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Episode 458 – Movement starves distractions

• Hello to everyone out there listening
• I deeply wish your summer is going well
• Maybe you are on vacation at the moment or are looking forward to one
• Summer, as you may know, is my favorite season
  • I prefer heat over cold
  • The sun shining on my back
  • Lighter clothes
  • My feet in the sand and my body in the water
• I love the longer days, the warmer nights, although the nights here in the Bay area are quite cool
• I have been climbing regularly on weekends again
• To get to the mountains, we drive through small towns east of the bay
  • Towns that are much hotter
  • I love stopping there for something to eat and enjoy the warm evenings
  • They remind me of Texas
• Over 4^th of July I went with a group of friends to the East Side of the Sierra
• We crossed through Yosemite valley and come out on the other side by Mono Lake
• And from there south its is just indescribably beautiful
• I couldn’t stop filming the snow-covered mountains, the vastness of the place,
• The isolated roads, waterfalls, streams, green pastures
• I was in awe
• For most of that trip, I didn’t have much signal
• But I also had no desire to be on my phone
• I suddenly didn’t have a need for my phone anymore
• I reflected on this contrast now that I am back in Oakland
• At work yesterday, at the car dealer waiting for a diagnostic, at home while editing my episodes – I am constantly within an arms reach of my phone
• This also means – that I am always distracted because I constantly check my phone,
  • Like everyone else
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• Yet when I am out in nature – I don’t even think of my phone
• I am completely immersed in the moment
• Whether I am climbing, hiking, or simply standing somewhere watching the sunset – nature captures me and engages me
• There is no need for a phone
• It sat in my backpack for most of the time and I only pulled it out to take photos
  • And I dont even have many of those
  • Reality was so much more captivating that taking pictures seemed small and insignificant
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• I believe that our level of distractibility is directly related to our level of immobility
• We are increasingly sedentary – yet as humans we are meant to move
• Sitting in our chairs all day isn’t healthy
  • It definitely not healthy for our body
  • But I also believe its not good for our mind
• I noticed this in my life every day
  • When I am in the office – I eat more even though I move very little
  • When I am out climbing or hiking – I can go all day without eating
  • Food is just another distraction
  • Sitting all day clearly doesn’t cause more hunger than climbing mountains
  • Much less energy is expended when we sit
  • Yet we eat more
  • Because we are bored
  • With our bodies immobile, our minds are free to roam
    • It goes places like a lost wanderer
    • Places like the fridge, amazon, or solitaire
  • When our mind wanders, it becomes much harder to control
  • it tends to drift and as such is more susceptible to distraction
• when I am active
  • whether that is in the gym or in nature, I am focused and present
  • I have no choice
  • I have to pay attention to my movements
    • Where I step or reach
    • What I touch
    • Where I look
  • All my senses are engaged
  • this keeps my body in control and my mind focused
• Our bodies and our minds are in sync
  • They work together
• The more challenged we are physically, the more engaged our minds are
• When we sit around we may be able to focus on a task like writing or reading for a while.
• But its much harder
• Because without movement, all we have is our mind that keeps us busy
• And that is why we struggle so much
  • We struggle getting our goals accomplished despite having all the information we need at our fingertips
  • We struggle staying focused on one thing, despite all the technology available to us that can silence any distraction
  • We struggle with motivation, creativity and initiative
• Because we are constantly distracted

• When at my desk, resisting becomes my main challenge
  • Resisting the internet, my phone, food, and everything else around me at the moment
• When I am physically engaged, keeping up becomes my main challenge
  • Thinking through my movements
  • Pushing myself to keep going
  • Telling myself that have the strength and knowledge to do this
  • And remaining positive no matter how hard the task
• Our bodies need to be challenged because that is what keeps our mind challenged
• And when we are engaged mentally, we are less susceptible to distraction
• Therefore, I believe, the best cure for our distraction
  • For our inability to focus
  • To accomplish our goals
  • To eat and drink to much
  • To think and worry and doubt and be negative
• Is movement
• Its getting up and out as often s possible
• Using our body the way it was meant to
  • Our legs – walking, running, skiing, pedaling, dancing
  • Our arms – reaching, throwing, swimming, pushing and pulling and hugging
• Our sedentary lives are not avoidable
• The days of manual labor are over for most of us
• Technology enables us to work mostly with our eyes and our fingers
• The physical work is done by machines or people in other countries
• We communicate with them via computer
• We trigger orders and send money via systems
• The same happens at home
• We hit buttons and things happen
  • Little movement required
• It feels good to get so much done with very little effort
• But at the same time – it doesn’t challenge us
• Our bodies become weak and susceptible to illness
• Our minds become lazy and weak
• We need to challenge ourselves physically more
• Movement, activity and physical engagement with the world around us will
  • Increase our focus
  • Help us become more present with the task at hand
    • Not just the activity in the moment, but later when we sit down to write that blog post or build that website – we will feel more alive
  • Movement will help us figure out what actually matters because our mind wont have the capacity to run all over the place
  • When we are active, we force our mind to be present and we starve it of all the usual distractions
• If your life is mostly sedentary my friends – I urge you
• Discover the power of movement
• Get up and get out
• Move your body like its meant to
  • A few yoga poses and stretches in the morning
  • A walk during lunch
  • Dancing lessons at night
• Use your body for more than just getting in and out of the car
• Include movement into your days and you will see the magic unfold
  • You will feel more energized, and most likely, less hungry
  • You will be more focused in all other areas of your life
  • Your creativity will be sparked with ideas and inspiration
  • You will begin to tackle goals and unfinished plans
• I write my best episodes after a tough workout session or a day of climbing mountains
• My mind is energized when my body is a little sore because I feel accomplished
• When I am stuck on something, I go for a walk which always clears my mind
• Movement centers our thoughts,
• And we don’t have enough of this as it is
• So lets move more so that we can be less distracted when we actually do sit down to do our work

Much love