Being in the present Natural Foods, and Laughing

"Many things which cannot be overcome when they are together yield themselves up when taken little by little."– Plutarch

Understand these words of wisdom by this great philosopher. This statement made sense a couple thousand years ago and it makes sense today. At a practical level, one could be thinking about his full day and feel anxious. A phone conversation, last night, with my friend Jonathan is a good example. He was talking about traveling to Riverside, and going to the jail to do his work as an attorney. Then he mentioned basketball practice and basketball games that his boys are playing. Since his wife Tara’s working, picking up the 3 boys falls on his shoulders. He talked about the chores at home, which include the animals. He has 14 or 15 horses, cows, chickens, etc. Plutarch words might have been comforting, if you can sit back, take a deep breath, focus in the present, and remember his words. It is generally a good policy to begin by focusing on your breathing.

The above quote has another meaning for me. I thought back to one of my ultra runs. During the long run, at times, it was more beneficial for me to think about what I have accomplished or miles completed and / or taking one step at a time. Thinking of all the miles yet to go can be a real drag say the least. Once again break it down into small components. Figure out what works for you. Keep track of your inner dialogue and make sure it is productive, and not counterproductive. You may have to experiment with your inner self, and what may work one time may not work a second time.

In the September 20, 2011, Wall Street Journal, there was an article about natural foods. The problem is there is not a clear or official definition of “natural”. As a result of a lack of a clear government definition, many companies are defining it for themselves. Con Agra Foods Inc., Beam Global Spirits and Wine, Inc., and Kellogg Co. are some of the companies being sued over their labeling or mislabeling. The bottom line is that without clear definitions, what you think you are putting in your mouth may be different from what it actually is. We do know that the food industry and advertising folks are quite creative and know-how to deliver their message. It does not always mean that their message is truthful. The old cliche, buyer beware, fits here.

On a personal note, I have an infection on my lip likely caused by too much sun. So I am putting an antibiotic substance on my lip to heal and keep it from cracking. One difficulty is that when I talk to Secretariat, I wind up laughing. He tells me laughing is good for me, but not quite in this case. He is certainly funny and fun to be around. Unfortunately, I did not run yesterday or today, so I am not happy about that. Hopefully I can run tomorrow. I will keep you posted.