Category: Reflections

Without something to fix, our day would seem fruitless. Whether if it’s an intellectual question, a practical situation, a mechanical/engineering problem, or a work of art, we need something to fix, something to invest our energy and labor in to repair or rebuild what was imperfect and flawed. If we don’t have something to fix, it’s as if our talents would go wasted and untapped.

When a problem presents itself to us, we’re engaged in the process of solving it, of bringing a resolution to it. This process activates our minds, taps into the creative parts of our being, and brings about a chain reaction of events that can go on for days or weeks or months until we’ve fixed the problem.

Sometimes that problem could be as simple as changing a flat tire on a car. It requires us knowing what tire to replace it with and how to replace it efficiently according to the correct steps. We have to carefully consider how we’re going about it, and apply our knowledge to complete the task. When it’s done, we feel satisfied, relieved. But that will be short lived when the next problem arises. Solving problems and fixing things seems to be an innate part of who we are. It’s as if without problems to solve or fix, we’d languish in inertia.

Inspiration is something we all need. Inspiration emboldens us to go beyond the norm, of pushing us to (or beyond) our limits to achieve our goals.

Inspiration can come from art, movies, books, history, and those around us. Inspiration gives us the resolve to pursue something beyond the requirements that come from discipline and habit. Although those are great things, inspiration can turn discipline and habit into boundless creativity and energy, a persistence that will not waver despite the hurdles and setbacks that come our way.

When I’m stuck on a chapter or I’m struggling to progress in a story, I’ll write down notes and ideas to help me get moving along. I’ll write what I had originally planned out, and when I see it down on paper, it becomes apparent as to why I struggled to progress.

My initial idea was lacking something. Either it was too generic, wasn’t exciting, or it would’ve slowed down the story more. I needed to change it or add in some ideas that would give more life to the story. In essence, when I can’t progress, I go back to the drawing board.

I thought it would make sense to write a post on late sleep after a post on early sleep. Late sleep is obviously sleeping late rather than sleeping on time, or the time we need to sleep at in order to wake early for the next day.

A late sleep can have a myriad of effects on us such as tiredness, trouble waking up, exhaustion, etc. But if it causes all these effects that can negatively impact us the next day, why do we sleep late? Why don’t we sleep on time instead?

Unlike an early sleep, which can be caused by fatigue or tiredness, we might stay up late because we still have a lot of things to finish up–things that we need to do. It can be work related, chore related, or project related. It’s as if we didn’t have enough time during the day to finish what we started. Or maybe it’s that we’re overextended in what we need to accomplish that day, or maybe we just needed more time to finish everything.

In the end, it’s really about time, and trying to beat time to finishing everything in a day. Is 24 hours really enough to finish everything on our to-do list, or is it that we’re just busier more than ever?

When we haven’t gotten enough sleep or if we’re exhausted from a long day of work, we’ll sleep early, breaking the pattern of our sleep cycle. Our goal is to make up for the hours of sleep we lost, to restore our energy for the next day.

But what if we end up getting the same amount of sleep as before? What if sleeping early didn’t work as we intended, but only worked in getting us to wake up earlier than before?

When this happens, and I’m awake before dawn, I use that time as an opportunity to do something productive, to get an early start on the day. Maybe to get some writing or reading done, or to make some breakfast before the sun comes up.

There’s something about doodling that gives our minds something to do while we’re sitting still and doing nothing. I used to doodle in college and in high school when the professors/teachers would give their lectures. Doodling helped me to listen to what they were saying, even though I wasn’t writing it down (I was doodling, of course). Even though it didn’t look like I was paying attention, I was, since doodling gave my mind something to do.

I’d draw tessellated patterns or landscapes that were cartoonish and had random objects in them like a surrealist image. Even though they had nothing to do with what the lecture was about, I could still grasp what was being said, even though my imagination was elsewhere.

I doodled because it was a way of keeping my mind from completely drifting off or daydreaming. I knew I had to pay attention, but it was hard to if my mind wasn’t stimulated by the lecture. There’s something about sitting still for long periods of time and listening to a speaker that just causes me to feel restless after awhile. I have to stay engaged somehow, and doodling was just a way for me to do so.

For the past year, I’ve been putting many of my thoughts in a notebook. I use to write them down on a sheet of paper or type them in my phone. The problem with paper is that it can get really cluttered and disorganized. If the papers aren’t numbered or if they’re scattered about on a desk, it can take a long time to sort through them. And while the phone is convenient to type one’s thoughts in, since it’s quickly accessible, it can take a lot of sifting through to get to the idea someone wanted to reread.

In a notebook, however, I can see the progression of ideas, see how it built up to what it is now. Plus, there’s something about writing an idea down that makes it stand out. It’s as if writing something down etches the idea in my mind, and when I’m typing it, it’s moreover like I’m recording it.

I’m less likely to reread my notes on my phone than when it’s on paper. The reason is that when it’s on paper, I can add things to it in the margin or on the side, whereas on the phone, I have to keep adding things to it on the bottom of the document (or type next to what I already typed).

When we’re idle, it feels like we’re lost, like we don’t know what to do. It’s not that we’re incapable of accomplishing anything, but that we don’t know what to put our time and energy into.

As a result, we do things to pass time, things that aren’t productive or don’t help to organize our space or our thoughts. Things like shopping for items we already have or don’t need, or watching tons of TV (channeling surfing), or looking up news articles for hours when we’ve learned everything we need to know in just a matter of minutes.

I’ve gone through periods of idleness after completing a book or finishing a project. It’s great to get some downtime after months of non-stop work, but at some point, we have to get back to working on something again, or else, we’ll just remain idle, and it’ll be hard to get out of it.

At night, there’s a sense of quietness and peace that we don’t get during the daylight hours. At night, we’re not consumed by all the things we’re busy with during the daytime. Things such as work, chores, or projects that we need to finish. At night, it’s a time when we get to relax–when all the worries of the day come to an end.

But at night, there’s a feeling that something could be lurking in the darkness, something that keeps us on our toes and vigilant when we drive or go outside and walk in the streets. Although it might be quiet and peaceful when it’s dark, there’s never a sense that we should be outside for very long. We naturally seek light, and we always return to it so that we can see what’s around us and to know where we’re going.

I can only imagine what it must’ve been like hundreds of years ago before the advent of electricity, street lamps, and flashlights. To walk in the forest or on a path and not know what was around me or if I was going in the right direction would bring a sense of uneasiness. But when we’re inundated with light, it brings to mind that we should be busy, that there’s something to do . . . and we shouldn’t sleep.

Each day comes with its own rewards and challenges. When we focus too much on what’s ahead, it’s easy to dismiss it like it’s any other day. If we see it as nothing special, we can miss those moments that are unexpected and rare, moments that are meant for us to grow and to learn something new. We can miss how unique that day was–forget that we can never experience it again.

Each day comes with new choices, new thoughts, and new opportunities. Even though the day might seem like any other day, that’s just how we look at it when we’re focused on what’s ahead, rather than in the present–in the now.

And once a day passes, it’s gone forever, becoming another memory amongst many. But if we appreciate it, learn from it, the next day will seem like an invitation to something new and wonderful.