A Friendly Nudge - Building Agency
...because we all could use a little encouragement!
Why is it that some people are constrained by limitations and others seem to be driven or motivated by them? I’m not an expert on this by any means but over the past several years I’ve been struck by how differently people navigate obstacles and hardships.
Four years ago, my daughter posted a video of me standing up from a cross legged seat on the floor without using my hands and the response to that video caught me completely off guard. Hundreds of thousands of people saw the video but it was the responses that I got from people that left a lasting impression on me. They talked about their fear of falling and worried that they wouldn’t be able to get up by themselves. Many of them shared how devastating it was to feel like they were losing their mobility and independence.
While some of them seemed resigned to that loss others talked about their determination to slow or even reclaim some of their strength, mobility and independence. Accepting reality is a healthy response but how we interact with that reality can be huge.
It’s easy to feel like age is something that happens to you, since there’s no denying that it changes how things feel. I think the problem comes if we feel powerless to influence or mitigate some of those changes. Psychologists reference two different approaches to dealing with change: one is a fixed mindset, the other is an adaptive mindset. If your default perspective is that you’re basically powerless and your plight is just to suffer the consequences that befall you, that’s a fixed viewpoint. Someone with a more adaptive approach may start off with genuine disappointment or frustration with their current situation but instead of feeling defeated, they use the gap between where they are and where they want to be as fuel and motivation to effect change. They often remind themselves that they’ve done difficult things before.
One of the reasons that I’m so unabashedly pro exercise goes far beyond the physical changes that it provides. If we’ll give it a chance and are willing to do the work, exercise gives us tangible proof that we can change our circumstances. And while muscles and strength are powerful resources to build, they might pale in comparison to the transformational potential that agency can play in our lives. It serves as a constant reminder that not only can we do difficult things but that we’re actually good at it and that it can be sweetly satisfying.
So do something challenging this week, savor how it feels and know that you’re not only building physical strength but you’re also working on your agency muscles.
And speaking of savoring, this is a recipe that I posted back in 2024 but it’s still one of my favorite pancake recipes and is worthy of revisiting. The pancakes have almost a crepe-like texture and the cardamon cinnamon apples would make just about anything taste delicious.
Sour Cream or Yogurt Pancakes & Cardamom Cinnamon Apples
Ingredients:
Pancakes
1 cup all purpose or gluten free flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp sea salt
2 cups sour cream or yogurt
4 large eggs
½ tsp vanilla extract
Butter for cooking
Cardamon Apples
2-3 tbsp butter
3-4 apples- peeled cored and cut into bite size pieces
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp molasses
In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add the yogurt or sour cream and stir to combine
Add the vanilla extract to the eggs and mix well and then add this mixture to the large bowl with and stir well to combine. Sit this aside while you prep the apples.
Peel and core the apples and cut into bite sized pieces.
Add butter to a heated skillet and then add the apples, cardamom, cinnamon, maple syrup and molasses. Reduce the heat and let this simmer while you make the pancakes.
In a skillet, or on a griddle, pour enough pancake batter to make the size pancakes that you’re comfortable flipping. The larger the pancakes the tougher it is to flip them without making a mess.
You’re looking for bubbles as the pancakes cook and you’re looking for the edge of the pancakes to appear set. There’s a little trial and error involved but you’ll quickly get the hang of it.
You can put a baking sheet in a 150-200℉ oven and use that to keep the pancakes warm while you cook the rest of them.
These pancakes have almost a crepe-like texture, but these combined with the cardamom, cinnamon apples and a little maple syrup are delicious.
We paired these with fried eggs and a pork tenderloin breakfast skillet.
Enjoy!
Now let’s give you some exercise options to build strength, mobility, balance and let’s not forget agency.
It’s important that we understand the difference between challenging and biting off more than we can chew. This is a distinction that I have to remind myself of from time to time. If your form starts to break down or your rep speed is grinding to a halt, that’s a signal that the set is over. Also, skip any of the exercises that you don’t feel ready for yet. What feels doable changes as you get stronger.