frustration

It’s been so long since my last blog post, and to be honest with you, I don’t have a lot to say. Life is busy and hard right now. I’m at a point where there are a million things that I need to get done, and that to-do list isn’t getting any shorter and time soon. I had it coming though. Everything was too easy to last as long as it did. But, that’s the beauty of life. There really aren’t any shortcuts and it’s not smooth-sailing 100% of the time.

Lately, I’ve been praying for strength to face life. Ironically, I just ran into this quote, “When I Asked God for Strength, He Gave Me Difficult Situations to Face.” I can’t say that the situations I’m facing are difficult, but they are definitely challenging. They are frustrating. They are annoying and never-ending. Yeah, I guess you can say that they are difficult.

This little quote was such a huge reminder to me, that I am given everything I asked for. Anyone that crosses my path, anything that comes my way are all things that I need at that point in my life. I am creating every moment in my own life. There’s no reason to deflect my frustration or anger or annoyance on anyone else or any other thing.

It’s true, I have been really frustrated and annoyed here and there lately. And, when I look at myself in the mirror, I see nothing wrong. Sometimes, it takes someone else to show me that I’m straying from my true self. Maybe I don’t want to admit it. But, if you’re lucky, you have really awesome friends who will look at you and say, dude, you’re wrong. The only reason I am frustrated is because I allow myself to be frustrated.

This is all a very reflective blog post. These feelings are being unfolded as I type this. It’s amazing what a little introspection can do for you. We have to have awareness of ourselves, and be mindful of what we are exuding to the people and things that surround us every day.

Are you sending positive or negative vibes? You have that power in your own hands. You have the ability to be a source of good energy. I have the power to be a source of good energy for anyone that crosses my path. All humans are inherently good, and all of us can be a fountain of positivity if we aren’t afraid to.

Here’s to hopefully a less frustrated week, and more understanding of the feelings of my own creation.

here come the monkeys

The monkeys finally came this morning. My dad and my grandparents told me they’ve become a problem lately. There’s this huge tree outside our apartment that they just jump onto. Well, it was in the middle of my yoga class, and we were doing pranayam (here’s a quick page on pranayam) and all of a sudden these monkeys start jumping into the tree. There were probably about 10 of them. And it’s safe to say that I was thoroughly freaked. Monkeys can be vicious little creatures. But, it was so hard to concentrate on my breathing and my practice the rest of the morning, and I increasingly got frustrated. The worst part about this is that I let this affect the rest of my day.

I’m thinking about how often I have let something so little affect so much of my being. Not only that, but how often have I gotten distracted so easily and so easily fallen off the track I’m on. I’m someone who 1. gets distracted very easily, and 2. If something bothers me, it won’t be long before that frustration comes out. Let’s tackle on issue at a time.

Numero uno: distraction. I partially blame this on the fact that I’m a multi-tasker. Yes, this comes in handy a lot. But, it also creates a short attention span for me. I have a really short attention span. If you send me a YouTube link that’s more than 45 seconds, it’s doubtful I’ll watch it. Distractions happen in my life a lot.

Numero dos: frustration. Yes, I’m an emotional bottler-upper. Yes, I know this is not good for neither me or for the relationships in my life. This is a particular issue that I’ve been trying to work on, but sometimes it’s just really hard. What’s worse is that it then becomes really easy for my frustration to affect many areas of my life.

So how does this tie in with the monkeys? The learning point for me is that I need to learn to not let such insignificant things gets in the way of my overall goal in life. If I lose my focus, it becomes so easy to pummel down roads I know aren’t good for me. The question then becomes how do I stop myself from letting outside forces get in the way? One tool (or I guess two?) that I’m learning plays a huge role in my life is introspection and retrospection. Having these conversations with yourself allows for accountability; there is a definite need for self-accountability.

The first day of my yoga class, my teacher told me the reason for sitting straight so that your neck and spine are in a perfect line. The fluid in your spinal cord flows up and down all the way to the sacrum, but if there is one kink from sitting hunched, or not straight, or whatever, it slows down the flow of the fluid, which in turn isn’t good for your back. We can take this and apply it directly to our lives. If an obstacle comes our way, we need to learn to just straighten it out so that it doesn’t affect our over life. I’m on a direct path of spirituality, and I can’t let distractions and frustrations create a road block. I want to get there quick. I don’t have the time to let something so insignificant as monkeys slow me down.

Today, step back and think about something that has frustrated you or distracted you. If you look at it from the grand point of view of life, was the time you wasted really worth it? That one test, that one argument, that one bad day are just teeny events in your entire life. Don’t let them get in the way of what you want.

Mosquito Bite Count: 3 + 1 on my face | Serious Craving: Cherry Limeade

you know, just chillin

the freaking monkeys

a proton is positive: number 16

hey folks! time for a blog update. school is back in full swing, and at UAB, we’re going in on our 3rd week. it’s crazy to think that senior year is actually here. where has my college career gone? being a senior and 21 was something i only dreamt of as a kid, and now that it’s finally here, i’m not sure what to do with it.

there are a lot of things i have learned in college. i learned that procrastination only works sometimes, due dates are not set in stone, and that as long as you surround yourself with good company, life can’t really be all that bad.

but the most important thing i have learned in college was in chemistry class. the proton. a proton carries a positive charge. it attracts electrons holding a negative charge, and even though it attracts these negative charges, it still stays positive.

we as humans, really need to learn from this teeny tiny particle. for us, the first negative thought that we are surrounded by, we immediately start thinking negative. negativity spreads quicker than spilled milk, and the odor it leaves behind is just as bad. human beings are very influential creatures, but also very easily influences. we want to be fit in, so we will act and think just like the person next to us.

why are we not able to stand firm in our thoughts and beliefs? why is it so uncool to have a positive attitude? protons and electrons have the capability to create very powerful forces, just like the human. yet, we can’t even stand firm in our attitude.

one positive idea, thought, attitude can change the way many people think and act and feel. it takes just one. just one proton carries the energy to practically change the world–why do you think we want to try to split and harness that energy so bad? just like that, one person has the exact same capability.

so use it. use that positive energy and change the world. be the unchanging proton that we have learned about.

and i leave you with this quote:

“You’ve done it before and you can do it now. See the positive possibilities. Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, effective, unstoppable determination.” -ralph marston

peace to all.