It all began in 2018 with a very intricate mandala tattooed on my upper right shoulder. After five years and nearly twenty total hours in the chair my sleeve is finally complete!
Each element of the piece is either sacred geometry or a mandala. Thanks to Greg with Tattoos From Grease for your incredible artistry and vision. To say I’m happy with it is an understatement, I’ll treasure this for years to come.
Back to Basics
Except for a few short breaks I’ve been exercising consistently since I was fifteen. Over the years the natural progression of my routine has been to simplify. My equipment and methods have been honed from a room full of equipment to nearly none. I've eliminated anything that doesn't produce consistent and tangible results.
At age fifty-two I’ve ditched traditional free weights and have switched to a Russian kettlebell routine, Navy Seal Burpees, Qi-Gong, and various forms of cardio (cycling, stair climbing, hiking).
In the last few months I’ve been reminded of the true value of a simple walk. I've noticed even fifteen minutes of walking a day reinvigorates my body and especially my mind.
Usually after the first mile my imagination starts to run wild with ideas for poetry or fiction. Never have I had so many ideas swirling and so many irons in the proverbial fire. Now that it's too cold to cycle in my part of the world my plan is to keep up this routine of walking no matter what Mother Nature throws at me. Considering Minnesota winters can easily approach -40F I hope I can keep that promise to myself.
Hope
Wars...
the SEC's attacks on crypto...
crumbling infrastructure...
high taxes, rampant crime...
crippling inflation...
the chaos of an upcoming Presidential election with zero good choices.
It's easy to feel defeated and start believing the world is completely f*cked. But to do this would be to give up, to give in, we can't do that. The future is way too important.
Lately, it's become imperative for me to actively seek out points of light, things that give me a shred of hope that humanity will pull itself out of this nosedive. As of late, the source of a lot of that hope for me, personally, has been centered around Tesla and SpaceX.
Witnessing teams of talented people consistently defying the odds, convention, and the critics to create innovative (albeit polarizing) products have a way of brightening my outlook about what humanity is capable of.
As silly as it might sound I think to myself if Tesla can make something like the CyberTruck a reality and SpaceX can launch a rocket the size of a skyscraper then just about anything is possible.
https://www.youtube.com/live/s-ZwElJpTTs?si=GqAr6hiBwkuQOA_Z
What fills me with hope might not do the same for you but if you're feeling overwhelmed and defeated right now I urge you to seek out those points of light for yourself. The world seems so dark right now. Search for something, anything that gives you hope. At a certain point it becomes imperative to your very survival to seek the light.
What are your points of light?
Thanks for reading! All for now. Remember…trust your instincts, invest in you, live boldly, and take chances.
(Gif sourced from Giphy.com)
Most of us have experienced a moment of perfect peace at least once in our lives. In these moments we lose ourselves and feel connected to everything. I call these mindful moments. Words can’t describe how complete they make us feel.
These moments are usually fragile, evaporating in seconds. What if there was a way to train your mind to experience more of them? It’s deceptively easy and requires nothing more than a subtle shift in mindset. My new book, Mindful Moments, will teach you to be much more content despite the chaos and imperfect circumstances continuing to unfold around you. Upgrade your life experience today for only $15.99 on Amazon.com.
You are right, we all need that point of light, to keep us going when everything seems not to be making sense or dark.
As for me right now, the thought of creating a better life for my family against all odds gives me lots of reasons to keep striving for the great future ahead.
That is a wonderful reason to keep striving!
How are you dear friend @ericvancewalton good morning
It was worth every minute of the twenty hours you spent sitting completing your tattoo, it really turned out very beautiful.
How great that you have been consistent in the exercises for so many years, and that over time you have been perfecting your techniques.
It's true, a walk, even if it's just for ten minutes, does a lot of good for the imagination and stimulates our creative side, not to mention the benefits for a healthy body and mind.
There is nothing in the world that justifies one feeling defeated, since there will always be things and reasons to move forward.
I take this opportunity to wish you a wonderful weekend.
