Sprinters Falsify the Deliberate Practice Model of Expertise.

From Michael Lombardo’s and Robert Deaners abstract of You Can’t Teach Speed:

Most scientists agree that expertise requires both innate talent and proper training. Nevertheless, the highly influential deliberate practice model (DPM) of expertise holds that either talent does not exist, or that its contribution to performance differences is negligible. It predicts that initial performance will be unrelated to achieving expertise and that a long period of deliberate practice — at least 10 years or 10,000 hours — is necessary and sufficient for achieving expertise. We tested these predictions in the domain of sprinting. Study 1 reviewed the biographies of 15 Olympic sprint champions. Study 2 reviewed the biographies of the 20 fastest male sprinters in U.S. history. In all documented cases, sprinters were exceptional prior to or coincident with their initiation of formal training. Furthermore, most reached world class status rapidly (Study 1 median = 3 years; Study 2 median = 7.5). Study 3 surveyed U.S. national collegiate championships qualifiers in sprints and throws. Sprinters recalled being faster as youths than did throwers, whereas throwers recalled greater strength and overhand throwing ability. Sprinters’ best performances in their first season of high school, generally the onset of formal training, were consistently faster than 95-99% of their peers. Collectively, these results falsify the DPM for sprinting. Because speed is foundational for many sports, they challenge the DPM generally.

Underlying discontent and unhappiness are often experienced when you’re not living in alignment with your priorities or God’s design for your life. For example, if you value spirituality and inner peace, but spend five minutes a day meditating and two hours watching TV, then you are not in alignment. Or if your relationship with your husband ranks in your top three but the time and effort you spend on him are substantially lower, then something needs to change. You might need to make sacrifices and rearrange a few things in your life to create more time for the things that really bring you deep satisfaction and joy.

Take a moment to think about what the following items mean to you and rank them in order of importance. Then, evaluate your reality and how you actually spend your time:

Career climbing
Time with children
Clean and orderly house
Exercising
Financial security
Relationship with spouse
Relationships with friends
Relationships with family
Spirituality/inner peace/meditation
Creative endeavors
Eating healthy
Watching TV

Do you spend your time in alignment with your priorities and your life’s purpose? See how you can create and arrange your life so that you are spending your time and energy where you genuinely want to.

Some people believe that life is drudgery, and they just try to “get through” each day. These people aren’t putting their energy into what truly matters to them. We are here to live and experience feeling, meaning, and joy to the fullest. If your life is not bringing you that joy, then see that as an indicator that something is off. Slight shifts in your daily behavior and how you spend your time can be positively life altering.

There’s nothing quite like sitting back and watching a glorious sunset with your partner when you’re on holiday – it’s certainly one of the most romantic ways to spend an evening, especially if you can combine the experience with good food and drink.

If you’re looking for somewhere to watch a marvelous sunset, check out our suggestions of the top places in the world to see the sun sink beneath the horizon.

Negril, Jamaica

First on our list is Negril in Jamaica, where you can watch some truly spectacular sunsets, not to mention enjoy amazing views before the evening draws in. One of the main reasons why the sunsets here are so good is that Negril is located at Jamaica’s most westerly point, giving you an excellent view of the sun as it seems to disappear into the sea.

The best place to watch this spectacle from while you’re on a holiday in Negril is the top of the cliffs in the town’s West End area, where a large limestone plateau that leads all the way to the coast is located. Sit back with a stunning view of the sea and just enjoy the changing colors of the sky as day turns to night.

Flic and Flac, Mauritius

Flic en Flac beach in Mauritius is a wonderful place to watch the sunset, with this west-facing bay providing uninterrupted views of the horizon. Flic en Flac is a beautiful place to spend a day, with its white sands stretching all the way down into the blue waters of its sheltered lagoon.

As the sun begins to set, it tints the sky all manner of glorious colors, from bright yellow and vibrant orange through to deep red and dusky pink. Curl up on the sand and watch the show in comfort.

