ASCI is Awesome

We did our first Deep Creek summer vacation, and I have to say that it was pretty darn awesome. But I wanted to focus on ASCI, which stands for Adventure Sports Center International. We have done a good deal of white water rafting in the past, so when I saw that there was an artificial water course - my first thought was, "why?"

Why go to a man made course when there are so many great white water options nearby?  The answer is because it's always good. On most rivers you are rolling the dice on any given day depending on the conditions. The ASCI experience is always consistent : non stop white water.

Our Group Paddling ASCI at Deep Creek

I was surprised at how much fun I had on this course. If you have ever been to Wisp resort during the winter time, you've probably noticed that big empty flat area surrounded by bolder at the top of the mountain. Believe it or not, that is a summertime water course. If you go, you'll get about 2 hours of run time, I think we had about six or seven runs through the entire course. They have guides at various areas to make sure everyone is safe, and my 52 lb daughter had no problems staying in the boat (see picture).  If you are staying at Deep Creek, the advantage of this is that you can get the white water experience without having to commit your entire day.  After our 2 hour run, we drove back down to the lake and had some lunch, then went down to the beach at the state park. It's the perfect family getaway without having to go all that far away!

The PHP Resolution

Last month I was dealing some PHP issues on my recent project and I finally came to an understand of what was going on. In short, I would run a SQL and have PHP return the value for the result, only to find out that the result wasn't what I expected.  The gaff I made reflects on my lack of understanding of comparison operators. Having lived in an Oracle SQL world for nearly two decades, I used SQL to troubleshoot other peoples data issue by writing code to tease out problems.  When I needed to make an exact math on data, I would use the equals sign to get that record I was looking for. However, in PHP land, using the equals sign is how you SET a variable.  If you want to find a match for something, you use two equal signs (==).

else if ($variable == '3')

In the above situation, the double equal translates to ," If the variable is equal to  3, then its true"

The transition in compassion operators between  SQL to PHP can be nerve racking as you have to switch "logic"  hats while writing code in the same damn file. The SQL and the PHP sit side by side, yet the use of the operator has different meaning. You live, you learn!

Anxiety and Dealing with Work

Nothing gets my blood pumping like not knowing why something isn't working. As I dabble in web work, that unfortunately happens often with the hodgepodge of technologies I work with. And all the self affirmation in the world won't help get the stressed-out vibe out of my body This is especially true when you think you have a working knowledge of a topic but are lost in explaining the "why" when things aren't working.

After 20+ years of being in IT, you would think I would be over this by now. So after having talked this over with my therapist, we looked over my work habits and it was plain to see that I work obsessively at problems. Not knowing answers isn't the core issue, its the fact that I keep throwing myself at things that I can't fix and keep expecting something to change.  So interventions are in order.

First thing is first, I have to approach my work behaviors systematically. That means giving myself time to work and time to take breaks. Not doing this leads to burnouts. So, I'm adapting the
Pomodoro Technique, which would be a 30 minute work cycle followed by a 10 minute break. Rinse and repeat. Second, I'm going to give myself a "three strike" rule, which is to say that after 3 failed  attempts at fixing something, I stop and search for alternatives.  In this way, I separate learning initiates from production. If I can't figure something out, likely I have to learn more and need to cut time out to do so. So as a personal productivity issue, I can't let learning issues sit in my production timeline because one is monetized and the other isn't. It all gets down to admitting defeat and not letting my ego/compulsive behavior sabotage my job.

Finding Freedom Through Spirituality and the Outdoors

Memorial Day 2019 was special as it was the first time I got to get away with my congregation. I spent the weekend at Rocky Gap  State  Park, which is the first time I've actually been to this particular location. Located right outside Cumberland, the mountain-lined lakefront camp was a perfect location for me to unwind. But more importantly, it presented me with the opportunity to socialize. At my worst, most depressed low, I self-isolate. Years of therapy have taught me the best solution is simply finding fellowship.  This camping trip gave me to talk with others and enjoy the outdoors. It also gave me an opportunity to just hang out with other people and not have to talk about work on put on a false face.

I hiked to the summit of  Evitts Mountain, which was not a challenging as I expected.  From the camp site, we took the Rocky Trail to the Evitts Mountain HomeSite Trail. From the summit, you  can get a great view from the top of a radio tower or you can follow the ridgeline to the MD/PA border where there is a fantastic clearing from both sides of the mountain. 

Overall, it was a great experience. But I really enjoyed the company I kept. We spent a large part of the time talking about all types of topics. After the hike, we rolled down to the camp's lakeside beach and I jumped straight in. The water was freezing, but I was so damn hot that it really didn't matter. 

The StressDoc YouTube Channel is finally up.

