Faith to give up on superstition

I've written about the fact that life is like winning a lottery in a seemingly hostile Universe. There is much to fear yet we live despite the greatest odds against life.

In the song Superstition by Stevie Wonder, the line "if you believe in things you don't understand then you suffer". Sounds reasonable right? Not to mention belief in cosmic signs, spirits to be appeased etc, how much do we understand the obvious things like life, our bodies, love, suffering... I don't think we understand even the most mundane facts of life, yet we hang on to all that makes us live, enjoy and fear. 

What is the difference between superstition and faith? Both believe in things we don't fully comprehend. 

The simple answer could be: Superstition begins and ends in fear, But faith is all about life that won't give up.

Music under water

It's been a long time coming: I listen to music while I swim. Sounds boring but the fact I can finally say this after 5 months of using my waterproof mp3 ear phones is a manifestation of how my life has changed. Here's why:

1. I'm swimming an hour at least 6 days a week. I couldn't do this so easily without hearing my favourite music. I'm getting fit.
2. It took a lot of tweaking, testing, maintenance and patience to get the phones to pipe music straight inside my ears at the right angle for one hour while constantly moving in slippery water seeping around my ear. My life is being geeked out as I'm solving system physical and psychological  problems with new habits and a new outlook on life.
3. I went through a stint of swimming nearly everyday before but ate differently and always wished for music during the process. With a way to eat that suits my metabolism and  good waterproof phones, the results in my health and appearance are obvious. The change in my life was what I always wanted but forgot until the technology and opportunity arrived.
4. Endorphin addiction from the exercise clears my mind and helps me think, dream and decide. The circumstances that pushed me to change has permeated all of my existence: to why I live and love.   
5. The fact I'm writing this on a blog underlines the new communications that helped me find food, exercise and other advice. But I'm sharing what I'm going through with anyone who is interested. A new desire, vision and channel to communicate has invaded me.

I had to resort to a formal way to talk about this even though listening to music underwater seems such a simple thing. Few want to and few succeed. Much like all good things in life.

Why shave?

I bumped into a long time friend who asked me if I walked around Hong Kong in a tank top and if I shaved. Although it sounds negative, we know each other well and she is from France where latin directness is common. We had a nice chat.

But my personal journey out of sickness and depression has brought me to see how life is about solving my own systemic problems and overcoming them by new habits, good friends and seeing what dreams motivate me. I feel more free and fulfilled than ever.

So why shave? Why do anything? Besides making a good impression which is wise, it should be part of my new focus on solving problems which I discovered is a primary motivation among other things.

Life is like jazz

I know not many people listen to jazz but the way the music is made: improvisation, give and take, rhythm, taking artistic liberty, quality, moodiness, skills, enjoyment.... It's what life should be like. I'm doing all of that now and I think good things are coming out of it. Life!

Celebrate

It's Autumn. Kids back at school. Cooler mornings in sub-tropical Hong Kong. The singers must have been boiling under the lights with barely a whiff of wind. Yet they sang in Chiuchow to a small audience to mark to end of the "Halloween" (sort of) in Southern China. What ever the reason, it was nice to see a little culture besides money, wining, dining and shopping that occupies our service economy.
For once I don't really have any epiphany; just some colorful pictures that celebrate something of life behind the facade and the schedule.

Hold out! Sold out!

I'm still waiting for a breakthrough in livelihood and in a new project with my friends. These songs express an excitement in spite of it all. It's not about religion but life and the value of conviction. It's embracing the love of my life and moving forward. Not standing still but pushed by passion. Seeing results before they happen. I'm sold out and holding out for the journey that has already begun despite external circumstances.

Negative ninja

The Japanese character ninja is mysterious and has become an urban legend about a "secret service" in ancient times. The word "nin" is hanji (忍) that combines the character for knife over the heart. There is an extra bit which looks like a tear or a drop of blood (who knows and  I'm not saying this is the historical or linguistic origin of this character). It means to tolerate or keep hidden inside. But I suspect some extreme interpretations would be to kill an undesirable feeling.

The good side of training us to control our feelings is to maintain civil society, toilet training and other ways to make life more convenient or orderly. The negative side is that we actually think we can kill our feelings.

I know that we can only delay the message our feelings want to tell us. It can be as mundane as avoiding public toilets until we find a nicer facility but a more serious result is anger, burying our dreams and not expressing love. To find out when to express our feelings and when to delay it is all part of growing up.

I guess the Chinese character for tolerate which parents tell their children quite often is not too far off. It only tells us to hold a knife over our heart felt yearnings until a more opportune time perhaps.

I'm writing this because I'm dealing with deep seated panic and anger which I have tried to avoid completely. Perhaps from my past or even from current trends. I act like I have to hurry or keep up or act like someone else even though my heart is telling me something else. It's part of growing up. Almost 51, it's about time.