- Everything is connected in some way. Nothing happens isolated from everything else. It is important to look at more than one aspect to understand the whole picture.
- Everything happens for a reason. Similar to the first idea, but this is more along the lines of experience. What happens to us in our lives gives us a lesson to learn, whether it is in triumph, defeat, sorrow, or joy. It all culminates in the creation of our individual characters.
- Words are more powerful than any weapon. Once something has been said it cannot be taken back, which is one of the reasons words are so important. A lie can ruin a career and reputation and sometimes it can be irreversible. We must make sure we are careful when we choose which words to use in a given situation. You never know what might be repeated or taken in a wrong way.
- Never stop learning. From the time we are born we begin to learn. There is something that can be learned everyday from a random fact to a new life skill. Constant learning helps keep the mind sharp and who knows when that little piece of knowledge you forgot you had will come in handy.
- Learn to go with the flow. Sometimes in life we have a certain plan, and when it goes out of whack we freak out. Instead you should just adapt to the situation. The ability to adapt is what has allowed us as a species to evolve to become who we are today. Just because something does not go as expected, it does not mean it is a disaster.
- It will all turn out all right. Back when I was depressed, I did not think any good could come out of it. But in the end I am happier than ever and excited to live. When a disaster hits, focusing on the negative will not bring about anything better. In the end everything will be ok.
- Enjoy time spent alone. People seem to make a huge fuss about spending time with people and always being out. But they forget the wonderful feeling of solitude. It can be hard to think when surrounded by lots of people and being alone gives you the opportunity to do that and recharge your batteries.
- Think for yourself. If you do not feel like doing something then do not do it. A good idea is not made good by a large number of people doing it. You may have a unique perspective that others do not realize and that can give you an edge in life.
- Read books. Reading is one of my favorite hobbies and I have learned a lot from the various books I have read. You do not need a class assignment in order to pick up a good book.
- Eat breakfast. Whenever I skip breakfast, my day is not the same. Breakfast starts your day off with a boost of energy and keeps you from getting too grumpy.
- Exercise. Whether it be working out, playing a sport for fun, or just taking a walk it is important to exercise. Your body is the only one you have so it is critical that you take good care of it and that means getting a good amount of exercise every week.
- Enjoy music. Each style of music has its time and place. No genre is better than another and all can be appreciated. Aldous Huxley once said "After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music."
- Do not sit on the sidelines. Life is meant to be lived, so don't stay at home watching TV or surfing the web. Go out and experience all of the wonderful things life has to offer. Go dancing, see a show, go to a concert. The the number of activities that you can do are endless.
- Do things you think are fun. Who cares if it doesn't give you anything else. If you enjoy doing it, it is worth the time doing.
- Keep your brain in shape. Similar to exercise, this is the only mind you have. Do puzzles, learn new words, a new language, anything to stimulate your noggin.
- Don't just absorb, add. Give something to what you do, don't just take it all in. Participate in dialogues, paint, dance, sing, play. Get active in what you enjoy give back to what brings you joy.
- Don't listen to what others say about you. What really matters is what you think of yourself. You know what kind of person you are and as long as you stay true to yourself then people will realize who the real you is.
- Love is more important than anything. As long as love exists, terror and destruction will never prevail. Love is a bond that is stronger than anything else in the world and is one of the keys to happiness. Whether it is love of another person, what you do, or some idea, it is all that matters.
- Mistakes are okay. Despite what school may tell you, it is okay to make mistakes. It is the best way to learn and it teaches us something new. You should not be penalized for making a mistake, it should be rewarded because it means you are doing something.
- Be grateful for the little things. Being grateful is the best way to appreciate all the wonderful things you have in life. I try every night to think of at least five things I am thankful for and appreciate are part of my life. There are so many things that people take for granted, realize what you have and be grateful for it.
Showing posts with label Gratitude. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gratitude. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
20 Things I Have Learned At 20
Today I reached a milestone in my life: I have lived for two decades. It is my 20th birthday today and I have been blessed to have learned many things in my life from academics to living life. So I thought that I would write down 20 of the lessons that I think are extremely important.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Free My Mind
I have taken the past couple of weeks to complete Marc and Angel's 50 Questions that will Free Your Mind. They live up to the title and made me think deep and hard about my life and opinions. I highly recommend that people try this exercise for fun to try to put onto paper some of your views.
