'Every Malaysian who doesn't read a book during MCO will be compound RM10,000' #1Book1Week May 2021

When I went to book fairs, I realize that people buy books with the best intentions. They (me included) honestly 'intend' to read them when they pay the cashier. But let's face it, people are busier than ever today. Things come up. Life happens. And before they know it, the day almost end, month have changed, they're exhausted. "Richard, I simply don't have time to read," I heard this statement over and over again.

Think of it this way: What if the Malaysian government passed a law (how about the highest priority of SOP?) that would give RM1 million cash to every citizen who would read 15 minutes per day for one year? Do you think most people would suddenly TAKE the time to read? Would you? Unless you're having a chronic disease of laziness, of course, you would! You would rearrange your priorities to include reading in your daily agendas and perhaps kick out or reduce your idle times in social media.

Now, notice I wrote you could TAKE more time - not MAKE more time. The truth is we have all been given by God 24 hours a day (although the measurements of time are human inventions). No more, no less. You don't have to read one book every week or even one book every month, follow your own pace (this is not a race), and stick to the discipline for at least 15 minutes per day until you get into the habit. Slowly, increase your speed and widen your read. TAKE time to read. Andrew Carnegie puts it this way: "A man's reading program should be as carefully planned as his daily diet, for that too is food, without which he cannot grow mentally."

Come to think about it, I think it's a good idea if the government imposes another MCO SOP besides the usual like using your mask, check the temperature, stay at home... Why don't add, "Every Malaysian who doesn't read a book during MCO will be compound RM10,000"? Good idea, right? ��������� #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #15MinutesPerDay #PersonalGrowth #ThePowerOfReading #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

Btw, here are my #1Book1Week for May 2021 ��� If you have read any of these books or just wanted to discuss and ask me about them, just chat with me below yeah:

1) Unplugged: How to Live Mindfully in a Digital World (2014) by Orianna Fielding. CLICK HERE

2) This is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn To See (2018) by Seth Godin. CLICK HERE

3) Happiness Is A Choice: The Symptoms, Causes, and Cures of Depression (2007) by Frank Minirth. CLICK HERE

4) The Ultimate Prescription: What the Medical Profession Isn't Telling You (2010) by Dr. James L. Marcum, MD. CLICK HERE

5) #1Book1Week Monthly Lists. CLICK HERE

 
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The Ultimate Prescription: What the Medical Profession Isn't Telling You (2010) by Dr. James L. Marcum, BOOK REVIEW

The Ultimate Prescription: What the Medical Profession Isn't Telling You (2010)

by Dr. James L. Marcum, MD (with Charles Mills)

It's hard for me to ignore this: when the vaccines available for the public, I observe many people are eager to get shots for themselves and their loved ones. Try to get themselves and family members to register online and when the website jammed, they tenaciously try and try again. "Don't give up," a mantra that I read in one of my WhatsApp groups. Then when it's time for them to take the shot, people don't mind driving early in the morning, some even from miles away and very patiently queuing the long lines. There is no laziness, very few complaints, and little need for crowd control. But something is missing here: the same eagerness doesn't apply to most people's lifestyle when it comes to physical exercise, eating right, and mental health. It seems we are more concerned with which vaccines are the best but we are ignorant about how we treat our God-given bodies, minds, and spirits.

According to the World Population Review 2019, Malaysia has the highest prevalence of obesity among adults in South-East Asia at 15.6% (the 'fattest' country in Asia). According to the WHO, the top killer in Malaysia in 2014 was coronary heart disease (still is all around the world). The most recent epidemiological data, published in 2015 by the Malaysian Ministry of Health, identified that the prevalence of mental disorders among adults was 29% (that's about 3 in 10 people). Add these data with the effects of the pandemic and the stress of quarantines, we are doom if we don't take care of our health. Dr. James Marcum, in the back cover, argues that many of the diseases sending us to doctors' offices, surgical suites, and early graves are PREVENTABLE - and we don't need to be over-medicated (not anti-medicine) to cure them. "The painful truth is that we give the disease to ourselves by the choices we make over a lifetime. We create the chronic condition that brings about the acute event by placing endless stressors on our systems - stressors that eventually do us in."

