So, I was all gung-ho about finally committing to writing two blog posts a week. One on Monday (which I finished!) and one on Thursday. Well, due to some paint spilling on my shoes a few months ago and a whole other story about me having to borrow shoes from my friend and a lot of driving, I was unable to write a post yesterday. I like to take responsibility,  but sometimes we just have to accept some things just take a little more effort.

I was thinking about how I’m really not spontaneous at all. I need everything planned and worried about all the way from the first second to the last. I can tell you what I am doing weeks in advance and that’s the way I’ve always preferred it. Something about deadlines and having to get something done really helps me prioritize and actually get things done! Very zen.

So when I said “Allright! Two posts a week! This is definitely more than doable!” The gears in my mind started working.

So imagine the smile on my face when I realized Thursday night that a blog was not gonna be written. My first thought was “Well since I don’t have that many readers I may just as well wait till next Monday….” But no! Everything depends on our self-discipline and our ability to finish what we’ve started. Following through no matter what has always been one of the most important part of any successful endeavor.

So I decided to write this blog post right here. Because goals are meant to be finished. And even if there’s a little temporary setback, the most important thing is that we go on and complete what we set out to do.

“whatever it takes, for as long as it takes”

so yes next Monday and next Thursday, expect new blogs. hopefully !

I have ALOT of energy. every time. all the time ! Seriously I feel like I am almost border-line ADD. Which I can somewhat control by constantly creating time for myself to meditate. And then I breathe again easy for a few moments. Realizing that now is the only time we really do have. And then just like five or six or seven or eight ideas will come crashing in my head and I feel the cycle start all over again. I am forever grateful for it, but sometimes I just want to sleep. But I realize that every single idea is a blessing and I must take them all very seriously.

The problem with pursuing with too many ideas at once is the lack of execution and impact that happens with being overloaded.

The solution is prioritizing. From the five or six or seven or eight ideas that are in my head, I decide which right now will help me accomplish my goal. Which is to really go on tour across the US. doing hip hop shows (seriously thats all I think about) or how to get girls to like me more (definitely needs work).

Once I’ve decided which idea will be the most rewarding right now, I decide to give it my full attention. or at least try to.

which is why I am trying to do my best to only have one internet browser window open at a time.

and of course be listening to some hip hop beats in the background =)

So I’ve started taking Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and damn all I can think is, “WHERE HAS THIS BEEN ALL MY LIFE?!” Learning this form of self defense has been fun AND very exhausting. seriously, FROG HOPS!  A couple of months ago, I was getting really bored with working out and I was looking for something. (haha I am always looking for something….) And I’ve been playing way too much Tekken 6. So after hearing so much about brazilian jiu jitsu, I decided to look for a gym around me and found WreckingBall. A couple of classes later and I’m going to myself “I have a lot to learn….”

I’ve realized that being a beginner is where a lot of the fun is.

There Are Two Mistakes One Can Make Along The Road To Truth…. not going all the way, and not starting. (Buddha)

A lot of people make excuses. I know I certainly heard a lot of them in my own head. “Not enough money.” “I am not in good enough shape.”  “I am gonna get my ass kicked ! ” Just so many reasons floating around. But NO ! There is no better feeling in the world then just turning off the voices in your head and following a path with heart. It’s exciting not knowing what’s gonna happen. It’s even more exciting deciding just to go !

If You Dont Ask, You Don’t Get (Mahatma Gandhi)

I’ve always thought that one of the best rules in life is to surround yourself with people who are better than you in whatever your learning. The awesome thing is there will always be an infinite amount of people better at you in whatever you are doing. Except for rapping and writing, cause I am the best at that =) But being around people who are months and years and decades ahead of me in experience is very comforting, simply because I ask a lot of questions. And I am a slow learner, so usually I ask the same questions over and over again. One of the best attitudes in life is to realize the fact that we NEED to constantly learn and stay humble. Asking questions is the best way to continually understand new things. There is something to learn from everyone. So keep asking ! Especially when it’s a takedown or a submission.

