Habits that Changed my Life

Getting personal

In this brief intermission from the normal research-based articles, I am going to take the time and discuss the most important habits of my late adolescence and early adulthood; things that are normally considered cliche but when you discover the underlying structure they begin to make sense.

What is even the point of discussing habits? Everyone knows that they are effective to some degree. This may be the case, but the transformative capability of a fully adopted habit is not always clear and well defined. For example, we instinctively know that reading books is more or less helpful, but we still choose not to do it. Maybe we "don't have the time" or "it's boring". Exercise is similar; it is obviously good for our health but sometimes it is too hard to stick to a training schedule. The common factor in these examples is hardship. When attempting a new activity which we want to adopt as a habit, there is always the fear of the inevitable upcoming struggles and the possibility of failure. Persistence, however, brings about mastery. The greatest lesson to be learned from adopting a habit which demands volumes of dedication and commitment is discipline.

The habits I chose to analyze on this essay rely upon carefully set goals. None of them are possible if the individual has not aimed upwards, towards a higher goal achieved through discipline, humility, and love. It seems to me that this is the ultimate path to joy.

Reading

A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.
- George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons

I was always a very sensitive kid. Not only in the sense of being emotional and easily moved, but I would consciously allow my feelings to overwhelm my senses. I was infatuated with sadness, fear, nostalgia, but also with heroism, friendship, and love. All of these I found in The Lord of The Rings trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien. At 12 years old, having learned by heart every single line of the extended versions of the movies, my obsession naturally led me to pick up the books. Childhood ignorance did not allow me to imagine what would follow. I realized I did not need to see the forest in order to smell it, view the landscape in order to feel nature's grandeur, or even witness death in order to be terrified of it. The mastery of a writer depends on accurately invoking those feelings by reading a single sentence. The projected images then form a tapestry which is a fantastical world inside your head, undoubtedly unique for every reader. After my journey to Middle-earth, I picked up the crime novels by Jo Nesbo featuring an eccentric protagonist hunting serial killers while trying to maintain some form of personal life. This more grounded type of novel helped me trace different elements in people's behaviour; not everyone who seems nice is innocent and not every sinner is incapable of honourable deeds. By further continuing my literary journey, it slowly started to become apparent to me that a good story teaches valuable lessons on how to act in the world as well as the world itself.

The process of reading is a meditative practice. One is fully immersed in the story or the words of the writer experiencing flow, a state of complete focus to the task at hand. When reading Camus¹, for instance, one is taken away into the complex thinking of one of humanity's greatest minds. His way of articulating complex ideas that work subconsciously for every human is as masterful as it is shocking; the realization of life's absurdity, yet its undying beauty. The effect of such a realization is so profound that time stops and space freezes. Eternity becomes reality. How can reading then not change your view of life? Would you not witness in unexplained awe the eternal battle between good and evil when reading Tolkien? Would you not tremble in fear of the cosmic abysses of the universe after reading Lovecraft? Would you not put yourself in the shoes of one of Dostoevsky's eternal protagonists?

When reading, one glimpses into the very fabric of existence characterized by immortal truths found in stories, philosophies, history and religion. True, as a result, becomes not only the factually true, but the eternally true as well. Such insights can be brought about only by the greatest of wordsmiths since they pierce deep into the unseen structure of our world causing overwhelming reactions that, by definition, lack accurate explanation. A whole new worldview is then adopted. Everything makes sense since everything is part of the whole. I wrote in the About section of my Newsletter that:

Philosophy, psychology, and science intersect in magnificent ways so much so that it becomes apparent that there is a common thread connecting all kinds of knowledge that ultimately leads to wisdom.

This realization is the most profound result of adopting a reading habit. A beautiful mosaic of ideas and archetypes which spans over millennia is awesomely laid in front of you in an instant. Then you know; you have seen the eternal, witnessed the absence of time. All it takes is to follow the golden thread of knowledge.