Dr. James is a behavioral cardiologist, so he outlines many good scientific evidence to back up his claims, share lots of experience with his patients to authenticate his observations, and unapologetically tackle dozen of deadly misconceptions around us today. At the same time, he writes this book from a Christian perspective and believes that although modern medicines and technologies have done so much to combat the symptoms of diseases, only God, the Great Physician, through His Word (The Bible, 'owner's manual' as he called it), is the true source of healing. By gleaning truths from the Creation Story - Genesis chapter 1 to 3 - Dr. James skillfully let us see that God had already revealed His 'Health Plan' for us that is consistent with scientific findings. Perhaps I have issues with how he interprets some texts, but overall, he is theologically (but not a theologian) sound. Besides all the usual but often neglect natural ways to increase good health, he also highlights the spiritual aspect of love and worship. As cheesy as it may sound, this remains true: "Love [of God and with one another] is the solution to our global health care dilemma. Love opens the door for us to rediscover the ultimate prescription and find healing for our minds, bodies, and spirits. Love is the ultimate treatment. It's the final step to a full, long-lasting recovery" ❤ 
#LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #TheUltimatePrescription #HealthIsWealth #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

[P.s: In the final sections of this book, Dr. James gives very useful information about the symptoms, diagnostic testing, and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Sweet!]

To read my other #1Book1Week book reviews on health in general, click links below 

1) Happiness Is A Choice: The Symptoms, Causes, and Cures of Depression (2007, Updated Edition) by Frank Minirth, M.D. & Paul Meier, M.D. CLICK HERE
 
2) The Clever Guts Diet: How to Revolutionize Your Body from the Inside Out (2017) by Dr Michael Mosley CLICK HERE  

3) Diet Rehab: 28 Days to Finally Stop Craving the Foods That Make You Fat (2011) by Dr Mike Dow CLICK HERE  

4) Spartan Up! A Take No-Prisoners Guide to Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Peak Performance in Life (2014) by Joe De Sena CLICK HERE   


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Happiness Is A Choice: The Symptoms, Causes, and Cures of Depression (2007) by Minirth & Meier, Book Review

Happiness Is A Choice: The Symptoms, Causes, and Cures of Depression 

(2007, Updated Edition) by Frank Minirth, M.D. & Paul Meier, M.D.

"Most people are about as happy as they choose to be," said Abraham Lincoln. The authors agree with him. Probably Lincoln knows best. He went through many grievances in his life - the death of a loved one, lost elections, the Civil War, and other major disappointments. According to the authors, Lincoln once was so depressed that he considered suicide. But he chooses to overcome his depression and obtained inner joy and peace. Of course, eventually, he died but not because of depression but fell victim to the bullet.

Dr. Minirth and Dr. Meier have over 30 years of experience and study human psychology, physiology, anatomy, mentality, spirituality and are said to have exercised psycho-therapeutic skills on thousands of patients. According to them, with minor exceptions like a genetic bipolar disorder, "happiness is a choice." Granted that the human mind and emotions are a very complex, dynamic system, both authors are very confident that lasting inner happiness and depression at its core is "your choice." I agree and at the same time disagree with this statement. I agree because to solve a problem you need to realize that to some extent you're in control and it is within your power to make a change in your life. Free will is God's gift, not a curse. Who chooses to dwell in the misery? Who enjoys being a victim? Who reacts destructively? Who always blames you? You! This reminds me of Jim Rohn's quote: "If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree." Sometimes people unintentionally 'choose' depression due to guilt, bitterness, anger and even use it as a tool for manipulation.

