Is Leap Day a Bonus Day?

 Leap day – it happens every four years.  Some people could care less.  I'm not one of those people.  In fact, since my accident in February, 2018, I have considered every day as a bonus day.  Call it what you want – a bonus day, just another day, a good day, a bad day; for me, every day is a gift.  

Our weather has been changing radically these last few days.  One day it's in the high 70's.  The next day it's in the teens.  That doesn't matter to me either.  There is no way I'm going to complain about the weather or anything else during my bonus time on earth.  How about you?  What kind of day is leap day for you?  Have a great day.

RIP, Uncle Victor

 News of my uncle's passing came in last evening.  Mom sent us a text message shortly after he departed this world to join his parents and his son, Mark, the first cousin on either side of the family to be called up after a long battle.  Uncle Victor died at 3:37 this afternoon, she wrote.  I immediately imagined what it looked like for my uncle upon seeing his parents and his son, Mark, eagerly embracing at Heaven's gates.  That joy overshadowed the pain of loss my aunt Pat and their seven remaining adult offspring are feeling right now.  Please join me in prayer for them to be comforted at this difficult time.

My mom and her older brother were as close as two siblings can be.  I was with my mom when she got the phone call that her brother was coming to Iowa with his wife and oldest son, Joe, and they wanted to get together.  We hurriedly made plans to visit.  Oh, what a celebration that was.  We had a fireside chat at the hotel where we booked rooms.  Uncle Victor shared how my first book, God's Black Sheep Squadron, touched his heart.  Our families were so close growing up and it wasn't easy for my uncle to see our family go through the pain of divorce.  

There is a special place in Heaven for my uncle.  He will be missed.  Thank you to my readers for sending prayers and good thoughts to this special family during their time of loss.  Have a great day.

Aunt Pat, uncle Victor and my mom

Uncle Victor with my mom

Cousin Joe, the caveman, and uncle Victor

Staycation Day 9

Staycation or vacation – which is better?  While my top memories are from past vacations, this first staycation happens to be just what I needed to refresh my soul and wipe the major priorities off my to do list.  In my opinion, staycations offer more time to relax as travel time is eliminated.  Also, there is no jet lag which accompanies far away destinations.  Today is my last day of staycation.  I feel a great sense of accomplishment.  I also feel well rested.  I may not be catching rays on a sandy beach in the Caribbean, but I do have everything I need right here in my Midwest home.  The bonus yesterday was a record high temp of 78º which shattered the previous record of 70º set in 1896.

It's time to head to the indoor pickleball courts with my wife.  Tomorrow night I will rejoin my tennis teammates for a couple hours of indoor tennis at the end of my day job shift.  It's hard to believe February is coming to a rapid conclusion.  Have a great day.  

Staycation Day 8

Can you guess what I'm doing today?  If you guessed pickleball with the Mrs., you guessed right.  If you guessed another extended writing session, you also guessed right.  Before we head to the pickleball courts this morning, I have one contribution to make to our household – cleaning the inside and outside of our bedroom window.  Sadly, I've been looking out my home/office window every morning at sunrise through a dirty window I was too lazy to wipe clean.  That all changed yesterday when I declared, "Enough!"  Even though it was a bit chilly, I unhinged the window and treated both sides with pure vinegar before putting everything back together.  I really can't believe the difference it makes.  I wrote an entire manuscript with filthy windows.  What other things have I overlooked during my confinement to my home/office?  Perhaps my wife will forgive me for being mostly MIA these last few months.  Maybe I've overplayed the rules of pickleball where it's widely known that if you want to win you must stay out of the kitchen.  There's no mention of all other household chores that I have been mostly ignoring during my writing spree.

