HERO MAINTENANCE: Inspiration

Heroes are the bright lights of the world, the lamps in dark places.  Being positive & upbeat is often enough to make a difference in the lives of those around you.  

Now, when I say "being positive" I'm not talking about the fake face of positivity we plaster on to meet the world. "Fired Up Buddy!"  "Yeah, I just had a fight with my wife & my car broke down! Life is Good!"  "It took me a half-hour to get out of bed because I'd rather shoot my self then face another day at this office but I'm excited!" "Awesome! Couldn't be better! I haven't made a sale in 2 months! Business is booming! Fired Up!" 

I'm talking about deep down, honest to goodness, positive belief structure.  The true "can do" attitude.  The mindset that sees not limitations but opportunities, not walls but the buildings blocks of future success, not set backs but adventures!  This way of being cannot be faked & speaking all Fired Up! to convince everyone else you are positive doesn't work either.  It's in the core of you.  A true, positive outlook is often something others can feel without you saying a word.  One person described it as "What walks in the room before you do."     

Now, have you ever tried to be this sort of positive all the time?  I'm sure you have.  I am also sure you've come to realize how taxing this way of being can be, especially in our American culture.  Cynicism is the way of humor in our culture.  Speaking an inspiring word to someone can often get you the "stink-eye" look from them.  When everything around you is critical & down-turned it's way to easy to be critical of everything yourself.

  

Then there's Life, that unrelenting wench of bad circumstances who likes to trip you up, kick you when you're down & laugh while she's doing it.  Oh the pangs of circumstance!  How can you keep yourself positive in such environments?  How do you keep your light burning bright?

You can't.  At least not by yourself.  

Every human has their limitations.  Every rock solid hero needs to be inspired & rejuvenated.  I don't care how amazing the hero is, they are not a perpetual motion machine that never runs out of juice.  We need inspiration.  A definition for Inspiration found on Dictionary.com is: 

     World English Dictionary

      inspiration  (ˌɪnspɪˈreɪʃən) — n

1. stimulation or arousal of the mind, feelings, etc, to special or unusual activity or creativity
2. the state or quality of being so stimulated or aroused
3. someone or something that causes this state 
4. an idea or action resulting from such a state 
5. the act or process of inhaling; breathing in 

Solid inspiration is not just warm fuzzies & cute kittens, it moves you!  It wakes up thoughts & stimulates activity!  It is the gasoline of your engine.  With out it, you stop.  Find things that inspire you everyday so you don't stop in the tasks you hope to accomplish.  Maybe it's music, a file of YouTube vids, a selection of writings & poetry that moves you.  Whatever gives you that breathe of fresh air, hold on to it like a lifeline.  Remember, you cannot inspire others if you are down & out yourself.  To make the analogy that life is an airplane you need to get your breathing mask on before you can help anyone else with theirs. 

This video I saw on Facebook has so inspired me: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=535184355831 Maybe it can be an inspiration to you too.  It's never too late to start again.  It's never to late to get up one more time.  No matter who tells you you are done, it's not over until you give up.  

HERO MAINTENANCE: Fitness

One thing is certain with classic heroes, they are physically active, action stars in many cases.  But if you go out right now & try to perform a hero's feat, how likely are you to injure yourself?  Today's Hero Maintenance entry is aimed to help you answer the previous question with a confident "Not Likely."

I've said previously that a hero's modus operandi is a commitment to training themselves constantly, so they are ready for whatever life throws at them.  Physical Fitness, I believe, is an important part of hero training, but many people have a hard time sticking to it.  Why?  Because it's hard? or it's boring? or it's just too easy to get distracted?  Whatever your reason for not working out, the bottom line is you need to, unless the apex of your heroic deeds is slaying dragons in Skyrim.  

This post is about fitness more then skill set, so I'm not going to give my opinions on the best martial skills to acquire nor the benefits to improving your Parkour, combat driving, or goose juggling skills. (Some people juggle geese!) Specifically I'd like to encourage you to just move more, as a "step one" to heroic readiness.  You may already workout regularly or even be like me - addicted to it!  "Hi, my name is Logan. I am a Work-Out-Aholic." But keep reading, this concept might help give you a fresh perspective.

