Why are we always searching for happiness? How do we know when we have “found” happiness?
Recently, all the doors that I truly believed was the key to my happiness suddenly shut on me; leaving me in complete darkness. I heard nothing. I saw nothing. I felt nothing. During this time I tried to hold onto anything that gave me an opportunity to find “happiness.” Whether it is our family, friends, lowering our inhibitions, our material spoilage; we attach ourselves to anything that resembles happiness, real or fake.
Where should we look for happiness?
Happiness comes from within.
I have looked everywhere for happiness, but I never gave myself the time and chance to look from within. My unhappiness stemmed from my thoughts, desires, and fears. I let these emotions take my weak heart for granted. With a goal driven persona, sitting in this dark, empty space was unacceptable knowing it is up to me to relight this room. I know it was time to build a fire from within and not from my environment.
Where and how do you start to be self-content?
First thing, smile and laugh no matter how much you have to fake it. You need to consistently remind yourself that a smile is the solution to all problems. With enough faking, trust me, your face will naturally fiend to show off your cheesy smile. The second exercise is to concentrate on your breathing. You may noticed during the most stressful and feared moments there is a shortness of breath. Take a deep breath and close your eyes concentrating on the air flow from your chest to your core. This is one of the important pieces to becoming successful in the search for peace and happiness. To search from within, one must give themselves that time to do so to understand the important of their breath. Meditation has been a great method for me to escape these thoughts, desires, and fears. Concentrate on one thing (object, place, word, etc) and nothing else. Through this we tend to take ourselves away and fully focus on attaining peace because through repetition it is easier to overcome a single thought compared to the 1000s in our head. With enough practice, one can reach contentment and find complete happiness through enlightenment. Only you can love yourself the most. Learning the hard way, remember that your heart is for you. We tend to get carried away by sharing our heart to so many people and things that you forget to leave some for yourself. The more love you keep for yourself, the easier it is fix the broken pieces that come back to you. No break up, no broken iPhone, or no stains on your “most loved” shirts should make you feel more heartbroken than how it would feel if you didn’t achieve your dreams. Keep moving forward. We often lose confidence and happiness in ourselves looking at our past mistakes and actions. We get so lost into out past that the future starts to become more obscure. Find your purpose in life and keep fighting for it. This may seem contradictory to being self-content, but its okay to be passionate about beating your goals at the same time of being content. Aiming for goals and the consistent fight will add fuel to the fire that you are building within yourself. More goals equals more fuel. Yoga has been a great way of becoming self-content for me. Doing yoga is a nice way to meditate, focus on breathing, and escape our so-called “reality.” After each session, you are left with a relaxed state of mind ready to tackle whatever lies ahead of you. Notice that with our friends and family, we pour our hearts out by updating them on daily activities, hardships, happy moments, and just life in general. We get so used to a specific individual whether it be your girl/boyfriend, best friend, or your pet dog. Life is so unexpected that at any moment that individual may not be there for you anymore. Feeling this detachment, we find no place to run to and so we panic. My brother on my 16th birthday, took me into the corner and told me one thing: keep a journal. Going through a breakup, granted I was able turn to many people, I needed to be okay with who I am and where I am headed in life. I have found that keeping a journal will make you self-content because you are able to release your emotions and be free from keeping it bottled up. You will no longer need to run to your family and friends at times of troubles nor will you have to keep it stuck in your mind. Writing in a journal; you become your own best friend.
These are a just a few practices that has lit my dark room. I have learned to create this fire glow from within my soul to light up the room.
It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere. ~Agnes Repplier
Become fearless in the water.
I went to the gym for the first time in a month and I cycled. It was euphoric. I will fully support the notion that going to the gym or any recreational activity will give you a sense of joy and well-being that no other activity can bring. If you are an aspiring triathlete then go to beginnertriathlete.com. They have a great service to help you create a plan for training for FREE. Signing up for a program will help motivate you to complete the challenge you have at hand each day of the week. In my pursuit of completing the triathlon I have placed myself into a six month training program. Today is Day 2 – Swimming.
Navroz is a young American Indian’s favorite holiday. It is then when we have the chance to start over twice. Due to Navroz I am able to retry the resolutions I failed after setting them just three months ago. Using this blog to track my life on daily basis will help track the progress of my resolutions. Publicizing my aspirations will provide motivation to me to complete the expressed challenges. In return, all of you will be able to bounce ideas with my current progress to tailor your route to success.
Resolution Number One:
Losing weight. I have noticed I go on amazing spurts to losing weight. My only tip that I can provide to you on this is to sign up for a race, a exercise class, dance class, or some event. This year I have taken on the challenge of participating in the The AVIA Austin Triathlon. I have never done a swimming or cycling event and so it should be pretty interesting to train for it. If any of you are interested and would like to train with me…. 1500 m swim, 10k run, 40k bike
Resolution Number Two:
Start a Savings Fund. I think its time to start saving. Periodically I will be posting up articles on how to save money. It becomes a hobby (and pretty addictive) when you start.