But, on the other hand, I disagree. Why would anyone choose unhappiness and depression? What if there is a chemical imbalance in my brain? What if I'm born this way? (Now, this can be an excuse. But what excuse are you gonna give to those who are born intersex, for example) What about a spiritual attack? Where is the 'choice' in these? I think there are no once-for-all books that can simply answer these questions. Therefore, I'm going to be very gracious with the authors and try to understand their point of view based on their experiences as practitioners and from their Biblical perspective as Christ believers. My disagreement probably due to my lack of knowledge. But this is a true statement: most (not all) clinical depression is treatable and very likely curable. The rise of depression especially during the pandemic is worrisome and it is a very helpful book to keep us informed, be empathetic and hopefully, we will choose some new, healthy-producing attitudes and behavior patterns in our lives. "There is no single cause for all depressions, even though pent-up anger is the root cause of the vast majority of depression," writes the authors in the conclusion of this book. "[And] there is no single solution, even though faith in Jesus Christ and the principles of God's Word is at the root of all the solutions (known and unknown). The solutions may sometimes be very complex, but THEY DO EXIST!" Yes, they do exist. Have hope and faith in the sovereign God. Amen! [Ps: Don't be afraid to find help ya] ���������

#LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #HappinessIsAChoice #FightAgainstDepression #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read my other #1Book1Week Book Reviews, CLICK HERE ��� https://legasitv.blogspot.com/search/label/Book%20Review?m=1 

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THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

 

Unplugged: How to Live Mindfully in a Digital World (2014) by Orianna Fielding, Book Review

 
Unplugged: How to Live Mindfully in a Digital World (2014) by Orianna Fielding

I'm very interested in digital psychology and the impact of digital technology on our mental health for many years now (for book and TED Talk recommendations, see lists below). And thus, the research studies and the author's personal experiences, although some of the ways she processes the information are unique, are very familiar to me. But it's good to be reminded over and over again about the dangers of digital addiction and how to overcome it. "Connectivity now permeates every area of our lives," admits Fielding, an internationally recognized designer, and curator, "Technology has enabled us to do things that ten years ago were unthinkable. It has also completely changed many of the elements that historically formed the foundation of how we lived and interacted with each other, increasingly adversely affecting the most essential and fundamental elements of being human."

Granted, every one of us thinks about technology differently and our level of relationship to it is based on our context, purpose, and personality. Let's talk about the most familiar digital technology: social media on the smartphone. For example, I don't see any intrinsic value in Twitter because either the post is too trivial (mean useless to know) or abridge (mean too short to care). But for my friend, Peter, Twitter is just right because he only wanted to know the main headline of the news. I also see Instagram as non-beneficial for me because the Algorithm is specially designed for users to post as frequently as possible and looking at mosaic photos of myself is just weird (plus, I'm not that attractive). But for a businesswoman like Sarah, Instagram is a haven for potential customers, or Jilian, a social media model, Instagram is just the right tool to showcase her beauty and beauty products. However, I love YouTube and Spotify the most because they contain wide treasures of knowledge, information, and entertainment. I spent most of my time here as opposed to any other social media. So you see, the way we choose to connect with our social media is not one-size-fits-all. But do you know what is our similarity? To some degree, all of us are ADDICTED to social media - and generally speaking, to digital technology. Like it or not, "we are living in a culture dominated by digital excess."

At the beginning of the book, Fielding outlines 12 signs of digital overload. Let me share the 6 most frequent signs, in summary: 1) Checking your digital device first thing in the morning, getting up during the night to check for messages, and regularly using some form of digital device in bed; 2) Checking your smartphone while at a meal with others; 3) Spending little time outside and often eating at your desk; 4) Getting distracted easily even when offline and finding it hard to focus fully on one task; 5) Being with family members but spending most of your time at home on a device; and 6) Wanting to stop using your smartphone and finding that you just can't, having tried repeatedly but unsuccessfully to control your internet use. If you can identify with most of these signs, then, this may be a good indicator that it might be the right time for you to unplugged, undertake a digital detox, and reboot your life. I believe it is not about letting go of digital technology altogether - in fact, if we want to progress in life, we must embrace it - but making sure that it doesn't control our lives. Fielding equips: "Unplugging is not so much a disconnection as a fine-tuning of our inner search engine. Practicing moderation by finding a workable balance between our digital connectivity and our real-life connections is the key to establishing a new digital protocol where we can be fully present in our lives while using our digital devices as the tools they were designed to be."

