Leave some space

Many times we think that we need to be doing something all the time in order to be productive or just to prevent wasting our time. But even so, every so often we think we don’t have enough time or that we haven’t done enough.

What if the thing we haven’t done enough is to not do anything? The thing you’re worried about not having had time to do might just be that you haven’t taken your time to be still, to think, to not think, or to just enjoy being.

I bet there are hundreds of things in your head that you’d like to have time to process, but so many things are left untouched because you don’t have any time for your brain to work with what’s already in it.

When I ride the bus, the train or the subway, I barely see anyone without a phone in their hand, checking up on mail, communities, talking to someone somewhere else or playing games. People are desperately trying to fill out the ’empty’ time  while going somewhere.

Once in a while just try to consciously do nothing when riding the bus or the subway ( or at other times as well! ). Just be still, see if there are something you want to just think about, or just be, without thinking about anything. It’s strangely refreshing and your brain will probably like the time off from all the constant focus shifts that it has to withstand every day.

Spend some time with focus on yourself, just being aware of yourself, how your body feels, how your mind feels. Many times we’re so busy doing things that we don’t understand what we really need or that we’re getting stressed. Maybe you’re having trouble sleeping because you’re stressed without even knowing it or because your head is whirling with thoughts.

By being still and quiet you can sometimes realize that something’s going on inside you, and that you might be able to fix it before it blooms, or think through things so you don’t do it the time just before you fall asleep. When being still and quiet, you may also come up with ideas and solutions that you wouldn’t have otherwise because you were too busy doing something.

Try to leave some space. Sometimes the most productive thing to do is to do nothing at all.

Will is not All

You cannot change your reality with your will.

You can only adapt yourself, you actions and your mindset toward it.

When you realize this, a lot (but maybe not all) of your anger, irritation, and thoughts of unfairness towards you will dissolve.

You will realize what you need to do, and do it, and do it without feeling annoyed about having to do something. The reality is as it is. It’s not good, it’s not bad, it just is. And you have to face it. All the time. Every day. All you can do is adapt, and take action if needed.

On Silence

Enjoy being. Being present.

I used to have music in my ears at all time except for when talking to other people. Really, to and from the bus I used my mp3-player. On the bus I used it. At work, school, home, in the car. The times when I just got to work and realized I’d forgotten my mp3-player or my ear phones, my day was ruined! I mean, who can work a full day without listening to music?

Well, I can now. And I even prefer to do it without music (at least my current job).

Since I started to actively trying to get to learn myself better, and be more present, the need for constant distraction has reduced greatly. I focus on what I do, and wether I have music or not while doing it doesn’t really matter any more. Being present in silence is spending time on yourself, whatever you’re doing. And also my ability to be present and focused increase  when I’m not distracted by music and sounds.

I write this even though I love music. I’ve played in several bands and I’ve been to lots of live shows, but there’s a time for music, and there’s a time for silence. My default mode has switched from listening to music to listening to and enjoying silence. Of course I still listen to music, but when I do, I put on music to listen to it, not to keep it as background noise, as a distraction.

The few times I get home by driving a car, when I stop outside the house and turn off the car, the silence is almost magical. It’s so intense and calming. It’s just you, coming home after a probably lively day (or just from having spent some time in a noisy car), and silence. I sit and breath deeply for a while before I get out, almost as getting ready to face the world again. But actually, I’m almost more present in the world in the silence and presence within the quiet car because there are so few distractions.

I believe that many people listen to music all the time during work and on the bus etc. because it feels like you’re a part of ‘it’ that way. That other people are listening to the same thing and that makes you connected to them the moment you also listen to it. It’s just that it doesn’t matter if you listen or not, you’re always part of the world. I think my ability to enjoy time without music has grown from having gotten to know myself better. Simply starting to enjoy spending time alone, or just being. The need for getting feedback that I’m part of ‘it’ is not there anymore.

Try spending some time in silence, intently forget your mp3-player,  try to spend just an hour without music at your work, or ride the bus without your ear phones plugged in! It might be a really pleasant experience! And also, it’s a very, very simple form of enjoying the moment! (And it’s cheap!)