I finally cracked the writing code.  It sure took long enough.  2,500 love letters. A memoir.  A novel.  5,300 blog messages as of yesterday.  And two very stubborn writing projects that are more complicated to extract out of my head than the gopher from Caddyshack who became a squatter on Bill Murray's golf course.  The average writer would have given up long ago.  The superior writer would be sipping cocktails in the Bahamas enjoying retirement.  The remedial writer like me simply puts his head down, ignores dirty windows, and just keeps plucking unaware of the world around him.  The key to cracking the code?  In my opinion, cracking the writing code means you write from the heart and you don't aim for perfection.  In fact, it's the imperfections that make your stories unique.  The flaws, like my dirty windows, are simply a part of who you are.  Stay tuned.  By the way, sunrise looked amazing from my home/office window this morning.  Have a great day.

Staycation Day 7

 It's time to rest today.  Maybe you're asking, "Isn't that what vacations are for?"  I prefer to be active.  It's in my blood.  If the Creator of the universe says the 7th day is reserved as a day of rest, who am I to go against that?

I hope writing counts as "resting" in God's eyes, because I'm going to sit down for an extended writing session after my wife and I visit our house of worship this morning.  For me, writing is like playing in a sandbox.  I will probably be building sand castles right up to the last minute before I say, "It's finished."  

Please keep my mom's older brother in your prayers.  While you're at it, please pray for his wife, a former Iowan, and his eight adult children, their children, and their children's children.  It's not easy to see a loved one struggle.  This will be in my heart when I attend our morning services.  God bless my uncle Victor and his family.  Have a great day

Staycation Day 6

 Tennis Drills begin at 8am followed by two hours of doubles with my teammates.  It's day 6 of my staycation.  Besides daily exercise and writing, something else has been going on in my community – a grass roots transformation in the Pickleball world.  I've been hesitant to write about this as there will be teammates in the tennis world who may feel like I'm betraying them because I'm splitting my time between both sports.  Some may even challenge the idea that Pickleball is a sport.  

This transformation I'm referencing is not only happening in our family, we are witnessing the birth of a whole new lifestyle.  Never before have I seen a community rally like they are now.  Not only are these folks showing up daily to play Pickleball, they are gathering monthly off the courts to get to know each other.  My wife and I are doing something together that is deepening our relationship.  It doesn't even feel like we are exercising.  

I will share more about this later.  For now, it's time to get on the tennis courts and then get in front of my laptop for a serious writing session.  The finish line is on the horizon.  Stay tuned.  Have a great day.

Staycation Day 5

 Wow!  Five days in a row of Pickleball and some tennis mixed along with some heavy writing sessions seems to be an ideal way to stay balanced.  This happens to be my very first staycation.  As much as I love to travel, the only way I'm going to get my priorities done is to focus on the tasks necessary to cross the finish line.  I'm super thankful my wife and I found an activity we can do together.  Pickleball opens the door to meeting new people while having fun doing something that actually helps with physical fitness.  Life is good.  Have a great day.

Staycation Day 4

 Morning Pickleball.  Extended writing.  Quality time with the wife.  Looks like a repeat of all my other days on staycation at home.  I will also be praying for my mom's older brother who has been in a medically induced coma for three days.  Have a great day.

Staycation Day 3

Morning Pickleball.  Extended writing.  Evening tennis.  Quality time with the wife.  That's what day 3 of my staycation is all about.  Have a great day. 

Staycation Day 2

 Priorities.  They are well-defined and they have specific time targets.  This staycation, my first ever, is going rather well.  I will share more later.  Stay tuned.  Have a great day.

Best Mexican Food in Globe

 I'm writing this review while being served by Lupita Reynoso, a third generation owner of La Casita cafe in Globe, birthplace of my mother, Gloria.  Mom went to high school with Josephine Reynoso.  All I can say is when three generations are involved, they get an opportunity to perfect the menu.

My brother and I went big with the ribeye, served with beans, rice, and a tortilla.  I won't review the tortilla as this is not part of the caveman food program.  Neither are the chips, although I did sneak a few.

