Why I've Been Smiling More
And 3 other spring antics.
What Have I Been Doing? (Besides Writing)
I’m always up to something.
Really anything —- from sailing boats to climbing volcanoes to lobbying up in Albany, my to-do list always resembles a vintage encyclopedia.
I find it challenging to keep track of it all. Living in the moment sometimes means you lose track about everything you’ve done recently.
While that might be a good problem to have, it can be even more confusing to remember who I’ve updated about my adventures.
That’s why I’m sharing a digest of what my loaded spring season has been looking like.
I hope you find it entertaining — maybe you’ll even take inspiration from my antics, and take up a few hobbies of your own!
1. Cycling/Marathoning 🚲
The miles are racking up.
Ever since it got warm enough to hit the road again, I’ve been tearing up the asphalt every chance I get.
Some weeks, I’ve pedaled for over 100 miles!
Since I also play basketball and football several times a week, I’ve found that heavy cycling on top of my rigorous cardio actually helps to condition and recover my legs better than no cycling at all.
You’d be surprised to find out how far out in the distance your body’s limits are.
I grew up biking in New York City.
Swerving through car and pedestrian traffic and dodging horse carriages (and corner-hidden police) is how I learned to ride.
If you think city life is crazy, try riding through it fast on two thin wheels.
Near misses with corner hot dog stands and monstrous garment district pushcarts honed my handles.
Think of any random artifact, and at some point, it has been flung into the road in these streets That’s just the abnormal norm here.
To think we once didn’t have bike lanes.
I have a nostalgic, loving proclivity for the Frogger style of death-defying wheeling, and that won’t ever die.
But I guess it takes a city-wide shutdown of streets, bridges and highways to really get a sense of what open road cycling feels like in New York. That’s what the New York City 5 Boro Bike Tour did for me.
50 miles of uninterrupted, high-speed rubber and road on a beautiful spring day with one of my best friends. Unbelievable. Grand. Sensational.
I’m a simple man — there isn’t much more I need to make me genuinely happy in one day.
Okay, maybe a ribeye steak and kale caesar salad.
2. Smiling 😄
I have been actively, intentionally, deliberately smiling at people in the street and on the subway recently. More smilies with people I know, and ones I want to know better.
It works like a magic wand — wave it around and watch how sour, stone-faced New Yorkers melt with just one lock of the eyes when you hold a smile.
Their defenses stand no chance.
Smiling is well known to be powerful for your mood and self esteem, but i’ve found it to be an effective way to give away goodness like an Oprah Volkswagen.
You get a smile. You get a smile.
Don’t get it twisted — this isn’t a bulletproof concept.
Not everyone is receptive to smiles. Honestly, i’ve found that most people are confused when they see someone smiling at them these days.
Maybe because New York isn’t exactly known for its warmth, and someone smiling at you might come off as disturbing or solicitous.
But remain watchful for those whom you do reach through to — your smile instantly lifts their spirits. Their profile becomes alive and dynamic. Their cheer and whimsy is palpable. That’s the power of unsolicited joy.
Its less of a social experiment once you make it a part of your personality. the habit of flexing that upper lip into a curve is second nature, especially as it is reinforced with positive feedback and reciprocal energy.
After a while, you won’t even be looking for results when you smile at others. You’ll just be glad to possess a pool of kindness that spills over into every glance you share with fellow man.
And when you give, you receive … usually. for some people, smiling back is a natural instinct. for others, it can be a challenge to grin back.
Every time i’ve received a smile in return, no matter how authentic or contrived it was, i’ve felt giddy. Sheer joy.
It really does lift your mood to receive a smile. It’s almost like you can read the smiler’s soul when you look into their eyes — the tough New Yorker shield is dropped, and the common human kinship presents itself.
There’s gotta be some science to why it feels so good to receive one — socially reinforced behaviors for the sake of collective species success, or something like that.
3. Perfecting My Sleep 🛌
Even though coaching people to sleep better is a skill of mine, I always have room to perfect the art of rest.
I’ve been addressing three important levers to ensure better sleep scores on Whoop, Apple Health, and my native feelings of good rest. These are:
Screens 📱
I’ve set a hard rule of no screens past 10pm, and dim lights at the same time. Blue light and stimulation from screens is known to affect sleepiness and slow wave (restorative) sleep.
Food 🌯
No heavy foods after 10pm. This one is a big challenge for me, as a dude who is active and hungry, especially at night.
But nighttime food affects your sleep negatively, as it pulls bodily resources toward digestion and away from restoration. 2 hours is a good distance to keep between sleep and your last meal.
Lowered Heart Rate 🫀
If your heart rate is low at night, aka being still and relaxed, you fall asleep sooner and deeper. This is why i’ve been trying to cut my workouts off at 9pm or earlier.
I’ve found that when my basketball games last deep into the night and are intense, I feel more wired at night. My sleep trackers prove that.
4. Camping! 🏕️
You’ll hear more about it soon, but as of this weekend, DTE has completed its first overnight camping trip!
A hand-picked group of dedicated hikers are venturing out to Harriman State Park to brave the elements for one night under the stars.
It hasn’t yet happened as of the time of my writing of this newsletter, but I’ll be proud to declare it a success, and the first of many sizable group excursions!
