Yin and Yang

Light and Dark, Good and Evil, Right and Wrong, regardless of who you are, the natural balance of life is impossible to escape. What comes up, must come down. What goes around, comes around. All of these saying are based upon the foundation of Balance. Our existence wouldn't be worth living without balance. Because of balance we have good, light and right. Which in turn, creates evil, darkness and wrong. They go hand in hand. The further I continue down this journey of mine, the more I realize how important Balance is. The key is moderation and simplicity. Do things lightly, without confusion. When you do something, commit yourself to that action completely. The best thing about Balance is that you don't need to do anything for it to exist in your life. We can focus on doing things the right way or wrong way. We make that choice. Life presents us with the opportunity to make choices. There is always more then 1 option and there is always a natural balance. Two roads to choose from, left or right. What we choose will lead us to two outcomes which are perfectly explained in an old Cherokee tribe story which goes;
"One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about an internal battle that goes on inside all of us. He said, "My son, there is a battle between two great wolves inside of us all. One is evil, it is a liar, filled with hatred, greed and ego. The other is good, it expresses joy, love and compassion and is filled wit happiness and love. The grandson thought about his grandfather's words for a minute and then asked, "Grandpa, which wolf wins?" The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

It is up to you to choose which road you go down, what choices to make, or which wolf you feed.

-Ace

Honestly, we know nothing.

I am a strong pursuer in the betterment of myself and my surroundings. I am obsessed with being the best I can possibly be. On my search for perfection, I have found some truly extraordinary things. First off, our perception of reality is warped. We trust the information that has been passed onto us and we accept it fully as correct. Whether this be out of laziness or ignorance or social acceptance, it doesn't matter. We still accept it. Why don't we fly off the planet? Oh, because of Einstein's laws of gravity. But we can't prove gravity. It's just a theory. Do you personally know? No, of course not. It's an absolute mystery. One more thing, did you know that there are people in this world that believe the Earth is hollow and made up of columns that lead to a hidden society underground? We can't even prove them wrong because we haven't gone to the center of the Earth before. We just disregard this as insanity because our "laws" tell us that the Earth is made up of molten lava that circulates, which creates a suction, if you will, that creates Earth's gravitational pull. Throughout history, we have tried to logically explain all of Earth's mysteries without really knowing what we're talking about. Life cannot be logically explained. If our brains have come up with some type of answer for life that makes sense to us, it's probably incorrect. Our brains cannot process the magnitude of life. Just as we cannot fathom the depths of the universe. It's like a 5 year old trying to understand what it's like to be 90 years old. They can't. They can see a 90 year old, talk to them, know them, even try to be like them. But they will never truly understand what it's like until they are 90 years old. This post has really no point other than to make you question what you accept and believe without reason. If you believe in something, and truly believe in it, you better have a good reason to do so or else it can be easily manipulated. Our beliefs are incredibly strong and important. Just know why you believe in something. It will strengthen your soul to know why you commit yourself to ideas or others beliefs. Don't just think. The only difference between knowledge and wisdom is that wisdom is just applied knowledge. Wisdom is knowledge in action. Be careful with what you have faith in.

Goals

I recently read a quote that said, 'If you don't plan your life, someone else will for you." And that got me thinking, what are my plans? What do I intend on doing with my life? I have answered these questions plenty of times but only in mind. Never on paper, I never wrote down a step by step list on how I would attain these goals. So, I sat down, armed only with pen and paper and began to write out my ladder to my own personal view on success. It made me realize how I could take small steps towards my goals each day, which is great. I truly feel accomplished knowing I took a step forward with my future. It's such a good feeling that I decided to share it. I encourage any of you who haven't done this to take that first step towards your future. Start big, with only the big picture stuff in mind. Who do you want to be, how do you want to look, how do you carry yourself, what will your profession be, when will you get there, where will you be and why do you want to do/look/be that way? Then work down from there, from personal, to health, to professional, everything must be analyzed. Say you want to be healthier, look healthier physically, then that would be a big picture goal. Eating an apple everyday would be a small picture idea. It's still a step forward, with the big picture in mind. Regulating your life and planning your time will only help. Try it before you knock it.

