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01 December 2010

A Few Modest Tricks

Blended Panorama - Looking East from Gaviota Peak towards Goleta (UCSB) and the Channel Islands - Sept 2010

Now that I have moved to California, I have assimilated a few modest lifestyle tricks that have really paid dividends, and I think they're worth sharing. These are not epiphanies, or serious changes, but simple steps you can take to make life more interesting, keep your mind sharp, and live healthier--all while cutting out absurd activities that detract from these obvious positive benefits.

Stay interested: Have a great conversation while driving.
While I'm driving, I like having a companion in the car with me for some good conversation, especially on longer road trips, because it really makes time fly. Recently, however, I realized that I was not getting as much out of those conversations as I could. The problem? No eye contact, and reduced hand gestures. Really, think about it. The best conversations happen when you make eye contact and, for instance, demonstrate what the hissing mountain lion was doing before it ran into the trees (you just cannot explain that without the hand gestures). It's hard to make eye contact while driving because you have to take your eyes off the road, and you cannot gesticulate as often with your hand on the wheel, but it is worth practicing both. Some people argue that taking your eyes off of the road to make eye contact, and that taking your hands off of the wheel to show, for example, how the runner was flailing her arms so awkwardly, increase the risk of accidents while driving, but that is absurd! The car basically drives itself. We're just pushing the gas and brake and turning the wheel sometimes. Plus, any additional risk is mitigated by the benefit of the really good conversation. I used to be too focused on driving to have a really good conversation, but now I can manage to drive to Ventura and back watching the road probably 50 percent of the time and using both hands to have a great conversation!

Keep your mind sharp: A few small mind games, and you'll be ready for anything!
Ever feel groggy when you wake up in the morning? Get tired in the middle of the afternoon? Want a way to wake up alert and stay alert all day? Well here's what I do: modest emotional jolts throughout the day. To wake up in the morning, I set a small number of distinct alarm devices (maybe three to five) around my room. Often, I'll even put one near the door of my roommate's room, which is just down the hall. Then, when they go off in the morning, I have to scurry out of bed, and turn them all off. The big rush comes from the uncertainty of waking my roommate up. I'm either anxious I'll wake him, or I'm guilty and he's pissed off, or any number of things might happen. Any way it goes down, I'm awake and raring to go! It's a great start to the day, and there is never that absurd waste of time waking up in the morning. Eventually, though, that jolt wears off, and I hit the mid-afternoon slump. That is, I would hit the slump if I hadn't learned how to prime myself with anticipation. Any given day, I might park my car in the boss' spot, or maybe take a handicap spot, or take the bus to lunch without paying, or any number of things. The uncertainty of maybe the boss getting mad or getting a ticket is so exciting! This is where the fun can happen, so use your imagination, and avoid that absurd mid-day slump! "So, what about the rest of the time?" you might ask. Basically, this emotional jolt motif can translate to any activity in your life, no matter who you are, or what your daily routine might be. The options are myriad! For example, when I do the dishes at home, I like to put the sharp knives pointing up in the drying rack because I know it will keep me on my toes. I really have to pay attention to avoid cutting myself, but if I accidentally do, there's nothing like a sliced cuticle to get the adrenaline going! I'm sure my roommates like it, too. The more little ways you can trick yourself like that, the more energized you will stay throughout the day.

Live Healthier: Boost your immunity in the kitchen.
I've only been out in California for a few months, so this is the last of the tricks I have discovered. Everyone knows that eating a balanced diet is essential to good health, and cooking your own meals is a great way to have tangible satisfaction in eating healthy. I fear, though, that we are doing an injustice to our health in the very kitchen we cook in. Most of the time, when we cook, we thoroughly clean the kitchen counter afterwards. This looks nice, but it reduces the immunity boosting effects of remnant food materials. I stopped thoroughly cleaning the kitchen counters three months ago, and I have in fact begun to spread the remnants around a little bit (envision wiping the counter down with the same rag you use to sop up the mess). This way, the little buggers that get us sick (bacteria, etc), have time to reproduce, so next time we come to the kitchen and prepare food, we cannot help but ingest a few. A small dose of this kind develops immunity, and I have noticed distinct improvements in my general health! I still don't get sick, but my digestive system seems to work better (I can tell by all the grumbling and churning inside), and I don't have to breath those nasty cleaning chemicals, which I'm sure are toxic. Everybody is afraid of working with raw meat or eggs on the counter top and not spraying it down with Lysol afterward, but I say spread the chicken goo and egg yolks around a little bit. Ads on television make us think that this is what gets you sick, but that's totally absurd! I feel healthier than ever, and I never get out the disinfectant spray, so I know the opposite is true. Next time you cook a big meal, think about how you can eat well and boost your immunity.

Share: What are your tricks?
Let me know what modest tricks you come up with. And check out the original Modest Proposal, by Johnathan Swift, in all of its satirical glory.

5 comments:

  1. interesting. odd. a view into NateBrain.

    it's what I expect from your blog.

    -ab

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  2. you, my brother, are crazy. and insane... sometimes I woner how we are related

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  3. p.s. that was very difficult to post on here... stupid internet

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  4. You are strange indeed, my friend.

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  5. I like the alarm suggestion the most. Actually my friend Matty B and I (he just started a blog too which I think you would like: http://buddhabrew.blogspot.com/) were just talking about "A Modest Proposal" the other day. He loves it. He's an English teacher and uses it in class for teaching on satire. I particularly like that the idea comes from an American with "much experience." Thanks for sharing, Nate.

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