Fantastic

Hi Dear Readers!

I hope this blog post finds you and brings you joy, insight, and/or action steps for defeating the Diabolical Forces in the Universe (DFUs). Things have been going pretty well on that front, which tells me you are all upping your game on the actions steps. For my part, I have been boycotting social and mainstream media (SMSM) with nearly 100% efficacy and the results speak for themselves. I am smarter and happier than I can remember being in quite a long while, due to completely disenfranchising the DFUs from my digital life. I have been instead focusing on curated non-mainstream media (such as podcasts) and reading more audiobooks (on the Libby app).

And my analog life is fantastic too. I get outside and take the dogs for a walk pretty much daily, unless the weather is super bad (95% of the time, it does not reach that level of awfulness). My marriage counseling practice is thriving. I manage to squeeze in a 30+ minute Peloton workout most days (excepting our tropical vacation a few weeks ago and when I was sick with RSV - I still worked out during that, but man did my lungs BURN! Probably not the smartest thing to do...). I am getting very close to my fitness goals and I am almost to the point where DFU-destroying intention is optimized. The DFU's should start feeling that in the next couple weeks.

Fin.

Dues Dee

Hi Dear Readers!

It's a rare Tuesday (Dues Dee) post and I hope it finds you and brings you joy, insight, or action steps for defeating the Diabolical Forces in the Universe (DFUs). The DFUs have been annoyingly pesky lately, but please stay hopeful and engaged in intentional positivity, the only antidote the DFU negativity. It may be helpful to keep in mind that Karma can only be slowed down...never stopped, and definitely not reversed.

I normally do not post on Tuesdays because I am too busy seeing marriage and family therapy clients. But I have a rare respite from that today, due to the fact that Deborah has a procedure for which I am the designated driver. I will be seeing clients later today, but my morning is largely free from all but the aforementioned responsibilities.

You may be asking, "Why are you telling us this?" If that's the case, then I am very glad you are asking that...not because I have a good answer, but because it means you are reading this, which in turn means the AI Algo was unsuccessful in burying this post from public view. And if that's the case, then I should probably use this opportunity to remind you that social and mainstream media (SMSM) are toxic and addictive and should be avoided at all costs (for valid reasons described in prior posts on this site, which you should definitely peruse!).

I guess that's about it. Don't forget to come to my birthday party on Sunday 1/11 @ the Brix Cider House in Mt Horeb WI.

Fin.

Boycotting for Beginners

Hi Dear Readers!

I hope this blog post finds you and brings you joy, insight, and/or action steps for defeating the Diabolical Forces in the Universe (DFUs).

I'll jump right in. One of the best ways you can bring positivity into the world and find spiritual enlightenment is by boycotting big and diabolical businesses, especially on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. 

"But Joe...how do I know what businesses are big and diabolical?" It's a great question and the answer is..."don't worry about it. Simply spend, if you absolutely have to spend, at small, local, and benevolent businesses." These businesses are easy to identify and they are MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE with the big and diabolical businesses. So, if you spend your money at the small, local, and benevolent businesses ONLY, you will de facto be boycotting the big and diabolical businesses (while supporting your local community and minimizing your ecological footprint). Does that make sense?

Also, go vegan and get some exercise daily.

Fin.

Good Things Are Happening

Hi Readers.

Happy Sunday! In today's news, good things are happening. You may have noticed by now that this blog is all about the positive vibes and how to maximize them in your life for peace, happiness, and mental/physical/spiritual well-being. You also may have noticed that the external world at large is getting way more toxic, divisive, vitriolic, negative, and frankly exhausting with each passing day. This blog - and the Church of Bike With Joe - is intended to counteract that doom-y and gloomy narrative. Many people tell me they feel hopeless about the direction of the external world at large and powerless to do anything about it. I'm here to tell you that you have a lot more agency, autonomy, and control over your positivity and happiness than you think. But, that being said, it requires taking action (wishful DOING vs wishful THINKING).

Most people don't have the time or resources to take any big and impactful action on the negativity that plagues the external world. And that can make people feel hopeless, helpless, and want to passively give up. But just because you cannot control the external (outside) world does not mean you cannot control your inner world, and bring peace, happiness, and positivity to that. I have spent the past 56 (almost 57) years exploring this problem and searching for a potent evidence-based solution to it. Despite a lot of trial and error, I finally did. And, as it turns out, the solution is much simpler than anyone (even me!) anticipated. In short, the solution is three-fold:

1. Exercise aerobically for at least 30 minutes every day (ideally) or on more days of the week than not (if there are obstacles to daily aerobic exercise).