Maybe you too enjoy spending time in silence and being present? Share this post, and feel free to subscribe yourself! And also feel free to follow me on twitter and retweet this post!

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The awesome feeling of not worrying

"Deep inside, it's always my time" - Cry of a Restless Soul, Lost Horizon

Yesterday I dropped my wallet. It was about 40 000 yen (about 3000 sek) and my room key in it. I  was just about to enter the supermarket when I took off my bag and opened the outer pocket on my bag. Strangely enough, the wallet wasn’t there, so I searched the other pockets as well but didn’t find it. My thoughts went something like: “Oh well, I guess I dropped it. I’d be nice if the manager was home so I can get into my room when I get back”, and started walking home. My heart didn’t even flinch.

This might sound a bit careless, but really, I feel great about having acted so calmly! 40k yen is quite some money, but worrying wouldn’t have helped me getting them back. If I’d worried, the only thing that would’ve happened is that I’d be poorer AND feel worse. My general thought of the situation were: “I’ll do what I can to get it back, and if I can’t, I’ll just have to live with it”.

When I got home I told some friends in the living room that I’d lost my wallet, one of them checked up the number to the café (excelsior!) where I thought I’d lost it, I contacted them and told them that I’d probably lost my wallet there, and they said they’d look for it. Then I used my friend’s window to cross over the roof over to my window and into my own room, so at least the key didn’t turn out to be a problem!

I fell asleep later that night without a thought about it.

I know many people that wouldn’t have been able to do that, and some people  even told me I was crazy for not worrying about it. But why? Accept the moment as it is, and make the best of it. It’s really the ONLY thing you can do! Even If you worry about it, or if you accept it as it is, it doesn’t change the situation. It’ll be 100% the same either way, except for your mental and physical well-being. And I prefer having my mental and physical well-being in good shape. Accepting the moment doesn’t mean that you just drop it, not trying to change it, not at all. You can do that all you want to fix it (probably even should, if you don’t like it), but with energy and calmness in your mind and heart.

Having a clear mind without stress or worry is probably also gonna help you do the best of the situation. You can think clearer, act clearer, and you can sleep soundly at night, giving you energy enough to fix the problems you might have.

In this case:

• What about the money I would’ve had if I hadn’t dropped it!? – That’s a fantasy future you’ve made up. It’s in your head, and it’s not real. Stop worrying about it.
• But I HAD them! – That’s in the past. It’s not the truth anymore. Drop it, accept the moment as it is and act mindfully and appropriately the way you think will most likely get them back.

In the end, I got my wallet back. I went to the café after school, they remembered me from the phone the day before and returned it to me. I thanked them heartedly and celebrated by getting a coffee. It was really tasty! Even if I hadn’t gotten it back, I’d still be happy for not having worried about it, and for having made my present more important than my past and my fantasy future!

Every moment of your life is your life, moments of awesome and moments of not awesome all the same. Honor all moments of your life by not worrying about moments that are not!

If you feel you can accept the moment and not worry, or if you like the idea of feeling calm and peaceful all the time, feel free to subscribe! And also feel free to follow me on twitter and retweet this post! Tweet

– What’s up? – Ah, you know, my life.

Look how nice this forest is. How could you possibly enjoy it if you were away in thoughts at the same time? You probably wouldn't!

A little more than a week ago I was sitting at a café with a friend, having a talk about ideas and thoughts of life, and he brought up that he’d read an awesome book, which was one of the things that got him started to really think about life and living in a new way. Since he mentioned that it was one of the most important and interesting books he’d ever read, I felt I had to read it.

I’m in the middle of it right now, and it’s hard to express how awesome it is, because I don’t think that I quite understand even myself how great it is yet.

It’s about the present moment. To fully live and understand the thing about the present moment, that everything that happens in your life happens now, and only now, and you will only experience things in the present moment. Not in the future or in the past, those are things in your mind, but all you really will experience is your now. It sounds so simple and so obvious but it’s at the same time so damn hard to actually grasp that your life is, always has been and always will be NOW.

If you think it’s obvious and easy, try to stay focused for just one minute in the present moment, without slipping away with thoughts about the future, the past or some other fantasy. I tell you, it’s pretty darn hard. You would think that it should be the easiest thing in the world to just sit or stand or do anything at all, and at the same time not think about something else, but it’s surprising how much harder it is than you imagined.

