How to Improve Balance: Unleashing the Power of Core Strength
Whether it is to perform at a high level in sports or to simply keep from falling and breaking a hip, balance is an oft neglected aspect of movement. Balance is the body’s ability to stay upright and steady. Training for balance can be added as part of a training program, or sporadically during daily movement.
Balance comes from the center of the body, start by strengthening the muscles of the core (abdomen). By building a strong and stable core, the body will be better equipped to make adjustments to the constantly changing environment that works to knock the body of balance.
The core is not just the six pack abs! All of the muscles in the front, sides, and lower back of the abdomen need to be strengthened. And not just the muscles that can be seen in the mirror. A balanced core has strong muscles deep in the abdomen that assist with stabilization of the hips and spine.
A great way to begin strengthening the core is to hold a push up position plank. The goal is two minutes, but start with less time and build up. Add in side planks to strengthen the obliques and muscles along the side body. Aim for one minute per side. Finally, lie flat on the stomach and curl up, lifting the hands and feet off of the ground. This movement is commonly referred to as cobra. Cobra strengthens the muscles in the lower and middle back.
Once the core has developed some strength, it is time to add balance-challenging movements into daily activities and into training sessions. An easy way to start is by walking on top of street curbs. The narrow surface will work on challenging the body to stay upright without stepping off into the street or grass. Obviously, this needs to be done on streets without a lot of cars. No one should do balance training while dodging on-coming traffic!
Try the challenge in this week’s video and add it to your daily routine to improve balance, coordination, and agility.
Redefining Memorial Day: Completing the Military-Inspired Fitness Challenge
Memorial Day is a time to remember the fallen military warriors that have served the United States of America. Their ultimate sacrifice ensures that the citizens of the United States can continue living a relatively safe and peaceful existence.
While it is unfortunate that these heroes are often only remembered on holidays or before a sporting event, those infrequent moments of reflection are a great opportunity to do something above-and-beyond to show thanks for their sacrifice.
One simple way to show gratitude is to endure a small amount of discomfort by pushing the body and mind through physical activity. The military-inspired challenge below is a great way to work up a sweat and get a taste of what a fit soldier can accomplish.
🇺🇸Memorial Day Challenge💪🏽
15 Pull Ups
45 Push Ups
2:00 Plank
3-Mile Run in >25:00
The goal to complete all of the pull ups without stopping, then move right to the push ups and complete them without a break, then immediately move into holding a plank, and finish with a sub-25:00 3-mile run.
Is this challenge the same as risking one’s life in service of their country? Of course not! But it is a hell of a lot more respectable to complete the challenge as a salute to those that laid down their lives for the U.S., than it is to fire up the barbeque and stuff beers and bratwurst down the gullet like an oversized pelican.
Now crank out the challenge and show your gratitude to the United States’ veterans!
How To Maximize Muscle Recovery: The Power of Massage
There is a distinct difference between stretching and relaxing. Stretching is a great way to loosen up tight muscles, wake up sleepy tendons, and warm up creaky joints. Massage is a way to really get deep into the muscle bellies and allow them to relax.
Massage is also beneficial for the mind. It can be challenging to quiet the brain and block out all of the ongoing chatter that seems to be on a constant loop in the background of the mind.
While a massage can seem like an indulgent experience - which it is! - it is also a key piece in the wellness puzzle that will keep the body feeling strong and mobile. Massage does not have to be a weekly activity. Be consistent, not constant. Aim for a restorative massage once per month to keep the muscles loose, the mind calm, and the body functioning well.
Indulge - it’s worth it!
The Surprising Reason Why Walking is the Key to Overall Health
Take a walk. Around the house, around the block, or around the park. Walking is one of the most basic of all human movements. A person’s overall health can often be predicted simply by looking at how freely and easily they are able to walk.
Walking is an activity that should be done throughout the day, everyday, without exception. Humans are built to walk. The current trend is to track steps. This can be a great way to bring awareness to movement, but a walking practice does not need to be that complicated. Just stand up and walk around!
