Thoughts on Fiber

This has become somewhat of a running joke with my girlfriend. She accuses me of being "obsessed with fiber". And I guess to some extent, I am. I look for foods with high amounts of it. I don't get as much as the FDA recommends, but I can safely assume I can more than most guys my age. But, I don't supplement it.

So, why is someone under the age of 60 so concerned with getting enough fiber? I'm not really sure where it exactly started. I guess it's actually several things at once:

1. I'm trying to eat better. Supposedly, more fiber fills you up with less intake. I have not found this to be the case. Portion sizes are still a problem for me.

2. I got a subscription to Men's Health Magazine for Christmas. They advocate getting enough fiber. Their main drawback is that to truly eat as healthy as they describe and recommend, you'd pretty much go broke. Still, though, interesting stuff.

3. There's so many different health benefits to a high fiber diet. Check out this site:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fiber/NU00033

There you have it. Just a random post on a random subject. Hope you found it interesting, or at least interesting enough to kill a few seconds of your day.

My 2009 Resolutions

I'll admit it. I'm one of those people who makes New Year's Resolutions. Actually, they're more like goals, instead of resolutions. And, like most of the people who make such goals/resolutions/whatever, my results are usually a mixed bag. But, that's because I usually make the statement without a plan. This year, though, will be different. I won't get into all the details in this post. I'll just share the changes I want to make in 2009.

Do you make resolutions? Do you achieve your goals?

1. Lose 50 pounds.
2. Learn the Seneca Language.
3. Get better at golf.
4. Make friends in Canada.
5. Donate $100 to five charities. (Each one gets $100)
6. Organize my study.
7. Become a better preacher.

This is what I have thus far. I'm sure there will be a few more added.

Enneagram Observation 2

I've discovered a fear about The Enneagram. I am afraid that The Enneagram, like many personality type tools, works largely on stereotypes. And that bugs me. Maybe those fears are unfounded, and maybe they're not. Only more research can reveal that. But, I'm afraid of being pigeonholed.

Let me tell you a story. The Seminary I attended was big on the Myers-Briggs personality inventory. I'm an ENFP. Anyway, they used the MB to the exclusion of just about everything else. I'm not sure about MB. To be sure, I do exhibit a good deal of the typical ENFP qualities. But, there are other times that I do not. Plus, I've taken the test several times, and have been identified as an introvert on a couple of those test-taking occasions. (Many of those closest to me would have a hard time believing that ANY introverted fibers exist in me at all.) At any rate, much of my discussions with that department was centered around this ENFP result.

How that relates to The Enneagram is this. I have identified myself as a 4 on The Enneagram. But, depending on what I read, there are characteristics of just about every other point in the device. Except for 1; there's no way I'm a perfectionist. But,I just wonder how rigid The Enneagram is. Plus,I haven't figured out what the connecting lines mean yet. So, maybe that will hold the key.

Like just about everybody else in the world, I don't like to be stereotyped. So, i hope The Enneagram doesn't to that. Still, The Enneagram is just a tool, nothing more.

Enneagram Observation 1

In my limited (to this point) study of The Enneagram, I have already identified myself as a Point 4 (see the post entitled Point 4). I will now elaborate on one of the items not mentioned in that particular posting. And that is this point: Fours tend to see the world aesthetically. I can certainly relate to that.

I tend to see the world aesthetically. This is why a good number of my sermons have an illustration form movies, TV, or literature at some point. This is also why some of my insights come in the form of expressions like, "This is just like that scene in (insert film title here)..."

Seeing the world in this manner has both its pros and cons. One obvious pro is that it makes it easy to establish connections with people. Just like the sermon illustration, it gives a handle for my message or facilitates that common ground with a listener. Another pro is that it gives me a way to either get more enjoyment out of a book or film, or to find some redeeming value to the work, even if, on the surface, it's terrible.

An obvious con is that is can seem that I do not live in reality. In conjunction with that, it can seem that I don't live in the present, but I focus more on a future which might or might not exist. I have been guilty of this in the past. And I'm working on it. However, this is typical of Fours.

So, what does all this mean? I think it's a good thing to have a well-defined sense of aesthetics, even if that aesthetic is only personal. In other words, a self should know what he or she likes in music, art, literature, style, even fashion. That also involves articulating why you like something. I've also been guilty of NOT doing this. The reason is not simply to make one a more interesting/well-rounded self. It can also tell us a great deal about ourselves and our worldview.

That's this 4's take on it.