I have a tree right outside my bedroom.It stands outside my window, its palms reaching meters from my bed. When it's rainy and breezy, my tree is a percussion instrument. There's only one on earth like it. A thousand tiny hands drumming and shaking; a symphony of one.Each night, two paths present themselves to me. Sleep deeply and soundly by tightly sealing the window … [Read more...]
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Grinding It Out
If you're an athlete, there's real value in learning how to "grind it out." However, we should optimize to be at least as equally efficient and measured as we are gritty.I vividly remember a muggy 2002 spring training day in Port Charlotte, Florida. I had come to the realization on that Mid-March morning that my pop (power) was missing in action. The ball wasn't jumping off … [Read more...]
Nitrates
Spinach is nutritionally dense, as are leafy greens generally. We know this. But while spinach gets a good rap for its iron content (largely overstated), there is a much more critical component to be mindful of. Because of the abundance of organic nitrates contained within the leaves, our muscles perform more efficiently when we're regularly consuming it. This, we don't discuss … [Read more...]
Fighting Shape
Being able to physically defend oneself can lead to and maintain confidence.One of my closest friends has always been a self-assured individual. We recently shared a meal, and I identified how comfortable he was in his own skin, even at 15 when we met (and began partnering on finding efficient ways to skip school). Interestingly, his comfort with himself didn’t come from … [Read more...]
Mindful Meditation
At dawn for the last three weeks, I've devoted time to "mindful meditation." We've spoken previously about the potential benefits of "traditional meditation" on stress levels (and subsequently performance), but the practice has several other benefits to us as we aim to become better communicators, leaders, friends and family members. From the APA: The term "mindfulness" has … [Read more...]