Thought of the Day 2/2/2012: Happy Groundhog Day?

Going about my normal routine this morning, I hopped on the treadmill around 5:30am and tuned into my favorite local news station.  Instantly, I was reminded that it was Groundhog Day and that the furry-darling had already seen it's shadow, condemning us to 6 more weeks of winter. 

Now, there are a couple reasons why I don't put much stock in the meteorological premonitions of a hole-dweller.  First, when I heard the news it was completely dark outside.  I don't know where this omniscient Groundhog is located, but he can't be in Boulder, CO because its physically impossible to see a shadow when everything is black.  What gives him the authority to dictate the weather of entire continent from one location?  Second, in consideration of global warming trends, has October through January been terribly wintery in past years?  All weather patterns seem to be completely unpredictable at this point regardless of the month, or even the season.  I realize that Colorado tends to epitomize this point, but I have family in New York and things seem to be getting more unpredictable and un-wintery there as well. 

I will admit there's something of his timing, however, as Denver is forecasted to get 10 inches of snow between tonight and tomorrow.  You win Groundhog...... For now.....

Thought of the Day 2/1/2012: Cha-Cha-Cha Chia!

The Chia company might well be the most prolific global marketing geniuses of our generation; aside from Facebook of course.  Not only do they distribute adorable Chia pets, cartoon icons, President Obama and herb gardens, they now also manufacture and produce those same seeds as an herbal supplement! 

That's right, the same seeds that grow 'hair' on your treasured desk knick-knack are also ingestable as a pill, milled flour, FruitChia bar, drink mix, seed oil or straight-up (whole seed) as a powerful source of Omega-3 fatty acid, antioxidants, fiber, as well as a myriad of vitamins and minerals. FDA approved to boot!

I only have one concern: without a way to trim back the growing mass of Chia 'hair', wouldn't those furry sprouts inundate our bodies?  Holy carp, we can become real life ChiaPeople!  I always thought I looked good in green..... Too bad I could never manage to keep my ChiaPets alive, they were either droopy brown or just plain naked.

http://www.getchia.com/default.aspx



Thought of the Day 1/31/2012

The ability to recognize that the right thing to do is nothing at all, abstinence from action, indicates profound wisdom.  Knowing when it is best to say nothing, however, represents a step beyond wisdom; enlightenment. 

E = mc^2

I was watching the news on the elliptical this morning and during a commercial I saw the familiar physical formula/law for which Einstein is famous: E = mc^2

Though it's obvious to most, I had never before contemplated the fundamental physical ramifications of this formula, which is simply that anything with a non-zero mass carries an incredible amount of energy.  The only way the energy could equal zero is if the mass is also zero, simple mathematics.  Allow me to explain.

E = Energy
m = Mass of object
c = Speed of light (3.81x10^8 meters/second)  

The term c^2 in itself equals 1.45x10^17 m/s! Do you have any idea how friggin' fast that is?! Though I don't keep up with daily headlines in physics, I don't believe humans have achieved moving anything at the speed of light yet (please correct me if I'm wrong), let alone that speed squared; it is beyond all human comprehension.  Multiply that by the mass of an object, no matter how small and seemingly non-existent, and you've got a damn lot of energy.  Physicists have found that particles we once thought to be finite like protons, neutrons and electrons, are actually composed of even smaller sub-atomic particles like quarks and leptons.  Humans will never be able to see these particles, but since they have a non-zero mass, they nevertheless carry an astounding amount of energy.  Even waves have mass!  In short, nothing that exists in our physical world has zero mass thus everything has energy, even things that we can't see, hear or otherwise conceive of with our mind. 

Here comes the really cool part.  Our bodies are nothing but a complex mixture of compounds composed of Carbon (C), Nitrogen (N), Oxygen (O) and Hydrogen (H).  These basic elements are themselves composed of various numbers of protons, neutrons and electrons and their associated sub-atomic particles, all of which carry their own distinct amount of mass and energy.  The forms these elements take in our bodies range from water (H2O), to glucose/sugar (C6H12O6), to the waste product urea (CH4N2O), not to mention our elaborate cellular machinery and organelles such as enzymes, DNA and the 'powerhouse' mitochondria.  Do you see why I became a biologist? This isn't even the tip of the iceberg!  Logically, we are all comprised of these same basic elements, compounds and molecules each carrying distinct amounts of energy, the sum of which encompasses the total energy force of our body; an incredibly huge amount at that, according to Einstein's formula.   Anyway, the mind-blowing realization is that we are all different amounts of the same basic energy, and thus connected by the same energetic forces; they are both who we are, and what makes up everyone and everything around us!