The salads arrived first.  My oh my.  Yummy!  You're gonna love the sliced onions, black olives, red and green cabbage, and raddish,  topped with shredded cheese.

Next up was the ribeye.  While devouring my number one item on my caveman food program, I thought of my grandpa on my mother's side who operated two photogragphy studios in Globe and Miami while servicing trains at the railroad at night.  My work ethic comes from my grandpa who loved going on joy rides with my mom on his harley on the back roads of the salt river canyon.

You must visit Globe and stop by La Casita Cafe.  Tell them the caveman from Iowa, a descendant of the Rubalcaba clan of Globe, sent you.  You will not be disappointed.  Have a great day.

The Best Mexican Food in Globe

 

This is a restaurant review of La Casita Cafe, located in Globe, Arizona, my mother's birthplace.  Lupita, a 3rd generation descendant of the Reynoso family who started the restaurant in 1947, welcomed us.

The salad was drizzled with italian dressing and loaded with my favorite toppings including black olives, onions, red and green cabbage, sliced tomatoes, and shredded cheese.  

Next up was the ribeye served with rice and beans and a non-caveman approved tortilla.  Sure, I snuck a taste just to fire up memories of growing up in a home where beans and tortillas were served daily.  

Mom shared stories from her Globe days.  Her dad set up two photography studios in Globe and the neighboring town of Miami.  At night he moonlighted at the railroad servicing the trains while they were stationed near his business.  Grandpa earned extra income to pay cash for necessities.

Lupita stepped outside for a quick photo before returning to a full house.  Mom pointed out that Grandpa's photography studio was just a couple of buildings behind Lupita on the same side of the street as La Casita Cafe.  Lupita's grandmother went to high school with my mom.  Another passerby outside recalled his memories of my mom's family.

I thanked Lupita for my meal and her hospitality.  She requested I return assuring me she would live in Globe forever.  

"When my friends from Iowa visit you, I'm asking them to share that Miguel the caveman sent them to eat at the 2023 business of the year in the Globe/Miami area.  I would like to thank my cousin Ryan for his recommendation to visit La Casita Cafe.  I give them 5 stars for the service and the food.  The red wine mixed blend was also top notch.  You will not be disappointed.  Have a great day.

Staycation Day 1

 I've been pretty much off-line for the last couple of months in order to complete my highest priorities.  I'm doing  something I've never done before – a staycation.   I'll share details when I lift my self-imposed social media silence.  Stay tuned.  Have a great day.

Do You Have an Actionable Vision for Your Life?

 Your dreams have two possible outcomes; they live or they die.  My own life experiences teach me that what happens next once you come up with a vision for your life depends on what steps you take to make that vision a reality.

Many years ago I dreamed about my life in my senior years.  My vision had some defects related to my own personal choices.  I realized my vision for my retirement years may not even be possible due to premature death.  I made changes.  I'm still making adjustments.  The more I learn about how my choices affect my vision, the more I adapt.

I find myself surrounded by groups of people who have a common actionable vision for their lives.  These people are positive influences.  When an actionable vision is shared with like-minded people the magic happens.  I witnessed this first-hand yesterday on the tennis courts.  We have been playing together for over ten years.  Yesterday we encountered a speed bump.  The other team upgraded their roster to include some very strong young players.  We held our own until the lag match.  Tied at 2-2, my lag match would decide the victor.  We came up short losing the super tiebreaker 10-8 after a grueling first set tiebreaker win and an overtime second set we lost 7-5.  This was our first team loss of the season.  All I can say is watch out for us.  We will make the adjustments and we will find a way to improve.  I'm thankful I got to spend seven quality hours on the tennis courts last week.  I'm also thankful for another four hours on the pickleball courts.  If all goes well with City Hall, my actionable vision for outdoor pickelball courts will become a reality.  Stay tuned.  This is going to be a very busy season.  Why not set ninety minutes aside today and work on your own actionable vision for your life?  It's never too late to enhance the quality of your life.  Have a great day.