So how do you stay consistent & workout regularly?  One thought is make it fun.  If you're able to do something you love as a workout, you're likely to workout more often.  If you have a sport you used to do maybe see if you can get back into it.  If there's a sport you always wanted to do, see if you can get into it now.  You might not ever be an Olympian in it, but you will be healthier & happier.  

What if you don't give a rip about the workout games we call sports?  Try making your workout fun; no I am not insane.  One of the things that pulled me into Parkour was the way the Parkour mindset makes me look at simple things differently.  Instead of just running through the city streets, play a game as you run, like:

• Run the curb edges, trying to keep balance.
• Don't step on any cracks.
• Only step on asphalt.
• Only run on grass. 
• When running through a parking lot, only step on the paint lines that delineate parking spots (that will stretch you!)

Basically just think of ways to make a workout interesting & mentally engaging instead of torturous, long, boring, & horrid.  Perspective often determines reality.  Whatever you can do to help your self keep moving is better than "I'll do it tomorrow . . . "  You might regret the workout where something goes wrong but you ALWAYS regret the workout you don't do.

What makes it Super?

16th July 2012 - "What makes it Super?"

I've been thinking for a while what makes a Super Hero (or Super Villain) Super?  Why aren't they just Heroes & Villains?  You might think, like I have, that it's super powers that make the Hero super.  But I've discussed previously that there are many comic book Super Heroes that have no super powers (Batman, Punisher, etc.)

Before we go too far lets define what Super is.  As an adjective Super means of the highest degree, of an extreme or excessive degree, or of a first degree - as in very good & first rate. Effectively Super Heroes & Super Villains are the best in their fields.  

Well maybe, like Batman & Punisher, the Super Hero is super good at a skill set?   That may be the case with many heroes but it's not what I'm going for here.  (However, I think aptitude is an important ingredient.)  Specifically, Super Heroes & Super Villains have a track record that puts them ahead of others in their field. If I had to simplify it down to a sentence:

"Super Heroes & Super Villains are who they are because they actively choose, plan for, & cultivate the necessary attributes required to become the best Hero or Villain they can be." 

By now you must be wondering why I keep adding in Super Villains to the discussion; "isn't this the Hero-Hearted Blog?"   Yes, you are in the right place.  The truth of the matter is being a Hero or being a Villain is very similar; being a Hero just takes a little more work.  Everyday each of us chooses whether to be a Hero or a Villain; sometimes multiple times a day we make this choice.  

• Someone comes to you with an embarrassing moment - Do you say the encouraging thing or say the funny thing that gets a laugh but mocks the troubled person?
• An old guy needs help carrying something - Do you stop & help or walk past pretending he doesn't exist, like the 3 people before you did?
• Do you choose the chips or the protein bar? 

You might say "But these are small things, they don't make or break being a Hero."  Little daily decisions define us. Who are you when no one you care about is looking?  

Generally, becoming a Super Villain doesn't happen overnight - it's a slow fade.  For many, the choice to be a normal Villain is easy, just choose yourself first.  And in many ways it's easy to choose the Hero's path when a moment of crisis arises, or if it feels good.  But this post isn't talking about Heroes & Villains, it's about Super Heroes & Super Villains.  This is about the little daily choices.  This is about making an active decision, choosing a side, planning for a future moment where you will need to be great.  What do you choose?  Who would you like to become?  

Actions become habitual & habits form your character which will ultimately determine your destiny.  Deeper at the root, what you think will determine how you choose to act & thoughts are just decisions; daily decisions.

Making the Hero/Villain choice is the easy part; living it is something else.  That's why the choice must be made everyday.  I hope you chose the Hero's path.  The world needs more Heroes.  Now, if you don't already know it, let me tell you first hand that you will fall down in your pursuit of being a hero.  Today I chose the chips.  But I have heard it said "A hero is the guy who gets up one more time."  Falling down does not force us on the Villain's path, staying down does.  

So I may never have super powers (but wouldn't that be awesome!) & may never be known for my heroics.  However, there is a Hero hidden inside of me that I can work towards being. I can choose daily to become a Super Hero.  Who are you choosing to become?

