All the world's problem's solved!

Well, not really...

I’ve often noted how much easier it is to solve other people’s problems than your own. Simple reason: it’s a lot easier to say: “do 100 push ups” than it is to actually do them. And it’s easier to think you have an accurate map than to actually explore the territory and find out.

And how much more does this apply to the larger arena, politics? Hell, as far as I’ve concerned, I’ve solved several major issues plaguing our country:
1) Health Care. A two-tiered system similar to the education system: government-sponsored health care for everyone, and the availability of private care for those who choose it.
2) War on Drugs: legalize everything less or equal in toxicity to alcohol. Have plain-label “package stores” sell it at 10% above cost. Use every dime of profit to fund anti-drug campaign and rehab clinics. Pushers out of business, gangs no longer able to buy guns, law enforcement no longer corrupted by drug billions, Central America no longer destabilized by narcobillions. Yeah, right.
3) Education: Pay the best teachers more than the worst teachers. Study what they do, and teach those at the bottom to model those at the top. Let a joint parental/student/administration/teacher board create the standards for “best” and “worst”
4) Illegal immigration: (well, it’s an SF solution, but I can dream. Even if the dream is a little nasty). Penalize employers who hired illegals, on a sliding scale: more every time they get caught. Offer green cards to illegals who turn in their employers (!). Deported illegals get affixed with “unremovable” ankle bracelets conducting mild electric current to their nervous systems, and an electronic fence along the border—and cellular broadcasts through the country, make it HURT for them to be here. Meanwhile, work on rehauling the immigration system to make it more humane and efficient. WARNING: I already know that this is outrageous. And that the technology would inevitably go wrong. And I admit that I had an evil smile while I typed it.

And so forth. I mean, heck—it all sounds reasonable to ME (except that last one, which had an Ellisonian feel to it.) World saved, problems solved. Yeah, right. I know it can’t, because as soon as I offer my list to one other person, she’ll point out everything she doesn’t like about it, and I have to modify. We spend a day hashing it out, and then we add another person to the mix, and spend TWO days hashing THAT out…
Sigh.
There’s a more important reason. Man, I’m fighting to ground my I.F. in reasons that go deeper than mere weight or appearance. Frankly, got both of those nailed. So my motivations for being a “good boy” at night weaken, and a little ice cream sounds great. Every have ice cream after a 36 hour fast? Talk about screwing up your blood sugar! And the next day I wake up feeling like crap.

So…my motivations have to clarify. Not a huge thing, just something we have to continuously do. I don’t believe in lazy people. I believe in people without clear goals and a belief they can have them. Some people don’t need goals—those had better be contented with their lives as-is, however.

Anyway, when I fall on my face in the middle of my own map, pretty naïve of me to think I have an accurate map of the REST of the world, isn’t it?
##
My “Five Minute Miracle” was interesting yesterday. I Bikram’d (and it was pretty good, actually. Surprising, as I hadn’t been in six weeks due to travel). And then at 3, 6, and 9 I did:
1) 10 “Television Meditation” Over-and-under punches. (Using the change in the t.v. screen image to generate a random reaction stimulus
2) 1 Clean and Jerk, each side, with 54 pound KB
3) 100 speed jumprope/set of FlowFit

All of this working to “be breathed” by the motion rather than consciously exhaling. Would have done more C&J, but wasn’t sure how I’d feel today. I feel great. Was a little worried about the jump-rope (did I have adequate warm-up?) Felt tight last night but fine this morning. Hmmm. Just playing here. Sophisticating the 5MM means I have a damned fine range of benefits:
1) Meditation (Be Breathed)
2) Tabata-style endurance
3) Fat burning
4) Coordination
5) Flexibility
6) Speed
7) Reflex
8) Skill
9) Strength

And more, all in teeny little 3-minute increments. More of a “15 minute miracle” but you don’t feel it because it’s scattered. Just checking. What would happen if I concentrated on Yoga in the morning (health), and then did skill/fitness stuff in increments during the day? Not sure I’ll try that…right now I’m ramping up for a M.A. seminar with Steve Mohammad next weekend. But maybe one day…