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Mountain View News Saturday, May 31, 2025


Michele Silence, M.A. is a 37-year certified fitness 

professional who offers semi-private/virtual fitness 
classes. Contact Michele at michele@kid-fit.
com. Visit her Facebook page at: michelesfitness 
Visit her Facebook page at: michelesfitness.

UNLOCK YOUR LIFE


GRIP STRENGTH MATTERS

THOREAU'S CODE FOR LIFE: SUCCESS UNEXPECTED 
IN COMMON HOURS

Over the past few weeks, we've been exploring Henry David Thoreau's 
timeless code for living a deliberate life. Today, we conclude our 
series with cracking the Thoreau code:

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors 
to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a 
success unexpected in common hours. He will put some things behind, will pass an invisible 
boundary; new, universal, and more liberal laws will begin to establish themselves around and 
within him; or the old laws be expanded, and interpreted in his favor in a more liberal sense, 
and he will live with the license of a higher order of beings."

Crossing an Invisible Boundary

Thoreau tells us we "will pass an invisible boundary when we advance confidently and endeavor 
toward our imagined life." What is this boundary? It's everything that has held us back up until 
now—our limiting thoughts, our worries about others' opinions, our fears of failure, and perhaps 
even our fears of success.

This invisible boundary exists in our minds, forming a perimeter around what we believe is 
possible for us. But once crossed, we discover that the boundary was never real—it was merely 
a construct of our own thinking, reinforced by habit and hesitation.

Success Unexpected in Common Hours

Thoreau promises that by living deliberately, we "will meet with a success unexpected in common 
hours." I like to think of "common hours" as the peanut gallery—those cheap seats in the 
theater occupied by critics who offer unhelpful opinions.

The peanut gallery exists in two forms: external and internal. Externally, it's the well-meaning 
friends and family who may try to "protect" us from disappointment or failure. In reality, they're 
often protecting themselves from witnessing our struggle or potential pain. It allows them to 
stay comfortable in their cocoon of boredom and disappointment in their lives.

The peanut gallery exists within our own minds—those negative thought patterns and fears that 
whisper we can't, we shouldn't, we might fail. To truly endeavor, we must confront these voices, 
question them, and ultimately, talk back to them.

It's not enough to simply silence these thoughts; the universe abhors a vacuum. We must replace 
them with affirmations that support our journey. When the peanut gallery whispers "This 
might not work," respond with "I'm learning valuable lessons with every step." When it suggests 
"people will judge you," answer with "I'm creating a life that resonates with my true self."

Imagining a Life You Would Love

To experience the success Thoreau describes, you must first dare to imagine a life you would absolutely 
love. What would it look like? How would it feel? These questions only you can answer.

Envision your ideal life through four essential quadrants:

Health - Without good health, little else in life can be fully enjoyed. Imagine a life of vibrant 
well-being. What daily practices support this vision?

Relationships - What's the point of health and wealth without meaningful connections? Envision 
relationships that bring you joy and nourishment. With whom do you share your journey?

Creative Purpose - Imagine yourself engaged in work that ignites your spirit. It could be service 
to others, artistic expression, or solving critical issues of our day. What vocation allows you to 
feel fully alive?

Time and Financial Freedom - Finally, imagine having the resources—both time and money—
to enjoy it all. What does that freedom look like for you? From where you would live to the 
adventures you’d take.

Living as a Higher Order of Being

Thoreau concludes his code by suggesting we will "live with the license of a higher order of 
beings." This isn't about superiority over others—it's about meeting your highest self, the best 
version of you.

When you live deliberately, advancing confidently and endeavoring, you will evolve. The person 
who began the journey will transform into someone who embodies their highest potential—
someone who lives by different laws than those who drift through life without purpose or 
direction.

Your Continuing Journey

As we conclude this series, remember that living Thoreau's code is not a destination but a continuous 
practice. Each day offers new opportunities to:

Define success on your own terms

Advance confidently toward your dreams

Endeavor and face obstacles

Notice and cross your invisible boundaries of limitation

Ignore the peanut gallery—both external and internal

Imagine and create a life you truly love

Become the highest version of yourself, for you

Thoreau's experiment at Walden Pond lasted just over two years, but his code for living offers 
wisdom for a lifetime. May you continue to advance confidently, endeavor, and experience great 
success.

May you always live deliberately.