Writing

It is said that the warrior's is the twofold Way of pen and sword, and he should have a taste for both Ways. Even if a man has no natural ability he can be a warrior by sticking assiduously to both divisions of the Way.
- Miyamoto Musashi

To begin with, writing is thinking. The more elaborate the writing, the more clear your thoughts become. If we look at it backwards, when we read a book, an essay, or an article we are basically looking into the writer's thoughts. They can be personal opinions or careful considerations laid out with sufficient evidence in order to defend or dismantle a proposition. Even in fiction it is not entirely possible to separate author from story. A great example of which I wrote previously is H.P. Lovecraft. His horror stories have spawned a fictional universe and created a philosophy that speaks to the deepest of human instincts. However, one also learns a lot about Lovecraft simply by piecing out the subtle hints of his own philosophy of life found in every text. Creator and creation are not that different after all.

The first part of the writing endeavour is pure expression. Simply start writing. Let your thoughts guide your pen. Be brave and uncensored. Even this form of writing is liberating as your problems are not formless anymore and no longer exist only inside your head. The beauty is revealed when the writing procedure proves to be an interactive experience between you and your unconscious. As you write you get continuous feedback and understand if pen and mind are aligned or if you are held hostage by ignorance and ideology. The sensation is uncanny, almost as if you are forced to hold a mirror that exposes all your true inclinations and unspoken truths. A lie on paper feels like strings pulling psyche and reason apart. This feeling of mysterious origin which guides your pen is ultimately what makes writing the highest form of thought. Not only does it show you the truth about yourself, but it also allows you to evolve: enrich your mind with brilliant ideas and liberate it from the destructive ones.

Then comes the editing part. Abstract, unfiltered thoughts usually have no correlation. Piecing them together in meaningful sentences which then form logical paragraphs, maybe even entire essays tackling specific problems, is what ultimately orders your way of thinking about the world. You are now equipped to express yourself in complete sentences and connect your arguments so that they make sense and leave no room for misunderstanding. This is your greatest weapon when attempting to become articulate, either to perform a speech or participate in a debate. You can also see that in everyday discussions. People get passionate about contentious issues and spew random words based on half-formed thoughts and present sloppy arguments that never truly connect. Writing does not allow for that. You learn to hone your words, sharpen your tools, and see if you can discover what you believe to be true.

What one can derive from what we have said so far is that the benefits of such a habit only manifest themselves if the writer is committed to the truth. This means that it is not only necessary to express your truest opinions on paper, you must also be willing to revise and discard them in case more accurate ones appear. It seems that abandoning ideology is an extremely painful task for people to achieve. Mindlessly clinging to past lies as if their whole reality depends on it. Well it does, in a sense. To abandon ideology means to let your old beliefs die so that you can survive. This is an extremely painful procedure in which pride leaves no room for adaptability. Humility in the face of knowledge must be the guiding principle in order for the individual to adapt in any philosophical crisis. It has to also be the principle which allows for abstract ideas to be transformed into beautifully written speech. There can truly exist no greater intellectual feat than the harmonious coexistence of mind and psyche.

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Podcasts

The world of podcasts is immense. It can be terrifying to even begin simply by the enormous content available on the Internet. But taking it seriously can be a life-changer. Personally, I have consumed podcasts for one simple purpose: insight. Long-form, unscripted discussions have the capacity to generate beautiful ideas that when pieced together bring about insight. So, how do we navigate this world? Here are a few things I learned:

1. Pick a subject

   As a beginner, sticking to one subject can help sort out the enormous amount of content on the internet. If you are into philosophy, try the highest rated philosophy podcast and work from there. This can be applied on all topics. Some podcasts are dedicated to a whole movement or scientific domain, others to a single individual. Then you faithfully follow your interests and develop a character; you begin to shape your listening habits to a specific format. Learning about Nietzsche can lead you to inquire about Existentialism, or vice-versa. What is more, if you have also developed a reading and writing habit, listening to podcasts will fit beautifully into your arsenal of skills. Personally, Siddharth Kara’s interview on Joe Rogan concerning the mining of Cobalt in the Kongo region, shocked me so much that I immediately added Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness to my reading list, as well as his own book Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives. More examples would include ideas that fleetingly appeared in your head and when heard on a podcast awakened something inside you; a desire to write all about it and expand on that concept.