Men's 18+ 4.0 Tennis Match Today

 I would like to give a big shout out to my bosses at my day job for changing up my schedule so I can play more tennis with my teammates.  This year may turn out to be my most memorable ever.  I'm going into today's match with my highest mental recovery score ever (87%) since I began measuring my sleep with my smart watch in late November.  This measurement is tied to the amount of REM sleep.  While it may be disputed as to how accurately this is measured, there is one subjective measurement that I would like to contribute for those considering ways to improve sleep quality – my own perceptions of how I feel in the morning.  Before I even look at the sleep score I can predict my own sleep score and it matches the objective measurements most of the time.

Tennis is a mental game.  Sure, physical fitness is also a major factor.  That's why physical recovery is so important while sleeping.  Physical recovery happens when your body is in deep sleep.  I'm finding that this part of my sleep cycle occurs in the beginning of the night.  Today I get to test my performance on the tennis courts against opponents that can be as young as 18yrs old.  Keep in mind I happen to be closer to my 64th birthday than my previous one last year on the 4th of July so I need all the help I can get.  Today I will benefit from having a strong teammate with younger legs than me.  It's going to be an exciting day.  Have a great day.

Get Out of the Kitchen and Join the Pickleball Express Train

City Hall in our hometown is going to meet our pickleball group sooner or later.  We are on the Pickleball Express Train and we're picking up speed.  I played pickleball in the morning yesterday and shared a quick update on my vision to bring outdoor pickleball to our community with the players.  "Let me know how I can help," was the common response.  I went home and got busy with the most complicated part of the proposal – the money.  Armed with some names, email addresses, and phone numbers, I got busy.  Within an hour the responses were coming in.  Encouraged, I reached out to City Hall to get my name added to the agenda for the next meeting on February 26 in Williamsburg.

I'm not really a fan of meetings, however, they are necessary especially when it comes to government.  The city manager sent me a list of guidelines that are to be followed in order to get on the agenda.  One of the necessary requirements is to first meet with the local parks and rec committee and get their blessing.  The only problem with that request is how far out the date is for their next session.  The next meeting for parks and rec happens after the deadline for applying for a grant I believe we have a great shot at securing.  I spent a couple of hours working on a reply urging the city manager to accept my response as valid even though I was bypassing the parks and rec committee meeting requirement.  The good news is parks and rec already knows about the proposal as my idea was shared in passing at their meeting last week.  Members of the committee want to this idea to advance to the key players in our community who have the power to say yes to four outdoor pickleball courts.

The kitchen is an area on the pickleball court that players are excluded from unless they are hitting a ball that bounces inside the kitchen.  Most people I know would rather get out of the kitchen and play pickleball.  I urge you join the pickleball express train and find your way to the nearest courts in your area.  If you don't have a place to play, stay tuned as I share my journey with you.  This is a win-win scenario.  Our group will win now should city hall approve my request to be added to the agenda and I walk away with a resolution to seek the necessary funds or we will win later when I properly check all the boxes necessary to cut through the red tape and secure victory for the community.  When the people in charge say, "show me the money," I will present my case.  Stay tuned.  Have a great day.

First Pickleball Seed Planted for Outdoor Play in My Neighborhood

It's been eight days since the first seed was planted for outdoor pickleball courts on the property adjacent to our home.  The real credit for the idea goes to the folks I met in Eau Claire, Wisconsin while on a day job assignment.  I met Marilyn, a retired athletic director from the university who once worked at the University of Iowa before relocating thirty-five years ago.  She first introduced pickle ball to Iowa over three decades ago.   Marilyn never stopped believing pickleball would someday be the rage.  It's now the fastest growing sport in America.

I listened intently when Marilyn shared her story about seeking a grant to fund outdoor pickleball courts in her community at Mcdonough Park overlooking the Chippewa River.  Two dilapidated tennis courts were transformed into 12 pickleball courts that are in constant use even though the park is hidden in a remote location.  

