What Is Well-Being? Part 5

Ride and tie, endurance riding, and running have inspired me. This physical activity allowed me to improve both my physical and mental fitness. When you are on the trail running, as much as we do, it’s very difficult to feel anxious, or depressed. Sure, one feels tired and beaten up, but not anxious or depressed-and that’s one significant important difference. In order to experience a meaningful healthful psychological life, one has to be able to have expectations, set significant and realistic goals and push oneself for their accomplishment. Thinking about the future, as in goal setting, allowed me to always have hope, optimism, joy, or disappointment in my life, which contributes to having both better psychological and physical health. Running outdoors nurtures spirituality and allowed me to think more clearly about my troubles, solutions to such, life dilemmas as well as the meaning and purpose in my life. I’ve learned firsthand, about expectations, and goal setting through my activities as well as meeting my needs of abasement, achievement, affiliation, autonomy, dominance, nurturance, play, sex, succorance etc. in accordance. This physical activity allowed me to overcome and deal more effectively with the various elements in the environment as well as my aging [Improves my neurocognitive functions by altering the trajectories of critical brain circuits] process. My commitment, my involvement, and my well-being is dependent on my ability to incorporate a healthy and endurance driven lifestyle with everyday living. This is me and who and what I am. PS Thank you Linda dear for your love and support. On a related note, Tony informed me that when I completed in 2002 the 100 mile one day Western States run, in which I placed second and an age division winner in my 60-69 age group . Ralph came in two minutes in front of me and was a friend that introduced me to the product Gu a few years earlier. My finishing time would have also placed me second this year as well. Thanks, Tony, for that information as that brings a smile to my face.

What Is Well-Being? Part 4

In my experience, I maintained that a positive emotion is just that- a temporary feeling. We may experience more negative than positive feelings during our lifetime. If that’s true, that doesn’t necessarily mean that we are unhappy or depressed souls. I prefer not to use happiness at all because of its transitory nature and the fact that the world is unpredictable, along with us having very little control within our culture. Lots of opportunity for negative feelings. I prefer to comment on the dynamics and characteristics of developing or harmony between having a positive and healthy mental state along with terrific physical health. Both are needed for effective coping. This would likely accomplish a healthy and satisfying lifespan. The partnership between mind-body is critical and paramount. Let’s return to that half marathon and my friend Tony. I initially met Tony in 1997, at a Ride and Tie event held on Mount Hamilton, in California. I was entered in a limited distance endurance ride. Parked next to me were Ride and Tie partners Tony and Jeff. To make a long story short, Tony and I became neighbors shortly thereafter and have been trail buddies since. We have competed in running and riding events over the last 20 years. Research tells us that my friendship was important. In fact, a recent study found in the New York Times stated that important friendships allow the individual to live longer than those without friendships. Having a good friend like Tony allows me more than just the ability to likely live longer. Free of charge, I received his expertise, feedback and assistance on a variety of important and significant issues of the day and yesterday. Years ago, competition was important to me. I wanted to run faster than him even though he was younger. Over the years, I’ve adjusted to that idea. I now employ a running handicap when we take part in the same event. Emotionally, my life has been enriched by learning about him, his wife, Debbie, his father, his mother and his other family members. To Be Continued

What Is Well-Being? Part 3

It seemed clear that it’s easier to acknowledge feelings or body sensations when we are tired, exhausted, experiencing pain in some part of our body and/or out of breath. These feelings raised their head frequently while running a trail event. More so, especially when we are running at greater distances than at a half marathon. It was also clear that man’s existence or coping in our current world is not easy going as well. There many day-to-day examples of our friends and acquaintances having issues such as: loss, addiction, economic insecurity, job loss, divorce, suicide, etc. For another illustration, my wife Linda recently was seriously injured in a horse riding accident and now is recovering and dealing with the potential loss of separating herself from her beloved horse Patch .Life is not always a bowl of cherries. One might say that the Human Potential Movement with the positive concept of Self-Actualization written about by such notables as Erich Fromm, Carl Rogers, Rollo May, Abraham Maslow and others depicted man, in a much more favorable manner than Freud. In part, they saw the human being, when fully functioning [as long as society does not get in man’s way with its many barriers or hurdles], as constructive, trustworthy, able to reach new heights, and able to experience oceanic feelings. Currently, Martin Seligman extols a Positive Psychology, employing the scientific method. Briefly, he hypothesized man can attain “well-being.” In this psychological state of positive emotion, the feeling of happiness and life satisfaction are important. Other main aspects included, within his model: engagement, relationships, meaning and purpose, and accomplishment. The self-actualization theorists and Seligman have led us to a good start in further understanding man and his motivation. However, one element to me seemed missing-that is the development of physical health. A more complete model of self-actualization or well- being would include having a sense of good physical health ,coupled with positive psychological health .Aunt Eva told me something of the following “when you have your health , you are blessed. To Be Continued

