But we are People too

August 1st, 2010
by Jim Finwick | No Comments »

“…but we are people too.”

The words hung like a stench in the air. Not just because you could sense the pain, but because it made you feel that you were somehow associated with all those who had come before you, and who had not been a very good representative of the western world.

We were in Tanzania and it was the last night before we were to hike down from having made the summit of Kilimanjaro. One of our guides, named Robbie, was thanking us on behalf of the entire support crew for how we treated them on the trek. We had been on a 7 day trek to the top of the highest peak on the continent of Africa and the crew was grateful that we treated them with respect. How could we not? If it were not for them, we would not have made it to the top! Besides, it is pretty natural to be curious about your hosts. Where they are from, their families, their history…you know, normal stuff.

Apparently, “normal” stuff is anything but normal to this group of hard working guides, cooks and porters. If fact, it turns out that treating them as equals is far from their usual experience as they host various groups from around the world.

Just a simple reminder that a little kindness can go a long, long way.

robbie.jpg
Robbie and Jim

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Posted in Relational | No Comments »

7 Protein Fast Facts

July 25th, 2010
by Jim Finwick | No Comments »

Proteins are found in all living cells and are necessary for the proper functioning of organisms. They are essential for the growth and repair of tissue and are found in meats, animal products and legumes.

1. Proteins are made up of amino acids that are joined together in a chain-like structure.

2. Humans protein is made up of 22 different amino acids, 13 of which are produced by the body. The other 9 amino acids are defined as essential amino acids as they can only be obtained from food.

3. A complete protein is a food that contains all 9 essential amino acids and can often be found in meats, fish, eggs, milk and cheese.

4. Plant-based proteins are often deficient in one or more essential amino acids, making them an incomplete protein. As long as you eat a balanced diet, you need not worry about getting all essential amino acids if you are on a vegetarian diet.

5. One gram of protein is equal to 4 calories.

6. A biological value (BV) is a measurement of protein used to express the quality and efficiency that the protein can be used by the body. Eggs are considered the highest quality protein (second only to mother’s milk) as nearly all the nitrogen from its amino acids can be utilized by the body.

7. Excess protein is stored as fat as the body cannot hold onto extra protein.

Click HERE to read the full Astro Nutrition article.

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Diet Drinks Linked to Premature Births

July 18th, 2010
by Jim Finwick | No Comments »

Danish researchers are reporting that drinking lots of artificially sweetened beverages during pregnancy may be linked with an increased risk of premature birth.

Women who had at least one serving of artificially sweetened soda a day while they were pregnant were 38 percent more likely to deliver preterm than women who drank no diet soda at all.


Researchers looked at nearly 60,000 Danish women who reported on their diet, including how many soft drinks they had each day, at around 25 weeks of pregnancy. Around 5 percent of women delivered their babies before 37 weeks.

Click HERE to read the full article.

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Cross Train Your Brain #10

July 11th, 2010
by Jim Finwick | No Comments »

By briefly shifting from your current thoughts and thought processes, you allow your brain to attack your problems in different and creative ways. We call this “Cross Train your Brain”.

Let’s face it, taking your mind off of your normal thoughts (including your fears, stresses, anxieties, planning, worrying, regrets, etc.) is a great way to disengage mentally (in other words to take a break) and to flex your brain in a way that you normally may not. It may be a logic problem, a math problem, a science problem or a simple riddle. in any case, it will get your brain working in a different way than normal…and, who knows, you just may have a little fun in the process.

This puzzle may be very easy for you to solve, or very hard. If the answer does not come immediately, we would like to encourage you to not give up too quickly. Don’t rush to view the answer, but really ponder the question. Approach the problem from different angles. Try to think in an unconventional way (i.e. “outside the box”).

Now, flex that brain!

The Firing Squad

Pirate Pete had been captured by a Spanish general and sentenced to death by his 50-man firing squad.

Pete cringed, as he knew their reputation for being the worst firing squad in the Spanish military. They were such bad shots that they would often all miss their targets and simply maim their victims, leaving them to bleed to death, as the general’s tradition was to only allow one shot per man to save on ammunition. The thought of a slow painful death made Pete beg for mercy.

“Very well, I have some compassion. You may choose where the men stand when they shoot you and I will add 50 extra men to the squad to ensure someone will at least hit you. Perhaps if they stand closer they will kill you quicker, if you’re lucky,” snickered the general. “Oh, and just so you don’t get any funny ideas, they can’t stand more than 20 ft away, they must be facing you, and you must remain tied to the post in the middle of the yard. And to show I’m not totally heartless, if you aren’t dead by sundown I’ll release you so you can die peacefully outside the compound. I must go now but will return tomorrow and see to it that you are buried in a nice spot, though with 100 men, I doubt there will be much left of you to bury.”

