Eleven months ago I began a journey of practicing mindfulness every day and we've reached day 339. Yesterday, I talked about overcoming the urge to conform and being independent. Today is a new day.
I've been addicted to many things: video games, TV, junk food, porn, anything you can consume. I was a glutton that couldn't be satiated and I got caught in a spiral of doing nothing productive. I'd surf the net all day, play video games, jerk it, and repeat the cycle the next day. I had a lot of dark times in college because I'd feel stressed from all of the coursework and uncertainty over my future, I felt lonely because I didn't go out much and didn't make too many friends, and I felt like shit because I although I made efforts to improve myself it felt as if nothing changed and I'd relapse and go back to square one again.
Eventually, I realized that simply adding things to your life isn't enough. If you're overweight and you start exercising, that's great, but if you don't change your eating habits and eat a bunch of pizza and donuts after your workout nothing's gonna change (aside you getting stronger). You have to take out the bullshit that's holding you back, too. Sure, I was going to the gym, educating myself, and doing things to help get my shit together, but I was still holding on to the excess luggage that was bringing me down in the first place. I still lacked true discipline.
College helped me cut out TV because I was poor and didn't want to buy a TV or pay for cable. In not watching TV for over a year now I never have the urge to watch it. Check. I used to play video games for hours on end, but now it's been regulated to a small portion of my day (like a break). Not cut out completely, but I've managed it in a healthy way now. Check. Working in Alaska during my summer breaks forced me to cut out sugary drinks like soda and I mainly drank only water. Now, I can't eat that much junk food without feeling terrible and have started to eat more fruits and vegetables regularly while cutting out super sugary foods in my regular diet. Check.
Since cutting all of these out, I have more energy, I'm a lot more positive, I'm more outgoing and mindful of how I spend my time, and I'm more confident in myself and what I can accomplish. I've made this much progress already and I know I can still make more. This has taught me that in order to gain something you must sacrifice something as well. It's the law of equivalent exchange in alchemy. A balanced lifestyle requires balancing the good and the bad.
The only thing left to cut out is porn and it has been the thing that I've had the hardest time cutting out, but in the last year have made a lot of improvements. I've been practicing NoFap and semen retention and I've noticed the above benefits as well as a stronger sense of focus, drive, and motivation. The pieces of the puzzle are starting to all come together and I can feel my vital energy being so much stronger than ever. I spend more time doing things that keep me active and get me toward my goals. I spend less time at home doing nothing. I'm always doing something and it feels great.
To me, in cutting out the bullshit I'm learning how to truly LIVE and it feels amazing.
Whatever it is you're striving for in life, what can you cut out in order to make room for what can help you make your dreams a reality?
Peace
"It's rare that you cut out something that is really good. You screen all of it, and when the audience doesn't respond, you cut out whatever is holding the story down." - Keenen Ivory WayansI've been finding myself feeling more focused in the last week. The culmination of me meditating more, being mindful of everything going on in my life, and working toward cutting out the unnecessary things feels like I've taken a huge weight off my back and I feel lighter and think so much more clearly. This year of mindfulness is almost at its conclusion, yet in just one year I feel like I've gotten much closer to achieving self-mastery.
I've been addicted to many things: video games, TV, junk food, porn, anything you can consume. I was a glutton that couldn't be satiated and I got caught in a spiral of doing nothing productive. I'd surf the net all day, play video games, jerk it, and repeat the cycle the next day. I had a lot of dark times in college because I'd feel stressed from all of the coursework and uncertainty over my future, I felt lonely because I didn't go out much and didn't make too many friends, and I felt like shit because I although I made efforts to improve myself it felt as if nothing changed and I'd relapse and go back to square one again.
Eventually, I realized that simply adding things to your life isn't enough. If you're overweight and you start exercising, that's great, but if you don't change your eating habits and eat a bunch of pizza and donuts after your workout nothing's gonna change (aside you getting stronger). You have to take out the bullshit that's holding you back, too. Sure, I was going to the gym, educating myself, and doing things to help get my shit together, but I was still holding on to the excess luggage that was bringing me down in the first place. I still lacked true discipline.
College helped me cut out TV because I was poor and didn't want to buy a TV or pay for cable. In not watching TV for over a year now I never have the urge to watch it. Check. I used to play video games for hours on end, but now it's been regulated to a small portion of my day (like a break). Not cut out completely, but I've managed it in a healthy way now. Check. Working in Alaska during my summer breaks forced me to cut out sugary drinks like soda and I mainly drank only water. Now, I can't eat that much junk food without feeling terrible and have started to eat more fruits and vegetables regularly while cutting out super sugary foods in my regular diet. Check.
Since cutting all of these out, I have more energy, I'm a lot more positive, I'm more outgoing and mindful of how I spend my time, and I'm more confident in myself and what I can accomplish. I've made this much progress already and I know I can still make more. This has taught me that in order to gain something you must sacrifice something as well. It's the law of equivalent exchange in alchemy. A balanced lifestyle requires balancing the good and the bad.
The only thing left to cut out is porn and it has been the thing that I've had the hardest time cutting out, but in the last year have made a lot of improvements. I've been practicing NoFap and semen retention and I've noticed the above benefits as well as a stronger sense of focus, drive, and motivation. The pieces of the puzzle are starting to all come together and I can feel my vital energy being so much stronger than ever. I spend more time doing things that keep me active and get me toward my goals. I spend less time at home doing nothing. I'm always doing something and it feels great.
To me, in cutting out the bullshit I'm learning how to truly LIVE and it feels amazing.
Whatever it is you're striving for in life, what can you cut out in order to make room for what can help you make your dreams a reality?
Peace
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| We don't need much to live well. The unnecessary can go in the trash. |
What are some things holding you back in life? How can you cut it out and start living?
ReplyDeleteHave a great day~