The Degradation of Fitness Science
December 31, 2005
The world and our selves evolve and exist in a cyclic fashion; good times and bad? ups and downs? we experience changes that seem to repeat, including everyday cycles of sleep-wake and cell regeneration. History is a broad example of cycles, whereby we enter the “dark ages” followed by an “age of enlightenment.” We now are in an irrational dark age of fitness. Irrational is an ideal term to describe a method of exercise considered dangerous, impractical, unproved (yet implemented when other proven methods exist) and irrelevant (i.e., claiming to do something that cannot be achieved). Below is such an example.
FUNCTIONAL CORE EXERCISE
In an article by a well known “functional/core exercise” proponent, there is an attempt to affiliate the concepts of microscopic life of the amoeba with human cellular processes, and “functional training” when the author claims: “Movement, survival and the optimal functioning of the organism all go hand in hand.” This statement opens a door for the author as he links “movement” with “function,” together with the concept of “optimal.” He then claims that there is a link between functional exercise and survival, as confirmed historically by the “fact” that when exercise needs are not met (too much, too little, an absence or the wrong kind), then “disease lurks!” (exclamation his). Certainly lack of activity or too much activity (excess strain) can pose negative results, but here he links “the wrong kind” of exercise to that of disease or ill health.
After addressing how natives achieved functional fitness through hunting practices, the author then discussed ancient methods of yoga, Tai-Chi, and then martial arts, connecting the concept of “functional exercise” with improving health and vitality of the mind and body, to improve “man’s relationship with both external and internal nature.” This concept has now opened a second door for the author’s “brand” of functional training and to denounce methods that are different.
Apparently, according to the author, today’s concept of exercise (particularly bodybuilding) is wrong, since many methods confirm to Newtonian thinking to produce an “isolationists’/reductionists’ point of view,” in that we think of only single muscles and not the body as a whole. Rather, what we need is “system integration.” This would mean whole-body movement/participation of some kind. However, bodybuilders do consider the look of the body as a whole, and many exercises performed take into account body coordination (or, at least, the coordination of several muscles). Even the use of a single-joint exercise machine causes its user to contract many muscles in an attempt to brace the body and to generate greater body coordination as muscular fatigue is reached. Further ignored is the fact that it may be necessary to focus one’s attention on a single muscle (for reasons of balancing development or function). And, by doing so, this improves the system as a whole as muscles are able to work and integrate better in more dynamic activities, i.e., by strengthening the weakest link.
The author claims that the exercise machine industry also is at fault, as it breaks the body into separate parts or muscle groups to be worked in isolation, “building on people’s aesthetic desires rather than functional needs.” It is well known that no muscle can work in complete isolation, as stated in the paragraph above. Nonetheless, exaggeration is obvious in that many machines do train multiple muscles, such as pulldowns, machine deadlifts and squats, leg presses, chest presses, and shoulder presses, or that a person can train for aesthetics as well as function. If a person’s biceps can produce 50% more force as a result of machine or dumbbell biceps curls that served to increase both mass and strength, certainly that person’s biceps’ function has improved, and this has an influence on full body functional ability.
The author then claims that those who succumb to modern isolationist exercise methods and influence suffer higher incidence of injury. What proof does he offer? None. Conversely, the author does not reference activities that produce the highest forces (and greatest potential for injury), such as explosive lifting, Olympic lifts, and plyometrics. In fact, he does endorse Olympic lifting and plyometrics (within reason) since they apparently mimic “natural” movement better. He also recommends the higher risk of Swiss ball exercises, with an attempt to balance and control weights in an unstable environment. I do not recall the last time a person needed to clean and jerk an object, jump multiple times off boxes (sometimes with loads on the shoulders), or to balance one’s self on a ball in activities of daily living. Consequently, how do those activities mimic the “natural” movements of walking, lifting items off the ground (carefully), climbing stairs, or the unique and specific mechanics of various sporting activities (outside Olympic lifting)?