Thank you my friend! I'm appreciating walks so much more this past year. I had at least four walks integrated into my routine when our dog was still with us. I hope you enjoyed your weekend!
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Yes to all of this <3 100% yes. Now's the time to be grateful, and I love the concept of "points of light".
You wear the sleeve well, I think it really suits you. As we say in Romanian, may you own it in good health.
With exercise, I've found variety is key, as you say. I'm sure some people can stick to a fixed routine, or thrive doing one form of exercise, but for many, it becomes annoying, and they drop off. Don't drop off, just change the exercise.
And may you take hope with you into the new year. May we all.
So many people are struggling now, I thought it was a good reminder (for myself too) to focus on something that gives you hope.
Thanks! It's been interesting to watch this sleeve evolve over the years. It's never really felt complete until now.
I switch up my cardio quite a bit to keep things interesting-- fast-ish walking, stair climbs, cycling. I think this gives me enough variety to keep my strength training routine fixed. I think I could even ditch the kettlebell because the Navy Seal Burpee is really a full body exercise and so simple. I love that I can do it on the road without needing gym access.
Thank you and I hope you had a great weekend!
That's very nice looking! I am glad it turned out to your liking. I've been using a Total Gym over the past few years and while I can't say I have seen any weight loss from it, I have notice some muscle growth in my upper body. I just need to find more time to put into it I think.
I appreciate that my friend. You've probably lost fat and gained muscle weight from the workouts. I usually gain around 6-8lbs during the cycling season. BTC broke $40k today! I think these next few weeks are going to be VERY interesting. : ) Hope you enjoyed your weekend.
It's looking like it might break $42K today. Totally amazing. I forgot how crazy all of this feels! It was a nice quiet weekend thanks. I hope yours was nice too!
You have to love bull runs! I almost forgot what it feels like. : )
You look great with that tattoo, Eric! You must be happy with it. I agree that with all the things going on that can disturb our peace of mind, it's good to have a bright spot. This week I was feeling very discouraged, between work, things going on in the country, the house, I felt like running away. However, I found some old markers and started drawing. I hadn't drawn in years. I also cleaned out the closet and took all the things I didn't use to a center near here where there are children and mothers in need. I don't deny that I feel like leaving the country again, but my family, those pleasant moments with my family, help me to get out of the darkness. The nostalgia of December is hitting me!! hahaha. I hug you, my friend and take care of yourself.
Thank you, Nancy! I am happy with it. It feels complete now. I'm sorry it was such a bad week for you. It can be difficult to cope sometimes but thankfully you found something to help. I bet it felt great to draw and to donate those things to the center. Simple things like music, podcasts, and meditation help me a lot. Sometimes we just need to find a way to shut off our brains and "just be". I hope you can continue to find things to give you hope. Take care and have a wonderful week!
You got amazing sleeves, they look beautiful. And yes, you are right, the future is way to important for us to give up. Giving up now means no future.
Thank you!
As I do tell people the best investment with the highest ROI is on yourself. Just as you have rightly said in your words here
That's the biggest truth there is. Never hesitate to invest in yourself.
Walking every day from 4 to 10km average for the last (at least) 10 years plus cardio and pushups one month before every rally event :)
That's wonderful. I bet you have to be in great shape to do those rally races. The average person's body probably couldn't handle the pressure of it.
Of course. Good physical condition is a need here.
Finally, the whole arm photo.. Looks absolutely great! Are the mandalas your creation? I keep hearing a lot about the importance of drawing mandalas in the process of individuation, only I'm lousy at drawing :))
As for walking, unfortunately the weather is kinda cold so being outside isn't much fun. But, with presents that need to be bought there's bound to be a lot of walking this month.
Thanks! I'm now suffering through the "shedding phase". Thankfully the aftermath of this session didn't hurt as badly as the last time. I didn't draw these but the one on my forearm is the visual representation of OM. The top one, I believe, is a Thai Buddhist design. After Ireland got me accustomed to rain I've been walking in all kinds of weather. It gets so brutally cold here in Minnesota it's easy to shrug off going outside but I've learned to dress for it...wool and lots of layers are key. : ) Hope you're well!