There are lots of tips, suggestions, and very useful digital detox ideas outline in this book. It is never mean to be taken literally but you must try it for yourself first (remember, our context, purpose, and personality are different) and modify your practices along the way. Think big, start small, go deep. Perhaps, you can join me in reading books!  #1Book1Week ��� I know you can if you read this till the end ��� It is possible! ��������� #Unplugged #DigitalDetox #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

 Book and TED Talk recommendations:

 1) Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success In a Distracted World (2016) by Cal Newport. CLICK HERE to read my review. Watch his TED Talk too.

 2) Hyperfocus: How to Be More Productive In a World of Distraction (2018) by Christ Bailey. Watch his TED Talk too. I didn't manage to write a review for this one.

 3) Six Books on the Effect of Technology & Social Media. CLICK HERE to see my recommendations.

4) TEDx Talk: What You Are Missing While Being a Digital Zombie by Patrik Wincent https://youtu.be/TAIxb42FjwE  

5) TED Talk: Connected, But Alone? by Sherry Turkle https://youtu.be/t7Xr3AsBEK4 

6) How about documentaries? Let me suggest two - Disconnected (2017) directed by Salem Habbous https://youtu.be/MkIiMP--1h8 & The Social Dilemma (2020) directed by Jeff Orlowski on Netflix

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THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

 

#1Book1Week June 2020

This year I have the surge and desire to reread Christian books :) And what great books they are! Here are my #1Book1Week book lists for June 2020 (to see Jan-May listings, go to https://instagram.com/legasi.tv/):

1) The Cross: Crucified with Christ and Christ Alive In Me (this version, 2019) by J. C. Ryle. Ryle, an English Anglican Bishop, is a wise man of old. I love his expository thoughts on the Gospels. This book used by God to save me from the burden of my sins. So timely and richly Word-centred. "As the sun gazed upon makes everything else look dark and dim," writes Ryle, "so does the cross darken the false splendor of this world." True!

2) Jesus, A Visual History: The Dramatic Story of the Messiah in the Holy Land (2014) by Donald L. Blake Sr. Very scholarly and yet fun to read - a combination (seem rare nowadays) that excites me to explore the topic. This book reminded me of another similar book with colorful pictures, graphics, historical titbits, and Scripture explanations by Stephen Miller's The Jesus of the Bible. I recommend both!

3) The Coming Chinese Church: How Rising Faith In China Is Spilling Over Its Boundaries (2013) by Paul Golf. In the past, the West send missionaries who were willing to sacrifice themselves (even die) to preach the Gospel to the Chinese people. The minorities that become Christians were being persecuted, and just like in the Book of Acts, they strive and prosper during hardship. As they grew in numbers, God moved their hearts to bless other nations, too, by sending missionaries to preach the Gospel back to the West and the rest of the world. They do this to honor their spiritual heritage and driven by the vision that God has called them to, namely, Back to Jerusalem.

4) The Disease of the Health & Wealth Gospels (2006) by Gordon D. Fee. These so-called 'Gospels' or 'Christian' teachings are prevalent and damaging in the Church today. I appreciate this book because of its fair treatment of these controversial themes, and it is based on solid exegesis of the Scripture. Mr. Fee is known for his co-author book, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth... and true to its title, it is worth reading it.

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeader #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain #TheCrossOfChrist #ChineseRevival #JesusTheMessiah #HealthAndWealthFalseGospels

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Your Health Is Your Wealth

If you don't learn anything yet during these challenging times - MCO and COVID-19 - at least, you must realize how important your health is! "So many people spend their health gaining wealth," reminds A. J. Reb Materi, "and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health." Sad but true. Take care of your health people! #ServeToLead #HealthIsWealth

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The Clever Guts Diet: How to Revolutionize Your Body from the Inside Out (2017), Book Review

The Clever Guts Diet: How to Revolutionize Your Body from the Inside Out (2017) by Dr Michael Mosley

"All disease begins in the gut," says Hippocrates of Kos (460-370 BC), Greek physician, the father of Western medicine. Based on Dr Michael Mosley's book, Hippocrates was right! Gut, the not-so-glamorous organ of the human body, plays important role in extracting energy from our food, accounts for most of our immune system and produces lots of essential hormones that influence everything from our appetite to our mood. Not only all (I think, most) disease begins in the gut, but good health also somewhat begins in the gut. Deep buried in our intestines, the gut is "made up of the same cells, neurons, which are found in the brain" and "there are over 100 million neurons [in it], as many as you would find in the brain of a cat," write Dr Michael. Technically, the gut is our 'second brain’ (I have a 'gut feeling' about this). Whenever I see a cat now, I imagine its brain is neurotically almost the same numbers as my gut!

