how to be aware in an unaware world

Tag: meditation

Wilderness
“In wilderness is the preservation of the world.”
– Henry David Thoreau
I love this quote as it reminds me of when I was in a deeply transitory time in my life. It reminded me then as it does now to step into the wild, without hesitation, without expectation, and I will find myself there.
Reflected in nature are our growth and vitality, doubt, and decay. Mirrored there in the forests, cliffside, mountain vistas, and expansive desserts is our very existence.
We are only separated from nature when we separate ourselves, there is no natural inclination to move away from these scenes, that allure is artificial.
Also, every known invention man has conceived was found in nature, being used by other animals and insects long before we showed up. I included a few of those inspirations in the links at the bottom!
Reflection
Why do we feel at such ease in wild places? Discomfort is sure to bubble up too, but beneath that, we are oddly complete, away from the buzzing lights, sounds, smells, and the feeling of pressure.
In retrospect, I was deeply fortunate to grow up in an active, adventurous family, observing the wild while hiking, biking, skiing, climbing, camping, and road-tripping all over the world.
My parents were actively seeking discomfort before I was even born, and instilled in us wee children how important that feeling is.
I remember as a child following my mother on a pair of skis in a naughty blizzard somewhere in the Swiss Alps. At some point I lost all sight of her and fell into a massive tree well, it was pretty unclear what happened next, but I was told a ski patrol guy found my skis sticking up just barely above the snow and helped me down the mountain.
Now, was this careless parenting or just bad luck (well maybe a little of both), hell, I survived the tell-the-tale and I would have rather had a mother lose me on a mountain than lose me in the mall any day (the later happened too, of course, I was one curious child).
But the point is, I learned to be at ease in the wild. With so many other memories of camping with the fam or spending the whole day out on a long hike or out in the open ocean, I learned so much about myself, and my ability to appreciate nature.
Nature restores us. It does not judge or criticize but it does provide and support us endlessly, if only we listen to her attentively
Encouragement
I can’t encourage us enough to get out. I mean way out. Into the wild. Away from noise pollution, light pollution, and pollution pollution.
Go on a hike, go camping, go rock climbing, throw a hammock up, or just be present in the preservation of the world. Trust me, it’s worth it!
Thanks
Every time I share my blubbering stream of consciousness, I am reminded of why. For all who have and continue to read my posts, I thank you for that.
As always, feel free to leave a comment or share this post. You can also Buy Me a Coffee if you are inclined to do so. Thank you in advance!
Links
December 8, 2023
Choices
“Our greatest freedom is the freedom to choose our attitude.”
– Victor Frankl
We have as much reason to choose positivity as we do negativity, but the latter is quite illogical in my opinion.
A negative mood reinforces a negative attitude, and let’s be honest, nobody likes a negative attitude.
This is not the same as sadness, frustration, or even anger, which are healthy to express in their own right moment.
Reflection
Negativity breeds judgment and facilitates grudges. I for one would rather choose positivity, even when it seems there is little reason to.
Why? Because my attitude is everything. What I see in the mirror reflects how I treat others and the truth is I love myself.
I also hold myself to high standards, to be hopeful, kind, and positive. It begins with affirmations. Just like how we are what we eat, we are also what we tell ourselves.
How a single choice can lead to the most profound change in our lives fascinates me every day.
For example, the choice to brush our teeth (which is a wonderful habit to link to meditation) gives us fresh breath, clean teeth, and even extends our lifespan.
When we remember to meditate before or after brushing our teeth, then we can attach one great habit to another (all meditation is not the same either, if it is difficult to sit for a while, try going on a walk or use guided meditation!)
Although a choice is difficult to describe, like putting one foot in front of the other vs buying a new car, the average adult makes around 35,000 decisions daily.
That’s a hell of a lot of decisions, and when faced with too many options, our brains naturally overload, struggling to process all available information, leading first to decision fatigue and then to decision paralysis.
(Decision Fatigue refers to the idea that our ability to make good decisions becomes depleted over time).
