đč hello there!
Itâs just another manic Monday and I hope this letter finds you in the best of spirits. But this isnât the best of situations. This pandemic situation is surreal. It might appear like everything is under control and everything will soon be back to 'normal'. Then again, it appears like all hell has broken loose and it's the beginning of the apocalypse. And when we're not oscillating between these extremes, there's numbness.
You'll often hear me talking about the trifecta of movement, madness, and mortality. For all the chaos in the world, is there a way to enjoy the moment, and not just endure the situation?
đ movement
What movement? Thanks to lockdown imposed across cities and countries, you and I are confined to our homes. You can't move out, go anywhere, explore the outdoors, or even hit your favorite haunts. Gyms are closed and those with an active lifestyle are the worst affected. Most fitness routines are supported by external motivating factors. Now with virtual motivation - videos, online sessions, and accountability buddies you can still stay fit. If youâve got this, more power to you. But if youâre exhausted, disappointed, and caught in the loop of starting and quitting, I got a short and sweet workout idea for you:
Sit down on the ground, close your eyes and travel back in time to when you were a year old.
Open your eyes and now explore your room as the infant you.
Lie on your back and flail your limbs in the air. Roll over and crawl on your hands and knees. Stand up, clap your hands to celebrate. Bend down and walk on all fours.
Rinse and Repeat
If it doesn't make you younger in mind, it sure will make you younger in the body. Do this as many times a day as you like for no longer than a couple of minutes each time (2 minutes every 2 hours is a good start). Note: Diaper dress code optional.
âWe see in order to move; we move in order to see.â - William Gibson
đ€Ż madness
Aah, such a fertile time for the mind to go absolutely bonkers. Staying indoors and alone is a mental health disaster waiting to happen. You slack on your routine. You don't care about your appearance. Food is something you gobble up when you feel like, and ignore when you don't. You binge-watch memories of your worst relationships in the best light. Your phone is your soulmate. Those you talk to maybe weighed down by their own troubles. Everyone's fearful of the job & education situations. Itâs not easy watching your well-laid plans get destroyed. With the future so bleak, you have no option but to look to the ghosts of the past. And if you haven't made up with them, that isn't going to be helpful either. Looks like your only hope for sanity lies in the present, so let's open it up, shall we? Here's a simple exercise for you:
Take a deep breath. And shout out a loud Tarzan yell!
That's it. You donât have to imitate the distinctive, ululating victory cry of the bull ape. Just let it out! Feel free to send me a video if you like. People may be divided on whether shouting will help or not, but try it for yourself. If you're worried about scaring your neighbors, do it on the hour, every hour. They'll soon assume you're an off-key cuckoo clock.
âIn a mad world, only the mad are sane.â - Akira Kurosawa
đ» mortality
If I were to ask you "Are you ready to die?", what would you say? Probably "Hell no! Why would you ask me such a question?" 609,118 people have died of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past few months. Not to mention nearly 150,000 people dying every day, worldwide of other causes. So why wouldn't you ask yourself this question? As a society, we avoid this contemplation on the eventual certainty. The best in the world are uniting to pool their minds and money toward defying death. What about accepting death?
Talk to those you love and remind them that they matter. Spend time with them in any way you can.
Talk to those you hate and let them know you couldn't care less. Avoid those who donât uplift you.
Live true. Even if your life plans aren't going so well right now, you can still plan your exit strategy. How would you like to die?
âTo the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.â - Dumbledore
Thatâs all for this Manic Monday folks. This is my first newsletter issue, so if you have something to say or thereâs something you want to hear, talk to me. If you donât know how you wound up here, yet feel strangely at home listening to me talk about movement, madness, and mortality, you know what to do.