2. The classics never fail

   The Lex Fridman Podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast, the Huberman Lab podcast, and many other similar shows can catapult you into obsessing over a variety of subjects. The enormous content of these 4 shows mentioned above is more than enough to keep you occupied for months; speaking from personal experience. Every person interviewed by these gentlemen is a whole world of ideas and experiences, and each world has to offer new perspectives never before imagined. It can be inspiring to learn about a person's journey and realize that you are not alone, neither in joy nor in despair. The human condition is shared by everyone and we are all in this together. The sharing of invaluable knowledge notwithstanding, a good interview can become something deeply personal; it can expose both beneficial and faulty worldviews and simultaneously touch sensitive matters resulting in a deep connection between speaker, interviewer and listener.

3. Expand your horizons

   Picking a subject that doesn't fully correspond to your immediate skills can seem like a chore, at least in the beginning. For example, you may be a student of engineering who is intermittently interested in religion. Studying the old-fashioned way, i.e. reading books, would mean to steal time from your main occupation. In this exact situation, podcasts shine. You can easily dedicate some of your free time during the day to learn about the teachings of each religion. Acquiring that knowledge will make you feel more balanced in thought and more capable in articulating learned information. As I ceaselessly mention, no knowledge is forbidden and one should never be ashamed for humbly trying to learn.

Exercise

Supporting the aforementioned, now modernized, triptych of knowledge is exercise, an absolute essential for a healthy mind and body. The ancient Greeks believed that the training of the body is as important as the training of the mind. The whole is complete when the parts are fully developed.

τίς εὐδαίμων, "ὁ τὸ μὲν σῶμα ὑγιής, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν εὔπορος, τὴν δὲ φύσιν εὐπαίδευτος"
What man is happy? "He who has a healthy body, a resourceful mind and a docile nature."
- Thales of Miletus

How do we achieve unity between mind and body? The ways of training the mind were exhausted in the previous segments so now we'll focus on the body. The "holy trinity" of a healthy body is: consistency, sleep, and diet. Consistency should be the top priority. It is the source of success but also of failure. Be prepared that in order to see results you have to stick to your schedules; it is as important to remain faithful to your goals as it is to resist relapsing to unhealthy habits.

Creating a regular exercise schedule, therefore, would be the first step. Pick an athletic regime be it weightlifting, calisthenics, martial arts, or sports, and stick to it. If you are completely new to exercise of any kind, researching before proceeding would be wise. You should also consider personal training in order to follow the right path. Once the beginner stages are done, develop your skills by slowly increasing the load of stress week after week; in training terms that would be progressive overload. For instance, if you decide that the gym is your poison, try to increase the weights ever week or two so that you always maintain a sufficient level of stress during the workout. You don't want it to be impossible to manage but also not easy. Now, the success of this endeavour heavily depends on the other two factors; ameliorating your sleep schedule and your eating habits. For starters that would mean a minimum of 7 hours per night and at least considering your calorie intake and macronutrients. Sleep and food is for humans what maintenance and fuel is a for high-performance machinery.

You will immediately start to notice the change in your body and your mentality. Then comes the realization that overcoming hardship of any kind, mild or extreme, inevitably leads to the strengthening of physical and emotional mechanisms. The obvious health benefits of exercise notwithstanding, becoming disciplined enough to not give up due to the pressure of a strict daily programme is something every individual should aspire to achieve. Is it too much work? Maybe. But what you get is ultimately worth the price. Resilience in the face of adversity and persistence when you want to give up are skills acquired by physical exercise and constant meditation on yourself and your goals; you will have taught yourself how to endure and to push through struggle.

