Spring is finally here!
When I first arrived in New York it was raining, a bit cold for my California and New Orleans skin, and nothing but dirt. And now- about three weeks later- the trees are blooming and the tulips are blowing kisses from the ground. This is a really exciting time in the city, and my mood has put an extra pep in the step. You see, in places like Los Angeles we have no seasons and there remains a level of stagnancy. Really it is quite funny when you consider that people could have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in a place like New York or Seattle during the winter months. They say people get depressed during this time, but I think they are all lying. The real problem is in places like California- we all become manic through the entire year because we have no weather! Someone find the name for this disease and send it my way. If not, my future psych degree will make a life intention of putting this in the DSM-XXXVII. All this said, I am so grateful to finally experience this city at such a dawn of time. I hear the birds chirping, see the people strolling through Central Park, see frozen yogurt trucks on street corners, and the lanky white legs donning shorts. A sight to see, a sight to see, yippee!
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Thursday, April 10, 2014
The Pleasure Principle
Pleasure: 1. a feeling of happiness, enjoyment, or satisfaction
2. activity that is done for enjoyment
3. a state of gratification
According to Webster these three statements are the definitions of pleasure. Right now, the three statements that define this word for me are:
1. feeling content
2. being calm in the mind and physical body
3. a smile that comes from the heart
Perhaps these definitions are just examples, or perhaps they are simply just my current intentions. After meditating, I feel much more sustained that I did about 7 hours ago in a coffee shop. My mind racing, the caffeine in my veins, the thought of hunger in my stomach; the cynicism was just flowing-non stop. So after reading about 2 chapters of my new book, attempting a little blog post, and an iced americano later I decided to go on a walk to grab some food before heading back home. Home to me right now is a quaint apartment in upper Harlem where the cats roam in front of their owner's grocery next door, rats run around at night, and the people sit on the stoop. Here in this part of Manhattan life has a different flow, a good amount of soul. I have always vacationed to New York and spent time in SoHo, Midtown, the Lower East Side, and all those busy places, but this time it is different. The city has a different meaning to me this time around. Where I use to think of the city as a pure home for me, I can now see where life is a bit harsher. If I am always in search of pleasure, this makes things even more complicated. Here in New York people do not simply "live" and by live I mean relax, connect, smile, or observe what the reality is around them. To sustain yourself in this city you must be apt to spending time alone and kind of in the wild. Though once you've got yourself in check this city is a piece of cake (cheesecake). While there is every option available to oneself, there are only the options that you allow yourself to embrace. Here in New York I have had to face myself a bit more. And as I have been mentally blocked for the last couple of weeks I have come to conclude that it is just my mind getting ahead of me. I keep thinking what should I want? What should I do? Where should I go? What should I get done? Rather than just doing it, letting it flow. A lesson to learn is to just be, to be present within your reality. This is a statement of what true pleasure really is.
2. activity that is done for enjoyment
3. a state of gratification
According to Webster these three statements are the definitions of pleasure. Right now, the three statements that define this word for me are:
1. feeling content
2. being calm in the mind and physical body
3. a smile that comes from the heart
Perhaps these definitions are just examples, or perhaps they are simply just my current intentions. After meditating, I feel much more sustained that I did about 7 hours ago in a coffee shop. My mind racing, the caffeine in my veins, the thought of hunger in my stomach; the cynicism was just flowing-non stop. So after reading about 2 chapters of my new book, attempting a little blog post, and an iced americano later I decided to go on a walk to grab some food before heading back home. Home to me right now is a quaint apartment in upper Harlem where the cats roam in front of their owner's grocery next door, rats run around at night, and the people sit on the stoop. Here in this part of Manhattan life has a different flow, a good amount of soul. I have always vacationed to New York and spent time in SoHo, Midtown, the Lower East Side, and all those busy places, but this time it is different. The city has a different meaning to me this time around. Where I use to think of the city as a pure home for me, I can now see where life is a bit harsher. If I am always in search of pleasure, this makes things even more complicated. Here in New York people do not simply "live" and by live I mean relax, connect, smile, or observe what the reality is around them. To sustain yourself in this city you must be apt to spending time alone and kind of in the wild. Though once you've got yourself in check this city is a piece of cake (cheesecake). While there is every option available to oneself, there are only the options that you allow yourself to embrace. Here in New York I have had to face myself a bit more. And as I have been mentally blocked for the last couple of weeks I have come to conclude that it is just my mind getting ahead of me. I keep thinking what should I want? What should I do? Where should I go? What should I get done? Rather than just doing it, letting it flow. A lesson to learn is to just be, to be present within your reality. This is a statement of what true pleasure really is.
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