What Is Well-Being? Part 2

Other avenues that distort our reality include alcohol, drugs or opioids, movies, books, newspapers TV, and The News. A study in 2008 by Bomlitz and Brezis looked at media reports and their health risks. Included in the list of health risk were such topics as SARS, AIDS, Cancer, West Nile Virus, Bioterrorism, Plane Crashes, Heart Disease, Car Crashes, Physical Inactivity, and Smoking. The researchers then correlated the number of media reports on a given health threat with the number of deaths in the US actually related to that threat. Their correlation was- 0.93. One conclusion taken was that our media in 2008 hyped a number of health evils beyond the actual death reality. It’s certainly difficult to remain happy watching or listening to so called news in our current culture with their fear driven messages. More recently, on a trail run with my friend Tony, we talked about our half marathon experience this past Father’s Day. I didn’t report, on a previous post, about the beginning or start of that run held in the Sierra- Nevada’s. From the start, we began our run with a significant grade of trail. I was quickly out of breath, thinking to myself, “this is going to be a long day and why is Tony still behind me? “ Tony told me that he too was quickly gasping for air and wondered about his ability to finish this event. I might add that there were many places that had snow covering our trail making running difficult. Did we require more challenges? I asked him if he experienced happiness at the beginning of our race; happiness during the race; or happiness at the end of the race. What most of us do is to rely on our thinking when talking about our feelings. I told him that was not going to do it. With thinking, we employ defense mechanisms such as rationalization, denial and isolation of affect, etc. We can logically convince ourselves of almost anything that we want. However, that doesn’t make it true. On other hand, feelings are fleeting emotions that we experience as physical sensations or discomforts found in various parts of our body, like in our chest, stomach, mouth, etc. that we can learn to identify. I must not have done a good job, as Tony didn’t get it. We laughed and acknowledged that we currently felt better in this moment than we did when we ran that half marathon since our bodies were not displaying significant discomfort at the moment. To Be Continued

What Is Well-Being? Part 1

The June 11, 2017 edition of the New York Times had the following articles on their front page: “Shrinking Turf, Wider , Reach: The Isis Plan;” “Liberals Fighting for Their Faith;” “Drug Trade Rises In the Dark Corners of the Internet;” “Strings Take to Venezuela Streets After Violinist Is Killed at Protest;” and Political Feud Eclipses Warning On Russia: They Will Be Back.” How was that for a glimpse or snapshot in today’s chaotic world? If you ask me, these are just a few of the dangers that exist in our world. Our world, it’s a scary place. Moreover, what does this say about the nature of man; and how can man cope with these man-made uncertainties? Sigmund Freud, developed a psychoanalytic theory of man. Freud depicted man as having an irrational nature, driven by his biological drives or instincts. He also wrote about hysteria, psychopathology, and, another psychic elements or illness developed within man while within in a troubled society. Following Freud was Henry A. Murray. Murray’s model illustrated a number of man’s needs. According to Murray, the majority of these secondary or psychogenic needs were largely determined from within, as a result of something within the person rather than something coming from the environment. He added that there are mechanisms that will either facilitate or impede the efforts of the individual’s efforts to reach a given goal. Man, therefore, may or may not have the means or the ability to satisfy his need strivings. Turning to man’s emotional state, or feelings, Paul Ekman studied the following: happiness, sadness, surprise, fear, anger, disgust. Notice that these primary feelings have a skewed ratio of negative or painful feelings to positive or good feelings. Per these learned men, man has an inner difficulty functioning within an unforgiven society. Religion was developed in part to help men cope with his troubled existence. Catholicism, for example suggested that man was unlikely to find peace and comfort here on earth, but would find relief from his internal life, in this life depending upon how he lived, acted, treated other people, etc. He might find relief from his current difficulties in the next world. Do not forget about the early games when men fought and slayed other men in the Coliseum for the entertainment of the witnessing crowd. Today we have more civilized examples of diversions to help the masses. These escapes are found in football, boxing, and caged fighting. This too is entertainment and is an escape from day to day reality To Be Continued

Happiness or Effectance Part 4

In summary, Kevin Durant makes millions of dollars playing NBA basketball. When listening to him, he stated that he left the Thunder to play for the Warriors for the pursuit of winning the championship period. Also in Oakland, we have another team called the Oakland Raiders. Their motto is the “Commitment to Excellence.” Professional sports has it right, in that it is not about a transitory or intermittent feeling of happiness. Effectance, achievement, mastery, competition and submitting to pain or abasement are primary needs that motivate behavior. Feelings come and go like the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain. Hedonism can lead to unsatisfactory and self-defeating behaviors resulting in a non-fulfilling life -- drug use, gambling addictions, sexual promiscuity etc. . Mastery leads to goalsetting, expectancies and planning for the future which is paramount for a self-fulfilling and meaningful existence. PS Tony and I completed on Father’s Day, the Burton Creek half marathon trail run near Tahoe City, at Lake Tahoe. We’re still practicing. I haven’t mastered running just yet. I’m still working at it. However, I came in first in my age division 75 through 79 and Tony came in second in his age division 65 through 69. Do I accept the fact that at some point I’m going to be injured? Yes! Do I know when or where it will happen? No, all I know is that from my running history, that either an overuse injury, or an Achilles, or sciatica discomfort, a meniscus surgery, etc. will happen as it has happened in the past. One can argue whether or not Effectance, achievement or mastery are psychological needs. They might be biologically-based, learned or combination of the two. One cannot argue, however, that they are not motives that drive behavior. As NFL great Ed Budde said, “Keep moving.”

Happiness or Effectance Part 3

Turning to the present, another example of mastery motivation was illustrated by the Golden State Warriors with their victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers this year. Last year, Cleveland beat Golden State in seven games. I remembered seeing one interview with the series most valuable player {MVP} Kevin Durant. That interview got my attention and subsequent thinking. In that interview Kevin, with his mother, commented on the memory he experienced when he was about eight years old. He wanted to be a basketball champion. He was also asked whether he would now take time off from his basketball. No, he replied. He planned to return to his home in Virginia and play basketball with his friends. In other words, for the past 20 years or so, Kevin Durant practiced his basketball, in an attempt to attain mastery. Has he yet mastered it? No, he still practices, and talked about making himself a better player. What was once play has become his profession? It still remains play. However, it is play with a purpose. His mastery and achievement drive have become his passion and illustrate that competing in basketball at the professional level gives his life meaning. Did he accept his basketball injury this past season? Yes! Did he receive criticism when he left the Oklahoma Thunder last season to play for the Warriors this past season? Yes! To be continued