Seven months ago I began a journey of practicing mindfulness every day and we've reached day 215. Yesterday, I talked about our decisions influencing where we go in life. Today is a new day.
I used to watch a lot of TV when I was younger. I used to watch a lot of cartoons, reality shows, etc. and it shaped a lot of my view of the world. In addition to watching TV I also played a lot of video games, so most of my days were spent lazing about. When I entered my university days I didn't have a TV in my dorm so I found myself with a lot of free time that I ended up spending on studying. During my summers in Alaska I didn't have a TV, internet, or video games for 3 months at a time, so outside of work I found myself with A LOT of free time.
I realized just how much of my time was being used to do things that weren't really doing anything for me. I realized how much time I was spending on indulging on consuming media and entertainment that it put into perspective the difference between coasting in life vs. working hard in order to get somewhere in life. It made me think about how much of my potential was being wasted.
From that realization I thought about how if I wanted to achieve great things I had to work for it. I wasn't entitled to anything nor could I get anywhere if I kept coasting through life. I decided to change my priorities and focus on trying to develop myself. I admit that I still spend quite a bit of time not being productive, but I've come a long way since I was a high school student that only played video games and watched anime all day in his free time.
In this time I've noticed much more mental clarity. In taking time to think critically about the world and not just escape in my devices who would've thought that it'd be easier for me to understand what's going on around me and make sense of the world? Additionally, I'm more productive at work, I have more motivation to do my best, I've become more creative, and I'm more efficient at doing things.
Our thoughts reflect our actions, so if we're never stimulated then our lives in turn become more dull and uninteresting. It seems so obvious in hindsight, but it's so easy for us to get lost in our entertainment that the desire to really engage our cognitive powers is like an afterthought. In the same way that we eventually get fat if we don't exercise and consume a lot of junk food, our mind stagnates and weakens when we don't stimulate it and mindlessly consume media all day every day. In placing more priority in self-development I've made a lot of progress and have come to appreciate and enjoy the challenge of pushing myself. So although I'm missing out on play-time, I'm benefiting from it all and most importantly, I'm having fun with it.
Keep active, stay healthy.
Peace
"Seek the lofty by reading, hearing and seeing great work at some moment every day." - Thornton WilderOne thing I really like about Japan's culture is their emphasis on self-improvement. Some of my students work full-time, go to the gym, and take various lessons to keep themselves active and from stagnating. Some do it because they love learning, some do it so they reduce their risk of mental illness when they get older. Of course not everyone in Japan is like this, but it's a mentality that gets reinforced in school and at the workplace. I love and can relate to this mentality and it's one reason why I have so many hobbies (it also gives me lots of things to do, which adds variety to my day).
I used to watch a lot of TV when I was younger. I used to watch a lot of cartoons, reality shows, etc. and it shaped a lot of my view of the world. In addition to watching TV I also played a lot of video games, so most of my days were spent lazing about. When I entered my university days I didn't have a TV in my dorm so I found myself with a lot of free time that I ended up spending on studying. During my summers in Alaska I didn't have a TV, internet, or video games for 3 months at a time, so outside of work I found myself with A LOT of free time.
I realized just how much of my time was being used to do things that weren't really doing anything for me. I realized how much time I was spending on indulging on consuming media and entertainment that it put into perspective the difference between coasting in life vs. working hard in order to get somewhere in life. It made me think about how much of my potential was being wasted.
From that realization I thought about how if I wanted to achieve great things I had to work for it. I wasn't entitled to anything nor could I get anywhere if I kept coasting through life. I decided to change my priorities and focus on trying to develop myself. I admit that I still spend quite a bit of time not being productive, but I've come a long way since I was a high school student that only played video games and watched anime all day in his free time.
In this time I've noticed much more mental clarity. In taking time to think critically about the world and not just escape in my devices who would've thought that it'd be easier for me to understand what's going on around me and make sense of the world? Additionally, I'm more productive at work, I have more motivation to do my best, I've become more creative, and I'm more efficient at doing things.
Our thoughts reflect our actions, so if we're never stimulated then our lives in turn become more dull and uninteresting. It seems so obvious in hindsight, but it's so easy for us to get lost in our entertainment that the desire to really engage our cognitive powers is like an afterthought. In the same way that we eventually get fat if we don't exercise and consume a lot of junk food, our mind stagnates and weakens when we don't stimulate it and mindlessly consume media all day every day. In placing more priority in self-development I've made a lot of progress and have come to appreciate and enjoy the challenge of pushing myself. So although I'm missing out on play-time, I'm benefiting from it all and most importantly, I'm having fun with it.
Keep active, stay healthy.
Peace
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| Stimulate the mind to breath life into it and in turn yourself. |
What do you do to stimulate your mind?
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