#dailymessage – hi there

May 9th: Sleepwalking Through Life

There is a great YouTuber who makes songs for each Enneagram types. I am a type 9. If you don’t know much about Enneagrams, you can take a quiz here: https://www.truity.com/test/enneagram-personality-test. There is a great line in the song about 9’s that says “I have been sleepwalking since I was fourteen”. This line always gets to me because that is exactly how I feel. I am 27 now and I feel like most of my life has been me sleepwalking through it. My memories are foggy and unclear. I cannot remember a time I had clarity with a situation or pursued a goal because it was truly my own desire or idea. 9’s tend to please others and I feel like I lived up to the world’s idea of who I should be. I am slowly starting to get in touch with who I am. It feels like I am finally melting through a frozen box around my heart that I installed myself.

Maybe one day I will get to know who I am and what I desire truly. But, for now, I am letting myself make small decisions that help me get there. How do I start sleepwalking through life? The first step, to me, seems to be by figuring out what I want.

What do I desire in my life? What goals do I have that I want to reach? How can I use intention and action to get there? I don’t have the answers to these questions but, I will keep asking them to remind myself of who or what I want to become.

Take time today to ask yourself what YOU want.

May 8th: Incremental Progress is Better than None

The dread of not completing something can get so intense that we find ourselves unable to act. We freeze because, acting on it can seem too overwhelming. Let’s say you made a promise to yourself that you’ll study for 2 hours every day. One day, you have too much work and do not have 2 hours needed to study. You can let this change in schedule set you back often leading to self-judgement, guilt, and lack of self-trust. Or, we can take some time, guilt-free, to study. Instead of studying for the whole 2 hours, we can study for 30 minutes and still make compounding impact to our goals. The 30 minutes of work can help reassure your confidence & make you proud of yourself.

Take time today to make incremental progress. It doesn’t have to be for that long – just 30 minutes, 20 minutes, or 10 minutes.

May 5th: Seek Joy in Friendships

I am not the type of person that is surrounded by friends. I am a self-proclaimed introvert. I like my own space and I live according to my own means and often in my own world. I have no problem spending time alone. But, I am also a human being. Human beings thrive in friendships, social circles, and a community. Although, my nature is to be an introvert – as human beings we’re naturally designed to seek social support. This means that no matter how comfortable we’re on our own, our brains can actually benefit from friendships! Friendships and kinship brings us joy, comfort, and even good health. It also gives us the opportunity to care for, listen to, and spend time with others.

Take a solitary activity that you like to do, like drinking coffee, and ask a friend to join you tomorrow (even virtually through Zoom). The conversation and togetherness is guaranteed to bring you joy. If you don’t currently have a friend (trust me, I have been there many times) – try a sibling, parent, or even a pet. Anyone will do!

Take time to enjoy those around you.

May 3rd: Dopamine Detox

Do you ever feel foggy in your mind? You have a million things running in your head and you feel a sense of not being present or lacking clarity?

I feel this way a lot of times. I am the type of person that needs constant stimulation in my brain. I am comfortable when there is a podcast, YouTube video, or music playing in the background at all times. This habit is so extreme that I never spend more than 30 minutes in silence (which feels horrifying to admit). Even my showers are occupied with podcasts in the background and my cooking is supplemented by a good Netflix binge. Although, this can be momentarily gratifying – it is terrible for my brain and my mental health. It makes me feel foggy and distracted. It also makes me feel like I have no free time (scrolling in social media and watching content eats away at my time). It turns out I am not the only one that has this issue. Talking to my sister and my friends, I noticed a lot of us are addicted to our distractions. We cannot turn away from our phones for too long without reaching for it again and again.

This is way, I decided to do a dopamine detox. Dopamine detox or a fast is a day where you do not have access to anything that brings instant gratification: social media, content (Netflix, YouTube, etc), television, porn, alcohol, drugs, etc. It allows for certain things such as journaling, reading, and walking.

I personally allowed myself these things: I can write for this blog, I can journal for myself, I can eat healthy foods, I can study and work, and I can talk to friends and family.

I feel a sense of clarity that I haven’t felt in a long time. I actually feel like I have free time rather than just letting the day get away from me. In moments where I have been tempted to reach for my phone out of habit, I have been just staying still or writing in my journal. It has been a really great experience so far but, it has also made me realize how many hours I spend on mindless activities.

If you can, please do a dopamine detox for one day. The clarity you will feel will be worth the efforts.

Be comfortable with silence.

May 1st: Pain is Temporary

“Son of Kunti, the touches of the senses, bringing pain and pleasure, heat and cold: they come and go, and they don’t last forever, You must try to endure them”

The Bhagvad Gita, 2:14

What in your life is causing pain? Is it a physical pain that you can feel in your senses or is it an emotional pain that you feel in the heart? No matter what pain you’re feeling, the Lord wants you to know that the pain is only temporary. Our physical state, as real as it feels to us, is only a fraction of who we are. The pain we’re going through whether it be job loss, failure in education, or heartbreak are all temporary experiences of being a human being. Our soul transcends all pain and this sloka lets you know that all pain in the human form is temporary. It does not say that the pain is not real or that it doesn’t exist. The pain exists. It is so real. It is the ache in your feet and it’s the burden you carry in your heart. It is real but it is not the end. You have all the strength and knowledge within you to endure this pain over and over all. No matter what your circumstances are, you will come out of it a better version of yourself. This strength comes from the Lord and is the very essence of being human.

Tag: #dailymessage