2.59 When we have some great purpose we feel called to, we end up investing a lot of our life in it, besides time, attention and maybe a lot of money. And when things get challenging or downright unbearable, we need need to review in our minds, "why am I doing this?" If it's tough to think of a ready response, maybe our endeavor wasn't so purposeful to begin with. We all need a pick-me-up when we face those kinds of situations. We may need a reminder which takes us back to our baseline and reaffirms our conviction to press on. I have numerous mental cues like that, and one that stands out is a scene from a movie from several years ago, "Facing the Giants".
Facing the Giants - on YouTube In the scene, Brock, a key student leader, doesn't acknowledge the influential role he has with his teammates, and it quickly becomes apparent that the Coach knows how to bring out Brock's best. Once Brock commits to the team's success, and is all in, he helps bring out the best effort of the whole team. Often, the key to success is found in not giving up. Finding your groove and building momentum is fundamental to results, and then all we need to do is persevere. Living a power pantry lifestyle is like that. It can take a great amount of conviction and effort to improve what and how we eat, to be intentional about increasing physical activity and finding and thriving in community with others. Be intentional this week. Drive for results in your wellness choices. Set your mind on your destination and take a step. And another. Most of all, don't quit.
By the Way
Winston Churchill has a famous quote which captures fundamental perseverance: "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense."
2.58 I'm training for a half marathon this fall, and trying to catch some momentum. Summer is almost over and everyone seems to feel the tug of life getting back to schedules and responsibilities. That tug for me includes getting my running miles back up. So this past week I've gotten a few runs in, and yesterday and today I did two back-to-back. Yesterday was a 60 minute run (more of a jog really) and I just went, not particularly focused or driven. This morning, I decided to put my heart into it a bit more and see how far I would get in 36 minutes. Yesterday's run turned out to be a fairly slow 5 miles (12 minutes per mile... that's a bit lazy). Today, I did 3.6 miles in 36 minutes... right at 10 minutes per mile - that's more like it for my normal pace. It wasn't the 4 miles I was planning for, but it was okay. Momentum is like that. Anyone committed to a purpose or a cause knows that the perspective you bring to the day will color the results. If positive momentum is with you, you can use that to invigorate the next decision and exertion of effort. If momentum isn't with you, the first task is to turn things in your favor, and then dig in to get and keep things going. How is your momentum? How about the big-picture purpose you're trying to tackle? Is there something you have been pursuing half-heartedly, and things are flagging? Maybe it's time to dig in and recommit.... bring some creative perspective to the situation. See with new eyes. How can you bring things out of the red and create positive momentum? For me, I have a month to get more miles on my shoes and wrap my mind around another half-marathon. I love the challenge and I'm digging into it with some steely resolve. I can feel the momentum growing already.
By the Way
For a casual runner like me, a 9 - 10 minute mile is okay. Not stellar, and not terrible. Check out this page from www.whyIexercise.com on the rating of age groups to average times for a 1.5 mile run (known as the Cooper test): Cooper Test with Charts & Instructions
2.57 Jen and I unsubscribed from cable 1997... hard to believe that was 18 years ago. Nowadays we can thank the internet for access to anything, anytime; so who needs cable? And with the content available, there's a good chance to find some worth our time. Some months ago I posted about Studio C and that it was fun and a bit goofy, and gave our family a good laugh. Well, we've added another laughable resource to our video selections in the form of "Good Mythical Morning" on YouTube. I'm surprised at the creativity that some of these folks bring to their content, and they certainly can build an audience (7.8 million subscribers for Good Mythical Morning, and counting). GMM's audience is now worthy of advertising deals with Alka-Seltzer, McDonald's, Wendy's and Cadillac, to name a few. See their Wikipedia page, describing the two life-long friend, Rhett and Link, behind the silliness of Good Mythical Morning. They post a video every Monday through Friday morning, and have over a thousand videos on YouTube... plenty to keep you busy catching up. For us, we enjoy gathering at the end of the night for some family TV time, and of course the kids may pull up a video or two during the day on their devices for a few laughs as well. The chance to hang out as a family is very important to us, and it's important for a power pantry lifestyle. Whether you are married or not, or have kids or don't, it's vital to have community around you, be it friends or coworkers or immediate family. The common bonds you share and the chance to do life together keep you connected with the world, and grounded in the full experiences of life. Give Rhett and Link a try sometime. Not all their stuff is a total hoot, and some of it is a bit PG13, but mostly you'll find two guys who have known each other over 30 years enjoying the chance to laugh together and make others laugh as well.