I love the idea/concept of the cybertruck, but I don't know why they are calling it a truck. I think it's a cross between a number of vehicles ... so Elon should get to name it himself.
Maybe it should simply be called a Musk. Or maybe a TUV (Tesla Utility vehicle)
It definitely doesn't have the form of a traditional truck but I get a sense that it'll prove itself very capable when it comes to function. It'll be interesting to see how performs longer term. I've heard Ford F150 Lightning sales are somewhat up after the CT launch. Probably quite a few cancelled CT orders after the price increase was announced.
The sleeve looks great! Are you going to start on the other one?
The points of light for me are the minds of every creative person I see. To concentrate not on the general fuckery going on the world over but instead to pull from their very own brilliant mind works of art...the poetry, music, writing, woodworking, making clothing, bringing water to those without, and humor - never go without humor.
Those are a miniscule number of things that give me hope. If people's minds are still capable of thinking and creating, then humanity will certainly go on. No lemmings for me
I appreciate it! I'm done for a little while. I do have a few more in mind but I'll probably wait a year or so.
That's a wonderful anti-fuckery strategy.: ) You're right, there's no better thing than creativity to remind us of what's really important and the true richness of the human experience!
Wonderful inspiration, as always, Eric, you should run for president my friend! Sadly the politicians are not in it to make the world a better place, but then we outnumber them not so!
So, I believe we need to collectively start seeing the light and work towards it! Form trusts, work solo, whatever it takes to make the world around us a better place. There are many initiatives starting up here and they're growing in numbers, and this is because the government is failing. Perhaps that is to make the people stronger, so we should take our blinkers off, see the light, as we can individually make a difference!
PS your tattoos are real works of art!
I would never want that job, Lizelle! You're right, under our current system the lucrative nature of the political offices attract the wrong kind of people to begin with. Very few people get into politics to change things for the better. The only way to fix the situation is to inact things like -- term limits, age limits, no stock trading for politicians, no lobbying, no governmental benefits or salary for life after political terms have ended. The answers are all there but implementing them is another story.
I agree, working on yourself --- your spiritual, emotional, and physical health is the best way to change the world. When you're happy, fully engaged, and adding to the light of the world it rubs off on everyone around you.
Thank you! I'm officially done getting new body art for a little while. The only thing I might do now is get little ones to commemorate trips to special places.
These tattos are looking very beautiful. By making such things on the body, the beauty of the body increases.
Thank you!
Welcome
An intricate mandala tattoo is a captivating work of art, and your dedication to a simplified exercise routine, especially one that includes walking marks, reflects a mindful approach to fitness. Looking for bright spots amidst challenges, finding hope in innovation from companies like Tesla and SpaceX, showing a positive perspective in navigating today's complex world. Excellent quality post. 😊
Thank you!
Wow! The design on your arm looks like a beautiful and unique Rangolis. 5 yrs, 20 hrs of tattoo magic ;)
Yeah, the Cybertruck. It feels like one of those crazy cars from the Fast & Furios movie series. Peeps here on Hive already speculate whether they'll be able to buy it for 1 BTC with the current evolution of the crypto market.
Now to your question. My points of light: my amazing family and friends ❤️
Thank you, thank you! The CT looks like it's straight out of a video game to me, almost like CGI. I think that by the end of this run people will be able to buy one with one BTC and have change left. : ) You've named the best points of light!
Love seeing the Sri Yantra on your forearm. @lukestokes had a post about that a year or two ago which encouraged me to learn about it as well as learn how to draw it.
Love to hear about your discovery of the power of walking too. As Thoreau wrote, “The moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow.” Or another favorite is from Nietzsche who said, “It is only ideas gained from walking that have any worth.”
I think critical to that is to ignore almost everything from the media or social media. Esp try to avoid politics. The brewing war between the moderate republicans and the MAGA republicans that Trump is encouraging, all the corruption, etc. Ignore it. Worrying about it, obsessing over it, neither can have any effect except a mental one on ourselves. Ignore it.
