Advice

Fill the vessel 

/ markbartels / Leave a comment

Here’s a tip on breathing.

Try this the next time you take a couple of deep breaths to relax or wind down from exercising.

As you exhale, imagine you are filling a vessel. Inhale deeply into your diaphragm and then slowly exhale. Relax your jaw and shoulders. Feel the floor holding you up. Wriggle your toes. Relax.

The room. The first exhale fills the room. Imagine your breath as a white mist filling every nook and cranny of the room

The house. The second exhale fills all the rooms of the house. Bedroom, bathroom and kitchen touched and infused by the mist.

The neighborhood. The third exhale fills the neighborhood. Down alleys and into back gardens.

The city. The fourth exhale fills the city. Imagine it happening on a map. Imagine the mist swirling through the city streets, between buildings and under cars.

The exercise will slow down your breathing and it’ll turn the practice into something more than exhaling carbon dioxide.

Friday Smoothie Mornings

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Thanks to @SocratixSW1 for morning smoothie recipe.

1 banana;

1 date – add to taste

Handful of baby spinach,

Handful of mixed nuts,

Tablespoon of almond butter,

Handful of blueberries (frozen or fresh),

100ml Kefir,

Coconut water and almond milk until up to max.

Additions:

Add pinch of spirulina if you feel like changing it up (turns it super green!)

Add half an avocado

Kindness over cruelty

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This is a good question. Do you design a system on the assumption that people are good, or do you design a system on the assumption that people are mean, dishonest, cruel etc?

The best payments processing companies are successful because the mitigate human fraud and dishonesty. Will the most successful online community be the community that mitigates cruelness and meanness, or amplifies kindness and goodness? Instagram is probably doing the best job on this right now…positivity is greater than the negativity. Facebook and Twitter are in danger of drowning in the negativity.

I believe that humans as a species are default good. Be the community you want to see in the world. Click with compassion, be civil and most importantly be kind. If our community is built on those principles then maybe we can design the system based on kindness over cruelty.

 

If you can lean, you can clean

/ markbartels / 2 Comments

A friend of mine gave me this advice about cooking. “If you can lean, you can clean”. When you are cooking in the kitchen, don’t rest on your laurels when you could be cleaning a pan, putting stuff away or setting the table. It’s all about making the next move easy. By the end of the meal prep you have a clean kitchen and are ready to eat. The next time you watch a cooking show check out how clean those professional kitchens are. Everything is spick and span.

Apply the same principles to other activities in life. If you are wandering through the garden then prune the flowers for a bit. If you are waiting in line somewhere then practice your deep breathing. Instead of checking twitter after dinner, prep the kitchen for breakfast tomorrow. Make the next move easy.

Avoid the seduction of mindlessness and instead check something off your list. A small note pad with a current to do list will help.

If you can lean, you can clean. Finish the day with clean schedule and sleep soundly.

Sometimes you only miss it when you do it

/ markbartels / 1 Comment

The less I do something, the less I miss it.

Paddling out for a surf on a winter’s day.  The water is dark blue and cold. I’m warm in my car sipping some coffee. I fight the urge to drive away. Only after the first duck dive and feeling the salt water hit my face do I miss the feeling of being in the water

Waking up early for a morning run. The first few minutes out in the wild are the hardest. I’m talking myself into turning around and heading home. Then something magical happens after the first mile. I started to look forward and forget about what’s behind me. My body loosens up and I start to smell the morning.

Yoga first thing in the morning. I’d rather be sleeping or getting a jump start on the day. My body resists the first stretch and the inner dialogue comes up with reasons why I should rather cut it short, shower and check my phone. Only after the first three stretches do I get into the groove and am grateful that I overcame the initial inertia.

Leaving my phone at home when I go for a hike. Initially I have phantom phone syndrome. Even though I don’t have my phone I can still feel it vibrating in my pocket. Only once I’m far away from the roads and deep in the trails do I disconnect and am reminded of how good it feels to be free from the likes, hearts, pings, retweets and favorites.

The ego is crafty and will seduce you into the path of least resistance. Feelings fade the longer you are away from something. Overcome the inertia and all resistance crumbles.

10 gentle things

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Be gentle when you floss.

Be gentle when you brush your teeth. Hold the tooth brush like you are holding a baby bird.

Be gentle with cats and dogs. You can learn a lot from them about love.

Be gentle when you stretch. If it hurts then release the stretch and slow down.

Be gentle when you drive. Let people in, smile, drive slowly when you are in a residential area.

Be gentle when you eat. Chew and swallow softly. You’ll taste the food and you’ll eat less.

Be gentle with busy waiters and waitresses. Your food will taste better if everyone is relaxed.

Be gentle when building furniture. If you have to force it, then you probably haven’t read the instructions.

Be gentle on your knees. They are like a pair of tires, but you don’t get to retread them. Stay off the concrete and run on the trails.

Be gentle with old people and babies.