HERO MAINTENANCE: Do What's Important

10th July 2012 - "HERO MAINTENANCE: Do What's Important."

(Epic Pic, I know. We'll get back to that.)

So I just had my mind lifted by a friend & fellow Blog writer.  He wrote this article which is entitled "The Confidence of Doing". Honestly it could be the title of a self-help book.  In this article, the writer talks about how doing your responsibilities helps you to be in motion & basically get more done because you're doing.  Truly, action is a manifold cure. But, I do his writing no justice with a sentence or two summary, so go & read it yourself.  I connected with His post because like The Eclectic Runner, my wife & I have been going through a lot of crud.  To give you the short story, life draws a vacuum in a most house-less way.  (Long story to come later.)   

The Eclectic Runner's post specifically helped me think about prioritizing my day better.  I know, it's not directly related to what he wrote but it's what I thought of.  I'll take inspiration where I can get it.  DISCLAIMER: The rest of my Blog's entry will not really be related to what The Eclectic Runner wrote about.  I just had to give credit where credit is do & shamelessly promote my friend's blog :-D  Thanks for the inspiration bud!

With reading The Eclectic Runner's post I got inspired to start my first Blog-series, which is titled HERO MAINTENANCE.  The basic concept for this series will be to provide tidbits of info for maintaining you, the Hero of your life story (or the protagonist at least).  So here we go!  Do you know of the old self-help concept of "make time for the important things".  A classic parable for "doing what's important" is this one:

A college professor started his class one day by pulling out a tall glass jar & placing it on his desk.  He then grabbed a bucket of rocks & started to put the rocks in the jar until it was full and asked the class, 

“Do you think I can put anymore in this jar?” and the class seeing the jar full of rocks said “No.” 

The professor grabbed a bag of pebbles and poured them into the jar, filling the gaps between the rocks. The professor asked the class, “Do you think I can put anymore in this jar?” and the class seeing the jar full of rocks and pebbles thought there was definitely no more space so the majority said “No.” 

The professor then grabbed a bag of sand and poured it into the jar filling all the small gaps between the rocks and pebbles. Then the professor asked the class once more, “Do you think I can put anymore into this jar?” and the class, not desiring to be duped again said “Yes” but nobody knew how. 

The professor grabbed a beer, hidden in his desk, opened it, and poured it in the jar of rocks, pebbles, and sand. Then he asked the class, “Do you know what this represents?” 

A young man responded right away, saying, “There’s always room for beer?” The class chuckled as did the professor. Then the professor responded, “No. Always put the big things in first. If I had put the beer or the sand in first there would have been no room for the rocks; the important items in life.”

I'm sure we all have days like I had today.  Days where things are popping at work at a non-stop pace.  I had one of those crazy busy work schedules where, as soon as I get on top of my 'to do' list, poof, more urgent things jump on me.  But some how I keep it all together & I get it all straightened out. Then poof, more, & poof more!  I kick it into high gear & I knock it all out of the park.  Like The Eclectic Runner said, I feel good cause I've gotten a lot done!  I'm taking care of business!  

Then I get home & poof, I have even more tasks that beg my attention. Finish designing a website for a friend, get some phone calls done, get some progress on one of my many projects, do the dishes & laundry, blah, blah, blah.  

I'm sure you've been there.  And when you come to this crossroad you have a choice: knuckle under & keep doing the little tasks or say you've had enough for the day & take a slice for yourself.  I find it's hard to know what to choose & not feel guilty.  I have a hard time knowing when I've done enough in a day.  Are you like that at all?  Well today was a rare occasion for me, because I chose instead to say no.  Sometimes you just gotta let the chores lie & do what you gotta do!

Sometimes you have to yell "I will not be under the tyranny of the urgent!"  I will not let the 'important' little stuff eat up my life.

So tonight was that night for me, & so I went for a run.  But for me, running often involves many . . .   

 . . . detours.

Yep, that's me, bouncing from one wall to the next and back.  (sorry for the fuzzy pick, my cellphone is not the best camera.)  