So what's the point of all this? Realizing that everything is fundamentally composed of the same energy is an astounding concept and can inspire true connectedness with our physical world, along with everyone and everything in it.  Furthermore, realizing that everything has its own distinct energy makes the invisible world seem more real and powerful, though it eludes our senses. 

I personally find this underlying connectedness extremely comforting.  Also, as we come to appreciate what a small part our own energy contributes to the world of vast energetic forces, it makes one feel insignificant like a grain of sand in an expansive beach.  Though this idea scares and/or confuses most people, I would urge everyone to embrace and enjoy this connectedness, as well as their individual insignificance, it is very humbling.

Now you know why I love my workouts, they're great for the body and the mind!

Interestingly, in the Lost Symbol by Dan Brown, he tackles this concept alchemically.  I won't spoil the book for you, but it's really intriguing and worth a read.  http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Symbol-Dan-Brown/dp/1400079144/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327935833&sr=8-1

Thought of the Day 1/30/2012

I realized this morning that even the Bums and Vagrants of Colorado eat better than the average American.  People are constantly passing fresh fruit and organic snacks to them through their car windows and  I've personally donated apples and kashi bars.  They rarely get money, but they easily acquire whole foods which is phenomenally superior to the processed crap so many people choose to eat, and worst still, feed their children. 

Ponderings of Articles Past and Future

Dear Readers,

I just wanted to express what's been on my mind since posting "Thoughtful Diffusion."  First of all, I feel the blog is becoming a bit unbalanced.  Because of my current transition and soul-searching, I've been writing more about spirituality and the new principles I'm practicing, which at best will seem extremely odd to 99% of the human population.  I apologize for the authoritative tone, and would beg you to believe that I cannot yet myself so simply let go of  habitual, destructive, thoughts as I described in "Thoughtful Diffusion".  In fact, I've spent the last two days having a heart-to-heart with my shit sandwich, feeling like Ms. Pissy Pants to boot.  We are human and will always experience these emotions; the best we can do is create some space between who we truly are and the extent to which we allow those emotions to rule our lives.  It is a practice I implement everyday. I have felt the benefits and therefore wanted to present ideas via tangible analogies in hopes others will also experience some relief from whatever form of suffering they experience (depression, anxiety, addiction, etc). 

This is a completely new realm for me as I've been a scientific-biological thinker for years, with no room for anything more powerful than either myself, and what I can control, or the physical laws that govern our universe.  Having had a spiritual awakening, I see the error of my ways.  Critically, however, this awakening must happen within every individual for themselves.  There is nothing I can directly say or do to conjure awareness or bring forth consciousness from within others.  The worst aspect of religion is the concept of conversion, as if you can make someone a believer.  Ludicrous.  Conversion is the antithesis of my goal, I have no religious affiliation nor do I believe in putting a label on the indescribable.   I only wish to remind people of what they already know, but life may have made them forget. So, I will continue to present analogies, without personal opinion, and your 'Car-Driver-Passenger' can do with the information as they see fit. On a final spiritual note, I'll ask you to ponder this: have you ever known something deep-down to be the truth, though your mind refuses to believe and/or understand it?   Conversely, have you ever believed something in your mind, yet felt in your deepest layer of being that is simply wasn't true?

Any-who, this stuff really intrigues me, but I feel the need to drop the spiritual tone in my articles at present and begin delighting you all with stories of my past experiences; particularly pertaining to my life-long struggle with weight and anxiety.  Life, it turns out, is quite hilarious.  In seeing how ridiculous my own behaviors have been throughout the years, I hope to inspire readers and encourage everyone to take their thoughts and emotions with a grain of salt and not too seriously.  My favorite saying is: 'Hindsight is 20/20,' and oh how those words are true! Upon reflection and scrutiny, its painfully easy to see how ridiculous we have acted.  Come on, you know you've done some stupid shit too! And to what end?  Did acting that way actually get us what we wanted? Sometimes Yes, but mostly No.   

So, I invite you all to laugh at my ridiculousness along with me.  Even if there's nothing relatable to your own experiences, I hope at least to provide some entertainment. 

Summer

Thought of the Day 1/27/2012

When emerging from darkness, regardless of the duration of residence there, entering into the light can be painful and alarming, causing one to question whether they made the right decision to leave their old comfortable situation, despite being aware of its darkness.  Remain patient and allow time to transition into the new environment.  The warm powerful light will seem strange at first, but consciously remaining still provides clarity and one will find the path forward is naturally visible; the feet simply need to lead the way instead of the mind.