The Power Of Curiosity

By Jacqueline Moore

Albert Einstein said, “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious”. (Letter to Carl Seelig (11 March 1952), Einstein Archives 39-013)

When I read that quote it felt true for me, too, and got me thinking about why that is.  (I am such a philosopher at heart.)  I went where my musings took me and I offer them in the spirit of inviting a welcoming to the power of curiosity.

I am passionately curious about life in general, people more specifically, and “how things work”, very specifically; that is, the “why” behind what is.  As I contemplated this quote, a variety of notions arose and here they are.

Recently I have been on the road delivering sales training to team members in one of the world’s largest and most successful enterprises.  At the heart of this training is the concept that the agents be ‘naturally nosy’ when speaking with customers, in order to find out about their businesses and uncover needs for the products and services the agent’s company provides.  It has been a common occurrence in most of the sessions that agents are actually afraid of engaging their customers by asking questions, or being ‘naturally nosy.’  At this point, my perception is that some people are not really curious in that way; some people lack conversation skills to engage others; some people are just not really that interested in others (and may be in the wrong job); and / or, people have become so “knowledgeable” that they are no longer open-minded to the world around them.  I might go so far as to say that some people are blocked learners and spend a lot of their energy ‘being right’ and resisting ‘new’ information, even when it might help them in some way.

That led me to think about the “I know mind.”  This mind is the one that knows everything, has everything figured out, and needs to be right a lot.  My perception is that this state of mind is the opposite of being curious.  In my experience in noticing my own beliefs and behaviors as well as those of others, when one is in that mind, there is usually some kind of conflict going on.  To the degree I or another is able to “not know” or “be right” about the contentious topic at hand, an opening results for what Stephen Covey calls the Third Alternative, a way that is better than either of the original two and that both parties can live with.  In a very esoteric way, losing the need to be right (or to win), can actually be a pathway to peace – inside an individual, between and among people, and nations, and the world.  You get my drift.

So then my mind went to “but, there are times when there is no conflict”, just a “knowing” that feels peaceful and right.  So, what about that?  I do believe there are “knowings” and I resist being complacent about them when they arise because it is just as possible that what I “know” is incomplete at best or incorrect at its relative worst.  An example of a knowing I trust and that feels good to me is when I do the right thing in a situation when it is hard to do and inconvenient and I’d rather not do it, but I do it anyway.  In those cases, I “know” that the action was right because of how I feel.  And, it is not uncommon for me to qualify most of what I say “at this point in time” because I believe expanded knowledge and possible ensuing wisdom are always a possibility, especially with my bent to understand the “why” behind things.

As my journey continued, I arrived at the inevitable “why are we here?” and “what is the purpose of life?” questions that I am extraordinarily interested in and curious about.  It’s a bit odd, but I do not want to really “know” the answers to those perennial questions as much as I desire to understand at levels I cannot even imagine, which I imagine would mean I am in some kind of communion with the Divine.

This is where major leaps of curiosity occur for me.  And, as I close this piece for now, I leave you with the questions I ask to “the Universe” on a regular and consistent basis, and that, for now, seem adequate enough just to ask.  I sense that each day brings instances that reveal an iota of the truth and that staying curious is the only way I know of to stay in a condition of the learning I desire in my very soul.  My persistent curiosity springs from the inspiration of The Prayer of St. Francis of Assissi:

  1. How may I be an instrument of peace?
  2. How may I sow love?
  3. How may I pardon (forgive perceived injuries)?
  4. How may I have immutable faith?
  5. How may I be used for the transformation of despair into hope?
  6. Of darkness into light?
  7. Of sadness into joy?
  8. How may I seek to console rather than be consoled?
  9. To understand as much or more than to be understood?
  10. To love as to be loved?

At the end of the day, I hold the belief that the “why” we are here is clear: to love and be loved.  It’s the “how” we get there, if we ever do, that I am most curious about.  Today.  For now.  And I am open and willing to learn new, more mature and righteous ways to be curious.  Tomorrow, or whenever such “answers” are to be revealed.

You can learn more about Jacqueline Moore and her work at www.thepowerandlight.com

Can pills, shots and surgery be the solution for back pain and dysfunction?

By Juan Ruiz-Tagle

Here is the problem…

1. There is an average of 60 % more pressure on the spinal discs when we are sitting than when we are standing.

2. Most people sit between 6 to 8 hours per day (driving, watching TV, using the computer, eating, reading,etc.)

3. Most people sit with poor posture.

4. Most people do not move often enough.

5. Most people lift with their backs and not with their hips and legs.

6. Most people exercise the trunk muscles “core” by doing some type of sit-ups and “supermans”, which puts between 1000 to 1200 pounds of pressure to the spinal discs (Stuart McGill PhD 2006).

7. Most people exercise with machines, isolating muscles and blocking their proprioceptors and most of their stabilizers.

