Choose to Take the Journey

I love big cities. The pep, the punch, the sap, the snap. The liveliness, the sprightliness, the animation. The inspiration, even frustration. Then perspiration, and at last, hard-won jubilation. It’s the kind of thing that makes a person feel alive.

If you ever feel like your life is boring, even meaningless, it’s because you’re too sane. You need to be a little insane to really enjoy life. How to do that? Simple.

Step 1
Find what makes you unhappy. You heard me right. Find what makes you unhappy. Don’t be afraid of sadness. You cannot find true happiness without unconvering your sadness within. Happiness and sadness are 2 sides of the same coin. Both are necessary, just maybe not in equal amounts. It’s boredom that you should avoid like the gazelle avoids the lion.

Everyone has a little sadness inside themselves. An unfulfilled goal. A far-fetched dream. A wish for a better life that they fear wishing for, for fear of disappointment. But I say, to hell with it.

Wish it.

Want it.

Crave it.

Make a plan for how you will get it, and then act on this plan. You’ll know if you’ve done step 1 correctly, if you feel a little crazy. A little anxious. Maybe you’ll even have trouble sleeping at night because your thoughts are running amok inside your head. That’s when you can proceed to…

Step 2
Find peace. The reason your mind sometimes runs rampant when you lie down to sleep is because it doesn’t want to forget anything. That means you have come up with something worthy to think about. Now, put your mind at ease by writing down everything you want to remember. Not only will this force you to clarify your emotions into concrete ideas and actions, but also it will end those repetitive thought loops that keep playing over and over again.

If you’re not getting enough sleep, then chances are you’re having a hard time taking care of yourself as well. When your brain is sleep-deprived, it will have a difficult time making decisions. It will pine for carbohydrates, of which junk food has aplenty. I know when I’m tired, I have a constant hankering for pizza and chocolate. But resist the urge. Eat a healthy diet as usual and get in a workout strenuous enough to make yourself long for sleep. Hopefully, you won’t have more than one sleepless night. If you’re going to drive yourself to the top of the mountain, you have to make sure your body is well-oiled and properly maintained.

Sometimes no matter what you do though, you still can’t find your inner peace, your place of tranquility. Perhaps the scope of your goal is too ambitious, or the pace at which you expect to achieve it too quick. Or perhaps you need to just have a little patience, stay the course, and stick to the plan. You do not have to reach out for the future. Have faith and it will come to you.

Once you’ve arrived at your destination, don’t forget to celebrate! Take pride in your achievement and let yourself rest, both physically and mentally.

Step 3
When you’ve rested long enough, when you can sense that boredom lying in wait ready to pounce, then you can go crazy all over again.