Category: Zen.

Dieting, Goals., Health, Health., Life, Uncategorized, vegan, veganism, Zen.

Healthy Habits.

TSV

I’m so, so tired. Mentally. Physically. I’m tired of telling myself that I’m going to do something only to wind up procrastinating or not completing my goal at all. I’m tired of waking up at 4:30 every morning and leaving work at 5:00 every evening. I’m tired of my commute. I’m tired of studying. I’m tired of projects. I’m tired of doing the same thing day in and day out. I’m tired of wasting time.

I’m tired… of being tired.

Then today, a thought occurred to me: is it actually tiredness? Or am I just being lazy? Of course I want to blame it all on exhaustion (which it sometimes truly, truly is…or so I think), but I’ve finally decided that I need to do something about it. Instead of staying stuck in this vicious cycle of “do it later” or loafing about complaining, I need to break the habit. I’m going to make changes to my daily routine starting with a positive attitude. :/

Really though. Sometimes that’s all it takes. A new perspective, positive thoughts, and a genuine smile. Throw in a few “you can do this” mantras over and over again and bam! Golden. Okay, so maybe not quite. For myself I’m going to set some daily goals followed by short-term goals, followed by long-term goals.

 I took an online class a while back and learned about S.M.A.R.T. Goals.

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Achievable
  • Relevant
  • Time-bound

SMART

I mean, it makes sense. Be specific about your goal. What exactly are you trying to accomplish? Can you measure it? Is it realistic? Is it relevant to your bigger goals or things that you want to achieve? When will your goal be completed? It’s beautiful.

For now, I’m going to set a few simple, but obtainable goals.

GOAL #1

Drink 8 glasses of water every day for a month. I can measure this by drinking out of a 2 liter bottle and making sure that it’s gone before bedtime. I think this is realistic and challenging. I drink mostly coffee, but I can mix it up a bit. Especially with the giant jug of water acting as a ball and chain at my feet. This is relevant because hydration is the key to energy and health. Deadline? One month straight. I use this app called Habitica to keep track of my habits. I’ll add this to the list. After my month is up, I’ll do it again.

GOAL #2

Study for at least one hour every night until I pass my next certification. Simple. I can measure this by tracking my study time with my app. It is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. Super SMART.

GOAL #3

Working out for at least 30 minutes every day for a month. This is a goal I’ve already started practicing. I work out at home, I do yoga, I run. I feel that if I don’t write it down though, then I won’t stick with it. So there it is.

GOAL #4

Blog once per week at a minimum for a month. Pretty specific. Definitely measurable, not only by me, but by you as well.

That’s all I have for now. None of these are the long-term goals that I planned on creating, but it’s enough to start with. If you don’t see a blog from me within seven days, assume I failed lol.

Hopefully you’ll hear from me sooner than that! If you’re struggling through similar issues, just remember, stay positive. You can do this.

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General., Life, Music, Zen.

Song List. A-Z.

TSV

A – Animals. Martin Garrix
B – Bloodstream. Stateless
C – Colors. Halsey
D – Dust it Off. The Dø
E – Eyes Closed. Halsey
F – Faded. Alan Walker
G – Give it Up. Knife Party
H – Haunting. Halsey
I – I Hate U, I Love U. Gnash
J – Jessie’s Girl. Rick Springfield
K – Keep on Walking. Passenger
L – Little Brother. Ella Vos
M – Mad Hatter. Melanie Martinez
N – New Americana. Halsey
O – Ocean Eyes. Billie Eilish
P – Power Glove. Knife Party
Q – Que Sera.  Wax Tailor.
R – Radioactive. Imagine Dragons
S – Slip. Elliot Moss
T – True Affection. The Blow
U – Under Pressure. Queen
V – Vertigo. U2
W – Way Down We Go. Kaleo
X – NONE!
Y – Your Song. Elton John (sung by Ewan McGregor)
Z – Zombies Ate My Neighbor. Schoolboy

Fun, General., Health., Life, Uncategorized, Zen.

Lucid Dreaming.

TSV

If I don’t add another blog now, I never will.

I mean, maybe that’s not true, but it’s time for me to do this.

Lucid Dreaming. I’m really interested in training my mind to do this. The beauty of Lucid Dreaming is that you can go anywhere. You can do anything. You have the ability to travel, to meet people, to find guidance all within your sleeping mind. I want to experience this. I’ve had very vivid dreams in the past and in those few, rare dreams, I knew that I was dreaming. I don’t know how I knew, but what an incredible feeling it was. I couldn’t even begin to explain how it felt.  It was so real.

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For a long time now, I’ve been struggling to remember my dreams. Remembering your dream when you wake up is one of the first steps to lucid dreaming. It’s so hard for me. I’ve installed an app on my iPhone called Pillow. I’m using it to track my sleep cycles. It also has a built in alarm that wakes you up gradually. I think there’s even a feature to write notes about your dreams. I haven’t used it yet, but I plan to if I can.

I’ve also had a book on lucid dreaming for a while now. It’s called A Field Guide to Lucid Dreaming by Dylan Tuccillo, Jared Zeizel, and Thomas Peisel. I’ve only just begun reading it. I’ve read a chapter every night for the last five nights. I’m trying so hard to train myself. It’s difficult because of how emotionally drained I’ve been. Just finished the holidays. I’m working full-time and recently had my reserve weekend. I’m in crunch-mode for school. And I still find time to hang out with my favorite people. But I’m truly exhausted.