So yes, being the white belt in whatever we are learning can be a very fun experience. We are not yet clouded with “expertise” and are hungry for guidance. Always asking ourselves….”WHAT’S NEXT?”

but seriously. I don’t think most of you can handle frog hopping for more than 20 feet.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgbso_F9n3Q

So one of my coworkers asked me the other day if there is anything at all I regret. And I have to admit, my answer is a big HELL NO. absolutely nothing. Not all the And I think it does just come with the years, but I realize that if this never happened then that would have never happened. and THAT was very yummy, so yes I have no regrets. But then I also got to thinking, if I can give three pieces of advice….and only three… what would I say?

1. Find what you like doing and just do it

If you want to be happy, take the time to find out what you enjoy and just do it as much as possible.  The world will try to sidetrack you with its judgements, , depressing news and supposedly things “we have to do”. Anything and everything to take you away from whatever it is your meant to do. FORGET THAT ! If you like doing something and your good at it, then do it ! Then it won’t be long till people start paying you to do it cause your so awesome at it.  Some things might not end up not working up the way you plan, but think of them as nothing more then temporary tests. The best laid plans WILL always get tested. The most important thing is to ALWAYS keep doing whatever it is you love.

To be honest, I think that first piece of advice is enough. But since I’ve already said three pieces of advice, here is two more.

2. Find someone that likes you for who you are

We spend so much time seeking other people’s approval. If I’ve learned anything from all the pickup artist stuff I’ve been learning for the past year and a half, it’s that you really gotta find someone who likes you for exactly who you are.  Remember though, it’s important to be yourself…. but you gotta be your best self. Which is where Advice #1 really comes in handy. We are what we do and it’s just such a great feeling to find someone that likes us for what we do.

But it’s not easy though. Like the bad news on TV, there’s so many people that will distract you and generally siphon undeserved attention. Stop it. The easiest solution is just to approach more people. Then approach more people. Then approach more people.

Then DAMN! just like that, it clicks with a certain someone.

3. Workout

I think working out is the absolute easiest way to get out of a rut. Especially when you get burned out from doing what you love. Which does happen.  And when it does, go for a run or lift some weights or do some jiujitsu. And then get right back to advice #1. and working out sure makes #2 a lot easier.

4. Break every rule and every list and put yourself in the most uncomfortable situations.

Wait 4 pieces of advice???? Ha I was never good at math. But seriously. go approach a stranger. or a hundred. Get in a fight. argue. Deciding which way in the fork in the road? Whoever said that going back the road you came from and taking a nap was such a bad thing? Be a hypocrite! But only sometimes. Most of the time you should really do your best to keep your word. (Is that advice #5) When you allow yourself the flexibility to break your own rules and consciously put yourself in uncomfortable situations, you give yourself a chance to be your best self.  Plus, breaking rules is just a naturally fun thing to do !

So yes, I am pretty sure this list will change probably as quickly as tomorrow. But for right now if someone asked me what I thought is important to know, it’d be these right here. and oh yea, do your best to be kind to as many people as you can. Sometimes, that really is all that matters.

So many times, we are surrounded by influences constantly telling us what to do, how to feel, when to think and who we should be. From the very moment we wake up, something is already telling us we are not enough.  Constantly. Repeatedly. “You Are Not Enough”.

Stuck in this distracting cycle, we forget what is important. We forget that is really up to us decide how we feel about anything.

We forget that it is our choice to remember that in this moment, we can do and enjoy whatever it is we want to.

But how do we remember?

Be Clear On What You Want

The importance of knowing what you want is so paramount in every successful endeavor. It always begins here. Where? The end….

Everything is created twice. First in your mind, then in your reality.Outside influences will work VERY VERY hard to distract you from this first and most important step. The news filled with “depressing” stories. So many “I must do this” obligations that really aren’t that important at all. “Friends” asking you for favors.

Really take time for yourself. Learn what is exciting to you and just go with it. Set a Point B  and SAY NO to whatever it is that doesn’t help you reach that goal.

Say yes to everything that involves your Point B.

Look At What You Already Have

Yet outside influences will still surround you and test exactly how badly you want Point B. This is where the age-old adage of counting your blessings will really help see you through. It might be hard to realize at first, but with practice, you will see everything that you need is already here.

Another reason to be grateful are the people who do us support and love us for what we do. Tell everyone about your Point B and make sure to surround yourself with as many people you can that support your goals. When we get discouraged, they will help remind us what is really important in life.