All of these come from voluntarily exposing yourself to hardship. You will then see tremendous overlap in your everyday struggles. Waking up early is now easy. Work is now enjoyable, it doesn't feel like hardship at all because you have taught yourself that setting goals means discipline, and discipline means nothing can stop you. Peer pressure is now welcomed and considered to be precious feedback, not emotional violence that paralyzes the insecure. Arguments with your significant other can be less emotional and more considerate. All of the above are written in the same language, that of discipline.

Tough exercise is the most obvious example of a disciplined activity that strengthens mind and body alike and prepares the individual for stresses otherwise mountainous in size. Combining it with other habits like, as I mentioned before, eating properly, getting quality sleep (also essential for reducing risk of injury), and waking up as early as possible, you will have faced such adversity unaccustomed to the modern human. Discipline can seem like it’s your worst enemy, in reality is your greatest ally. It is what saves your relationships, what ameliorates your health, what boosts your productivity, what makes you a stronger, kinder, and ultimately better person.

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Hiking

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As longs as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.
- Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl

To begin with, a hiking trip is a flow experience. The hiker is completely focused on the path tuning out irrelevant information. Everyday stresses, work-related duties etc. have no power when the thrill of the hike strikes. Every detail counts and has to be accounted for; each step, every turn, every sign on the path, all while experiencing the immensurate beauty of nature itself. Struggle and beauty brilliantly come together to form a fulfilling and transcending experience.

The preparation for the journey is maybe the most important thing one has to consider if they decide to incorporate hiking into their list of habits. Choosing a path is not random and absolutely must not be. Most areas that are suitable for hiking provide printed maps of selected trails which can be quite useful. If not, a number of smartphone applications² can do the trick and provide useful info such as track difficulty, elevation gain, estimated duration and, most importantly, user reviews and photos. Other essentials include food of your choice, enough water to keep you hydrated, and first-aid basics. I cannot stress enough how necessary these provisions are especially if you are into solo hiking.

After careful preparation, the true experience begins. If you are a beginner in exploring nature, stepping outside your comfort zone for the first time can be surreal. A deep connection with nature is similar to an intense religious experience. Awe and intense emotions will fill your heart. The deafening silence of the natural environment will make you realize what reality is all about. The constant noise of everyday life is but a twisted microcosm of the real world. The chirping of the birds, the soft melodies of the river, the touch of the wind, and the smell of damp soil after the rain are the symbols of eternal beauty. Innocent lifeforms will also appear in front of you going about fulfilling their own natures. Everything serves a meaningful purpose in nature like threads on a grand tapestry. As Marcus Aurelius wrote in Meditations:

At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: “I have to go to work — as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for — the things I was brought into the world to do? Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?”
So you were born to feel “nice”? Instead of doing things and experiencing them? Don’t you see the plants, the birds, the ants and spiders and bees going about their individual tasks, putting the world in order, as best they can? And you’re not willing to do your job as a human being? Why aren’t you running to do what your nature demands?
You don’t love yourself enough. Or you’d love your nature too, and what it demands of you.

It's a shock to realize that you are participating in an action without expecting a direct result. You go hiking simply for the process of hiking, and it feels as natural as drinking water or falling asleep. The sense of belonging is of unparalleled proportions; this is our world and we are a part of it.

What is more, you get immense satisfaction regardless of the difficulty of the path. Completing a hard ascent on a barren rocky mountainside, for example, can be as fulfilling as a stroll in an open field showered by the sunset’s evanescent hues. Ultimately, you know what you signed up for; a process which required a certain amount of persistence in order to see it through. You have charted a specific course through the forest, up a steep hill, down a canyon and finally up the abandoned belfry overlooking the valley. Is the panoramic view of the valley the sole purpose of you being there? No. It just gives meaning to the struggle that was required in order to reach that higher place. This is a valuable lesson in life. Struggles can be beautiful if one extracts the underlying meaning.

Every part of your hike is anchoring you in reality; beauty, hardship, peace, all of it. There will be deep forests along the way where instinctive fear is all your unconscious can produce, but the subtle serenity of nature and your perseverance in spite of fear will ultimately give you strength; you will learn to strive even in darkness.