2. Follow a whole food (80%), plant-based (100%) diet.

3. Disenfranchise toxicity (including toxic people) from your life.

The nice thing about these three actionable things is that anyone can do them. Aerobic exercise is any activity that increases your heart rate, and that will be different for different people, but anyone can increase their heart rate, regardless of fitness or skill level. Eating a plant-based diet is easier than it has ever been in recorded human history (that's only a little bit hyperbolic...). Even if one cannot access whole foods, because of socioeconomic barriers, 80% of the American diet is already plant-based. All you have to do is cut the 20% of food that isn't plant-based and eat more of what is. Humans can get all the nutrients they need from a plant-based diet and many peer-reviewed scientific studies show that it's a healthier way of eating [SOURCE]. Lastly, disenfranchising toxicity involves setting boundaries and taking action to safeguard your inner world from it. The biggest and most destructive source of toxicity in today's external world is social and mainstream media (SMSM). So, you can actually cut 80% of the toxicity out of your life RIGHT NOW by quitting all SMSM [SOURCE]. The remaining 20% of toxicity in the world usually comes from harmful substances and people in your immediate environment. It's easier to eliminate harmful substances (drugs, alcohol, nicotine, toxic chemicals, guns, etc.) from your life than it is to eliminate harmful people, especially if you live with a narcissist or sociopath. You may have to settle for a little bit of toxicity leaking into your inner world if you cannot disenfranchise all these people from your life. But don't focus on the obstacles! Focus on what you can control (removing 80% of SMSM and toxic substances from your life immediately). You'll find that once you start taking care of yourself and your inner world, the toxic people will tend to wander off and leave you alone on their own. Trust me on this...I have tested it! Toxic people thrive on your passivity and acquiescence and lack of boundaries. Once you actively take control of your inner world, these people lose interest and seek out easier targets. That being said, if anyone needs some additional support on this, contact me. I'm a licensed family therapist with some pretty amazing coaching skills in this department.

Many people reading the above are going to say (for a variety of reasons), "NO WAY!" and continue on with their status quo, allowing negativity and toxicity to continue to plague their inner world. That's OK! This is not about OTHER people; it's about YOU. Do you want to take control and agency for your life? Then I encourage you to think about trying this out.

The nice thing about this three-fold solution to the problems of negativity and toxicity in the world is that it's TESTABLE. Here at Bike With Joe HQ, we are all about the SCIENCE and making decisions based on evidence. You can test this solution yourself: Follow the three Tenets above for 30 days. Assess how your inner world has improved at the end of the 30 days. Boom. That's it. If you're not convinced after testing them that these three Tenets hold the key to bringing peace, happiness, and positivity to your inner world, totally fine...go back to your status quo. However, I guarantee you will be a convert once you test it out.

Have a great day!

Fin.

Un-Psychedelic Breakfast

Hi Readers!

A joyous day to you! Because you cannot have joYOUsness without YOU. Am I right?

Let's talk about FRUIT today. I am currently in the process of eating a metric pantload of the stuff for breakfast, comprising one banana, two apples, and a large but uncertain number of grapes. Damn, this stuff is filling! And it's really low calorie too. Since fruit is a plant based whole food, it's totally allowed and encouraged to be eaten by adherents of the Church of Bike With Joe. The Cosmos rewards the eating of fruit with one of the Blessings of the Church: CLEAN BLOWS. If you are curious, you can read more about clean blows HERE (and apologies in advance!). The Blessing is usually bestowed about 24-36 hours post-consumption of said fruit (or fruit salad) and it is believed to indicate that the individual has been bestowed with Cosmic (albeit temporary) protection from Evil. 

I will be seeing a handful of marriage and family therapy clients this morning, after which I will attend the monthly Systems Theory consult group meeting that I participate in semi-regularly. On my way to the meeting, I'll stop by the office to get my business mail. It's very possible this evening will comprise going to Best Buy to acquire a couple of essentials for the coming Apocalypse, including a new TV for the bedroom and possibly a standalone freezer for the basement (to hold overflow vegan pizzas).

There was (and still is) a possibility of me attending a Bombay Bicycle Club ride tomorrow - the final one of the 2024 cycling season. But the window of opportunity on that is rapidly closing, due to weather. This is probably for the best, because there was talk of getting together with my parents for lunch at the Crisp-n-Green tomorrow, and the bike ride might cut into that. So, it may be a Peloton workout at home instead. Such is life...and a good effing life it is!

Are you a member of the Church of Bike With Joe yet? There's no obligation whatsoever. It's optional, but encouraged, if you are looking for an organic lifestyle that is guaranteed to improve mental, physical, and spiritual well being (Enlightenment). I am sure there are many other ways to find Enlightenment out there. However, I have no idea what those are, and joining the Church of Bike With Joe is one of the easiest and most certain ways to achieve said goal. The Church has three basic Tenets, and if you follow them, you'll achieve ideal wellness. The Tenets are:

1. Follow a whole food (80%) plant based (100%) way of eating.

2. Exercise aerobically for at least 30 minutes every day.

3. Abstain from and avoid mental, physical, and spiritual toxins (including social and mainstream media, toxic people, and poisons like nicotine, drugs, and alcohol).

