“I wonder when I will title my posts to optimize (SEO),” she thinks to herself, adding: “(MC will not like this).”
Today is an off week for the abetterway. using inner resources to create your own algorithm Sunday Book Club. The good news is that it’s a great opportunity to purchase the book. It’s soft, sexy, and easy to read.
I am hesitant to post a blog.
I have been writing all morning. Sometimes it just feels good to bang away on the keyboard. I often wonder about how much I talk/think about doing something, as compared to actually doing the thing.
On that topic, a takeaway mantra I use from…hm, who was it? Maybe Steven Pressfield, but probably not. I heard it from someone that would intimidate me in real life. Whoever it was, said: ‘what do writers do? They write.’ And then I added: ‘what do video editors do? They make videos.’
Speaking of people who would intimate me in real life, Mark Cuban has entered my realm of focus over the last few weeks. I listened to part of a podcast where he was interviewed by Trevor Noah on what now?. And then he popped up on my Masterclass app with a 90 minute ‘class’ on how to pitch your ideas. Apparently, as a result of the class, you create a pitch and send it to Masterclass with the opportunity to have a meeting with Mark. He’s intimidating. I would be scared.
MC: “Are you telling me that you have had a licensed business for almost two years, have been building it for over ten, and you invest 97% more than you earn, funding it from a school salary?”
me: “Um. Yeah. It might even be 99%. But it’s expanding. I can feel it. I started with 200 followers and now have almost 350 on Instagram. I have 57 subscribers on wordpress where I have been writing consistently since late 2019. I want things to be organic, Mark. I’m creating my own authentic algorithm. It’s part of the content. You should read it. I’m happy to give it to you.”
Mark: “YOU WILL NOT GIVE IT TO ME. YOU HAVE A BUSINESS. YOUR ONLY GOAL IS TO SELL YOUR PRODUCT. WHAT DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND?!?!?!?”
After listening to the first part of the podcast, and maybe close to an hour of the course, here are a few takeaways from my newly acquired Mark Cuban influence:
MC observes the world around him and asks: Can I do better?
As it relates to the Dallas Mavericks, he was at a game as a season ticket holder, he looked around and asked: Can I do better? He realized he had enough money to buy the team, so he did.
He did not focus on player development. One of the things he focused on was the energy in the environment. A packed stadium chanting for the team creates a different energy than a stadium half full. Full capacity. Engagement. He wanted the basketball games to be the answer to ‘What do I want to do tonight?’ – ‘I want to go to a Mavs game.’
I like that. Create the environment for the desired outcome. This can be part of creating a sensual lifestyle in day. Fully integrated. Present. Engaged in what’s happening. Create the energy that contributes to your desired outcome.
That’s all I have on that. I have had some fun ideas for pitches. I want to pitch to boutique hotels in college towns to support my road trip addiction. And really, why wouldn’t I?
Here is another segment taken from my morning writing. I was preparing for my Monday lesson. We are on step five of the checkIN: breath. Consider my morning writing as a brainstorming session. Interpretation is ultimately up to you and your purposes for the outcomes you want in day.
Review checkIN and how it can apply to day.:
- Notice. One may begin to intentionally practice awareness. This can be a daily or weekly session, maybe you name it Quiet Time.
- Or, one may notice discomfort and choose to be curious about it, rather than react to it. A belief about discomfort may be that it is an indicator. Discomfort has a message.
- Either way (#1 or #2) the effectiveness is dependent on what one thinks, or believes, about one’s ability to create desired outcomes. In the case of #1, if one believes that practicing the skill of awareness is beneficial to one’s wellbeing, then one will practice and notice benefits in day. When recognizing one’s growth, consider intensity, duration, frequency. Patterns are maddening. It’s maddening to return to the same episode of cause and effect. I suppose, for our purposes, ‘cause’ or ‘stimulus’ may be the situation. The situation, circumstance, or event is happening or happened. It’s done. Now what? Ellen Langer may say that one can respond mindfully or mindlessly. A mindful response may be the thought, ‘I have been here before’. Soothing one’s visceral response, or feeling/sensation indicators that are getting your attention/focus, is a mindful response. The mindful response is connected with an appreciation or love for yourself. You are the voice you want to hear from the other. You soothe the response. You say ‘it’s okay, we have been here before. We’re doing good. It’s a pattern. It’s something to be curious about. We’ll get better. Let it go for now. Reacting will not change anything. Let’s let the momentum play out. We will get to a better feeling state. And then we’ll do the next thing.”
- Name discomfort. Discomfort is an indicator that gets your focus.
What do I think about breath? How do I use breath? To start, when I began facilitating mindfulness I would really mess myself up thinking about breath. It seems like such a simple thing. Breathing is a natural occurrence. It also makes sense that the rate of our breath is messaging the cells in our body. If we are breathing mindlessly, we may be breathing in a way that sends a message of stress which is telling our intelligent stress response that there is a potential danger, threat, or challenge that we need to prepare for.
Side note: At this time, I am a bit uncertain about the difference between hormones and neurotransmitters. I think I know that cortisol is a stress hormone and dopamine is a neurotransmitter. Before listening to dopamine detox, I think I assumed dopamine was also a hormone. I am not sure of the difference between hormone and neurotransmitter, I could google it, but for now I know that the body responds to our messaging. The messaging we send is evident in our feeling state. If we are alarmed we signal a possible need for protection (fight, flight, freeze); if we are interpreting what is happening to connect to a feeling state of safety and security, then we allow for messaging to contribute to a balanced state of equilibrium, not too much, not too little, just right.
Today’s lesson is checking IN to breath.
Notice.
Just notice.
Breath in. Breath out.
Compassionate awareness: w/o judgment, comparison, criticism.
Breath in. Breathe out. Doodle. Color. Fidget. Notice breath. I breathe in. I breathe out.
Consider: Mind is to brain like breath is to body. Some may say that the mind is all of it. Some may say that it’s the awareness of mind and body. If one takes out awareness and gets lost in thoughts and ideas it can feel disconnected, particularly if the thoughts and ideas are not helpful. If one is just in the body allowing breath to do its thing, one’s experience can be disconnected because of the messaging breath is giving to body. Fast paced breath or short breath into chest indicates stress which is activating fight/flight/freeze. Slow, expansive, intentional breath signals safety and security. Mind and Body connected is like puzzle pieces that allow for an integrated state.
Here is a YouTube video from last week that integrates ideas taken from abetterway.
Lastly, a quote that resonates. For me, when I stopped hating myself, things changed. I wonder about bad habits, or just unhelpful habits. I want to embody this quote and be firm when it comes to the habits in day that are seemingly incessant, unhelpful, and within my power to end: “This game is no longer fun.” I suppose on a level I think it is fun and I don’t want to stop.
Life. Constant growth.
sally's blog. 
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