Author: brainsbri

A trip down under

On By brainsbriIn Random Thoughts, TravelLeave a comment

I went on a crocodile tour on the Adelaide river in Australia a few years ago.

Our guide was a true local. Judging by the calluses on his feet, he never wore a pair of shoes in his life.

He had a few interesting insights:

Humans are really fuel inefficient

We’ll consume substantial calories in preparation for a 10K race, and then eat again immediately afterwards to replenish what we burned off.

Meanwhile a 1-ton croc could survive on a few chickens for 6-8 weeks.

Only the strong survive

He explained how the crocs we see before us are the result of millions of years of evolution weeding out the weak. The crocs before us were the true 1% of their species. A single male croc every few kilometers of riverbank. Only the very top of the pyramid survives.

Care to feel weak? Put yourself one meter away from a crocodile with only a thin metal grate in between.

Alright, I just finished my workout. Time for a protein shake.

What was I thinking? – Baking

On By brainsbriIn Food, What was I thinking?Leave a comment

I put a cake in the oven last week and immediately decided to put the oven mitts away. No big deal, except that instead of opening the drawer next to the stove where they belong, I opened the oven instead and tried to put them there.

Fortunately, the cake finished baking without issue and it came time to turn the stove timer off.

For this task I decided to open the microwave.

What was I thinking?

Stop and smell the roses

On By brainsbriIn Personal Development, Random ThoughtsLeave a comment

If a new song catches my attention, I play it on repeat the entire day. I won’t listen to anything else. That musician has my ears for the day and in my mind I dissect what I hear.

If something pleases you, devote time to appreciate and understand it. Immerse yourself in it. Truly know it.

We’re so anxious to get on to the next thing that we cannot develop more than a superficial understanding of the world around us.

Stop. Smell the roses. Dive deeper.

Bringing checkers to a chess match

On By brainsbriIn Personal Development, Random Thoughts, StrategyLeave a comment

“You brought checkers to a chess match.”

Me, in a fictitious scenario

This line seems like it would be the perfect nerdy mic drop.

The implication, in my mind, is that the individual on the receiving end thinks so differently from me that they don’t even understand what ‘game’ we’re playing. They’re so lost they can’t keep up.

Of course, my underlying message isn’t as effective as I originally thought because we all truly do think differently. The proper response, however, is to bridge those gaps with clear communication. We must become effective translators instead of criticizing others because of our differences.

Commonality always exists. Find it.

Let’s examine chess and checkers. My thoughts thus far paint a picture of two completely different games, one being superior than the other.

However, they are both two-player games played on the same board. They have the same objective. They both have kings. They both require a strategy.

Neither game is superior. Similarly, your unique thinking style isn’t any better or worse than others. Instead of isolating or demoralizing others on the grounds of alleged inferiority, find the common thread and build on it.

As for my line, it sounds great in a dream – but I hope I never use it.

The red onion resurrection

On By brainsbriIn Environment, Food, Personal Development, Random ThoughtsLeave a comment

Ever buy something at the grocery store only to find you already had it in the pantry? I did that with a bag of red onions recently.

I ate them as quickly as I could – onion breath for days – but still, a few started to sprout.

One of the more mature sprouts had started to die, but I decided to plant it as an experiment anyway. To my surprise, the plant actually revived itself. The brown sections that I planned to trim are now lush and green.

Incredible resilience. I was fascinated to watch the resurrection.

Don’t be too quick to write things off.

And for those of you paying attention to the timestamp, it is in fact winter,
which means that yes, there is a huge pot in my kitchen with an onion growing in it…

Plant a seed. Watch it grow.

On By brainsbriIn Environment, Food, Health, Random ThoughtsLeave a comment

A few years I started a vegetable garden. I started with a single small pot first – a trial run since I wasn’t quite convinced I could keep plants alive. I passed that test, and this past growing season was quite rewarding. You should try it sometime. Here’s why:

  1. It’s therapeutic.
  2. The growing process is astonishing. Put a few seeds into fertile soil. Water. Harvest. Voila. Nutritious food arises from the ground, growing from seeds the size of a nail head. Great things sprouting from what seems like nothing.
  3. Nothing compares to fresh vegetables. Not store bought fresh – right off the plant fresh.

Plant a seed and watch it grow. You’ll grow as well.