Wayward Walker

Was a good work out prior to a few days/nights in Hawaii. I am looking forward to finding a quiet beach and doing some Tai Chi next to the surf at sunrise.  I'll let you know how it went

- 15 minutes 2,700 meters rowing for 190 calories burned

- 30 minutes 2.25 miles for 425 calories burned

- 15 minutes meditation

I have a black-belt in Google-fu

Yep, I totally meant what you thought.

Keep snickering.

Or,, you know, Mounds, or M&Ms or whatever floats your boat, sailor.

~smirks mischiveously~ I like mounds...

Pretty sure guy push-ups are off the knees, as "girl-push-ups" in the military on done on your knees

Caffeine is a tough one... are you just giving up Pop(soda) or all of it?

The barbarian stands up from beneath the maple tree where he spent the day napping. He walks to the edge of the lake's water and gazes up at the moon hanging high in the sky. He takes time to stretch his weary arms and legs, before kneeling to slake his thirst from the cool, crisp water by cupped handfuls. When he is finished, he rolls up the deerskin leggings and dangles his feet in the water, soaking up to his calves. As he relaxes, he draws out his book from his weathered rucksack and reads patiently.  After some time, he replaces it and begins to scribble in a battered journal. Finally, he sets it aside and leans, stretching his back and watching the moon.

Hu - the Chinese character for Tiger

Today's reading talks of those who can tap into the pure energy of Tao, that they become like tigers; strong, graceful and resilient. The message, though, is not on how to do this, but rather, as many tend to be, it uses the tiger as an example. The challenge is not in discovering how to tap into or reach Tao, but in how the person uses that knowledge.

Like anything in life it speaks of people, Taoist, who took that knowledge and used it for greedy, selfish, indolent purposes. They mastered the teachings and used them to control, enslave and destroy. Just as a tiger can be violent, bloodthirsty and predatory, so too can the tiger be caring, nurturing and protective.

As a Taoist my focus will not be consumed by gaining knowledge, safe guarding my health and striving for immortality, but also on the direction that I use what I have gained. LIke the tiger I have the propensity to indulge my ego, to be selfish. Instead I seek to balance myself, as in all things. Maintaining my power, my ferocity, while nurturing and caring for everything around me.

I am glad that some of you have found these inspirational. I am posting them, mostly, to keep myself doing it. I enjoy journaling and these readings, but many times I find that I let other things, work and such, get in the way.  I tell myself, I'll do it tomorrow, I will make sure. And then I forget, or let it slip by again. I don't want to do that. I want this to be a habit that I build and keep. Psychology says it takes 6-8 weeks to shed a habit and 8-12 weeks to build a new one. So, that is what this is, me building this into a habit.

Writing it down like this, also helps me to reinforce what I have read. I like the idea of the tiger, there are so many similarities and metaphors that can be used. By the Chinese zodiac, I am a tiger, so it makes sense. As I am preparing to make a major life change (leaving the military and heading back to school) these habits that I am building will help me deal with these changes.

I hope this helps you as much as it does me and more.

BBQ can do that if it's left out in the fridge. Make sure to put it in a good container or everything in your fridge will smell like that

This is from "The Empty Boat" by Osho -

"One fox became curious - and foxes are curious. In folklore the fox is the symbol of the mind, of the intellect, of logic. Foxes are great logicians. The foxed looked, and she observed, she analyzed, she couldn't believe it. She said, "Wait, one question! How do you manage, how do you know which foot has to follow which? One hundred legs! How does this harmony happen, that you walk so smoothly?"

The centipede said, "I have been walking but I have never thought about it. Give me a little time."

So he closed his eyes. For the first time he became divided: the mind as observer, and himself as the observed. For the first time the centipede became two. He had been living and walking, but his life had been one whole; there was no observer standing looking at himself, he was never divided; he had been an integrated being. For the first time division arose. He was looking at his own self, thinking. He had become subject and object, he had become two, and then he started walking. It was difficult, almost impossible. He fell down - how do you manage one hundred legs?

The fox laughed and she said, "I knew it must be difficult, I knew it beforehand."

 The centipede started crying and weeping, tears came to his eyes. He said, "It had never been difficult, but you have created the problem. Now I will never be able to walk again."

 The mind has come into being; mind comes when  you are divided. The mind feeds on division."