I train in Parkour & Freerunning.  I have for many years.  I even taught the art for a couple years at a local gymnastics gym.  I love it!  It's one of the few things I can call mine.  Parkour is a great escape.  Tonight I decided I had to go run & it ended up being a good reward for a long day.  

This particular area in the picture features two outdoor walls that are close enough together to perform a Tic-Tac, as it is called in Parkour, where the athlete run-jumps from one wall to another & keeps going.  It's a combination move that can be fairly tricky & it's one of my favorites.  The Tic-Tac is one of the moves that drew me into Parkour in the first place.  All you have to do is see one good Jackie Chan movie & you'll wanna do it too. 

Anyway, back to my night.  I almost literally ran into this location today, when I had that 'ah-HA!' moment, like "There you are! Where have you been?"  I had forgotten this location, which is surprising because it's perfect to train the Tic-Tac, one of my favorite moves.  It's sad to think I had forgotten such an awesome place.  

In truth, I had forgotten how good it feels to do those things that help you breathe deep, release pressure, & just be who you are supposed to be.  It is so easy in this busy life we lead to get pulled away from the things that bring us alive, that make a heart sing.  It's so easy to get caught in the urgent & forget what's truly important.  And that's what happened tonight, I got a chance to remember what's important not just do what I enjoy.  It was like a breathe of fresh air.

So, to those other neurotic people, who like me, are more likely to get caught up doing the little stuff, instead of the important stuff, i ask: What keeps you going?  Why do you work so hard?  What's your reward at the end of a long day? 

What walls are you leaving empty?

Go find them!

The Cure for an "Epic-Drained" Day

8th July 2012  "The Cure for an "Epic-Drained" Day"


So I need a quick show of hands, who gets to slay dragons everyday?  Or rescue a princess (or prince, or a kitten)?  Or defeat an evil wizard?  Or super villain?  Or an army of wicked pygmy aliens bent on world domination?  Yeah, me neither.  It kinda sucks too. Everyday life can be horribly mundane, don't you think?  

There is nothing courageous in doing everything "the way you are supposed to".  There's nothing heroic in working like a fiend in an okay job that you "can" do but does not come anywhere close to what you are called to do.  There's nothing epic in paying your bills & trying to not starve; particularly when you're not in the wild where starving is an actual risk.  

There's a serious lack of awesome in modern life. No dragons to slay or villains to stop.  The soul-sucking absence of a quest is draining.  I heard it said best, "Absence of conflict does not denote presence of peace."

So I have a solution a "5-Steps to More Epic Day" you can apply everyday to break up the monotony:

1. Make it harder.  Taking out the trash is so ordinary.  Creating a new sport is epic: Trash Sport
2. Get sneaky. Don't just say hi to a friend, sneak up on them (as long as they're not someone with rough combat reactions)
3. Take the long way. Going up or down stairs conventionally is boring so try something new. Better yet, train in Parkour before you get too crazy.  Don't let this happen.
4. Narrate everything.  Animals, people driving next to you, children, or your own actions get infinitely more entertaining when you narrate the happenings. 
5. Add a soundtrack.  Every hero has a cool soundtrack & music is good for the soul; but don't do it like Kronk

If these don't make your day-to-day more Epic, it'll at least be more entertaining or your money back!

To get a return on your money would you first please send me a payment.  

Money Orders, Cash, or Paypal are fine.  

After your payment is processed I'll be sure to return a portion. 

Guaranteed. 


P.S.: Thanks to the Youtube contributors for the links used in this post.

Un-Sparkly Independence Day

4th July 2012 - "Un-Sparkly Independence Day"


As I mentioned previously Colorado is burning, nay melting as we speak.  Wild fires rage up & down the Rocky Mountains, though they are steadily being contained; Thank You Fire Crews!!!  Due to the wild fires & the super dry conditions, nearly the entire state is under a fire ban.  No fireworks this 4th of July.  Many towns have canceled their main firework displays & the places that do have firework shows are going to be a nightmare to go to because everyone is gonna go there.  


