The Galvanizing Action Thread

I understand addiction is a serious thing and some people need to discuss the absolute shit out of it to even begin to make sense of it. I got news for you, there is no making sense of addiction as it is an irrational senseless beast. Make sense of and address the causes and underlying issues you should yes, dwell on addictive behaviors no you should not, at least according to the leading pioneers who are revolutionizing the field of addiction recovery like Dr. Lance Dodes and others not afraid to stand up to the 'old world' view of addictions.

Anyways perhaps that was some of the subconscious motivation for me to create this thread. This thread is created with the intent to 'galvanize' my own self into action and anyone else looking to step outside their comfort zone and perhaps take up new hobbies while doing so.

Post or discuss anything related to exciting or heck even not so exciting outdoor related adventures here, from hiking to cross-country skiing to snowboarding to kitesurfing to kayaking to rock climbing to walking through the woods to filming yourself on a bridge with a gopro camera, etc.

I plan on getting a gopro next month since I can get a discount on the bad boys Anyways you can also post articles or random videos just to spark ideas, brainstorm, and dream up ways we can step into a new life of AWESOMENESS, naturally and effortlessly crushing urges to PMO in the process while 'satisfying', or filling so to speak, some of the holes in our lives that perhaps we use fapping to fill in.

I will begin with a kayaking video (not at all affiliated with it) that I am quite fond of (I own 2 kayaks and can't wait for spring, random outdoor adventures and snowboarding until then for an adrenaline fix),

 

Thrilling or not thrilling, I think what is most important is taking an action - doing an activity - that is rewarding to you, while enriching your life in some form. @ronswanson are you German? I always assumed you were hah since the first time I read in your journal that you lived in Germany. I'm German and Irish, my last name is totally German lol.

PMO may only be a bad habit for some people here too, not everyone is truly addicted. Granted it is an inherently unworthy activity in many respects, I mean the very existence of NoFap can attest to that.

Another hobby I am gonna get into is mtb racing this summer. A local ski resort has a series of summer races which I am really excited (dare I say stoked?) for I have cycled my entire life but now with all this sexual energy transmutation goin on I just feel like delving deeper into my passions

I know these videos are out of control, this is a galvanizing action thread after all...so to speak . I plan on posting my own gopro videos just for fun and to be silly, hah they will be laughable and so bad most likely.

 

An awesome hiking video, who knew hiking could be this AWESOME:



'The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.'

- Dan Millman, Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives

http://quoteinvestigator.com/2013/05/28/socrates-energy/



LOL who still thinks Socrates the Greek philosopher said this? Not a chance.

A blog entry below from the website of Dr. Dodes (boy did he sure catch hate for his new book bashing 12-step programs, albeit he was trying to stand up for addicts who have the program forced upon them as the only solution to addiction lmao). I didn't read it. I read his first 2 books which were phenomenal, The Heart of Addiction and
Breaking Addiction: A 7-Step Handbook for Ending Any Addiction. They both have killer reviews on Amazon.

Blog entry copied from his site:

Don't Focus on the Consequences of Addiction

It's a waste of time.


Throughout my career as a therapist I've heard people describe the effects of their addictions — drinking, eating, gambling — with deep regret, shame, and anger. Anyone can understand their pain. And effects do matter: They color how we relate to the people in our lives, and how we gauge the risk of future behaviors. But focusing on consequences does not help to stop addiction. Indeed, it is a waste of valuable time that could be spent looking at its causes.


Looking at consequences also induces guilt. It's understandable that those who have been hurt by addictive acts will confront those who have hurt them. But no good therapist would make this mistake. Over the past 40 years I've never encountered an addict who was not already sadly aware of the damage he or she was causing. People suffering with addictions are neither evil nor stupid, and adding to their guilt is simply pointless. If guilt could solve addiction there would be no addicts.

It is far better to focus on the fact that addictive actions are not random. They are precipitated by emotionally meaningful factors: loneliness after being abandoned by a boyfriend or girlfriend, shame and anger after being treated disrespectfully, embarrassment after a humiliating loss, or a repeated feeling of being unheard, with a helpless sense you have no control over your own life. These emotional precipitants are what people need to recognize, explore and understand, so they can predict when they will next arise, always followed by addictive urges. If people can predict when their addictive drive will occur, they are much closer to being able to control it. (I described this process in detail in my book, Breaking Addiction.)


There are two other problems with focusing on consequences rather than causes. Since different addictive acts have different consequences, we have been misled into thinking they are different phenomena. Of course, this is not so, as we know from the fact that people regularly shift their addiction from one behavior to another. A variant of this misconception is that the dangerousness of the consequences matters to the cause of an addiction. I've heard people say that alcoholism couldn't possibly be basically the same as compulsive housecleaning, because alcoholism can kill you and housecleaning can't. But that's the result, not the cause, and in fact that very switch does occur (I wrote about one such case).


The closer we pay attention to the emotional reasons for the psychological symptom we call addiction, the closer we can get to mastering it. And in so doing, we save the time we would have wasted focusing on its consequences.

 

I was going to share a hobby article from Psychology Today, but I hate PT these days after reading some trashy stuff from jerkfaces who think they are special just because they have a PhD lol, granted I have read alot of quality stuff back in the day on PT.

