Thank you for this year.
If this didn’t make much sense, please start at part one of How To Have Tourette’s.
Whatever you believe in, spend the holidays doing something you love.
*The Gymboss may not actually cure Tourette’s, but it’s way awesome. Here’s my full review of my favorite workout gadget.
Josh
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{ 56 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow Josh. I may not understand how good it feels when you stay physically still for a minute, but it was enough for me to understand how much you enjoyed and wanted that peace.
I wish more peace in your life in the upcoming year.
Steven
PS: watching that one minute felt like watching a thriller movie anticipating something surprising lol.
Steven, it’s nice when it happens. Almost like watching Under Siege II!
You are sooooo different and so smart
I laughed at the end… great advertisement technique!
Have an awesome 2010
Allison, was that not the craftiest product placement of all time?
You rock, Josh! These videos always improve my day and make my life better. This one was especially powerful.
Even though I don’t know you, I love you dude!
Thanks Henri. I never know quite how these will be received, but your comments always convince me that it’s a good thing to keep the series going.
(What) Were you thinking during that minute?
Honestly, I was just counting down. While you don’t know how good it felt, you also don’t know how close I was to yelling every one of those 60 seconds. And after the video was over, things got worse. There’s always a price for shutting it down, even for one minute, but it was worth it.
Josh,
I was sitting here cheering for you for the entire minute. I know the video was pre-recorded but I was sitting there saying “you can do it” “Come on” “You got it jsut a few more seconds” “go go Go GO GO, YOU GOT IT”
Glad you were able to enjoy the peace and yes awesome Product Placement.
It was touch and go. That minute felt like a loooooong time.
Wow Josh. This was wonderful to watch.
I join Boris and ask, “what were you thinking?”
What you regularly share with us is a true and undeniable example of how much WE can decide how we live our life. YOU decided you would have that minute, and we’re all here to see you’ve had it.
Keep it friggin’ up, buddy.
I wasn’t thinking, and that was what was nice. My constant need for distraction takes me out of the present a lot more than I’m happy with. I just got to sit there and be there in that moment.
Did you know that you were inventing a new spectator sport when you did that? The drama of watching you focus through those last few seconds was agonizing. I imagine that everyone watching had to be silently cheering you on through your minute.
Seriously, that was better than “Rocky” bro.
Better than Rocky I and V, sure, and thank you. But I can’t abide comparisons with Rocky II, III, and IV. Sorry Chip! What are we going to call the spectator sport?
Josh,
I’m curious what happens when you embrace/indulge a twitch. Is it possible to “be in the moment” during a twitch? If it is possible to be in the moment w. pain, how about a twitch? We’ve talked about meditation before, and I wonder if practice might “reveal” triggers and hot spots.
Just thoughts. I enjoyed the minute w. you.
Boris, I’d say no, unless you could be in the moment during a sneeze. It is a constant reboot. “What was I saying?” “What was I thinking?” “Where was I going with that?”
Boris, before I forget, my shirt just came. It’s awesome and it’s actually a little too big, so that’s perfect.
Congratulations, Josh! Way awesome! Is there a way you could stretch that one mintue into 2, and then work your way up to 5? Would that require “thinking”? Maybe it’s like doing a handstand pushup, and you have to build up to it. Congratulations!
I wish for many moments of peace for you in the new year. May your tics subside, and your kettlebelling (is that a word?) rock on!
Thank you for sharing with us this year.
Debbie Ferm
I think it is a word. Let’s claim it.
Your gentle honesty gets me every time. A most splendid Christmas to you and a fantastic New Year.
Thanks Sophia. You too.
Precious Present. Things we take for granted…
My racing mind wonders:
1) If you were counting down, were you not getting distracted by the action of counting down?
2) If you said you felt like yelling every second, weren’t you thinking, as opposed to your answer stating you weren’t thinking?
I know the meditative void can be difficult to achieve. I remember how you were able to sit almost throughout JDC’s marketing seminar at the RKC, but were fighting it towards the end. Am I being inappropriate for asking how the minute would have been if you didn’t exercise control over your urge to yell, for instance?
Philippe, it’s not inappropriate. If I had not controlled my urge to yell, it would have led to yelling, which leads to hitting, which leads to injuries and chiropractors and dental work.
