Mike Shoreman's Historic Great Lakes Crossing Will Test Human Limitation for an Incredible Cause
After crossing Lake Erie on May 31, Mike Shoreman became the first person living with a disability to paddleboard from one country to another, setting a new world record. Shoreman, who spoke with Goalcast in early summer 2022, described in detail how he battled rip currents all afternoon, and how the grueling undertaking became even more challenging when, as he put it, “vertigo hit in the second hour,” taking “the support boats and himself off course.” RELATED: Self-Efficacy: How to Never Stop Believing in YourselfBut Mike is a born fighter, and pushed through the vertigo and against both the currents and his own human limitations; 30 hours later, he planted his two feet in Fort Erie, Ontario, where “one hundred people showed up [including] the mayor” to celebrate his arrival. No small welcome for no small feat, and no surprise for someone who has accomplished many wonders and accolades throughout his life, despite the challenges put before him.Mike Shoreman: The Unbalanced PaddleboarderIn 2018, Shoreman, was diagnosed with a rare disease called Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, which resulted in the loss of his balance and mobility. A celebrated paddleboarding coach, Shoreman was told by doctors that he would never be able to paddleboard again. In an interview with Starboard, Shoreman retold hearing the news as, “the toughest thing [he’s] ever been through” -- a moment where his “identity was stripped away."Being told his “business was over and paddle boarding wasn’t a reality for [him] anymore” made him feel physically sick, but Shoreman -- an eternal optimist -- knew that where there’s a will, there's a way and set out to relearn everything he knew about not just paddleboarding, but his own physical presence in this world, and in so doing, prove that no matter the setback, you can overcome. RELATED: Chris Gardner Beyond the Pursuit of Happyness: The Work Begins"When I first got on a board again in the Spring of 2019," he recounted to us, "I lasted three minutes sitting down and it made me sick. It also gave me the confidence that I could go for three more minutes a week later... and then five. Two months later, after almost a year of physiotherapy, retraining my brain to walk again, I stood up for a few minutes.”An incredible paragon of human persistence, Shoreman went from standing up for a few minutes to setting off on a mission to paddleboard across all five Great Lakes in an effort to raise money and awareness for youth mental health charities across Canada. That was the beginning of an entirely new -- and more difficult -- challenge.Mike Shoreman and the Legacy of Challenging Canada’s Great LakesGoalcast chatted with Shoreman to learn more about his mission, which in part was inspired by Canadian legends who conquered athletic feats to raise money for charity before him. Thanks to this new challenge, Mike has been compared to both Jeff Adams, who famously went up the CN tower in his wheelchair to raise money for children with disabilities, and Vicki Keith, who, in 1988, became the first person to swim across all five Great Lakes, raising $600,000 for a similar cause.RELATED: Open-Mindedness: 5 Practical Steps To Open Your MindKeith’s achievements inspired Shoreman, who says, “she really paved the way for this to happen, she showed us what’s possible, and 34 years later, I’m setting out to do the same, but a little bit different.” Shoreman sees the duality between Keith and himself as one that could echo into future generations, “I hope this inspires others to think, ‘I can do this’ as well.'” Mike Shoreman's Secret Weapons: a Healthy Mindset and PreparationThere are a variety of potential dangers that Shoreman could face on his crossing, explaining “anything can happen, these are the Great Lakes! They're like little oceans!" Noting that, in some cases, he has to paddle through the night, Shoreman must content with exhaustion, even fatigue, and of course dehydration. "I’ve seen marathons where people have been pulled out of the water," he said, "I hope that's not the case with me.” Shoreman explained that he suffers from vertigo and dizziness as part of his neurological condition, so even when I turn my head slightly it spins like a carousel. So how can he possibly contend with 36 hours on a paddleboard?RELATED: Iceman: The Dark Secret Behind Wim Hof’s Impossible Feats of EnduranceShoreman regiments his paddle routine by standing up for 30 minutes, sitting down for 30 minutes, three sets at a time, followed by a 20 minute break. He is realistic about the dangers that lie ahead and plans well in advance to tackle them. But the physical challenges of his journey are not the only things he must overcome.He mentioned that he has consistent meetings with a