Gun to head, whats right thing to do? DO IT NOW

You know sometimes when you have to get something done, and you can’t get it done because your mind is being lazy and telling you to procrastinate instead. If you man up (or fem up ) and say “No way I am going to let my brain rule me” and take action and get it done, your brain rewards you in a weird way. It makes you a stronger person and helps you defend your boundaries.

Let’s say somebody is giving you shit. You are less likely to put up with it and give a straight blunt answer to that person if you won some of the mind battles earlier in the day. Its awesome and hilarious at the same time.

I think the reason for this is when you defeat your mind created laziness, it takes a lot of effort. This makes you frustrated and makes you want the success even more because you worked for it. Then, if you see somebody messing you in any way, you become very protective. You transform from a person who can be easily pushed over to a person who cares about his/her boundaries. This makes me wonder what are some other benefits of taking action?

Back To The Roots

Got a little spike, got a little hype
Little kid on the block is flying so high
Fumble, he might, short is his sight
But this is what he needs, to fall, crawl and fight

The taste of reality, bit him in the bright
The air beneath him is filled with night
The mirror on the wall, gives him insight
So, back to the roots, after a respite

Baby steps is what he instills in his stride
He walks in peace, he knows his price
Wearing the t-shirt of truth in a humble size
As he steps towards the horizon looking like a prize

How To Be More Present and More Awesome

I remember when I was little and I would cry, my mother would distract me by saying “Look there is an ant” and I would start staring at the floor. Then if she stacked it up with other distractions that I can visually see, I would forget about whatever I was crying about. Grownups still do the crying but in the form of constant thinking – thinking about the past or future, imagining situations, going back to situations and replaying them in their minds, rehearsing future situations.

Babies are smart. They know that an ant can bite them and it is more important than the thing they are crying about. So, they immediately become more present. We can pretty much do the same thing. If you are in a room and your mind is churning like a machine, start looking at an object and notice the colors, say them out loud in your mind. Notice the intricate details, notice the folds, notice the shapes, notice the corners. Notice everything around you like it’s a piece of art.

And when you are completely present, you mind would give you instructions. Instructions for the little tasks you need to do to become awesome. The menial little repetitive tasks (e.g.  reading a book, laundry, cleaning, working out, eating, cooking) that you need to do every fucking day, that will improve you 0.0000001% and which will eventually add up over time. Internalize the menial, slow, boring nature of progress. Fall in love with it.

Surrender

This post is just one word “SURRENDER”.

I usually know what to do next but I struggle with discipline and self-control. So, I just thought of a simple solution – surrender. I got the idea from the ancient Indian king Ashoka. He was a king who had the luxuries of the world at his feet. But he only won, when he surrendered.

Surrender is the opposite of fighting the emotion. There is no ego involved. It is the idea that me, my identity has no needs. I don’t want to be the king; I want to be the slave. So, next time you feel a conflict in your body. Just say the word ‘surrender’, and move on to the task at hand.

This again reminds me of the duality or paradox of the truth. When I say surrender it does not mean you avoid risks and challenges. Winning and surrender are different sides of the same coin. A monk can be peaceful and calm, and yet ruthless and aggressive in his daily regimen and pursuit of the truth.

OMG! I want this…

“The things you own end up owning you”

If you really want something and you get it, the thing will have inordinate amount of power over you. It will make you more sad than happy. When you want something really bad, your rationale is, “if I get this, I will be the happiest person on earth”. The thing you want, might be a watch, a phone, clothes, a lover, or a moment of glory.

But, if getting these things are your criteria of success, then change it a little bit. Define them for the present moment rather than the future. It does two things. One, it gives you a peace of mind because it is more tangible. Two, you always have a better shot at something, because it is in short range (WINNING!!!). So, don’t put too much value on perishable whims.

How to Shift State Quickly

We sometimes get stuck in a state where we can get nothing done. We start saying stuff like ‘I am tired’, ‘I am hungry’, or whatever excuses that comes to our mind and not take action or do something that is needed. To snap out of that just close your eyes for a minute and take a few deep breaths and visualize your goals and then start doing whatever is required without giving your mind any more answers.

Thought Of The Day

 “You are what you think about all day long. You are what you emotionalize about all day long.”

“What one dreams about — or reads or watches — to get oneself off is thrillingly close to the same thing that gets one off in earthbound life where flesh meets actual flesh”

When you wake up, there is always a thought in your mind, which is carried from the last day. There are certain themes or patterns which your brain follows whenever you think. These themes can be partying, obsession with shoes, cars or gadgets etc., games, studying, and innovation.  These themes can turn into your life mission if you don’t watch your mind.

For example, if your mission is to be a great scientist and your mind is emotionalizing about parties and booze all day, you would definitely not become a scientist.  In this case, ideally your first thought in the morning should be about innovation. That should be the theme of the day. Obviously you would also do all the other things that are necessary in life, but try to pick and choose your themes. Don’t let less important themes infiltrate your mind.

Boxer’s Mentality

“All men should have a boxer’s mentality”

Now before you jump to conclusions, it doesn’t mean you should be ready to fight all the time. A boxer has limited time on his hand. He can’t wait and think about his next move. He relies on his instincts to tell him his next move. He constantly moves towards the goal because winning is his only option. Even if he doesn’t win he puts up his best fight because a good fight never goes unnoticed.

All your time on this earth is as important as the time spent by a boxer in the boxing ring. The only thing he knows going into the fight is – if he knocks the other person out that is a win. We have goals and then we have smaller goals that we have to complete every minute or every second of our life. That is all we need to focus on.

The other aspect of boxer’s mentality is not being bothered by his bruises in the ring. Feel that rush, that adrenaline, that you feel during an intense run, a basketball or soccer game. At that time you don’t care about the way you look, your hair, or your clothes. You are basically enjoying the rush. You feel kind of superior to your regular self. The only reason for that is you just don’t care at that moment. So, next time you feel lazy or unmotivated, think of this:

“You don’t care whether somebody comes, stays, lays, or prays. I mean whatever happens, your toes are still tappin’. Now when you got that, then you have the attitude.”

Your Lovely Mind, It Bluffs

It’s beyond love, it’s beyond hate
Beyond fucking manipulate
It’s a strange bond that would itself resuscitate
A growing light that grudges and fights can’t berate

Little are the chances that we’d not evade
Very small instances that we’d cooperate
But we still squeeze out a smile, that would invade
The irony of presence in flesh and clever disdain

We are all tied to time and duties of self-love
Tired of past, future, beyond and above
We understand the meaning of hard work and stuff
But our mind is lazy, it just wants to bluff
It just wants to bluff

Toothless Aggression

Toothless aggression feeds the blunt
Fruitless profession smokes this runt
Knowingly rejecting the knowledge, you run
To the dark alleys of dull

Life makes you modest and humble
In the moments of fall and tumble
Your presence is already known, don’t mumble
The silent burn is the beautiful rumble

Accept the fumble, give in to the fall
Your arms out wide, hear the call
Feel the wind on your face and overall
Open your eyes, don’t let the freedom stall