Lose It

So today I got more shirts. It started off with two pairs of shorts and two tee shirts, but my collection has quickly morphed into a hodge-podge of shirts and shorts decidedly larger than two of each. At first it was fun seeing what new shirts I could get so I only needed to do laundry once a week. Unfortunately, now I have a lot of shirts and a lot of shorts, and it bugs me. Having things just for the sake of having things is terrible. If there isn’t a reason to have something, in my mind, it is only holding you back. Excessive consumption, even if it has little to no financial cost, clutters the house, the mind, and the spirit. 

Another Switch

Today I was with totally new groups, which was fun, because I got to meet totally new kids. Some of them I had seen around the gym and not had a chance to introduce myself yet; others were totally new. Either way getting to know new people is definitely something I immensely enjoy. Meeting new people is a mental exercise. You need to remember new faces, names, and fact, but, above all that, you get create new social bonds. It’s a great feeling when kids seek you out to say goodbye, or give you crap when you’re with a different group during the same time as them. I know I’ve created a strong social bond, one that will last for at least eh summer, when something like this happens. Creating strong social bonds won’t just bring you success in the fitness industry, it will bring you success in life.

On Today's Menu

Today Eric, one of the interns at the house, decided to try and do all of weekly grocery shopping at Whole Foods instead of Costco. This is because the two of us want to eat more organic and local food, because it’s better for everything except our wallets. Usually, we would just go to Costco and buy things as they looked good, but today we planned a menu for the week. Unfortunately, due to obscenely high price of organic bacon, we had to change a lot of our meals around, and in the end we were both happy with what we purchased: close to 90% of the food was organic and nearly 50% was produced in New England. However, none of this would have happened if we weren’t flexible with our plans. Bacon was one of our staple foods, but we had to replace it with grass-fed organic liver. This saved us a ton of money and probably adds a ton of nutrition to our diets. Going into events with a plan is generally a great idea, but, in all likelihood, something will come up that derails the plan and leaves you hanging. I think that it’s best to hope that your plan will go through as directed, but don’t be afraid to do some informed freestyling when it doesn’t.

Welcome to the Good Life

So today we had to leave the epic lake house. It was a great time, and I wouldn’t change a thing from these past couple of days. However, I am not at all saddened to leave for a couple of reason. The first reason is there is a ton of stuff to get done tomorrow.  Besides grocery shopping and cooking for the week with a new menu, I need to do laundry, type up some articles and these posts, and read a couple hundred pages. This would be next to impossible if I had to do a two hour drive tomorrow morning. Similarly, I think leaving social situations a bit early is always the wise thing to do. It guarantees you will never overstay your welcome, and it helps people realize a bit of your social worth. The last reason I am happy to leave is the fact we are going to buy lobsters at $4.90/lb. A lobster dinner will be a great way to cap off this amazing 4^th weekend.

Lend a Hand

Today at Jack’s house, I offered to help his dad, Steve, make a quick repair on his boat. Even though I knew it was going to be an easy repair, it never hurts to have an extra set of hands when making repairs on a boat. I didn’t really do much in terms of helping, but one thing that I’ve realized is it never hurts to make yourself available to help. Lot’s of times you can learn something new, but, most of the time, you’ll end up learning a ton about the people you are working with. I learned a ton about what Steve was doing now, what he had done in the past, and what his plans were for the future. It’s incredible how much people are willing to talk, when their minds are mildly preoccupied with some other task.

Cruisin

One reason America is so great is the roads. You can learn so much about an area by driving on its roads. Little tidbits about the geography, the flora and fauna, the weather, and even the people all float along the roads. All of this was especially apparent while driving through Maine. This had to be one of the best drives I ever made. There was so much green and the traffic moved so freely. In my mind, in order to truly know a place, you must have driven through it. But along with this, be in the moment during the drive. So many times people view the car as a means to an end, when the journey itself can be so informative and truly enjoyable. Roll down the windows and savor what’s passing you by.

Aww Yeah

Tonight we are going to celebrate the Fourth of July Boston-style, so I’m going to make this short. Wherever you are, enjoy the holidays in the style of the natives. It’s been done that way for a reason, and I think celebrations are the only things we haven’t messed up too much.