What Is John Lutz THINKING?!?

This is a reply to @tferriss about his podcast with Stuart Brand . For ME, the best segment was starting about 1h 5min, when you’re talking about experience. I have a degree in engineering, and have been ‘logically’ oriented for much of my life. Recently I have felt unfulfilled, and have been going through a process of self-discovery (with a Therapist, using methods developed by John Gottman). This is intended to allow my ‘true Self’ to guide my life (I have realized I’m overrun with logic). Through this, my realization has been: To be a better human, I must BE more Human. Humans are illogical, and we have certain senses about things. I read a quote yesterday, before I listened to the podcast (Meditations for Women Who Do Too Much Anne Wilson Schaef) :   A POWER GREATER THAN OURSELVES “It is not primarily abstract ideas which affect our spirituality, that is, our experience of and with God.” –Sandra M. Schneiders We cannot approach God or the process of the univ...

Ride His lungs were on fire. Sweat was beading on his brow, and dripping from his nose. The drops flew sideways away from him, from the striking force of the wind. As the gusts came, they buffeted his frame, causing him to brace against it. He adjusted his grip on his board, without it he was 'without his paddle.' Thank God for the bootpack, he had no energy for post-holing. With a rhythmic gait he plods onward and upward. Not looking back. As he turns his gaze upward he sees another thousand vertical feet standing stoically before him. Neither the man, nor the terrain will waver. He plods on. Small steps make seemingly little progress, but the steps kicked by others before him are more easily used than to kick his own. He speeds up his pace, pushing his cardiovascular system a little further. It's not for lack of conditioning that his lungs hurt, but the thin dry air at this altitude. He recalls that it's been some time since he's hiked up here. The thick ...

What’s the point? For eons man has, and will continue to ask, of himself, and each other: What is the point? Of, anything. You can fill in the blank with a current work project, a sports contest, or life in general. So, today, we’ll take the longest view, and ask: What IS the point of … Humanity? In Dawkins’ River out of Eden it is purported that the successful passage of DNA, or the language of evolution is Life’s goal, for US. Should this become our goal? Should the goal of ANY force from outside ourselves become our own? Yet, isn’t this the typical occurrence? Whether our parents, schools, churches or governments it seems many of us take up the work of another. If the work is satisfying or fulfilling to an individual’s needs, why not stop there? Again, it seems many do. Maybe for certain individuals this will suffice. Maybe the work of the Father, truly is the work of the Son. Similar bodies, and minds may be suited for, even predisposed to certain things. Examples are ...

Alternative Training (e pluribus unum) Training is always an evolving topic. There’s a long standing school of thought that the best way to train for sport X is to DO sport X. Basketball, running, climbing, racecar driving. Of course, we all know the concept of cross-training. This has become the new school utility tool of training. Crossfit is a hugely successful brand based on this concept. I’ve been in both of the above schools of thought. Generally it makes sense to me that if you’re active, especially in a goal oriented manner you will progress. It’s not always possible to progress in all directions simultaneously, but what if we could? About a year ago (mid-December 2016 to be exact) I wondered this. I had become infatuated with Tim Ferriss @tferriss. I live in a small community of superhumans high in the mountains of Colorado. I have always aspired to be like them, despite being a mortal. Partly for this reason I had never been exposed to Tim’s work before, but bega...

What if you’re not ALWAYS motivated??? I just read this: Amelia Boone ‏ Verified account   @ameliaboone FollowingFollowing @ameliaboone More I currently run 5 days a week. I still get giddy every night before bed knowing that I get to run the next morning, and I hope to never lose that feeling.  #gratitude Within the replies, of course, were folks who shared the feeling, or wished they could. Injury is a common theme, and an issue for me currently. I am also intrigued by the fact that Amelia, and some of her followers were (like myself) not runners in the traditional sense. I enjoy the peaks, the sights and terrain. The bulk of work required to make safe and easy passage to extreme and incredible landscapes? Let’s just say it’s not always easy. Anyone who has trained for a marathon or an ultra can identify with bad weather, early mornings. Full schedules and kids only further complicate things. Herein lies part of my paradox: The busier I a...

THE MOUNTAIN                 Waking early is a Mountaineer's friend in General. Just not this mountaineer. 7 AM is considered early enough for this trip. The skies are clear and dry for the fall season, and exploration and discovery are the goals of the day. For years I've lived in the shadow of these mountains, and though I've been to the top of a few, certainly no substantial number. The peaks of Colorado are numerous, many are well over thirteen thousand feet above sea level. Many are not, though the mountains that steal the limelight are always the '14ers,' or, peaks taller than 14,000 ft. above sea level.      No such peak is on today's list. There are 14ers nearby, I've even climbed a couple. There's also many more difficult peaks lost in the shadows below their summits. This day will start with a quick bite at home, some pre-hydration, and a bit of smoke. Geared up in long underwear under short clothes...

I never liked running. I have always loved the outdoors, hiking, climbing biking, offroading backpacking or car camping. You name it, I was there. At one point, in college, I even tried to run, and didn’t like it. I’m sure I went about it all wrong and did a huge run, off the couch… with a backpack. Fast forward a decade, I had moved from the small mountain town I went to college in to a tiny mountain town I had been snowboarding in. Every year, the town hosts the finish line for a mountain pass run. It climbs 5000 feet into the mountains and takes runners 17 miles from town to town. Some people in town make the run annually, many try it at least once. I had always said I’d be one of the latter. The problem? Cutoffs, lack of experience or motivation. Until one year. A buddy of mine who smokes cigarettes had finished it the previous year. Two months before the race he said ‘Why don’t you do it?’ I didn’t have a good answer. So, I started running. There are beautiful trail...

Can the Microsphere save the Macro? These days I am fascinated by microbiology. I am not a biologist or microbiologist, but the microbiome surrounds, and penetrates us. Literally there are billions, and trillions of microbes living on, around and within us. Total biomass in microbial life, is more than the rest of life put together. We hear all the time about how probiotics can shape our personal health. Living medicines are being developed to fight cancer. Algae are being discovered and modified to secrete useful energy, food or material byproducts.  With an increasing atmospheric CO2 loading, increased frequency of antibiotic resistant bacteria and relatively new found knowledge and ability in areas of genetic modification; where will it take us? Already people are discovering microbes that can build materials, or create energy. Some are naturally occurring, others are modified in some way. We know up to 20% of the atmospheric oxygen on our planet comes from phytopla...

Does Election Day Matter? Is a vote a voice? The second Tuesday of November has come and gone. I imagine within a few months we will see sweeping change across the nation, maybe the world. This may sound irrational. It may describe what many people felt last November.  Change is constant. Is it accelerated, or slowed by the political election process? In certain, acute moments it certainly appears to accelerate things greatly. For instance, on election night 2016, financial markets went wild. The frenzy continued the next day, and into the weeks to come. Certain assets or commodities were deemed to be doomed, while others saved. Had one politician or party created this much real change? Only time would tell, but supporters bought the news. Detractors ran, hid and prepared for the skies to fall.  Just after election day 2017 I find myself reflecting on these moments, some of which may be historic. For many jurisdictions, there was little to nothing on the ballot. I...