The author continues by stating that there is limited value in isolationist exercise approaches, which is why there is such a divergence toward Tai-Chi and other “integrated” systems. It should be obvious that any approach is limited in value (since everything in the Universe is finite), and that includes Tai-Chi, which does a poor job of optimizing muscular strength and muscle development, two key aspects that support “function” as we age. From my perspective, people tend to diverge toward Tai-Chi because it is an easy means of activity, and is more of a means of meditation and relaxation than exercise. In any event, it has been established that greater muscular loading and functional improvement can be had with stable exercises as opposed to unstable Swiss ball exercises. This only makes sense since so much more effort is directed toward balance (and paranoia of falling) during unstable exercises, together with less weight and effort on the target muscles. However, those aspects are ignored by the author.
The author became more mystically vague when he stated: “Historical analysis of the biological basis of movement shows that even the ancient systems of exercise were based on cosmic relationships, Mother Nature and our relationship with her.” He clarifies his stance by suggesting that modern systems of functional exercise “see the body as an integrated system, a synergy of the physical-emotional-mental-spiritual energies and aspects of realities.” (I am aware of only one “reality”; that in which I live.) I am uncertain how this differs from systems not considered a “modern system of functional exercise.” The manner, method and intensity of my training, for example, is governed by my emotions and mental outlook/motivations, which affect my performance and any results that can be achieved physically. My philosophy of life and how I view fitness affects the spiritual aspect of that discipline. This is true of any individual, no matter the method of exercise, including the use of machines. The author sees it differently and, apparently, we need to be lunging, balancing, and rolling about on a ball for this physical-emotional-mental-spiritual synergy to take place.
Now, for an exercise system to be “functional,” it should meet the author’s criteria:
1. It must support and improve life. Chronic (regular?) exposure to “training to failure” is not a good thing in the author’s eyes and serves only to “extinguish vitality.” It is ironic that many individuals (including yours truly) has trained in this manner for many years, are strong, physically developed and feel a great deal of vitality. It is not training to muscular fatigue that is the problem, but the overall demands that one is exposed to, including too much volume and frequency. Nonetheless, training to failure and believing in “no pain, no gain,” according to the author, “results in dysfunctional exercise and less functional people.” The idea of “no pain, no gain” is exaggerated, although well meaning at one point in the history of exercise (to get people to exercise harder). However, if a person can increase strength and muscle to a greater degree (or even to the same degree) by training to failure (without abusing exercise in general), how would that result in less functional people? How does greater/improved function = less function?
The author concludes by stating: “the by-product of modern bodybuilding and these types of training mottos is a new culture of fitness without health.” Suffice it to say that a person can be healthy without partaking in a regular fitness program. “Healthy” generally means free from disease. And needless to say that an intense exercise program that improves blood cholesterol, blood pressure, resting heart rate, cardiovascular endurance, heart resilience, strength, muscle, and ADL function certainly is “fitness with health.” Moreover, the term “fitness” means “the quality or state of being fit,” and “fit” means “to be well adapted or suitable for” (Oxford’s English Dictionary). Partaking in a fitness program, to become “fit” (although some are better than others) will result in positive health changes, even if a method happens to be one of aesthetics primarily, i.e., bodybuilding.
2. Functional exercise is always a means to an end (with examples of gathering wood to stay warm, lifting stones, and doing calisthenics in the army to stay “strong enough” to fulfill duties). In other words, perform movement patterns that are essential to your work or sports environment. I work at a computer for the most part, and so perhaps I should perform some keyboard typing overload exercises. Sarcasm aside, most of us have enough strength to complete daily activities, and to mimic those activities with resistance often does us worse than good. An example in sports would be sprinting with heavy weights attached to the body with the notion that our sprinting will improve, although sprinting mechanics obviously would alter under such circumstances. Moreover, consider elbow flexion that occurs when we lift an object, and the elbow flexion that occurs during dumbbell or machine arm curls. Would the latter not have a positive bearing on the former? Certainly it would, but since it is not “exact” to everyday movements, the author condemns such actions, and without realizing that any “functional exercise” also is not exact to daily activities (unless the same resistance and movement patterns exist, and if so, it no longer would be exercise but activities of daily living).