That's it. Membership in the Church is an act of DOING those three things. There are no fees or dues. There are no Church Fathers (except maybe me, since I started the gosh darn thing). There are no places of worship, other than within your own physical, mental, and spiritual lived experience (consciousness). If you adopt and integrate these Tenets into your life, you will start to notice the mental, physical, and spiritual benefits (aka, The Awakening) in about 2-3 weeks.*

Joining does not even require 100% adherence to the Tenets - just having the INTENTION to do so is enough (although Enlightenment cannot be guaranteed if you don't follow them at least a little bit). Following the Tenets should feel like the natural and authentic thing to do (at least after 2-3 weeks of following them, if not right away). And not following them should feel uncomfortable and unbalancing and destabilizing. If neither of the aforementioned things are true for you, then the Church probably isn't for you. And that's totally OK! Don't try to pound a square peg into a round hole by pursuing something that violates your authentic narrative and values. That would be a waste of time.

You may be wondering why these three things, in particular, are the Tenets of the Church of Bike With Joe. In short, these Tenets are derived from what Science has told us are the best ways to optimize wellness. 

Some have asked, "What is the most important of the three Tenets, if...say...I can only follow one of them?" The answer is the third one - avoiding toxins (especially social and mainstream media). Eating a plant based diet and daily aerobic exercise are not feasible or possible for everyone. The Church understands this and emphasizes INTENTION more than action on the first two Tenets. The third Tenet is actionable for almost everyone, because it involves NOT doing (abstaining from) something, which is achievable for just about everyone. It's easier to not do something than it is to do something (you can test this yourself...). You know, there was actually a time in the world, not too long ago, when social media did not exist and mainstream media had to be accessed ACTIVELY (it wasn't always passively ubiquitous in your life).

Nonetheless, due to Grievance Addiction, many people still find it hard to abstain from social and mainstream media (SMSM), which was literally designed by diabolical forces (in Silicon Valley) to be more addictive than heroin or nicotine [SOURCE]. If you doubt this, I challenge you to abstain from SMSM for one week...or even one full day. You'll see what I mean. And if you have already kicked the SMSM habit, great! You are well on your way to becoming a Church of Bike With Joe adherent (should you so choose).

Fin.

*NOTE: I'm not gonna lie to you...the window of opportunity to join the Church of Bike With Joe is still very wide open, as of this posting. No urgency whatsoever. If this were about marketing some kind of religious scheme to profit off of, I'd probably lie and tell you that the window of opportunity is CLOSING SOON, SO ACT FAST! Nope. It's not. And - much like Honey Badger - I honestly don't have any strong incentive to encourage you to join the Church, other than empathy (which, one could argue, is the currency of Karma). In fact, the Church really doesn't want any members who aren't INTENTIONAL about being members. As I said earlier, following the Tenets should feel like it aligns perfectly with your values and authentic self. If that's not the case, don't join. That said, it takes 2-3 weeks of following the Tenets to feel the benefits (Blessings), so give it a sporting chance if you are on the fence. But if you know healthy vegan eating, daily aerobic exercise, and avoiding toxins like SMSM are not for you, move along...nothing to see here.

As of now, there is no urgency whatsoever to join the Church of Bike With Joe. However, the window of opportunity to join very explicitly closes on January 19, 2025, a little over two months from now. You can literally join any time right up to the deadline, and it's super easy to do. As I said earlier, just INTENTIONALLY start practicing the three Tenets of the Church described above...and you're IN! Because it takes 2-3 weeks to reap the full mental, physical, and spiritual rewards of adherence to the Tenets, I would do so no later than about New Year's Eve 2024, if you plan to join (or you just want to give it a practice run). In fact, you could make joining the Church your New Year's Resolution, if you like. Most people give up on their New Year's Resolutions about 2-3 weeks into the new year anyway. So, if it ends up not being your bag, you've sacrificed nothing.

You can, of course, also join the Church after the January 19, 2025 deadline, but the Church makes no guarantee of mental, physical, and spiritual salvation on or after January 20, 2025. We also don't make any guarantee of that on or before that date either, because get real...how could anyone guarantee any such thing? However, an inability to guarantee salvation does not mean we don't KNOW it will happen. That's what FAITH is all about...knowing something with your heart and soul without any scientific evidence whatsoever. It's important to say here that the Church of Bike With Joe LOVES Science and Science underlies the three Tenets of the Church (which is why we capitalize Science). We believe Science to be one of the best ways to understand Reality. Science is integral to the FAITH of this particular Church. So, even though believing in Science is not a formal Tenet of the Church, we really dig Science and hope you do to. Dig?