I blogged recently about spreading positivity into the world by acknowledging the people around us. This is something we can do even while grumpy; however, if we really want to light up a room we've got to have our lanterns burning bright. I believe one day science will confirm that on some level everything is waves and vibration. Even we ourselves are a little tiny wiggles in the fabric of the universe. On a micro-level we pulsate differently day to day and moment to moment. Have you even been in a bar when a fight breaks out? You probably felt something going down moments before you saw a fist thrown. Have you ever been in an emergency where someone succumbed to panic and then it spread like wildfire? Have you ever known someone so charismatic that they immediately warm an environment like a fireplace? These are all dominant vibrations that can change the tune of everything around them. I've spent a lot of time thinking about how I can keep mine as buoyant as possible. Here is what I've come up with. I am by no means a master of any, but I'm trying. If you have other suggestions, I'd love to see them in the comments. Exercise & Play I like to do something physical everyday. Merging elements of play into my workouts keeps my childlike nature alive, which I hope to maintain till the grave. There is more than one way to bake a cake but I sort my workouts into three categories: 1. Weights: Lifting iron keeps your muscles strong and bones dense. It cajoles your body into producing testosterone. A strong body is less likely to be injured. I recommend lifts that engage several muscles like squats (ass to grass), clean&jerks, and bench press. Pull-ups, rope-climbs, or something of this variety is also important for an adventurous lifestyle. Ease into it and make sure your technique is proper. 2. Stamina: A stiff hike, run, bike ride, or swim. 3. Dynamic: Activities that blend reaction time, coordination, technique, and balance. Most sports do the trick. Don't Expect Purchases to Make you Happy You see this leaping 2001 Subaru Forester? I bought it 7 years ago for 4,000$ cash. It's seen more adventure than 95% of the SUVs in Los Angeles at a fraction of the cost. I didn't buy it to make myself happy. I bought it as a tool to create experiences that would make me happy (like backcountry camping with friends). Although the passenger side mirror is now taped on and it's scraped up good, it still serves its purpose. Every now and then I catch myself ogling at the newest vehicles on the market, but then I'll remind myself to only buy one when I need it. The mindless craving to buy stuff we really don't need is the persuasive pull of marketing. Arthur Jeon correctly points out, "We are swimming in commercialism.... it saps our freedom and increases our sense of an isolated identity. Our sense of self becomes, without our permission, defined by our possessions; we judge and parse each other in this paradigm, and in doing so we travel farther from the recognition of our connection to each other." Manage all Expectations Denmark regularly tops the list of happiest citizens. One key reason: Low expectations. How many times have I sabotaged a travel destination by imagining the ideal version of the place before I arrive. I picture myself walking with a lover in Hawaii... sunny and warm with the soft sound of ukulele floating on a tropical breeze, but then get crushed by blasting wind and pelting rain. Recently I've adopted some stoic philosophy into my mindset. Seneca and Marcus Aurelius mastered the comprehension of "It is what it is." That's not to say we don't try to right wrongs and challenge injustice, but rather we understand when something is completely out of our control (e.g., rain in Hawaii). Instead of brooding or bitching you work within the undeniable reality. We can apply this principle to people as well. Again, I try to be courageous and assertive in the face of bad behavior, but consider if it's malleable. Some people will always be late, always worry, always be messy, etc. You can avoid them, but you can't change them. Getting angry about it is as logical as cursing at the rain in Hawaii. Consider all the rage on the highways in Los Angeles. Is this not partially because we expect to cruise straight to our destination? There will always be that slow guy in the left lane, that dude who cuts in front of you, the hesitant driver, and the person who blasts their horn in anger. It's much more bankable that the rain in Hawaii. It's a force of nature. Let it rage around you like a typhoon, but don't let it snatch your inner peace. We must respect the inherent danger of a storm, but pointing your finger at the clouds and screaming obscenities is the behavior of a lunatic. Meditation & Meditative Practices Meditation is a "spiritual" practice that now has the full blessing of legit science behind it. I remember the first time I managed to be totally present. The sensation was like a mind altering drug. Suddenly I was just consciousness in a room, fully aware of everything which was presently around me. It was akin to the refrigerator stopping to reveal an unperceived layer of silence. That humming is our thoughts which ceaselessly carry our awareness from one moment to the next. Set your timer and try thinking of nothing for five minutes. You will quickly realize how the kingdom of your mind is in complete mutiny. The principles of meditation are easy to describe, but if you'd like and intro book I suggest Waking Up and Wherever You Go There You Are. A practice such as Yoga is not only great for flexibility and strength but often entwined with mindfulness, so you benefit both in the body and brain. Get Outside Nothing resets me like a night in the forest, mountains, or desert. All my big city concerns diminish and the lens opens wide on my perspective of life. I'm now committed to camping once a month and doing weekly hikes. Cultivate Strong Friendships
Social media does not meet our ancestral need to have a tribe. Cultivate yours wisely. I like invest in people who are honest, fun-loving, compassionate, and introspective. The best way to find the right friends is to be genuine. When you broadcast on your true channel your people will tune in. When you've found your tribe you must invest time and energy into bringing that group together and sharing experiences that will bond you. Consider selecting a place where you will live not for the salary, views, or prestige; but rather as a spot where friends will gravitate. Give your friends your loyalty and trust. Listen to them when they speak. Help them when they are in need. Counsel them when they are in error or uncertainty.