Sometimes I think I have grasp of the present moment, but then I find myself thinking of things far away from now, like what I’ll do when school in Japan is over, what I want to do in the future, what I’ve done the last couple of days or even years ago, even though I thought I was fully present at the time. It’s scary, and it’s something I’m trying to pay attention to every day, every moment.

How much time do we waste thinking about things that’ve already happend, or that might happen (but probably won’t, at least not in the way we’re imagining it), instead of focusing on what’s our real lives, that is, the present moment?

(Btw, there’s a fat earthquake going on while I’m writing this (NOW!), I love how it gets my adrenaline pumpin’!)

If you also feel weirded out the idea of the present moment (or maybe you’re already there?), (or are experiencing earthquakes right NOW!), feel free to subscribe! And also feel free to follow me on twitter and retweet this post! Tweet

Awareness and Happiness

Do weird things! Stand upside down!

I’ve been in Japan now for almost 10 months now. I took a trip to Korea for 18 days not long ago.
Since I started to live abroad I’ve started to appreciate lots of things I never even thought of before when I was in my old life with the perspective I had back then. Since I moved away I’ve gotten perspective on my own life, on the world, and insight in many other things. I’ve become interested in improving my self, my way of thinking, my mind, my life, the world and in nature.

I’ve become aware of habits and mindsets that I have that I thought was common in the world even though they’re not, and because of that I’ve begun to appreciate them too. Things my parents told me and taught me when I was younger have suddenly sunk in through the thick layers of my own “perfect ideas” I had when I was little, and I’ve started to see the value in them.

I love that I’ve become aware of these things and I love that I’ve started to appreciate them, and I can’t express well enough the awesome feeling of having lived abroad and get perspective! It’s amazing, and I feel that my life has become so more interesting since I came here!

I’ve started reading books that’re contributing to my life, and not just for fun (that doesn’t mean they’re not fun, I enjoy every second I spend reading them!).

Small things I’ve suddenly become thankful and happy for:

My parents’ teachings:
– I chew with my mouth closed. Not everyone in asia does that, not even many.
– I clean up after me. As we all know, people in the world who cleans up after themselves are pretty rare
– I believe in myself.
– I like myself
– I cover my mouth with the crook of my arm when I sneeze. This is common for people in general, at least in Sweden, but I haven’t spent much thought on it before. In asia people mostly sneeze in the flat of their hands which they later use for, well, everything; opening doors, holding on to something to keep their balance on the train etc.. I’ve heard that it doesn’t matter much in asia because people don’t greet each other with handshakes… unless they greet a foreigner. I feel a bit of terror every time I grab on to something on the train or when I shake hand with someone here. At least I think it helped me to finally stop biting my nails!
– I cook my own food. My teachers have been impressed even by a egg+salad sandwich I made myself. I was embarrassed ^^
– I keep my room and my possessions clean.
– I take time for myself to just be.
– I value myself over mindless work.
– I say no to things I don’t want to do (unless they’re really unavoidable).

Other things:
–  I get filled with joy when I see children playing and often wave and smile at them.
– I often seek eye contact with strangers, just for a moment, and often offer them a smile.
– I try to help others as much as I can.
– I’ve been inspired to live my life.
– I like watching nature.
– I get shivers when I hear about nature friendly energy sources (solar power <3<3) .
– I’ve started sleeping regularly.
–  I’m me.

These are things that came to mind just now, but I feel now that I am way more aware of small things now, that I didn’t spend much thought on when I was still in Sweden, and had no bigger thoughts on life itself.

I’m so happy that I’ve come in contact with the people and blogs that changed my life, and are still changing it!

Love your life! Pay attention to things around you and feel inspired by them! Enjoy life’s moments and don’t settle for something you don’t feel is right!

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One week clothes update

Two weeks ago (or something like that) I posted that I’d try to wear the same set of clothes for at least a week in a row. So I did it. I didn’t get even one comment on it, and it didn’t feel very strange at all. It felt good though to have completed the mission, but it wasn’t such a big change after all, since I find myself all the time wearing basically the same set of clothes for longer periods of time anyways even when I’m not in a challenge.

