"I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet."-Mahatma Gandhi

"Your mind is your temple, keep it beautiful and free." Bob Dylan

We are conditioned from early childhood to seek the approval of others—teachers, family, peers etc. Social media amplifies approval-seeking behavior which often leads people to crave external validation and distrust their own judgment. To become a fully functioning adult, we have to unbrainwash ourselves and liberate our minds from these mental albatrosses. Liberating the mind starts with improving our awareness of our thoughts and emotions. The more aware we are of our thoughts and emotions, the better we can manage our thoughts and emotions.

One of the keys to managing our thoughts is preventing others from dominating them. To prevent others from controlling our thoughts and emotions, we have to recognize and acknowledge our own mental autonomy. Happiness and peace of mind come from within. Ultimately, we must control our own thoughts and never let other people’s words or actions dictate how we think or feel. Never let anyone get into your head. Your mind belongs to you and only you. Onward and upward.

"People seldom do what they believe in. They do what is convenient, then repent." —-Bob Dylan”

Modern society is optimized for convenience and the hectic pace of modern life is one of the reasons convenience drives most of the daily decisions we make. Although modern conveniences like cars and remote controls make life easier in many ways, they also encourage a more sedentary lifestyle that can negatively impact our health, longevity and well-being. Also, seeking ease in life for its own sake can unintentionally lead to feeling unhealthy, complacent, isolated and unfulfilled. We often default to the most convenient choice whether it’s how we spend our time, where or how we shop or what we choose to eat without considering alternatives that may be better for us in the long run---but, what are we giving up by automatically choosing the most convenient options?

When we’re hungry, we often choose the food that is most convenient (and probably less healthy) at that moment (i.e. grub hub delivery) instead of actually getting up and visiting a cafe’, restaurant or grocery store. Eating healthier often requires planning and meal preparation time which forces us to trade some time and convenience for better nutrition, better health and better quality of life in return. Convenience certainly makes life easier in many ways but it doesn’t necessarily make life better.

Onward and upward.