Once more unto the breach...

Election time, and this one's turning out to be a doozy!  There are three fiercely contested positions up for grabs, and I'm in the running against two other classmates. Today, each of us stood on stage and recited an initial speech, marking the beginning of campaign week.  Let the competition begin!

I've think "competition" has a twisted stigma that I would like to dispel.  I hold the utmost respect for every competitor because he/she is a competitor.  Whatever the field of contest, it takes guts to commit yourself to public examination and judgement.  In stepping forward, you leave behind your previous accomplishments and rely on merit alone.

Scrutiny under the spotlight: though it is a steep price of admission, it is well worth the cost.  Although we compete for a service position, and the class chooses in its best interests, it is us who benefit the most from the process. We discover latent strengths acquired from experience. We examine ourselves, find out what we stand for, pin down our values. We learn ways to effectively express our motives and passions to others.  These are skills that we will hold long after the final ballot is announced.

Good luck to all of the candidates!

Predetermination

Waiting to hear from graduate programs? Imagine you are accepted to all: know where you would go.  Trying to avoid an ex? It's not a question of "if," but "when," he will try to contact you.  Prepare your speech, or better yet, decide now to ignore the call. Did you just get into a bike accident and have a broken arm? Have an advanced directive in your wallet so that the ambulance knows to take you to a hospital that is under your insurance coverage.

We should make our decisions ahead of time.  If we don't, emotions will skew our decisions.

Case in point: You've paid the fees, signed the waivers, and are now flying at 20,000 ft, clutching the airplane door: a parachute strapped on your back, a trainer by your side.  At that moment, do you consider the risks of skydiving, the dangers, the potential complications?  Do you perform cost-benefit analyses, consult your best friend on the phone, research the tips and tricks online?  

Of course not.  You rally your nerve and take the plunge. You made the decision to skydive long before the moment when you are confronted with the choice.  You remember your original motivations and you choose the path that your resting, logical state desired.

PS: I don't think we'll ever be free from our emotions, nor that we should.  They offer insight into our subconscious and we should embrace them for that alone.  I've been a performing artist on stages for 20 years.  I still get dry mouth, anxiety, sweaty palms, tremors, etc, before every show.  

But I'm glad I'm nervous.  Those signs tell me that I'm doing something special, something important.  If I'm nervous, it's because I care about the outcome.  I care because there's something in that event that I value.  And in a world of ever-increasing apathy, it's vital to identify your values and hold onto them.

Dietary Cholesterol

Breaking news! If you are concerned about your cholesterol blood levels, you can eat a cholesterol rich food without harm.

The food in question is shrimp.  Shrimp is loaded with cholesterol.  But its version of cholesterol is not absorbed by your body.  It passes through the digestive system untouched, leaving you unaffected.

As always, take this factoid in moderation.  What often accompanies shrimp, (the butter scampi, batter breading), those ARE easily absorbed saturated fats and will increase your cholesterol levels.

But it has me wondering about what I believe to now be antiquated Nutrition Facts.  What if this phenomena extends to other nutrients? It would no longer be sufficient to see how much nutrient a food contains; we'd need to know how much of that will be absorbed.  

Another example that illustrates this difference: Omega-3 Fatty Acids.  They are helpful to the body and are found in both seafood and flaxseed.  But the form that is in flaxseed is poorly absorbed, making seafood the better option.  

Why should Yo-Yo Ma have all the fun?

A message to the extraordinary

If you consider yourself to be one in a million, guess what? The world doesn't need you.  The lofty abilities you offer are neither dependable nor consistent.  The system will continue without you because it never factored you in.

Even if you are merely a modest 1/100, the position you are destined to fill is designed to be occupied on chance alone.  Whatever organization, sports team, or business you are involved in, if there are few suitable candidates, there will be fewer positions. Your chances are effectively the same.

Yes, as always, play the hand you've been dealt to its fullest.  But remember that whatever you hold was given to you.  Give thanks, avoid hubris.

Swim - Jack's Mannequin

Walking away

A fitting metaphor to describe recent events:

Even if your favorite hand is pocket fours, you don't call if your opponent makes a huge raise, preflop.

You fold.  It's the smart thing to do.  The payout might be great but it's the chances that should be dictating your decision.  Too often, in risk vs reward analyses, we allow the latter to cloud our judgement and obscure our understanding of the true costs involved.

That being said, it wasn't easy to make the decision, nor was it easy to reconcile.  During the entire drive home, curiosity gnawed persistently until I started picturing alternate outcomes.  I wanted to play that hand! If only to see how it would have ended, or even how it started.  It could have gone my way. 

But in a way, I knew how it would end.  I would step forward cautiously, get some false hope from those initial cards.  Bets would be placed, I would be drawn in.  Ultimately, I'd reach a point of no return and commit to the ending.  And when the cards fall, I would lose.  I knew how it would end.

I knew how it would end, ~80% of the time.  I will never know what would actually have happened. 

I don't need to know anymore.  No longer will I charge in pursuit of pipedreams.