May 2009 Archives

Turn on the TV when there's something you want to watch. And if you've got nothing better to watch, turn it off. If your butt reminds glued to the couch, pick up a magazine and read. Pick up a book and read. Write in your journal. Daydream. Better yet, get up, get some fresh air, go for a walk. Make conversation with your housemates. Watching TV may be a good way to "empty one's mind." I zone out in front of the TV lots of times. But I've also realized that I've been wasting a lot of time just staring at the screen... and wasting electricity in the process too. Turn the TV off and see what productive things you come up with. Will you whip up a meal instead of channel surfing? Will you finish that book that's been at the bottom of your to-be-read pile? Will you spend a quiet moment with yourself? Turn the TV off and see what other things go "on" during that movement. Who knows what you might discover?

BEING alone doesn't mean having to be lonely. I've always subscribed to the thinking that unless you're comfortable with who you are, then you won't be at peace when you're with others. It's a path that's tough to take. You make a lot of mistakes along the way as you try to find what gives you peace, what gives you happiness. Some find it easier to fulfill other people's happiness. But how can you really make others happy when you yourself aren't? Imagine a bucket. Unless it's filled with water, how can you help others refresh themselves? Refresh yourself first, then refresh others. But I go back to being comfortable with yourself, being by yourself. True, hanging out with friends and being surrounded by family is priceless. But what happens when you find yourself on your own? What happens when you can't connect with anyone else? Will you distract yourself from your lonesomeness? Or do you find activities that you, on your own, can find comfort and happiness in too? You have a lot of happiness inside you. Just as you make time to get to know someone else, make time to get to know yourself too. Take yourself out on a date. Indulge in your favorites. Make yourself smile. Be comfortable in being alone, in being you. It's when you're happy on your own that you'll find yourself in an even happier place when you're with others.

"Life is 10% the situation and 90% how you react to it." - Author unknown

When I stumbled upon this quote in a magazine, my mind never let go of it. It resonated with me so well. It is the truth after all. You can choose to be happy, you can choose to be sad. You can choose to be angry, you can choose to be calm. Emotions push us to act on something. It's up to us which emotions we want to move forward with. Water is accidentally spilled on your shirt by the waiter. Do you angrily lash out at him, calling him names and reporting it to his manager? Do you take deep breaths and try to keep your calm, understanding that accidents happen? Whichever one you choose does create a chain of events. How you react is all in your hands. It's all a matter of perspective. Let's take life for what it is. It is indeed a series of situations and a series of our own and other's reactions. So the next time a situation comes our way, perhaps remembering this quote might help. Maybe our emotions ride so strongly we neglect to see how easily the situation could've been solved, and perhaps the situation isn't as daunting after all.

HAVE you ever gotten so stressed out you just wanted to tear your hair out? So pressured that you felt like your head was going to explode? I've been there myself, and have discovered that there's a good way to deal with that hot head -- go float in a pool. Don your bathing suit, slather on that sunscreen and slide into the waters. Relax your body and float, face up to the sky. Close your eyes. Detach yourself from the thoughts that are stressing you out. Wash them out of your mind as you float, float, float. Water is a good way to cleanse your soul. Some opt to go for a shower to ease their minds, others slide into a hot tub to relax. I think that floating in a pool is the best though. That moment of weightlessness, the sound of the little waves splashing against you, the burden on your shoulders just washes away with the water. Try this floating exercise at least once a week. Perhaps it could be a Monday morning ritual -- kick off your week with a mind empty of negative thoughts, just the sweet sound of waves splashing, of positivity embracing your body. Or it could be a ritual to end your week -- wash out all the negativity and start the weekend fresh. Don't swim, just float. Just let your body be. Just let the water carry you around the pool. You don't even have to go to the deep end if that gives you stress. Water is more powerful than you think. You drink it to refresh and nourish you, but floating in it can do just the same. So go float in a pool and take it easy. Relax. Wash away those stressors and let the waves of positivity carry you.