Dynamics of Partying

Recently I went to a house party and while I was somewhat sober and the majority of everyone around me was in a drunken state (of mind). I noticed the huge amounts and variety of social dynamics that happens in parties; the drama, heartbreak, the hook-ups, the frustrations with gaining someone’s attention, the new friends being made, connections on an intimate level, the flirtation, the excess of drinking, the feelings of happiness. All these things at parties, a time of celebration, happen specifically during parties. People change during parties, mostly in a good way and sometimes unfortunately in a bad way. A party, at least for the modern twenty-something year old, has become an outlet to become your true self, to lower your inhibitions and reveal a side of yourself free from worry of obeying the social norms or any other limitations the outside world gives us. Nonetheless the activities that happen in parties, one starts to notice a set pattern, a social code, in which most of us obey almost without realizing it. Yes, this pattern may vary slightly from person to person, but there is an overall trend. This brings me to the point of this posting; I came to realize this would be an amazing idea for a documentary. The documentary would be shot very stylishly and modern, like an MTV feel to it, but it would be in the format of an anthropological documentary or nature show similar to the ones they show on PBS. The documentary will have a typical deep-voiced, authoritative toned, narrator similar to films like 500 Days of Summer and Little Children style. It will talk about all the nuances that take place in parties, all the little things we barely notice.

The Chipotle Diet: Why Eating Whatever You Want Isn’t Bad For You?

For the past couple of days I’ve been on a binge of Chipotle burritos, the big, hearty, 1,000+ calorie Burritos that most health conscious people would advise against eating. While partaking in this binge of so-called “junk-food” a very unique observation came into my mind, I looked around the Chipotle’s, and mind you I went about 14 times in the past month, I noticed every time I walked into a Chipotle’s everyone was thin and fit. Compared to a McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Taco Bell and even Subway where I noticed that big chunks of the people are overweight or obese. Now, these burritos pack in more than a 1,000 calories in them, have tons of fat and carbohydrates and most people who eat there buy a soda with unlimited free refills. Now why is it that so many people who attend Chipotle’s are fit and not obese like in many other fast food establishments? I have a theory, nay a tested fact; it’s the love for the food! The burritos in Chipotle are simply wonderful edible pieces of joy. Everybody who eats one of those burritos thoroughly enjoy the experience of eating the burrito. Now you must be wondering what my point is. My point is that if you love your food and have a thoroughly happy experience while eating, then your food will love you back! Think about this, fact is most people who eat McDonalds on an often basis, feel guilty for every time they eat there. The calorie count (that is nowhere near Chipotle’s calorie count), the fact that they didn’t eat a salad instead, the feeling of dread because now they have to work-out to burn this fatty meal all starts running through the person’s mind. Eating foods at places like McDonalds and Burger King have become negative experiences, but with Chipotle it remains a positive experience. Now what I mean with your food will love you back is that if you truly enjoy what you are eating, only thinking about the positivity of the meal, how good it is, how tasty and fresh, the explosion of different flavors, just by simply enjoying the meal at its fullest will only affect you positively. It will not make you gain pounds by eating it, it will not make you feel physical ill, nor will it even negatively affect your health. I believe if you eat food and truly love what you are eating, that food will digest nicely, not affect you negatively in any way, and you will be going out with a feeling of fullness of ultimate satisfaction. Eating good food is always a good thing regardless of what you like. If you like eating a deep-fried salami sandwich with tons of cheese and 2 liters of Coke on the side and that makes you happy and does not make you have any negative feelings then you should definitely go for it and enjoy it to the fullest. Whatever food you like, you should eat it and feel happy about it. That’s why a well-cooked and fresh dish is more appetizing and more satisfying. That’s why, for example, a fresh and excellent tasting burrito at Chipotle is much more satisfying than an overly processed and cheaply made burger at McDonalds, even though the Chipotle burrito has nearly twice as many calories than a Big Mac, at the end of the meal you end up feeling much more satisfied and you feel like you had a healthy meal. That’s why dieting always fails! Diets make you feel guilty about the things you eat, it limits the eating the foods you truly love, and when you eat the food you truly love you end up beating yourself up. Dieting is self-punishing activity, a negative activity, an activity that limits your happiness and that’s why diets never work. Ask yourself, why is it we always see people who say they eat like crazy and never gain a pound? It’s because they have appreciation for food and never antagonize food. The people who say that always end up eating as much as an obese person does but they never gain a pound because they think of food as a positive thing in their lives. Their thoughts while eating, is enjoying the food and not worrying about any consequence that could happen. Same thing you can say vice-versa with people who say that with every little thing they eat they end up gaining pounds like crazy. Those people constantly look at food as a negative entity, as an antagonist to their weight problems. But in reality food is not the problem, but it’s ourselves, our negative thoughts, that cause excessive weight. So I purpose that the best diet is the one where you eat anything you want as long as it makes you happy. Whatever you want, if you eat it and it makes feel good inside then go eat it. And if you’re a person with weight problems then you’ll notice that once you start loving your food and growing a true appreciation for everything you love to eat you will start noticing a positive change in your body. You will become one of those people who say they eat like crazy and never gain a pound. I, myself, have lost about 50 pounds under this mode of thinking, or philosophy some might say. So love your food and it will love you back. Think of this, most people say “you are what you eat”, but if you eat something that is beautiful to you (something you love) then you will become beautiful.