For me, Independence day is one of my favorite holidays.  I love what it stands for & what the average activities are.  It's a downer for me that I will not get to see fireworks this year.  I'm all for celebrating the United States of America's Independence from tyranny of any kind!  Let Freedom Ring!!!  And I know fireworks shouldn't make the 4th of July for me; I can be proud & patriotic in other ways.  But really, no fireworks :-(  I mean, who doesn't love watching stuff blow up?


Veterans.


Many military veterans love blowing stuff up & I can't blame them.  But when it comes to things blowing up that they are not in control off, particularly stuff that sounds like artillery, a number of veterans have a really hard time.  Some just get on edge while others go into a Flashback, having to relive a horror of their past.  My heart goes out to these veterans today. 


Fireworks is one of the best parts of celebrating our American Independence!  For those who cannot enjoy them anymore I say Thank You!  I'm so sorry for the burdens you bear daily.  I would like to thank all of America's service men, past, present & future, for sacrificing the time spent in service, the injuries to your body, the lost friends, & to those who gave the final contribution, I thank you sacrificing your life.  But to those veterans with us today who look at Independence Day with conflicted feelings of patriotism & dread, who dread the hell that they know is coming to visit them tonight while many of us celebrate . . .


THANK YOU 


Thank You for sacrificing even the ability to celebrate the freedom you fought for.  May your contributions never be forgotten & may you find some peace tonight.  Happy Un-Sparkly Independence Day!!!

HEROES FOUND!!!

2nd July 2012 - "HEROES FOUND!"


YES!  Heroes still live in this world!  Check this site out: http://www.reallifesuperheroes.org/


What a cool concept!  If you read through their About Us section, Real Life Super Heroes is a civil service organization built around the ideals represented by superhero stories.  No, they're not other-worldly beings with super powers or mutant humans with special abilities.  They're people, like you and I who hope to make a difference wherever they are. 


These Real Life Super Heroes feel the tug to do more & help humanity.  Some have helped stop crimes in progress, helped solve crimes, or even helped prevent crimes by raising awareness.  Some of these Heroes have helped the injured in need or just helped serve society with Charity Work, Hospital Visits, & other general helps.  I think what they do is awesome!  "So shines a good deed in a weary world." So shines a bright light in a dark world.


Reading through the RLSH's Creed: http://www.reallifesuperheroes.org/about/creed/  (which is awesome), I thought it misses something.  I'm not sure if misses is quite the right word but it inspired a thought in me.  What is the number one thing all Heroes must have?  What is the bottom line most important thing?  Is it a super power or a flashy costume?  No, as far as I know it, the Superhero Punisher (Marvel Comics) is just a guy with a gun (actually a few guns) who barely has any costume at all.  So what is the baseline requirement to be considered a Hero?


Dictionary.com defines hero as:

1.  a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.
2. a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: He was a local hero when he saved the drowning child.

I posted only the first 2 definitions, as the others do not apply to this post.  The first short paragraph on Wikipedia's  article Hero is:


A hero (heroine is usually used for females) (Ancient Greek: ἥρως, hḗrōs), in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion.^[1] Later, hero (male) and heroine (female) came to refer to characters who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, display courage and the will for self sacrifice—that is, heroism—for some greater good of all humanity. This definition originally referred to martial courage or excellence but extended to more general moral excellence.


So, looking at these 2 definitions I would say that bottom line, a Hero must have Courage.  More then anything a hero is the person who stands up when others back down, who does that which is scary to help, save, or benefit another.  They do what might be terrifying but is most certainly right.


I once heard someone say that Courage is not the absence of fear but the choice to do what you know is right in the face of fear.  I challenge all of us to take the Courage Pledge:

• Everyday I will do at least one thing that challenges, scares & probably stretches me.  I will choose to be courageous whenever I can.

This act of courage might be something small like "liking" a controversial post on Facebook that you believe in or it might be saying something when you normally wouldn't.  It might even be something big like rescuing someone in harms way. 


The point is to challenge yourself to do a little bit each day.  I take this pledge to be Courageous everyday & I hope you'll join me.  And if you feel so moved, post a comment about an act of courage you perform.  We can all be heroes to someone. Even if no ones sees it & all it means is that we can stand a little taller & at look ourselves in the mirror with a smile.