As I couldn't sleep last time, I had the idea to write this article : there was at least one positive aspect to my insomnia. I believe there always is something positive hidden (sometimes with a lot of dedication) behind something negative (it's actually called a blessing in disguise). Don't you ? Alright, so here is a list of things you could do when slumber won't strike you down.
Go For A Walk
Do you ever go on a night stroll ? This is an activity I'm most fond of and it's particularly effective to clear a clogged mind. I haven't done it in a while but trust me when I say it's exhilarating. Especially so because the night is full of wonders which a soul living in daylight will not pay much heed to. Once in a while, dare look up from your smartphone screen, and observe the starry sky...
Write Down Your Thoughts
This one can be helpful for many reasons. If you are afraid of forgetting what the night is murmuring into your ear, perhaps getting up and switching on the lamp on your bedside table could be a bright idea (you caught the pun, I'm sure you did). To be honest with you, it is the one I abuse of the most. Whenever an idea smites me, I have to smash it back onto a sheet of paper, before it is gone forever. Before it becomes... lost poetry.
Read A Good Book
I insist on good. If you have poor tastes, perhaps you should consider restraining yourself from opening such sacred an item or even laying eyes upon it in the first place. Should I add up that I'm joking ? Ahem... So yeah, essentially, a book will do the job. Just be careful with page turners, alright ? The idea is to eventually sleep, not to spend the whole night reading.
Draw Something Pretty
Don't draw if you cannot draw. If you don't have it in your DNA, forget it, it's not possible. Read a book instead. There are good books about learning to draw, by the way. So, buy one up and read it. Beware, there are practical exercises in them and doing them is absolutely useless. It is known. So just rip those pages out* and finish the book as quickly as possible.
*Don't man! A noble soul shan't mistreat a book, haven't you read the Bible ? (I couldn't say where, there are a lot of pages, but I'm sure it's in there okay!)
Meditation
As long as you're in the right mindset, meditation is for everyone (and every position fits...).
Let's be serious for a second and push sarcasm aside. Meditation is about many things. Relaxing is one of them. So focus on your breathing and forget about all else. All else. There aren't any set-in-stones rules when it comes to meditating. So just keep it simple : Close your eyes and allow yourself to feel okay for a few minutes.
What You Shouldn't Do (IMO But It's Still Scientifically Proven)
Struggling to sleep is no good reason to spend more time on your smartphone or your computer. These evil F*ers will only keep you awake the whole night and won't allow your brain to rest. So have some self-love and leave them off and as far from your bed as possible.
Thank You
It has come to my attention that our community is rapidly growing. As this could not be happening without you (we're a team guys!), I would like to thank you again. Fear not, I will do it again (and again). So, if you want to be among all the amazing (and mad, let's not forget it) people in this community, you only need follow this blog (via email or WordPress). If you aren't following this blog (because I am not good enough for you?), you may still drop a like or a comment (only if you believe this post made an exception and is better than all the ones whichpreceded).
Let me share a poem I translated with you. I found it tricky to translate, as I used some idiomatic expressions in the original French poem. Just like another poem of mine named Ghost, I adapted it more than I translated it. It makes more sense to me to adapt my work, rather than merely (literally) translate it. Perhaps one day I will write a blog post about translation and its intricacies... Anyway, back to the poem!
Facing the starting line,
I glimpse the horizon
whilst my fingers burn with sweat,
caressing the steering wheel,
and leaving a long trail
of perspiration.
The checkered flag
soon will go down.
I fire up the engine,
and position my feet.
I seize the gearshift,
drunk with elation.
The engine snores,
my heart swells.
They are revving up,
then calming down, in sync,
when I let go
of the gas pedal.
Pressure is burdening me,
but exaltation rules my body.
A question worries my mind
just like last time,
and the time before that.
The flag whips the wind.
I crush the accelerator
and race ahead.
I sweep my worries away
till next time,
in case I reach that sublime
finish line.
Thanks for stopping by and reading this post. I hope it was helpful ! If it was, feel free to like, comment, share &/or stick around for more. You can also follow my blog (via WordPress or Email) and be sure that even greater content is yet to come !
I am back with a new translation of one of my French poems. For those of you who can read French, you may notice a few differences, as I chose to remove a few lines from this English version. I made it more concise, as some words felt out of place. Translating involves hard choices such as these, and I have no regrets. This poem sounds much better as it is now and, since it's my work, I guess I can adapt it rather than purely translate it. I'm more into that anyway. Something which renders well in one language may well sound awful in another, so I'd rather adapt my poems instead of just literally translate them.