Be consistent, not constant. Walking a little bit everyday will have a larger return on overall health than walking for longer stretches in more sporadic bursts throughout the month.
In addition to the physical benefits of walking, getting up and moving is a great way to clear the mind and give the brain the space it needs to relax and solve complex problems.
Walking in nature also serves to calm the mind and alleviate stress in the brain by eliminating many of the man-made distractions that act as stressors for the head. Leave the phone at home, take out the ear buds, and get immersed in the sights and sounds of the natural world.
How To Embrace the Tortoise Mentality: Achieving Long-Term Health and Wellness
The tortoise and the hare. It is a classic tale about slow and steady winning the race. The well-known fable by Aesop is the story of a tortoise that is bullied by a hare for being slow. The tortoise, fed-up with being ridiculed, challenges the hare to a race. The hare zips off, leaving the pokey tortoise in his dust. The hare is so confident he will win, that he stops along the way to take a nap. When he awakens, he sees the tortoise crawling slowly and steadily across the finish line.
Most people are familiar with this fable and its’ message. Yet so few people apply it to their lives - especially as it relates to health and wellness. The hare approach to health has always been flashier and sexier. It is always promising a quick fix with minimal effort - there is even time to stop for a nap along the way!
The reality is that there are no shortcuts. Sure, there are best practices that can shorten someone’s learning curve or set them on the most efficient path to living a healthy and active lifestyle, but not shortcuts.
This leads to the discussion of supplements. Specifically, supplementation by student athletes. Kids are notoriously impatient. The majority of adults were the exact same way in their youth. It is normal! That impatience, however, often leads to a path of least resistance in an attempt to get “X” quick. This is stinkin’ thinkin’.
Of course there are shortcuts that can accelerate muscle and strength gains in the gym or shed pounds in the mirror. Anabolic steroids, growth hormones, diuretics…the list goes on and on. But what is the true cost of those shortcuts? The answer is a (shortened) lifetime of poor health.
A goal can absolutely be achieved quickly by taking a shortcut. There is a price, however, that must be paid back at some point in time. While it may seem like a long way off for a 20 year old student athlete, the reality is that diminished health and longevity will begin to accumulate much sooner than one might care to reralize.
So what is the answer?
Do the work.
Be consistent, not constant.
Do not give in to the temptation for a quick and easy solution.
Plod along in a calculated, methodical manner.
Be disciplined in making hard work a priority.
In the end, slow and steady will win the race.
Unlocking the Secret to a Fulfilling Life: The Importance of Prioritizing Self-Care
It is spring break time for many people across the United States. That means end-of-season ski runs, road trips to see the family, or getting sun-kissed on the coastal beaches.
Soak up that vitamin D! ☀️
It also means a lot of people will be filing onto airplanes and ignoring the Federal Aviation Administration’s mandatory schpiel about in-flight safety - “Lift the tab on the metal buckle to release the strap…” Anyone that has flown consistently over the years can probably recite it from memory!
This year, when the cheery flight attendant begins to rock the mic, instead of getting in those last few social media likes, take a moment to reflect on one of the key messages from that FAA announcement: “Secure your oxygen mask before attempting to assist others.” Turns out, the airline industry has had it right for decades!
This nugget of aviation wisdom is applicable to health and wellness, too.
Put yourself first.
While this is antithetical to what parents and society have preached for millennia, it is truly sound advice.
How can anyone be of service to others if they are struggling in their own life?
By making self-care a priority, people are able to become their best self. Subsequently, they can then offer maximum value to those around them. This requires sacrifice - not self-sacrifice - but rather, sacrifice from always saying “Yes!” to others and ultimately prioritizing self-care.
By being the best possible version of themselves, people are then able to contribute to the lives of others in a more impactful way. And more importantly, they are able to be of service more often and for longer periods of time, because their life is in order and everything is functioning efficiently.
Helping others is good. It not only feels great to be of service, but it also empowers people to contribute in meaningful ways to the lives of others. But when is it too much of a good thing?