The author talks around the issue of isolation training to improve function by stating the following: “Training muscles with isolation methods to achieve increased mass in specific muscle is only functional if your goal is to compete in bodybuilding competitions, or specific rehabilitation procedures or as part of a well-designed isolation-to-integration program.” Certainly “isolation to integration” could mean performing daily tasks and activities better as a result of larger and stronger muscles that were produced as a result of using machines or free-weights, as has been done for several decades.
He continues: “There must be a goal motivating the selection of exercises or one cannot ascertain whether the outcome is functional or dysfunctional.” In the previous paragraph he clearly acknowledges that a weak chain can be made stronger by (greater) isolation, yet ignores its value unless it can be proven that the outcome improves function (in the individual’s best interests to achieve another goal). If that goal is to feel better, look better, and function better, then any exercise in any medium (free weight, machine, rubber band, calisthenics, etc.) has that potential. The extent to which that happens varies, thus depending on the quality of movement and effort far more than how dynamic (the use of several muscles in an unfixed environment) or unstable an exercise happens to be.
Moreover, a few things are wrong with the author’s statement above. One, the ultimate goal may be aesthetics, and there is nothing wrong with that, but pointless according to the author since that aspect of a fitness program means nothing to him. Two, injuries are the result of weak links, and there is no better way of addressing this issue than through means of specific exercise that is as isolated as possible, whether through single-joint movements or not. It is like working on an entire house when you know the problem to be the support beams. If you need to strengthen the support beams, then forget about the shingles or windows. Three, function required in specific activity requires practice of the specific activity to improve that ability, whereas exercise provides general conditioning and strength improvements that then support the specific sporting movements. Hence, truly functional training involves the specific motor skills of a particular activity, and not movement patterns that “sort of” resemble an activity but which uses different loads, different velocities, different movement patterns, different balancing requirements, etc.
3. Selection of an exercise or exercise regimen must consider the desired outcome on all primary physiological systems of the body (including hormonal, musculoskeletal, circulatory, immune, thermoregulatory, visceral and neurological). And “every intent and attempt should be to improve the exerciser’s physiology through exercise, or the exercise regimen can’t be considered functional.” Please explain how stabilizing on a Swiss ball while performing dumbbell presses can account for all the primary physiological systems, whereas working the muscles with heavier resistance and with greater physical/mental effort in a stable environment cannot.
Moreover, it takes little effort to improve all these systems even on the worst program (whether stable or unstable), and so it goes without saying that improvement will occur in all aspects to some extent. To what extent improvement will occur depends on many factors more important than trying to maintain balance while moving weights in the hopes that you will not fall off a ball or wobble board as opposed to using a machine, factors such as the quality and effort of the program overall. Differences in results become obvious if one were to compare a person who (purposely) puts forth little effort while following the author’s “functional” workout with rubber cables and Swiss balls as opposed to a person who tries very hard with an Author Jones intense workout on Nautilus or MedX machines. In this example it should be obvious who will make the best changes, and the opposite also would be true of a person who tries very hard on any so-called “functional” program as opposed to a person whose performance is lackluster while using exercise machines.
4. Selection of an exercise or exercise regimen must take into account a person’s emotional, mental and spiritual components. This statement is obvious, in that a properly prescribed program takes into account the individual, but the author suggests that “the expenditure of the life-force energy on a leg press is not bringing exercisers closer to complete well-being!” (exclamation his). Why should this be the case with the leg press, or why should it not be the case? There is no explanation behind his statement, but he does disclose the following: “when an exercise program is functional, it supports the collective needs of the living organism and the body becomes progressively healthier, which positively influences the emotions and the mind and affording the spirit greater freedom of expression.” What a load! (exclamation mine). How is it that a person can become one with the Universe by balancing on a ball or wobble board, or by moving about while yanking on some rubber bands or cable system, yet this cannot be achieved on a leg press? What is the scientific evidence?