I prefer PsychCentral these days for my psychology fix, an article from this link: http://blogs.psychcentral.com/thrive/2014/05/the-value-of-hobbies/


The Value of Hobbies
By Jessica Beltran, MS
~ 2 min read
It is well-known that eating habits, sleep, and exercise are important for physical and psychological health (information reminding us so is everywhere). Yet, we rarely hear about the value of leisure and recreation.

Although one may think that pastimes serve no other purpose than to (literally) pass time, hobbies are very beneficial and of great value. They not only add quality to our life but also contribute to our effectiveness and well-being.


Hobbies are food for the soul. They nurture our spirit, restore our physical energy, and renew our mind. Hobbies can be so stimulating, in fact, that they inspire those magical “aha!” moments.

While we may think that hobbies can interfere with our career, research has found otherwise. A recent study suggests that people who engage in hobbies, especially creative hobbies, perform better at work. It seems that having an outlet outside of work can boost productivity and even creativity.

We are at our best when we are relaxed and in tune with ourselves. Only then can we truly thrive.

So if you think hobbies are a waste of time, think again. And if you’re thinking you don’t have time for hobbies because you just can’t afford to take time away from work even if you wanted to, then you probably need one more so than anyone else. Here’s why:

Recharge

When we engage in hobbies that we enjoy we’re able to disconnect from the everyday worries and recharge our batteries.


Hobbies and interests outside of work (any type of work, either at an office or at home) help counteract the emotional and physical exhaustion that comes with stress. By engaging in leisure activities that give us pleasure we’re able to recover from the demands of our busy (even hectic) lives.

Hobbies can be “therapeutic” and help us re-ignite our spark. They have a way of calming our mind and allowing us to escape from the outside world to connect with ourselves, making us feel refreshed and more energized.

When we have a passionate interest in life that helps us unwind we become happier and consequently more successful in everything that we do.

Learn

Our hobbies say so much about who we are. When we pursue an activity just for its own sake we learn a lot about ourselves.

Hobbies give us an insight into our likes and dislikes, our strengths and weaknesses, our fears and beliefs.

For instance, through meditation I’ve learned how anxious my mind can be and how much it needs a soothing and peaceful break every now and them. Biking has taught me that there is nothing I find more exhilarating than the combination of adrenaline and nature, while writing has made me confront face-to-face some of my biggest fears just as it has showed me how fulfilling I find introspection to be.

As they say, if you want to know where your heart is, look to where your mind goes when it wanders.

A hobby can help you discover a whole new side of you and unleash talents you didn’t even know you had.

Perspective

Our hobbies give us a balanced perspective on life beyond work. They show us how important it is to take time for ourselves and rejuvenate our mind and spirit. When our responsibilities become overwhelming, our hobbies give us something to look forward to.

Investing our energy is just as important as finding ways to recover it.

By disengaging from the pressures of life not only are we revitalized but we get to see the big picture. Instead of focusing on the trees we are able to appreciate the forest.

Plus, you never know where a hobby may lead you (new and interesting people, the time of your life, or maybe even a whole new career!).

Channel your passion into a hobby and a new world of possibilities will open up for you to discover.

 

WARNING DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS UNLESS YOU ARE A CERTIFIABLE PRO:



Even then, not unless you have a death wish. This man is no longer alive.

 

Here is a neat lil video of trail running, such an easy hobby to get into with profound benefits (hitting the local state park trails weekly is like goshdang medicine for my mind and body I swear, then again I am an endorphin freak...but aren't many of us here hungry for endorphins? ):

 

Never forget running through the woods can be a very spicy experience if keeping your feet on the ground the whole time isn't really your style,



Wow freerunning is apparently a serious sport these days, would definitely watch it before I watched football or the like on the tele hahaha. I prefer to be a participator when it comes to vigorous activities. Never was a good spectator. But worthwhile videos.

 

If you go freerunning through the woods, just don't be this guy:

 

Another gnarly hobby to get into if you got the dough and urge for radical awesomeness is kiteboarding. If you don't know what kiteboarding is (it has boomed in the last few years but was very obscure not so long ago), THIS is Kiteboarding:

 

Start using those hands properly, hit up a local rock climbing gym if any are in your area....at least try it once if you never have I am gonna hit the gym tomorrow near me actually. Get acquainted indoors first imo before goin hard on real rock in the wild...



I would probably never rock climb outdoors tbh I just don't have the interest, but I do hope to travel to China this summer

 

Quit living a masturbatory lifestyle ffs people, you wanna go to your grave a fapper?

RISE AND SHINE, GET A NEW GRIP....ON A PADDLE.

 

Ok turning into Action Jackson is fine and dandy to up and quit the ol fiddling your precious parts to make ya feel nice habit or compulsion, but sometimes we need to slow down and show our bodies some gentle care.

IN COMES QI GONG. YOGA IS NICE TOO IF YOU ARE MORE INTO INDIAN STUFF.

A QI GONG VIDEO, SHOW YOUR BODY THE CARE IT SO DEARLY WANTS AND NOURISH YOUR ORGANS WHILE KILLING STRESS:

 

Almost tried to climb the bridge arch I have been eyeing for some months now. Still don't have the balls to do it without a harness. One of these days...

In the meantime more kayaking. GRAB A PADDLE IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT, LIKE FRESH AIR, AND ENJOY BEING IN NATURE WITH FRIENDS:

 

TIS THE SEASON!

 

Wow, looks fun. If there is a place to zip-line near you, DO IT! A ski resort near me has zip-lining in the summer, sounds like dating is in order this year, once we have accumulated massive progress here.