-Ace

The Alternating Senses

As we grow older, we learn. It's inevitable that our experiences will undoubtedly teach us more about ourselves and our environments. It's crucial for us to grow, but we shouldn't forget where we come from. It's an important exercise to remember what being a child was like. If you can't remember that, then spend some time with kids. As humans, we have a craving to discover the unknown, it's always been that way. Unfortunately, because of that reason, we are losing more of life's mystery. Life NEEDS mystery in order to fascinate, inspire and create. As we grow older we tend to define and judge everything around us and I am beginning to realize the cause and effect this has. It's come to the point where we are uncomfortable if we're staring into the unknown. Kids don't have that type of experience yet and to be honest, we don't either. We just think and assume that what we know is right. I implore you to assume you know nothing about your environment or the world. If you were to walk through a fresh garden during spring time after every flower had began to bloom, what would you see? Flowers, right? What you're missing is life's beauty and perfection. We can name each flower, we know why it's in bloom, and how to do it ourselves. In fact, it's not even that difficult. That's the problem. We aren't really seeing whats in front of us. We are letting our minds analyze and interpret our surroundings for us. The mind is an incredibly useful tool but it is horrible at Seeing, Feeling, Hearing, Smelling and Sensing. It is not the brains responsibility for those sensations. Get in tune with your other senses and realize that they are just as important. The Earth will open itself up to those who appreciate her.

Journey with the Ronin of light (Part 1)

This is a short story I wrote, just wanted some feedback to see what you all think. Thanks for the help guys!

~Ace

I began to collect my thoughts, I tightened my grip on the hilt of my sword and took a deep breathe.  In front of me my opponent stood beneath the faint moonlight. He was a massive creature, with no facial features. From a distance they almost looked like men, but their movements gave them away. They moved with the shadows, gliding over complete emptiness. I hated every part of these damned creatures.

 My shirt was torn, my hair ran through my eyes and the mark his blade left bled from my shoulder. This is not how I wanted things to go.
Rain began to pour from the heavens. Our eyes met and I rose to my feet. Rage boiled inside my heart but I had to keep a cool head. Emotions get you killed in this world. I focused on my next move and began to see the blade cutting through this creature in my mind's eye. But before I could execute my perfect attack, my opponent lunged forward, his sword high, ready to end this fight. I was more than ready. He thought because he was larger than I was that he posed some type of threat to me. The fool. All samurai knew that the only true power comes from the heart. But this thing was no samurai. I would show him just how strong my heart  really was and these creatures will learn to fear that strength.

In an instant, his blade came down my center. I side stepped against the blade and sliced through his abdomen, in one motion I turned back to face him. You would think a blow like that would end any man's life and normally you would be correct, but these were much darker times than you have endured. These creatures came from shadow. They had no remorse, no compassion, no heart. I watched the beast smirk as black smoke began to seep through the cut I had just made. Once again, rage began to swell inside of me, an ever growing fire that was howling for the end of this creature. I would not control my anger this time. I leapt into the air with a shout and cut through it again.

Instead of black smoke coming from the wound, light began to stream from it like a small river. Now the creature wasn't smirking. Now, it was my turn to smile as the creature became a ball of light and vanished. I don't really understand why I have this power, no one I have ever crossed could defeat these beasts. I'm not even the strongest swordsman. I have only practiced this art for 18 years, from the time I was 6 years old. There are masters that have been perfecting this art their entire lives that would put my skill to shame in seconds, my father among them. I tried not to question why I was the only one who could eradicate this darkness from our lands but I would find out why. There had to be a reason, there was always a reason, always a purpose behind every action... Right?

 It has always been in my nature to be curious. I have lived as a ronin for quite some time, it's the simple life I have always wanted. Traveling from place to place, practicing my martial art under waterfalls, on mountain tops, and deserts, experiencing life and nature was who I was.  I have always been content with my life and myself but unfortunately, that time was over. Now, I lived in a state of constant attack. I didn't rest, I didn't have companions or loved ones here, the only real things to me now is the heart in my chest and the blade in my hand. That is all I needed and all I could rely on anymore. 

Darkness was seizing our lands, taking everything we held most dear. But I knew light still existed. It had to. Darkness cannot exist without light and I would find that light and restore the balance of this place by any means necessary. The rain began to harden. It cleansed my skin. I looked up into the dark sky, took a deep breathe and let the water run through me. Even this awful time had it's benefits. Even now, balance could still be found. That helped.  I sheathed my sword, picked up my pack, and headed towards the faint light of the moon. A glimmer of that light was all I needed, just a small glimmer of hope and I would give myself to it completely, with arms wide open.

