Yesterday, we talked about living in the present. Today is a new day.
We are hardwired to escape our troubles. It comes down to instinct when we had to be cautious of other predators. It's why wild animals run away when we want to get closer to them. Now, people escape via video games, movies, eating, etc. This especially happens when we feel alone, depressed, or unsure of what to do with ourselves. Some people call this boredom, but even though there's so much we could be doing, we choose not to and so 'boredom' in my mind is another way to say 'stuck'. We distract ourselves so much that we prevent ourselves from focusing on what's important.
We've also become so much busier in our daily lives. Whether it's making time to socialize, studying, going to work, or working on some project, we hardly take the time to just sit down and relax. There's always something to do.
In other words, we've become so busy and distracted that we no longer take time to cool down and really reflect on life.
I had fits of depression during my early college years (it can get pretty stressful) and I remember spending hours playing video games bingeing anime, and doing nothing productive because I couldn't feel anything. I was stuck in a loop and instead of working to break through it I ran away by distracting myself. As I was approaching graduation it hit me that I had to get my shit together because I still wanted to make an impact on the world. I wanted to pay my parents back for all of the privileges and opportunities they gave me. It was my pride and guilt that slapped me in the face and told me to kick things into high-gear.
At the same time, it was also what caused my depression. I was always worried about whether I could accomplish my dreams, if I was doing a good job, if my parents were happy with the way I turned out. I was always thinking and my mind was constantly on the clock. I eventually realized that I didn't give myself time to really relax. I may have spent time doing things, but I never let my mind stop and take a break.
It was hard at first, but as I kept reminding myself of what I wanted to accomplish, it became easier and easier to calm down and break away from the distractions. I started to meditate to still my mind. In doing so I learned to work on and overcome my insecurities. I faced my flaws and worked on them instead of escaping through a screen. I started going to the gym more and became serious about improving myself. What was once a labyrinth of unsorted thoughts slowly became an organized library.
I still have a lot to learn, but it's important to take breaks. Sometimes we need to stop what we're doing, reflect on things for a few moments, and then see how we can learn from those breaks in the traffic. Go lay down and just look at the clouds or go stargazing. The best inspiration often comes from not thinking about anything.
Peace
"The epitome of the human realm is to be stuck in a huge traffic jam of discursive thought." - Chogyam TrungpaThe world is full of so many distractions. This is particularly true with mobile devices. Whether it's youtube, facebook, reddit, or the millions of other mobile apps that we use, there's always something out there to occupy our time. Always something to consume and it's why some people are glued to their phones. We've become so connected to our devices that I've heard stories of people having to take their phones to repair shops and literally not knowing what to do with their life during the few hours they had to wait.
We are hardwired to escape our troubles. It comes down to instinct when we had to be cautious of other predators. It's why wild animals run away when we want to get closer to them. Now, people escape via video games, movies, eating, etc. This especially happens when we feel alone, depressed, or unsure of what to do with ourselves. Some people call this boredom, but even though there's so much we could be doing, we choose not to and so 'boredom' in my mind is another way to say 'stuck'. We distract ourselves so much that we prevent ourselves from focusing on what's important.
We've also become so much busier in our daily lives. Whether it's making time to socialize, studying, going to work, or working on some project, we hardly take the time to just sit down and relax. There's always something to do.
In other words, we've become so busy and distracted that we no longer take time to cool down and really reflect on life.
I had fits of depression during my early college years (it can get pretty stressful) and I remember spending hours playing video games bingeing anime, and doing nothing productive because I couldn't feel anything. I was stuck in a loop and instead of working to break through it I ran away by distracting myself. As I was approaching graduation it hit me that I had to get my shit together because I still wanted to make an impact on the world. I wanted to pay my parents back for all of the privileges and opportunities they gave me. It was my pride and guilt that slapped me in the face and told me to kick things into high-gear.
At the same time, it was also what caused my depression. I was always worried about whether I could accomplish my dreams, if I was doing a good job, if my parents were happy with the way I turned out. I was always thinking and my mind was constantly on the clock. I eventually realized that I didn't give myself time to really relax. I may have spent time doing things, but I never let my mind stop and take a break.
It was hard at first, but as I kept reminding myself of what I wanted to accomplish, it became easier and easier to calm down and break away from the distractions. I started to meditate to still my mind. In doing so I learned to work on and overcome my insecurities. I faced my flaws and worked on them instead of escaping through a screen. I started going to the gym more and became serious about improving myself. What was once a labyrinth of unsorted thoughts slowly became an organized library.
I still have a lot to learn, but it's important to take breaks. Sometimes we need to stop what we're doing, reflect on things for a few moments, and then see how we can learn from those breaks in the traffic. Go lay down and just look at the clouds or go stargazing. The best inspiration often comes from not thinking about anything.
Peace
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| To the still mind, the universe surrenders itself |
Today's assignment: Focus on the breaks in the traffic. Let your mind be still.
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