Resolution Number Three:
Internet Marketing Certifications. Getting a Google Adwords/Analytics Certification for Internet Marketing Professionals is a must. For those not well versed in the context think about it as a Diploma for Internet Marketing.
More resolutions to come…
For now check my next blog post about the start to my new beginning…
“Part of courage is simple consistency.”
Want a girlfriend/boyfriend?
Straight A’s?
Lose weight or get strong?
Land a perfect job or internship?
Stay CONSISTENT.
I’ve previously stated that perseverance is what separates a strong fighter from a weak one. STAY consistent in persevering or you will not be a fighter at all.
1. Girls or Guys love if you stay consistent with them. You will not be in a relationship if you sporadically talk or flirt to your love interest. You need to show this guy/girl that you are consistently there for them–through the good times and bad. Be the one guy/girl that can last even if they throw hurdles at you. It’s all a test. Whoever endures, wins.
2. Getting straight A’s is something I have struggled with. However, I have learned that consistency will get you a higher GPA. I was always distracted by events and jobs outside the academic realm. Continue to read, highlight and summarize concepts presented by your teacher. Grasp them. The biggest problem is that students procrastinate and choose to study a few days before a final exam. We’re frustrated because we feel we don’t know enough about the subject prior to the class. The solution? Pick up the textbook and keep reading! You will not understand the material unless you consistently work on your reading skills. No one will understand a topic after the first chapter or first set of PowerPoint slides (unless you’re on Adderall…kidding).
3. Losing weight and getting stronger is my favorite topic and always will be. In order to succeed, you HAVE to stay consistent in the gym. It should be a daily routine. You should be giving 100% effort to every workout. No one gets stronger or loses weight overnight without putting in the work and discipline to get there. The best part about losing weight and getting fit is that you learn to be consistent 24 hours of the day. Having a consistent work out routine will dramatically improve your time management skills. Remember, it’s a slow process. Let your body rest when it’s tired. Your body needs time to recover. You’re only prone to more injuries if you don’t. TIP: Incorporate high intensity interval training (HIIT) into your work outs at least once or twice a week. ASK ME for a ~13 minute HIIT schedule.
4. Getting a Job: A bit of advice–keep applying, be all around, and know EVERYTHING.
Visualize your end goal EVERYDAY. Keep working at it and you will ACHIEVE it.
I would like to apologize to all my readers about the delay in posting new topics for my blog. I have had other priorities (sister’s engagement preparations, school, …) that has taken up my time and concentration for the last few weeks. Stay tuned for many more upcoming posts. The next topic will be posted in the next few days focusing on “Consistency.”
Ever wanted to know how to eat healthy and cheap as a college student? Eating cheap and healthy is very easy but, the hardest part of it all is that it does not taste like no Wendys or McDonalds and may be bland at times. For the past few months I was asked what I eat to become how I look now. First and foremost, my body is nothing I can brag about, but I do appreciate all the people who have said my body is something similar to what they are going for right now. I have compiled a sample day plan of what I would eat along with what I would substitute for that meal. As a college student, I know it may be hard to eat all this throughout the day with classes. Easiest way to get around it: PACK YOUR LUNCH. It may feel like 4th grade was the last time you took a brown sack lunch, but it helps and you will always be full. By no means am I accurate to how people are supposed to eat. Every meal or snack is separated with a 2 hour interval. This is just the plan I follow: (Click on the link lol —>) Your everyday eating plan
….You just have to find it. When you come to a roadblock, take a detour.
What goes up must come down. I never realized that my trip “down” would occur this quickly. Getting laid off (due to timing and work hour issues) hit me faster than I thought. Always remember to keep in mind that the bruises you get from falling should not negatively influence your everyday work. Keep moving forward and don’t let it affect your attitude and your lifestyle. Take every moment with a bittersweet taste. Giving up something ends up being the bitter part while gaining something greater in return is the sweetest part. Let’s take my friend for example who got dumped by his girlfriend. He tells me how he changed into a better man and actually respects girls by staying straight up truthful, but he got dumped. Bitter – no girlfriend. Sweet – able to get many girls because he is a better man. Try staying in the sweeter parts of the moment.
Remember that everything happens for a reason. Due to being laid off, I had the chance to sit back and actually focus on my future. My second internship with campus2careers now started becoming more demanding because they are close to launching. My start-up ideas are following through as well. If I kept that job I would have not been able to put my time into what I desired more (SEO/Social Media and Entrepreneurship). When you get hit hard by life, try to dissect the positives more than the negatives. It is better to get hit to be placed in the right direction than to follow an unpaved road leading to nothing.