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I came over to a buddy’s apartment one day and noticed a huge paper grocery bag full of designer socks. It was literally stacked to the rim with thin pairs still in their labeled plastic wraps.
“What’s this?” I asked. “You steal these from set?” My buddy was an actor and occasionally actors can get grabby at the end of a shoot, though this would have been a very audacious acquisition. “Take as many as you want,” he offered, with a generous sweep of the hand, and then went on to tell me the story of the socks. A story in which I found an interesting life lesson. Perhaps you will too. My friend was dating a widow. She had been married to a very traditional, strict, and dour Japanese businessman. In old-school style she would greet him at the doorway with a deep bow as he came home. She fussed about making sure he was comfortable and served his whims without receiving a modicum of warmth in return. In this regard you and I don’t share much in common with this man, but in one regard we might. This man had a habit of saving things for “special occasions.” He had a liquor cabinet full of fine whiskeys and wines, but he almost always crushed a few cans of cheap beer because the good stuff was on hold for a future moment. He bought pricey accessories, including a Louis Vuitton man-purse, but never took them out of the home for fear of soiling them in mundane day to day activities. And he had an affinity for buying designer socks with quality thread and stylish patterns, but every morning as he left for the office he’d be clad with the same old ratty pairs. One day, as he left for work in his run down socks, nursing a cheap beer hangover, he complained to his servile wife about a headache. Hours later he dropped dead at the office from an aneurysm. A year later this man’s wife was having the most connected sex of her life with my friend, and guess who was drinking his fine whiskey, wearing his designer socks, and (yes) toting around his fancy man-purse? With his hippy dress, bawdy sense of humor, and bohemian lifestyle; my friend would have been the last man on earth to whom the ex-husband would bequeath all this precious possessions. In fact, if it were possible to roll in your grave, this guy was surely spinning like a Pollo Loco rotisserie chicken. Months later, In Los Angeles, I was coming out of the shower when some buddies rolled through to scoop me for a night out. I hurried into my room to get dressed. Opening the closet I reached out for a shirt I’d bought at a premium price a few months back, but had not yet worn. I pulled the shirt off the rack, took it off the hanger, and paused. This was a 100$ shirt. I was just hanging out with my friends. I’d probably have a few drinks and end up eating a 2AM burrito. I might soil this shirt. I began to switch it out with an older one in the closet when it hit me…. I was waiting for a “special occasion!” Tonight I could very well get run over by that taco truck and then someone else would be rocking my fancy shirt while I pushed up daisies. The truth is there are no special occasions. Yes, we have collectively allotted an extra amount of value to certain days: Christmas, New Year’s Eve, our birthday, etc. But rarely do these end up being the best moments of our lives. The expectations are built up too high. The same series of events that you might experience on a random Tuesday in February would carry less value on your once a year vacation. On vacation you have invested in having the time of your life. On that random Tuesday you were just stepping out to have a cup of coffee, but then a group of musicians sat down at your table, you struck up a conversation, and hours later you’re at a concert discovering new music and making new friends. One person in the crowd begins to click with you on that unique vibration. Phone numbers and exchanged and a date is planned. What a night! Lightning can strike at any time, but, like an aneurysm, it usually doesn’t happen when planned. So I set out that night wearing my 100$ shirt. Everyday above ground and in the company of good friends is a day to embrace. Every moment full of unanticipated possibilities both good and bad. When they come I will be wearing my best shit, including designer Japanese socks. |
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