The heroes inside our gut are called microbes. Dr Michael explains: "Until recently the world of the microbiome was a dark, dank and private one. Down there live creatures that have never seen the light of day, more than 50 trillion of them, at least 1000 different species, a richer diversity of life than you would find in a rainforest." Astounding! (this fact reminds me of Giulia Enders' Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Under-Rated Organ). If you study the gut and microbes inside our body and how it influences our decisions in some ways, you will wonder, as human beings do we really have free-will? That's a good philosophical question, right? …for another time. By the way, microbes are called "Old Friends" because they are always with us since the beginning and are essential for our health. In this book, Dr Michael explores the kingdom of the microbiome first by self-experimentations, find the reliable and latest scientific researches, share stories and end with how to improve, heal and 'help' our good "Old Friends" in the most practical ways.

It is said that junk foods and overuse of antibiotics (in the animal meats, especially. Probably in Malaysia we are slightly safer than that of the Western countries like America and British. But we never know for sure) have wiped our many 'good' gut bacteria, leading to a very modern phenomenon of allergies, coeliac diseases, food intolerances, irritable bowel syndrome and obesity. We need to nurture and create good conditions in our gut to make sure that 'good' bacteria (hard to pronoun names I tell you) are always available and lively in our body for optimum health. How to do it? There are lots of suggestions in the book, but basically:

1) Make Your Biome More Diverse. The more different types of plants you eat, the more diverse your microbiome. In short, eat more plants. Avoid junk foods and anything to do with antibiotics (as I said, this we can't be sure. So, minimize your intake of meats). Get your hands dirty like gardening or exercise outdoor can expose you to good bacteria. Just don’t be overexposed…

2) Nourish the Gut with Food Boosters. To borrow Dr Mike Dow's Diet Rehab term, 'booster', is referring to food (and activity) that is good for you. Here Dr Michael outlines such as olive oil, oily fish, fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices, home-made yogurt and fermented foods. These will put a smile on our “Old Friends.” All of these foods, I think, must be taken in moderation and based on your body needs. I suggest you experiment with it and read more about it because as you know, information can differ. Other ways to nourish your biome are intermittent fasting, exercise regularly and have a good sleep.

3) Avoid Gut-Killers Foods. Top of Michael's list is sugar and processed food. Besides sugar in general, artificial sweeteners also must be avoided or reduced drastically. As for my own personal practice, I avoid fast foods and snacks. High-fat, trans-oil, high-sugar and bad-carbs are a no-no game. Not only they will kill 'good' bacteria, but they also can promote the growth of 'bad' bacteria in our gut. Resulted in what? Bad health and excessive weight (let's be honest here, once in a while, I eat at the fast-food restaurants and chew some snacks. I don't make it a habit though).

I'm familiar with the works of Dr Michael Mosley, doctor and medical journalist, because I watched some of his TV documentaries especially my favourite The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion (2010) Documentary. He is curious, clever and a good storyteller. I'm interested in the realm of health only recently this year especially after I read Spartan Up! I share Dr Michael's hope and dream that the future of eating healthy is bright even though there are lots of counterfeits at the moment. He concludes, "Keeping your biome properly fed and cared for is definitely worthwhile. If you look after all those friendly microbes then they will look after you. We are at the start of what I am convinced is a whole new way of approaching and understanding nutrition, one that could change the way we treat a wide range of diseases, from obesity to depression. This is just the beginning – there is so much more to come." Gut feeling tells me that this can be true. 