I shared my idea for getting a grant to add four outdoor pickleball courts to city-owned property at our current rec center in our hometown just in time for the idea to be mentioned to the local city council.  Nicole told me yesterday it's time to draw up a proposal and share my vision at an upcoming meeting.  If all goes well, we will have new courts some time this Spring.  Stay tuned.  I'm super excited.  Thank you, Marilyn, for inspiring me to dream big.  Have a great day.

Happy Valentines Day

Sorry for the late post today.  Cancel the wellness check.  I rearranged my day to pay a visit to my house of worship for the first day of preparation for Easter and the wheels fell off the bus.  Somehow I thought today was a day off from my day job.  Well, it wasn't.  I was having fun on the pickle ball courts after morning worship and then headed home to discover I was late for work.  The good news is I managed to buy some sardines for my only meal of the day before playing two hours of singles to end my busy day.

I'm home in time to visit with my wife before we call it a day.  Happy Valentines Day!  Have a great day.

Good Vibes on Rough Days

 I got a little surprise yesterday on my way to my day job.  Yesterday's story, "Unclean," reported a rough night of sleeplessness.  I was pretty sure this would carry over since sleep is the foundation of everything including your mood.  Something unexpected happened despite the low sleep score.  I felt great all day long.  I also returned to good range last night, falling asleep within fifteen minutes of hitting the pillow.

I certainly don't recommend messing with your sleep times, however, I may have discovered two things that can have a positive influence resulting in good vibes.  Remember to check in with your physician for the proper advice as these stories are for informational purposes only.  I'm doing two new things that seem to be influencing my good vibes.  The first is starting my day with two minutes of cold in my shower before cranking up the heat.  The second is Ashwagandha.  The dose I'm taking is the equivalent of 1500 mg daily, approximately half of the recommended serving size although a daily value has not been established.

I'm thankful my daily rituals are producing consistent results although I do admit most of this is highly subjective and may be subject to some kind of placebo affect.  I wasn't really expecting anything yesterday other than a possible sleep hangover which never materialized.  I hope these stories offer some ideas for you to try if you're seeking good vibes.  Have a great day.

Unclean!

 Warning!  Today's story came to me in the middle of the night and it disturbed me enough to knock my sleep quality down to the fair range (55) barely above the "needs attention" score.  I already knew my sleep quality was going to drop as I broke my own bedtime rule and stayed up late with my family for the Super Bowl.  Here goes...

Imagine you have access to some kind of portal that could take you any place at any time.  There is only one condition.  In order to time travel into the past, you need to occupy someone else's body while you're visiting.  I did this last night while sleeping.  At approximately 3:30 am I entered the portal and ended up inside the body of a leper.  I was shouting along the unpaved roads, "Unclean!  Unclean!"  I was an outcast forbidden to live in the community.  A small gathering of men approached me and I tried to stop them from approaching me but they persisted.  The leader, a man in a white robe got so close to me that I trembled.

Recalling the words I heard from the same Bible story the day before about the leper who Jesus healed, I said, "Jesus, if it is your will, please heal me."  He did.  Electricity flowed through my body.  Every single wound from head to toe evaporated.  This is the point where I woke up.  

You may be saying to yourself, "Geez, that Michael sure does have a vivid imagination."  I would add that perhaps my imagination is warped.  After all, if you could go anywhere you wanted to go, why would you choose an outcast who is plagued with leprosy?  Perhaps my subconscious mind is drawn to the outcast.  Maybe I'm doing my best to seek Jesus.