mindset coach and incorporates meditation into his daily routine, all in preparation to remain as calm as possible going into the challenge. He explains how important sleep is: “It’s easy to let your mind race at night but you have to put yourself in a place where you’re excited for sleep. Sleep is incredibly important since I won’t be sleeping during the crossings.” The Lessons of Mike Shoreman and Looking Beyond the SelfOn this crossing, Shoreman will be raising money for two partners. As he explained, “I am a person with disabilities but I’m raising money for critical mental health programs and services for kids in our local communities and across Canada, so I’ve partnered with Jack.org, who are Canada’s leading mental health organization for young people. They provide critical mental health programs and services in every community, every province and territory across Canada with a focus of creating chapters of their organizations in schools.” Along with Jack.org, Shoreman is also partnering with eSSENTIAL Accessibility, which helps people with disabilities equitably access the digital world through web compliance and assistive technology. Shoreman’s journey has just begun and will continue to unfold all summer, the schedule of which you can see below, and by visiting his Jack.org donations page:Lake Erie - May 27th - May 30th - Sturgeon Point, NY to Crystal Beach, ONLake Huron - June 11th - June 18th - Harbor Beach, MI to Goderich, ONLake Michigan - June 25th - July 4th - Union Pier, MI to Chicago, ILLake Superior - July 17th - July 20th - Orienta, WI to Two Harbors, MNLake Ontario - August 10th - August 17th - Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON to Toronto, ON (Harbourfront Centre)We wish Mike all the best on his incredible journey!KEEP READING:SMART Fitness Goals Examples to Motivate You
What Is 'The Gambler’s Fallacy' and How Can It Negatively Impact Your Mind?
The Gambler’s Fallacy is a mistaken belief that “if an event occurr[s] more frequently than expected in the past then it’s less likely to occur in the future (and visa versa).” A simple example would be when someone flips a coin. If a coin lands on heads five times in a row, one may predict that the next flip would land on tails. This prediction is effectively based on feeling and not in reality. What’s occurred in the past does not determine the probability of what will occur in the future. It reminds me of playing rock paper scissors as a kid. For some reason, playing rock three times in a row never made sense to me. In my head, the goal was to mix it up and try out each option in order to maximize a variety of options, and therefore, my chance at winning. So why did I think this? Why do we feel that certain patterns and sequences will break arbitrarily? It’s a cognitive distortion within psychology that combines emotion and hope. One that extends well beyond gambling and seeps into every micro prediction in our daily lives. With all this laid out, my curiosity is if an individual can actually increase their odds by simply understanding the ‘gambler's fallacy’ and being aware of the randomness of chance. What Do Casino Games Have to Do with Gambler's Fallacy?(Photo by Free Walking Tour Salzburg on Unsplash)The ‘gambler’s fallacy' is ever present within the world of betting, and specifically, one of the most common casino games, roulette. Roulette exclusively relies on luck; there is no element of skill at play, like in poker or black jack. A ball revolves around a spinning wheel with thirty eight numbered pockets in either black or red. Players bet on what color, number, or what color-number pockets the ball will land on. Everyone has their own ‘strategy’ whether that be “always hit black first” or “never select even numbers.” Even with a ‘strategy’, whether you win or lose at roulette, the odds never change. RELATED: Open-Mindedness: 5 Practical Steps To Open Your MindOne of the most famous roulette incidents occurred at Monaco’s Monte Carlo Casino in 1913. The ball landed on black twenty-six times in a row and gamblers gathered around the table losing millions of dollars betting on red, assuming the streak of black had to come to an end.The Gambler's Fallacy and Sports BettingGambler’s fallacy’ is also rooted at the core of sports betting. Let’s look at this through the lens of ‘the fan.’ A fan unconditionally roots for their team and believes that if they’re on a losing streak, they are more likely to win their next match-up. My uncle Frank has been a massive Detroit Red Wings fan since I can remember. I always found it interesting that, even though he is a die hard fan, he sometimes refuses to watch match-ups out of a superstitious belief that, by actively watching, the Detroit Red Wings will somehow lose. This is based on a streak of losses the Red Wings encountered when he was actively watching versus a streak of wins when he was busy and unable to tune in. I’d love to think my uncle Frank’s participation or non-participation has a cosmic effect on the sport of hockey, but the reality is that this is the psychological effect of ‘gambler’s fallacy’ on individuals, disillusioning them to believe that patterns break and sequences follow stringent rule, i.e when he’s watching or not. RELATED: How To Handle Emotional Cheating In A RelationshipThis extends to ‘curses’ that loom over losing teams; most famously, in baseball, “The Curse of the Bambino.” When the Boston Red Sox sold baseball legend Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees, they didn’t win a world series for eighty four years (1920 -2004). Year after year, gamblers would bet on the Red Sox to win or hedge their losing streak. Though the ‘curse’ is based in superstition and feeling, it actually did affect the Vegas odds that Boston would receive. Unlike roulette, sports do have controlled elements and strategy that does influence the odds. Which players are sitting out? Is it home or away? Though, even with added ‘controlled’ elements, a huge amount of luck still remains at play, particularly with evenly matched opponents and a growing sports betting industry, which bolsts a seemingly endless variety of betting options. As sports betting grows in popularity, not only can gamblers bet on the outcomes of matches, they can also bet on the performance of individual players, and in certain games, like the super bowl for example, everything from the color of gatorade being poured on the coach at the end of the game to the songs that the musical guest will perform during the halftime show. RELATED: What Is Groupthink? How To Avoid This Common BiasThese betting possibilities all exist within the framework of ‘gambler's fallacy’ and further disillusion the individual. So this is where it gets a bit more meta, but stay with me, one can have ‘gambler’s fallacy’ about each respective bet, “if I didn’t hit the last one, I’ll hit the next,” which can become dangerous and lead to a gambling addiction. Gambler's Fallacy: How to Debias Yourself from Betting(Photo by Chris Liverani on Unsplash)So whether it be gamblers at Monte Carlo or uncle Frank in Canada, why do people feel like patterns will break? What is the reasoning for the ‘gambler’s fallacy’ and how do we overcome it? It comes down to the psychology of chance, which is “commonly viewed as a self-correcting process in which a deviation in one direction induces a deviation in the opposite direction to restore the equilibrium”. It is programmed within humans to presume that ‘what goes up must come down’ and that a pattern going one way will naturally shift the opposite. To really ensure that you avoid falling into this cognitive trap, it’s important to employ debiasing techniques. The first is to be aware of the ‘gambler’s fallacy.’ While betting, constantly remind yourself that each respective action is independent. I like to say a mantra “your odds never change” or “the dice has no memory” to continuously internalize the reality of the bet. It’s important to be extremely careful while betting and constantly check in with yourself. Simply reminding yourself that the ‘gambler’s fallacy’ is an element at play will allow you to clearly make better decisions that exist in fact and not in feeling.KEEP READING:Train Your Brain to Shed Distracting Habits and Concentrate Better
Kendrick Lamar’s New Song 'The Heart Part 5' Is a Heart Wrenching Tribute to the Power of Forgiveness
Kendrick Lamar is back with new single “The Heart Part 5”, the newest installation in his recurring The Heart series. The release marks the announcement of his forthcoming album ‘Mr Morale & The Big Steppers’ and his return to music since the critically acclaimed DAMN! was released in 2018. The anticipation has been high and the 34 year old Los Angeles based artist gifted his fans a 5:32 record accompanied with a powerful video. With production duo Beach Noise providing instrumentation, Kendrick raps over a chopped sample of Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You,” a song originally released in 1976 that served as a romantic tribute to Janis Hunter, Gaye’s wife. The video, both starring and directed by Lamar with longtime collaborator Dave Free, is minimal and performance based. Lamar stands afront a red screen, wearing a white shirt and blue bandana around his neck, passionately rapping along with the record. The twist is, as the lyrics progress, Lamar, using deep fake special effects, morphs into a cast of black male cultural figures such as OJ Simpson, Kanye West, Jussie Smollett, Will Smith, Kobe Bryant, and Nipsey Hussle. Lamar, known for lyrical depth and symbolism, matches the lyrics with the history of each respective celebrity that appears on screen, making