Too often, people allow their lives to fall into disarray while in the pursuit of selfless service to others. Ironically, that approach is extremely selfish! By denying self-care and allowing the mind and body to function sub-optimally, individuals are not giving their best self to others.
Make time for self-care. Keep that time sacred. Do not allow others to schedule their needs over self-care time. Yes, it is important to be of service to friends, family, and strangers, but not at the expense of personal growth and well-being.
Now go practice some self-care - you are worth it!
Breathing Your Way to Better Sleep: Using the 4-7-8 Method for Bedtime Bliss
Feeling stress or anxiety? Having trouble focusing? Need a reset?
Try the 4-7-8 Breathing Method by Dr. Andrew Weil!
The 4-7-8 technique is simple to do and can be done at anytime. All it takes is a pause in the day to mindfully breathe.
Here is how it works…
Start by taking a deep inhale through the nose and expanding into the belly for a count of 4 seconds.
Pause and hold the breath for 7 seconds.
With a controlled exhale, breathe out for 8 seconds.
Repeat this cycle 5-10 times to bring the body out of the fight or flight mode and into a rest and reset state.
It is a great breathing method to perform in the evening before bed to bring on sleep.
From Chaos to Calm: Embracing the Meditative Potential of Everyday Activities
Meditation is often associated with hippie-dippy types that enjoy Save the Turtle rallies and a brunches filled with tree bark and water soup. Some meditation is like that! And it can be really enjoyable. Try taking a deep inhale and letting out a soothing OOOOmmmmm on the exhale. Three to four rounds of Om can do wonders to reset an agitated or anxious mind.
However, not all meditation has to be this style. There are plenty of tasks that can become meditative by getting the mind into a calm, auto-pilot state that will serve to quiet the cascade of thoughts that constantly bombard the conscious brain.
These activities will be different for different people. What activities can be meditative? Slicing and dicing food is a repetitive task that can be calming and allow for contemplative introspection. Gardening and yard work also fit into this category. As do cleaning tasks like vacuuming or sweeping. Looking for something less active? Take time to mindfully make tea or coffee, then sit and enjoy it - preferably outdoors - free from digital distractions. Many times people think that they need a cup of coffee or tea to get reinvigorated, when what they truly need is the tea ceremony.
Take time to identify these meditative activities and make time to enjoy them everyday. It does not have to be a task that takes up a large amount of time. Oftentimes, just 10-15 minutes will do the trick.
OOOOOmmmmm!
The Surprising Reason Why Daylight Savings Time Can Transform Your Habits for the Better
Many people are creatures of habit. They get into a routine - some of it positive habits, and some of it negative habits - and often find it difficult to break out of the rut. Just the thought of disrupting homeostasis can make the skin crawl!
Daylight savings time forces a disruption in the current routine. Lean into it. Instead of trying to shoehorn the old routine into the new time frame, use it as an opportunity to make some minor adjustments that enhance the positive habits and replace the negative ones.
Been eating the same meals day-after-day? Mix it up! Try some intermittent fasting, or eating breakfast foods for dinner, or cutting out a certain types of food (meatless Mondays!) for a few days.
Is that workout routine getting stale? Sign up for a new class or try a totally different format. Love yoga? Awesome! Try out a high intensity interval training class. Love power lifting? It really is the best. But how about some Pilates?
Watching television every night before bed? Try shutting off all electronics one hour before going to sleep. Spend too much time scrolling through social media? Go on a social media detox and disconnect for 48 hours.
Daylight savings time can be challenging, especially in the spring when an hour of sleep is “lost.” Do not use it as an excuse to dig in deeper to poor habits. See it as a time to refresh and reset. Spring clean those unhealthy habits!
Squat Challenge Secrets: Unveiling the Path to Success and Self-Improvement
Challenges are a great way to get motivated and complete a workout or a training program. Challenges build community and spark friendly competition. They are also a great way to set goals that is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (S.M.A.R.T.). So what’s the challenge with challenges?