The Invisible Walls

There are days that I wake up, sit myself up against my wall and spend some time watching my salamander explore his cage. After a few minutes I feel some sort of connection with Zenna. I begin to sympathize with her, yet she’s just a salamander… In fact, some of you might say that she is better off in that cage than being out in the wild. I beg to differ.

I’ll admit that she has cleaner water, more food availability, absolutely no predators, and plenty of space to roam around. Yet, her life is completely in the hands of someone other than her own. Her freedom is gone. Her life confined by four invisible walls. Maybe she has everything she wants, but without the freedom to do what she wants, her life is left uncompleted.

Now, I realize she is just a salamander. These feelings that I receive, transcendent of her, don’t even cross her mind. Yet, they are still produced. Why would I feel this way when I have given her everything she has ever needed? In the brief time that I sit, watching her clime the falls or hide away in her rock cave, It becomes clear that these feelings are none but my own.

Sometimes I feel that even though I have everything I need at the moment, my life is incomplete; in other words, my life is not my own. We live in a world surrounded by these invisible walls, whether they are social or personal. They ultimately have control over our thoughts and actions and even determine the fate of our lives. So how do we gain control of our life? How do we break these walls and free ourselves to be who we really are? This question can only be answered by you and no one else.

I believe we all need to look deep inside ourselves to find what is real and what is not. We must not fear the abstract or obscure. We must be free to express our feelings and emotions eve against other’s disapproval.

Zenna may only be a salamander, but I see the angst with every press against those walls. With every push I see life making way for improvement and betterment. We can learn a lot from all of nature’s wonders, but only if we are willing.

Jordy 

The Balance

No one ever sees themselves as the "bad guy". We allow ourselves to think that we are in the right because we understand why we made certain choices with our lives, but that's not necessarily the truth. It is crucial to be honest with yourself, to learn from certain experiences instead of just blocking them out or pushing them out of your mind. You need to be real with yourself and everyone around you. That is the only way you can really grow as an individual. If you want to better yourself, you have to know your flaws. No one knows you as well as you know you! With that said, I am currently trying to find the wrongs I've committed in my life. "What man is a man who does not make the world better?"  We must take this responsibility seriously. Our lives are much greater than we can understand. We can't comprehend the impact we have on our planet, our homes, or each other. Have respect for that ignorance. We are all going to make mistakes, hurt the ones we love, and be ashamed of certain choices, but that by no bounds means that you should give up. There are very few exceptions when it comes to quitting. As a society we have gotten so used to being able to quit something we don't like or something that is too difficult. One of my favorite quotes says; "If I was dropped out a plane, into the ocean and told the nearest land was 1,000 miles away, I'd still swim. And I would despise the man that gave up." To me, that quote says it all. For the majority of us, our lives are no longer about survival. If we lose our jobs, our families, our homes, we are still alive. It isn't about life or death for us. Which is why I encourage all of you to act as if your life depends on your choices. We have all heard the famous quote; "Live today as if there was no tomorrow." But the majority of us have no idea what that truly means because we don't appreciate our lives in that way. I mean, be real with yourself, how often do you wake up smiling just because you woke up? Just because it's a new day with unlimited potential? We don't. We wake up dreading going to work, wanting to sleep more, hating our alarm clocks and it's pathetic. Don't allow yourself to be so weak. When you are faced with a challenge, fight it! It's an obstacle that you're going to learn from. Hardships can be a beautiful thing with the right attitude. Throughout my entire life I felt like a zombie. I was just going through the motions of my life because it was just repetition, repetition, repetition. I made it that way not knowing there was a different path. Hopefully this opens your eyes a little more because I can guarantee that a small group of you know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm not saying I wake up every morning jumping for joy now, everyone has their off days. But I am damn happy to be alive. My energy, my attitude, is an explosion of happiness. I choose to be happy because I now know how to. I would love it if you could just read this article and immediately feel happy, but it doesn't work that way. I am so happy now because I was so miserable for the past few years. I have found the balance in my life. But I paid a heavy price to feel this way. Through unhealthy relationships, mental breakdowns, and a feeling of loneliness that I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy, I have come to find myself. A large part of me has died and been reborn through the ashes. Through understanding your life, loving who you are, you will find that being happy is quite easy. Just be willing to fight for your happiness. Be willing to endure pain for glory. You all have the ability to share, spread and create love. So choose to be the person you know you can be! I have faith in every one of you and I wish you all luck on your journey. 