It's easy to lose track of the fact that there are fewer wars now than in any time of history up to this point and that health is better than it's ever been. Problems with people binging on fast food aside, we have never had it so good, with so many good medical options for nearly everything outside of cancer—and even that we are starting to get hints of a coming revolution in treatments. We, as a human society, are even making great progress on fusion energy, which I don't have to tell you would completely change everything. Japan and the EU just opened a joint reactor in Japan. It's using a different method than the one the US lab used last year to great success, but one which is even more promising.
There is every reason to me positive about the future. Taking a walk helps see that 😃
Thank you! The designs and the meaning behind them are fascinating. I've trended towards simplifying most things in my life/routine. I've noticed it frees up extra bandwidth for other things. I totally see why Steve Jobs wore the same outfit every day, decision fatigue is real.
I agree with what you say about MSM. They gaslight the public. The divisiveness the media encourages is the shortcut to loneliness, habitual anger, and mental illness. I've seen it happen all too often since 2020. Nearly every statistic shows the world as being a better place now than almost any other time in history. The real enemies are the MSM, politicians, and the people/entities who control them.
I think we're so lucky to live in this era. We're on the forefront of so many breakthroughs. AI, quantum computing, clean energy, the list goes on and on!
Your tattoo looks very nice and cool, my favorite thing is walking in the forest for hours 🙃
Thank you. I like walks in the forest too!
If you want, take a look at my page. I lived in the mountains for months.😉
If you want, take a look at my page. I lived in the mountains for months.😉
If you want, take a look at my page. I lived in the mountains for months.😉
If you want, take a look at my page. I lived in the mountains for months.
If you want, take a look at my page. I lived in the mountains for months.
If you want, take a look at my page. I lived in the mountains for months.
If you want, take a look at my page. I lived in the mountains for months.
If you want, take a look at my page. I lived in the mountains for months.
She didn't send it because the internet was bad. I thought she sent it, but I'm sorry.
:)
I walk every day! Nature. They call this "spot focus" and it actually regrows brain matter physically. As meditation does, apparently.
Which extended stress or trauma depletes. It shrinks the Hippocampus. #truestory
And also controlling content when I feel overwhelmed.
I watch documentaries on people achieving seemingly impossible goals and this gives me hope again... that we can still win the good fight!
There's also a ton of amazing in the world. And amazing humans. Sadly, mainstream media tends to feed us the worst of humanity. I'm careful about how much I engage with that at all now.
Enough to stay alert. Not enough to make me believe it's all bad and futile.
Balance.
Always
Happy Monday, fellow traveler 😊
I had no idea that walking in nature regrows brain matter. That's incredible. It sounds like you've found some really good tools to cope and rebalance. I consume MSM in the same way, in little bits and only to stay abreast of what particular sort of fuckery is going on any given day. Sometimes I just read headlines. Happy Monday to you!
😆 Me too. Mostly headlines only. And only a rare few! It's just too much, quite frankly.
Yep. But "soft focus"
That works scientifically, interestingly enough. I think because walking settles the nervous system. Barefoot "grounds" it even more, as our nervous system physically syncs with our surroundings.
And "soft focus" (focusing on the beauty, expanse if nature) puts our brains into a more theta state. 👍🏼
Combined it affects the neuro pathways and physical structure over time.
Anyhoo. I'm a nerd, according to my kids :D I need to know how and why things work!
Because it makes you feel good is good enough.
Happy thoughts and fairy dust, my fine friend! 💥
Yep, and as I'm reading the headlines I'm trying to see down through the "bullshit layer" of the stories to determine how they're manipulating us and to what end.
Very interesting about "soft focus". I always realized I felt tons better after being in nature but didn't realize the mechanics of how it worked. Have you heard of Solfeggio Frequencies? I've been experimenting with them in meditation and it's really been working great.
Nerds rule the world so being a nerd isn't anything to be ashamed of. : ) Have a wonderful week!
Hey! I'm proud to be a nerd (now that I'm big) :D
No I haven't. I'll dig that up. Thanks!
I've been using sound frequency as well recently. But know little about it. I've just been using ready made playlists. Also as part of my meditation. I figure hit it with everything ya can!