Lori A. Harris is an award-winning transformational coach for the extraordinary results her clients 
achieve. She hosts an annual retreat to Walden Pond, and if you’d love to join her, you can learn more 
here: waldenpondretreat.com. Lori would love to meet you!

Grip strength is exactly what it sounds like, the strength of 
your hands, wrists, and forearms to hold onto something. 
That might seem like a small thing, but it’s a big deal, especially 
as we get older. From opening jars to carrying groceries, 
climbing stairs using a railing, or holding a dog leash 
when your pup pulls a little too hard, grip strength affects 
your everyday life. Research shows that grip strength is one 
of the best indicators of overall strength and even longevity. 
Yes, people with stronger hands tend to stay stronger 
overall and live longer, healthier lives.

Grip exercises do more than just make your hands stronger. 
They help improve posture, balance, and core strength. 
Why does grip strength matters a lot for the average person 
because losing grip strength can make simple tasks frustrating. 
If you can’t carry a laundry basket without feeling 
your fingers slip, or you struggle to open bottles or zip a 
suitcase, daily life gets harder. Grip strength can make the 
difference in preventing falls or using your arms to get up 
from the ground

Many health professionals now use grip strength as a basic health check for older adults. 
It gives clues about muscle mass, risk of falls, and even heart health. And it’s not just about 
seniors. Younger adults and athletes also benefit. If your grip is weak, your other lifts—like 
pull-ups, rows, or deadlifts—will suffer because you can’t hold on long enough to train those 
muscles properly.

Squeezing a stress ball, hanging from a pull-up bar, using a hand gripper, or just carrying 
grocery bags one trip at a time can help. If you want to test your grip at home, try holding 
something heavy in each hand—like full water jugs—and see how long you can walk without 
dropping them. If you’re in a gym and see someone carrying weights around with their arms 
hanging down, this is what they are doing via the “Farmers Carry”.

Other excellent ways to work on building stronger hands, wrists, and forearms:

1. Deadlifts

Deadlifts are a powerful full-body exercise that also works your grip strength. By holding 
onto a barbell while lifting heavy weights off the floor, you challenge your hands, wrists, and 
forearms. 

2. Pull-Ups and Chin-Ups

Pull-ups and chin-ups are another fantastic way to boost your grip strength. When you hang 
from a bar, your grip is engaged while you pull yourself up. The longer you hold onto the bar 
and the more pull-ups you do, the stronger your hands and forearms become.

3. Hand Grippers

Hand grippers are compact tools specifically designed to improve grip strength. By squeezing 
them repeatedly, you target the muscles in your fingers and forearms. They’re portable, can be 
used anytime and you can adjust the resistance to make them more challenging. 

4. Wrist Curls and Reverse Wrist Curls

Wrist curls and reverse wrist curls are classic exercises for targeting forearm muscles. Sit with 
your forearms on your thighs, hold a barbell or dumbbell in your hands, and curl your wrists 
upward and downward. Reverse wrist curls work the opposite muscle group and are performed 
in a similar way, with palms facing down.

5. Rock Climbing

The constant need to grip holds and ledges strengthens your fingers, hands, and forearms. 
Climbing also engages the rest of your body, including your core and legs, making it a great 
full-body workout that will test and improve your grip.

6. Plate Pinches

Plate pinches involve holding two weight plates together between your fingers and thumb. 
Simply pinch the plates and hold them for as long as you can. This exercise isolates your grip 
and works the muscles in your hands and forearms. 

7. Using Thick Grip Attachments

Adding thick grips to dumbbells, barbells, or pull-up bars is a simple way to make your exercises 
more grip intensive. By increasing the diameter of the grip, your hands have to work 
harder to hold onto the equipment. 

8. Finger Curls

Finger curls focus specifically on strengthening the muscles in your fingers and forearms. 
Hold a barbell or dumbbell with your fingers, and curl fingers toward your palm, then return 
to the starting position. 

9. Bodyweight Exercises

Push-ups, planks, and bear crawls challenge your grip as you use your hands to support your 
body weight. As you increase your strength and endurance, your grip will also improve. 

Like everything in fitness, progress takes time. A few minutes a few times a week can lead to 
real gains. And the benefits go far beyond the gym. You’ll notice everyday tasks feel easier, 
your confidence goes up, and you may even improve your overall health. It can be your key 
in staying independent.


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