I’ve been reading up on and watching documentaries about a slice of systemic abuses in the United States, among them USA Gymnastics, Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking and cults. I wholeheartedly respect that these brave women have opted for the label of "survivor" instead of "victim." Both are fundamentally valid and sound. I just can't adopt either of them. Abuse has shaped my life, but it doesn't define who I am. Whatever the case, term or label: I stand with you.
A picture's worth a thousand words, imagine a video. But in this case, I can't find the video—just a transcript of a 90s Saturday Night Live skit I saw years ago that shaped my worldview about politics and, of course, made me laugh. Strangely, today's press conference with the Trump administration on the U.S. COVID-19 response resurrected the memory.
The setting is a House Committee hearing with a Ferris wheel manufacturer that's responsible for a dial with settings to "fast" and "dangerous" speeds. The fictional company's design leads to a fictional tragedy. But the lesson is really about politics, which are very much alive and well.
Read More“Change is the essence of life; be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become.”
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“Some of us think holding on makes us strong, but sometimes it is letting go.”
I called El Paso, Texas my home for nearly 12 years. I visited Cielo Vista Mall as a child with my family. The pet store was my favorite attraction. I got lost for the first time there. I was also punched in the stomach for the first time there—it was my brother, overcome with excitement or what have you, as we made our way to the pet store.
When I read the news of the shooting, my heart sank yet again. My family personally knew one of the lives the killer claimed—a woman who stopped at WalMart on her way to pick up her daughter form the airport.
A quote from one of my favorite thinkers comes to mind:
“It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”
There is sickness in our society—in all of us. Indeed, no human is without fault. And when it comes to acts of violence, such as El Paso and Dayton, Ohio, we can refuse to become adjusted to them—refuse them with all our might and choose not to respond in kind.
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I am grateful for the beautiful individuals who have recently come into my life and the gifts that brings. For the friends who have redefined what true friendship means. And for my family, who continue to demonstrate true love.
There are no words.
Photo: Ivy Nevares
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“The world will ask you who you are, and if you do not know, the world will tell you.”
“The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach—waiting for a gift from the sea.”
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“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
“An idea that grips a person is alive. It wants to express itself, to live in the world ... An idea believes that what it is aiming for is better than what it has now. It reduces the world to those things that aid or impede its realization, and it reduces everything else to irrelevance. ”
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Just finished reading “The Longevity Solution” by Dr. Jason Fung and Dr. James DiNicolantonio. It has good, evidence-based nutrition tips on what to do and what not to do to help improve health and longevity. What I enjoy about books like this, is that they break down the body basics (mainly physiology and biochemistry) to understand how things work. It’s quite a departure from news articles about health today, which make a myriad of claims with little to no backing. These authors cited all the studies and publications they used.
The Longevity Solution covers the following areas, some more in depth than others:
Read More“If you can, help others; if you cannot do that, at least do not harm them.”
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For many years, I received bad advice on nutrition and exercise from someone I trusted, and I followed it. The end result was metabolic syndrome, although I was fortunate to not develop other diseases that stem from hyperinsulinemia.
I’ve read dozens of books on the matter, trying to find a solution that wasn’t extreme and that could be sustainable. Nothing worked, and it wasn’t for lack of discipline. I knew there was a problem because of the symptoms, but none of the information I had access to got to the root of the issue.
Late last year I came across a video from a Toronto-based nephrologist, Dr. Jason Fung. It was a half-hour talk on metabolism, describing the body not as a bank account (which the calories in/calories out model proposes), but rather as a chemistry lab, wherein metabolic issues come down to hormonal imbalances triggered by diet, exercise and other factors.
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“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.”
“What are the most powerful words in the universe? The ones you use to talk to yourself.”
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Photo by IVY NEVARES
A relative of mine moved to a place that has the most stunning clouds I’ve ever seen. Literally, ever.
She explained that at first she was enthralled and took lots of photos, but that in time she began losing interest. I thought it sad, for the indescribable experience of beauty, to me, is nourishment for the soul. I hope I never tire of them.
So why clouds?
Because they’re beautiful.
I read a book last summer, “Living with a SEAL: 31 Days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet” by Jesse Itzler—an enjoyable and hilarious read. Itzler, already an intense guy, hires David Goggins, possibly one of the most intense people on the planet, to train him for a month. Goggins had me at, “This ain’t a dress rehearsal, bitch.”
This year, Goggins published his first book. It’s part autobiography, part inspirational (Seal style, of course). It was honest, visceral, action-oriented and very moving—lots to learn from here. If you’re in a rut, need some inspiration or just want to marvel at the resilience of the human spirit, I highly recommend reading it. Here’s one of my favorite quotes from the book:
“Our governor is buried deep in our minds, intertwined with our very identity. It knows what and who we love and hate; it’s read our whole life story and forms the way we see ourselves and how we’d like to be seen. It’s the software that delivers personalized feedback—in the form of pain and exhaustion, but also fear and insecurity, and it uses all of that to encourage us to stop before we risk it all. But, here’s the thing, it doesn’t have absolute control. Unlike the governor in an engine, ours can’t stop us unless we buy into its bullshit and agree to quit.”
Photo by IVY NEVARES
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“It does not require many words to speak the truth.”
“Pain is a gift... It dominates attention for one purpose: to motivate behavior that will heal, repair and improve.”
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