It's been a really insane past few days.

As I mentioned in my previously unfinished post, the holidays are an extensively crazy time in my household. However, the past few days have been more hellish to say the least. I don't want to sound like some form of curmudgeon (seriously), but it's been tough dealing with the issues that are happening around me, from business to plumbing issues to a blizzard here in the Northeast where I am currently. The activity is nonstop, and to be very honest I'm glad I took some time yesterday to be able to reset and get done the things that I need to do rather than devote my really precious time to other things. I'm not trying to sound condescending here, but I really do have a lot going on (as do others who need help, but two things can be true).

I haven't written at all the past few days and I realized that I need to be more mindful to do so. My mind is somewhat like a pressure cooker: things happen around me, I get these insane inner thoughts that circulate in my head, and I need to find a release. Writing, exercise, cooking, being with family and friends, and other aspects of life that are non-stress inducing are my pressure cooker release valve, whereas things like work, bad weather (honestly!), and other shitty aspects of life add to the pressure. I thought about creating and releasing an audio program called Pressure Cooker where I would just speak what's on my mind and release it unfiltered. It might be a good idea. Let's see.

The thing about a pressure cooker is that it is actually useful for something: it makes food. It uses high amounts of force, it has a mechanism to release that force if it builds up too much, and out comes delicious sustainance that we can gratefully consume to live. We need the end result of its actions. But like everything in life, there are negatives to it's existence (look up the connection between the Boston Marathon and pressure cookers to see what I'm talking about): the thing that can allow people to have life also is the same thing that can take it away. Same with knives, same with water. There are always two sides to every story.

As such, in my mind, there are two sides to the coin. The first side is that I have these thoughts in my head, and I have this wonderful gift to be able to receive these thoughts from the environment I interact with. I can play with ideas, turn them over, twist them, and see what comes out. The other side is that when bad things happen, I get really deep, dark, bad thoughts. I mean REALLY dark.

I know what happens to people with dark thoughts. Turn on the news any one of these days and you'll see what I mean: people get hurt. I don't believe in being the aggressor in any situation, and as such my morals prevent me from taking on that kind of action. However, even good men turn. As such, I need that pressure release valve in my brain. For me, this is one of those ways.

Thank you, whoever you are out there (if anyone) reading this. I appreciate your being a part of my pressure release journey. At the end of these writing sessions I feel a sense of peace and calm, kind of like how you feel a sense of release after the gym. And for you to be a part of this meditative process means a lot to me. I'm grateful and thankful.

I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season filled with joy and love. Let's get after it today and revisit our thoughts tomorrow.

Vivek

It's been a really insane past few days.

As I mentioned in my previously unfinished post, the holidays are an extensively crazy time in my household. However, the past few days have been more hellish to say the least. I don't want to sound like some form of curmudgeon (seriously), but it's been tough dealing with the issues that are happening around me, from business to plumbing issues to a blizzard here in the Northeast where I am currently. The activity is nonstop, and to be very honest I'm glad I took some time yesterday to be able to reset and get done the things that I need to do rather than devote my really precious time to other things. I'm not trying to sound condescending here, but I really do have a lot going on (as do others who need help, but two things can be true).

I haven't written at all the past few days and I realized that I need to be more mindful to do so. My mind is somewhat like a pressure cooker: things happen around me, I get these insane inner thoughts that circulate in my head, and I need to find a release. Writing, exercise, cooking, being with family and friends, and other aspects of life that are non-stress inducing are my pressure cooker release valve, whereas things like work, bad weather (honestly!), and other shitty aspects of life add to the pressure. I thought about creating and releasing an audio program called Pressure Cooker where I would just speak what's on my mind and release it unfiltered. It might be a good idea. Let's see.

The thing about a pressure cooker is that it is actually useful for something: it makes food. It uses high amounts of force, it has a mechanism to release that force if it builds up too much, and out comes delicious sustainance that we can gratefully consume to live. We need the end result of its actions. But like everything in life, there are negatives to it's existence (look up the connection between the Boston Marathon and pressure cookers to see what I'm talking about): the thing that can allow people to have life also is the same thing that can take it away. Same with knives, same with water. There are always two sides to every story.

As such, in my mind, there are two sides to the coin. The first side is that I have these thoughts in my head, and I have this wonderful gift to be able to receive these thoughts from the environment I interact with. I can play with ideas, turn them over, twist them, and see what comes out. The other side is that when bad things happen, I get really deep, dark, bad thoughts. I mean REALLY dark.

I know what happens to people with dark thoughts. Turn on the news any one of these days and you'll see what I mean: people get hurt. I don't believe in being the aggressor in any situation, and as such my morals prevent me from taking on that kind of action. However, even good men turn. As such, I need that pressure release valve in my brain. For me, this is one of those ways.

Thank you, whoever you are out there (if anyone) reading this. I appreciate your being a part of my pressure release journey. At the end of these writing sessions I feel a sense of peace and calm, kind of like how you feel a sense of release after the gym. And for you to be a part of this meditative process means a lot to me. I'm grateful and thankful.

I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season filled with joy and love. Let's get after it today and revisit our thoughts tomorrow.

Vivek