Eleven months ago I began a journey of practicing mindfulness every day and we've reached day 351. Yesterday, I talked about conformity. Today is a new day.
With all of the social media apps we have we're constantly bombarded with notifications. Likes, comments, etc. blow up our phone and whenever we check them we get an instant rush of dopamine. It feels good when people like us and this small thing is powerful. In the past we had to go out and put in work in order to socialize and get the approval of others. Now, all some people need to do is take a simple picture of themselves, label it, and BOOM you get a bunch of responses from the people you've connected with and before you know it you get hooked on it. You crave it - you need it.
There's a great video about how social media affects us and it explains a lot of what I went through in my own life. I had the opportunity to work in Alaska for a few summers in college, where all I did was work and I hardly touched social media for 3 months. I noticed myself having more drive and motivation to do things. Not having the convenience of Facebook, Twitter, or whatever forced me to actively talk to people and work to keep relationships alive. The more work I put in the more I saw the bonds becoming stronger. To this day I still talk to some of my Alaskan brethren and it's because we created a genuine bond not made through a piece of plastic in our hands.
In a lot of ways my Alaskan journeys were a form of rehab from junk food, social media, and my video game addiction. All of these things can be great and all, but by having such a cozy life I became lazy and unmotivated (with so many wonderful things at my disposal where was the incentive in working hard? That's what my brain rationalized). However, moderation in everything is also important and is often something that we easily forget.
In practicing mindfulness, I've thought a lot about what makes me happy and what's provided me with value and the easy way - the convenient way, only comes with a temporary bliss. The things that have truly gone down as epic or amazing in my life have always been feats achieved through working hard and giving it my all. Performing at a recital after months of practicing feels amazing once it's done and the butterflies in your stomach are gone. Reaching the top of a mountain and seeing the beautiful scenery after an arduous hike is inspirational. Getting the job you wanted after going through the trials and tribulations of the hiring process is like a million high-fives all at once. There's no comparison.
Likes are nice and easy to get, but nothing beats genuine success. People love superheroes because they're amazing. Seeing them overcome adversity and succeed against the odds is fucking awesome. It's glorious and inspirational. Real life is full of challenges, and in overcoming them we're greeted with the best kind of high, and it's the kind of high that makes us want to push harder and see how high we can soar. Short-cuts may be easy and fast, but they don't allow us time to really take in and appreciate the journey. This applies to anything in life. Diet, exercise, learning, anything. In order to go for the gold you gotta sweat.
Peace
"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." - Thomas PaineI had a conversation with some students about instant gratification yesterday and it made me think about addiction. In the last few years I've been working hard to take control over my desires, habits, and general lifestyle and in the process I've noticed how taking shortcuts often makes life less satisfactory.
With all of the social media apps we have we're constantly bombarded with notifications. Likes, comments, etc. blow up our phone and whenever we check them we get an instant rush of dopamine. It feels good when people like us and this small thing is powerful. In the past we had to go out and put in work in order to socialize and get the approval of others. Now, all some people need to do is take a simple picture of themselves, label it, and BOOM you get a bunch of responses from the people you've connected with and before you know it you get hooked on it. You crave it - you need it.
There's a great video about how social media affects us and it explains a lot of what I went through in my own life. I had the opportunity to work in Alaska for a few summers in college, where all I did was work and I hardly touched social media for 3 months. I noticed myself having more drive and motivation to do things. Not having the convenience of Facebook, Twitter, or whatever forced me to actively talk to people and work to keep relationships alive. The more work I put in the more I saw the bonds becoming stronger. To this day I still talk to some of my Alaskan brethren and it's because we created a genuine bond not made through a piece of plastic in our hands.
In a lot of ways my Alaskan journeys were a form of rehab from junk food, social media, and my video game addiction. All of these things can be great and all, but by having such a cozy life I became lazy and unmotivated (with so many wonderful things at my disposal where was the incentive in working hard? That's what my brain rationalized). However, moderation in everything is also important and is often something that we easily forget.
In practicing mindfulness, I've thought a lot about what makes me happy and what's provided me with value and the easy way - the convenient way, only comes with a temporary bliss. The things that have truly gone down as epic or amazing in my life have always been feats achieved through working hard and giving it my all. Performing at a recital after months of practicing feels amazing once it's done and the butterflies in your stomach are gone. Reaching the top of a mountain and seeing the beautiful scenery after an arduous hike is inspirational. Getting the job you wanted after going through the trials and tribulations of the hiring process is like a million high-fives all at once. There's no comparison.
Likes are nice and easy to get, but nothing beats genuine success. People love superheroes because they're amazing. Seeing them overcome adversity and succeed against the odds is fucking awesome. It's glorious and inspirational. Real life is full of challenges, and in overcoming them we're greeted with the best kind of high, and it's the kind of high that makes us want to push harder and see how high we can soar. Short-cuts may be easy and fast, but they don't allow us time to really take in and appreciate the journey. This applies to anything in life. Diet, exercise, learning, anything. In order to go for the gold you gotta sweat.
What glory awaits you?
Peace
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| Embrace the struggle and not even mountains can stop you. |
What hurdles will you overcome? Where will you find glory?
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Have a great day~