Bahri Bar, Dubai

This is a sunset with a difference, in that instead of looking out over the sea, you’re watching it sink behind some of the world’s most impressive buildings! Dubai is a wonderful city to discover and if you’re after a classy setting to watch the sun go down in, you won’t do better than the Bahri Bar in Mina A’Salam at the Madinat Jumeirah.

Here, you’ll have amazing views of the Arabian Gulf and the impressive Burj Al Arab and can watch as the changing colors of the sky are reflected in the water and even off the buildings as the sun sets. It will be all the more magical if you’re sipping on your favorite cocktail at the same time.

Kruger National Park, South Africa

Our final choice for an amazing sunset experience is Kruger National Park in South Africa. This is a wonderful option if you’re keen to capture an iconic photo of some of Africa’s wildlife silhouetted against a yellow-orange backdrop, or an atmospheric shot of the bright yellow sun just above the horizon in a crimson-pink sky.

The best way to take advantage of this stunning natural sight is to go on a sunset game drive, which will see you leave while it’s light and return to your camp after dark. What this means is that you’ll be out on the plains when the sun actually goes down, allowing you to take some outstanding pictures. Another advantage is that you’ll see the transition between the animals that inhabit the plains during the day and those that only come out once darkness falls.

Via Eye and Pen

Yes, you read that correctly.

My yoga practice was something that used to cause me stress. I worried about my form from the first sun salutation right through to savasana. I wanted to please my teachers. I wanted to show my fellow yogis that I deserved to practice alongside them. If I had a “bad” practice, I had to stop myself from apologizing. If I missed one of my usual classes, I felt like a kid who got caught skipping school.

I sometimes left the studio more frustrated than when I went in.

But for the last year, I’ve been stripping my practice of obligations and expectations. Peeling away the performance anxieties and distancing myself from the ego (both mine and those of teachers who demand tribute).

The beautiful result? I have come to see my yoga practice as nothing special.

I practice yoga 3-4 times a week. It helps to keep my body strong and healthy. It cuts through the chatter in my brain to help me focus on writing. It also nurtures my sense of love and compassion.

But I also ride bikes and share meals with friends. I visit my parents and play with dogs. I read good books and take naps in the afternoon. All of these things also keep my body strong and healthy. They help cut through the chatter in my brain, as well as nurture my sense of love and compassion.

My yoga practice is part of a constellation of moments that fill my life. I love it immensely, but it does not define me. It is not the be-all-and-end-all of my existence, but I am grateful every time I step on the mat. Because it is nothing special, it is a source of joy for me, before, during and after.

Isn’t that what the practice should be?

Via Adriana Palanca 

Margie Smith, a pleasant looking women who gave birth in the 1950’s, approaches a travel agent.

“I must get to the Himalayas for my vacation.” Mrs. Smith says. “I’ve got to talk to a guru.”

“The Himalayas, Mrs. Smith! Are you sure? The travel agent asks. “It’s a long trip, different language, funny food, smelly oxcarts. How about London, or Florida? Florida is lovely this time of year.”

Mrs. Smith is adamant. She must go to the Himalayas to talk to a guru. So Mrs. Smith, wearing her best blue suit and her black pumps with the sensible heels, heads East, taking a plane, a train, a bus, and, yes, and oxcart, until she finally arrives at a far-off Buddhist monastery in Nepal. There an old lama in maroon and saffron robes tells her that the guru she seeks is meditating in a cave at the top of the mountain and cannot be disturbed. But Mrs. Smith came a long way and she is determined woman who won’t be put off.

Finally the lama relents. “All right,” he says, “if you must, you must. But there are some ground rules. You can’t stay long, and when you speak to the guru, you can say no more than ten words. He lives there alone, in silence and meditation.”

Mrs. Smith agrees; and with the help of a few lamas, monks, and Sherpa porters, she starts trudging up the mountain. It’s a long hard climb, but she doesn’t give up. With an enormous effort of will and energy, she reaches the top — and the cave in which the guru is meditating. Her mission accomplished, Mrs. Smith stands at the entrance, and in a loud clear voice, she says what she came to say:

“Sheldon…..Enough is enough! It’s your mother. Come home already.”

Via Awakening the Buddha Within by Lama Surya Das