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

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Diet Rehab: 28 Days to Finally Stop Craving the Foods That Make You Fat (2011), Book Review

Diet Rehab: 28 Days to Finally Stop Craving the Foods That Make You Fat (2011) 

by Dr Mike Dow

In March 2010, the Scripps Research Institute release a ground-breaking study (read page 15-16) that find rats who were fed high-fat, high-sugar diets such as bacon and chocolate (lucky rats!) developed full-brown food addictions such as drug addictions. Oh ya, they gave cocaine to the rats too. Amazingly, the food had altered their brain chemistry. Because of this, these rats – overweight and food-addicted – desire for more and more 'junk' food to experience pleasure or at least, just to feel normal. "Now here's the even scarier part," writes Dr Mike, a psychology expert on addictive behaviours, disordered eating and food addictions, "After cocaine-addicted rats stopped taking the drug, it took only 2 days for their brain chemistry to return to normal. For the food-addicted rats in the food study, though, their brain chemistry took 2 weeks to return to normal. In other words, food habits affected their brain MORE than drugs in some ways!" Now, that is scary!

Let me repeat: Food addictions alter brain chemistry the same as cocaine addictions but it took longer for food addictions to recover. Mind-blowing! In this book, Dr Mike focuses on two main brain chemicals that affect our food intakes, body weight and wellbeing, namely - dopamine and serotonin. Dopamine is the pleasure, excitement, 'fall in love' and energizer chemical. If you're low in dopamine, you'll be listless, sad and feel lonely. Concerning food addictions, the more you eat high-fat foods, the more doses of dopamine you'll get to get 'high.' But the more you feed yourself with extra fat, neurons that release, receive and keep your dopamine moving become overloaded, then damaged. Thus, you need greater and greater quantities of dopamine 'junk' foods to feel normal again. This will create a downward spiral cycle of your food addictions. "The more you eat, the more you want." Serotonin, on the other hand, is feeling calm, peaceful and positive chemical. If you're low in serotonin, you'll feel anxious, fearful and perhaps depressed. You'll crave for high-sugary and sweet foods and the vicious cycle of the downward spiral will happen. Your craving for foods is the response of your craving for dopamine and serotonin boosts (among other important brain chemicals). You eat to feel calm when you're nervous, sad or depressed. Weight gain is the by-product.

There are two hallmarks of addiction: 1) Tolerance. "When you keep needing more to get the same high", and 2) Withdrawal. "The pain of giving up an addictive substance that the body has come to rely on." Any diet programs will have to face these two obstacles. And so, Dr Mike introduces his Diet Rehab program. His approach to addiction is based on 'gradual detox' in which "you begin by adding foods that will boost your serotonin and dopamine levels before you even cut back on anything." This is well illustrated in The Dr Oz Show (watch YouTube Dr Mike Dow's 28-Day Plan to Kick Cravings). Gradual detox is based on the understanding that it takes a month (about 28 days) for the human brain to create a habit. So, during Diet Rehab, you need to gradually replace "pitfall" foods, activities and thought patterns with "boosters." There are lots of examples of pitfalls and boosters listed in the book. I love the secret of Diet Rehab because it deals with not only the food that you eat, but also the activities that you do, and the thought patterns that you keep. It can be summed up in two-sentence, says Dr Mike:

1) First add booster foods (more greens and healthy foods) and booster activities (take a walk, exercise, sing, etc.) to your life

2) Then gradually reduce pitfall foods (saturated/trans- fat, high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt, etc.) and pitfall thoughts ("I'm not good enough", "I'm always a failure", etc.)

What I love about this book is that Dr Mike gives good suggestions and science-based reasons for what, why and went we behave in certain ways that are stealing our lives. My favourite is Part 3 entitled Free Yourself from Food Addiction where he talks about obsessive eating, emotional eating and binge eating. This part alone is worth your money and time reading it. I bought this book for only RM10 (on sale) and I learned a great deal about the psychology of food addictions and behaviours and how to overcome them. To be honest, I didn't follow the 28-Day Diet Rehab Programme but I watch carefully what I eat, adding more booster activities and keep my thought patterns in check. If you have an eating disorder or eating emotionally (if chronic, check with your doctor), I highly recommend this book. Dr Mike has dozens of exercises that can help you to understand yourself better and how to deal with it.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

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Spartan Up! A Take No-Prisoners Guide to Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Peak Performance in Life (2014) by Joe De Sena, Book Review

