does sacrificial service = fulfillment?

Think about the last time you did something good for someone else with no ulterior motives. Perhaps it was volunteer work at a homeless soup kitchen, or participating in some sort of community project for the less fortunate. Maybe you've even donated time or items during the holidays to organizations dedicated to helping the impoverished. How did it feel? Did you enjoy putting your own interests aside for a time to make better the situation of another? Most people experience the pleasure of selflessness at some point in their life, but few practice it on a regular basis. Why is that?
Giving money may be necessary and helpful, but it's so impersonal that it rarely yields any personal satisfaction and thus isn't repeated often. What I'm advocating is giving of yourself, your time and your own personal effort to something for which you'll get nothing in return. Get out and volunteer! It's very liberating! The harder it is to do, the more it's worth it!
I encourage everyone to engage in some form of (sacrificial) service to others. It's not a "good deed" if you get something other than a good feeling in return. In my own life, it seems that once I agree to do something for someone else, something always seems to "come up" that would give me an excuse to back out of my agreement/commitment. When I forgo my own personal wants to fulfill my agreement/commitment, then it always seems to be the most gratifying. When I sacrifice my own desires, time, and resources to benefit others, it's fulfilling.
Whether you equate it to the movie Pay It Forward or consider it your civic duty, everyone should experience being a giver when it is not reciprocated. It's nice to be appreciated for the effort and work you put into something but just because you may not be appreciated or thanked for something doesn't mean that it was any less of a good deed.


Just in case you're wondering, I'm only advocating sacrificial service in one's personal life. NOT in a professional life. It's great to take pride in yourself and in the work you do, but please do NOT give more than necessary to a soulless company who will show no loyalty to you as an employee.

trendy? Not me!

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

Coping?

From May 4, 2006...












Over the last few days, I've wanted to blog about several things, but haven't. I want to be clear when I write about something, and I want it to be meaningful, so I struggle with what to blog and what not to. So I guess I'll just lay out what's been on my mind lately.
Dealing with the loss of our baby has been another hardship that many have to endure in life. It hurts, and strangely enough, it brings out other insecurities that we have, but it isn't insurmountable. We all have to learn how to deal with disappointments in life, but some are harder to swallow than others. Of course most of us come to the realization that we'll not be rich beyond our wildest dreams and our jobs may not even be what we'd like, but we find a way to move on anyway. We also may wonder "what if..." about many things in our past, but most normal functional adults find happiness in other things and try not to dwell on the disappointments in life. Lately, I've been wondering about some of my priorities in life and why I do what I do. Exercising is a smart thing to do because it's a stress reliever and the elevated heartrates are good for my heart and metabolism, etc... Then there's the competitive aspect of what I do. To really be competitive, I have to put in more hours of training and train harder I do for "maintenance" workouts and this takes away time from other things in my life. As I get older, it becomes more of a problem as other things move up on the priority list. This is frustrating because I don't feel I'm satisfied with my performance(s) in competitions. I don't know if I'll ever be completely satisfied and that scares me. It's easier to resolve myself to things I know I'll never have, but the things that ARE attainable, but are just out of reach (or seem to be) are starting to wear on my patience and tranquility. Once, I heard happiness defined as "Being content with what you have while working towards what you want." But what if you never achieve what you want? Then what?
Settling for mediocrity makes me so ill to my core that I find it intolerable. Especially for myself, but I find myself compromising all the time. Yeah everyone has to deal with this in life, but I HATE knowing that I've wasted potential.

"Modern" medicine

Had a decent run last night. After twisting the ankle twice in the first loop, I decided not to do a second one. Gotta make sure I feel as good as possible this weekend for the Psycho Wyco. We also had some young newbies. College kids really have a knack for irritating me these days. Maybe it's because people who think they know it all really bother those of us who do!

My mom also called last night and told me the latest news on her husband Frank's health. Frank has a LARGE tumor (benign) in his throat and has a few arteries blocked. They're in Atlanta getting treatment from a specialist in all the procedures he has to have done. Frank has had a few panic attacks that cause him breathing problems. These are very REAL breathing problems even if they are brought on by self-induced emotional/mental trauma. The mind has such a profound effect on our physiological state, that pumping chemicals into our bodies to counteract some effects seems to be how our doctors prefer to treat it. She wanted the doctors to give him something to calm him down. I would want him to have a counselor to help him deal with the psychological root of the physiological symptoms. She wants them to give him a quick fix and that's what makes the drug companies rich and the doctor's jobs easier. We commonly refer to this type of treatment as treating the symptom not the cause. When we visit a doctor for aches and pains, they normally prescribe the drug of the month whether it be a muscle relaxer or the latest anti-inflamatory and this has the effect of making some of the pain go away temporarily. They're giving things that mask the pain while the body heals itself instead of getting to the root of the matter and trying to find out what caused/causes the problems to begin with. The body has an amazing ability to heal itself from most injuries/problems if it is in balance. Broken bones, scar tissue, and foreign things in our bodies, (Cholesterol, pins, artificial things) can prevent our body from being able to function correctly in its recouperative/rehabilitative efforts. For a light-hearted view on the drug industry's impact on our lives, see Jib-Jab.com and click on the animation titled "Drugs I Need."