The author concludes by stating: “The keystone of functional exercise is that it improves the health and vitality of the participant.” Apparently, however, this is impossible with machines or exercise modalities the author does not consider “functional.” Yet, if a person were to train only with machines, and improve many aspects of health, such as cholesterol levels, strength, muscle, heart health and overall function, then that person’s health and vitality has improved? and, the exercises must be functional.
Brian D. Johnston is the Director of Education and President of the I.A.R.T. fitness certification institute. He has written over 12 books and is a contributor author to the Merck Medical Manual. An international lecturer, Mr. Johnston wears many hats in the fitness and health industries. You can visit his site at http://www.ExerciseCertification.com for more free articles.
Winter Skin Savers
December 31, 2005
Do you have the winter skin blues? Is the itching and flaking driving you crazy? Don’t worry; you can take steps to protect and soothe your body’s largest organ. With proper care, healthy, glowing skin is achievable during winter. Whatever your age, follow these helpful guidelines throughout the season.
No matter how dark your skin, you still need to protect it from the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays. Choose a sunscreen with SPF of 15 or more. Sunscreens containing Titanium Dioxide tend to leave darker skin tones looking "ashy". A sunscreen gel is preferable and it absorbs invisibly into your skin.
I know it’s tempting, but taking long, hot showers drain essential moisture from your skin, leaving it dry and lacking in water content. Limit your showers to about 5-10 minutes. (Tip: Use a leave-in conditioner, so you don’t have to spend as much time washing your hair, but still be able to keep it conditioned.)
Wash your hands and face using lukewarm, not hot, water.
This winter, opt for a non-foaming cleanser which cleanses but does not strip away your skin’s natural moisture barrier. You don’t want that squeaky clean feeling you get with cleansing gels, which can leave your skin feeling dry and taut.
Invest in a great hand cream: it will help to keep your hands soft and smooth. If possible, avoid washing your hands frequently. Apply hand cream to your hands immediately after washing them to seal in moisture.
Your lips have no natural defense against the elements. Wearing a lip balm with SPF is essential even during winter months. Your lips tend to dry out faster during this time of the year, so make sure to re-apply as necessary. Licking your lips can cause them to dry out faster, too. As the saliva on your lips evaporates, so does your lips’ natural moisture.
In general, and especially during winter months, avoid skin care products containing Alcohol. Not only is Alcohol an irritant, but it is drying, too.
Instead of exfoliating with AHAs, (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) wear a good water-based moisturizer to hydrate your skin and keep it from flaking. AHAs can be a great way to de-flake the skin’s top layer, but they usually tend to dry out your skin. If you plan to use them anyway, don’t overuse them.
About The Author
Tara Sabeti is Vice-President of Marketing at http://www.BeautySteals.com an online retailer of cosmetics, skin care and fragrances. A graduate of Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, she has spent more than five years researching and working in the cosmetics and fashion industries.
Useful Home Products Will Help Your House Sale Profits
December 31, 2005
Even if you’ve never been involved in the sale of house before and yours is about to go on the market, you probably know enough about the process to be able to repeat, like a litany: clean it; paint it; fix it. But do you find yourself asking: How clean does the house have to be and how do I tackle the job? Do I really have to paint? What are the best colors to choose? What do I need to repair? When considering these questions, it’s good to remember that most prospective home buyers are an unimaginative lot. Your house may be immaculate but if the rooms are cluttered, crowded, and dark, they may appear to be less clean and much smaller than they really are. Picture this: an old, seven-piece mahogany dining room suite plus a rocking chair and seven boxes of books packed in anticipation of your move are wedged into a dark green room with a brown rug and a window covered by heavy velvet drapes. Why is this decorating scheme a mistake? It’s because most people are unable to imagine how big and beautiful the room would look if painted off-white, everything removed but the dining room suite, a pastel tablecloth and a fresh flower centerpiece on the table, curtains stripped from the window, the rug removed, and everything spotlessly clean. In the words of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, you must “make it so”; otherwise, it might take you a very long time to sell your house and the offers to buy will not only be slower, but lower. Clean, Clean, Clean Your best friend when cleaning your house for resale will