Shapes and Formulas (I Am Not Quite Sure)

And I know you told me that

That’s the way that life goes,

That all roads can be mapped.

 

And I know you told me that people are

absolute shapes,

All clear cut

and decipherable:

The many triangles and circles

And squares of them.

 

For a long time I dissected the shapes and I

Understood their dimensions.

I used your formulas to

Determine the area and the perimeter

And the volume of them all.

 

But I suppose my heart grew weary of

Studying shapes

And looking for the patterns within them.

 

I know that I believed you at one point:

I believed your self-assured soliloquies;

So confident and logical you were.

I believed you with my mind,

Yet, my heart remained unconvinced.

 

Today I am not quite so sure

If that is how life goes

Or if all roads can be mapped.

 

I am not quite sure if I can squeeze all people into

Those predetermined outlines

Of the shapes

Which you treasure so dearly.

 

I am not quite sure I can trust those formulas

that so many sharp minds

Such as yours

Have rendered infallible.

 

I am sure though,

That today,

My heart is smiling.

 

 

 

 

5 Reasons to be Happy Today

Each day is a possibility to re-discover the beauty that rests within life and within yourself. Although life is full of difficulties, it is also overflowing with deep and unbounded joy; joy which you can tap into no matter what your circumstance is. Here are five reasons why you should let that beautiful smile of yours shine today:

Your life is full of possibility and it could be brimming with excitement if you allowed it to be. Although sometimes our options in life are limited due to whatever circumstance we find ourselves in, no matter where you are in life, there is still a vast realm of possibility and opportunity that can be tapped into, if you are willing to venture there. Many of us prefer to dwell in our comfort zones (which is sometimes a good thing) and we fear to even ponder the untapped potential within ourselves. That is because recognizing and acting on our potential would mean A.) permitting change and new experiences to come into our life, which can be scary B.) actually taking responsibility for our life and to  living a life committed to actively fulfilling our potential and C.) This may mean letting go of people or circumstances that no longer serve us, which is also difficult. Yet, when we put aside the scary stuff, we can remember that the spirit of mankind soars when it encounters new challenges, experiences and the evolution of one’s self. We can see this clearly when we watch a young child who is shakily pedaling down the street for the first time on his new bike, yet wearing the biggest, most heartwarming smile. We can observe how absolutely exhilarated this child seems to be. This incredible feeling of exhilaration has not been lost on us, because it is intrinsic to our nature, which is drawn toward adventure and the progression of one’s self– how else do you think we evolved from simple cells into the complex mystery of human beings that we are today? Each day, work to embrace possibility and meditate on the fact that nothing in life is so binding that there is not another way, and a happier path in which you can pursue.

Life’s really not all that bad, and if you think that it is, you require a shift in perspective.  I realize you’ve probably heard this before, and when you’re in a bad mood and someone tells you that you need to shift your perspective, you probably just would like to shift the position in which you’re standing so that you can successfully karate chop this person in the face. Nonetheless, although what they are saying is true, they are not taking into account that a shift in perspective is often a long, and arduous process. Therefore, I am not suggesting that you can miraculously wake up tomorrow morning as chipper as a songbird if you are in the trenches of depression today. I am suggesting that even though we all go through painful events and emotions in our life, that pain and suffering do not have to be the undercurrent of our existence, and that perspectives are malleable: they are not fixed truths. What I mean by this is, I have met individuals who are very pessimistic about life and seem to hold as an inalterable truth that pain is what life is ultimately centered around. Although pain is a part of life, it seems to be that what keeps these individuals stuck endlessly in their pain is merely the attachment to this idea and their lack of open-mindedness at the possibility that their current perspective may not be a fundamental truth, but rather a subjectivity. I believe that if we humble ourselves to life and accept that there is always more to learn, then it is easier to not remain in the pitfalls of darkness.

Living in the Plots of Novels

And then,

I will be happy.

And then,

I will find peace.

 

I see the thick, green grass;

I am intoxicated with

The fresh air,

The smiles

That line both my mouth, and of those

That I know will love me.

