The last few days, I’ve been talking to my (elementary school band) classes about some social mindset things. In context, I told them that something I’ve been working on for the last couple of years is to express admiration out loud. So, for example, if I see a woman at the grocery store in a … Read more
My school district does something at the beginning of each year for staff, to try to give us a common inspirational thing that in theory would carry through the year but rarely lives for more than a week or two. This year, we were each to engrave a word on a “my intention” bracelet. It … Read more
The other day, I talked about how diet and exercise aren’t opposite sides of a balance, that each has its own unique benefits to health. Even if we’re ignoring all health ramifications beyond weight, most people are still unlikely to “win” the diet versus exercise game. I’ve worked with a lot of people over time, … Read more
Food production companies are looking to make money. They’ll put whatever is legal (and push that boundary) on the food packaging to get people to buy it. The following are commonly used but not necessarily healthy. all natural organic vegan gluten-free dairy-free fat-free (or low fat) sugar-free (or low sugar) GMO-free low-carb whole wheat high … Read more
From an email, promoting a webinar: “How to keep your thigh muscles from turning into belly fat in one minute or less.” I’m picturing hamstring and quadricep cells migrating, like the westward expansion, until finding a comfortable spot in the belly where they assimilate and become belly fat cells. (I wish my sketching abilities let … Read more
I am a classically-trained musician. I hate the custom of not clapping between movements of classical works (regardless of the ensemble performing them) and I think we should go back to the old way (which, from what I understand, was changed by Mahler). But people, when you’re in the audience at a formal performance, be … Read more
The title is bait. They don’t balance. They’re not on opposing sides. Exercise is not punishment for eating. What you eat fuels you, affects your hormone balance and contributes to the maintenance and eventual regeneration of most cells. (Not all cells regenerate, and almost all body functions are controlled by hormones.) I know a growing … Read more
In April, I volunteered at an event at the rock climbing gym where I’m a member. It was a bouldering event (short walls, no ropes) which is not something that I had done at all, but there were all sorts of fun, silly climbing (taller walls, with a rope) stations as well—one-handed, an obstacle course, … Read more
This time of year is, for many people, brutal. Schedules. Expectations. Hopes. Dreams. Memories. Parents. Kids. Spouses. Friends. Other communities. Decorations. Gifts. Meals. Sweets. Parties. Religion. Other religions. Politics. Please, for your mental and physical health, first trim the lists, then trim the lists again, then delegate. Ladies, as a generalization, we are bad at … Read more
I was chatting with a colleague the other day about writing and teaching kids to write, and how difficult it is. We came to the conclusion that the majority of us are afraid to be vulnerable (and creativity is extremely vulnerable), and that we can’t just do our own thing without comparing our output to … Read more