be tri-sodium phosphate (TSP) or its equivalent. TSP is one of the home products that top the list of must-haves, and it’s not expensive. Roll up your sleeves, put on your rubber gloves and scrub your walls and ceilings, and anything else that needs your elbow grease. Unless you can afford professional cleaners, there’s no way out of this one. Carpet cleaning is another must and there are home products for the do-it-yourselfer or you can hire a cleaning company to take care of this job. If you have shabby rugs scattered throughout the house, forget cleaning them; it’s probably better to remove them altogether. There are home products to clean things that require special care ? ceramic tile, porcelain, stainless steel, wood cabinets, aluminum siding, etc., and you can find whatever you need at your neighborhood hardware store. Ask questions and read labels. When using commercial cleaning products, wear gloves and a mask. It’s wise to be careful. Paint for a Pristine Finish As thorough as your cleaning job is, it won’t have much impact on sagging, faded wallpaper, gouges in the walls, or cracked and peeling paint. Repainting is the solution, and interior painting jobs start with stripping off old wallpaper, attacking cracks and gouges with filler, and then getting to work with your roller and brush. This is also the time to do all the small repairs that need your attention: hammer in nails; repair the broken step; replace the broken glass. When selecting paint, the best colors for your walls and ceilings are white, off-white, cream, creamy off-white ? you get the picture. A light, cool, neutral color can fit into everyone’s decorating scheme. (You want that young couple to see your home as the perfect setting for their red plush love seats.) If you have recently painted one or more rooms in quite dramatic colors, leave them as they are. As long as the walls and trim are clean and fresh, prospective buyers won’t mind a bit of repainting if they want to change the colors ? the main thing is not to overwhelm them. If you need to paint the outside of your house, it’s not necessary to restrict yourself to neutral colors for exterior paint; however, a bright color is not a good choice. Something fairly subdued is better, but be creative when painting the front door; a dramatic touch might be needed to make your house memorable. It’s easy for a buyer to repaint a door if he or she doesn’t share your love of Christmas red or purple passion. Remove the Clutter It’s time to say goodbye to your high school chemistry notes, the clothes you outgrew five years ago, the playpen your twelve-year-old no longer needs, and everything else your family will never use again, read again, or wear again. Be tough! Do it! Take it to the dump; hold a garage sale; donate it to your favorite charity. Don’t let it take up any more of your storage space ? you’re going to need it all to store the things that are currently stacked on shelves and floors and cluttering up counter tops throughout the house. Important home products that can help you deal with this part of your preparation are closet organizers. They come in every size and style imaginable, and you are sure to find something suitable. When you have everything neatly stored in your closets and cupboards, walk through the house and pick up and put out of sight everything else on your counters and table tops that don’t need to be there. “Clutter-free” means clutter-free and it won’t kill anyone in the family to have to reach under the counter for the dishwashing detergent or the toothpaste for the next few days or weeks. You probably don’t think of furniture as “clutter,” but clutter is anything that unnecessarily crowds a room, a doorway, or a hall. If your home has very small rooms and you can manage without some furniture items for awhile, arrange to use a friend’s garage or basement to store them. It will “open up” the rooms and make your house appear larger and brighter, and that’s a good thing. Let There be Light Sunlight is a friend to the house seller, and you should try and let as much of it into the house as you can. Wash windows inside and out and wash or dryclean the window coverings: curtains, drapes, and blinds. Before showing the house to a prospective buyer, replace burned-out light bulbs, turn on the lights, open the windows, lift the blinds, and pull back the drapes. Final Touches Ask a non-smoking, non-pet-owning friend to come into your house when you have finished cleaning and painting. Are all the pet odors and smoking odors gone? If the house passes the sniff-test, place some potpourri in open dishes to add a fresh, clean scent; otherwise, get back to work. Finally, step outside and see what a prospective buyer’s first impression of your yard is likely to be. Mow the lawn, trim the hedges and bushes, weed the garden, edge the flowerbeds, and sweep and clean the walkway, deck, or patio. Your yard is another selling feature of your house, and must be clean and tidy, too. Home products can help make your house appear big, bright, clean, and ready for a prospective buyer to move right in, which is exactly what you want.
