"All
the gold and the guns and the girls
(couldn’t
get you off)
All
the boys, all the choices in the world"
Gold, Guns, Girls - Metric
One month in and the changes are noticeable. I am already seeing, experiencing, and internalizing things differently, as if another human being has taken over my mind. Or was this human always inside there?
Trippy. But an
avalanche of “learning opportunities” have bombarded
me in the short weeks
of 2013. And each day brings a new understanding,
a new lesson, another life changing event. How much can a person change in one
month? It’s
immeasurable really.
I
know I
sound new-agey,
but it’s true. Open yourself up and embark on a learning adventure
– and you will
change.
During
January I immersed myself in yoga, meditation, and the words of an astrologer.
I opened myself up to the unknown, forgave myself for the past, and observed
instead of controlled situations.
It might not sound like much, but for an anxious guilt-ridden
control freak like myself – it was a huge accomplishment. And as I am learning
through this process, it requires
a lot of patience and faith.
So,
what have I learned?
Observe Instead of
React
There’s
a reason why observation is the first step in the scientific method. It’s a
powerful tool. Observe your emotional states. Let’s say you wake up
feeling lonely. Instead of acting on the feeling of loneliness – you just
observe it. You’re like, “Oh, look. I feel lonely. That sucks.” And do nothing.
You don’t call an ex you know isn’t right for you, you don’t go have a whiskey
drink – you merely accept, “Hey I’m human. I’m lonely. This will pass.”
Sit with it, and it will pass. Feelings are
only temporary.
Eliminate the Void
You've
heard the old pizza slogan "avoid the Noid,"
well that's what ran through my head during this lesson, although it was
actually "avoid filling the void" (same difference to this 80’s kid). Too often people try to fill their inner void. You feel empty – lonely, angry, sad, lost; so you fill up
with things – food, booze, partners, shoes. And when those things
are gone, the void is back, and the cycle begins again. And again, and again,
and again.... So the right thing to do is to eliminate the
void, so there is no longer a void to fill. You eliminate the void by loving
yourself so completely that you are always whole. Simple. No Noid
required.
Let Go of Attachment
Attachment
requires one to be obsessed with possessing an outside object in order to be
happy. I do this with lipstick, it's really weird. But you got to stop looking for outside sources to make yourself feel better. Happiness
does not come from external sources, true
happiness comes from within. Hippy talk I know. But, to quote Metric, all the gold and the guns and the girls is
never gonna be enough. You have to be.
Or
you can go out and get drunk, have a one
night stand
or hook up with an ex. Because
that always works out great.
Namaste.
Namaste.
January
in a nutshell:
- 1Jan13: “Be True to Yourself” meditation lecture at the Mahakankala Buddhist Center (MBC)
- 6Jan13: Started “Letting Go of Bad Habits” 6 week meditation series at MBC and “40 Day Yoga Challenge” at Power of Your OM (POYO)
- 12Jan13: Met with renown psychic Beth McDonald for a natal, transit, and year astrological chart reading
- 20Jan13: Plateau-ed (aka "got over it!") and ate a shit ton of chocolate chip cookies to make myself feel better (attachment much?)
- 26Jan13: “Breaking Free from Attachment” meditation day retreat at MBC and “Yoga’licious” Girls Night Out at POYO