| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
Getting To Good: Your Spontaneous Woo Quotient
As I was driving to a friend's house, I passed the Dublin Pub, a local watering hole known for its live music. On the reader board, one band's name caught my eye: Spontaneous Woo. I did a little digging and learned that the band hails from Bay City, Michigan and offers a funk/jazz blend. The term "spontaneous woo" refers to an audience response often seen during concerts in which a rising tide of enthusiasm culminates in a distinctive eruption of happy exclamations. Now, there's a universal human experience. There is nothing quite like letting out a joyous, spontaneous "Woo!" when things are going our way. We might personalize our woo, making it come out as "Yesss!" or "Sweeeeeet" or even "Woo-HOO!" There's an appropriate word for this in every language. No matter what elicits this response, we know it means something good has happened. We recognize these woos, whether inspired by simple pleasures or major milestones, as a celebration of goodness. What makes us woo tells us a whole lot about what we value, and what we value is all that is "good". What is "good"? How do we define it? The British poet, W.H. Auden, said: "Goodness is easier to recognize than to define." Isn't that the truth! We know "good" when we see it, just like we know when something is woo-worthy. Putting this into words in a consistent way is tough. This is where your personal philosophy comes in. Realize that your ideas of what makes a life "good" come from the people you know, the books you've read, the movies you've seen, and a host of influences you can't remember right now. We use "good" to describe everything from a haircut to a mathematical theory. Essentially, something is "good" if it satisfies a certain expectation we have of it--it hits the target. A "good" cup of coffee could be strong, weak, bitter, sweet, milky, steaming hot, black, organic, shade-grown, or free, depending on what you value. "Good" may be a moving target, but Aristotle happened to like the whole idea of targets. He used the Greek word "telos" which was the term used to describe an archery bulls-eye. It's a simple mental image--a big circle with a dot in the middle. Teleology refers to the study of the purpose of things. Aristotle believed that everything in nature has a purpose, or target. A thing is good if it serves its purpose, fulfills its mission, or hits its target. The whole world is made up of these interrelated purposes. According to Aristotle, our purpose is to think in order to live a good life. We're supposed to use our brains to contemplate, to appreciate the complexity of the universe, to attain greater understanding of our role as humans, and to be happy. By fulfilling our role as thinkers, we are living to purpose-we are living a good life. What does that mean exactly? What do we use as guidelines or markers to help us determine if we are getting close to good? If, as Aristotle says, our purpose is to live a good life and be happy, why isn't there some simple formula we can apply to everyone? What's the minimum woo-quotient of a good life? Can we be happy if we're not living a good life? Can we live a good life if we're not happy? How much do we need to be happy? We all know plenty of people who never seem to be happy no matter how much they have. One of our greatest challenges as humans is figuring out how much is enough. Aristotle believed that we need to use courage, honesty and moderation in pursuing pleasure. He considered moral goodness and enjoyment in life as the same thing. He believed it was okay to pursue anything you want, as long as you don't go overboard. This concept of moderation became known as the "golden mean". Not surprisingly, this golden mean became a popular idea, especially among the rich. It was just what they wanted to hear! Remember that the majority of Aristotle's students were wealthy--who else had the time to study philosophy all day? Aristotle himself ended up being handsomely paid--especially for a philosopher! Aristotle had his work cut out for him trying to remain moral while becoming wealthy. His most famous student, the classic overachiever Alexander the Great, clearly never got the point about moderation. Aristotle's emphasis on the golden mean got lost in all the excitement about pursuing whatever you like. Hmmmm. Sounds a lot like modern life, doesn't it? What kind of life would Aristotle suggest we live in the midst of all the stuff of the 21st century? What does moderation mean now? Wealthy people are not necessarily more or less moral than anyone else, but they ARE tested more than the rest of us. They have the means to live an excessive lifestyle if they choose to do so. If you live large, your morality--or lack thereof--is magnified for the world to see. Add a dash of celebrity and a stint on TV, and you start serving as some sort of example. This is where we get