Shoutcast

Raise your hand if you like music. Ok now the other one. Now wave them back and forth and move your hips like you're having a seizure or until someone thinks you've been doused with the Holy Spirit! Of course everyone loves music and the only thing better than hearing your favorite music is hearing it for free. Shoutcast is awesome! There are thousands of online radio stations broadcasting ALL TYPES of music for your listening pleasure. Here are a few of my favorite stations that I listen to regularly.
Groove Salad
Smooth Jazz
Vocal Trance
Chillout Ambient

You'll need some type of media player that is capable of receiving media streams/playlists and Windoze Media Player wont cut it. I HIGHLY recommend Winamp, but Realplayer, MusicMatch, and a few others will do the job.
Enjoy!

Needs, wants, and personal responsibility.

Occasionally I have a light-hearted conversation with a friend about what we really NEED in life. That conversation is usually precipitated by either he or I fantasizing or drooling over the latest hi tech gadget or automobile that neither of us should buy. After consideration of our place in the world (our being comparatively wealthy Americans) do we have a responsibility to others in the world who are less fortunate including those who can't or wont help themselves? Humanitarians immediately say YES while utilitarians might not always agree. The followers of Neitzche say of course not, but we know that in practice, we have a system that falls somewhere in the middle. When asked, most people would probably describe their self as being a reasonably generous person. Those same people however will walk right past a beggar on the streets with a distasteful look on his or her face. This person representing the general public may occasionally contribute to a charity or program benefitting a hunger cause in a third world country or may give offerings in their local church, but is that enough? How much are we required to do for others if at all? Obviously this is based on opinion which is guided by perspective, but what responsibility do we really have? Why can't we just live and let live and enjoy the fruits of our own labors? Why should we help those who won't help themselves either due to ignorance or apathy? If we do live solely for ourselves and our own interests, then at what point does it become irresponsible? When we're in DEEP debt or when we become a burden to "the system"? There are arguments to be made here for many points of view, but my personal perspective is that we shouldn't protect people from themselves. Whether it be drugs, alcohol, gambling, or other addictions, I don't think they should be outlawed as long as it's legalization doesn't pose a threat to the physical well being of the public.
I dont' agree with smoking, but I don't think it should be outlawed completely. I think people with drug addictions need to treat the root cause of the drug use not the symptom as modern western medicine attempts to do. (usually with drugs) I don't think we should let people starve when we can help them, but I also don't believe we should support entire generations of people who will not help themselves by learning to support themsleves and their own societies by limiting the birth rates. We all know that there are benefits to being disciplined. Benefits of not eating too much or the positive effects of sticking to a disciplined work out routine, or the benefits of saving money for whatever reason. At what point does discipline become too much? At what point does self gratification become too much? Of course some of these points/questions are at the center of our core philosophies, but I'm interested in hearing others opinions on one or more of these matters and why you think that way. Let me know!

"Common sense is not so common"

Thus spoke Voltaire...
Some of you may have seen the recent news story pertaining to the lawsuit filed by a man claiming that iPods cause hearing loss. I don't own an iPod, but like most other mp3/audio players, I'm sure they have a volume control on them. Once again, where is the personal responsibility? Will we need to stick warning labels on knives because they might cut something? We already have to warn people that coffee MAY BE HOT! This is horseshit. When are people going to start accepting responsibility for their own actions?
It must be hard to be a judge these days in our judicial system. Deciding what is truely manufacturer culpability and what is negligence in using common sense might not be all that easy. Voltaire said that "common sense is not so common" but deciding just what constitutes "common sense" may be the hard part. Thanks in part to Micro$oft, the media, and many other things, the dumbing down of America continues. People should have to be responsible for their own actions and the resulting outcomes unless there is blatant and willful disregard for safety on the part of a manufacturer. Even then, it should be "consumer beware"! I have no problem whatsoever with people being removed from the gene pool if they ignorantly use a hairdryer in the tub or if injured or killed while doing something else just as stupid which is why we have so many ridiculous warning labels now. Thoughts or opinions?