Call me an Idealist

Lately there has been a lot of drama amongst some of my friends. Falling in and out of relationships, problems with friendships, frustrations about life, everything people go through every day in their daily lives. Luckily I’m not involved in any of this nor have any stress because of this, but, like always, I kindly offer my advice to my friends. I say that there is no need to be frustrated or stress because life needs to be enjoyed, good things will come once you start feeling happier. For my friends who break-up with a significant other I always say the cliché “there is plenty of fish in the sea”, but I mean that with all my heart. Everybody has someone out there who would make them happy. We are not limited to a small selection of people to choose from, to care for. No, we have an abundance of people to love, to care for, to be friends with, the options are basically limitless. Now when I say this people look at me with skepticism. They believe life can’t be that easy, that in life we have to fight for what we truly want. But I always ask why fight? Why not just wait for what you want? Fighting is a struggle, its work, it makes one unhappy and frustrated, and that is not the way to achieve happiness. In our society we are programmed to believe that everything; love, friendship, wealth, work, happiness, all has to be fought for in order to get it. You see it with all types of music, movies, TV shows, advertisements, cultural customs and advice people give to others every day. I disagree with this widely spread belief. There is no need to fight, fighting just creates more resistance, it creates more anger, and more unhappiness. I don’t think we need to fight for what we truly want; we don’t need to fight for what truly makes us happy. I think for the things that you truly want in life, whether its wealth, love, friendship, or anything else, you should let it come naturally to you. The things that happen naturally with little or no resistance are things that will truly make you happy in life. Many people may think that this belief is naïve, unrealistic, and hopeless. But on the contrary, thinking about the best results will always result in getting the best. So, like I tell all my friends, just be patient because good things will come. That’s how I live my life, I only think of the things I really want, of the best that I can get, and nothing else and through that lifestyle I’m living a happy life. So you can call me an idealist, because I’m proud to be one.

7 Steps to Living a Happier Life

I sat down one day and wondered to myself, what makes me feel happy? What things do I do that brighten my day? After pondering this I decided to write this list to express the things that make me feel happy. I follow these simple 7 steps on a daily basis and they brighten my day every time. Hopefully this will do the same for you. Enjoy!

1. Smile more often

People don’t realize the power of a simple smile. A smile can lighten any mood or any situation no matter how bad. When you walk down the street, you should smile. When you see your friend, you should smile. When life seems gloomy try giving someone you know a smile, I assure you they will smile back and the fact that they smile back will make you feel warm and happy inside. A smile is a beautiful thing, regardless of the face or the situation. Smiling is contagious and once you smile someone is bound to smile around you. Even smiling when you’re by yourself can make you happier. So go out there and smile! =)

2. Think Positive

People vastly underestimate the power of positive thinking. When you start thinking of things you DO WANT rather than things you DON’T WANT, you will start attracting those positive experiences into your life. Think of that brand new car you want rather than the debt you have or buying it will entail. Think of the person you want to be with rather than constantly think of the loneliness you feel. Constantly think positive, be an optimist because in life it’s not worth it thinking negatively. Start seeing the positive things of life, preoccupy your mind with only things you want to happen, and once you do good things will start happening.