- Ace

The Information Age

Do you remember when computers were first being put in homes? Do you remember when you got your first cell phone? In June of 2010 it was estimated that there are now 292.8 million wireless cell phone subscriptions, just in the U.S. There is also over 1 billion active facebook users online as well (although we must account for fake accounts as well). We are living in a time where technology is completely immersed in our way of life. We have made technology our tools for work, school, entertainment, socializing and even fighting. We use technology to communicate, to clean, to see and to share ideas. There is no denying that we live in a technological era.

With this quick-paced change in our society, we must also adapt fairly quickly. It seems like a large number of problems have arisen from this change—such as hyperactive disorders, obesity, asocial behavior, technological dependence. So how do we combat such a large and gripping change? Like we always have. As humans we have to think critically for ourselves and for others. We have to look at the reality of what things are and think: is this necessary? How many times have I been on Facebook today? Why do I keep checking my phone? Is this really who this person is? Is any of this important to me? These are just a few questions that I have personally asked myself and have realized how subconsciously I am attached to these social sites or entertainment sites.

A possible obstacle we might face is staying attached to our roots. As intelligent and advance as a civilization we might be, we are still organisms. We are a part of an ecosystem and we to make sure our actions won’t artificially influence this ecosystem. Another obstacle we might face is that of being technologically dependent. We have already begun to rely on technology heavily. So what can we do to keep this, just like any other aspect of our life, in balance?

Just some quick ideas I thought of was the very simplistic and beautiful art of gardening. Let’s plant trees! The world can always use more trees and there are a bunch of different kinds out there that will fit your living conditions. Riding bikes is a past time and shouldn’t be forgotten. It’s not painstakingly challenging and it’s a good way to workout. Go on a hike, read a REAL book, build something, strike up a conversation with a stranger. There are so many ways we can keep in touch with our true selves and all it takes is a little effort.

I hope you enjoyed this piece and would love some feedback. I would also love to hear your ideas about ways we can stay connected and keep a technological balance in our lives. As always take it easy and feel free to speak to me or Adam at any time!

Peace,

Jordy

What Should I Believe?

Something I commonly get asked is, what do you believe in? Although I know they are talking about religion, I really just want to bombard them with all my morals and values. I feel like this question is a double-edged sword. They seem interested and want to know more about who I am, but my answer could totally be the defining moment in our relationship, whether it bonds us for life or keeps us at an arms distance. I feel like there is a lot of pressure on people to choose a religion or a faith and stick with it or be shunned by your community, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

I was born and raised in a Right-winged, conservative, republican, Christian home. I went to church every Sunday and would go out to eat with my family afterwards. I remember the day when I realized, “Christianity is all opinion? It’s not necessarily true?” This blew my world apart. I started looking at the world more critically. In fact, I denounced my faith and to this day I have not claimed one for my own. Now, when I explain this to people, I tell them, “I don’t believe in anything.” Immediately, my response is, so your atheist. No I am not. Oh so you are agnostic gotcha! No I am not. I am my own person, with my own beliefs and morals. Yes I do have some similar values that other religions hold, but I haven’t found one that I agree with completely.

When it comes to it, you should never feel pressured to be a part of a community you don’t agree with 100 percent. You don’t have to accept truths that are, well… not so true. Be real with yourself and determine what you think is right or wrong. When you find these answers for yourself and stop depending on outside influences, your spirit will thank you and you will be liberated from oppressive judgement. As always, I would love your feedback and even your opinion on the matter. If you ever have questions or comments me and Adam would love to share an open-minded and open-hearted conversation with you.

Peace!

