THE SCENE: A beautiful 80 degree fall evening
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER done
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH, cherry pickers, this and that, Rockettes, and some leg stretching
THA-THANG:
Insert information about the workout.
- Battle Buddy (4 Rounds): cacoons, pike ups, starfish, squats
- Battle Buddy (4 Rounds): supermans, mountain climbers, LBCs, squats
- Battle Buddy (around the Admin/Overlook): 10x merkins, squats, SSH
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
12 HIMs
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
When I get in a funk, I read “The Book of Joy” by Douglas Abrams. It documents a meeting between Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama where they discuss “lasting happiness in a changing world”. The book is separated in two sections, 1) Obstacles to Joy & 2) the Eight Pillars of Joy.
A quote that resonates with me: “Too much self-centered thinking is the source of suffering. With a self-centered attitude, you become distanced from others, then distrust, then feel insecure, then fear, then anxiety, then frustration, then anger, then violence.” It reminds me that, when I start focusing on myself, and forget to focus on others, things start going off track. Like the F3 concept of “Living Third”.
The Obstacles to Joy
Fear, stress, & anxiety: Stress & anxiety often come from too much expectation & too much ambition. When we don’t fulfill that expectation or achieve that ambition, we experience frustration. Often, we are not being realistic about our ability. When we have a clear picture about our own capacity, we can be realistic about our effort. Then there is a greater chance of achieving our goals. But, unrealistic effort brings disaster. So, in many cases, our stress is caused by our expectations and ambition.
Frustration and anger: “A moment of patience in a moment of anger will save a thousand moments of regret.” When anger develops, ask what is the cause? Then ask what will be the result of that anger? You will realize anger is of no use in solving problems. It just creates more problems.
Loneliness: We are social animals & cooperation is necessary for survival, but cooperation is based on trust. When there is trust, people are brought together. When you have a compassionate mind, the atmosphere around you is positive. If you feel fear & distrust, then others will distance themselves from you. They will feel cautious, suspicious, & distrustful. And that brings about the feeling of loneliness. Although the drive behind excessive self-focus is to seek greater happiness for yourself, it ends up doing the opposite. When you focus too much on yourself, you become disconnected from others. You also become alienated from yourself, since the need for connection with others is a fundamental part of who we are as human beings.
Envy: What causes suffering in life is a general pattern of how we relate to others: 1) Envy toward the above, 2) competitiveness toward the equal, & 3) contempt toward the lower. Often envy comes because we are too focused on material possessions and not on our inner values. When we focus on experience or knowledge, there is less envy.
Suffering & adversity: Suffering can either embitter or ennoble us. The difference lies in whether we can find meaning in our suffering. Without meaning, we can become embittered. But, when we can find meaning in our suffering, it can ennoble us. The depth of our suffering can also result in the height of our joy.
Amazon book: https://www.amazon.com/Book-Joy-Lasting-Happiness-Changing/dp/1524708631/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1662562715&sr=8-1
Audible audio book: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Book-of-Joy-Audiobook/B01IQ15URC?qid=1662562762&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=4JBQYWP0YQ9EQ71QS9JS
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Sept 10th, 9/11 Stair Climb, 10a Asylum
Sept 11th, Picnic, 4p Victor Ashe (check Slack for details)