confused between "a good life" and "the good life". We're fascinated by the choices people make when they have the ability to live any way they choose. We read magazines featuring photographs of celebrities in their homes. We watch television shows that give us tours of the properties owned by billionaires. We're both fascinated and repelled by reality shows that offer riches to those who manipulate others. Why? It's because we're curious about the choices made, and we wonder what we would do given the same set of circumstances. Seeing the homes, the furnishings, and the cars gives us an idea of what is valued by the individual. We watch because we wonder what choices we would make if we had the same bank account. Would we be extravagant? Would we live simply? Would we be tacky or tasteful? Would we horrify the neighbors or build a better community? Would our children be kind, compassionate, and generous, or would they be self-centered brats with a huge sense of entitlement? Would we be like Sting--or Ozzy Osbourne? Would we have daughters like Sofia Coppola--or Paris Hilton? Most of us have the, uh, good fortune of not being tempted to live without limits. Without being fully tested, we don't really know how we'd fare in a world of big money and bigger visibility. The wonderful thing about living a good life is that it is possible to do it at any economic level. You can live a good life in poverty or wealth. Though we tend to think it's a lot easier to be an excellent human when we have sufficient funds in the bank, both versions--rich and poor--come with plenty of challenges. It's tempting to put off becoming your best self until you believe you have the financial support to do it. "I'll be generous once I get to the top," you think. "I'll be kinder when I'm not so stressed." "I'll give back to the community when I retire." There's no dollar amount that precludes or guarantees a good life, and there's no reason to postpone your own greatness. You may win the lottery tomorrow, or you may lose everything. Despite any dramatic shifts in your personal fortune, you can live a good life today. Note and relish your own spontaneous woos on a daily basis, and look for ways to increase and deepen them. Think, be happy, and share that wealth in words, wit, and warmth. The good life never felt so good. About The Author Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse. Her work has inspired thinkers in over 70 countries. She serves up a satisfying blend of clarity, comfort and comic relief in her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage. To subscribe, visit http://www.massageyourmind.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Dumbbell Routines & Exercises eBook - Click HereIncrease Your Muscle Size And Improve Your Physical Fitness In 90 Days Or You Get To Keep This Breakthrough eBook FREE! "Dumbbell Exercises and Lifting Routines To Help You Gain More Muscle, Lose Weight, or Just Get Yourself in Better Physical Shape... WITHOUT the Hassles, and Expenses of Health Clubs" "Instant Access to An Illustrated, PDF Ebook That Will Give YOU The Routines You Need To Get In Better Shape in 90 Days or less - Or Your Money Back!" Get the scoop here.
Serious Fitness Supplements - Muscle Builders
Jacked Up Xenomine
A step-by-step guide that teaches you the secrets, tips, and techniques you need to know to build a chiseled, muscular, ripped, head-turning physique...FAST! The "Hyper-Growth Muscle Mass Training" course is an extremely effective natural human growth hormone stimulator and packs on slabs of muscle mass, size and enourages hypertrophy faster than you would've ever thought possible...while burning off body fat like crazy! Highly recommended! Click Here For Maximum Muscle Growth
Fitness-and-Muscle.com Site Navigation Home Page | Muscle Fitness Magazine | Muscle Fitness Hers | Fitness Supplements | Muscle Supplements | Fitness Muscle Equipment | Muscle Building | Fitness Competition | Muscle Compeititon | Arm Muscles | Home Fitness Workout | Huge Muscles | Muscle Building Workout | Fitness Muscle DVDs | Fitness Accessories | Fitness Dating | Muscle Fitness Articles | Muscle Links | Contact Us |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