When I talk about distraction, I’m usually doing things that are very active, and if it’s not something obvious like playing the guitar, I’m doing the times tables in my head at the speed of light or something like that. Something like watching a clock doesn’t count to me. It’s so far removed from the usual tactics that I’m calling it in the present, whether it is or not. It’s close enough for me.
During JDC’s lecture, what you couldn’t see was that I filled an entire spare notebook full of doodles, a cube pattern that I started drawing years ago that seems to work. I’ve done this in every meeting I’ve sat in for the last five years. I also held a little spelling bee in my head, but I spelled every RKC candidate’s name, backwards, for anyone I could remember.
What you also don’t know is that I did not hear more than one out of every ten words JDC said. I have no idea what we did in that lecture.
Hi Josh, that was touching.
Have you ever tried meditation? It isn’t easy going from our busy everyday lifestyles to the blissful state of mindfulness, but some techniques can help. In a Universal Tao class I learned the Healing Sounds and the Inner Smile meditation. At first you need to pay attention for the movements and making the right sounds, but when it becomes routine you can do it without thinking and occasionally experience the cozy state of mindfulness. It can take weeks or months, but you don’t lack determination.
It may look a bit ridiculous making the movements and sounds, but for a man who shows off wearing a tight, pink, woman’s shirt that shouldn’t be an issue either.
Johan, I have tried meditation, without much luck. Here’s what happens, and this video is a good example. I made myself sit still for one minute. today I am absolutely giving myself fits and I’ve done quite a number on one of my wrists. I’ve no doubt that I could make myself go for longer, whether to practice meditation or whatever else I might like. I’m just saying that so far, there is a price to be paid for my experiments, including the (admittedly minimal) time I’ve spent trying to meditate.
I’m not saying you’re wrong. I’m just not sure how to get there yet without the cost.
Josh, after seeing how much it cost and meant for you being able to sit still for a minute I wouldn’t recommend a sitting still meditation. I like to tease, but that would’ve been really bad taste.
Healing sounds is a meditation in which you make sounds and wave/stretch your arms or even push/massage the zones on your belly corresponding to the 5 elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water).
Meditation is a state of mind, not about sitting still. You can use some forms of tai chi, there is walking meditation and I suppose you can achieve this whilst running or cycling too. Maybe even with kettlebell lifting. It has been too long since I was able to do a good workout, so am not too sure about this. If you ever experienced a trance like state when the whole world was reduced to just you and the kettlebell, no need to count, just going with the flow … congratulations.
I once met a vegan cook who said that preparing food was his way of meditating. He didn’t use a cooking book or written down recipes, he didn’t measure anything, he just did it. Delicious food, beautifully presented with even edible flowers, and he still had all his fingertips.
You know yourself best. I am trying to teach myself mindfulness meditation, but find it hard. Sitting still just causes my mind to wander all over the place. So I went back to healing sounds (active), and am now in the phase of mixing it with inner smile (passive).
My first experience of achieving this trance like state was whilst hiking, that was years before I learned to meditate and realized what it was.
Maybe you need a more active form of achieving this. I am looking forward to your article on the Zen of deadlifting.
Merry Xmas to you and your family.
Josh,
I, like many people who have no real problems, suffer from self indulgent thinking and invent things to worry about. You, on the other hand, struggle daily and still find time to give of yourself to inspire others. Today’s video is awesome.
Thank you, and Merry Christmas.
Rest assured, my friend, I still worry about plenty of other things that I shouldn’t. This is one of the few things I actually have a handle on! Thank you in any case, and Merry Christmas.
Paul, we’re rowing the same boat.
Excellent work man! Keep up the great job and Happy Holidays to you and your family. It is amazing what we take for granted.
Nice promo at the end too!
Rock on
Mike T Nelson PhD(c)
http://ExtremeHumanPerformance.com
Thanks Mike. whenever you have the podium, right? sell sell sell!
Josh,
Congratulations on all of your accomplishments this year! You truly are “the World’s Strongest Librarian.”
Please feel free to contact me if you ever want/need any help.
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, etc.
Geoff
Thanks Geoff. Great to see you here.
