February 4, 2019

          The weather is freezing outside with the lovely arctic polar vortex descending on us all even in North Carolina. I see days like these as the contrast like black is to the white of a perfect 70 degree sun day. We appreciate the beauty best only in the context of the opposite extreme. I find that I love the sun so much more after a few days of rain. (ever present this year.)

           Everything is about perspective. The half full/empty glass analogy is real. Love the extremes for they provide you with so much more joy during the resolution phase. I think of children and longevity again here. I want my kids to outlive my wife and I by many years. The extremes of the environment are so useful to elaborate human longevity genes like sirtuins, mTOR, AMPkinase and so on. I want my kids to know that starvation, cold, heat, sadness, and other stressors are beneficial to them to live longer lives when the stress is acute and then gone.

 Go outside to feel and enjoy the cold because it will give you perspective on the warm. My dog acted as such today as we played frisbee.

 Dogs really have it figured out! I am going to continue to listen to Coco as she teaches me balance.

 

Dr. M