Here are my answers:
Here are my answers:
50
Questions That Will Free Your Mind
1)
How old would you be if you didn’t know
how old you are?
a)
I would be 18 years old because I am
still struggling to figure myself out, I just started at a new college and I
still know very little about the world.
2)
Which is worse, failing or never
trying?
a)
Never trying is worse. There is always
a lesson that can be learned.
3)
If life is so short, why do we do so
many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?
a)
We do so many things that we don’t want
to do because it is what society expects of us and sometimes it is the best way
to learn. Even though we might not like something, it isn’t an excuse to not do
it.
4)
When it’s all said and done, will you
have said more than you’ve done?
a)
So far in my life, I will have said
more than I have done. But recently I have been trying to do more and I plan to
continue to live this way the rest of my life.
5)
What is the one thing you’d most like
to change about the world?
a)
The thing that I would most like to
change about the world is the availability of a good education for everyone, no
matter race, gender, age, nationality, or anything.
a)
I would be rich if I could listen to
music, play/coach soccer, and help people learn about anything and everything.
7)
Are you doing what you believe in, or
are you settling for what you are doing?
a)
I am trying to do what I believe in but
sometimes I settle for the easy path.
8)
If the average human life span was 40
years, how would you live your life differently?
a)
I would try to finish school earlier so
I could have more time to travel and read which would give me better lessons
than in school.
9)
To what degree have you actually
controlled the course your life has taken?
a)
I haven’t controlled much of the course
of my life so far. I usually just let things happen and respond.
10) Are
you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?
a)
I am worried about doing the right
things, but once I start something I worry a lot about doing it right more.
11) You’re
having lunch with three people you respect and admire. They all start
criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. The
criticism is distasteful and unjustified. What do you do?
a)
I would be upset and tell them the
truth about my friend. People are entitled to their opinions but these opinions
should have truth within them.
12) If
you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?
a)
Learn as much as you can from everyone.
Everybody is a teacher in some way and has something that can help you along in
your life.
13) Would
you break the law to save a loved one?
a)
There are definitely some laws that I
would break in order to save a loved one.
14) Have
you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?
a)
Unfortunately I haven’t. From what I
have heard, this can be incredible.
15) What’s
something you know you do differently than most people?
a)
Something I know I do differently than
most people is that I try to explore all my enjoyments. I want to do everything
that makes me feel good and I see a lot of people put things on the backburner
because they aren’t “useful.”
16) How
come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?
a)
Each person is different and has a
brain that is wired uniquely. Just because I love soccer, my sister or anyone
else can not like it.
a)
One thing I haven’t done that I really want to
do is go to London and see Chelsea FC play a Premier League match at Stamford
Bridge. I am being held back by the cost of the trip and the scheduling of
school and the soccer season.
18) Are
you holding onto something you need to let go of?
a)
I am holding on to the memories of high
school that I should probably let go. It was a great time for me but it is
holding me back now that I am in college.
19) If
you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in,
where would you move and why?
a)
I would move to London because it is a
great city with lots to do and it is the home of Chelsea FC.
20)
Do you push the elevator button more
than once? Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?
a)
Sometimes I do press the elevator
button more than once. I am sure it doesn’t make the elevator faster but I do
it in case the button wasn’t originally pushed all the way.
21) Would
you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?
a)
I would rather be a joyful simpleton so
I could enjoy my life and all the wonders that surround me.
22)Why are you, you?
a)
I am me because of how I have grown up.
My parents and religion have taught me about morality, I have explored
different things to find my likes and dislikes, and the summation of all that I
have learned makes me me.
23)Have you been the
kind of friend you want as a friend?
a)
Not always. A lot of times I sit waiting
for people to text or call me with plans instead of making them myself and
inviting others.
24)Which is worse, when
a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right
near you?
a)
Losing touch with a good friend who
live right near you because friendship can withstand physical distance but not
emotional distance.
25) What
are you most grateful for?
a)
I am most grateful for all the
opportunities that I have had that have sculpted my personality into what it is
today.
26)Would you rather lose
all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?
a)
I think that I would rather never be
able to make new memories because all my memories and past experiences have
defined me as an individual and I would never want to lose that.
27) Is
it possible to know the truth without challenging it first?
a)
It is not possible to know the truth
without challenging it first because it is too easy to accept something on
blind faith and it is only through active discovery that the truth can be
uncovered.