Forgotten
Invisible
Unimportant
Insignificant
Appearing
Disappearing
Nobody
Ever spots me
Unknown or
Disregarded
Nobody sees me
Who would
Yes who would
Pay any attention
To one of my kind
I am
But don’t really exist
Society
Removed my identity
I am nothing
But a wandering
Endless, aimless
Soul
Eternity has condemned me
But humanity
Has forsaken me
Thanks for stopping by and reading this post. I hope it was helpful ! If it was, feel free to like, comment, share &/or stick around for more. You can also follow my blog (via WordPress or Email) and be sure that even greater content is yet to come !
Today, I would like to speak (write?) about another popular (and mostcontroversial) topic : To-do lists! As a quick disclaimer, I'd like to say that to-do lists do have some upsides and may perfectly fit into your lifestyle or workflow. This article is not meant to discourage you from using them but to reflect on why and how you use them. One of my biggest concerns regarding our society is that students aren't being taught how to properly organize themselves in school, when methodology actually is the door we all need to open in order to achieve all our dreams (and so much more!).
What Is A System ?
A system is a way of organizing yourself. Making to-do lists on a daily basis can be defined as a system. A morning routine can also be considered as such, although it is a very general expression, and let's also include journaling. If you have any other ones in mind, feel free to share them in the comments.
It is most likely my way of organizing myself will not satisfy my sister or my brother, yet it works wonders for me. We all are different, so we should all function differently. A system should be personal, not universal. So why should everyone follow the same morning routine ?
A Difference We Should Embrace
I would like to warn you about morning routines. I am aware they are most trendy these days and influencers such as YouTubers spend a lot of their time on camera to tell you how great they are at waking up in the morning. There's one thing they generally omit however : They haven't always been waking up at 5 a.m everyday. Perhaps they've only had their routine for a few weeks, months, or years, but it doesn't matter so much as the idea is essentially to get a lot of views with a video that will match thousands upon thousands of google searches.
I used to enjoy watching these videos, you know. I used to believe it was necessary for the sake of productivity and happiness to follow a strict routine. This belief exists no longer. Over the past 5 years (approximately, who's counting anyway?), I have tried a variety of ways of organizing myself. I experimented with no organization at all (yes, that counts), strict routines & waking up at 5 everyday for many many months, to-do lists, journaling and, finally... systems.
System = Freedom
I don't think I will ever come back from them. Not because I do not intend to change anymore, but because they are so much more flexible! It is truly liberating. Systems encourage you to look for what you could optimize on a daily basis. A system is not meant to stay the same forever. It is meant to adapt with you, as you and your needs are changing.
Routines can't last forever. It is most likely you won't wake up every single day of your life at the same time, and you will not even want to. There will be days you won't be in the mood to follow the typical morning routine or to-do list, and that's okay! There will be days the only list you will want to follow is that one :
TO-do list for the day :
Wake up.
Be awesome.
OR worse :
Wake up.
Go back to sleep.
My Personal System
Listing things gives you an overview of what you have to do, it's true, but a to-do list on its own isn't flexible enough, and neither are morning routines.
You shouldn't take too much time planning (no more than 15 minutes a day) either. Otherwise you either are wasting your time or planning has become a hobby in itself for you (which isn't wrong, as long as you enjoy it).
This is what I do once every week (not always on the same day, because I'm not rigid, or at least I like telling myself that I am not) :
I open up my journal (because I like journaling, and it keeps me from wasting a lot of post-its where I used to jot down to-do lists).
I date each page like so : DayXthMonth (here I write what time I got up) and just below that line I add between square brackets the number of days I have been living with the "same system". It actually matches more the number of days I've been journaling, as my current system has evolved a lot in a year (and 20-something days), but you get the idea.
I divide each day into 4 categories :
Priorities : It is self-explanatory, it's what you want to focus on today. When I worked as a waiter, I put my shifts into that box. These days, I usually write blogging into it.
Optional : The Optional stuff is filled up with things I enjoy doing and which I may like to do that day if I want to make the time. I am not going to feel guilty if I complete none of them, as they are optional. I like to fill it up with ideas of what I could do if I get bored or activities which will motivate me to jump out of bed the next morning. It can be a good idea to fill up that category the day before, and not a week in advance, so that you have an accurate idea of what you'll want to do when you wake up.