Scott Gray is currently a freelance writer and enjoys providing tips to consumers who are in the market for all types of home improvement projects, bathroom accessories and garden supplies.
A Minute Can Turn into Hours for the Child of a Work-at-Home Mom
December 31, 2005
In theory, working at home is an ideal situation. But in reality, it’s difficult to balance the needs of your family with the needs of your clients.
Phones, fax machines and e-mails have no common courtesy, nor does your client really care about your personal situation. You are simply a means to an end consisting of a telephone number, an e-mail address and a 1099 at the end of the year. For the most part, you are not afforded special considerations and must respond to their needs or your business will suffer.
Long before I began my career as a writer, I was already a work-at-home mom. I provided outsourcing solution to a variety of clients, which included bookkeeping, personnel records, reports and creating employee handbooks and mission statements. Initially my clients were leery; it was a time when home businesses were just emerging. I went to great lengths to establish and maintain my associations. Part of my success was the perceived illusion was that I was available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Continuously, I had to prove my home life did not interfere with their business needs or deadlines.
One day, as I absentmindedly brushed my son off and repeated the phrase, “just a minute” for the fifth time, I suddenly realized why he had no concept of time. That “minute” I was speaking of was hours away, at best. The business I built so that I could be at home with him was also the business that was taking me away from him. I turned back to my computer to complete the report I was working on and my son returned to his video game in frustration. It was then I realized my solution was only a paragraph away.
I was experienced in writing mission statements for my clients. These leadership tools are used in the corporate world to define goals, values and purpose. A successful business takes commitment, resources, responsibility, problem solving, honesty and hard work. Doesn’t that also define raising a child? Parenting consists of all those factors and so much more.
As in any business, the business of raising a child will bring accomplishments, successes and rewards, but it will also have it’s share of conflicts, disappointments and setbacks. However, when it comes to the business of family the stakes are much greater than a new client, a contract, a promotion or a raise; they involve the wellbeing of your child.
The emotional difficulties of childhood serve to build strength, courage and character. But to a child, these conflicts may feel catastrophic if they have no one to turn to. You can help prepare your child to cope if you take time out each day to remind him how much you love him, express your commitment to his wellbeing and provide positive affirmations that help foster confidence.
Just as you keep focus on your business goals and rise to meet your company’s mission statement, keep focus on your personal goals as a parent. Run your family business with the integrity and respect of a healthy, thriving corporation. Define your ideals, set plans to action, keep communications open and reward success. Encourage individuality, praise creativity and share the wealth. Be positive and proactive. The business of family is one to be celebrated and cherished. It may not be listed as a FORTURNE 500, but it is the most important business of all.
A PARENT’S MISSON STATEMENT
The purpose of this Mission Statement is to express my love, support and commitment to you. As your parent, I promise to help you achieve your dreams and goals by providing you with a safe and nurturing environment. I respect your opinion and I encourage your creativity. I will be there to praise your accomplishments and comfort you in your disappointments. I promise to accept you as you are, support your decisions and honor you as a special and unique individual. You have the right to a safe and happy childhood and as your parent, I am committed to providing this to you.
TIPS FOR WORKING AT HOME
The luxuries you dreamed of as a work-at-home mom can quickly lead to burdens unless you are organized and scheduled. This schedule consists of a balance between business and family and activities should work in harmony with your child’s needs, not against them.
Define your work area and organize it so valuable time can be spent on the task at hand.
Determine quiet times, such as early morning or after your child goes to bed. Use this period to complete tasks that need the most concentration.
Set a start and finish time for your workday.
Allow a full day off from work each week and stick to this schedule as much as possible.
Start each morning by talking with your child about the day’s events. Include your child in these plans. By informing him of your activities, he will be comforted in the knowledge that there will be time for him.
Remember that you are entitled to breaks, lunch, vacation time and even sick time. You are the boss.
When it comes time for your break, stop working, compliment your child for his cooperation, and spend the next block of time enjoying the moment.
