Vlado's writing

Vlado’s pen moves across the paper

His morning writing

He does it each day

As his coffee is brewing

And his wife is away

His words are deep

So are his thoughts

About life and love

Or tragedy and sadness

He lights candles on his desk

Even through the light of day

He sips coffee slowly

Drinks wine in afternoons

And often closes his eyes of pure luck

Vlado writes another chapter

Then looks around him

His wife is still not home

Another glass of wine

She’s probably fine

Is what he thinks as his pen moves across the paper

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Lake Lagoda morning

Morning sun rays hit the Lake Lagoda waters

Lighting up the room Dmytri Zolotov of Archangelsk sleeps in

He awakes and gets dressed, combs his beard with a brush

Outside Valaam monastery, thick mist covers the lake

Dmytri washes himself, pushes his boat off onto the water

Peddling softly, on the quiet lake

Birds hidden in tall grass, a Lagoda seal by the shore

Dmytri stops rowing, looks into the mist

It up slowly, as if afraid of the sun

It’s a summer day, the trees lush and green

The belltower island, Dmytri ties his boat to a pole

He holds onto the ladder, climbs up step by step

Then pulls hard the chord, the first bell rings

A stork is awoken and spreads its wings

As the mist clears the lake on this Lagoda morning

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Develop a workout habit

It’s a rare bird that gets home after work and looks forward to a workout. Rather, most would open a bottle of wine and watch TV. It’s even harder to head to the gym after you did have some wine and lie on your couch. Tomorrow is always an option, you’d say. Except that it’s not. Do not skip your workout, no matter what. Except if you’re sick, then stay home and do yoga. Your workout schedule should be followed religiously. Especially if you’re young – the healthy habits you develop will build a strong basis for the rest of your life. Start in your teens and keep working out through the years. Lift weights rather than only relying on machines. With weights you train the balance of your muscles, whereas a machine only has you do one movement.

Lifting is fantastic. It just makes you strong. Go three times a week and be another person after two years. There’s no other way, don’t give up. Because of our sendentary lifestyles, we lift only so much during our days. Then, if you pick up a heavy box of paper to fill up the office printer, you hurt your back. Hurt it good enough and it bothers you for years. Lifting weights will prevent back injury if you do it well. Lift weights from the floor with your knees bent and your back straight. It’s as very young children do, when they don’t have strength. They lift using their backs and knees.

Most importantly, for me, lifting clears my mind. It’s meditation. I never want to work out. I always go. Once I’m inside, it helps to see others do the hard work as well. I know I’m not alone. We all work to get stronger. Lifting does wonders for my body language. I stand straight because with an arched back, I can’t lift. It definitely flows into other areas of life, I stand taller and appear confident. I feel confident when I’m strong, it’s probably a natural thing that all men in the gym experience. There’s no need to be pumped up, I just know I have physical strength. It does something to the mind. So much that I don’t even want to miss a workout anymore. Yes, I don’t feel like going, but I’d hate skipping a session.

It helps that a workout is not negotiable for me. It is a part of my schedule. I don’t think about it twice. To become good at something, make it a habit. Just think ahead twenty years, looking back on your current self. Would you be proud? Would you send your lazy self to the gym? Go lift now, it’s harder to develop a habit if you’re older.

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