I can’t really say it saved me time either, since I usually don’t spend much time choosing clothing in the mornings (I don’t have that much to choose from anyways ^^), but it did bring some sort of peace of mind, because it totally eliminated even the choice to choose, and that can be very calming.

I’m sorry I haven’t taken a picture of the outfit yet, I just think it’s so boring to take pictures and manage them, but I promise I’ll fix one within the week and put it in this post.

The art of borrowing

Awesome concept, bike sharing ❤

Where I live now, in the guest house here in Japan, we have a table in the hallway called ‘The Free Take Table”, and you can put whatever things you don’t need or want there for others to take for free. I LOVE that table, it’s sooo useful! I’ve found many many things there that I’ve had use for, and I’ve put many things there that I didn’t have use for.

On of the first evenings here when I was new to the guest house, didn’t know much of the language or where to find anything, I had a slight problem: I didn’t have any lens fluid for my contacts, and I didn’t know where to get it. Since I was travelling with only hand luggage, I wasn’t allowed to bring larger quantities of fluids with me (who knows what kind of bombs you can make from lens fluid!?), so I only brought my lens case filled up.

And then I walk by the free take table and… YEAH! There’s a half full bottle of lens fluid, standing there, because someone recently moved out and apparently didn’t need it anymore! That is so fantastic. Instead of just throwing it away, you give it to someone else.

But the title says ‘borrowing‘, right? There are different kinds of borrowing. Short term and long term (and probably other types as well), and the awesome thing about this place is both of them. I’ve long time borrowed some pillows, a back support I can have in my bed to transform it into a comfortable chair, a laundry box, clothes etc. And when I’m moving out here, I’ll just put them back for others to take. And also sometimes when I’ve been in need of a specific tool, like a cutter to cut the strings after restringing my guitar, I’ve found one on the table. I just borrow it, cut the strings and put it back. It’s not like I restring my guitar all the time, so I don’t really need it forever. People who live here also have different hobbies and jobs. One guy is a carpenter and another one likes electronics, so if I need to borrow tools, I can just ask the carpenter, and if I need adapters or cables, I can just ask the other guy. It’s really handy!

The problem with borrowing is finding people to borrow from. I have a huge advantage since I’m living in a guest house and meet people daily when I have breakfast or dinner or when I’m just hanging out in the kitchen. That’s where the thing I’ve been reading about so much lately come in: Community. I was kind  of not interested when I first read about in in different blogs, but I’ve come to realize the importance of it. It’s a way to make new friends, to be able to borrow things without having to buy something new for money everytime you need it, and then store it away in your house when you’re not using it. And it’s a great practice for social skills, which I think many people need practice in : )

It’s kind of sad that mostly we live door to door with people we never meet or talk to, and mostly don’t have any relations to our neighbors, that thing kind of disappear after you stop being a student. I will really miss having the opportunity in living in a place like this when/if I move back to Sweden. I have a feeling I will feel lonely if I live in an apartment alone.

Summary of borrowing:
– You save money
– You can get hold of things fast
– You can make other people happy
– You save space
– You can make friends
– It supports creating community

Do you have any good ideas of how to create community, or better relations to our neighbors? Feel free to post them! Do you have any awesome experiences of borrowing or lending? Post them too! : )

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Who needs lots of clothes anyways?

I just read a post from the blog Castles in the Air about having the same outfit for 7 weeks and I got really happy when read it! I thought it sounded pretty fun, and since I’m usually wearing the same clothes for at about one week in a row anyways, I think I’m gonna try to extend the period for a try.

Most of the clothes I have I really like, that’s why they’re selected as the few ones to stay with me while the rest is put on the free take here in the guest house where I live. You may call me a dirty boy (;D) but I’m not of the opinion that something that’s worn has to be washed after every use, especially not pants and sweaters. I can understand people wanting to wash socks and undies though, and I do that to.

I mostly like simple and brownish clothes, so I think it’ll be a fast decision. I’ll post a picture of my fancy outfit someday soon when I have it on picture. Feel free to join me for at least a week and tweet about it!

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