In the Pacific, the U.S. is arming a few islands as a show of solidarity to allies and a rallying point for continued attention from foes and friends. It will likely dissipate as forces ebb and flow and turn to other issues.
This has been an edition of Boring News. We Unsensationalize News.
I know I like to think that I'm immune to the stuff, closer to the truth I say I can't get enough, I'm gonna have to face it I'm addicted to soda. I drank about 8 cans a day, plus two cups of coffee. I read Allen Carr's The Easy Way to Quit Caffeine, but I was treatment resistant. I talked to therapists, psychiatrists, family, friends, healers, and AA members. I was one of those unfortunate souls.
Then, I found the answer in the Unlimited Sip Club. They have a deal where you get Unlimited free soda and coffee for $10.99 a month. I signed up and saved 18 dollars a day, or about $328,000 dollars over my lifespan.
They don't like me too much over there, but I stuck it to the man.
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.
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.
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.
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?”
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.
