MoxieLifestyle

As we get older a lot of things about us change. Our bodies change physically, we mature mentally, our tastes change, etc.

Lately I have been noticing a lot of changes in my attitude and overall mindset. I know I have changed over the last 5 years but it is kind of weird to take a step back and actually notice these things as they are happening. Things I used to do a couple months ago I have stopped doing completely.

The gears of change were definitely in motion before I left for my trip but I think the three weeks away from the world gave me a chance to gain some perspective and wrap my head around everything that’s been going on.

Since I’ve been back I’ve noticed that I have been spending a lot less time on thing that I previously would spend hours doing. The first one being watching TV and movies. Ever since I got a DVR months ago, I would record all kinds of shows on my DVR and watch them for hours. I also have NetFlix so I would rent movies constantly and my worst habit would be renting whole seasons of TV shows at a time and spending most of my down time watching episode after episode for hours on end.

Since I got back I’ve barely watched any TV at all and my NetFlix subscription has been sitting idle. It just seems like a waste of time to me. I think I am going to rent the Arrested Development DVDs and then cancel it.

On a TV related note, I also have been playing a lot less video games. When I got back I was really excited to pick up and play Metal Gear Solid 4 but now a week later I find that I have barely touched the game.

When you travel through poor countries like Panama and Costa Rica, it’s really eye opening to see all of these kids that are dirt poor, hungry and walking around barefoot; but if you look at them their faces are filled with immense joy. They have never known anything but what they have so they are content with that, it makes me question what I do with my free time and has in turn made me more productive than ever.

One thing I am now finding I do even MORE of is reading. The key thing is that WHAT I am reading has changed. I barely ever read fiction anymore, I just don’t see the point. Unless it is something like 1984 or Atlas Shrugged that can really shift your world view and make you ask yourself important questions, reading fiction seems like mental masturbation to me.

Previously my reading time would have been filled with random sci-fi and fantasy books/series. Now however I am now doing a lot more educational reading. Things that can help me develop as a person, like The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle or Fire In The Belly by Sam Keen. Both books were eye opening in the same way as a slap to the face and have made me re-think my current values and standards.

One book I read on my trip that really stands out is a memoir by Franz Wisner called Honeymoon With My Brother. The book is about a guy who is left at the altar by his fiance. He goes on the already paid for honeymoon in Costa Rica with his brother and they enjoy it so much that they sell everything they own and travel for two years. It’s very inspiring and moving. After reading it I questioned a lot of the risks I have shied away from in the past.

Educational reading, something that I NEVER did before has also become more frequent. I have always been a huge fan of history and recently I have started reading more about the history of countries other than the U.S. For example I am particularly interested in traveling Southeast Asia, so a lot of my free time has been spent reading up on the culture and history of the countries in that area.

Filed under: Random Thoughts on June 29th, 2008