State: unaltered

Yesterday I set myself some tasks, this is the status at the end of the day:

  • The keystone: done
  1. Sunbathe: how wonderful, I didn’t want to leave the sun. Will do again without effort.
  2. Seek the inner refuge: I tried it, but fell asleep.
  3. Say hello to everyone you see in the eye: I refused to do it.
  4. Do you work: I did it
  5. Practice frugality: I saved some and spent some unnecessary things (gave Oscar money for cigarrettes).
  6. Prepare more meals: Chicken and lentils are cooking at this very moment.

State: weed.

I come back to write, after having finished cooking and cleaning up.

My intention was to write down my impressions of the day, with the todo-list that the altered state facet of my personality “chose” for the unaltered state consciousness.

When I woke up I immediately remembered about my vow to begin the day with the keystone, but there was no urgency, more of a sense of “I will do this even if I don’t feel like doing it, because this will mark a day of transformation. All days that begin with the keystone have tasks, and one need not to engage with them if one sense it is the moment.

So, if I chose better tasks for myself, I shall find them more agreeable to complete. I do not want to look at people in the eye and smile, if my heart is not in that state. Emotional fakery is the most draining thing in the world. But when aroused states are natural, the smile comes out spontaneusly, and is energizing.

So, let us see what can be done better in the matter of tasks:

  1. Sunbathing.

Morning sunbathing is best done sitting down, with a cup of coffee on hand. One has not woken up before greeting the sun. This is the new keystone.

  1. Seek the inner refuge.

I felt no anxiety, so I felt no need to sit down to meditate. Still, I made an attempt and did not get too far before falling into sleep. It was welcome rest, so the experience of doing this was positive, and thus worth repeating.

  1. Say hello to everyone you see in the eye

Ugh, this is not the moment. The task is connection, not to say hello. I’ll change this directive to:

  1. Look in the eye.

And let us experiment what derives from this.

  1. Do your work

The direction is clear and meaning is reconnecting with work again. It was pleasant to work today.

  1. Practice frugality

I just hung up with my mother: my nephew will have his birthday party at my house. My sister thought that by odering pizzas all would be covered, but she ignores the mechanics of social gatherings. Napkins, plates, cups, must be provided for. We will be 11-12 people, and I must figure out how to seat that many people. No, these are children, adults we will be… I can’t count people in this state, it’s quite striking!

The conundrum is clear: balance frugality with practicality.

  1. Prepare more meals

Quite frankly, today’s great meal cookout was uninspiring. I don’t enjoy cooking for myself. I threw plantain with onions to the chicken and half roasted and half steamed it, threw in some seasoning, and called it done. But now that I describe the actions, I notice there is a certain art to this simplicity in cooking. I would call it “slow lazy cooking with whatever ingredients you have at hand”. But it is very good to cook in this way, so you understand the fundamentals of the things that you are eating.

Perhaps change the “prepare more meals” directive, to:

  1. Be practical in nutrition.

If, at this time, I am preparing food for nobody except for myself, I shall regulate the tastiness according to how much I wish to lose weight: the more weight I wish to lose, the less palatable food I eat.

At this time results speak for themselves: I must control nothing to have a good nutrition anymore, the nutrition comes from the practice of respect to nature.

These things I will adjust for tomorrow, but I think I am on the correct course.