books that opened my eyes

• meditations by marcus aurelius - learned how to put my attention into what is in my control, and let go of what falls outside of it.

• the book on the taboo against knowing who you are by alan watts - opened my eyes to look at the nature of reality as interdependent, and not fall into the self-isolation that science and western religion have conditioned us to feel.  This book was one of my dad's favorites too.

•  the anthropocene reviewed by john green - despite humanity's many faults, this book rekindled my optimism and admiration for who we are and what we can do.

• sapiens by yuval noah harari - realized how many aspects of the society we live in are nothing more than fiction and stories we agree on (money, nations, ethnicities) and therefore can be shaped for the better.

• tuesdays with morrie by mitch albom - helped me surrender my fear of death and prioritize what truly matters.

habits that keep me happy 

working out - doesn't matter if it's lifting weights, volleyball with friends, or jogging around - moving the body clears the head.  

journaling - provides a space where I can reflect on my life with some extra clarity.  breaks many of the negative thought loops I feel when trapped within my own mind.

eating healthy - i used to treat cooking as a stressful skill that needed to be perfect.  i find it much better to view it as play to encourage experimentation.

sleeping 7.5 hours - being well-rested makes all other positive habits so, so much easier.

meditating - helps gain some distance between my thoughts and feelings. these sensations come and go without the need to identify with them. 

songs that left an impact on me

1. 100 years from now  - theo katzman

“100 years from now no one will care about

anything you ever did, anything you ever said”

2. erosión - club del rio

“pero no somos de piedra

nacimos de la erosión

que transforma el paisaje

y mi alma también”

3. dissect the bird - john craigie

"just take a minute to realize,

all it took to make you

your parents had to meet, as random as that was

and hang out long enough at least

to make some love

and make a baby

and give it your name

and all your ancestors had to do the same exponentially backwards

to the start of life”

4. es gratis (acústico) - arnau griso 

“espabila, que sonreír es gratis

regala buenrollismo, orgasmos y armonía

no hay prisa, que ser feliz es gratis

entona esta canción y si no sabes, improvisa”

5. dark side of the moon (album) - pink floyd

"for long you live

and high you fly 

and smiles you'll give 

and tears you'll cry 

and all you touch 

and all you see

 is all your life will ever be"

6. contigo - la otra

"yo no me muero si no estás aquí

puedo andar bien caminando sin ti

pero contigo

es cierto que el mundo parece un poco menos feo”

7. modal soul (album) - nujabes

"we are listening to a moron babble

we are listening to tongues that lie

we give them an ear

we give them a hand

we give them both eyes

so we cannot see the signs"

8. grow - facesoul

“don't be afraid

after the darkness is light

so don't you be afraid

and there comes the long night”