Walking on “the bridge” in search of meaning

Here we are, stepping on the bridge between two other randomly defined but socially accepted years. I could not refrain myself from thinking that the way in which we define (and also the name by that matter) 2008, 2009 and, in fact, any given year, is totally random if you ask me. I can define My New Year starting on my birthday. I can define My New Year starting with the beginning of spring and the warm weather. I can define My New Year whenever I decide to set my goals for the following twelve months. In any way that I choose to do that, My New Year will be more relevant, thus having more meaning for me than the universally, socially integrated New Year on the 1^st January.

My whole life has been a quest to find meaning; more meaning. I live for maximizing the meaning, the essence in my life. It can also be one of the causes for many of my unnatural hobbies, like the behavioral psychology of males and females and so on. Many times I have failed to comprehend this meaning, while other times I was luckier. For instance I know that my meaning in life is to find and keep happiness. I also know that pleasure (in its various forms) provides me with happiness (in other words, read more on hedonism).

Why do you live?

I suppose that this question comes at a very good time, as we are all the “victims” of self reflection in this period of time while walking on the conventional bridge between yet another couple of years.

Why do you live? Can you answer? Can you write a 3000-words essay, or can you give at least seven bulleted reasons? Why should you focus on this now rather than at another point in your life? Don’t! Define Your Year! Build your own Bridge. And may it be the prettiest bridge in the world. But don’t forget: sooner rather than later you should tackle the pressing question – why do you live?

I believe that people have an innate kindness that would help each of us to maximize our life’s meaning. There’s only one problem that needs attending to: they have to know what you are looking for in order to help you because nobody I know is a genuine mind-reader.

This is my 2009 thought for you: take some time out and find your inner peace! I know I’ll be happy when I eventually succeed in doing that; and that would really be a Bridge that is worth celebrating.

Food for thought: Why is it that even if we share the happiness of somebody we’ve just helped, we never actively seek to offer them some help?

Planning for Life (... or "My Home Away From Home")

Home, for me, was always more than just location. I think at "home" as a feeling, a state of mind that stays with me during many days and nights in a row. Home is tranquility, home is a vivid picture in my head, home is both excitement and relaxation and, of course, home is where I lay my head (as Hetfield sang). Home is also people: the people I live with, the neighbors, friends and family even if they are not bound to the same location or region as I am. Home is everywhere for ma right now. I still lack a house though.

Which brings me to my next point: you always rate your friends. Whether you like to admit it or not, you always rate your friends. And it's always more than the two well-known groups: acquaintances and friends. A good question that helps you rate your friends is: "Can I spend the night (or more nights) at your place?" If you are able to ask this question without even thinking whether it's appropriate or not, than you can rate that friend quite high on your list. If you can ask this question, knowing that the answer will be "Yes", but don't quite want to "use a favor" for this one, you can't possibly rate that friend too high. If you can't even ask, it's never more than an acquaintance. These, under the circumstances that all of your friends have a place to stay and you could also fit in.

All these (and more) being considered, any rating (using any filters) of your friends is bound to be unfair. Why? Because you can't apply hard criteria (as weight or quantity) to soft relationships (as friendships). And that ism as it should be, because friendships (like love, for instance) should be felt and not thought through. After a lot of years (that have passed since I first said this) I still believe good friendships cannot deteriorate even if you see each other twice a year (for example). And I have the perfect case practice to sustain that point of view.

So here I am, home away from home and without a house, with not that much money on my hands, but happy and with the right people by my side. And at the end of the day this matters more! And in this context, I'm planning for life: a masters degree, a career (that will always begin with a job), a relationship and all the things I imagine I'll need in the future. Planning... The doing part has also started, but I have a lot to work on it still. Peacefully!

Food for thought: When you're not afraid of being alone because you can be perfectly happy like that also (at least for some time) it means that your life is on the right path. Hmm???

Here I am...

It’s been a while since I’ve written anything… During this period, one of the most important things I’ve done is that I graduated from my three-year faculty with the thesis: “The Thinking Processes – because we rely on the quality of our decisions”. Another important thing that I’ve done (on the less positive side) is that I’ve hurt a person that is dear to me.

These being said, I arrive into the present, where I currently am, in the middle of a decision making process (it seems that deciding is the only thing that I’ve been doing lately). The decision, one that is common to us all, is “what’s next?” Here I am: lots of time (apparently), no money, (soon) no place to stay, tons of happiness and light-heartedness inside, thinking, or better said, day-dreaming: “Is it going to be all right? Will this choice be the right one for me? Where will I end up? What will become of me?” Here I am, surrounded more than ever in the last three years by my old friends. Here I am, in the middle of this summer that doesn’t make me think about vacation, but about the fact that I am facing a new beginning.

So this is me right now: living peacefully, quietly and filled with positivity, optimism and happiness the last days of this stage, thus having almost the same emotional state that I had when it began. And this fact surprises me because, somewhere on the way here, I was so far from this state that it seemed almost impossible for me to reach it.

Here I am: a GRADUATE! Rounding up this stage, I think about a lot of people and a lot of things that have remained unsaid, undone, and I can only say: “For all of you, LET IT BE!” Let go! Live on! Act, dream, think, write, read, talk, run! Do whatever makes you live the way you like to live! For I will to…

Food for thought: A short while ago I learned this: determination is at times the most valuable characteristic that you should posses at all times.