a larger statement about the current climate of North American culture. With this in mind, one could assume that the intention for the record came hand in hand with the visual concept.Kendrick Lamar’s PerspectiveLamar begins with the statement, “as I get a little older, I realize life is perspective and my perspective may differ from yours.” In The Heart Part 5, this perspective extends beyond himself and onto the men who appear via deep fake, all of whom have made a cultural impact in recent history. Lamar both pays homage to leaders, such as Nipsey Hussle, and questions the integrity of egoists, such as Will Smith, all while empathizing with the pressures of celebrity. There is much to unpack in Lamar’s new record, a social commentary that could be analyzed from a variety of different angles. This article will focus specifically on verse three, when Lamar and the late Nipsey Hussle exchange moments; riffing on fate, community, forgiveness, and hope. Nipsey Hussle, a famous hip-hop artist and community activist was fatally shot in front of his own store in South Central Los Angeles in 2019. Lamar reflects on finding out Nipsey had passed, “I’m in Argentina wiping my tears, full of confusion, water in between us another peer has been executed” he pauses and further professes, “but that’s the culture, hard to deal with the pain when you’re sober, by tomorrow we forget the remains and start over.” This is an extremely vulnerable moment as Kendrick brings forth the idea of a cultural cycle within his own community, one that is desensitized to gun violence, turning to drugs to mourn loss. Nipsey Hussle: The Immortal EmpathSimilar to Lamar, Hussle grew up in South Central, and like Lamar, is known for fighting injustice and addressing socio economic issues within his music. Both artists were community leaders in their respective Los Angeles neighborhoods, donating money back to the streets they grew up on, providing young men with opportunities to break out of a poverty cycle that has negatively impacted people of color in the United States. Later In the video, after reflecting on his passing, Kendrick deep fakes as Hussle; speaking from his perspective; "To my brother, to my kids, I'm in Heaven, to my mother, to my sis, I'm in Heaven, to my father, to my wife, I am serious, this is Heaven.” Kendrick, as Hussle, is speaking directly to his family and letting them know that, not only is he in heaven, in fact, heaven does exist, professing that beyond death, there is peace. Kendrick has chosen to paint the picture of a utopian afterlife, one that juxtaposes the violence of South Central Los Angeles. Kendrick views Hussle as a man of empathy and righteousness, one that, even in his own death, would forgive his murderer, “and to the killer that sped up my demise, I forgive you, just know your soul's In question, I seen the pain In your pupil, when that trigger had squeezed, and though you did me gruesome, I was surely relieved.” Kendrick recognizes that the senseless violence, which has taken so many people he’s known, as well as Hussle, is rooted in anger, connecting to a larger issue of institutionalized racism in America, a systemic pattern that has made it difficult for people of color to afford higher education, access healthcare and seek job opportunities. Hussle forgives his killer, seeing the pain in his eyes, attempting to understand the struggle he’s gone through, blaming a system instead of an individual. Hussle’s murderer was in the same gang as him, Rollin’ 90s, and was also a rapper, although his music never caught on in the same way Hussle’s did. Some speculate that the reasoning for the killing was out of jealousy for Hussle’s success. This brings us back to the sample featured on the record, Marvin Gaye, who, similarly, faced his demise at age forty-four, when his own father shot him in 1984, echoing the situation that Hussle faced, as Gaye’s father was fueled with jealousy and resentment. Hussle goes on to say, “I completed my mission, wasn't ready to leave, but fulfilled my days, my creator was pleased,” expressing that he lived a good life, one where his “mission” was giving back to the community he grew up in, positioning his priorities as giving back to his family and community. Last ThoughtsKendrick as Hussle, ends the track with this powerful sentiment, “and to my neighborhood, let the good prevail, make sure them babies and them lead us outta jail, look for salvation when troubles get real, 'cause you can't help the world until you help yourself,'' explaining that change must come from within and begin locally. Show love to your community and to your family first, work on yourself, and the rest of the world will follow. Kendrick paints an incredible picture of Hussle, one of forgiveness and empathy, one that individuals should follow as a model for themselves.
