Random Thoughts

My mind has been whirling for the past few days now. Some people call it STRESS. I would say it is my body's reaction to too many activities, too many things that I need to do, too many commitments, spending too much hours online, too much playing games, too much time watching movies, too much reading and more.

I wouldn't have realized it until I read this nice article by Leo Babauta about learning to sit alone and do nothing for a few minutes or even hours.

Although I love the entire article, there are some parts of the article that struck me the most...

If you’re content to sit alone quietly, you don’t need to eat junk food, to shop on impulse, to buy the latest gadget, to be on social media to see what everyone else is talking about or doing, to compare yourself to others, to make more money to keep up with the Joneses, to achieve glory or power, to conquer other lands or wage war, to be rude or violent to others, to be selfish or greedy, to be constantly busy or productive.

I'm so so guilty of this. No thanks to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (and viber is now keeping me busy too!), I can no longer sit still without doing anything. There are times that I would prefer to tinker my phone now instead or reading a good book. Not good! Definitely not good!

Most of us have trouble sitting alone, quietly, doing nothing. We have the need to do something, to check our inboxes and social media, to be productive. Sitting still can be difficult if you haven’t cultivated the habit.

That's me! :(

Being alone is another pleasure we too often neglect. When we are alone, we go on the Internet or TV to see what else is going on, what others are doing or saying, instead of just being alone. This isolation is a necessary thing, that allows us to find ourselves, to learn to be content with little instead of always wanting more.

I remember when I was in the US, I was always alone there. I used to walk around the lake on my own. I would eat my meals by myself. I would go to the mall without anyone with me. I was alone ALL the time.

It actually felt good. I knew myself back then. I knew what I wanted to do in my life. I knew my dreams, my goals, my needs. I was focused. I was grateful.

I realized that it really pays to sort things out on your own sometimes. Being alone is not something pitiful. Being alone is knowing yourself all over again and then loving yourself when you know yourself completely.

Can you practice being alone, being still, being quiet? Just a little at first, then perhaps a bit more. Listen, watch, learn about yourself. Find contentment. Need nothing more.

Yes, this was an eye opener for me. From now on, I would allot time for myself to think, to pray and to be thankful for all the blessings that came my way and blessings that are coming my way.

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I told you, I could have shared the entire article here because every word written there was meant for me.

Thank you for the very nice article, Mr. Leo Babauta!

**To read the entire article, click here.