Clicks Away

We're getting out. Sedentary way of life is out and so as a rule, by noon, I ought to be in another part of this local universe, somewhere I haven't been at in a long time, or perhaps somewhere new. It's not a process I leave to chance completely, after all we live in a technological age that can take care of that. We're all just clicks away from finding out what events are taking place and in a city like New York there's always something going on. You don't even need to click, just ask Google Home. 

You can connect with virtually anyone in the world through social media. You can create your own webpage. You can do infomercials or tutorials on YouTube. You can earn a living by publishing digital books and having an extra gig on the side, like a job at the airport or Starbucks. We don't need to spend tens of thousands of dollars to get a degree and be stuck in a cubicle one third of our daily lives. 

Most of us aren't inclined to eat a big breakfast as soon as awakened; in fact, some of us may skip the ritual and just head over to the gym. What matters are results, right? Well, those vary, and we can't mold ourselves according to our future self; we may never encounter a moment in which we find ourselves in the moment, content with what is, unafraid of what tomorrow brings. Worry away, that you won't mitigate the impending night, and instead focus on how that state of mind itself ripples through and infests others. And how heightened states of mind are encouraged in our society, how endless hours of conversations are devoted to politics, sports, or the weather -things that are beyond our control obsess us; matters that are within our grasp of influence, we neglect aspects of ourselves that clearly within reach. Maybe we don't need a promotion as much as diminishing our ecological footprint, live smaller and yet fuller lives. 

Instead of focusing on allocating more material excess, pay attention to the state of your mind and body. This way, we can focus instead on our health and how fit our mind is. Focus on your strength and no sickness will come your way. Face your fears often, get better, do more of the less (quietude, introspection) and more of the more (engaging others, keeping active, be a role model for your kids). The less you need (of others, or food), the more energy you can devote to your craft. Your endeavor should be prioritized, not second-guessed. 

Here are a few guidelines: 

• Breathe: Shallow-breathing through life will have a depleted effect on your experience. Tune in to your breath, feel your chest expand as your lungs fill with precious oxygen, hold it for a moment. Then, exhale... Ah!
• Make a Swift Move: You know that project or that person of interest or that career move that will make the biggest impact? You can make up for a lot of lost time with a single swift of movement in the right direction. Go ahead, don't let them see it coming. 
• Push: Once in Venezuela, while riding on a packed bus through a tunnel, there were sudden shouts from vehicles all around, signaling to the driver that the back of the bus was on fire. Everyone all at once jumped and headed towards the exit. I was on aisle four, and suddenly I was propelled to jump to ahead of the line, knocking people along the way, and getting out danger in less than a few seconds. Minutes later, there were people reported hurt and left behind. Fortunately, I wasn't the only one who was on survival mode; still though, I felt awful. Little did I know that, yes, sometimes life puts you in a grave situation and you'll need to rid of all niceties, you need to just thrust ahead and sacrifice whatever stands in your way. It will not be a rational choice; it will happen without you even realizing it is. And when all is done and said, you'll be glad. Otherwise you won't make it. Circumstances in life rarely present themselves with such of sense of urgency. But they are urgent and we must ruthlessly proceed to take massive action towards our goal. Time is of essence and we may not feel its urgency, but at every passing moment, life beckons us, teasing, enticing, as if saying to us: come get me, I'm here. 
• Pull: On the opposite side of the spectrum, and just as importantly, you need to pull. It's the same force, just that the illusion makes it seem adverse. In pulling, you bring things together, you mend what seems irreversible, appease, fade in and out of focus and then go all out in your effort. You have to pull yourself together before you bring yourself to pulling this one off. Often, it is not that we fail to pull, and instead just push, push, and push, because pushing is egotistical whereas pulling is selfless. It takes a more concerted effort to keep things in place and be the center in the suspended universe surrounding inside out. But more than a center of gravity, you want to pull back, protect, fight for what you deem worthy. There's just no other way of putting it but in not doing so, you become a coward. It's fine, really, not that big a deal. Most people are anyway. 
• Let Go: It sounds simple enough but when all things are considered, perhaps letting go seems like the hardest thing to do. Well, it is hard for a reason because we all cling on to things, people, career moves, relationships, etc. We've settled in more than one way, and so the only way to break through and pull out of this mess is by simply letting go. We let go when things have gone array, and there's just no way back. People, duties, will eventually demand more and more of your time. So long as the vast majority of your effort is in pursuing your own mission in life, a life you must live with integrity and purpose. Let no one or anything get in the way of it. 
• Chill: Watch the sunset, wake up to see the sun rise, meditate with a soft-drawn smile on your face, watch mindless TV, have a few drinks, smoke, do what comes most naturally to our godlike nature: nothing. We may find that it is difficult to constantly look for ways to entertain ourselves, humans are the only animals who suffer boredom and most of our problems stem, according to Buddhism, to not being able to just sit back and relax and do absolutely nothing. I call it chill. 
• Laugh: I make it my business that I watch daily doses of humor in the form of adult cartoons such as The Simpsons, Family Guy, South Park, Futurama; also, nightlife comedy, but I watch it at my own leisure and not when they air, this isn't the 90's. 
• Contempt: It's not we feel above others or below, for that matter. It's just that some matters require our most pressed attention and we must attend to them immediately. Other things, the vast majority of them, can wait. In recognizing the difference, we will avoid unnecessary drama in our lives. Again, when it comes to drama, less is, most def, more. 
• Seriousness: Sometimes I get ask: Why are you so serious? 
• Courage: It is a must. I don't want to sound like a macho guy, which I am, but if you're a man, then it is more so necessary that you practice fearlessness. It takes time, but luckily life will present you with an abundance of opportunities to practice your aim. In the end, you'll hit the bull's eye, but close enough is all you really need. Of course, no need for abuse to be hinted at. In fact, it is not aggressiveness that I advocate for but assertiveness. You'd know the difference by now. 
• Challenge: Things will not always go your way. You'll experience setbacks, people will disappoint you and you'll find that much of that really is your fault. That you take a healthy amount of the responsibility is a good start. You want to revise your method, perfect your ways, in a quantum leap, be ever so much more than you were. For this to happen, that is, in order for you to flourish and transcend this present state of things, you must challenge yourself. Look for whatever it is that is the elephant in the room and take it on. I've devised my own terminology, and it is: slaying dragons. You kill big prey, and that is what makes the days go by. You can be a little bit of a coward most of the time, especially when things at stake aren't of essence. But it is best to your teeth along a smile. Always make sure to take on a bite at a time, like a snake that slowly swallows prey and requires no farther nourishment for long.