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“All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.” Edgar Allan Poe

According to this article (and where I found the awesome feature image for my blog),  lucid dreaming can help improve memory, can help us understand ourselves, and the coolest thing is that we’re free to do whatever we wish. Meet with old friends and family. Go where ever we want. Be whatever we want to be. I find all of this so fascinating.

How do we know the life we live right now is not a dream? How do we know that reality as we know it is not connected with the dream world? I want to find out.

As I continue my journey, and if I see any progress, I’ll be certain to write about it. I’m excited to see where this goes. Stayed tuned till next time.

Health., Life, Uncategorized, Zen.

Peace of Mind?

TSV

Candle lit. Incense burning. Calm mind.

This is where I find peace.

I am at peace.

My consciousness goes into a completely different state when I do this. I feel more awake. My mind is open. My body is relaxed. I usually have a difficult time with meditating like this. I’m always so tense. So busy. So clouded.

My spiritual energy was almost non-existent, but I feel it coming back. Slowly, but I am getting there. I’m becoming more in-tune with myself and with things around me again. What is this sensation? Do you know that feeling you get when you wake up naturally from a nap that you’ve taken in the middle of the day? Your entire body is tingling, but you feel wide awake. Refreshed. Happy. I don’t know a better way to describe this. I wish I could explain to you what I feel. I wish you could feel what I feel.

Aloha Bay – Healing Chakra Energy Candle

Try. Try to feel this way. Find a quite space of your own where you won’t be disturbed. Set up some candles. Burn any incense of your choice. I prefer Triloka Royal Sandalwood cones or the Sandalwood herbal sticks. These are just my choices. Find what works best for you.

I prefer to lay down when I meditate, but you can choose to sit. I use my room as my sanctuary. I set everything up, lay on my bed, and close my eyes as I relax my body and mind. It’s can be really simple, but you have to let yourself go.

It felt awkward for me when I first began doing this. But accept it. By doing so, you will feel a weight lift from your chest that you didn’t know was there. Release the negativity. Why have you been holding onto it? Try. Let go. See what happens.

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My Sanctuary
General., Health., Life, Uncategorized, Zen.

Look within.

TSV

“There is no fire like greed,
No crime like hatred,
No sorrow like separation,
No sickness like hunger of heart,
And no joy like the joy of freedom.

Health, contentment and trust
Are your greatest possessions,
And freedom your greatest joy.

Look within.
Be still.
Free from fear and attachment,
Know the sweet joy of living in the way.”

Teachings of the Buddha Edited by Jack Kornfield page 85. I bought this book in Biloxi, Mississippi, two years ago from a book store called Books-A-Million. I’ve used this book for general guidance ever since. From time to time, I randomly select a quote for guidance or to help clear my mind. Tonight, I picked up this book and fell upon this particular quote.

What do you feel when you read this? Line by line. That there is no fire like greed. No crime like hatred. No sorrow like separation. No sickness like hunger of heart. Does it speak to you as it does to me?

It reminds me to let go. To let go of all negative things. To free myself, and my mind, of all attachments. To enjoy life. With the way I’ve been feeling lately, this is exactly what I was looking for. A sign to let go.

Ironically, I also read my Tarot cards tonight and saw much of what has been on my mind. I saw the same “sign” in my cards as this quote showed me. Not that I truly believe that I can see my future in cards, but it’s comfortable to pretend that fate may play a role. Besides, it’s easier to read some cards than to ask for help from someone who is only half there.

Whether or not Tarot cards mean anything, mine have seemed to align with everything that has been bothering me lately. My past: unbalanced. Taking on too much. My present: Paralyzed with indecision. My future: Fear of letting go and to move on.

  • My past: I’ve always felt has been unbalanced. Since I was a teenager, I’ve consumed myself with work and school. As I got older and had children, I spent all of my time with them and also with work and school. I often take on more than I should, but somehow, I always manage to make things work.
  • My present: Completely indecisive. What should I do? What do I want to do? What is the right choice? I keep looking for signs rather than taking action. Rather than making decisions. It’s time to move on and figure that bit out. I need to create goals for myself and find ways to achieve them.
  • My future: Fear of letting go and moving on. Ha. True to the core. With more ways than one. But that’s it. That’s what I need to do – Move on. Continue forward with my head held high.

I would continue to tell you that none of this matters and that this is all a load of bull, that “signs” are just for silly, superstitious people. But hey, if a placebo helps, does it matter if it’s a placebo? That’s a serious question. What do you think? If I can gain something from this and find my motivation, does it make it alright to believe?

Just moments ago, I stumbled across this website while doing some research:

https://www.trustedtarot.com/

Of course I did it and it blew me a way with the accuracy. I’m sure you can shrug it off as a “those readings can match anyone at anytime” kind of thing. Sure. But I look for guidance everywhere. From life lessons. Tarot readings. Quotes. It helps me when I feel so lost.

I think everyone can use a good quote once in a while to remind them to let go of the things that don’t matter. To free yourself from negative energies. The Tarot reading just emphasized that truth for me. Try it yourself. What do you think?