Unplanned Events : As I have been enjoying more free time these days, I have given more space to that box and removed a few lines from optional and priorities. It is essential for me to leave some space to unexpected things. What if someone needs my help ? What if it takes me longer to write a blog post ? What if I suddenly feel the urge to watch a movie instead of going to class (just kidding I'm not a student anymore) ? This category has got you covered !
TIL/Ideas (TIL: Today I Learned) : Learning something new everyday means a lot to me, whether it be related or unrelated to my main fields of study. I won't lie to you, there are days I write nothing out of laziness. But most days I write something. Plus, I realized several times that when this box remains empty, it means I actually did my job incorrectly and wrote things that should be there in Unplanned Events or Optional (It does happen, don't laugh at me! Please?)
Up above is how I organize my day. If the only thing you've noticed is how I wrote the date in French and the rest in English... I have a word starting in F for you but I won't say it, since my parents taught me to be polite.
My conclusion
Don't feel guilty if you don't tick off all the items on your to-do list. If you haven't done it, you need to find out why and change accordingly. Odds are you have set into place a system which is not right for you. Perhaps it only requires a few tweaks ? Only you can figure this out. One system cannot work out for everyone. Find your own way of organizing yourself !
How do you organize yourself ? Tell me in the comments ! :)
Thanks for stopping by and reading this post. I hope it was helpful ! If it was, feel free to like, comment, share &/or stick around for more. You can also follow my blog (via WordPress or Email) and be sure that even greater content is yet to come !
I believe I have already told you that ideas are everywhere. They truly are. As a concrete example, I will tell you what inspired this post : an idiom. Not just any idiom, mind you, an idiom which I am most fond of, for it reminds me of some powerful experiences I had which led me up the path I tread this day. A path I wish for you to follow too, if you desire so, as it makes me most happy.
Curiosity Killed The Cat ?
You must be familiar with this saying parents (and teachers?) use to warn their children of the negative consequences of curiosity. Well, let me tell you this : It is a BIG FAT LIE.
When I was a kid, I deeply believed that curiosity was a bad trait. I associated it with being nosy and annoying. People don't like being asked questions, and hence there are questions which should better remain unanswered. That, I can agree with to a certain extent, as long as said questions are personal (or confidential, of course).
However, I would argue that the ones who spread such ominous words often forget the second part of the saying.
Curiosity, Gateway To Endless Learning
The complete saying is : "Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back". Yes, people, curiosity has the potential to be deadly! But doesn't everything have such potential ?
Curiosity is a healthy addiction, and sugar isn't. But do you ever warn your kids about sugar ? Do you ever tell them that evil sweetness is just as ravaging as putting your nose where it doesn't belong ? (If you do, please don't say it here, it wouldn't serve my point.)
Curiosity is the origin of an endless thirst for learning which shall never be quenched, but we should happily accept this fate. Curiosity is the essence of life. It fuels your motivation to live on and, without it, what would we do ? Curiosity makes sharing possible, when your neighbor comes about and genuinely ask you about your job, your wife, your son, your new promotion... Curiosity makes you a good researcher and, above all, a good listener.
Curiosity isn't a bad trait. No, it is a quality people (you, me, them, us, you know what I mean...) should cultivate. Focusing on mastering one trade IS good, but being curious of other trades is even better. It should remind you that you don't know everything, that you can be clumsy at times too. If you're into history, shouldn't you naturally turn to geography instead of forever focusing on one character or one decade in a forgotten century? If you like geography, shouldn't you naturally become interested in politics, economics, and whatever you can think of. What if you don't consider yourself a scholar ? Does it mean you should not be curious of all trades or topics ? I do not believe so.
Curiosity And Humility
Curiosity is also here to remind us to be humble. What did Socrates say ?
"I know that I know nothing"
Socrates
That's right, this is what Socrates said. Or at least, what Plato wrote, because I hold no proof whatsoever of Socrates's existence. Knowing that you know nothing (like Jon Snow) is one of the only certainties you can ever have in this life, and I find it most humbling. It's when you think you can't sharpen your skills any sharper or learn something new that you are in danger. In grave danger. When you get into this mindset, you leave space for depression. When you get into this mindset, you stop learning. And when you stop learning, well... Can life still make sense ?
* * *
The Kitty In The Picture Is Cute, Right ?
I mean... Just look at that adorable paw... ^_^ Anyway, I just wanted to add a few words regarding pixabay.com. I need to thank them (big time) for all the great-quality and copyright-free pictures I found on their website. If you are a fellow blogger, check them out. They are most helpful and it's all free.
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