The challenge with challenges is that very few people actually complete them. Some people ride the initial wave of emotion and start strong. Then they slowly fizzle out and do not finish strong - if they finish at all!
Other people simply never start. For them, the challenge is starting “tomorrow.” But tomorrow never comes and the challenge becomes a distant memory of something that they were Gunnabutt - “I was gonna do the tortilla challenge, but…”
Others get started, but are sporadic at best in completing the challenge. The inconsistency leads to poor results, which ultimately leads to a lack of completion.
So what is the solution?
Self awareness! Know what step in the process is causing the stumble, then course correct. Once the stumbling block is identified, it is easier to anticipate getting derailed, then mentally prepare to push through that stumbling block.
This week, Mighty Oak Athletic has a five day squat challenge. Use it as a way to identify the stumbling block and to make a plan for future success. The challenge is simple: bodyweight squat for five consecutive days.
DAY 1 = 50 SQUATS
DAY 2 = 40 SQUATS
DAY 3 = 30 SQUATS
DAY 4 = 20 SQUATS
DAY 5 = 10 SQUATS
Commit to the challenge. Commit to being self aware and identifying what stumbling block is in the way. Commit to making a plan to remove those blocks and achieve success.
Now start squatting!
The Truth About Success: Hard Work, Patience, and the Power of Positive Energy
It is great training student athletes. They are young and resilient, so their bodies are able to train hard and recover almost instantly. They are excited to train, because their growing bodies are choked full of growth hormones that allow them to see physical changes much quicker than their parents. And they are competitive in their sports and willing to do the work that is required to make them successful of the field of play.
These same student athletes are also impatient. They want to see results NOW! And this in NOT generational. Most people that start a new health program experience the same emotions.
Whether the goal is to lose weight, increase strength, improve conditioning, or (it will never work, trust me!) do all three, there is a frustration that sets in when the results do not show up after the first training session.
So what is the answer? Find a shortcut! Identify a way to lessen the time required to achieve the goal while doing the same - or less! - work required to get there. This is easily achieved by taking any of the highly-regulated, government tested and approved lotions, potions, or pills available online, at the local supplement store, or from the same guy who sold Jack his beanstalk beans.
Mighty Oak Athletic detractors, please excerpt the statement above and share it out of context as proof that MOA is a sham. 🙄
This line of thinking is highly prevalent in today’s get _____ quick society. Obviously, this mindset is ridiculous. There are no shortcuts. There are no magic lotions, potions, or pills that can expedite the process - not ones that are healthy or legal, anyway. Whatever the health goal, the formula is simple: consistently do the work for a long period of time. That’s it!
Sustainable change requires healthy habits to be consistently completed….forever! There is no short-term solution that will yield long-term success. That is true for most facets of life. The people that have achieved high levels of success have almost always worked really hard, day-after-day, for years on end.
This does not mean that life has do be a monotonous drag full of hard work and no play. Who wants to live a life like that? What it does mean is that success takes time. It cannot be rushed. That excitement and anxiety that many people experience along the way needs to be channeled into positive energy to fuel the journey.
Now get to work!
Earning the Right to Celebrate: Strategies for a Healthy HSA Balance
How has the Health Savings Account balance been in 2024? Making lots of deposits in the form of fruits and vegetables, drinking plenty of water, walking daily, and getting to bed consistently at the same time each night?
Or has it been food in boxes and bags, sporadic workout sessions, and late nights spent in front of a screen?
It is time to reconcile the HSA account.
Be honest. If the ledger is solidly in the positive from consistent deposits - great! - then there is a surplus to be drawn against. If the deposits have been random at best, however, now is the time to own up and sacrifice some of those additional withdrawals.
Super Bowl Sunday is this weekend! That means parties with friends and family, chicken wings, chips & dips, carbs deep-fried and smothered with cheese, and plenty of hearty beers and fun cocktails. But not everyone has built up the the HSA account balance enough to make those withdrawals.