The last time I asked Jesus to show me who I am in his eyes, he transported me back in time to witness another outcast, a demoniac possessed by thousands of demons.  It's probably a good thing I didn't own a smart watch at the time because my sleep cycle was at an all-time low for months.  I couldn't get the demoniac out of my head.  In a way, I saw an uncanny connection to this outcast.  I asked Jesus to show me who I am in his eyes and he did it, just as he healed the leper I saw in my dream at 3:30 am.   The word publish came up in both stories.  In the story of the leper, Jesus asked the man NOT to publish what he had done but the man couldn't help himself.  In the story of the demoniac, Jesus asked the man to publish all the good he had done for him and he did.  When Jesus returned to the land of the Gentiles where the demoniac was healed, there were all the villagers.  They heard the testimony and they desired to have what the publisher had...an opportunity to be with Jesus for eternity.

I will head to my day job a bit sleep deprived.  That's okay.  My healing seems to come from confronting my past.  Wether it be in a dream or simply dwelling on past dark days, there is a common thread.  Jesus is the one who transcends time.  He can come to you in your past, present, or future.  I can't explain how.  All I know is when you ask, you receive.  Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share the challenging part of my journey with you today.  May you live long and prosper!  Have a great day.

Master Your Sleep in 30 Days

 I'm sharing my sleep research here as I wrap up my final experiment before releasing "Live Long and Prosper."  Like many of the other chapters in the book, this final chapter seemed to fall out of the sky recently.  It's a controversial subject because there are many opposing viewpoints about how sleep affects our waking hours.  I'm sharing a Ted Talk I came across randomly yesterday while taking a break from my writing session.  

While I'm no sleep expert, I do believe I've learned some important lessons derived from using feedback I check daily thanks to my new smart watch.  My initial scores were in the "needs attention" range at the end of November.  I am now consistently in the good or excellent range.  In my opinion, your sleep habits can be adjusted in 30 days by making small changes.  Here goes:

1. Go to bed at the same time or within a 30 minute window every night for 30 days.
2. Get up at the same time every morning 9 hours after you go to bed.
3. Don't let a bad night of sleep stop you from your pursuit of ideal sleep.
4. If you do wake up in the middle of the night and can't fall asleep, get up and do a mundane task for about 30 minutes and then go back to bed.
5. Dim the lights about an hour before bedtime.
6. When you wake up, get out of bed right away and get busy.
7. Keep a record of the time you go to bed and the time you wake up.

You may be asking, "why 9 hours of bedtime?"  Great question.  If you're like me, you don't actually sleep the whole time you're in bed.  You also may not fall asleep immediately.  The extra hour tacked on to your bedtime allows an average of 8 hours of sleep.  

You can test these ideas on your own by using sleep tracking devices such as smart rings or smart watches.  Give this a try for 30 days and see what happens.  Have a great day.

Super Saturday

 I'm hitting the tennis courts just after sunrise.  My day job schedule is being re-arranged to spend more time on the tennis courts.  This makes today a super Saturday in my eyes.  I'm going to join my captain in a cardio session at 8am.  The rest of the day is dedicated to writing.  Have a great day.

How Does One Find the Truth?

 The world seems so upside down to me at times.  The world is so divided.  Somewhere out there is the truth.  Is there a way to figure out what is truth and what is a lie?  Maybe that's a reason why I enjoy my experiments.  Experiments show results.  Sometimes my experiments verify my suspicions.  Other times they lead to more questions and more experiments.  I'm thankful I spent a full year going through the Bible.  There are multiple times when people from ancient times stated that when you seek the truth you will find it. How about you?  Are you seeking the truth?  Where are you looking?  Have a great day.

My First Ashwagandha Report

I have good news.  Before I get too far, keep in mind that this report may contain errors as I believe some of what I do may be influenced by some sort of placebo effect.  I really don't care.  Results are what I focus on and this first report is based on my sleep tracking which is trending in a very positive direction.

My one year supply of Ashwagandha Extra Strength Herb arrived yesterday afternoon, just in time to swallow a pill and get started on yet one more experiment.  The outside of the pill bottle states this 20:1 extract is 180 servings.  I'm starting with one pill a day verses two to see what happens.  This keeps my cost per day at .06 rather than .12.  I can always increase my dosage later in a future experiment.  Drum roll, please.  Here is my first sleep report from last night...

