The key to deep thinking is lack of sleep

I'm still in Nor Cal and don't want to leave (my flight is booked for Sunday)!

Today I woke up at 5 am and, no, I have not gone back to sleep. For me, this is nothing short of miraculous - I love to sleep late. But there's something enticing about the early morning when the sun is still making its way into the sky. Everything is so peaceful because the neighborhood is still sound asleep but I know everyone will be waking up soon to partake in whatever life has to throw at them for the day.



(what the world looks like at 5:00 am)

So during my extra time today, I have been reflecting on life and all the challenges I have been facing over the past 2 months or so. I think I have gotten lost in all the confusion and excitement that this summer holds; and in doing so, I have forgotten the importance of living in the present and seeking happiness in every moment.

This isn't to say that I am unhappy. I have been incredibly happy of late. But that happiness, I fear, may be fleeting. I have spent the last hour looking at articles by happiness gurus (such as Thich Naht Hahn, the Dalai Lama, and Eckhart Tolle). After reading, and much meditation, I have come to realize that I am planing to make my future a happy one and focusing less on the present. I also see now that I am looking for my own personal nirvana, rather than accepting I already have all the happiness I need in this moment - I just need to tap into it.

I have some changes to make in my mental state over the next couple of days. But for now, I think I may have to nap...

Tetris is the first step towards enlightenment

Oh my goodness. It is almost 3:00pm and I have yet to leave the house today. What have I been doing!? I'm still sitting around in my sweatpants and baggy shirt. I suppose I shouldn't feel too bad, I hardly ever let myself have a day where I do nothing - but I'm not being productive in the slightest! Youtube is far too time consuming.

And do you know what really makes me feel like I've wasted the day away? When I've spent a straight hour and a half playing Tetris.

So I'm on this new mission to find inner-peace and happiness through meditation, exercise, drinking a lot of water, yoga, and positive thinking. Well, this isn't really new. Its something I'm revisiting for the fiftieth time. Every few months I get really into meditation and start practicing my yoga more often. Soon after I start attempting to find nirvana I start loosing sight of what I want and fall back into the stressful buzz of everyday life.

So what is inspiring this latest bout of self-healing? I think it has to do with a number of things. Mainly it is due to the realization that there are some specific people in my life who are no good for me and I need to let them go. This realization has also been paired with an old friend reappearing in my life and opening my eyes to the wonderful people there are in the world and the amazing experiences that can be had with such individuals.

It is sad when someone who is your "friend" is the source a large amount of suffering in your life. It is even more sad when you realize you need to separate yourself from them if either one of you is going to have a shot at happiness.

So I recently went to the library and checked out some books on meditation and living a peaceful life. Needless to say, most of these books are written by Buddhist monks. I've only gotten trough a few pages of this little pocket book simply entitled "Meditation", but its already proving to be very helpful. I feel more at peace and aware of myself and my surroundings.

But now I really must get out of the house.

Enligtenment is just a couple reincarnations away

I remain unconvinced that the Dalai Lama is just a person like me. Contrary to what he said in his talks that I listened to today, I think that when someone reaches enlightenment, they cease to be different from the normal human being. Being able to feel only compassion for people who want to kill you seems a little God-like to me.

Regardless of whether the Dalai Lama is human or not, I do think everyone could learn a lot from his teachings. I’ve been a fan of his philosophies for years and hearing him speak this morning was a treat. If only everyone were willing to put aside their trivial differences, open their hearts to their fellow human beings, and feel compassion for others, the world would most definitely be a better place…is an overnight spiritual revolution too much to ask of humanity?

I must say, I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that thousands of students here were interested in hearing him speak. Perhaps there is more common sense and decency here than meets the eye.

After his speeches were done, I sat in meditation for a few minutes in an attempt to sort out some of my own emotional issues and hopefully get a little bit closer to nirvana. Needless to say I remain unenlightened, but I think I’m making some progress.