By the Way
Rhett and Link also have a second YouTube channel with further goofiness in the form of parody and original songs, skits and spoof commercials. Check it out here: Rhett & Link
2.56 It's peach season! Summer is quickly slipping away, and soon it will be apple picking time, but for now, be sure to enjoy some fresh, juicy peaches from a local farm. The Pennsylvania peach harvest peak is July, August and September, so now is the time to pick up a few pounds or a few baskets of fresh peaches. You'll be glad to know peaches are available in 23 states... Here are a few stats from the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, just for fun:
As of 2012, peaches are commercially produced in 23 states. The top four states in peach production are California, South Carolina, Georgia and New Jersey. California is a significant producer of both fresh and processed peaches, while South Carolina and Georgia mainly produce fresh peaches. (NASS 2013) In 2012 California continued to be the dominant peach-producing state, accounting for nearly 74 percent of peach production and supplying nearly 51 percent of the fresh peach crop and more than 97 percent of processing peaches...
So while Georgia has a great reputation as the Peach State, it is really California which should get all the peach-glory for their exorbitant production rates. Don't let summer pass you by without enjoying all of what the fruit harvest has to offer. Fresh, local fruits and veggies are a key asset to a power pantry, so be sure to find a great farmer's market soon to enhance you shopping choices.
By the Way
Peaches come in numerous varieties, with the most common distinctions being yellow-flesh and white-flesh peaches... and keep an eye on those pits when you're biting in. The cling stones are the messier ones (because the peach doesn't separate from the pit); the free stone peaches come right off and are much easier to clean, cook with and eat as is. Enjoy!
2.55 It's the peak of summer, and the ideal time to enjoy the quintessential summer fruit: watermelon! The growing seasons of various states in the US give good overlap of watermelon availability, so you should be finding, fresh, sweet, juicy watermelon at your local market from July through September (and parts of California and Texas have their growing peaks in May and June). Check out these fun facts on watermelon from the Watermelon Board (yes, there is one of those - see www.watermelon.org):
The first recorded watermelon harvest occurred nearly 5,000 years ago in Egypt.
Watermelon is 92% water.
Watermelon's official name is Citrullus Lanatus of the botanical family Curcurbitaceae. It is cousins to cucumbers, pumpkins and squash.
By weight, watermelon is the most-consumed melon in the U.S., followed by cantaloupe and honeydew.
Early explorers used watermelons as canteens.
The first cookbook published in the U.S. in 1776 contained a recipe for watermelon rind pickles.
Updated! According to Guinness World Records, the world's heaviest watermelon was grown by Lloyd Bright of Arkadelphia, Arkansas in 2005, weighing in at 268.8 lbs (121.93 kg). Lloyd grew and weighed in for the Annual Hope, Arkansas Big Watermelon Contest on September 3, 2005.
The United States currently ranks 5th in worldwide production of watermelon. Many states grow watermelons with Florida, Texas, California, Georgia and Arizona consistently leading the country in production.
The great thing about our global, integrated economy is that you can easily get fresh watermelon year long, from places like Brazil, Costa Rico, and the Dominican Republic covering the winter months. So, if you haven't yet indulged in this staple of summer fare, grab a watermelon this week and enjoy.
By the Way
If you want some convincing that watermelon is a worthwhile addition to a power pantry nutritionally, check out these articles on the various health benefits of watermelon: Dr. Joel Furhman on 3 Benefits of watermelon (from a recent email blast) Dr. Joseph Mercola on 6 Things You Didn't Know About Watermelon