Record an “out to lunch” message and set your phones daily. Even if you are sitting at your desk, do not answer the phones. Your clients will become accustom to your schedule.
If you need to run an errand, but are concerned about missing an important call, don’t wait around stressing, forward calls to your cell phone.
Consider hiring a babysitter a few hours per week to read or play with your child or do a special craft.
Most of all, remember your priorities as a parent and your commitment to your personal mission statement. When your child needs to talk, be grateful he or she is turning to you. Keep the lines of communication open, there will come a time when they need you for more than a glass of milk and a snack. And when that time comes, they might not be able to wait, “just a minute”.
About The Author
Patricia Gatto and John De Angelis are the authors of MILTON’S DILEMMA, the tale of a lonely boy’s magical journey to friendship and self-acceptance. As advocates for literacy and children’s rights, the authors speak at schools and community events to foster awareness and provide children with a safe and healthy learning environment. For more information, please visit Joyful Productions at http://www.joyfulproductions.com
Go Where No Man Or Woman Has Gone Before
December 31, 2005
"It`s life Jim but not as we know it."
-Spock
In Corrogue there is a starry, starry night.
This evening the night sky is so very clear and full of stars. The Milky Way is clearly visible. There is a sense of wonder at the beauty of it all.
When I used to watch television I loved the program created by Gene Rodenberry named "Star Trek." Each week the crew of the Starship Enterprise were encouraged, "to go where no man (or woman) has gone before."
The crew of the Starship Enterprise had many adventures. Often the ships logical First Officer Spock would be asked by the captain James T Kirk what he thought about a particular life form they happened to encounter. Spock would often reply, "It’s life Jim but not as we know it."
This is a wonderful description of the miracle that each of us is.
We are life flowing eternally but we do not know it. We do not, in that sense, know who we really are and the vastness of the beauty that we are. We are encouraged to look ever outward and forget the real beauty of our being. This is where heaven truly lies.
The energy that is life is the energy of love.
This is an unconditional timeless flow that manifests in form from the formless. From this emptiness all is created. This is the wonderful paradox of this experience we call life. Everything happens out of "no-thing." We are each a most wondrous "nobody special.” We each are the compliment of the Beloved. We live a life of paradox whereby everything is created from "no-thing."
Do not be like the logical First Officer Spock. Do not try to make logical sense out of this paradox. You can know this only by feeling it to be true. The difficulty, however, is that to know and feel this truth you have to disappear. You have to become life but not as you know it. You have to become the dance of the Divine. You become the play of the Beloved.
When you know life as essence there is only the knowing.
There is no one who is different from the knowing. There is unity. You and the knowing are one. There is non-separateness. There is a whole and holy experience. This is not resisted. It is not judged but simply allowed to flow moment to moment. When listening to music there is only the listening. When looking at a sunset there is only looking. There is no interpretation or comparison of this sunset with another. There is only the wonder of the moment. The observed and the observer are one.
Much of our time is spent on making a living and losing our lives in the process.
We compromise our birthright of joy in living a role that gives us some imagined degree of security and value. We fear we might become “nobody special.” We fear that "our" life might not measure up. "Our life" in the end might not have any meaning. So we create any sort of meaning rather than "our life" have no meaning at all.
In this age of celebrity and the fame we want to at least have some sense that we have achieved. We want to be seen as somebody special. We want to be someone who’s life is important in some little or even large way.
In this way we lose our life.
This is what Christ meant when he said, "He that would save his life shall lose it. " He wasn’t advising you that if your life was in anyway threatened that you should simply allow yourself to die. He meant that the lack of faith in the unknown leads us to create an illusion of separateness. The ego creates a life separate from the "real life." It creates life but not life as we know it. The real life is that spoken about by the mystics of all traditions and cultures.
Knowing who you are is the "real life." It is eternal life. It is the great instruction. If you move through "your" life without knowing who you are then you will have missed. This knowing who you are is a heart felt timeless experience of love. It is wisdom. It is the deepest Blessing available.