Yes, Super Bowl is a time for celebration. And, yes, celebration is an important piece in the Mighty Oak Athletic Circles of Life™. But we all have to earn the right to celebrate. Life cannot be one continuous hedonistic endeavor choked full of every gluttonous pleasure that passes across the table.
Do the work. Make the deposits. Earn the celebration. Then make the withdrawal.
If the work was not as great as it could have been over the past few weeks, that is ok! Attend the celebration and enjoy the time with friends and family. But make the sacrifice - eat the veggie tray and wash it down with water. Is that a bummer? Absolutely! But is serves as good motivation to be mindful of the HSA account ledger in preparation for the next withdrawal. Hey, St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner!
Happy Super Bowl Sunday!
Unleashing Your Wild Side: Rediscovering Humanity Through Technology Disconnection
What do all the old men bellyache about? The Good Old Days! Things were simpler. Times were better. People had a deeper sense of values. Children were tougher, smarter, and funnier. “Kids today!”
In many respects, those sentiments are nonsense. Most people tend to romanticize the past. Human existence is generally improving with each decade.
Technology, however, has become a double edged sword. While it has brought about massive improvements for most people, it also sucks away a little bit of those people’s humanity. Individuals become less wild animal and more zoo human. Is that a good thing? In some areas of life, like hygiene and housewares, sure. But where the dichotomy lies is in human health.
Technology has improved human health with medical advancements in procedures, medicine, and tools. Imagine surgery without anesthesia!
Technology has also made humans more sedentary and screen obsessed.
Ask the question: “What did my kids and I do on the last snow day?” Was it spent disconnecting from electronics and building a snowman? Or was it enjoyed on the couch streaming TV and surfing social media?
Do not be afraid to disconnect. While it may seem like it is unproductive, disconnecting is extremely productive!
Rest and relaxation is where the magic happens.
When the body and brain are given an opportunity to unwind, physical tension melts away, the mind untangles, and the spirit is lifted.
Sound hippy-dippy? Maybe. Try it. Disconnect from work, school, and electronics for an entire day. Will it be challenging? Sure. That’s the point. Push beyond the comfort zone and experience all the good things waiting just on the other side.
Unlocking Weight Loss: Embracing Inefficiency in Physical Activities
CLICK HERE to access the free movement videos that demonstrate the exercises from the training program above.
Athletic adaptation is the process of the body getting accustomed to a particular exercise or training program through repeated exposure. When the body acclimates to the training, it becomes more efficient at performing those movements. This is great if the goal is to perform in a competitive activity, or to be able to complete tasks with minimal effort. It is not great, however, if the goal is to lose weight.
Weight loss requires inefficient movements. When the body is not accustomed to completing a specific movement, it will require more effort, energy, and ultimately burn more calories to complete those movements. The more calories burned, the better, when attempting to lose weight.
This is why it is important to change physical activities consistently. That does not mean that it requires athletic ADHD - bouncing from one activity to the next every 10 minutes - but it does require variety. That variety should be added every six weeks. Six weeks is the approximate amount of time it takes for the body to adapt and get efficient at a new physical task.
So how can someone add variety? There are dozens of ways to mix up a training program! Start with the F.I.T. acronym - Frequency, Intensity, and Duration. Doing strength and conditioning training five days a week? Try lowering the frequency by swapping one of those sessions for a day of yoga or playing basketball. Or change up the intensity by switching from doing high volume-high intensity strength training, to lifting heavier weights for less reps with longer rest periods in between sets. Or try running 50-yard sprints for 10 minutes in place of a slow three mile jog.
F.I.T. is just one example of ways to add variety and disrupt homeostasis. Other ways include changing the training tools or the angles at which the body is trained. As an example, try swapping out flat barbell bench presses with incline dumbbell presses.
Or try something completely different, like swimming instead of spin class, or bodyweight exercises instead of lifting weights. Again, the opportunities for variety are seemingly endless!