Phubbing: How To Stop Your Mobile From Ruining Your Relationships
Next time you're on a first date .. or in an important work meeting .. or even a family gathering, count how many times you check your phone. Is it over five? Is it over ten? In today's fast-paced digital world, the standard for "being present" has shifted and our phones may feel like an extension of ourselves. Coined by an Australian advertiser in 2012, "Phubbing" or "Phone Snubbing" is the awkward habit of totally ignoring those around you in favor of scrolling on your mobile device. Widespread and commonplace, with 91.54% of people in the world owning smartphones, almost everyone can relate to this modern phenomenon.Phubbing in RelationshipsThough it may appear harmless, phubbing is a stealthily dangerous habit that can negatively affect our relationships. It can interfere with one's capacity to be present while interacting with a significant other. A 2017 study published in the Journal of Personality and Individual Differences researched a total of 121 couples and how phone usage affected their marriages. It found that phubbing had a negative influence on relationship satisfaction and increased rates of depression in partners. So why might this be the case? Lori Whatley, Atlanta based marriage and family therapist illustrates “once upon a time, couples had to contend with love interests but now must contend with their devices, which can be much more intrusive due to their portability.” Beyond portability, the addictive nature of cell phones could hurt one’s self-esteem, making a partner feel less important than their spouse's device. (Getty)Dr. Jim Seibold, a marital and family therapist suggests that this is especially difficult" [when] one spouse's love language is quality time" he explains, "they will feel rejected and abandoned when their [significant other] spends too much time on their phone," further highlighting the danger that phubbing can play in a relationship. So with all this said, now for the question at hand, what can we do to stop our mobile from ruining our relationships?Ways to Overcome PhubbingFirst and foremost, are you a phubber? If you’re the type to regularly hold multiple conversations at any given time, both in person and online, you most likely fit into this category. But let’s be real, in 2022, this is the majority. It's important to recognize that phubbing, and cell phone addiction at large, is a normal part of everyday life. With that being said, it doesn’t mean it’s not an issue. The truth is that no matter how much we try to detach ourselves from our phones, they will continue to exist as our main tool of communication. Considering this, someone who is struggling with phubbing should test out gradual “cell phone scale back” with rules and personal challenges. Let’s start small. Overcoming phubbing is a marathon not a sprint.Challenge #1: No phones at the tableDon't take your phone to the table. Try to turn off your mobile device during meals and allow yourself to have a genuine discussion with the folks you're eating with. If all three meals are too much of a commitment, start with just dinner and ease into it. You’ll notice over time that face-to-face communication will start to flow more naturally. People live busy lives and meals should be treated as a space to exist in the present.(Getty)Challenge #2: First and last hourTurn your phone off during the first and last hour of each day. The goal here is to begin and end the day with focus instead of distraction. As to-do lists pile up and new messages appear, checking your phone first thing in the morning can often create more stress than calm. Meditating, exercising, journaling, or making breakfast are activities that can simply replace scrolling as a healthy first hour of the day. In the evening, you can mimic these actions, as well as reading, drinking tea and taking a bath. It’s important to avoid cell phone use before bed due to the fact that blue light emitted from your screen can trick your brain into thinking that it’s daylight. This can halt melatonin production, the hormone necessary for a healthy sleep cycle, thus making it more difficult to fall asleep. Remember, it’s just sixty minutes twice a day and a great way to introduce gradual “cellphone scale back.”Challenge #3: Try one of these appsIronically, there are a variety of apps that help with distraction and decrease the urge to phub. A popular application that can be found on both the app store and android market is Offtime. It temporarily blocks distracting apps and tracks data on how much you use them. These analytics are a great way to evaluate your weaknesses and speak directly to your needs. How many hours a day are you using your phone? What are your peak times? With that information, you can then set goals to gradually scale back cell phone usage and stop phubbing. If Offtime isn’t doing the job, a more intense app called Flipd is available. Flipd has the ability to block your phone usage for a set period of time, even if you restart it. A fun challenge for everyone reading this is to try Flipd for three hours this week. These apps are not the be all / end all and should be purely seen as kickstarters to address greater phubbing issues. Yes, they may be helpful but true change must come from repeated and daily practice.Reward Yourself(Getty)Considering the above, keep track of the number of times you go without your phone and once you've achieved a goal, reward yourself before setting a new one. Make it a fun game for yourself to break the habit.In closing, phubbing is a societal norm that needs to be addressed. It’s okay to phub sometimes, just be mindful of how it affects the people in your life and always ask yourself “how can I spend less time on my phone and more time being engaged in the present moment?” It starts with setting small incremental goals and practicing gradual “cell phone scale back” daily. Be easy, make it fun for yourself, and stay off your phone!