Jordy

Chivalry

Welp, here we are. I can literally sit here all day and discuss the reality of chivalry. How it's changed and developed throughout history and how it exists within our lives today. And how pathetic and disrespectful men are nowadays. These days I am just happy to meet someone who takes care of his significant other. Real men have started dying out. How the majority of men treat women is a disgrace. My mother and sister have played a huge role in my outlook on women. I've seen the strength, love and bravery they are capable of and it fills my heart with pride. I have such respect for the women in my life. Throughout my life, I looked up to these women because of what they were capable of dealing with while still maintaining their love for their families and friends. I could not be more proud of my Mother and Sister. It is because of them that I see the value of chivalry. Anytime I would ever see or hear anything that threatened the integrity of my family I would snap. To this day, that is the only time I could justify causing another human being harm, besides out of self defense, of course. These women are a huge part of who I am, and I will love them dearly until the end of time for giving me such a strong heart. My sister is a very strong individual. I wouldn't call her a feminist, but she is. and I love her for that. However, we butt heads on certain issues. I am very old fashioned in my chivalrous ways and a large part of me wants to protect anyone that can't defend themselves. People who are physically weak and vulnerable. In no way am I sexist, I can't underline that enough. I do not think, by any means, that men are superior to women. But men, are physically and mentally meant to protect, take care of, and provide for their significant other. More and more I see men commit vicious crimes against women because they can. Because they are stronger. If we had more chivalrous men in this world, they would serve as protectors, as I do. If I ever saw someone, man or woman, getting mugged, beaten, or  violated, I would crash down upon those individuals like a hurricane. I have no patience or respect for anyone willing to take advantage of someone just because they are weak and can't defend themselves. I have studied the martial arts for a large part of my life and it is the most sacred form of knowledge that I have some understanding of. The heart of martial arts is to protect, defend and honor every living creature you come in contact with. We all have the power to take care of each other. I am not encouraging you to interfere with someone that is committing a crime, just be willing to take action if you can. Call 911 if you can't. Think about how you view women/men and see why you have the outlook/opinion about the opposite sex that you do. It'll help you understand why you act the way you do around the opposite sex. The better we treat each other, the better impact it's going to have in our world and in our lives. Every journey begins with a single step. I implore any man reading this to take a step towards being a better person and start respecting any woman you come into contact with and be real. Be who you are.

-Ace

Childhood

When I was a child, I remember always wanting to grow up. To be able to buy my own toys, have millions of dollars, no bed time, and spend everyday doing what I wanted. No school, no vegetables, nothing I didn't want. That is what I thought being an adult meant. No responsibilities. As I got older, I missed being a child. I missed being ignorant about certain things. The older I got, the more difficult life seemed to become. I told myself it was because I was focusing on bigger things now, bigger problems, and that with age came greater responsibilities. I believed that. Now that I am much older than I was in those days, I see now why my problems have become larger and more complex. It's not because of my age, it was because I knew so much more than I had when I was young. The more you learn, the more you think you know.

 The truth is is that we judge everything in our lives. Everything. We see a flower, and immediately look away, having seen a million flowers before. We see the sun, the stars at night, rainbows, thunderstorms, and we are no longer as impressed by life as we once were. We think we know what it is. Our brains tell us exactly what we're looking at, we classify it as something we know, and we discard the natural beauty and perfection of life. When you're a child, you have NO idea what things are, what we see, what we feel, or hear is overwhelming simply because we don't know what it is. And with that comes fascination and wonder. Everything is new and that's where the problem begins. We desperately attempt to know and understand everything around us, leaving no room for amazement or curiosity. No magic. We get used to our surroundings and we adapt to them. Once I realized this, I decided to turn over a new leaf in my views of the world. Literally. I began questioning everything I saw each day. I forced myself to recall every piece of information I had heard throughout my life, trying to find a new way to look at things. But I was quickly disappointed. I could see the beauty, but I didn't feel as connected to the Earth as I once had as a child. With that thought came a revelation. I couldn't see the beauty because I was trying way too hard to actually see something. I had expectations of what life would look like and when it didn't come out that way, I was so disappointed and ashamed that I was so blind. Could life really lose it's beauty like this? I once read a Buddhist quote that said; "To truly be happy, one must see through the eyes of a child." Before I hadn't really understood that quote, but I do now. A child has no expectations about life, about anything really. And that is what we must do. We must stop ourselves from judging everything we come in contact with. Leave some room in your day for amazement and wonder. Start small and work your way up. Hold a flower in your hand and meditate on the perfection of this living organism. Focus on the stars, but don't put constellations together. This isn't going to come out right, but pretend that you know absolutely nothing of what you're looking at. Don't try to figure anything out. Allow your curiosity to flow through your body. When you stop yourself from judging anything in this life, you allow yourself to be amazed, you allow yourself to find the beauty in every living thing on Earth. That alone is enough to bring someone happiness and joy.