 

I see in my

Mind’s eye, those that will cherish me and that will know

That true love,

That kindness

Is not something expendable; to be

Discarded as thoughtlessly as

Last month’s

Expired milk.

 

I will… then,

Be the person I’ve always waned to be.

 

But now, at moments like this:

Reality

So sobering…

Sinks in.

That it was always in my head,

That pain is inextricable from reality,

And that happiness is not some place in the future,

That it is learning to accept the darkness and the light both

Within myself,

And within the world.

 

But one mustn’t settle, shall they?

Or perhaps they should?

 

Is it not natural for men to be propelled forward by change, growth, and betterment?

Is contentment attainable with such a restless heart?

Is this the heart, that we, that all of us share?

 

“Ella vive en las tramas de novelas.”

She lives in the plots of novels.

 

Ironically,

Deeply grasping,

Yet deeply avoiding

The laws of reality,

with which she is so intimate.

A Healthy Dose of Not Giving a F#$k

Recently, I’ve been a bit down and stressed, and have been reflecting on the reasons why I feel that way. I’ve come to the conclusion that for me, and perhaps for any human to be happy in life, we must incorporate a healthy dose of not giving a f#$k into our daily outlook.

Why is it healthy to get rid of some of your giving a f#$ks? Well, I think it’s because in life, so much terrible shit could go wrong, so much amazing shit could happen, and there’s so much mundane shit in between… that we really needn’t spend our times worrying about what type of shit is going to go on tomorrow, or next week, or next year.

I realize that all of you probably know this already, but I s’pose what I’m getting at is, that you have to develop a sense of objectivity and a slight sense of carelessness if you don’t want to be affected by all of the crap that’s going on in the world or with the people around you. It’s never going to get less hectic… this is how it’s going to be, probably forever.

And would you really want to live a life of constant predictability?

I believe that if we look at the repeated history of the lives around us, we’d see that most often in life, if we had what we think we want or would make us happy, we wouldn’t be much happier anyways.

My Recipe for Human Happiness; What Makes People Happy?

What makes a human being happy?

This is the essential question whose answer seems to elude the better of us.

When I look back upon the times in my life in which I felt the most joy, I see the following elements:

A sense of community: Feeling connected to those around us provides a sense of peace and well-being. Community is something that is greatly lacking in big cities and most modern cultures. Yet, it is possible to create in your neighborhood, workplace, school or wherever, a sense of community. It is the times in which I felt I had a solid support group of people whom I could learn from, grow with, laugh with, and love… in which a strong sense of meaning and well-being was derived.

Living up to your potential: It is an awful feeling to know that there is abode of unused potential, productive energy, and passion within oneself laying dormant. A being who does not channel their inner energies, passions or creative potentials will feel deadened over time. The poet who does not write, the carpenter who does not create things with his own two hands and the musician who bottles her song within her– for them, an inner weight will sink upon them over time.

Love: Directing your affection unto another living being is perhaps one of the most rewarding experiences life has to offer. However, it is soon realized that there are many other factors to well-being and happiness than feeling love for another. You must also focus energy on loving yourself: learning, growing and cultivating yourself as a self-respecting individual is essential to maintaining balance and inner-harmony.

Inner-growth and cultivation of wisdom: The widening of one’s mind and perspective, the evolution of the self toward betterment that occurs over a lifetime: without inner-growth, there will be inner stagnation. The human spirit tends to sink when it feels that it is not flourishing in this life.

Having new experiences: You need not travel around the globe to savor a new experience. Simply walking instead of driving, cooking an exotic new dish instead of takeout, having a profound conversation with a new friend: these are experiences that make us feel alive and allow us to feel like we are growing and learning as individuals. Mankind’s spirit soars when it is free to taste the many flavors of life.

Connection with nature: It is our natural state to dwell in and admire the beauty that our world has bestowed upon us, outside of our brick walls. There is a sublime inner joy and peace that arises within those who are able to connect with nature, for nature softly whispers the truth, both of ourselves and of life, if we are willing to listen.