And then, after all this, when people develop spinal problems, such as, bulging disc, herniated disc, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, etc., a common approach is to go from ibuprofen to pain killers and when that doesn’t work, to go from steroids to epidural injection and when that doesn’t work, to go from laminectomy (surgery) to spinal fusion (surgery) and when all that doesn’t work, they are told to get more surgeries and more addictive pills.

Here is a better approach to prevent this from happening:

1. Walk with arm swing at least 20 to 30 minutes everyday (dog walking is OK but it does not count as therapeutic walking).

2. Sit with your spine in neutral (not too slouched nor too arched) and change you posture within a neutral zone every 30 minutes.

3. When lifting, keep your spine in neutral, use your legs (bend your hips, knees and ankles joints) and keep the object close to your center of gravity, in other words your belly button.

4. Floss your sciatic nerves 10 reps 2-4 times per day every day (See post 60).

5. Build neuromuscular endurance by speed walking, opposites (bird dog) exercises, planks (don’ arch your back…keep it in neutral), squats, lunges and balance reach.

6. Avoid exercises that are harmful to the spinal discs such as: sit ups, prone leg raises, superman exercise (lying flat face down and raising both legs and arms up), knee to chest stretches, toe touch stretches and spine twisting stretches and don’t put your self in danger with dumb exercises such as standing on a exercise ball.

7. Eat often and eat a balance diet of protein, complex carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits and clean water.

8. Rest, restore and recover through good night sleep, active rest and therapeutic massage.

9. Be patient. Although you may progressively feel better, it may take six to twelve months before you see results and get better

Please check out more from www.OneMileRunner.com Consultant, Juan Ruiz-Tagle, on his blog at backtofunction.blogspot.com.

Speed Workout

This speed workout video was shot in June before we departed on our world tour. I was doing some 250 yard sprints on the track and some 6-10 second incline sprints up the Ringling Bridge.

Our three general points on speed at www.OneMileRunner.com

  1. Body stays erect for maximum knee lift and to allow the trunk to stabilize and brace
  2. Bent arms move from the shoulder, but without further flexion from the elbows
  3. Mid-foot strike – striking the ground with the heel first is like putting on the “brakes”.

This style of running promotes stiffness throughout your body. This is what enables you to be fast and diminish your time on the ground. Many running coaches talk about staying “relaxed.” I am not sure what this means for form. Relaxation in my form promotes more sinking of my heels, more flexion from my elbows, and a lack of bracing in my trunk. Stiffness in my trunk and mid-foot landing propels me down the mile course optimizing my efforts for speed.

See what it feels like to stiffen your entire trunk when sprinting. Try a mid-foot strike if you have not before. Experiment with your arm movement to give you the best rhythm, balance, and power possible. And most all, enjoy what your body feels like when going fast – one of the best feelings in the world.

2011 Event: “5 Wonders Under 25 Minutes”

We are very excited at www.OneMileRunner.com to announce our 2011 event entitled, “5 Wonders Under 25 Minutes.” I asked permission to race a mile down the Great Wall of China last year, but my request  was denied. However, after completing “Around The World In Less Than 30 Minutes,” I was granted access to race a mile on the Great Wall. This is one of my dream miles and probably the coolest mile that I will ever race.

Our 2011 event will span over a 5-month period with one race per month – very different than the last 3 years. We will race one Wonder of the World each month starting in China in May. There are a few “Wonders of the Worlds” lists: ancient, medieval, natural, and new. We tried to take a mix of all the lists. (It is difficult to use the ancient wonders of the world listing as only one, The Great Pyramid of Giza, still stands today). Also, these one-mile races will be “adventure” miles that are mixed with different elevations, challenging surfaces, and various climates – all with a “Wonderful” backdrop.

Here are our selections for our 2011 event:

  1. Great Wall (China) (New and Medieval list of wonders) 5/21
  2. Stonehenge (England) (Medieval list of wonders) 6/25
  3. Taj Mahal (India) (New list of wonders) 7/23
  4. Grand Canyon (USA) (Natural wonders list) 8/20
  5. Petra (Jordan) (New list of wonders) 9/9

With not having a race until next May, I will have one of my first extended breaks from speed training in the last three years. The speed training for my 2011 event will begin in February. I am looking forward to this time away from running to increase my flexibility and add more strength. I have already begun my biking, swimming, and active rest program. At the end of September, I will be meeting with my trainer and consultant, Juan Ruiz-Tagle, to formulate my 4 month fitness regime to improve my performances and prepare me for the unusual racing in 2011.

Tour of Trust

Sekyen and I took a vacation in Martha’s Vineyard when we returned to the USA followed by a hike up Mount Moosilauke in the White Mountains. I am back on regular sleep patterns and ready to begin my coaching and speaking commitments.

I had the opportunity when I got back to Florida to catch up with our “mental preparation” consultant at www.OneMileRunner.com, Jacqueline Moore, who traveled to our first leg of the “Around The World In Less Than 30 Minutes” in Connecticut, US. Please check out our new video that tells how the tour began with “faith” and transformed to “trust.”

We have just received confirmation for our 2011 event. I will be announcing the details of our tour next week. We are anxious to share the exciting news with you!