-Ace

ADD/ADHD

So, as most of my friends will tell you, I have ADD and an insane amount of energy. This is a tough subject for me to discuss because I don't like talking about my problems. I would rather be talking about more positive things. My friend told me that his grandma used to tell him that a problem isn't really a problem if money can fix it and I have a hard time disagreeing, though I'm sure there are some cases that could change my view. To me, real problems are when it's a life or death situation. How we view problems in our lives is something we all need to reanalyze. We complain about everything. There is literally a meme called first world problems and I guarantee that the majority of people have said some of those scenarios before. Anyways, My parents had me tested when I was younger and decided not to put me on medication. Thankfully, I have the most incredible mother who has always looked out for my well being. Without pills, my only outlet for my ADD was physical activity. When I channel my energy into a certain activity I am a tornado. If you've seen the Looney Tunes Character the Tazzmanian Devil, you'll get the idea. I've noticed that I am the happiest when I am moving and the more I concentrate on slowing down, the better I seem to get at it. Any time I am required to sit still or read, I have a mental war with myself. I feel like I could implode at any moment and it has taken me years to be able to concentrate for hours at a time. Now, When I look at reading a book as a mental exercise and let my brain work out, I feel a lot more relaxed. Practicing meditation, yoga and tai chi has been a godsend for me. There are times when I have wondered how differently my life would be had my parents put me on medication. I know I would have academically succeeded far greater but thinking that I would be physically dependent on this drug to help me function isn't okay with me. I don't want to take or use anything to be who I am. The path I have chosen has been incredibly difficult. Before I had a handle on this I didn't know how to handle it. My heart goes out to any kid that has to deal with that, but I am so grateful that I overcame this obstacle. The tests we are put through in life are mind blowing. What we learn opens our minds and hearts to the beauty of life. I truly believe that we are already in heaven. Regardless of how hard my life might be, I am grateful just to be able to experience it. No matter where you are, you have the chance to be someone greater. There is always room for growth in this life. That is a good thing. Fear and pain are a part of life. Get used to them so that they can't slow you down. Push back. Inner peace is worth the effort.

-Ace

Time

Lately time has been going by so fast that I have no idea how to keep up. I've been working two jobs and have been in a completely new environment. It's hard not to be proud of myself after all the obstacles I have overcome this last year but I want more time to expand myself as an individual. It's always so hard to find time and it requires a great amount of motivation that needs to be nurtured. It's a true test of someone's character to see how they manage their time. Especially in an environment that demands a full schedule. We allow ourselves to be lazier than necessary, the majority of us enjoy distractions and the amount of time most Americans spend in front of a television is unbelievable. It makes me incredibly disappointed in our society and generation which is why I wanted to cover this topic. What someone does in their alone time says a lot to me. I am somewhat of a workaholic. I love self improvement, I love working towards a higher goal and I will give myself completely to what is important to me. Sleep is less important to me. If I could, I would choose to never sleep again. If sleep wasn't so beneficial to the human body I would try to completely stop. In this day and age, we have unlimited resources. You literally have the world at your fingertips and people waste their time and lives on facebook, twitter, youtube, etc. These websites are beneficial but the majority of us abuse them completely. It's out of balance. In one of my previous posts I stated how important balance in life is. Moderation. Anything can be beneficial but only when used the right way. Too much or too less of anything isn't good. When you can find the balance in everything in your life, you will achieve a higher form of happiness and enlightenment. You know, in your heart, what is good for you. What you need and what will make you a better individual. With that said, my point in this article is to help you start paying closer attention to what you're doing with your free time. Being consciously aware of every minute of your day will help you take steps to achieve your goals and dreams. Rest and vacation are essential to a healthy body and mind. In no way am I saying that overworking yourself is a good thing, but we tend to underwork ourselves. We can achieve so much more if we simply stopped allowing laziness to own our lives. The more aware you are of what you're doing the better things will be. Change is difficult. Making a life change takes time, effort and motivation. You have to focus on why you're making this change, why it's important to you and how you plan to accomplish your goals. Go slowly. Take your time. You don't want to explode on a goal, just to burn out in 6 months. As always, Jordy and I are available to offer advice and help. Feel free to email us any questions or recommendations.


Cheers,
Ace

So Much Noise!