Perhaps this is similar.
p.s. it makes sense though, doesn't it? When I first heard about it I was dubious. But woo woo, I thought.
And then a small bit of investigating turned up a story about Prince directing someone, to info about tuning down a demi note or something or other - because that heals the human body. And the key most operatic performances are tuned at apparently do the opposite for humans.
If "they" did that intentionally it's diabolical.
Do share what you discover, please! I'll start here... 👏🏼
Sorry for the late reply. Life has been kinda crazy lately! I'm proud to call myself a nerd as well (I didn't like it so much when I was a boy). The Solfeggio Frequencies sounds exactly like what you're using. They're just tuned to specific MHZ for different purposes. The particular Solfeggio collection I have is from an album called Meditation Music Zone. It's great with headphones but I also like to crank it in my car. The subwoofer in the car allows you to really feel it. Prince was really into frequencies and tones. Andre 3000's new record (where he plays the flute) is based on this sound-healing concept too. I had never heard that about operas!
That's the stuff! Yep. Also very curious about the sound frequency thing now.
:)
All good. I'm also swimming up stream here and never expect folks to not be busy living there lives. Especially in these times
No need to reply to this one and on we go. With our Playlist turned up real loud (headphones on)
F*ck knows we need it in the "modern" world 👀
I have a couple of small tattoos, but not one of such dimension, you must have a lot of patience, it looks very nice, the design is very striking, it relaxes me to jog, it makes me feel free and strong and it helps me to control my weight because I usually eat a lot of junk food, have a nice day.
Thankfully this was done a little at a time. I think the longest session I sat for was four hours but most of them were around two hours. Thanks!
I also prefer stair climbing even if there is an elevator as stair climbing has many benefits for our body.
Hello, @ericvanwalton
Thank you for this article. You know, it has been said that hope is the last thing to be lost, but with your thoughts I see another meaning. Yes, I have also heard about the light at the end of the tunnel. But that of looking for your points of light, makes me realize, that in reality, these comes from within us, we just have to look for how to turn them on, either as you say, through simplifying our routines and moving for it. I think that is what one calls determination. Today I will wear sports clothes and walk for fifteen minutes, taking advantage of the fact that in this part of the world, in general, the climate is beneficial since we live near the equator and at an altitude where the temperature averages 20 degrees Celsius: a blessing from God.
Greetings.
The true love and the true enjoyment in life. Predatory birds. Mainly Harris's hawks and falcons. I had both in the past, and soon I will have a bird again.
Have a nice day. All the best. Greetings and much love from Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
That's wonderful. I hope you can achieve that goal very soon! Enjoy your week, my friend.
it's your belief hat let your do wonders, never let yourself down .
I have been trying to fight inconsistent in exercising but it has actually not been easy and it has started telling on my body
What a beautiful tattoo. I think you really enjoy your life by traveling, cycling and painting tattoos on your body. God bless you, Eric. Have a nice day.
I appreciate that, Eliana! Enjoy your week!
Having this much tattoo, didn't it hurt when they were drawing it? or does one get used to it after years of experience?
It really depends on the session and where on your body you're getting the tattoo. Some areas hurt worse than others. After a few minutes you become kind of immune to the pain, I think it's the endorphins that are produced in your body. For a few days afterwards it feels like a mild burn but after two days there's usually zero pain.
Ohhhhh makes so much sense now. Thanks for explaining😃
It is a fact that a person gets charged with time, when a person goes for a walk, he feels a little tired, and then when a person gets used to it or after some time passes, a person walks for an hour. It doesn't matter and all these tattoos are looking very beautiful to the person who lives the same way There are many problems in life, it is better to enjoy life.
It's really inspiring to hear about your journey and your dedication to personal growth. I especially appreciate your insights about the importance of simplicity, finding joy in the small things, and maintaining hope even in the face of adversity.
Once in a post you have shown this tattoo picture in your post. The design was so good.
And Walk, exercise is really very good for health. Very mind refreshing.
Thanks! I posted about it once before but the artist put the finishing touches on it this week.
#hive #posh
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