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Meditation

Meditation is also one of the most glorified habits that influencers on social media push. The reason I say glorified is because practicing it, to say nothing of making it a successful habit, is a tough and often discouraging procedure. However, using the right psychological tools, it can be a fascinating journey.

During my Bachelor studies, almost five years ago, I practiced Vipassana meditation daily. It is a kind of meditation that only focuses on the breath and the sensations of breathing. External sounds are not to be muted, but to not be allowed to distract you from your breath work. As one can imagine, constant failure is to be expected. So a beginner will ask "How can I sit on the floor for fifteen minutes with my eyes closed listening to nothing at all and simultaneously ignoring the external mayhem caused by neighbors, traffic, and even the bloody weather?". Well, there are several mistaken presumptions expressed on that question. First of all, the practitioner is not restricted in any way. One might use headphones and listen to calming music while still attempting to focus on the breath. Moreover, there is no reason to be sitting on the floor. Lying down is a totally feasible alternative, as long as you don't fall asleep that is. And finally, no one expects you to succeed in the first place. The whole point is failing and trying again. When distracted by a shout, a honk, or a distant thunder, do not judge or get frustrated; simply bring your attention back to your breath and start focusing on the sensations of breathing. That is Vipassana.

What this habit has to offer is a dramatic amelioration of your focusing skills. You get more and more experience in blocking external distractions and focusing on a specific task. Of course, Vipassana is but one of many meditation practices. There are others, traditional and modern, that have similar benefits. One has to find the path best suited for their goals. Overall, meditation exposes the silent part of the self; that which whispers and causes sudden unexpected reactions. Procrastination is the most common example as well as bad temperament. Spending time to meditate is an excellent way to bring those impulses to the forefront and analyze them peacefully so that when they reappear you can recognize them instantly and prevent them from overwhelming you. If engaged with humility and patience, meditation gives the practitioner a sense of the inevitable obstacles that will appear in the path to mastery. The annoyance caused by external sounds or suddenly appearing thoughts perfectly represents daily life and your perseverance in spite of it is the greatest benefit of this practice.

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A perennial truth that characterizes reality is that it is full of suffering. As every human experiences joy in the short span of their lives, so do they experience sadness and loss. When pain stabs us unexpectedly, we instinctively forget all the good things about life. How easy it is after all to give in to despair when the forces of evil manifest themselves; to discard the good and the beautiful, dump gratefulness and substitute it for resentment. As the modern world becomes more and more secure and harmless, so the demand for discipline through hardship drops. However, when the wolf is at the door and make no mistake this day will come, only the strong may protect what is most holy and precious. The wolf of the modern age is sly tyranny masked as safety. Inactivity and overindulgence poison the psyche and make room for the crawling chaos of comfort to devour all possibility of self governance. Things will go wrong, and no amount of technological possessions and government insurances can protect an inert soul.

Nonetheless, the inevitability of such an event doesn't justify inaction; it is precisely because of its inevitability that we have a moral duty to act and attempt to ease our suffering. It is an act of rebellion to pursue physically and mentally demanding activities, to train mind and body alike so we can withstand all sorts of stresses. Carefully selected routines, i.e. habits, are the means by which discipline can develop. The hidden benefits of mental discipline are not to be treated lightly for they are equally as influential in everyday life. It teaches us to carry a heavy mental load be it stress, verbal attacks, rejection etc. Carrying such a heavy load relieves the pressure in the small corner of the world each of us inhabits. Isn't the ability to withstand anything the truest path to individual freedom? Isn't this kind of responsibility one that everyone should adopt? Maybe by doing so, we can inspire others to do the same. Maybe we can be a leading example of endurance in an increasingly safe and inactive modern world.

1. The Myth of Sisyphus is a masterpiece in which Albert Camus discusses the greatest of philosophical problems, that of suicide.

2. I personally use AllTrails which has proven a most useful tool in my solo adventures.