Dear world,
I realize at this moment that it has been almost three years since my last blog post. A lot has happened in this time and a lot of personal growth as well... (I hope, haha). I typically get into these blog writing moods as I approach the time to sleep, where it is quiet at the end of the day and my mind begins to process everything that happened from that day. Today, a lot happened, including getting a job offer at my current organization and finishing my taxes, but probably just as important is reconnecting with my passion for empowering others. I had a conversation today with a good friend and then later saw a different friend post a blog that he had just started. These two instances inspired me to go back and look at what I last wrote about in my blogs, which really tells me the mindset that I had almost three years ago.
I noticed a lot of it was from the heart. I am a pretty genuine "from the heart" guy. I like to hear other people's stories, be kind to them, and help them if I am able to. I would say one thing that has changed is that I am able to translate my thoughts into writing more precisely. I'm not sure if this is a product of my undergraduate education or just experience with age. Quite possibly, this may also be attributed to reading more. I have found reading to be one of my "down time" pleasures, especially reading in foreign languages.
My contribution for this piece would be a new set of goals that I created for the new year. This year, I developed the acronym CARMEL. I will now go into detail about what each of these letters means.
C: Create or compose something everyday. This can include art, music, or something physical. We should always be contributing to the world since we are each beings with unique capabilities and specialties to bring into this world.
A: Appreciate each day. Even if the whole day was not the best you had... (remember, we only have bad moments, not bad days. Once you decide the day is over, you just wait and see what happens to you...) there are plenty of things in life to appreciate, especially the simple things.
R: Read each day. Reading has so many benefits to one's intelligence and can inspire new thoughts and ideas. I often read before I write in my journals for inspiration.
M: Meditate each day. Meditation has lately become a more important part of my life. As responsibilities at work become more demanding, it has become increasingly important to meditate to relieve stress and recenter myself. Ways I meditate include drinking tea, watching the waves by the beach, going to church or for a drive/bike ride.
E: Exercise each day. Being a physical being, our bodies are in constant need of attention to stay in shape and perform well. Exercise is also excellent for relieving stress.
L: Learn everyday. Find something that you are interested in and start learning more about it. For me, I am interested in learning new languages, so I am always pushing myself to learn about another language. New learning will come to serve you some way in the future. It also gives you something new to talk about with others.
I will leave it at this for now. Don't want to burn myself out too quick... haha.
Until next time world. Keep those flames burning.
Best,
Christian "The Furnace"