 Everyday I wake up to hear my salamanders cage. I walk outside my room and at one time I could possibly hear a blow dryer, the washer, the traffic behind my house, the animals playing, food cooking and a variety of other sounds. On my way to school or work, with my windows down, I hear cars and my music and the massive amount of wind flooding my car. Every where we go there seems to be white noise that we don't give a second thought about. One thing I wonder though, do you hear the silence?

 When I'm walking to class yeah there can be quite a bit of noise, but I don't focus on that. I focus on the silence. I focus on the stillness that exists among all the noise and you can't imagine the impact it makes. When you are stopped at an intersection and there is that moment in between the the yellow light turning red, and then the other lights turning green, do you ever pay attention to the silence in that moment? Although it may only be a second of your time, it could feel a whole lot longer.

 Finding that silence or stillness can have a lasting impression on the rest of your day. The day itself seems more calm, more tranquil, less worrisome. Many people complain about all the electronic devices we have these days and how much noise there is wherever you go, but the quiet is still there and ever-present you just have to find it.


~Jordy

My journey to San Francisco

In the beginning of May of this year, I was going through one of the greatest struggles of my life. I had recently gone through a break up that nearly destroyed me, I lost a good amount of my identity and anger was coursing through every vein in my body. I wanted to explode. I was so out of touch with myself that I didn't know how to even deal with being alone. I was trying to find myself and failing. I almost jumped into the military but two weeks before I was going to sign my military contract I had an accident and dislocated my hip and a section of my spine. I was a mess. My sister has been living in San Francisco for 5 years now and had been pushing me to move up here. Not only would we be closer to each other, but the opportunities here are so much greater than where I was. In a week I decided San Francisco was the place for me. I moved in with my sister on May 12th under the pretense that I was going to be in my own place by June 1st. An easy task, however, I had barely any money in my pocket and I was completely unfamiliar with the city. I didn't have a car, no jobs lined up, nothing. The only people I had for any type of help was my mom, her boyfriend and my sister. I decided this was my last real chance to do something I wanted, something I desperately needed. I threw myself into the city. I was going to eat San Francisco alive and become everything I knew I could be. Immediately, I had people voicing their discomfort with my move. It seemed only my family had faith in me. Failure is never an option for me but I was already thinking that myself, but to hear that voiced consistently  was hard to bare. Within a week of being in the city, I had a job, after two weeks, I had two jobs. Then I found my place. It was perfect. 10 blocks from my sister, right next to Golden Gate Park. I have always lacked confidence when it came to public transportation, the smell, the feeling of being disoriented and lost was something I had to battle every time I got on the bus. But now, it was easy. Too easy, actually. Everything has come so easily to me since I've been here. I moved into my own place on June 1st and have managed both jobs. I have worked my ass off, I have thrown myself at this city, and she has welcomed me with open arms. For the first time in my life I feel as if I belong to something so much greater than myself. I am truly happy and I have discovered so much more of myself by doing this. The inner workings of my mind, the test of my heart and mind have amazed me. I possess such a great amount of strength and love and I see that now. I wanted to share this story with you because you always need to remember that nothing is permanent. If you're unhappy, change it. Change where you are, change who you are, you have the ability to become exactly who you want to be. So, I encourage you to do what you want to do. We have one shot at this life and any time spent being alone, depressed or unhappy isn't right. Find your happiness in yourself, test yourself and learn to love who you truly are. Good luck on your path, if this story is able to help one person, it's been worth it. I wish all of you the best.



