Einstein: Way More Than Physics

Einstein continues to inspire me with every quote I read.  The man was so much more than a brilliant physicist.  He pushed the boundary of scientific and social acceptance.  He had a beautiful view of life that focused on respect and compassion.  That alone made him one of the most brilliant men this world has ever seen.

“Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are incapable of forming such opinions."

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”  

“I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” 

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”  

“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” 

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”  

“I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.” 

“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” 

Resolutions

I love New Year’s resolutions. My husband decided not to make any this year because he never keeps them and doesn’t see the point in waiting until a specific date to do something. While I partially agree with this attitude, the idea of a fresh start is so inspiring.  Every year a flood of resolutions and goals fill my mind. I wake up with a spring in my step looking forward to a healthy new me. And then February hits and I revert to old habits.  But!  Then something new will inspire me and I’ll jump back on board. The cycle of my life: always seeking fresh sources of inspiration. I see no reason to pass up a source that reliably presents itself every year.

Picking a resolution is difficult because there are too many things I’d like to improve in my life: eat better, exercise more, sleep more, keep a cleaner house, keep a more organized house, read more, watch TV less, have more spontaneous dance parties, spend more quality time with family and friends, arrange more play-dates for Rachel, do more yoga, do more art projects, be less cranky, have fewer headaches, take fewer trips to the vet, procrastinate less, spend less money, go on more vacations, etc. 

Basically perfection based on contradicting desires.

I read a tip once that if your resolutions are very specific they will be much more achievable than vague “be healthy” goals.  Thus I’ve narrowed my choices down to three very specific things.

1. Be a more conscientious consumer by making sure all my cleaning and hygiene products are cruelty free.
2. Participate in three running events.  
3.  Find six new, delicious, healthy recipes to add to our regular rotation.

They should be practical and I’ve already started all three. I found a list of cruelty free companies on PETA’s website, reviewed most of the products I buy, and started reviewing local stores for available brands. I have a 10K planned for the end of February, made a training chart, and did my first run this morning. I made an experimental “pumpkin pie milkshake” this morning and while I don’t think it will make the regular rotation, experimentation is a good start.

What are your resolutions?

Never Give Up

I found this video so inspiring.

It makes me want to pick a really hard yoga pose and practice every day until I'm super buff.  I bet my toddler would find it fun and/or funny so see me trying it every day and "helping" me do it, so no excuses not to!

An ab intensive pose might be good.  My abs are definitely one of my weakest points.  This one looks like a good challenge.

http://www.dare2mag.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Yoga-Boat-Pose-698x558.jpg

Then again, a pose to stretch out my always rock hard shoulders would be helpful.  Sadly, they are not rock hard from being buff.  Think giant knot of pain.

http://www.myyogaonline.com/community/blog/safe-wrists-in-yoga-chest-opening-poses

Then again, I've always thought it would be awesome to be able to do the splits.

http://media2.onsugar.com/files/upl0/1/12981/14_2008/E-1.larger/i/Yoga-Pose-Week-Wide-Legged-Forward-Bend-E.jpg

Decision, decisions.

Perhaps I can choose based on which pose is the most pathetically executed on my part and thus has the most potential for improvement.  I'll let you be the judge.  Here are Rachel and I trying each pose.  Note that I am wearing the warmest, softest, and least flattering PJs ever.  I didn't feel like trying to look cute for pictures today.  Besides, the frumpier I look in the before pictures the more awesome my after pictures will look right?

Boat Pose

Chest Opening Pose

Wide Legged Forward  Bend Pose

Cast your votes! 

I know what you're thinking...just do them all!  Well, sure, I could do that.  One of the best things, however,  about the Lord of the Rings series is the singular focus.  Sure Frodo has to fight orcs, temptation, giant spiders, etc, but the one goal is to destroy the ring.  All the others are challenges along the way.  Weird analogy?  Yeah, I'm a nerd.  But I love the simplicity of picking one thing and going for it.  My attention is already being pulled in a million directions with work, home, family, crafting, and shiny objects so why put the added pressure on myself to be awesome at everything at once?  Getting stronger by mastering one pose will improve all the others as a lovely side effect.  So, I do not accept "all" as an answer to this question. 

Fiction Inspired

If you could be any fictional character, who would you be and why?

When I'm in need of inspiration, I often turn to my favorite piece of fiction for a little pick me up.  I pick a book or movie, let myself get sucked in, and then let my imagination go wild.  I play my favorite scenes over in my head, changing points of view, and trying to relate to the different characters.  Sometimes I make up my own character and imagine how the story would change with my influence.

The characters I gravitate towards are always the same: strong, intelligent, and independent with at least one major character flaw or weakness to keep her relate-able and vulnerable.  Being the hero is great, but every once in a while it is fun to be saved too.

I've come to discover that my favorite characters have the characteristics I strive for in my self.  Ok, I don't strive to have one major character flaw or weakness, but you get the idea.  Imagining myself as these characters helps inspire me to be the ideal person I want to be.  Imagining myself as a Frodo in Lord of the Rings often inspires me to go for a loooooooooong walk.  Imagining myself as Goldmund in Narcissus and Goldmund inspires me to create art.  Imagining myself as Hermione in Harry Potter inspires me want to research something. My research is usually for a good recipe or birthday present instead of a way to defeat evil.  Equally important.