At times of pain, failure, and defeat DON’T GIVE IN. Tears were the first sign of me giving in when I got laid off. Wiping away my tears and standing back up with pride was my first fight against failure. An unfortunate event like being laid off or fired may seem like the end to what you had. It’s not over, the stronger you get back up, the easier it is to get back on track. Let those tears of pain actually fuel your burning desire rather than to put out the fire. Create a new method to keep from falling down. That is why I created a wall with every sheet describing my specific goals
Now that I am in many of the positions that each of you may be going through, my next series of blogs will take you step by step on how to be successful in college because I for one is basically back at step one. Instead of heading my blogs into motivational speeches I want to show you how I apply my life to be successful in college. Click here to see this method
Over the past few weeks I have been contemplating what the overlying theme of my blog should be. I needed DIRECTION. As college students we come to a point in our lives where direction becomes the most confusing aspect of our life. Direction defined in my opinion is not a final destination but more of a pathway of succeeding in lifelong goals.
e.g. ”What do I want to major in?” ”I want to lose weight but how do I?” “How do I go above and beyond what I am doing now?”
For me I was stuck with “Where am I heading this blog?” I know I wanted to keep a blog, but I just had so many ideas that I didn’t know what to focus on.
Follow these steps and you will be more likely to head in the right direction just like I experienced with my blog:
1) What is your passion?
You will not find a sense of direction in any of your endeavors if you truly don’t feel the passion for it. Follow your passion not the money; the money will follow you. Long ago I started a very basic blog talking about the “The Top Things of the Day” including Joke of the Day, Fact of the Day, etc. I didn’t feel anything for that blog other than the desire for quick money and that project failed instantly. Kobe Bryant, Michael Dell, and Arshad Rehman (what an idealist would include) have all showed passion in their respective fields of expertise.
My passion: Being a guide to us, students, on how to utilize our college life to the fullest. (This is the theme of my blog)
2.) Be Specific In Your Goals.
If you want to lose weight then sign up for something. I joined the Nike Human 10K Race. Due to personal achievement I signed up for a more challenging race, the Austin half marathon. How else do you think I went from being a big chunky kid to a smaller chunky kid? Whether it is intramural basketball, signing up for races, or following programs like P90X (thinking this the next goal for me). Just commit to anything. If your deciding a major then go to the classes even if your not signed up for some. I am 90% sure that all classes’ seats are fully taken (10% is factoring in attendance based classes). Everyone finds their career path by attending these various classes and finds what interests them the most and if they can apply it in their everyday lives. Basically just break down your main goals into sub goals. Think of an outline of class notes. They are more detailed notes if they look like 1) , a., ii) compared to 1), 2), 3). DON’T set goals like lose weight they will take you no where.
3. Start Small
Committing to participate in a marathon your first race is not very smart nor is it to take Spanish 4 as your first foreign language class. Create tasks that can easily be done to help you along the way of achieving that goal. For example, promise yourself to drink 8 glasses of water everyday. This is a step that can lead into having a well balanced diet and losing weight. Your major goal seems much easier if you go step by step.
4. Don’t fall into temptation.
Peer pressure and temptation are the leading causes to why goals fail, especially in college. You need to stay focused on your vision. We feel like we need a break and time to relax from all the hard work we been putting toward our goals. Truth is 99% of you don’t deserve that break. Look at yourself and can you say you have done everything in your path to deserve that goal. You completed a 5k run, great! That same day someone did a 26 miler. Keep that hunger inside you burning and no one will be able to pressure you into doing something you don’t want to do. Going out to the bars are not such a good idea when you know it is going to push back many things. For instance, drinking on weekends will mess up your study, working out, and budget habits that you have been keeping up with so well on the weekdays. HOWEVER don’t block out your temptations. I do suggest keep it in moderation. Eat chocolate (not the whole package), play video games (not to the point where you finish the season in 2 days), drink (not the whole 24 pack). This will keep you from binging later on when temptation is too hard to resist.
5. It is a direction not a destination.
Don’t settle once you achieved what you originally set sail for. Keep your goals to turn into life long habits. If your going to make a budget sheet then keep it going until you no longer have the need to save. Thinking in terms of my blog. This is a journal of how I am making it through college and I plan to continue writing well into my career. Always have in mind there is someone out there doing something bigger and better than you. Just look around at the people you personally know. I consistently have B’s, he has A’s. I finally got an internship (in Austin), my cousin has one in Hollywood. I ran the half marathon, my friend ran the full marathon. Don’t think of your goal as the destination, but merely as a short stopover.
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”
Arshad “THE idealist” Rehman
Sunday Morning at 7: 00 AM, I learned the true meaning of perseverance. If you can keep your mind focused on the end rather than listening to the pain your body is trying to endure you will succeed. Running the Austin Half Marathon definitely was one of the most challenging activities I have experienced in my life. I didn’t feel a sense of accomplishment until I became an inspiration to my
family and friends. In return they became my motivation to keep moving onto bigger challenges. The spirit rendered through signs and chants during the race encouraged me to finish strong made me fight each and every mile. At mile 3 I felt my groin pull. For me that was convincing enough to slow down or to walk, but it was my mental strength that kept me going. Feeling a sense of accomplishment only lasted temporarily because I knew I was only doing half the amount of what most individuals were doing. Completing the half-marathon was just another milestone that I have passed to get where I want to be in life. I didn’t only do this to lose weight. Moreover it was for the reason of learning mind over matter, that nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it. Training for something like this was a test for self-discipline. Learn to keep fighting through anything and everything. “Pain is temporary. Failure lasts forever.”