Dwelling in Today

What is free in this world

Is what is best:

The gentle songs of birds

Who know nothing of past or future,

The waft of fresh coffee

On a crisp, autumn day,

The rustling of the leaves above you

As God runs his fingers through the world,

The kind smile of a stranger,

The passing thought of your beloved,

The silence of nature enveloping you

And easing your spirit, lost and weary from the city’s madness.

Do not lose yourself

In the troubles of tomorrow.

Welcoming Uncomfortable Emotions

Everyday each one of us faces a myriad of feelings, thoughts and emotions that arise within the strangely miraculous entities we call our body and our mind.

I think that each one of us can admit that we much prefer experiencing the “positive” feelings, thoughts and emotions: you know, the ones that feel good. Many of us try to suppress or ignore those pesky little “negative” thoughts and feelings, but they just don’t seem to go away for long– do they? The conflicts and dissonance within our hearts cannot stay hidden for long, and to many of us this is seen as quite an unfortunate state of affairs.

Obsession With Constant “Doing” and the Guilt Associated with “Doing Nothing”

In the United States, it’s clear to be seen that it is deeply ingrained in our value system to be a hard worker. This hard work ethic has often been attributed to America’s Puritan roots.

I do not believe that there is anything wrong with maintaining a strong work ethic. In fact, I find a strong worth ethic to be a very virtuous quality to possess. Additionally, it seems as if prolonged human idleness is contrary to what is needed for our well-being, both physically and mentally. Such as said in the marvelous book, Life of Pi: “An idle mind tends to sink.”

However, what I’d like to discuss today is our obsession in this country with constant activity, or doing, as well as the discomfort and guilt that we have developed for what we perceive as idleness, laziness, or doing nothing. This idea that the act of simply doing nothing is inherently flawed is one that I find to be just as unhealthy to our well being as is prolonged physical idleness.

The Joys of Being Alone

 

Have you ever enjoyed being alone? I don’t mean being single in the relationship sense, I mean spending time alone with yourself, going for a solitary walk, reflecting, meditating.

I personally love to be alone, and many people don’t understand this. They ask me, “Why do you like to be alone? Don’t you get bored, or lonely?” And I always answer, “No, I usually don’t.”

Of course I’m not some robot, I have feelings and sometimes I get down like everyone else, but I feel like I’m most calm, relaxed and focused on what’s best for me when I spend time alone. I still love being with my boyfriend and my friends, but I believe spending time alone makes me a better person, because during these silent hours of solitude, I am able to reflect deeply upon myself, my life, and my actions.

Today, I went hiking in the forest and It was amazing. I felt like a little kid again as I lifted my feet along the mossy, fragrant ground. I felt like I could feel the forest smile back at me as my heart became lighter and my mind became clearer with each muddy footstep.

Exploring Fear and Joy

 

Hello non-existent reader world!

Hmmmm, well I hope you all are having a lovely day today on this strange, blue-ish ball that we all occupy. Well, we all woke up this morning and we are still alive, so I guess that’s something!

For me, I usually wake up and think, meeehhhh I want to remain in dream world. Often, in periods of my life that are especially boring or unpleasant, I much prefer to remain in the painless, magical world of sleep and dream– don’t you? But isn’t it weird, that everyday we wake up and we disregard constantly how utterly magical and incredible it is that we even exist?

Okay, yeah, I know this all sounds like some trippy new-age BS, but I’m serious… why is it that so many of us are unhappy and we dislike our lives? Why is it that we care so much and allow so much to ‘get to us’ on a daily basis? Such as the mundane details of our jobs, something our partner said, some superfluous object that we can’t afford, that our thighs are getting a little chunky, and the list goes on and on.

Of course I am not saying and do not believe that none of you have real problems, because we all do, and we are entitled to grieve over painful situations in our lives. Yet, I am talking about the little stuff, the stuff that really doesn’t effing matter.

I personally think if we all (including myself) reflect more on the fact that we are GOING TO DIE, and that we COULD DIE any moment, that we’d all have an easier time letting go of the “small stuff.”