Part of the digital marketing effort for StressDoc enterprises is to get a digital footprint on alternative mediums. The strength of Mark Gorkin's work is his live performance, something that cannot accurately be conveyed  through articles or blog posts. I've been working with Mark to "up"  his game and expand into the virtual realm with video - something that can relay his passion and speaking ability and fill the gap between prose and performance. With the creation of the StressDoc  YouTube channel, a new generation of customers can access his content and understand the importance of stress management, organizational development and team leadership and further explore his products. Going live with his message has allowed me to go deep into video editing, which is both a challenge and a blast. I love working with the technology but it has also given me new respect to the level of effort required to push out quality content. The planning , editing and  video technical work is a bulk of the heavy lifting, the actual recording represents less that 1/10th of the time required to publish content. We are already discussing new possibilities, maybe even a live channel or a podcast. Either way, pushing into new media grounds has  been a new growth experience.

StressDoc Enterprises 2.0 is up and running

After months of work, I revamped a 20 year old website in the StressDoc 2.0 Project. It was a long process, but I'm pleased with the results. Stressdoc.com  had literally hundreds of sub pages,with articles and other content but not in the much of indexing other than standard hyperlinks. The project represents one of the largest web page overhauls I've ever done but also represents my leap into helping a business expand beyond it s normal parameters with digital marking and youtube content.

I've already produced a lot of video content and we have a lot more in the works. Looking forward to also stretching into my ISD work. We have installed an LMS and have plans for e-content delivery. I live for these broad projects that stretch my skillsets!

Finding Inner Strength: Willpower's Gas Tank

Many moons ago I use to reflect on Friedrich Nietzsche's concept of willpower, thinking of it as an abstract entity lying within us that can be tapped for needed strength or resolve. The passage of time has exposed me to many triumphs and tragedies, all of which have tested my resolve and either left me momentarily hardened or in shambles. I've been tapping back into the concept of willpower, not as something abstract but rather trying to understand it in a more concrete manner.  When I fuel up my car, I understand what gasoline is and where to get it  - I understand I can run out and have some sense of economy regarding its use.  In a similar way, willpower seems to be consumed by the activities and restrictions I place on myself.  Yet I have no understanding of how it get used. If I'm on a diet, when is the ice cream cone going to be a trial on my soul? The struggle is real! 

I have a naturally impulsive personality, which is wrapped up into the fabric of my ADHD. Every day I resist snacks, TV, internet browsing and video games while having to will myself into activities that I don' always want to do like work, yoga, chores, mediation and exercise. And while I can tap into motivational memes and  words of wisdom, that isn't exactly a fuel gauge for willpower. 

I recently came across a great book called The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It by Kelly McGonigal.  Having recently read Charles Duhigg's The Power of Habit, I found this particular  read to be almost complimentary, giving shape and meaning to willpower by referencing various scientific studies that help quantify  it's function within the mind. I won't get into all of that here, but what I particularly found helpful in McGonigal's work was that willpower is exercised in different areas of the brain and that it does indeed have limits, similar to that of a muscle being worked out to exhaustion. And, just like a muscle, the mind can strengthen it's resolve and push the limits of one's willpower  through  constant practice. As a runner, I "get" this, as I am use to pushing passed my own sense of fatigue and lack of motivation.  By forcing myself to continue, I find subsequent runs get easier and my mind is less likely to break from the routine- rather I settle into the pace and find a sense of peace under the intense physical effort. 

The Willpower Instinct gives the reader an understanding of what drives us to do or not do while imparting some tips to help in whatever goals are targeted. In no particular order, I'll outline some here for those who would like the highlights. 

1) Make mindfulness a daily routine. Use practices like yoga and meditation to help condition you cognitive functions into paying attention to your current state. Mindfulness is a tool to extend willpower. 

2) Imagine failure so that you can be prepared for how you might fail.

3) Set pragmatic goals, break them down into "I will" and "I will not" 

4) Eat a more plant-based diet, refrain from processed foods

5) "Surf the crave", when a craving comes along, tune in and acknowledge it and let it pass.  Know that it will pass in time, it takes the power away from giving in ( practice mindfulness)

6) Sleep is your friend, deprive your brain of it and you are more likely to give in to cravings. 

7) Willpower wains as the day goes on, so set you largest challenges in the morning. 

Oddly, I've seen bits and pieces of some of these suggestions in other books, including Duhigg's Power of Habit  and Cal Newport's Deep Work. All this academic repetitiveness on the topic of willpower clearly shows a trend that these techniques clearly have some main stream acceptance by those who practice in this space. I've been working on all of these areas and find that managing cravings to be the most rewarding, as you get a sense of timelessness while the urge hits. Understanding that the intensity of desire is temporary allows you to wait out cravings and exercise willpower without heavy exertion. In other words, you don' t have to fight cravings if you can simply wait them out.