(Decision Paralysis is where we cannot make a choice, even when all necessary information is available).
Our constant availability of technology and bombardment of notifications has only increased in the last decade, making the practice of pausing to literally catch our breath or go on a nice walk without our phones or music has become a necessity.
The simplest choice is to put our devices in another room, outside the reach before bed, and when waking up, can affect our entire night (restful sleep) and morning (undistracted mornings).
The easiest solution I’ve found is a Fitbit Watch to remind me when it’s time to settle down, wake me up with a smart alarm, and track me while I dream of an endless world full of adventure and misfits (no this is not an advertisement, for that look at the link at the bottom lol).
Encouragement
No matter what, be kind. First to yourself and then to others. Repeat affirmations in the third person like: “You have the ability to do anything you put your mind towards.” or “Your happiness is a choice.”
Whether you believe these to be true or not doesn’t matter. Kindness towards yourself is a choice that has tremendous power.
Thanks
Thank you so much for the affirmation and encouragement lately ya’ll, it pushes me to keep this train going!
Feel free to leave a comment or share this post. You can also Buy Me a Coffee if you are inclined to do so. Thank you in advance!
Links
November 15, 2023
Worry
“I skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it has been.”
– Wayne Gretzky
I found this quote in an investing and trading ebook. It was used in reference to a long-term approach in the stock market. The author’s guidance was to invest where the market will be, not where it has been.
It is also an equally great metaphor for life. The past is behind us, unable to be modified or relived, but the future is where possibility and opportunity lie.
(So I just realized this quote is much more about regret than worry, but I got carried away and reflected on worry instead, so I’ll post about regret next).
Reflection
Granted, the past provides much that can help us in the present (if we are aware of those past mistakes and learning opportunities).
Then there is the greatly significant difference between planning for the future and worrying about the future.
Worry may disguise itself as planning, but it couldn’t be any different.
Planning brings you back to the present after completion. Worrying leaves you in the future, contemplating endless possibilities.
Worry is an unfortunate side effect of the pursuit. Will it end up okay? Will I be successful? Will I be able to survive? Will they like me? And on and on.
It is actually a quite natural and albeit sometimes helpful emotion (when worried about a loved one, showing a deep connection and concern).
But I would argue that the majority of worry (like 90%) is really unhelpful and even destructive.
This is where mindfulness steps in and teaches us to step back from all kinds of thinking (worry or otherwise) and simply observe the present mind.
It takes a lot of practice (day after day for months) to truly realize the power of mindfulness throughout the day.
Meditation is not a practice with a completion, it is a transformation for a lifetime.
How does mindfulness help with worry in our ever-changing lives? I’m so glad you asked!
Worry enters the mind, say the worry about whether you will get a job or not in preparation for an interview, and you begin to spend a considerable amount of time thinking about that job.
Now, some of that worry is constructive (like the 10% when noticing the worry itself meaning you care a lot about the job and should take it seriously).
And the rest of that worry can be let go of: “Oh yeah, I’m worrying right now about this job way too much and I choose to let that worry go and move on to what I’m doing right now.”
Like I said, this sounds so easy on paper, but without devoted practice to noticing thought (worry) and letting it go, we cannot achieve this effect so easily, we will succumb to the thinking (worrying) and add a lot of unnecessary stress to our lives.
Encouragement
I encourage us to find the worries throughout the day today and simply begin to note them (in a tiny, cute notepad or on our bubbly, colorful notes app).
Literally. Jot down someplace all that worries you right now in your life, and again when you begin to worry in the future.
And when planning our complicated lives, look to the past for guidance, look to the present when we’ve got caught chasing the past or future, and look at the future for possibility and hope!
Thanks
Thank you again for worrying about me (lol just kidding, there is no need to worry about me!) But, thank you for your attention reading this post, it is a rare gift these days.
As always, feel free to leave a comment or share this post, let me know if you enjoy the posts. You can also Buy Me a Coffee if you are inclined to do so. Thank you in advance!
Links
November 9, 2023