Everything was in the blue zone except for the number of sleep cycles which dropped to two.  According to my smart watch, the sweet spot is 3 to 6 cycles per night in order to get the appropriate amount of deep and REM sleep. 

The biggest improvement is in the wakefulness category which hit the blue zone for the first time since I began tracking in late November.  My time awake last night was 44 minutes, down from an average of one hour and fifteen minutes.  My wakefulness as a percentage dropped below the red zone line set at 10% to 8%.  My wife argues that this is partly due to my two workout sessions yesterday.  We played pickle ball together for two hours and then I had an evening workout on the indoor tennis courts for another two hours.  I ate dinner early before the 6pm workout and did not drink any wine at the end of the day as my bedtime is set at approximately 8:45 pm.

My wife is correct that the four hours working out is a factor.  That's why I'm tracking everything I do.  Looking back at the previous Wednesday which happened to be a mirror of yesterday, my wakefulness score was in the red zone at 17% showing the Ashwagandha may be a positive factor.

For those of you who are scientists, I get it that my experiments do not hold much weight compared to traditional studies.  I am an N of one.  That doesn't matter much to me.  All I'm doing here is striving to maximize my life.  That's what my next book is about.  You may be surprised just how many times I fail in my daily pursuits yet keep trying.  I'm going to keep working on my sleep habits until I find the right mix.  As for now, ashwagandha gets a gold star.  Time will tell if this herb is worth .06/day.  I may splurge and double down on this.  Let's just say, placebo or no placebo, I'm happy to report that my nights of excessive wakefulness may now be behind me.  Have a great day.

Have You Heard of Ashwagandha?

 Cortisol is a stress hormone.  It seems plausible to me that if you want to reduce stress, you do your best to reduce your levels of cortisol.  You may want to ask your doctor about this as I'm simply sharing something new I'm adding to my stack, ashwagandha, an evergreen shrub that grows in India, the Middle East, and parts of Africa.  I discovered it while watching a YouTube video from Dr. Attia, author of "Outlive:  The Science and Art of Longevity."

I'm looking for ways to increase the quality of my sleep.  This particular plant may help.  I'll let you know.  My one year supply of ashwagandha arrives later today.  It's my latest experiment.  At .06/day, it's a rather small investment.  Stay tuned.  I'll share my results here.  Have a great day.

Are You Aware of Your Blind Spot?

 It's coming up on a year since the world said good-bye to the patriarch of the Mulligan clan, Dr. Thomas Mulligan.  I have dedicated multiple stories to my uncle as he was a major influence in my life.   Click here for a memory from my archives. 

Here is an excerpt from a message he displayed on his website...

Uncle Tom departed this world on 2/24/23.  I can only imagine my dad and my uncle together in Heaven.  There may be a reader or two who may dispute the idea of an afterlife.  Maybe that's what my uncle was referencing in his challenge.  

Could it be that what you "do not believe" may be considered as some sort of blind spot?  I readily admit that the older I get the more I realize how much I don't know.  I've written over 5,000 messages here and my stories are only scratching the surface.  All I would like to offer you today is the question... Are you aware of your blindspot?  Think about that one today.  Thank you, uncle Tom, for inspiring me.  Have a great day.

Find Joy in the Journey

 You dreamed of finishing in first place.  It didn't happen.  What's next?  Do you give up?  Do you try again? What are you going to do differently to change the outcome next time?  What works for me is finding joy in the journey.  Sure, a successful outcome is highly gratifying.  Please don't overlook all the joy that comes from the daily activities you are going through to reach that finish line.  Learn to enjoy the pursuit.  After all, the journey is a much longer part of your life than standing on that podium.  Master this technique and your sense of well being will escalate.  Have a great day.