Take some time to evaluate the current training program and identify 1-2 small changes that can be made to add variety and disrupt homeostasis to keep the body growing and improving. Or start a completely new training program like the one above. It does not require any special equipment, and can be completed in less than 40 minutes. Check out the free explanation videos by clicking here, or reach out to Mighty Oak Athletic with any questions.
Make 2024 the healthiest year yet!
The Ultimate Guide to Permanent Weight Loss: Breaking the Yo-Yo Cycle
This is about the time when many New Year’s resolutions begin to die out. The initial burst of excitement from changing the calendar, slowly begins to melt into the couch with a bag of chips and a Dr. Pepper. Hey, it’s the NFL playoffs!
So what does it take to stick to a resolution? Specifically, what’s does it take to lose weight and keep it off - permanently? Simple. A change in lifestyle.
Many people commit to a change for 6 weeks, see results, then assume that the work is done. This stinkin’ thinkin’ is what leads to the yo-yo effect in weight loss and causes people to get frustrated and give up.
The reality is that most weight loss methods, will work for most people, for about 6 weeks. Then what? People slowly regress back into old habits and the weight creeps back up. Frustrating!
The remedy is to identify the health sins that are causing the weight gain, then make reasonable changes to atone for those health sins, and integrate those changes into a healthy and active lifestyle that will drop the pounds permanently.
The key to this process is making changes that are sustainable. To “never eat bread ever again!” is unreasonable. Who wants to live a life without bread? A better option might be to limit the consumption of breads, grains, and pasta to one serving a day.
Stay strong in the New Year’s resolution for 2022. Do not give up because it is getting challenging. Identify what is making the process difficult to adhere to, correct course, and achieve the goal. Then, keep the new habits as part of a healthy lifestyle moving forward for years to come.
The Surprising Reason Why Yoga Can Transform Your Daily Life
Stretchy pants, soccer moms, and hippy-dippy Earth biscuit types are what most people envision when thinking about a yoga practice. This is not inaccurate! That does not mean that yoga cannot be highly beneficial for most people. It requires a beginner’s mindset, and the ability to keep the ego in check, in order to honestly assess where the body is at physically and what is needed to improve movement and mobility.
For most people, a simple yoga practice can be a complete game changer in their ability to move well and feel healthy. A simple pose like Down Dog will open up the wrists, forearms, shoulders, hips, hamstrings, calves, and ankles. Putting just a handful of movements into motion - the Sun Salutation (video below) - will not only increase flexibility, but improve the body’s ability to move in sync as a coordinated unit.
This improvement in flexibility and movement will make it easier to complete basic activities in daily life, and improve performance in most recreational physical activities.
Sign up for a yoga class, check the ego at the door, and embrace the opportunity to gradually improve mobility, agility, flexibility, and full-body movement patterns.
How To Be Beach Ready All Year Round: A Guide to Living a Healthy and Active Lifestyle
Want to go to the beach? Like right now? Is it possible to pack a bag and be on the next flight to a tropical paradise? Or will it take a few weeks of preparation and planning?
Most people are not always beach ready. While this sounds like it’s about vanity, well, it is. And it isn’t. Always being beach ready is also about living a healthy and active lifestyle all of the time - not just when the calendar turns to a new year, when spring break is around the corner, or summertime brings less clothing and more skin.
Riding a wave of health is actually unhealthy. Fluctuating between periods of great nutrition, consistent movement, and deep rest, alternated with junk food binges, sedentary movie marathons, and restless nights is brutal on the body and the mind.
Live a healthy and active life. All the time. Not just when an exterior factor pushes in the direction of healthier choices. Make health choices consistently, as if that beach vacation were tomorrow. Then, when Eddie calls and says he has two tickets to paradise, it will be easy to pack a bag and leave tonight!
Achieve Your Best Year Yet: Unleash the Power of the 13 Pounds in 30 Days Weight Loss Program
Happy New Year! Time to make that annual resolution to be healthier. Great! No more excuses. Make 2024 healthy and happy - for real!