~Ace

Ego/Heart

This article is for those that are a little more advanced in the practice of meditation/self awareness. I am deciphering my personal differences between the ego/mind and the heart/spirit. A lot of people have a difficult time figuring out if they even believe in the ego, but the fact that your heart and spirit exist are living proof that there is an ego. It's like discovering heaven. If there's a heaven, then there is most certainly a hell. That analogy applies to the ego very well. Your ego is the root of your fear, anger, hatred and all around "darkness". Your heart is the root of love, compassion, kindness and all around "light". Both are crucial to your well being, it's finding the balance in them that is difficult. A meditation I practice is sitting very still in a silent room in a relaxed position without music. I will recount strong emotions that I have felt from past experiences and allow myself to view the situations from outside of my body. For example, when I was in high school I was mildly overweight, unhappy, ignorant and very angry. To remember that part of my life brings compassion for who I've become, love for the change I was able to make in myself, and appreciation for possessing the ability to change. I call this my heart/spirit. I also feel a lot of regret for not making a change sooner, anger for being so rude to my family and friends constantly, and fear because I still have a hard time fighting my demons. I recognize this as my ego. I notice that when I do these meditations I can feel where the emotions come from. When I think about the compassion I've felt, I feel that in my chest. When I think about the anger I've felt, I feel that in my mind. Memories serve as great lessons. They help you recognize the obstacles you have overcome, the fights you've lost and what you have done in your life. They also serve as a personal hell for each of us. If you're unable to control your thoughts, as a lot of us are, your mind can play so many tricks on you that it becomes maddening. The key to life is balance. If you're able to balance everything in your life I can guarantee your happiness. This is why discovering your ego and heart are so important. You can literally choose happiness by living in your heart/spirit. The ego wants you to focus completely inward. It craves attention because it is constantly looking for validation and tells you that it's what you want. It's the part of you that stares into the mirror and points out every flaw you have. The ego is a black hole of despair and the worst part is that it will never stop unless you force yourself to ignore it. The only way to deal with the ego is to completely ignore it. You can't kill that part of your body and it won't disappear because you ask it to nicely. It's a battle everyday until your ego finally understands that you will no longer play it's games. The benefit to shutting out your ego is that you will immediately gain confidence, your ability to love will increase and you will show more compassion and kindness to others. Which is what we desperately need in this world. An old Buddhist saying is, "if you want to be happy, practice compassion. If you want others to be happy, practice compassion." The only way to truly express compassion is through your heart. So to wrap up this article, your ego is the root of your fear and anger. Your heart is the true way to happiness, joy and love. If you want to take steps to understanding your ego, pay closer attention to what is going on inside your own body. Focus your attention on what you want to change about yourself, things you wish you did differently, and solve it. If you ever need help, Jordy and I are here. Thank you for reading and I hope all of you the best on your spiritual journey.

~Ace

Getting Caught Up

So the other night I kind of had an epiphany, or what some of you might call a breakdown. I was sitting down on my bed when all of a sudden it was as if time stopped and everything-all of my thoughts and all my actions- finally caught up to me. I know this is lame and I know I’m a guy and everything but I couldn’t help but cry.

In the moment I realized how poorly I treat some people. And not just random people, but the ones I love: family, close friends, my dog, my salamander etc. It’s funny because when I was actually COMMITTING those thoughts and actions, I didn’t think much of it other than a mental pause that lasted no more than a second.

When all of these thoughts and actions caught up to me though, it hurt. It hurt me because I knew it hurt them. I try to be a good person, but I’m just not. I don’t know if it’s the way I was raised, or if it’s part of the culture that’s engrained in me, but the only person I can blame is myself. That mental pause, I’m guessing, was my moral conscious warning me that I don’t agree with my actions.

Lately it has been hard for me to distinguish my own values. Some days I’ll be doing something and I believe one thing, and the next day something happens that makes me believe the opposite. For instance…There are days when I wake up and look at the sky or a crowded intersection and I see how amazing and special being alive truly is. Then, all of a sudden, the next day I wake up and I realize we are just here as part of some mere coincidence; we just happen to be on a planet with suitable living conditions for life. Now that’s just one example.

I think the reason I wanted to write this down was because I know there is hope for me and for others. I feel like I can’t be the only one to experience these feelings and these moments where we catch up with ourselves and free ourselves of our own wrong-doing. It has been known that communication is a fundamental necessity for life, for building communities and to share ideas. Yet, every day we hit barriers like these that keep us from reaching our true potentials; to be open and honest without a hint of doubt or insecurity.

In the end, It is up to you and me to make decisions that not only better ourselves, but others and to feel good about our thoughts and actions. Live in the moment and feel free to voice your opinion because it DOES matter. If you have every looked up to someone or have read quotes and have seen the power thoughts have, then you know how important yours are as well.


Jordy

The Beginning Part 1 ~ Ace ~

This blog was created by Adam and Jordy. Together we have sought knowledge, enlightenment, truth and meaning. We have created this blog to share our experiences and thoughts. We welcome discussion and other individual stories comparable to our goal. By creating this blog we hope to start a metaphysical shift in the way we view sharing knowledge. We wish to help, and encourage others to seek their own answers. If you have guts, step forward because this here, is the beginning. From here on out we will share our personal truths, our findings, and our paths to a higher purpose and meaning.