Sleep Goes Over the Top

 I hit the red zone last night according to my smart watch.  Much to my surprise, I got too much sleep.  My sleep score was 83, just a smidgen away from the excellent range.  My actual sleep time came in at 7 hours, 50 minutes, however, time in bed was logged at 9 hours and 9 minutes.  I'm not really worried about drifting above the recommended range as this is only someone else's opinion about what my body needs for full mental and physical recovery.  I'm more interested in the trends which are going in a favorable direction.  

It appears my body is fairly consistent when it comes to sleep.  Most of my deep sleep occurs at the beginning of my sleep while REM appears much later.  I'm choosing not to sleep using an alarm preferring instead to allow my body to go through my sleep cycles naturally.  

If you are seeking ways to improve the quality of your sleep, I do recommend you find a way to measure and log your time in bed.  In my opinion, a smart watch checks all the boxes for measuring purposes.  Make your changes slowly giving your body time to adjust to any improvements you introduce into your routine.  I believe my most significant change has to do with setting a fixed bedtime schedule.  As tempting as it is to stay up late, I make sleeping the higher priority.  Also, I'm finding success slowing things down prior to going to sleep.  I'm avoiding bright lights one to two hours before I retire setting me up for a faster slumber time once I hit the pillow.  

If you want to feel better during your waking hours, consider making changes to your sleep habits.  Have a great day.

How are Those New Year Resolutions Going?

 Today is a good day to review all those resolutions you made at the beginning of the New Year.  Why?  Because it takes 30 days to form a new habit.  If you're still on track, congratulations.  If not, it's not too late to get back on track.  Perhaps you made too many goals all at once.  Maybe, you gave up too soon.  Pick your biggest goal and forget about the rest for now and let's see if thirty days from now you can pat yourself on the back.  

I'm a big believer in goal stacking.  The way it works is you insert a new goal inside another solid habit.  For example, every time you brush your teeth for the next 30 days you do leg raises while brushing.  The next thing you know is your calves are stronger than ever.  Give this a try for the next thirty days and see what happens.  Do this every month and you can cross off at least ten of your top resolutions.  Have a great day.

Can You Spot the Endorphins in Your Losses?

 This story may sound like it's coming from the Twilight Zone.  Stay with me.  While it may be true our society is hyper-focused on the finish line, there may be something missing.  It took me a while to learn this lesson as I tend to be one of those people who spends a great deal of my time imagining how I'm feeling when I finally achieve a major milestone.  Visualization is a powerful tool.  Consider this... what is going on inside your head along the way to victory?  If you're like me, you probably want to vanquish those losses from your mind as quickly as possible and move on.  There is something going on in those daily pursuits.  Win or lose, these "practice sessions" are loading you up with endorphins.  If you can find a way to reward yourself for your daily rituals, your brain will be flooded with enough endorphins to keep you on the course.

I have a feeling in my gut that you may actually accumulate more endorphins along the way to victory than when you actually cross the finish line.  Why?  Victories are short-lived.  Long term pursuits of your goals are continuous.  The key is to stay motivated.  Remain in the game.  Reward yourself for your journey even if some days end in failure.  Have a great day.

Is a Smart Ring in Your Future?

 There's no doubt in my mind my sleep quality is much improved since I began monitoring through my Galaxy 6 smart watch.  I'm intrigued with the feedback I'm getting.  This leads me to believe I will make one more significant transition into some sort of smart ring in the near future when Samsung officially enters the smart ring market.  Sign me up.  I'm all about getting as much sleep feedback as possible.  The one good thing about a new competitor entering the market is lower prices.  The current players in the smart ring market charge monthly subscription fees.  I have a feeling Samsung will shake things up by offering the same information for free when they release their first smart ring.

If you think a smart ring may be in your future, stay tuned.  I will be standing in line to test this new technology once Samsung unveils their next product.  Beam me up, Scotty.  Have a great day.