Life Experiences & Observations

Sit Down, Buckle Up, Hang On, and Enjoy My Blog Ride

Tag: stress

April 29, 2014

The TRUE 2nd to Last Post – Valuing Time

0000 Valuing TimeThis time yesterday I was so delirious I couldn’t even count. I thought it was Tuesday and was my second to last post of my April blog-a-thon. Well this post is my TRUE second to last post. Now that I am easing back into my normal routine, with my Dad scheduled to be released from the hospital tomorrow, I am seeing things with a new light. This has happened to me before and when I think about it I get sad since this feeling ultimately fades away. The feeling that life is short and you need to enjoy every minute. The feeling that life’s inconveniences and frustrations in the long run don’t really matter. The understanding that the only minute that matters is the minute you are living currently. So how do I keep this understanding of life’s most precious commodity which everybody knows is time? I will come back to that. You have probably heard others state this about time and it is actually somewhat false. The most precious commodity, at least for a human being, is air. You can’t experience the passing of time without air. Essentially, air is the most precious commodity but time is the second most precious commodity.

Well I have found the answer to consistently value both time and air. That answer is meditation. I am still working on meditating more regularly but I am not there yet. Once I do get there though, I feel like I will truly value life’s two most precious commodities. If you have yet to try meditation, I encourage you to do so. There are hundreds of different resources to learn how but too many to mention here. I will default to one of the best bloggers in the world who I highly admire… Leo Babauta. Click HERE to access his meditation for beginners which details 20 tips for quieting the mind. You will be happy you did. Meditation uses the breath, also known as air, to appreciate the present moment. Two precious gifts rolled into one. Am I getting too hippie fru fru for you? If so, just skip it and go about your stressful, time draining life. As harsh as that sounds I will not judge you if choose that path. I have chosen it before myself and been stuck there. But when you feel like you have hit rock bottom and can barely breath due to the stress and anxiety; come back to this post. Better yet, go to Leo Babauta’s Zen Habits blog. I have been at rock bottom before and know this helps.

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December 24, 2013

Learning About Comfort in Solitude

When you have a family like I do (a wife, two kids, and not to mention a dog), you get used to a lot of noise in the house. I often hear people say… “boy what wouldn’t I give for some peace and quiet.” But when the peace and quiet finally sneak up on them and become a reality, they are often faced with utter discomfort. The noise has become our body and mind’s security blanket. Don’t get be wrong, human interaction and companionship are very important. In fact, society often shuns those who don’t seek it out. Even I used to like spending time in solitude. It was a mental time out from life’s many stressors. But that was over 16 years ago. Long before I had a wife and kids. But as I sit here on my own, with my wife and kids out of town, I am slowly relearning the joys of solitude. Sure, at times, the TV tries to lure me into its visual racket. But the more moments I spend by myself, the easier it is to resist life’s digital temptations. Solitude is a test of the mind’s ability to handle the emptiness of chaos free environment. It’s a forced meditation with no bell to signal the end. You choose the end based on when you decide to let the in the static. But the next time this happens to you, I urge you to try meeting the silent air half way. Resist the temptation to run to the familiar. Learn to find comfort in solitude’s blissful holiday.

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