To help jumpstart the journey, Mighty Oak Athletic is offering newsletter subscribers the 13 Pounds in 30 Days Weight Loss Program for FREE! Simply reply to this newsletter post and request a copy of the program. It will arrive in your inbox.
Thank you to everyone that has been a supporter of Mighty Oak Athletic! It is great having you as a part of the MOA community. We look forward to growing with you in 2024. Cheers to your best year yet!
The Surprising Reason Why Waiting for the Perfect Time is Holding You Back
It is a classic outlook to life - procrastinate doing something until a specific task is achieved first. This perfect timing mindset is one of the enemies of progress. The reason perfect timing is an enemy, is that the one task holding up the other rarely gets done within a reasonable timeframe. This ultimately delays doing something that would benefit from being started immediately.
Health is a great example of this. How many people wait until the New Year to start a new health journey? Why wait? Yes, there are unhealthy activities that take place during the holiday season, but that doesn’t mean that other healthy choices cannot be made. And in doing so, it will be that much easier to transition into a more healthful lifestyle as the New Year takes hold.
Stop making excuses and waiting for that mythical “ideal situation” to improve health. There will always be birthday cakes, holiday gatherings, and boozy brunches. It is a fantasy to think that there will be an ideal time when there are no temptations pulling someone away from a healthy and active lifestyle.
Learning how to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle in the face of those temptations is the key to success. Being healthy is a full-time, lifelong commitment that needs to be adhered to throughout the seasons.
Does that mean that someone cannot enjoy a slice of pie or a Bloody Mary ever again? Of course not. What it means is that health needs to be committed to consistently, day-after-day. Along the way, there will be plenty of opportunities to enjoy life’s more hedonistic pleasures. Make the most of it! Just keep a focus on making healthy choices more often than unhealthy ones, and the ledger in the Health Savings Account will stay in the positive, paying dividends for years to come.
Mastering the Art of Moderation: Navigating the Temptations of the Holiday Season
Attending a private, college-prep high school meant that there was never a shortage of announcements throughout the day. Pledge of Allegiance, Our Father prayers, Hail Mary’s, updates on the latest team sports, clubs, and individual accomplishments.
Most of these announcements were background noise akin to the sound Charlie Brown’s teacher made - “wah, wah-wah wah.” There is one announcement that had staying power. Not because it was all that profound for a group of snarky teenagers, but because it was made consistently, every Friday afternoon, for four years.
The Dean of Students, Mr. Konrad, would come onto the classroom speakers and remind the students that there was an upcoming football game, or that the swim team would be facing their rival in a weekend meet, or that students’ community service logs were due…TODAY! After all of the housekeeping announcements, Mr. Konrad would always finish his Friday schpiel with these words: “And in all things - MODERATION.”
He was right. And more importantly, his advice resonated with a group of wild and crazy teenagers that were going to go out and be wild and crazy teenagers. Preaching abstinence from sex, drugs, and rock & roll would have fallen mostly on deaf ears. By not arguing that the students be prudish and then following it up with the brimstone and hellfire sermon, he simply took a more subtle approach and paraphrased Philippians 4:4-8 “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men.”
Relax. This is not a Bible thumper speech. Rather, it is about moderation, freedom of choice, and the lack of freedom from consequence.
To tell a child, “Never drink pop! Always avoid candy! Football is the debil Bobby Bouche!” Is a losing proposition. That hard line will only serve to make the contraband that much more enticing. It is better to preach the gospel of moderation. That way, when a child does over-indulge, those words will be a subconscious reminder rattling around in their brain. Like the band Cake so elegantly says, “Excess ain’t rebellion.”
As the holiday season’s sweets and treats descends on everyone like freshly formed snowflakes, take a moment to mentally practice the mantra: And in all things - MODERATION. As the office cookies make their way around the building, or the after hours social gatherings become a little too boozy, simply take a moment to reframe the situation, identify what is a reasonable amount of merriment, be moderate, and stay healthy and happy this holiday season.