11 Questions To Kickstart Your Dream What's your dream? Want to give your vision a jumpstart? Write down your goals and use these questions to speed up delivery of your dream.1. 7 Ways To Ignite Your Vision Probably the hardest skill to teach, and the one of the most vital to posess, is vision. Vision requires discipline in order to generate images of what you would like to become, both professionally and personally. The Best Goal Setting Advice A realistic goal setting workshop:Have you ever gone to a restaurant ordering a big meal, and ended up not be able to finish the dish? Or have you ever thought of losing 20 pounds in 2 months, and ended beating yourself up? Those are the typical examples of bad goal setting.We talk a lot about goal setting, but not too many people really understand the true meaning of "goal setting", even to many professional coaches. Got Purpose? Part 2 I guess I found some hot buttons last week eh? Thanks for a week full of real good feedback.That being the case I'd like to follow along with last weeks theme of Living your purpose. Living The Real Life Beyond Goal Setting In many of his wonderful talks the motivational speaker Zig Ziglar states "you've got to have goals." Have you ever asked yourself why?You are instructed that you need different types of goals. Goal Setting and Goal Getting: The BD3 Approach Most people have no problem setting goals. At the same time, most people have a great deal of trouble getting their goals. Fear Factor Is it possible for an individual to pass a course of instruction with high marks and remain ineffective?Is it possible that this person never actually learned anything, but merely gathered enough information and remember it well enough to repeat the process?Learning should make you a more effective individual, learning should improve the quality of your life.Do you ever wonder why some stuff sticks in your brain and other stuff falls out?See, it's because. The 11 Basics of Goal Setting "Man is a goal-seeking animal. His life only has meaning if he is reaching out and striving for his goals. Master Your Destiny Do you have a goal for the future that you would love to achieve but just can't work out how? Well, you can succeed. Believe and it will happen! How? Well read on and see. When You See Money as a Tool in Your Goal Setting Process, You Will Lead a More Balanced Life Where Does Money Fit In the Goal Setting Process?Some view money as the most important tool in goal setting. Others consider making money as their primary goal, in spite of everything else. Why Do Many Smart, Motivated People Never Achieve Their Goals? In his multimedia "Unleash Your Greatness Success System" Mike Litman gives his audience a virtual "kick in the butt" - albeit nicely. In this program he pushes hard to get the reader past their desire for "feel good" motivation; instead he offers a plan that, if followed, should result in the listener making strides towards achieving his or her goals. When Expectations Are Not Clear! IntroductionThere were two incidents, which inspired me to write this write-up, "When Expectations are not clear". Sometime back, I had this interaction with a CEO of one of the most famous company in Bangalore, in his words, "it is impossible to give clear-cut job responsibilities and job specifications to an employee". Challenge the Universe: Demand Your Desires! There have been so many times in my life where I have run into a series of obstacles that never seemed to stop. I could handle each and every one, but after a while, I would grow weary and want it all to come to an end so I could return to a reasonable life. How to FEEL your way to Success Do you remember the last time you had a blast? I mean you were having the time of your life. Think about it. Perseverance: When You Master this Tool, Your Goal Setting Success will Soar "Life is not easy for any of us. We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. Left Your Job 'On A Matter of Principle'! Now what? Let's get started with the emotional part!1. Take time out. 10 Keys To Personal Goal Setting Does personal goal setting work? Many people want things, situations or accomplishments, call these goals, and then are disappointed when they don't get them. Call desires goals if you want, but just naming your desires sure isn't effective goal setting. Business Goal Setting and Then Following Through Your business can't go according to plan if you have no plan.What do you want to achieve this year? More new customers per week? Higher average order amounts? Better customer service ratings? No matter what it is you are shooting for, goal setting is one of the most important things that you will do in the New Year. Finding Your Inner Flame: Finding Passion Series - 3 of 3 Why is it that some goals have a fire and a passion behind them that creates an almost self-propelled drive towards completion, while other goals are left dead in the water before they've hardly even begun? What causes that level of motivation to manifest itself? Can we harness it? Can we predict when and where it will hit? The answers lie in finding out if the person setting the goal is in touch with his or her own deepest desires. Do they really understand who and what they are? Do they really know what it is that drives them?Write down a list of goals and dreams you've set for yourself over the years. Make Your Goals Stick The amazing thing about the future is that if you wait, it will always come to you. No doubt you sat down and created your share of New Year's resolutions to conquer this year.
|
"A Completely Different Approach To Bodybuilding That Can Build Your Physique To Its Maximum Genetic Potential!"