It feels good.
You can dissect it, examine the cross sections, run it through a series of tests, send it to the lab. The final results will remain readily apparent to anyone outside of the smokescreen of the American Marketing Machinery who has the presence to feel for herself: THIS MOVEMENT IS GOOD. THIS EFFORT PRODUCES BENEFIT. THIS MOTION SETS IN PLACE A NUMBER OF VALUES POINTING TO QUALITY. THIS IS NECESSARY FOR BALANCE AND GROWTH.
I could go on SHOUTING, but I think you get the message. So why is it then, that we continue to get bombarded with dummy-down drones of doubt?
Glad you asked. IMHO (thanks for the forum) it is because of two reasons, both brought to you by the AMM referenced above.
1) The American Marketing Machinery thinks you are an idiot. They think (and have proven) that you will use the pipeline they have created to speed the process that separates you from your money. You will buy worthless crap if it offers you some type of immediate benefit at a (sometimes) reasonable price. So you charge an Abominizer on plastic instead of cutting wheat and hops from your diet. Or a Bowflex, or some other instrument of torture where you oogled a hot young model display its ease and effect while watching Star Trek reruns (instead of walking in the park, stretching, or taking a yoga class). This is indisputable folks: WE ARE IDIOTS.
90% of us anyway.
2) The other 10% are just lazy. The organic and natural way to good health and fitness, or the path to improved athletic performance (they are the same) requires something from you. You gotta show up and do the work. You have to eat right. You have to rest and recover properly and you have to manage your stresses in a successful and non-toxic manner.
And this, my friends, takes time. And dedication, and diligence. And courage. And community. And faith and trust.
The last two traits because you need to listen to and translate the language of the body. You have to transcribe the song of the soul and you have to learn to cognitively disassociate yourselves from the manipulating message of the media. I cite as example one hysterical line of dialogue from Finding Nemo:
I AM NOT A MINDLESS EATING MACHINE!! We, much like Bruce the Aussie Shark, sometimes are what we meet to collectively avoid.
Listen to your body folks. Let the Mad Men market. Get up get and out of the door.
These two stories, one about the value of youth sports and the other a marketing treatise about healthy food, both reek of journalistic sloth. Watch the video in the latter piece and see if you walk away quickly, like I did, to wash your hands and face.
Listen to the wisdom of your body.
Let us sing.
4 comments:
kevin, excellent article as usual. well-written; to the point, emphasizing key points for us lazy readers. (...fix the title though)
or was that intentional, I don't know...
PS - here are the three guys I mentioned in class who in my opinion, if you know their basic theories about what drives human behavior and thinking, best condense and provide the basic building blocks for understanding human nature and society. They do not always agree with each other. On a micro level and in learning how it works a text book on behavioral psychology is best. The theories can easily apply to every life situation creating some real ahaaa moments. So here they are: 1) BF Skinner, behavioral psych, reward/punishment/reinforcement stuff. 2) Leon Festinger, most famous for theory of cognitive dissonance or how humans deal respond to conflict or conflicting thoughts/evidence. 3) Abraham Maslow, developed human need hierarchy and theoretical path to 'self-actualization. I would also throw in the works of Jean Piaget, Jesus of Nazareth, and Siddhartha Gautama Buddha for even more information; but then how much time is there...
Thanks for your comments, I fixed the title and recognize the brilliant authors you cite with the exception of Festinger, whom I will investigate. My answer to your last question about time: Enough, if used properly!!!! Good work the last few weeks. Keep it up!
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