Spartan Up! A Take No-Prisoners Guide to Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Peak Performance in Life (2014) by Joe De Sena with Jeff O' Connell

"Healthy foods, healthy attitude, healthy relationships, healthy mind, and healthy body together define a complete Spartan lifestyle – the Spartan code in action," writes Joe De Sena, a co-founder of the Spartan Race. I'm pumped up when I read this book. I started to be aware of the food that I eat (avoid carbonated drinks and fast foods at all costs, except for pork burgers with lots of mayonnaise). I either hike to the hills/mountains or hit the gym or just walk for miles daily because I said to myself, "That's what a Spartan does." Life is a movement. A body in motion tends to stay in motion. My dream body is not bulky, but muscularly-lean. As Joe says, "Spartans need muscular endurance more than they need huge muscles." I believe in the spirit-mind-body connection. Spiritual fitness is essential. Fit mind without a fit body, die early. Fit body without a fit mind, stupid. Fit mind in a fit body is living a fuller life. Spartan up!

Not everyone can do what Joe De Sena does. He is a legend in endurance and adventure racing circles. In only 1 week he completed the 135-mile Badwater ultramarathon, raced the 140.6 miles of the Lake Placid Ironman, and finished a 100-mile trail run in Vermont! I'll be dead. It fits because his mantra is: "Give me the hardest thing you got." You and I don't have to do what he does. Joe (read about why he did it in the book) might be a bit of extreme, but what he tries to shows and write in this book is that IT IS POSSIBLE. "We are all destined for the grave," Joe writes as a matter-of-fact, "but what a tragedy to arrive there without any scars, without any mark to show that we tried to do something amazing." I translate that as – push yourself to the limit or at least make much of your life. Two more chapters before I finished reading this book, I watched the movie 300 (2006) again for the fourth time. Dilios says about the King of Spartan, Leonidas, "For he did not wish tribute, nor song, nor monuments, nor poems of war and valor. His wish was simple, ‘Remember us. Remember why we died.'" Do something amazing. Spartan up!

There are 5 Key Lessons that I learned from this book:

#1 Toughen Your Will (or Push Yourself Out of Comfort Zone). Where there's a will, there's a way. A cliché but true. Old runner proverb puts it this way: "You run the first half with your legs, the second half with your mind." When you wish to watch Netflix or YouTube all day long, it takes a tough will to go out of the room and exercise instead. When you desire to eat fast food because, well, it's fast to prepare, it takes a tough will to choose a healthier meal. When laziness strikes you hard and the bed or chair is warm and comfortable, it requires a tough will to get up and put on your running shoes. "It sounds hard," writes Joe in the chapter Confronting the Greatest Obstacle: Your Will, "but I think everybody needs to suffer a little." Toughen your will and you'll build "obstacle immunity."

#2 Change Your Mindset (or Change Your Frame of Reference). "The hardest part of all of us is convincing our minds what our bodies are capable of." I witness this a lot: many trains the body but forget to train the mind. To win every battle, one must first win on the battlefield of the mind. This means mastering your emotions, decide what's important beforehand (Joe have this "the upside" priorities, read it), and focus by resisting distractions and temptations, especially avoiding the short-term satisfaction temptations (the cookies or marshmallows test). Setting your mind to, "It is possible, I can do it!" and do it is what separates the Spartans and the ordinaries.

#3 Exercise Regularly (or Be Physically Active). "Exercise is the best defense you have against anxiety, stress, depression and a whole host of other diseases." I might not agree that every disease is related to the lack of exercise, but as Joe says, "When it comes to exercise, the rich grow richer." Yes! Exercise is as much a mindset as it is a motion. Often, when I went to the gym that is in the 3rd-floor building, most people rather use lift than stairs. I thought, "Are you coming here to exercise?" It is good to keep in mind that to exercise is to be physically active. It means taking every opportunity to move your muscles. Also, do as much outdoor exercise as possible. Hiking, walking, running, swimming, etc. You'll breathe fresh air and a lot more challenging than predicable gym equipment.

