how to be aware in an unaware world

Tag: earth

Earth
It may not be “Earth Day” but to me, every day is a day to celebrate the Earth.
I found these powerful words etched on a plank of wood at the entrance to a hike in Roxborough State Park right outside Denver proper.
Take care of the land. Someday you’ll be a part of it.
I needn’t write it down as the message resonated enough to remember till this day. It is a simple message: treat mother nature as you would your own mother.
And just like the billions of mothers around the globe, mother nature gives and gives and gives without asking for anything in return.
And yes, we should give a damn about this world simply because we are a part of it. When we mistreat or more accurately turn a blind eye to the Earth and we mistreat ourselves.
This is a posture of waste vs frugality. Developed countries have taken so much waste and undeveloped countries are subjected to a life of frugality.
Use what you have, finish the food on your plate, fix the thing that is broken, and shop at the local thrift store; this is how I grew up.
As we began to tread the trail, we noticed signs of all kinds of plants along the way, a subtle nod to the diversity of the area.
This diversity reminded me of the difference in all life; from humans to bacteria to types of cells in our bodies to parts of our brains.
All life is connected, made of the same matter, and all working in sync, except for us. Well, most of the time at least.
If we are the only creatures on this planet to question our own existence, then we will question our purpose, but on a very basic level, we all have a fundamental purpose: to serve each other, the environment, and take care of ourselves.
On a very basic level, our animated flesh and bones are made of mostly carbon, the building block of all life. As with all things on Earth, from dust we came and to dust we shall return.
This stresses the importance of synchronicity with Mother Earth, its rise and fall to the sun, its reaction to the changing of seasons, its slow, steady hum that connects every living thing.
And the only way to observe, learn, and absorb this synchronicity is to immerse ourselves in nature: camping under a canopy of trees, bathing in the sounds of nature, swimming in the ocean, diving deep under the waves, stargazing in the desert, barefoot on the sand.
Take a moment today and tonight to appreciate nature and all the life it provides, jot down a few words about this powerful force.
Three More Things:
February 27, 2026
Today
“Let others praise ancient times; I am glad I was born in these.”
– Ovid
I love this quote because although there are plenty of reasons to wish we lived in other times, there is so much to be thankful for in today’s day and age:
- We have lower rates of large-scale wars, especially WW1 and 2.
- There are numerous technology and convenience advancements
- Medical advancements have increased life expectancy
- We have the ability to travel practically anywhere in the world
- There is universal education and access to open knowledge
- We have sustainable technologies like renewable energy
- Conservation efforts are in place to preserve ecosystems
- Human rights have made huge strides toward inclusivity
- Unparalleled access to entertainment and creativity through the internet
- Better than ever work-life balances and opportunities
One of the wildest realities today is that physical work has been reduced due to automation and thanks to machines. This means there is more time for intellectual and creative pursuits.
I am truly glad to have been born in 1994 and grown up through the rise of the internet, increased stability, and global prosperity.
The awareness of this moment includes the massive amount of convenience we have to be thankful for: cars, trains, planes, phones, TVs, and endless travel.
The world is a big, beautiful place and it is a gift to travel to such diverse lands.
There was a time, not that long ago at all, that it was extremely uncommon to leave your state, let alone your country; and now we can affordably fly just about anywhere in the world.
If you were to tell a farmer in the early 19th century this, they would look at you in disbelief and probably call you crazy.
You can travel continents in hours where as ancient journeys would have taken months.
Today, we can make and reach out to friends worldwide, share thoughts instantly, and access a network of support in hard times; how crazy is that!
Stopping to think about just medical advancements alone is insane:
- We have eradicated diseases like smallpox.
- We have treatments for HIV and some cancers
- We have drastically improved vaccines
- We have raised the global life expectancy by 40 years in the past 100 years
The world is at relative peace, minus some war-torn areas like Ukraine, and El Salvador, and some dictatorships like Russia and North Korea.
There are still enough resources for everyone, and the standard of living has increased globally.
To recognize the significance of today means living presently in the fact that we are so blessed with this age.
This does not, however, diminish some of the harsh realities of today, nor does it excuse what must be fought for: like social equality, fundamental human rights, or environmental protection.
We live in an incredible age, but we must take care of it, improve it, and cherish it.
I encourage you to write down three things you personally are thankful for in today’s age.
January 22, 2025
Happiness
As mentioned last post, I am kicking off a new post series on the most common human emotions: Happiness, Sadness, Anger, Fear, Surprise, Disgust, Love, Jealousy, Anxiety, and Excitement. I hope I can bring some insight and breakdown of probably the most sought-after quality in this life: Happiness.
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
– Mahatma Gandhi
This description by Gandhi is one of many ways to think of happiness because in reality, happiness may have universal qualities we yearn for, but it is highly personal too. How about this take from Emerson:
“For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Or this one from the great Roman Emperor:
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”
– Marcus Aurelius
Happiness is a quality to look for not only in yourself, and that which makes you happy, but in those close to you.
Very Well Mind defines happiness as such:
Typically, happiness is an emotional state characterized by feelings of joy, satisfaction, contentment, and fulfillment. While happiness has many different definitions, it is often described as involving positive emotions and life satisfaction.
The way I like to define happiness in my own experience here on this short yet exciting ride called life is less characterized by a set of things achieved or obtained, but rather a feeling developed through suffering:
Happiness is the short yet sweet realization that the breath flowing in and out of your lungs is a gift of divine intervention.
Without the (literally perfect) conditions of this planet, we wouldn’t have a “breath” to breathe, balanced at about 71% Nitrogen and 21% Oxygen, we live on a miracle spinning at roughly 1,000 mph and tilted at exactly 23.45 degrees on its axis.
It’s absolutely incredible we are walking, talking, and doing anything really on this rare rock.
All that was mentioned to strengthen the notion that we are experiencing a time and place in this universe at just the right moment. We are walking, talking, and breathing miracles.
That realization, if nothing else comes of this life, is enough to be happy.
Happiness is a choice. It blows my mind when I find that some of the happiest people on earth live with the least amount of luxuries, proving that all the niceties of life actually get in the way of a nice life.
This doesn’t mean that creating a happy life is easy by any means, there are days in fact when it seems impossible, but that’s where mindfulness comes in.
Being mindful of the smallest joys, the tiniest gains, and the crumbs of hope can release dopamine and serotonin in impactful ways. These two chemicals work together in miraculous ways to regulate our emotions and responses to different situations, contributing to our overall sense of happiness and well-being.
Well then, what can I do to be happy you may ask?
There is no straight answer and no right path to happiness because it’s highly personal. To me, happiness is people. Meeting new people, spending quality time with quality people, and flying halfway across the world to see people.
But for a good friend of mine, it’s a sport, he absolutely loves teamwork and sportsmanship and getting involved in all kinds of games, and though he also loves people, it’s striving for a win, for success that makes him happy.
Although there is no single recipe for happiness, just as there is no recipe for depression, there underlies a way to increase what does make us happy, and it’s oh so simple!
Yes, you guessed correctly, it’s mindfulness!
It starts with practicing awareness and committing to at least 10-20 minutes a day to center the mind and body, asking how you feel constantly.
Then with the foundation of awareness, we can identify and jot down those things that bring a true sense of happiness and just do more of those things.
Oh, and you can chuck out all those self-help happiness guides because what provides a sense of happiness, contentment, and life satisfaction is right in front of us.
It’s all around us, it’s the small, seemingly insignificant moments when someone is kind to us or gifts a smile, it’s the compliment of our clothing or the touch of a friend. Happiness is here and now.
June 28, 2024