Sunday Story…The Arc

Of history is long, very long. We humans have been part of history for a small piece of it. Because we are so smart, though, we think we encompass all there is of history.

 

Before there was a way for us to record what happened a lot of things took place. Those things were important, if for no other reason than they led us to where we are right now. All the events that took place in “pre-history” are just as important as the things that are happening in “history.” But in our narcissistic view, we think that right now is the most important, the most crucial, the most pivotal moment ever. It isn’t. It is just another small step in our growth curve.

 

Think of it this way…we are living in a time and place unimaginable by our great-great-grandparents. And in 150 years our great-great-grandchildren will be living in a world we can’t imagine. Yet each of them believes that the time they are living is the most critical, pivotal period in human development. Nope, just another notch on the belt of history.

 

Take the long view.

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

 

 

Sunday Story…More LSD!

Life isn’t about how long you live, it’s how much life you live in that length. The last thing I want is to spend the last few years of my life immobile and disconnected from this grand experience that is life. How am I going to do that?

First - start now. This is the now that is right now not the now that is next week or next year. Start right now.

Second - get to work on your aerobic/cardio fitness. This is the LSD training. This is getting your heart conditioned to work at its optimum levels. Look at this as a job. Your job performance is going to be measured 5-10-20 years from now. And that measurement will be how will you move and perform everyday tasks.

Third - lift weight. Pick up heavy stuff regularly. Pick it up correctly. Pick it up often in different modalities and implements. Your health and fitness are directly related to maintaining muscle mass and the only way to do that is to lift weight.

Fourth – Every once in while go really fast. You need to challenge your heart and muscles to work in a maximal area occasionally.

 

We are going to do another heart rate challenge starting on 7/10/22. Here is the link to get registered:

www.buildingthebaseheat22022.wodifyrise.com

Sign up and get started living longer and most of all living better!

See you at the Centenarian Olympics!

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

 

 

 

Sunday Story…Beep, Beep

I grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons. Every Saturday we sat down and binged on cartoons until something boring came on the tube. Like something not animated and fun. My favorite was and still is The Roadrunner cartoon. Something about watching the coyote trying and failing time after time after time in the most fantastical fashion fascinated me.

 

Now all these years later I realize what the metaphor of the coyote’s efforts was. He’s always looking for the hack, the easy way, the one magic pill or magic toy or tool that will have him achieve his goal and finally catch the rascally roadrunner.

 

Each time is a new plan, a new thing that will finally ease his frustration of failure. And each time results in pain and suffering. He doesn’t make a plan that will progress over time, and he doesn’t do any introspection to decide if this is really what he wants. I mean what will he do if he catches the roadrunner and what comes next?

 

On the other hand, his single-minded pursuit of a seemingly impossible goal is admirable. It’s his strategy and tactics that are questionable. Perhaps the goal isn’t impossible, but the methods of achieving the goal are doomed to fail.

 

How about it? Are you looking through the Acme company catalog trying to find the magic pill to get to your goal? How’s that working for you? Looking for the next hack may not be the best use of your time. Maybe you should look elsewhere.

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

 

 

 

 Sunday Story…The Long Tail

 

Most of us are good with short-term rewards. We love instant gratification. That’s why your phone is such an insidious device…everything is right here and right now. No going to the library to find a book to get the information, just ask Google or Siri. Bang! Instant answer, no waiting!

 

On the other hand, however, we are not good with the long-tailed rewards (or punishments). If you knew the payoff for what you are doing today was 10 years in the future, how excited are you going to be about it? Think about this: if you got a hacking cough and a chronic life-threatening disease after your first cigarette how many people would smoke? Put that punishment out 30 or 40 years and we have an epidemic of people smoking.

 

Would you start that business if you knew you were going to be successful the day you opened the door? What if it took 5 years? How long did Amazon operate in the red? And now? How fit will you be in 10 years if you start now? How much longer will you live if you start working on your longevity now? As opposed to waiting until you are 75?

 

It’s easy to see and respond to a short feedback loop. It is much more difficult to recognize those long tails. However, the long tails are where the real reward lies. Get better at seeing those!

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412