Until recently, we generally assumed brain function was genetically inherited and hard-wired, but new research supported by advanced scanning techniques is revealing the old gray matter has a lot more muscle than we believed. If you’ve ever thought of yourself as not being good at math or perhaps … [Read more...] about Brain Power: Adding Some Extra Watts
The Search for Happiness and Joy 1
The quest for happiness and joy is as old as humanity itself, or possibly far, far older, depending on how much self-awareness you believe is needed to appreciate these things. Either way, it’s been kind of a long time. Which makes you wonder why we don’t already have a huge world surplus of both of … [Read more...] about The Search for Happiness and Joy 1
New Sort of Direction for Slow Dude
I’ve decided to make a few changes to Slow dude to help me refine its focus and look at particular areas in a more detailed and real way. So far, it has largely been a collection of travel, health, productivity and personal insight type posts, basically whatever was foremost in my mind when I sat … [Read more...] about New Sort of Direction for Slow Dude
More Thoughts on Who You Really Are
Since I wrote my original post about the power of asking yourself who you are, at a core, heart kind of level, I’ve had some really useful feedback and also reexamined the idea myself from a few different angles. Mostly the feedback was along the lines of how should I start to answer that, can I … [Read more...] about More Thoughts on Who You Really Are
So Just Tell Me, Who Are You Really?
A couple of days ago, I was reading a blog post in which the author described how he chose the tasks that were most important for him to focus on each day. His core guideline for this was to prioritize the activities that had the most positive impact on his life “as a writer.” It probably seems like … [Read more...] about So Just Tell Me, Who Are You Really?
So Spinach Does Make You Stronger…
With an increasing number of athletes posting top-level results on plant-based diets, there is growing interest in just how they are able to maintain and even improve strength. The list is long but it’s hard to argue with the achievements of elite triathletes like Richard Roll and Brendan Brazier or … [Read more...] about So Spinach Does Make You Stronger…
What Went Right in 2017, Pt. 3 Learning
This is the final section in my review of things that went well for me in 2017. Part 1 covers health and part 2 focus, and here I plan to look at my efforts to bring a little more direction to my learning practices. Despite various attempts over the years, I’ve only started to make real progress in … [Read more...] about What Went Right in 2017, Pt. 3 Learning
What Went Right in 2017, Pt. 1 Health
With the end of 2017 approaching fast, I’ve been trying to reflect on what went well this year and understand how to build on it in 2018. My plan was to take a long walk, allow my thoughts to bubble and ferment and then bottle the results for future use. It didn’t go so well – way too much bubbling … [Read more...] about What Went Right in 2017, Pt. 1 Health
Simple Technique for Quick Relaxation
Everyone has heard some variation on the saying “it’s the stress that’ll get you.” It is an old idea but one that is still true today, despite – or more likely because of – our modern lifestyle. Many people will tell you they thrive under pressure, and if they mean, for example, using deadlines to … [Read more...] about Simple Technique for Quick Relaxation
Time Visualization: Counting the Clock
I think a lot of us often ask ourselves where did the day go, where did the week go, where for the love of Mary is my life going? I surely do. And if you’re anything like me, your response at such times is to try to wring more “value” from each day by doing more things, more quickly. Unfortunately, … [Read more...] about Time Visualization: Counting the Clock