A few thoughts on culture in daily life

Recently I wrote an article on the importance of culture in sport and how it is something we are missing in Canada.  I have been thinking a lot about it lately as this is something that I put a lot of merit into if we want to further sport in this country.  These thoughts have led me to think about some of the negative aspects of culture as well and not just in sport.  As always, this is my opinion.  And the beauty of my opinion or anyone else’s for that matter you have the option to stop reading or blocking me from the social media platforms I post on as I do to you when you post pictures of your chick pea and kale salad.
            I don’t care if you do yoga, Pilates, crossfit, barre method, power lifting, Olympic lifting, bosu, kettle bells, spin, jazzercise, prancersize or whatever form of exercise you choose.  I also don’t care whether your diet follows the vegan, vegetarian, paleo, high protein/low carb, blood type, zone, 4 hour body protocols.  And I certainly don’t care what your religious, political, philosophical, self-helping views are.  What I do care about is what pictures you put up on facebook, twitter and Instagram telling everyone what you are associated or indoctrinated with.  I find it fascinating that people feel the need to be associated with groups or specific styles that reflect their lives and even more fascinating that there is a need to tell everyone about it.  I know this sounds crazy, but what if everyone did their own thing with the understanding that what works for them may not work for others and pushing a methodology down people’s throat is certainly not a way to convert heathens to believe what you believe or do what you do.  What if we preached balance?  As in you take a little from each of the above methods and you make it your own.  What if you be you (I stole that from Jen Kish on Twitter. I don’t know Jen but I know she is an amazing representative for our national women’s 7’s and 15’s program)? Not you being a prancersizing, paleo, republican?

            All of the things I mentioned above have components that are great and I don’t want to take anything away from that. What I do have a problem with are the people that attach themselves vehemently to these methods as if nothing else works.  I hate to break it to people, but if any of these alone were that great we would all be fucking awesome.
Culture is important in every aspect of life, but when it becomes your be all to end all we tend to close off opportunities for something far greater.  Just as when we put a mentor on a pedestal, we tend to lose the ability to question and end up following blindly. If we can’t question or choose not to question methods, we most certainly will struggle to progress in any avenue of life.

            Everyone loves to jump on band wagons or fads and I am not insinuating that any of the above are fads, but if you find yourself closing off or discounting value in them you cannot progress whatever you’re doing.  For those of you that know me, you are aware that I hate a lot of things.  For those of you that know me well, you know that I believe in balance and all things offered may have a role in creating something better (even the stuff I hate).  I’ve discounted many things in my younger years and over time I have learned to or at least tried to learn how to find the good in things and toss what I deem as useless so that I can create balance for both myself and my clients.

            For all that attach themselves to specific entities as a means to fulfill a void I have a few simple answers for you.  

·         Look for balance in everything.  Instead of making yourself a part of these methods, make these methods a part of you

·         Give more of yourself to others.  Don’t just say you donate this or do that, live it.  Don’t discount the ability to help someone in need; it may just be what you’re searching for even if your regurgitated self-help book tells you otherwise

·         Don’t be afraid to tell it like it is.   Unlike angry birds, we don’t have unlimited lives.  It’s closer to candy crush where once you screw up you just have to wait 24 hours and you can start again

·         You can’t rush experience.  This goes for everything in life from work to relationships and once you realize this you will be a little closer to peace

As always, thanks for reading and I look forward to the hate mail I will be receiving shortly.   I will close with one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite weirdo poets “Drink from the well of your self and begin again” –Charles Bukowski “Mind and Heart”