Saturday, January 30, 2021
Music Meditation: Ancestral Home (R Carlos Nakai) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-RGBQicUns
Question: What recharges your batteries more: alone time or socializing with other people?
Answer: Definitely alone time. In most situations, I need to get away from people, especially after a presentation or workshop, although I found that I need less alone time to recharge when I’m hanging around the like-minded souls of the Life Design Catalyst Tribe. Although through high school and for my first three years of college, you wouldn’t even know that I was in a room. Very much an introvert, except when I was around my small group of friends playing Dungeons and Dragons or engaged in some type of sporting activity. Other than that, I was pretty much alone. When I was younger, most of that alone time was spent in a state of depression and, once in a while, contemplating suicidal thoughts. It’s always fascinating to me how some people find a way to get through the painful struggles of their lives (and their past), where others never seem to let things go and use those struggles to keep them from moving forward. I never remember having purpose and/or meaning in my life back then, but something must have kept me going through the “dark” times. Today, I feel like I’m at a good place, using the alone time to do something to help me grow and be a better me, instead of using the time to drown myself in self-doubt, fear, and other negative thoughts. Thank you God for keeping me around…
Other Stuff
This week in all three of my classes, I’m having the students create a self-care practice. I have found, over the year, that most do not have any kind of daily routine that helps them calm their mind, keeps them focused, or reduce stress. I always move my body, even more now than in the past, but I also noticed when I can engage in additional practices, I have a tendency to have even better days than just movement/exercise.
If you’re thinking about or interested in engaging in some type of self-care practice, check out this video by Tim Ferris, author of the “4-Hour Work Week,” “Tribe of Mentors,” and “Tools of Titans” and a host of other books that I’ve read and loved (you can check him out here: https://tim.blog/). He also did this short video (less than 5 minutes) on developing a morning routine. The first recommendation always makes me laugh, but after hearing him say it (and reiterated by another great speaker), I have committed myself to doing it every day. To learn what that first lesson is, check out his video here:
- How to Create a Better Morning Routine (Tim Ferriss) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHAyE0UC5I4
My morning routine:
- Read at least one article or chapter in a book right after I wake up.
- Do some type of cardio workout, typically for an hour.
- When done, stretch for 15-20 minutes and do 30-40 push-ups and 30-40 sit-ups.
- After my shower (since January 1, 2021), I start the morning off with a 5-minute meditation and answering a journal question – which I’m posting every day this year.
That’s how I start my day, every day. What about you? If you have a morning routine, please share.
The Dream Dean 