what areas they are interested in. Jumo then goes and does the leg work of matching you with potential opportunities.

I am very enthusiastic about this new portal because I feel it represents an incremental step in the populations innate intention of helping each other. I hope this gains momentum and becomes the standard for volunteering opportunities as Facebook currently is for social networking, LinkedIn currently is for business networking, and Google is currently for general searching.

My only objection is that it requires a Facebook account. While Facebook has a good amount of people (something like 500 million or so), it still eliminates billions of others. Every person matters, so I hope for the ability to opt in without Facebook.

If someone has already signed up and used it, please provide feedback on what you think of the service. Is it worth the hype that has been advertised because it does seem very promising.