~smiles at Jitters~ Sound words, friend. Definitely bear repeating.

Shoulder stretches... hmmm, draw your right arm across your chest, pointing  your palm towards the sky, hold at your elbow with your left wrist.  Hold for twelves seconds, switch, repeat.  Hope that helps

Find what works best for you a journal, a notebook, a spreadsheet and make sure you stay consistent with it!

Party complete and dishes washing, everything cleaned up and Vivian playing in the tub.

 

Hey, did you hear about the plastic surgeon who hung himself?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No. Dude. That's the joke. It's a grammar thing.

If you mean what I think you mean:

1. I love your sense of humor

2. I'm snickering over here.

I love the parking further out to make yourself walk more, that's something I do to myself.  Looking like a good start, keep it up!

Wayward sits down against a tree and draws out his battered journal, scribbling in it.

- 30 mins elliptical for 2.5 miles, 425 calories

- 15 mins Yoga

- 15 mins Meditation

Hardest part about meditating on a ship at sea is that there are no quiet places. The one area that I could find to do yoga and sit/meditate was one of the gyms, but it was just below the flight deck and there were aircaft launching/recovering the whole time. Oh well, two more days until Hawaii and I can find a nice beach

I'm gonna rest under this tree, I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Great start! Keep going, you got this!

That's what matters,  you did what you set out to do. Keep pressing on and the run will get easier.

You're quote reminds me of a story about asking a centiped how it can walk

You can do this, best wishes!

Something else that might help you stay off your phone for a day, drain the battery, let it die and don't plug it in until the end of that day.

Yay for good days! Congrats!

Congrats on the wins! Can't wait to hear how it goes

Sounds like you have a good strategy in place and are making progress. Congrats!

And yeah, cleaning after a day of cleaning sounds miserable. What if you put on a special theme song and cleaned for those couple of.minutes only?

I vote "Clean-up, Clean-up" from Barney and Friends... if I ever have to hear that song again, someone shoot me

If it helps, one of my methods of cleaning is to pick one thing and focus on it, until it's done.  Then move onto another.

How is everyone's second day of the challenge? I say that because I work nights, so while everyone is sleeping, I'm up working   It's 4am here in the Pacific Ocean and my Day 2 is winding down.

Made myself park it at the keyboard and knocked out another 2,700 words in my current novel.  Hope everyone has a great day!

The grisled shaman brushes his hair out of his eyes and climbs up from beneath the canopy of a weathered, old tree. He rests a hand on its trunk for a moment and then walks over to the edge of the lake.  There he stares up at the sky towards the mountains and the moon hanging overhead. After a long time, he sits down on the shore, feet dangling in the waters reading through a book.  He closes it, returns it to the rucksack and begins scribbling in his journal.  Finally, he sets it aside and continues to stare at the mountain.

Shan - the Chinese character for Mountain

To instruct about Tao teachers took their students high up into the mountains, away from daily life and away from society. They taught them to seek the mountain spirit, different from demons and hobgoblins of childhood stories, these were the whispers of Tao that came when they quieted their minds and found solitude. The mountain isn't just a physical place, it is a frame of mind. Removing myself from the daily grind, freeing myself of cares and worries, quieting myself so that I may listen. In that solitude, peace and serenity, there I can listen to the whispers of Tao, connecting and becoming one.

This isn't just done through a physical separation, a distance from people and activity, but also a mental separation. Through meditation, clearing my mind and finding my center, it can be done.

Some of those students chose to remain on the mountain instead of returning. They became enthralled with the mountain spirit, the whispers, they became the Great People of Tao. These students chose to focus their lives to meditation, clearing themselves of worry, doubt and need.  They are an example, a standard to guide myself by, like a star in the night sky, showing the way to connect with Tao.

Every day when I read through these page long thoughts and discussions, I find something in them that connects with my current situation.  Everything in life happens for a reason, and what I need to work on now is allowing things to happen and those reason to eventually become clear. They aren't always immediately evident, but further down the path, just around the next bend they might be.

Hope you all had a wonderful day.

Best wishes on your challenge. I have to say, I am seriously jealous that you get to spend time there. I've been all over, but China, and being a practitioner of Taoism... well that would just rock!

Don't get too overwhelmed and remember that if you stumble, it's not the end of the world, pick yourself up, dust off and keep moving forward