What piece of fiction has inspired you?

Success

"You can spend your life feeling deflated or embittered by other people's successes, or you can be inspired.  I choose inspired." ~Janelle Finley

Working Out with a Toddler

Trying to get in a workout here and there when Rachel isn’t feeling clingy and my husband is around to watch her is just not enough. I work out once every 10 days at that rate. I need a new plan.

Step 1: Get my parents to bring my baby home a half hour later one day a week, and sneak in the front door and upstairs another day when hubby is watching her. There. Two treadmill workouts during week.

Step 2: Commit to going for a run with the jogging stroller, rain or shine, once each weekend. Bring lots of crackers and toys for a happy baby. That puts the count at three cardio workouts per week.

Step 3: Work in some strength training…while watching Rachel. Hmmm.

After scouring the internet I found some really great ideas for working out with your toddler. One used playing cards where the suit told you which exercise to do and the value told you the number of reps. After drawing each card, the toddler can play with it while you do the exercises. I knew Rachel would quickly get tired of the cards, however, and I really wanted her involved since it would be more fun with both of us. Plus I like more variety than four exercises. I decided to reverse it and assign an exercise to each value of the cards and use the suit as the number of reps:

Diamond – 5 reps

Club – 10 reps

Heart – 15 reps

Spade – 20 reps

But let’s face it. Rachel will decide the number of reps. I can already see her figuring out what each card means and giving them to me so we do her favorite over and over.

I chose my favorite thirteen toddler exercises from the internet, typed them up on mailing labels, made four copies, and adhered them to the back of a deck of playing cards.

1. Bear Crawl: On hands and toes, butt in the air, knees soft, arms shoulder width apart. Bring knees towards stomach as you race your toddler.
2. Crab Walk: On hands and feet, arms soft, stomach towards the sky. Race your toddler. Eventually you should be able to keep a flat line from shoulder to knee.
3. I’m A Little Tea Pot: Stand in a semi-squat position (short and stout). Put one hand slightly behind your back for a shoulder stretch (handle). Stretch out your other hand/palm down about 45 degrees from your head (spout). Stretch your obliques when bending over (Tip Me Over). Encourage toddler to copy you and sing along.
4. Chase: Run after your toddler using high knees steps.
5. Stomping feet: While holding a crunch position, stomp your feet onto a paper grocery bag to make noise. Encourage your toddler to do the same.
6. Bird: Lie on your back with your knees up and feet flat. Hold your child above you, so that you face each other. Have her stretch out and flap her arms and legs. You can lift and lower your child, making bird or airplane noises. Tilt her from side to side as your own arm strength builds.
7. Wag Your Tail: Chase your toddler around on hands and knees while “wagging your tail” and barking like a dog. Make sure to move your head and should to get them stretched out.
8. Kangaroo: Holding your arms like a kangaroo, jump across a designated line on the floor (painters tape, shoestring). Encourage toddler to do the same and/or jump holding the toddler like a joey.
9. Downward Puppy: With child on her back, get into downward dog yoga position with plans on either side of your child. Make funny faces and hold for 20 seconds.
10. Elevator Squat: With feet three to four feet apart and holding your child, perform a squat making sure not to lock your knees.
11. Kissy Face: With child on her back, get on your hands and knees with palms on either side of her. Bend elbows, keeping abs tight, bringing your face down for kisses.
12. Toddler Twist: Sit on floor with your knees bent, holding your child against your chest. Sit up tall with your abs contracted and lean back about six inches as you twist your upper body slightly to one side. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. Throw in some kisses as you twist to make it more fun for your child.
13. Ring-A-Round the Rosie: Hold hands, skip, run, or gallop in a circle. When everyone falls down, add a slow motion squat before landing.

All set! Now I just need to hide the books from our workout space; keep the cards, painters tape, and paper grocery bag together in a handy spot; and get ready for some exhausting fun. I’ll keep you posted on how it all turns out.

Meditation on Traffic

I got busy talking to my mom and smooching on my wee one this morning and next thing you know...crap...I'm going to be late to work...again. Five or ten minutes, not a big deal. But the clock kept mocking me. I know all the "checkpoints" on the way to work that tell me how likely I am to be late. I know stressing won't get me to work any faster, so I try to concentrate on music and stay calm. Two minutes later I find myself willing the lights green. Then I pictured it - a small glowing green light the shape of an egg right behind my navel, inside me, emanating. When I was calm that light would grew, filling me, surrounding me, finally expanding and influencing the lights to green. A sly smile crossed my face. I had tapped into a secret power inside me.

Ok, sure, it took my glow the same amount of time it would normally take the signal to turn green again to expand far enough for its influence to work...or did it? My calmness sure made it seem shorter. And my checkpoints originally told me I was going to be 8 minutes later to work, but I was only 4 minutes late. Either way, my little egg served as a great meditation point and I went to work stress free. I'll let you be the judge.