After giving his instructions the general left. Upon his return the next day, he found that Pete had been set free alive and well. “How could this be?” demanded the general. “It was where Pete had us stand,” explained the captain of the squad.

Where did Pete tell them to stand?

Click HERE for the answer.

Going Further:
(click image to look up)

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Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction

July 5th, 2010
by Jim Finwick | No Comments »

A recent University of Pennsylvania study found a positive link between intentional mindfulness training and improvements in mood and working memory.

The study found that the more time participants spent engaging in daily mindfulness exercises the better their mood and working memory, the cognitive term for complex thought, problem solving and cognitive control of emotions. The study also suggests that sufficient MT practice may protect against functional impairments associated with high-stress challenges that require a tremendous amount of cognitive control, self-awareness, situational awareness and emotional regulation.

“Our findings suggest that, just as daily physical exercise leads to physical fitness, engaging in mindfulness exercises on a regular basis may improve mind-fitness,” Jha said. “Working memory is an important feature of mind-fitness. Not only does it safeguard against distraction and emotional reactivity, but it also provides a mental workspace to ensure quick-and-considered decisions and action plans. Building mind-fitness with mindfulness training may help anyone who must maintain peak performance in the face of extremely stressful circumstances, from first responders, relief workers and trauma surgeons, to professional and Olympic athletes.”

Click HERE to read the full Science Daily article.

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Haraka, Haraka Haina Baraka

June 30th, 2010
by Jim Finwick | No Comments »

“Pole, Pole” (pronounced Pole-ay, Pole-ay)

Last week we heard this phrase a lot. Making our way up the Rongai route from the Kenyan border to the top of mount Kilimanjaro. Every time we were passed by a porter or a guide he would say in Swahili “Pole, pole”; go slowly, slowly. For a peak that tops out above 19,000 feet the guides knew that the air was thin and that our bodies were not used to the climate at that altitude. In fact, a majority of our group were from sea level, and even the altitude at the start of our trek (above 6,000 feet) could be a challenge.

It was not lost on us, that their admonishment to go slowly had broader implications than just our physical journey toward the summit. In fact, some of us when we would get a break in the action would pull out our cell phones and begin looking for a signal. Knowing that we were “off the grid” created its own level of angst. With long periods of hiking, alone with your thoughts even though you were part of a larger group, you had plenty of time to think about what was happening back in the real world. Our guides knew this, and so I think their encouragement to us was as much spiritual as it was physical. “Take it slowly. It’s ok. There is a blessing that comes from just experiencing the mountain and knowing that God has something special for you in this place. Don’t waste this unique opportunity.”

If fact, there is a Swahili phrase for the opposite of taking life at a practical pace: “Haraka, Haraka Haina Baraka”, which is Swahili for “Hurry, Hurry has no blessing”

http://www.bloodsweatandcompassion.org

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Preparing for the journey

June 6th, 2010
by Jim Finwick | No Comments »

Next week I am leaving for Tanzania. I will be gone for more than 2 weeks and a portion of the journey is to climb mount Kilimanjaro; the highest point on the continent of Africa. The journey actually began five years earlier when I was traveling through northern India with some colleagues from Compassion. As we stood in Darjeeling, India looking over the border into Nepal at Mt. Everest at sunrise, we began to dream of challenges in the future which could have impact on the world in which we live. Born out of this early time of discussion and dreaming was eventually “Blood, Sweat and Compassion” (http://www.bloodsweatandcompassion.org)

As I prepare for this once-in-a-lifetime trek, I am thinking about the journey of life and our preparations as we approach new transitions that we have never experienced. Here are a few things I have had in mind as I prepare:

1. Make the right preparations
I have spent several weeks (months actually) getting my gear together, training, thinking and dreaming about this event. What I realize as I prepare for Kilimanjaro is that I actually really enjoy the anticipation that comes from getting ready to go. The best definition I have ever heard of for HOPE is “Happy anticipation”. Funny how energizing this anticipation can be for a trek you have been looking forward to and dreaming about for years yet how stressful most of the rest of my “future looking” can be when I stress about all of the things that are outside of my control. If I could just change my perception about the future from “this is going to be hard” or “this is not going to go very well” to “what a grand adventure this will be” or “think of how I will be different after this portion of my life journey” my life would be more about happy anticipation than dread.

2. Look to those who have been where you are going
As we started pulling together our gear and getting mentally prepared, we have no idea of what to expect on a mountain trek in Africa. Granted, I have done a lot of hiking in California and quite a bit of back packing in Colorado, but THIS WAS AFRICA! Who knew what we should expect? So, we logged on to Amazon and ordered a trekking guide for Kilimanjaro. To get the insights from someone with first hand experience of where we are going will be invaluable. We prep and pack differently based on the advice of someone who has been where we are going.

