Nihilism, Life, and a Cure for Boredom

Today, I came upon a blogger who seemed to revel in negating life. Yes he was a nihilist, and nihilism, is intrinsically pessimistic.

I agree that life situations are (sometimes) boring. We have to sit in on rainy, gloomy or wintry days, without sunshine, perhaps for weeks at a time.

But isn't the very prospect of sunshine at the end of those days hope-inspiring?

If we were always 'high', if life were one continuous flow of high voltage experiences, how long could we endure it?

Boredom is just one of the wide (infinite?) gamut of mental states the human being experiences. Isn't the never ending thirst for stimulation or excitement, the root of the problem? 

But that is what all of mankind does. 

Isn't that what we all do, when we scamper to the countryside for a weekend getaway, or throng the dance bars to party the night away? 

Nobody really knows what they are searching for, and try to fill up each moment with another (hopefully) 'enjoyable' activity.

That pit never gets filled up. It is like a black hole that sucks in every thing you have. 

We get exhausted.

Is there an alternative?

Yes and no.

You are the alternative.

Listen to what is going on inside you.

     Your actions.

        Your body sensations.

             Your breath.

                 Your thoughts.

In that order of ease.

Actions are the easiest to keep your awareness on. Thoughts change fast and it will take time before we can learn to keep track of them.

If you keep paying attention to these, I can guarantee you will never be bored again.

Watch, and let go. Watch, and let go.

Your life will be a never ending journey of discovering newer and newer knowledge.
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15 Sure-fire Techniques to Rise Early

Rising early has a lot of benefits. Besides giving a head start to the day, it lets you enjoy the cool fresh morning air, do exercise/meditation without disturbance, work on your pet projects, spend time with your spouse, reflect on life goals…

Many people find it difficult to rise early. They feel they have not had enough sleep. Part of the reason is that they were not relaxed at the time of sleeping and this condition prevailed throughout the night.

The following tips let you jump out of bed early in the morning, as soon as the alarm goes off:

1. Associate with people who are early risers
2. Schedule an activity that you enjoy, so that you do it as soon as you wake up:
• having tea/coffee, reading a book, jogging in the fresh air, writing,...
3. Have a clear vision of your life goal/goals
4. Have a specific list of tasks to do for the day
5. Roll off the bed as soon as the alarm rings
6. Have a preset routine to follow as soon as you get up:
• Wake up 5 am, brush teeth 5:05, bathe 5:15 …
• Use trial and error to adjust this routine
• If you are not able to keep it, fine. Remember Emily Coue’s affirmation: Day by day...
7. Use a daily diary to mark the times when you went to bed and got up
8. No matter how many times you fail, be patient with yourself. In times of desperation, say to yourself: “Day by day, in every way, I’m getting better and better”*
9. Fix a time for going to bed so you get sufficient sleep.
10. Sleep requirements vary. Find out how much sleep you require to be fully refreshed. A heavy stomach can increase sleep requirement.
11. Avoid stimulating movies, books, discussions etc. before going to bed. These agitate the mind.
12. Before going to bed, soothe your mind by playing calming music or meditating.
13. Before lying down, sitting down and counting breaths from 10 to 1 is an excellent exercise to let go of the day’s frustrations, and to come into this moment. It goes like this: as a breath comes in, say inside: 10 in. As it goes out, say: 10 out. Continue till you reach 1. 10 in, 10 out; 9 in, 9 out; 8 in, 8 out; 7 in, 7 out;…………….1 in, 1 out.
14. As you lie down to sleep, repeat an affirmation to yourself. It can be a better health affirmation: “I am getting healthier/I am healthy.” It can be for wealth “I am getting wealthier/I am wealthy” or any other goal.
15. When you are feeling too uninspired or depressed to get up, do not beat yourself up. Relax under the covers, and say “Day by day, in every way, I’m getting better and better” and “I love myself. I accept myself. I approve of myself as I am now.”

*Note: This affirmation is from Dr. Emily Coue, the 18^th century French physician. He gave these affirmations to his patients to repeat. The healing rate increased dramatically.

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Never Say Die

Listening to this angelic voice sing, it is hard to believe he lost half his tongue to cancer.


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