#4 Eat Healthy (or Change Your Diet). Honest to say, most healthy food is expensive. I eat oat a lot but rice is much cheaper. Fresh fruits can be costly too. I don't drink nutritional dairy products such as milk and protein shake because I have lactose intolerant. And one other factor: it's expensive. But there are less expensive ways to eat healthily such as drink enough water, avoid fast foods, be intentional with sugary items intake ("You want to get a runner's high, not a sugar high"), choose vegetables and don't do emotional eating! I like Joe's advice: "Eating clean today is for tomorrow. Clean food helps you recover from hard work and high stress alike… lead the charge in crushing obesity."

#5 Welcome Pain (and even Failure). This requires grit. Grit refers to "an indefatigable will to overcome obstacles… Grit emerges out of the force of will that manifests action. Grit is execution. Grit gets shit done." Most people – including me – when encountered with pain, we tend to quit. The pain of not reaching goals, that's why we don't set goals anymore. The pain of a tired body, that's why watching TV on the couch is more desirable. The pain of criticism, naysayers, and lavish-caring can stop us before we even try. But if you embrace the lifestyle of Spartan (which I'm convinced that I should. Thanks Joe!), you don't see the pain the same way again. It will not be a stopper but a pusher. Joe encourages us: "Being a Spartan is about giving your best effort, proving your doubters wrong, and getting it done when other people are sitting at home watching TV."

As I'm writing this, 18th October 2019, Spartan Race will be held tomorrow, 19th – 20th October 2019, at Semenggok, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Kuching is my birthplace. One of the ‘marketing' strategy that Joe De Sena does in this book is to encourage the reader to sign up for the Spartan Race all over the world. At first, I'm a bit irritated by the ‘marketing' bombarded messages throughout the book. But after I finished reading it, it all makes sense for two reasons: 1) The Spartan Race is one of the ways for me to test my commitment to the Spartan lifestyle. It's easy to make a decision, but it's another way to commit to it… Do I have what it takes? and 2) Be honest, if I sign up for the Race, it good for Joe's business. I'm not going to sign up, though. Not yet. I know about the Race only recently. I will sign up for next year! Meanwhile, I will train myself hard, Spartan up!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

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Angelus' Quote: Cancer Cannot Kill Friendship!

An enthusiastic believer in Christ, Dan Richardson, lost his battle with cancer. But his life demonstrated that even though the physical body may be destroyed by disease, the spirit can remain triumphant. This poem was distributed at his memorial service:

< Cancer Is So Limited >

It cannot cripple love,

It cannot shatter hope,

It cannot corrode faith,

It cannot eat away peace,

It cannot destroy confidence,

It cannot kill friendship,

It cannot shut out memories,

It cannot silence courage,

It cannot invade the soul,

It cannot reduce eternal life,

It cannot quench the Spirit,

It cannot lessen the power of the Resurrection.

[P.s: I dedicate this post to my late friend, man in red t-shirt, Aderus Helena Ngata. No, cancer cannot kill friendship. The power of Christ's resurrection reign! ⚡⚡⚡]

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

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Three (3) Lessons I Learned from Hiking Mount Santubong

While on the way down and waiting for others 😛 I made a video, sharing some lessons I learned from hiking Mount Santubong 😀 This is my third times this year, so I share Three Lessons:

#1 It's Not the Mountain that We Conquer, But Ourselves 💪 Every day we need to conquer the 'mountains' of laziness, procrastination, and bad habits. It's daily battles of conquering ourselves.

#2 To Climb the Mountain, It Requires Fitness 🏋️‍♂️ Only when we climb then we know either we're fit or not. In life, we need to strengthen our physical fitness, without it we can't do much; take care of emotional fitness too, so that you won't give up easily; and don't forget about your spiritual fitness. The spiritual life is more real than you can ever imagine! All these require hard work, discipline, determination, and perseverance.

#3 There Will Always Be More Mountain to Climb 🎒 Someone once said, "Success is never final, failure is never fatal." Never stop improving yourself, dream on, go on 'climbing,' and hike another 'mountain' (or the same). Challenge yourself. Don't fear failure, embrace it. By doing this, you also show others that it is possible for them to do the same!
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THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.