April Update

CFM box in my face!

Y'all:

Check it out, I'm posting almost one month later! Hoo boy, monthly updates...well, it's something, right? Seriously, and I know I say this every time, but I really ought to update this blog more regularly.

Until further notice, I will continue to utilize Cards for Mindfulness structure my update. Also, so as not to frighten away potential readers, the random shirtless pictures of me holding the cards are going to be replaced by pictures of my amiibo figures with the cards instead. Enjoy!

Just. This.

(Rest)

Link and Mario decided to help me out.

This card encourages meditation and mindfulness. It discusses the practice of just this, a "simple phrase to turn our attention towards whatever is happening..."

Fun fact: I suck at meditation. Sometimes, I suck at focusing on the task at hand. My mind is always going, always doing its thing, and I can't always rein it in. It doesn't help that I always seem to have more on my plate than I really need. Right now, for instance, I'm living/working abroad, job-hunting, taking online courses, learning a new language, and I'm supposed to be writing books, working on my RPG system, and doing other projects. There's so much I am doing, and so many things I want to do, that often I can't find time for everything. There are days where my free time is squandered while I try to decide what thing I want to spend it on, and then I waste it on social media while trying to make a decision. It's obvious why I can't focus when I attempt to meditate when it's such a mess in my head. I definitely need a new approach. Perhaps if I can find a way to better organize my life and manage my time properly, I can get into a regular rhythm of meditation.

Perhaps if I can do those things, I won't need to.

Name the DEMONS

(Kindness In)

Shouldn't they already have names?

Everyone has demons, though some have more than others. Some people are crippled by their demons, while others find ways to function. Knowing what your demons are, what holds you back, can give you power over them.

Me? I suffer from depression. I suffer from procrastination. I suffer from indecisiveness. I'm poor. I have issues. I have baggage. I would like to think that I do a pretty good job in my day-to-day in spite of these things, but I know that sometimes they're heavier than I can support.

Ugh, that's two in a row that make me want to keep my grumpypants on. let's hope my third card is a little more cheerful!

The Internet of People

(Kindness Out)

Fancy!

The card reflects on how every product and service in our lives, from food to video games, comes to us through a network of people, sometimes hundreds. I am reminded of the Issues In Envrionmental Science course that I took at RVCC, one of the first college experiences I had that really opened my eyes to the wider world.

This isn't something that I often consider. I know my stuff comes from somewhere. I didn't raise the chickens that provided the carton of eggs I purchased at the store today. I didn't process the meat in the SPAM I ate for dinner last night. I didn't engineer, design, and manufacture my Chromebook. My amiibo came from a store, from a factory, from Nintendo (and that's over-simplified, I know). The point is that all things that come from a web of people that I will probably never meet. I guess my card is saying that I should feel grateful toward these anonymous providers. I'd like to think that I am.

When my books are finally published and available for purchase on Amazon.com, when my RPG is completed, and when these things end up in the hands of others, I can only hope that they are in some way appreciative. I'll know they are if they enjoy the works themselves, just as I am enjoying my Chromebook, my SPAM, and my eggs.

(Can you tell how freaking tired I am as I type this?)

___________________________________________________

THE ONE AND ONLY,
MAC III


Feeling generous? Want to help support a starving artist? Click here.