Comfort food my ass!

Of course, being in the South, no event (good, bad, large, or small) is complete without several HUGE meals in which everyone consumes massive quantities of food containing so much salt, butter, and animal parts/fat that one wonders why it's called "comfort food." Sure it's yummy at first, but afterwards when it's settling and trying to digest, it isn't so comforatble. THEN once it's part of you, it's DEFINITELY NOT comfortable. Taking a week off of training to defile myself is NOT what I needed for the "getting in race shape" schedule!

A little more on service...

Service is nothing more than a form of giving. Maybe the best form of giving, but that's not to be debated here. One of my favorite books of all time is The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. I think I like it so much because it's short (matching my attention span) and very easy to understand. To me, the philosophy in it seems somewhat Existentialist with a touch of Buddhism, but is good for interpersonal relationships nonetheless. In this book one of my favorite chapters is on Giving.

"And you receivers - and you are all receivers - assume no weight of gratitude, lest you lay a yoke upon yourself and upon him who gives. Rather rise together with the giver on his gifts as on wings; For to be overmindful of your debt, is to doubt his generosity..."

This isn't saying to accept without any gratitude nor is it suggesting that one should be a receiver or a gift without having any sense of debt, but rather to understand that giving and receiving should not be a contractual binding of giver and receiver in equal measure. Whether you equate it to the movie Pay It Forward or consider it your civic duty, everyone should experience being a giver and a receiver when the opposite is not reciprocated. It's nice to be appreciated for the effort and work you put into something but just because you may not be appreciated or thanked for something doesn't mean that it was any less of a good deed. And on the receiving end, to be the recipient of someone's kindness is a gift itself whether you realize it or not. You're giving them the opportunity to be of service so although one should be aware of the need to give back, you should not "be overmindful of your debt" to the giver. I've had people who are indeed thankful for help I've given them on projects and they repeatedly thank me and ask how they can repay me for my kindness, but all I want is for them to say a simple sincere thank you and be willing to repay it with their own effort somewhere else in likewise manner. If I need help, perhaps one day I'll be the recipient of it. If not, I'll continue giving regardless.
Another example of this is in the Bible. John 13:4-17 shows us how Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. This man was their teacher, their mentor, and the washing of feet was a lowly task given to servants so for Jesus to humble himself was an example servanthood he wanted his followers to emulate.

Adventure Racing: What it is and why I do it

Even amongst mountain bikers, trail runners, and multi-sport athletes, I often get asked "What is an adventure race?" It seems everyone knows what a triathlon is, (although most NON-triathletes automatically think of Ironman) but relatively few people know what an adventure race is. My usual response is that an adventure race is like an off-road triathlon, but instead of the traditional swim, bike, run, the events are trail running, mountain biking, and kayaking (in no particular order) with special tests or mystery events throughout the race. As with triathlons, there are varying distances, but this is pretty much where the similarities end.

Triathlons usually consist of a sprint, olympic distance, half-ironman, or ironman distance, but the disciplines and order of events are always (borishly in my opinion) consistent. Swim - transition - Bike - transition - Run. Triathlons are a great way to motivate some people to stay healthy and they're a decent measure of fitness, but they are also a decent way to get people to push themselves physically and mentally more than they otherwise might in their daily routines or hobbies.

Adventure Racing not only incorporates these physical disciplines, it also adds several other dimensions like scenery, interacting with the varying terrains, mental/intellectual challenges, team building skills, and an unpretentious comraderie amongst competitors that is hard to find in triathletes. I know this from first-hand experience. Many adventure racers were once triathletes that (like myself) made the cross over and stuck with it after discovering how much there is to love about it.

There are no prerequisites to be an adventure racer other than having a love of life and wanting to have fun. There are a few solo ARs, but most are team events consisting of 2, 3, or 4 person teams. The rules for adventure racing are simple. During the race, teammates must stay together and complete each event as a team. This is for safety as well as a necessity for completing the race successfully. Racers must respect the land they're racing on and practice the "Leave no trace" philosophy. During ARs, competitors cannot receive assistance from spectators or anyone outside the race, but MAY get help from other racers. This happens frequently and is sometimes necessary to complete a race. The "special tests/mystery events" can be anything from orienteering/navigation, an obstacle course, completing a run while zip-tied to your teammate at the wrist, crawling through a mud pit, solving a rubix cube, guessing a movie from clues, solving a sudoku puzzle, hitting paintball targets, or various other mental and physical challenges.

Hopefully, this gives at least a basic understanding of what adventure racing is. That being said, hopefully you'll want to get involved in one some day.

Happy Trails!