Saturday DO

DO: go to bed an hour early and read.

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I have two problems: 1) I never seem to get enough sleep, and 2) I never have enough time to read as much as I’d like. Rather than continue letting this bother me, I’ve begun a little experiment. An hour earlier than I typically would, I force myself to get into bed. I’m usually not tired, but I get into bed anyways and pull out a book. Eventually from reading, my eyes begin to get droopy. As soon as this happens I roll over and go to sleep. Reading serves as a perfect way to let the tiredness set in, and it helps you feel more settled before bed.

I don’t get too much more sleep than I did before, only about 15-30min, but I think that’s the best I can shoot for with the way my life goes. The biggest success of this experiment has been the added reading time. I find reading to be one of life’s biggest pleasures. Fiction, non-fiction, fantasy…whatever it is – reading opens your eyes, and lets you experience things/people that you may never otherwise encounter. It’s a great thing to incorporate into your everyday routine.

I quite like the effects of my experiment so far. I’ve decided to keep up the efforts, and try to make it my new thing. You should all try it out sometime soon and see how it works for you. It’s a great way to wind down your day, and I think you will all enjoy the added one-on-one time with you, your book, and your bed.

Saturday DO

DO: learn a new game

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Games are a great thing to have in one’s artillery. On my recent trip to Hong Kong I realized why.

Firstly, getting there and back involves an extremely…long…voyage… After a while, you’ve finished the book you brought, you get sick of the movies and you’re left to your own devices. Luckily, the man next to me (we had been chatting back and forth) asked if I wanted to play a game. It was a simple word game – fun – and a godsent gift to make the time pass. After we got sick of one game we moved on to a new one, and before we knew it the plane was landing at our destination. Without our library of games, I don’t know how I would have stayed sane.

My second recent experience which taught me the power of games happened while I was out at night with two Chinese individuals – neither of which knew more than two words of English. We ended up playing a Chinese game that involved two cups, four die, and your hands – no words necessary. After that I taught them the old American hand slapping game that everyone used to play as a kid. They thought it was hysterical, and loved it. The exchange of games was fun and allowed me to connect with two people that I would otherwise have had no way to communicate with.

So I’ve come to appreciate the simple life pleasure that games provide. They introduce people, make memories, bring friends together, and help pass time. It’s always fun to learn a new a game, so try to pick up a new one. You’ll have it in your repetoire to pullout the next time you’re bored or in need. Whoever you’re playing with might be very grateful…

Saturday DO

DO: write something.

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I didn’t always want to be a writer. First it was an astronaut, then archeologist, and then about a hundred other things. But I started keeping a journal in middle school and I never stopped – I have boxes of them stored away, a somewhat haunting record of everything I’ve been through.

It wasn’t until a few years ago that I started to seriously consider writing as a profession, and it was something Charles Bukowski wrote that actually had a huge impact on me. In “Tales of Ordinary Madness,” he wrote that you don’t choose to be a writer, it chooses you. As simple as that may sound, it rang so true… all my life I had been compelled to put my thoughts down on paper and subconsciously I was drawn to it as a profession. It wasn’t a decision that I made, it was a natural evolution that led me to where I am today.

Everyday life tends to create clutter in my head, hundreds of thoughts and emotions swirling around, bumping into each other and the only way to clear my head is put them down on paper. Try it today and see if it works for you too – write something. It doesn’t have to be long, it can be about anything you want – it can even be something you just made up. Write it down – put it on paper, and see how it makes you feel.

“If you’re going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don’t even start. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives and maybe even your mind. It could mean not eating for three or four days. It could mean freezing on a park bench. It could mean jail. It could mean derision. It could mean mockery–isolation. Isolation is the gift. All the others are a test of your endurance, of how much you really want to do it. And, you’ll do it, despite rejection and the worst odds. And it will be better than anything else you can imagine. If you’re going to try, go all the way. There is no other feeling like that. You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire. You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It’s the only good fight there is.”

– Charles Bukowski

Saturday DO

DO: take a cold shower.

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It’s that time of year again. The air is already so hot that a simple walk outside is enough to leave your body coated in sweat, but don’t let it scare you! Summer is meant for being outdoors. Let the lure of sunshine, warmth, and living life overcome the sterile cleanliness of air conditioned spaces. Explore the outdoors, lay in the grass, attend festivals, plant a garden, just go outside and GET DIRTY. Afterward you’ll have a chance to jump in the shower and clean off. But don’t just let it be any ordinary shower-turn the knob to cold, and let those capillaries open up. Feel the chills all over – the way your hair gets so extremely silky with cold water. Nothing says summer quite like the alive feeling you get from a cold shower.

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