20220330 SLLLAVERS FOR WEDNESDAY - NOTHING SO FAR THIS WEEK (i.e. D-DAY) - PFFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!

SILENCE

Woke up to the DAILY STOIC podcast I had left on; I listened for a bit.  Noticed it was getting light outside, so I turned it off, and tried to silence my brain for 70 seconds; mildly successful.

Had the thought that I might never be able to completely silence my brain, so perhaps I should just fill it, during the 70 seconds, with simply counting.  At least then (if it works), I won't think of anything else.

AFFIRMATIONS

1. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
2. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
3. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
4. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
5. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
6. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
7. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
8. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
9. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.
10. I, Ken Taylor, am a loving human being.

Also said aloud for 70 seconds.

VISUALIZATION 

196.6  Today's weight

197.2  Yesterday's weight

-0.6

I visualize weighing less tomorrow

NOTE:  Monday (0328), I wrote:

I visualize weighing less tomorrow, through:

1. Eating only 2 meals every day:  1) Smoothie at 10am-11am, and 2) Dinner at 4pm-5pm.
2. NOT eating anything between meals.
3. Exercising every day

Reasons I'm AGAIN motivated are

1. David's D-Day will likely happen sometime within a week of today, and I want to be in as good of physical (and therefore mental) shape as I can be.
2. George tells me that if a person can stand on one foot for X seconds/minutes, then s/he will likely live longer.
3. I feel better overall when I'm doing my exercises regularly

So, if I lose a pound every 1-2 days, I should be down to approx. 192 by April 4th.

Here's how I've done during the last 24 hours:

1. Yesterday, I had only 2 meals:  1) smoothie & coffee at 10-11am, and 2) Steamed chicken/broccoli  dinner at 4pm
2. I had NOTHING between these meals.
3. I exercised yesterday morning, and I exercised this morning (see below)

Reasons I am again motivated are:

1. I didn't expect David to call yesterday, and I don't expect it today; I just know that the last update says "sometime this week, at least by Monday 0404"
2. I'm hoping to fight off older age a bit more by adding "flamingo stands" into my exercise routine.
   
3. I can tell when I don't exercise - fingers begin to hurt (in joints), feet begin to tense up (peripherially, mostly right foot)

Results:  I lost 0.6 pounds in the last 24 hours.  YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EXERCISE

Did my full base-72 routine for Wednesday, March 30, 2020:

1. ankle/wrist circles 72
2. toe/finger stretches 72
3. bicycle crunches 72
4. shoulder rolls 72
5. inversion table 1 1-min set
6. EPLEY MANEUVER 1 Ram
7. ball/wall 12
8. angel/wall 12
9. counter stretch 12
10. flamingo R 18+, L 36
11. squats 36
12. push-ups 36

READING, WRITING

Read 70 seconds in SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari.  He says that the 2nd sect (of 3) he's evaluating is the 2) SOCIALIST HUMANISM sect.  Here's how he describes SOCIALIST HUMANISM:

• believe that humanity is collective rather than individualistic
• hold as sacred the species Homo Sapiens, and not the individual inner voice.
• seeks equality among all humans, and not as much freedom as possible for individual humans.
• inequality is the worst blasphemy against the sanctity of humanity, because it "privileges peripheral qualities of humans over their universal essence."
• for example:  when rich are privileged over poor, it means we value money more than the universal essence of all humans.
• universal essence is the same for rich and poor alike.

MY NOTE:  If SOCIAL HUMANISTS define their group as people who value universal essence over "rich and poor,"  they cannot do so unless "rich and poor" already exist.  It seems to me that a logical sequence would be to FIRST define individual freedom, and THEN consider social aspects of our life as humans.  IOW, LIBERAL HUMANISM defines what we ARE; SOCIALIST HUMANISM defines what we are NOT.

But maybe not.  Arguments could be changed to support SOCIALIST HUMANISM as the base, and then selfishness rises to try to change the thinking to a focus on the individual.

Read 70 seconds in A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama.  He recalls with great emotional sensitivity his realization that HE, BO, was bringing to collective awareness, the progress that America had made in encompassing Black people in the mix of the American Dream - he was overcome & had to pause to wipe his eyes & wash his face.  The phrase that did it was "We cannot walk alone" from Dr. King's speech.

Read 70 seconds in WORKING WITH ONENESS by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  He says that there is a sort of trap associated with excessive meditation:  the more we meditate, the less connected we are to the physical world - and to the new ocean of the Love of God Vaughan-Lee is discussing.  So...... we need to be mindful of the possibility of becoming trapped in excessive meditation.  OK.

Read 70 seconds in THE RIGHTEOUS MIND by Jonathan Haidt.  He says that Piaget and Kohlberg brought to light 2 phases of changing how developmental psychology is viewed:  1)  a set of definitions about how humans can develop their sense of morality (these were quickly adopted by 1000s of graduate students writing papers; and 2)  the understanding that humans growing & developing are better off withOUT the restrictions of parental & teacher structures.

I'll need to re-read this passage again, and get a clearer understanding of each term Haidt uses.

Read 1+ pages in AN AMERICAN FAMILY by Jon and Michael Galluccio.

Read 1+ pages in THE PERSIAN BOY by Mary Renault.