BLUE MIND

Price Lake, Blue Ridge Parkway, NC

Referring to his book Blue Mind, Marine biologist Wallace Nichols tells USA Today that “The term ‘blue mind’ describes the mildly meditative state we fall into when near, in, on or under water.  It’s the antidote to what we refer to as ‘red mind,’ which is the anxious, over-connected and over-stimulated state that defines the new normal of modern life.”  He notes that research has shown that being near blue water can enhance our mental health and help us achieve “an elevated and sustained happiness.”

And what’s the genesis of our red mind which conjures up images of bulging neck veins and blood vessels about to burst?  Neil Pasricha posits in the opening of his international bestseller, The Happiness Equation, “because life was mostly short, brutal, and highly competitive over the two hundred thousand years our species has existed on this planet.  And our brains are trained for this short, brutal, and highly competitive world.”

So, what’s his antidote?  Pasricha includes one of my all-time favorite observations in life from Viktor Frankl after surviving the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp; “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”  I’ve often written that there are many experiences in life that are beyond our control—with one exception—how we respond!  Pasricha states that if he knew everything about you “I could only predict about 10% of your happiness.  The remaining amount is not determined by your external world but by the way your brain processes it.”

I’ve learned over the years that one of the best responses to our chaotic culture is drawing on the ancient practice of mindful meditation.  Frankly, it’s a wonderful practice of calming your mind to achieve a peaceful and cleansing goal of reducing the daily stress of life.  Experiencing peace doesn’t mean that our lives are always joyful.  It implies that we have found the path to calming the mind in the midst of a normal hectic life.  Mindful meditation can be practiced almost anywhere if we focus on our favorite “go-to” quiet place in our mind.  Peace and relaxation can be found on vacation and day trips out into the serene beauty of nature.  All of my mindful quiet places occurred in the early morning light near the calm waters of expansive mirrored bodies of water.  

It’s truly amazing how this practice can transition the glowing Red Mind accumulated from the daily external world around us and slowly use its kaleidoscope power to morph into the calming Blue Mind that enables us to calm troubled waters and try again tomorrow.

DAY BLIND STARS

Overcast Skies, Jamestown NC

I’ve boarded both commercial and business jets on some of the most dismal, overcast days of my life.  These are the kind of days in late fall when there is a cold nuisance mist in the air which just adds to the depressing atmosphere.  These are not the kind of days that you wake up for a trip with unrivaled enthusiasm.  The plane begins its slow crawl away from the tarmac and makes its way in line for takeoff.  The engines strain against the grounded brakes and are suddenly set free to race down the runway and lift off into the mucky weather.  Droplets of moisture form lines across the windows as forlorn passengers blankly stare out into the nothingness.

And then it happens!  We burst out of the dense cloud ceiling into a pure white floor of mounding clouds highlighted by the bright sunshine.  That’s when it occurs to you that the sun was shining all the while you were complaining about the dark weather outside.  It was only the temporary cloud cover that had obscured your outlook on the day.  The sun was doing its thing in spite of the brief interlude of a weather front that was slowly dissipating. 

But have you ever considered that even on a beautiful sunny day in June the stars above are also waiting with their light?  It’s actually the intense sun that is obscuring their beauty and rendering us to being day blind to their presence.  Then the sun begins to pale on the western horizon as it slowly slips out of sight, taking its intense light with it.  Soon we are unconsciously aware that the light saber has been passed on to the myriad stars in the evening sky as the moon begins to rise and subtly reflect the sunbeams cast from the other side of our planet.  This becomes even more poignant when flying overhead at this transitional time of the day with a view of the skyline as major city lights begin to appear in the darkness below.  You’re left to wonder what all those millions of souls are doing right now and reflect on the unique smallness of your own being. 

  

Once I began to experience this revelation, dim overcast days and sunny days that I thought would never end came into better focus.  The Light in this world is always with us even though there are times that make it seem we have been abandoned.  We simply need the understanding that there will be times when life is obstructed by the dark things of this world and we need the faith to believe that the Light will never leave us and brighter days will come regardless of the situation.   

FREEDOM'S CHILD

Freedom's Child, Emporia, KS

Freedom's Flag, Jamestown, NC

Reflections on Independence Day, 2019

I’ve had a lifelong affair with vehicles and it must be in my genes as my father managed a service station early in life before operating trains and my grandson loves any kind of train, plane or automobile.  I know that I’ve driven over a million miles so far and I still enjoy an early morning drive through Starbucks for coffee and the freedom of the open road.  I’ve had the joy of driving all sorts of vehicles from my first customized Ford Victoria in the 50’s, dump trucks and all varieties of family and rental cars to the ultimate driving machine.  Those early morning drives are free from worldly distractions and enable one to clear the mind and meditate on what’s important.

That freedom of the road and of my life was purchased by the sacrifice of countless patriots starting in 1776, including WWII which took the lives of two of my uncles.  They were plucked from a Kansas farm life and thrust into the most horrific experiences that anyone can imagine.  The Medic never returned home and the Seabee returned to a completely distorted life after jungle malaria and untold demons.  I remember my grandmother finding solace in the Gold Star Mothers meetings she religiously attended and we sold poppies on Veterans Day to help those who returned with injuries. 

I was born during the war and enjoyed fruits of the post war boom or Pax Romana, a period of relative peace and prosperity in which there is one dominant nation, America.  My cousins and friends all benefited from this bustling period when most of the first world countries were rebuilding and America was riding the crest of the men coming home to a robust economy.  We spent lazy, hazy, crazy, endless days of summer running free in the Heartland pastures and riding bikes on the city streets until sunset.  Denim blue jeans with rolled up cuffs and pure white T-shirts with the sleeves rolled up were the uniform of the day along with flat top haircuts and suntanned skin in stark contrast.  Rock ‘N Roll music with Elvis ruled the airwaves as WLS in Chicago during the day and Wolfman Jack from Del Rio, Texas at night beamed into our cars dragging the gut!

The adults of this era were scarred from the horrors of war and perhaps showed some restraint to the children that were spared the experience.  But now in retrospect, I understand and truly appreciate their sacrifice and courage.  I also understand that freedom is not free and is always just one generation from being lost.  I do not appreciate those today who take our freedoms so casually.  And when it comes to respect for our flag and all that it stands for in this great nation, I will not defend the right of those who denigrate it.      

EXERCISE HAIKU

 EXERCISE HAIKU

Cycle, weights, sweat, sweat.

Always good to see the gym,

In rear view mirror.