A Meditative Lifestyle
Here’s our new standard of living: pressure to succeed, to continuously work; make the effort, and expect the results to kick in immediately.
For the first time in history, we can have items nearly instantly. 2-day shipping isn’t a specialty, it’s the standard. Want to watch something? Just click. Until recently, Redbox (or Blockbuster) was the only option.
This regularity of instant results has bled over into our mentality; into our expectations of the results of our efforts.
Instant, intense gratification. Drinking coffee? Most people drink 3 cups a day. Coffee can be healthy, but abusing any stimulant isn’t good for your mental health, and can lead to dependence. Alcohol to unwind? Millennials are drinking over 3 glasses of wine per sitting. Yes, red wine has health benefits, but that’s related to a specific compound in red grape skins and isn’t well studied. It’s also more correlated to following a Mediterranean diet alongside wine consumption.
Hey, I’m not against substances. They exist to help guide us toward the state they each describe. However, substances aren’t the real thing; they’re a portion of it. It’s why they have their side effects. Coffee gives you an edge; and gives anxiety, paranoia, and tremors. Alcohol breaks down social inhibitions; yet reduces reaction time, social awareness, and raises the likelihood of violent reactions.
Our state of living is to accomplish, contribute, and have a great time. We’re all slightly unique, and we can all reach the state of mind we need in a given moment. Rushing to get to our goals is rushing to get to the mindset; and then we lose the enjoyment of the ride itself. Life is about the way there, because we never really get anywhere. We get to enjoy the present moment.
The past doesn’t really exist. It’s in our minds to learn from. The future will never come — it’s something that gives us a reason to live. Each waking moment is likely Descartes’ evil demon, or Plato’s cave; in a more modern presentation, this is all a simulation.
Our individual solutions are deep within us. You’ve your own truth, and it needs finding. Each of us have a way of enjoying the present that is unique to us. Taoism calls it The Way; Buddhism calls it The Void. It’s a merging with something beyond you, using only what you were born with and hopefully, what you’ve worked to become. This thing you’ve put effort towards becomes truly yours, stays yours, and will be clearer than anything experienced under influences.
Beyond this, by following your own route using yourself, you find true satisfaction. The journey becomes enjoyable, the present becomes your escape. Anxieties lessen, and your efforts pay out more in full and in less time. The more hidden route here is to conduct every moment in a meditative mindset. It’s not all about sitting up on the mountain, legs crossed. It’s about coming down, and walking through world while floating 2 inches above the ground.
Live it up! Now is your moment.
❤,
Your Hair