Visualization Is DayDreaming With A Purpose (Bo Bennett)

Surround yourself with images of Point B. Write about it. Think about it. Whatever thought goes in your mind, gently accept it and then just go back to thinking about Point B.

How do we remember what is important?

By simply remembering.

I love throwing things away. It gives me a certain release.
Just this awesome feeling “Yup I really don’t gotta worry about that no more!”

I remember senior year in high school, in an attempt to completely redefine my identity, I threw away all my posters, yearbooks, old clothes, etc. Everything from cd cases to books to old writings. Nothing was safe. It was one of the most amazing experiences in my life. To be so free. Granted I was also under the influence of diet pill experimentation and the nervousness of life after high school.  But I was ready. and throwing away everything I didn’t need was definitely a step in the right direction.

People think getting MORE and MORE things will solve the problems they are dealing with. Not catching on to the fact that gathering more things is one of the major causes of their dissatisfaction. Everything we own, from our houses to our toothpicks, we are responsible for. Whether we acknowledge it or not.  Another thing that we own is another thing we have to worry about.

More and more things lead to more and more distractions.

Taking our attention away from what is important.
Taking our time away from asking ourselves “what is important?”

what excites me? other than buying another phone with an app for… I don’t know something I can probably do myself.

With LESS, we become AWARE of what is truly important.

whether its nurturing our talent, spending time with the fam and homies, working on a jiu-jitsu hold or just simply lying down.

take the time to appreciate what you already have. and this Spring.

THROW AWAY EVERYTHING YOU DON’T NEED! Donate your old clothes. GIVE your old books to your favorite library. SELL everything you can to a Cash Converters. which ironically paid for a couple dances back in high school.

I remember getting down to six t-shirts, some boxers, and a couple of jeans. a couple of books and ALOT happier life. There wasn’t that much to give a shit about.

I think its time for another overhaul. =)

here are some resources that have really inspired me.

mnmal.tumblr.com
mnmlist.com
becomingminimalist.com
theminimalistpath.com

photo by YoungDoo

What are you?
What is there in the entire universe that is not you?

-Guangfan

I am not my blog and you are not my ideas.

I am not my facebook profile and you are not the time I waste looking at yours.

I am not everything falling apart and you are not the right place at the right time.

Maybe I am perseverance but sometimes I’d rather just sit here and smile.

sometimes.

WE just are.

Letting go of ideas is very tough business. At least we’d like to think it is. some of the old (very old) zen masters keep saying the harder we try to let go, the more entrapped we become.

I keep telling people that the best way to go about things is to expose yourself to as many ideas as possible. and I still feel that way.

maybe the answer to who is reading this is not that important.

but maybe simply reading is enough.

Brad Warner is a very honest writer.

Detailing accounts of his mother’s death, his failed marriage and a couple of “gasps” hooking up with his zen students episodes, his new book IS a very entertaining read.

Absolutely no one is perfect. We’re all made up of run on sentences, concepts that don’t quite make it and secrets that (we think) threaten the very existence of the universe.

Which is why I love this style of writing.

What Is Most Personal Is Most Universal.

My favorite stories have always been the ones where the authors have been brutally honest. why? Because goddamnit I feel like “shit I know what that feels like”

I truly can relate, as much as everyone can, when something awry happens in a person’s life. Watching them persevere and learn the lessons is even more inspiring.

Plus it saves me time when I find myself in the same situations.

Honesty is always a great ingredient to have any situation. Which is what brings me to the next lesson this book taught me.

If You Meet The Buddha, Kill Him

I am fortunate in the fact that I’ve never met a zen master who claims they have all the answers. But I’ve seen it plenty in other religions and pick up gurus who claim yes, their way is the answer to all the problems.

NOPE!

It just doesn’t work like that and anyone who makes those claims are full of shit !

I’ve always taught that the best thing to do is expose yourself to millions and millions of ideas and see which ones resonate best for you.

A great and solid source of authority will say that yes they might have experience in a certain area, they are always learning.

and they would never stop you from learning from other people or do things that would otherwise stop you from achieving your potential.

ZAZEN – PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

The only good way to get good at meditation is to simply sit down and meditate.

ps I am starting a religion. its called RAKIDO.

unlike other peoples, I HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS!!!!