The goals of meditation

(reposted from my own Facebook post) The goal of meditation is not outcome. It is not an arrival at a better place. Nor is it to become an X type of person with X characteristic as their defining feature. The goal is to be capable of choice, of free will, of self control. Often, as […]

The Cynic and The Skeptic (a thought experiment)

The cynic rejects. The Skeptic puts aside for now. The cynic presupposes fault with no prior experience. He makes up experience where he already has an opinion. The Skeptic is ambivalent, while waiting to lean in or walk out. The cynic assumes uselessness in light of moderate evidence to the contrary. The Skeptic assumes some […]

2017 Highlights

My wife recently sent out a Christmas card with a bunch of pictures on it. When I told her it was a bit deceiving, to show pictures from all of eternity, she promptly reminded me that all the pictures were taken this year (2017, at the time) and that we’d simply had an epic year. […]

Guiding Principles for 2018

I strongly prefer “guiding principles”, as oppose to resolutions, goals, or whatever else. I’m not oppose to all the aforementioned, but have found their utility in my life diminishing over time. I think that’s a good sign, frankly. There are only so many quantum leaps left. Massive actions just don’t seem to work a lot […]

Momento Mori Part II: Categorically Less

I am hoping that you caught the subtle irony of this title. In most people’s worlds, “less” is a function of degree. The same ingredients make up their daily, monthly, and annual lives, with the only variation coming in the form of degree. I ate too much. I didn’t exercise enough. I want more time […]

New Year, or just Different Year?

For many many years, I viewed New Years Resolutions as something “other” people did. People with less full-time resolution than I. People who needed change in their life. People who were too scared, procrastinatory, or unambitious to set goals in the middle of July or November on a Tuesday afternoon. Why would one wait until […]

It’s always behaviour or input.

This Post = Mind Dump I often attempt to systematize and create algorithmic thinking in my approach to health and performance. This does 2 things for me: It reduces stress, and It gives guidance. It’s not always about earth shattering info, but it is quite often about rigorous implementation, especially in thinking. I think I’ll […]

The Ground Up Round Up

AKA Let the Bodies Hit the Floor You hear the one about the three holes in the ground filled with water? No? Well, well, well…. If you were to walk into the gym any time in the first half of one of my workouts, you would always see the same thing: Benjamin on the ground. Call […]

Truths to Internalize Early in Your Career – Volume 1

I recently took a nap in a public park, like a homeless dude, except I was marginally better dressed at the time. I use the term “nap” loosely, simply because I had too much noise in my head, rendering me incapable of a full-on snooze. One of the topics mashing around between my ears, as […]

The List

Purpose: for reference Interstingness level: 3/10 This post is meant to be repeatedly linked, so I am not constantly referring to this injury, that crash, that physical derailment, and so on. I can just link up the number! Injuries and “hiccups” have been a defining feature of my life, and I assume I’ll write a […]