When you seek you will find. What you find is the seeker is an illusion. You find that the "homeplace" of the heart is a place of oneness, wholeness, non-sperateness and joy. You are a holy being of light. This light is the unconditional eternal energy of Love. When you know that you are this then you know the Blessing is already here.
"God is love" and you have never and can never be separate from this unity. You are made in the image of the Beloved. You are a living paradox of knowing that everything is eternally being born out of no-thing.
The rational First Officer Spock of the Starship Enterprise will tell you that he cannot comprehend this. This is akin to asking the rational mind to turn somersaults. The rational mind thinks in opposites. It is only the heart that can embrace paradox. Only the heart can feel comfortable that black is white and not white at the same time.
The heart knows what the head cannot. The head rationalises which means it can only ever know in part (the word "part" is the root of the word "ratio.") The heart embraces wholeness and the holy. This is wisdom.
In gazing at the emptiness of the night sky I experience wonder. This simple looking allows me to go where few men (or women) have gone before. In the vastness of this nothing ness there is fullness beyond belief. This fullness is the experience of unconditional love for all eternity. Knowing who you are is knowing you are this. This is the real discovery.
This is the real life but not life as the ego will ever know it.
© 2005 Tony Cuckson
Tony Cuckson is an Anam Cara. This Celtic term means "Soul Friend." He specializes in providing insight for the spiritual journey, Irish Blessings, words of wisdom and finding inner peace. Visitors to Irish Blessings Matter website and Tony’s Blog get the opportunity to develop a purpose driven life through articles, newsletters and other programs. Get your free report called "7 ways to it’s a wonderful life" at http://www.irishblessingsmatter.com or visit Tony’s Blog at http://www.irishblessingsmatter.info for the best resources on spiritual growth, spiritual cinema, spiritual parenting, spiritual coaching and spirit in business.
Chimney Cap Checklist: Four Quick Ways to Evaluate Your Existing Chimney Cap
December 31, 2005
While you are cleaning leaves out of your home’s gutters, dealing with Christmas lights, or adjusting a satellite dish, don’t forget to check on your chimney caps while you’re on the roof. Chimney caps are those mesh-sided enclosures (usually made of stainless steel, copper, or galvanized steel) atop your chimney to prevent water, animals, bird droppings, and leaves from entering your home. A once-a-year assessment of your chimney caps’ condition can be well worth your time for protecting your house. Here are four things you can easily check on your chimney caps:
1. Are the chimney caps there? If there have been high winds in your area, your chimney caps may have blown off. Properly secured chimney caps withstand most high winds, but exceptional winds can do damage, including blowing chimney caps off.
2. Are the chimney caps securely attached? Time, wild animals, or high winds can degrade the security of your chimney caps’ attachment to your flues or chimneys. You can retighten screws or reapply a sealant if your chimney caps are no longer securely attached.
3. Are the chimney caps rusting through? Galvanized steel chimney caps generally last about three to five years before they become too rusted to serve their purposes. In salt water environments, galvanized chimney caps corrode even more quickly. Stainless steel and copper chimney caps usually have lifetime warranties, so they are good replacement choices for those who don’t want to be replacing their chimney caps every few years.
4. Are the sides of your chimney caps clogged? The mesh or screen sides of your chimney caps may get clogged with leaves or other detritus forced into the mesh by very high winds. More frequently, chimney caps’ mesh can get clogged with soot and creosote, especially if you are using unseasoned, green firewood. This clogging is most common in chimney caps designed with smaller mesh holes for use in wildfire prone areas. If the mesh sides of your chimney caps are clogged, your fireplace’s or woodstove’s draft will be reduced, leading to poor performance or even to a chimney fire.
When you head up to the roof, take along a metal tape measure, paper, and pencil. In case you find you need new chimney caps, you will have the tools at hand to measure your flues or chimney crown for their replacement chimney caps.
Susan Penney appreciates simple ways to make our homes renewing spaces for our families. She invites you to visit http://www.fireplacemall.com for fireplace accessories to serve your fire-less or your fire-filled fireplace.
