There is no happiness except in the realization that we have accomplished something.

I have been spending a lot of time considering leisure and how it never fully satisfies in the end like hard work does. My mind and my body are inclined to laziness but are not satisfied with it once given slack. This is an old problem, but one that must still be addressed. Honestly, I think it would be more beneficial to just sleep whenever I have brain fatigue. It allows my mind a chance to rest and store the information it has just learned. I wake up refreshed and ready to work again. Leisure allows me the chance to minimally restore some of my mental energy, but I lose hours and have nothing to show for it. I don’t think this is a harsh way to live, I will have a richer fuller experience. When I speak of leisure I am referring to what the average person indulges in during his/her free time. This includes browsing the web, playing video games, watching TV, small-talk with individuals. There are certainly kinds of ‘leisure’, in the classical way we think of leisure, where the mind or body is still exercised to some degree and therefore no shame need be associated.  When I speak of this I am referring to athletics (physical training), meditation, edifying discussion, games of the mind, and so on. Right now the greatest obstacle I need to overcome is my infomania. I do love reading new things and browsing the web, but the stream of information is too noisy and does not suit my college life. The prime objective here now is to calm my mind and concentrate the stream of information. This is an effective way to attain greater retention as well as overall skill.

The other thing I have felt challenged about is my tender heart. This poor instrument beats it drums loudly for even the slightest movement. I am without a car or any convenient mode of transport, although there is a decent bus system I use. Generally, I walk a little under a mile a day. This is my estimation. Although that is not too terrible, it isn’t good either. There is a significant connection between a healthy body and a healthy mind. I do ensure that I eat well and restrict my diet to foods that will keep me thinking clear, this is important. The other side of the coin is physical training. I must confess that in this area I am completely languid. I enjoy the burn of my brain rather then the burn of my calves. Regardless I am set to press myself for at least sometime each day. The benefits are proven! People who exercise, even moderately, are significantly healthier and have more energy. In addition, there has been some studies showing a correlation to increased attention and improvement in cognitive abilities… this brings us back to that mind body connection.

Here are some links

Why I love the internet

A useful tool for the RSS addict

More for the aesthete within

Filed under: Body, Cognitive neuroscience, Health & Development, Mind

Dealing with expectations

So I’ve decided that I’m going to use this program SleepChart to document my sleep patterns. It creates a nice graph so you can sort of see how things are going visually. I really need to start getting this under control as I was late today for tutoring because I overslept during a nap… In addition I am out of shape and eating a poor diet. So… here are my goals.

I will settle into a nice bi-phasic sleep schedule.. 4-6 hours sleep with 1-2 hour nap afternoon.

I swim at least three times a week during operating hours of 5-7.

I will inter-space my meals into a series of light snacks/light meals when I am hungry or feeling a drop in focus.

This is a good space for me to start… So as for other things I came across this interesting video. http://fiftypeopleonequestion.com/ Although I don’t think the question itself is mind blowing, it’s an interesting look into the hearts and minds of so many diverse people. The style of the film really creates a nice effect.

Filed under: Body, Health & Development