3. Take things slowly

If you live life too fast you will miss out on the good things in life. Instead of living in a rush; a rush to finish school, a rush to finish the work day, a rush to get to work, a rush to eat your food, a rush to fall in love, a rush to grow, a rush to make money, SLOW DOWN! Simply taking things slow will help you to appreciate all the fine things in life. Start eating slowly and enjoy the awesome amount of unique flavors by taking one deliberate bite at a time. Walk slowly, start enjoying all the beautiful scenery that’s around you, appreciate all the friendly faces you see walking by. Talk slowly, calmly gather your thoughts and then speak freely, rationally and coherently. When talking to another person, let the person speak, don’t be in a rush to interrupt, simply listen to everything someone has to say, then when that person is done you should speak your mind. Love slowly; don’t rush into a relationship too hastily. Get to know a potential partner, learn who they are, listen to them, talk to them. A healthy relationship has to have a strong hearty foundation and it’s best to build that slowly and deliberately with lots of care and love. When reading a book, read it slowly. Reflect upon the words you are reading. Take in all the detail that is given to you; slowly paint an image of the story into you head, that way the book will be more thoroughly enjoyed. When working, do your job slowly. Pay attention to the smallest detail, no matter how painstaking, by the end of the ordeal you will end up doing a much better job and feeling good that you just did so. Learn slowly. No one becomes a master at something overnight. Take your time to learn something, whether it’s learning a new mathematical function, learning history, learning how to use a new device, learning how to play an instrument, learning how play a sport or learning how to dance. Whatever you are learning, take your time, learn it calmly, slowly and deliberately, at the end you will become amazing at it. Taking things slow, living life slow will help you appreciate all the small things in life that we miss when we are in a rush. Take life step by step and life will become a much happier place.

4. Listen to music that bring happy memories and evoke positive feelings

Fact is nowadays the majority of people listen to music on a daily basis. When listening to some music try to put music that evokes positive feelings and that might bring back happy memories from the past. We all have those songs that just pick us up, lighten our moods, and make us forget about our problems. Usually these songs are the ones with positive lyrics and upbeat rhythms. So next time you listen to music put one of those up-beat songs, close your eyes and let those happy thoughts overcome you. A beautiful piece of music has the uncanny ability to block everything bad that has happened to you and just simply make you feel happy.

5. Surround yourself with happy people

A lot of us have that one friend that is always depressed, that is always complaining about life, and always talking about their problems. Instead of surrounding yourself with those kinds of people it’s better to be with people that are positive and happy. The company you keep really determines what kind of person you are and determines your current mindset. It’s better to surround yourself with people who enjoy spending their time with you by talking about uplifting topics, who take part in activities that make you feel happy and alive, people who simply make you smile by their very sight. Of course sometimes you have a friend that is feeling sad or angry and by no means I insinuate you should avoid them completely. Best thing to do is to smile (See Step 1), lighten the mood and try to help out that person by lifting up their spirits. Don’t reinforce negative behaviors by agreeing or sympathizing with someone’s complaints or grievances, instead challenge those complaints and grievances and try to make them happier, suggest to them something they can do to lift their spirits. It’s not only necessary to surround yourself with people that are happy but it is also necessary to make sure that the people you surround yourself with stay happy.

6. Love yourself

You, yes I mean YOU, are the greatest thing ever created in the universe. We are all wonderful creatures capable of achieving the greatest things in life. Sometimes you have to look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself “I love me”. Sounds vain or narcissistic? On the contrary, you must first love yourself before you begin to love others. Start loving your body; everything in your body should be loved. Love the way you look, no matter how fat or skinny you are you should love the way you look because you are a beautiful person inside and out. The happiest people are not always the best looking, the best in shape, or the most intelligent people; they are the people who have a high respect for themselves. Being at war with yourself by feeling down by the way you look and the way you act will never allow you to be happy. To be happy you must love everything about you, have such a high respect for yourself that you won’t allow any ridiculous self-conscious feelings affect you in a negative way. Love yourself then you can start loving others.

7. Love life

Love is the greatest power in the universe. Love conquers all. When you start loving everything you do, from the smallest task to the biggest endeavor. You must love everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, you do in life. You have to love your body, love your house, love your family, love your friends, love your significant other, love the food on your table, love the bed you sleep in, love the good health you have, love the city you live in, love the music you listen to, love your job, love the things you learn everyday, love a person’s smile, just simply and irrevocably love life! There nothing else to it, just start loving everything that’s around you, change the focus from the things you hate and change to the things you love. Constantly list the things you are most grateful for. Look around with appreciation for everything that surrounds you. Life is a beautiful thing and one should realize that very fact. There are simply so many things to love in life that by the time one starts putting their focus on the things they love and fill their heart with love they will forget everything they hate. Love is an amazing thing that all our hearts should be filled with. So go out there and LOVE life! <3

Where would you want to wake up tomorrow?

This is a beautiful short film. It feels so sincere and heartwarming and it puts a nice smile to face.

Now where would I want to be when I wake up tomorrow? It would in my bed right at home. Life at this very moment is perfect and blissful. Even though life has it challenges and frustrations, there are so many other beautiful things that sometimes we just have to take a pause from our hectic lives and take a deep breath and truly enjoy everything that's around us. The fresh air I breathe, the family that supports me, the friends who sincerely care about me, the laughs, the thrills, learning about new things, this wonderful city I live in. Life is truly beautiful.

Now where would you want to wake up tomorrow?