For some reason, I remember you writing, in response to someone’s comment, that you don’t mind people admiring you, but that you hope that they really know who they’re admiring. . .something along those lines. (Please correct me if I’m wrong
)
Anyway, your video today is yet another reason why I admire you. In a world full of people trying to cover up their weaknesses and insecurities, here you are, showing us minutes like this. Thanks for being real, and thanks for starting this blog.
~Larissa
Sounds like something I’d say:) Thank you. Sincerely. I have way too many weaknesses and insecurities to pretend that they’re not there. whenever I’ve tried to pretend things are other than they are, it usually bites me.
Merry Christmas Josh.
You too, Casey. Does H is For Hombre play any Christmas tunes?
HAHA!
We took a swing at blue Christmas at our last rehearsal, but we weren’t really built for seasons greetings. I wouldn’t rule it out.
Sharp as a razor blade
I loved this video – like the others, I was holding my breath and cheering you on. This whole TS series means so much to me; it gives me hope for my son, that he will be able to do whatever he wants and that he doesn’t have to let it hold him back. That’s how you inspire us!
In the few times that I’ve been around you, I never realized that you were working hard to suppress your tics – so you’re very skilled at hiding it. I just kept thinking that I’d better stop saying that my son has “mild Tourette’s” because he’s twitching constantly and there you were, (I thought) tic-free.
As for the Gymboss…pretty nifty. I’m using an old kitchen timer with spaghetti sauce splattered on it. Might be time to get something new.
Merry Christmas!
Wendy, when I’m with you in class, I’m usually talking, that’s why you don’t see tics. My case is extremely severe, I’m just so active that it can’t get much traction while I’m moving.
I have never been so enthralled to sit and watch a video of somebody doing absolutely nothing. I got a little teary eyed there at the end.
I wish you peace for Christmas.
Funny, huh? This is actually the first video of mine that I’ve watched. There was a terrible game show a few years ago called The Chair that had John McEnroe as the host. People had to sit in a chair and answer questions and also try to keep their heart rate down.
Then there were stunts called “heartstoppers” where ninjas would break bricks in front of the people’s faces. They had to sit there and try to control their heart rate.
Janette, my wife, said, “It’s not fun to watch people relax.”
Great stuff Josh! Merry Christmas bro!!!
Wow, Josh. This was a powerful posting. I hope you have many more moments of peace to come. I admire your courage and perseverance.
Josh,
Awesome!
Loved the video. You are amazing. A one minute gift of peace and rest.
PS – also loved the hat and the Gymboss.
Hope you guys had a great holiday.
Thanks Laura. We did.
I found your site through Adam T Glass and I must say you’re an very inspirational person! There’s lots of good information on this site I have to go through.
I also have one question to you. I’ve meet a few people with tourettes and sometimes it feels uncomfortable. Do you have any good advice how to act in such situation when someone get’s a “tick”? Should I say that I know about tourettes or just act like nothing just happend? I guess everyone’s different, but I ask it anyway.
Thanks again for a great site!
Thanks Jonas. I have no problem with people asking about it, or ignoring it. If it’s obviously making them uncomfortable and I think they WANT to ask, I usually bring it up myself. You’re right, though–everyone’s different, and every case of TS is different, so I can’t speak for all of us:)
glad you’re here!
man your awesome, thats all i can say,
Josh, I have never met you and have only started to get to know you about one month ago through blogging. I feel honored to have come across your path. You are awesome!!! I’m always inspired by the information to share! Happy New Year!
Thanks Patrenia. I’m glad I’ve had a chance to start getting to know you. Big things for us both in 2010,
ironic… I too have been asked if I could ONLY have one wish that would only be for a day? what would it be??? my answer is always the same…. NOT TO HAVE TOURETTES for one single day… I am the same…. I would settle for even a minute….
I am writing a paper about Tourettes and Mindfulness… let me know if you want to read it…
check out my page please… my BLOGS explain my Tourettes…
http://www.myspace.com/tourettes666
Eric, I’ll be following your blog. That’s serious business. Please let me know if I can ever do anything for you. If you contact me through the Contact form at the top of the page, I’ll give you an email that you can send that paper to.
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