28)
Has your greatest fear ever come true?
a)
Luckily my greatest fear has not come
true.
29)Do you remember that
time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset? Does it really matter
now?
a)
No I don’t. I honestly cannot remember
what I was extremely upset about five years ago. It feels like an eternity has
passed since then. Thus it does not matter now.
30)
What is your happiest childhood
memory? What makes it so special?
a)
My happiest childhood memory was making
my middle school soccer team in seventh grade. I was so nervous because I had
never made a team which I had to try out for and I was ecstatic when I was told
I made it.
31) At
what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?
a)
When Chelsea scored a tying goal
against PSG when I went to see them live at Yankee Stadium, I felt more alive
and passionate than ever. It was a dream come true and I sang/screamed my heart
out like never before.
32)If not now, then
when?
a)
Maybe when I have money to actually do
all the things I want to do.
33)If you haven’t
achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?
a)
Time. Time is something we all have to
lose because we cannot live forever.
34)Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and
walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?
a)
Yes, when I’ve been given advice. It is
those conversations that have helped me make some of the biggest decisions of
my life.
35) Why
do religions that support love cause so many wars?
a)
People often misinterpret ideas that
religions present and follow their ideologies to extremes where they cannot
accept another person’s view.
36)Is it possible to
know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?
a)
Yes, for example genocide is without a
doubt evil and music (in general) is without a doubt good.
37) If
you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job?
a)
I would not quit my job. The money
would help but not be able to support me for the rest of my life.
38)
Would you rather have less work to do,
or more work you actually enjoy doing?
a)
I would rather have more work that I
enjoy doing because then it does not feel like I am working and time flies.
39)Do you feel like
you’ve lived this day a hundred times before?
a)
Not quite a hundred times, but life
does get repetitious. I’ve just come to a new environment so it is still a bit
different than what I am used to.
40)
When was the last time you marched into
the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in?
a)
Today when I posted a reply to someone
on a website. I posted my belief which was different than most on the forum so
I did not know what to expect, but I have faith in my conviction.
41) If
you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit
today?
a)
I would visit my family, my girlfriend,
and my best friends.
42)Would you be willing
to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or
famous?
a)
I do not think that I could give up ten
years of my life for fame or beauty. There are better things that could happen
in those ten years that I would not want to miss out on.
a)
Being alive is simply going through day
to day without a larger picture in mind. Truly living is having experiences and
striving for a larger canvas to paint your life’s story on.
44)When is it time to
stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is
right?
a)
At the time that everyone else is doing
wrong, then it is the time to throw caution to the wind and do what you know is
right.
45) If
we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?
a)
Today’s society sees mistakes as bad.
People are afraid to be wrong and be labeled as incorrect.
46)What would you do
differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
a)
If I knew nobody would judge me, I
would give up the desire to find a job and devote my life to learning.
47) When
was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing?
a)
This past weekend as I meditated after
I had just woken up.
48)
What do you love? Have any of
your recent actions openly expressed this love?
a)
I love my family, friends, girlfriend,
and my God. I express my feelings to these people because they deserve to know.
49)In 5 years from
now, will you remember what you did
yesterday? What about the day before that? Or the day before that?
a)
Unfortunately, probably not. I would
love to have a memory of everyday of my life, but it isn’t feasible. It is best
to remember the best things that happen to make life special.
50)Decisions are being
made right now. The question is: Are you making them for yourself,
or are you letting others make them for you?
a)
I am making some decisions for myself.
I listen to people and accept their guidance, but the final decision is up to
me alone and nobody can tell me exactly what I should do.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
November 10th-I'm Back
Sorry I was not able to post last week, the storm known as Sandy had knocked out the power and cable at my house for a week, but luckily my family and I are all safe and we have everything restored. I have not set new goals for myself yet, but I am doing my best to maintain all the good habits I have created for myself. I will have the new goals posted by the end of the week and write a post sometime during the week. I want to share the importance of letting people know you are grateful to have their love and friendship. We are molded by those who surround us and to quote one of my favorite songs from the hit Broadway show Wicked, "But I know I'm who I am today because I knew you". I encourage everyone to take time out this week to let the people who always support you no matter how idiotic or crazy you may be for always being there. This week's quote is from Victor Hugo-->"No army can withstand the strength of an idea whose time has come" Until next time, here's to life!
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