Thinking inc.

Comment a thought of yours. I will think about it for at least 5 minutes undistractedly. I won't offer any advice, but I will process it in my mind.

What happened when I switched from soda and coffee to coffee alone

 I used to drink 8 diet cokes a day and 6 cups of coffee a day. I went cold turkey on the soda while keeping the coffee. I usually drink coffee black, so it's fairly healthy. Here is the breakdown of effects:

Day 0: I felt great, and my mood improved.

Day 1: I slept well last night.. I felt increased energy at noon. I'm a better conversationalist, and I'm content. I have slight withdrawal in the form of tiredness, mental fog, low motivation, and irritability now. That is coming from the absence of artificial sweeteners.

Day 2: I woke up and my mom offered me tea, perhaps because I didn't drink all of her sodas recently. My dad too was nice. I woke up at 7:30 AM instead of the usual 11 AM when I'm off from teaching. That's good because for someone like me who is completely insane, sleep hygiene is important. I drank another black coffee today, studied Yiddish and Spanish, meditated, and texted my fiancé. It's 9:18 AM.

Don't watch the clock as a teacher

 Set an alarm telling you when class is almost over, and if you glance at the clock that's OK. Being overeager as a speaker makes you nervous. Focus on the content and thoroughness  more than time.

Vignette 2: Waving

 I got into a long time habit of waving at people driving by. I was at the bus stop for high school waving at all the drivers. I did this every day for a few weeks. Then Karen, the girl who stood there with me, returned from being away. All the drivers were suddenly waving at me and she said, “What the HELL is going on?”

Levels of wellness: everyone's levels of balance are different

 My friend John Ahn made a brilliant point that I just hadn't found my levels. I was still living at home, I was spending a little too much, and I wasn't eating too well. I was on the right track though. I exercised, I meditated, I read, I had hobbies like chess and writing, and I had a job. So what are the aspects of life that need balance, and what are each of our levels? I'd like to write about mine then invite him to write about his.

1. Diet

My level is that I need to eat fairly healthy, but in a way that is easy, manageable, and delicious. I need to be a weight of between 160 - 200, which I am, and I need to cook, which I don't. I need to spend very little on food and not drink soda. I cut out soda, but I do eat out too much. 

2. Alcohol and other vices

My level is none. I can't tolerate those things. 

3. Exercise

I need a little bit. I walk a lot for fun, box sometimes, do qigong sometimes, and other calisthenics, but I don't go wild

4. Money

I need about 45k a year to manage my lifestyle. I can struggle on with less, but 45k is good enough to be at the optimal level. Right now I make about 38k. I have a little savings, but I am breaking even with my income statement each month. So not bad, but this is in fact my biggest weakness. 

5. Spirituality

Perhaps this is spiritually materialistic to link with the other things. I need a ton of this. I need to meditate many hours a day either in walking, standing, sitting down, or lying down form, read about it, try new techniques, and think about it a lot. I also need to meet with great minds in any way I can. It's significant for me. I'm somewhere near where I want to be.

6. Intellectual

I need a little of this, though my excellent memory allows fantastic retention so maybe I am just getting my fill. I know a lot of facts and theories, and am very creative, but I don't need to spend a lot of time on it. I'm lucky in that way. Others may have a different level.

7. Hobbies

I need a moderate amount of these, as I said, from chess, to writing, to cooking, to martial arts, to travel. I'm about where I need to be.

8. Friendships and relationships and family

I need a lot of friendship, a lot of time with my close family, and a little time with romantic relationships. At least for now. I should say though, with romance I get a lot of joy from connecting rather than the physical aspects. That's a good thing too. I don't have a girlfriend, but I occasionally go on dates which lead next to nowhere. That's not my priority right now, but the level's not quite where it ought to be. 

9. The future and hope

I need a lot of this,  and I generally have a lot of heart. That's a description no one self applies where I come from, but that's OK. As John Ahn reminded me, failing to plan is planning to fail, so in pursuing my doctoral applications, writing books, teaching, thinking, and reading, perhaps a plan is in order. 

I invite him to write a similar level article. 

Genesis 4 NIV: Bones and Bones

 

Bones and Bones

4 Bones[a] made love to his wife Bones and she became pregnant and gave birth to Bones.[b] She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth[c] a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Bones.

Now Bones kept flocks, and Bones worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Bones brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Bones also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Bones and his offering, 5 but on Bones and his offering he did not look with favor. So Bones was very angry, and his face was downcast.

6 Then the Lord said to Bones, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

8 Now Bones said to his brother Bones, “Let’s go out to the field.”[d] While they were in the field, Bones attacked his brother Bones and killed him.

9 Then the Lord said to Bones, “Where is your brother Bones?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

10 The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”

13  Bones said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”

15 But the Lord said to him, “Not so[e]; anyone who kills Bones will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Bones so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Bones went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod,[f] east of Eden.

17  Bones made love to his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Bones. Bones was then building a city, and he named it after his son Bones. 18 To Bones was born Bones, and Bones was the father of Bones, and Bones was the father of Bones, and Bones was the father of Bones.

19 Bones married two women, one named Bones and the other Bones. 20 Bones gave birth to Bones; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Bones; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes. 22  Bones also had a son,  Bones, who forged all kinds of tools out of[g] bronze and iron. Bones' sister was Bones.

23  Bones said to his wives,

“Bones and Bones, listen to me;
    wives of Bones, hear my words.
I have killed a man for wounding me,
    a young man for injuring me.
24 If Bones is avenged seven times,
    then Bones seventy-seven times.”

25  Bones made love to his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Bones[h] saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Bones since Bones killed him.” 26 Bones also had a son, and he named him Bones.

At that time people began to call on[i] the name of the Lord.

The Gospel According to Bones

 

1 Many as well as Bones have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among Bones and others, 

2 just as they were handed down to Bones and others by Bones who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 

3 With this in mind, since Bones have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, Bones have decided to write an orderly account for Bones, most excellent Bones,

4 so that Bones may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

The Birth of Bones Foretold

5 In the time of Bones king of Judea there was a priest named Bones, who belonged to the priestly division of Bones; Bones' wife Bones was also a descendant of Bones. 

6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. 

7 But they were childless because Bones was not able to conceive, and Bones were both very old. 

8 Once when Bones' division was on duty and Bones was serving as priest before God, 

9 Bones was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 

10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. 

11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to Bones, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 

12 When Bones saw him, Bones was startled and was gripped with fear. 

13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Bones; Bones' prayer has been heard. Bones' wife Bones will bear Bones a son, and Bones are to call him Bones. 

14 Bones will be a joy and delight to Bones, and many will rejoice because of Bones' birth, 

15 for Bones will be great in the sight of the Lord. Bones is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and Bones will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before Bones is born. 

16 Bones will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 

17 And Bones will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Bones, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” 

18 Bones asked the angel, “How can Bones be sure of this? Bones is an old man and Bones' wife is well along in years.” 

19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to Bones and to tell Bones this good news. 

20 And now Bones will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because Bones did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” 

21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Bones and wondering why Bones stayed so long in the temple. 

22 When Bones came out, Bones could not speak to Bones. They realized Bones had seen a vision in the temple, for Bones kept making signs to Bones but remained unable to speak. 

23 When Bones' time of service was completed, Bones returned home. 

24 After this Bones' wife Bones became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 

25 “The Lord has done this for me,” Bones said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away Bones' disgrace among the people.”