3. Expect the unexpected
No matter what you read, or how well prepared you think you are…this will not go as you expect. You have to remember that. And, whether it is the people you meet, or the weather you encounter or the fact that you eat something that does not agree with you. Your experience will be unique to everyone else’s…even those on the same journey as you. In fact, your experience will be as unique as you are. Expect the unexpected, and approach it with wonder and excitement. One of the greatest blessings in life is exploration. If everything was foreknown and every outcome was foretold there would be no mystery and no discovery.

Going Further:
(click image to look up)

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Encouragement. You Remember

May 30th, 2010
by Jim Finwick | No Comments »

Last week I was with Compassion’s IT leadership at an offsite meeting at a local conference center. We had a lot to discuss and a lot of future planning to do. This was a beautiful and peaceful setting and one that was quite conducive to the task that lay ahead. There was a young man who was working with their facilities staff, we will call him “Tom”. We met Tom at lunch on our first day. He came over to our table and began to ask if we were with Compassion International. Tom was a little hard to understand, and it was clear that he had special needs.

Once Tom confirmed that we were with Compassion, he began to ask if we remembered him.

Tom: “You remember, you were there.”
Us: “Sorry Tom, I don’t remember.”
Tom: “Yes you do, you remember?”
Us: “No, sorry…I don’t remember.”
Tom: “Yes you do, it was on the stage. You were there. You remember.”

I must admit, it was tempting after about 5 minutes to simply tell Tom that we remembered, just to move off of the topic, but that was not true and although we did not really understand, we still respected Tom and wanted to understand where he was coming from. After 15 minutes or so, the back story became clear.

It turns out that when Tom was a teenager (he is in his 20′s now) he had an opportunity to work at Compassion International as a part of our facilities staff. I imagine it was helping out with building maintenance, fixing things, cleaning things, etc. and basically putting Tom’s skills and abilities to good use. The defining moment of the work that Tom had done was in a recognition ceremony in which Tom was recognized on the stage in front of a large audience and given an award for his contribution (the “award”, it turns out, was a coffee mug). Yet, something as simple as a “Thank you” and a coffee mug is an event that this young man will never, ever forget. And he believes that you will never forget either.

Every one of us craves this type of recognition. It can be big or small, but we all need it. Take some time to today to recognize and encourage someone around you for what they have done, no matter how small. They need it much more than you know (and more than they realize).

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Don’t let off the Throttle

May 9th, 2010
by Jim Finwick | No Comments »

Have you ever been jet skiing? I must admit that it is one of my favorite things to do, even though I don’t get the opportunity to do it that often.

One thing you learn early on when using a jet ski is that if you are not holding down the throttle, then you have zero control over the direction of the jet ski. A Jet ski is totally dependent on the jet of water coming out the back to change direction. There are no fins, no rudder, nothing to help you control the vehicle other than the direction you are pointing the jet of water that comes out the back. At first, this seems almost counter intuitive, especially if you are going faster than you want (or heading toward a dock or another boat). Your first inclination is to let off the throttle and try to turn…which of course, does nothing! To make matters worse, a jet ski has no brake. There is no way to stop. In fact, you continue to move in the direction of your forward movement until friction slows you down…which can take a while on water.

In life, there are times when we need to slow down. Need to pause and gather our thoughts. But we must remember that without forward movement you cannot change direction. So, if it is time for a change, your best bet is to get moving. In fact, sitting still and wrenching on the steering wheel of life does nothing. Therefore, starting some forward momentum is required before you can begin to change direction.

What are you waiting for? Get moving and start the change!

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Exercise can be fun

May 1st, 2010
by shankins | No Comments »

My husband and I have different needs for social interaction. This affects how we approach many things in life, even how we exercise. I like to turn my Ipod on and just go for a run. It is good stress relief for me; I am by myself and I don’t think about anything, I just move my legs. My husband likes to play a game of Ultimate Frisbee or volleyball with his friends, or go swing dancing, or rock climbing, etc. We joke with each other because I’m often trying to get him to join the gym with me and he always says no because it’s not fun. I tell him that it’s exercise, it doesn’t have to be fun! But at the end of the day we have both had some good physical activity and are healthier for it.

The problem most of us have with exercise is the lack of motivation. There is no quick fix, no miracle pill/diet, no amount of support underwear to fix the problem. We just have to incorporate some movement into our day, and we don’t have to make it difficult. A good way to get in a great workout in a short amount of time is to do some interval workouts. There was a recent fitness study done that shows that doing intervals increases the calories you burn by 30% over working out at one pace. You can do this by going for a jog and walking for 2 minutes then jogging for 2 minutes, and continuing this for the duration while you are out. You can do this for running, biking, swimming, while pushing the stroller, etc. For some more inspiration check out No Excuses Workouts.

So whether you are a gym junkie or just enjoy some fresh air while walking to your mailbox, remember that all movement is beneficial. And if you listen to my husband, we might as well make it fun while we are at it.

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