Just another Tuesday night...

 
"On one page, she addresses such online compulsions as checking “that I am typing your name into the search box and not making it my status.” On another, she confesses that her idea of adulthood includes “obnoxiously large wine glasses.” Readers who use Facebook or who grew up in the golden age of Riedel ware will recognize these stresses....

All at once, you have a thrilling sense of nowness, of the sheer potential of a verdant night with all these unmet people in it. For a long time after that, you think you’ll never lose this life, those dreams. But that was, as they say, then. "
Read more: http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2013/01/14/130114crat_atlarge_heller#ixzz2JU0nLY2h

Cedar Ridge Preserve

Hiking is one of those great escapes that combines exercise with an overwhelming sense of peace in natural beauty. I am a big fan, but don't go often as Dallas is more of a concrete city. It’s undeniable. This city just built a park in the middle of downtown, over a 8-lane highway, because that was the only way to get a tree in downtown. Maybe it’s trying to be cosmopolitan, but I often find myself desperate for some quality time with nature. On Saturday, I went on a little getaway to the Cedar Ridge Preserve. It’s 30 minutes South of Dallas, and the perfect, serene park with numerous hiking trails. I went with a dear friend and George, of course. 

We completed a 3-mile hike and can't wait to go back. There are a number of trails and it would be easy to spend a whole day at the preserve.

The Meaning of Life and other small thoughts

When I was younger, there was this breathing exercise fad that was similar to yoga but without any movement. I would sit up straight and take deep breaths, feeling my muscles work to expand and contract while wishing my belly into a six-pack. It was possibly not a fad but just an infomercial I decided to believe in, but I felt it “work” the two times I humored the program. It’s all in what you believe.

The Power of Now reminds me of this phenomenon because it seeks to isolate this very moment from everything else going on in your mind. Eckhart Tolle highlights this very moment, letting go of anything and everything else, which allows for a happy and calm mind. Generally, I love this book because it presents a concept that simplifies life to a very basic level. It clears your mind and puts an end to the racing thoughts. Where The Happiness Project gives you projects to create a happy outlook, The Power of Now just lets happiness be with you. It’s an interesting mind game.

While I was on board with the mentality (and I do anything Oprah tells me to), this article brought everything together. Happiness is not the point and "the very pursuit of happiness thwarts happiness," said Frankl, a prominent Jewish psychiatrist and neurologist who survived the Holocaust. 

"Happiness without meaning characterizes a relatively shallow, self-absorbed or even selfish life, in which things go well, needs and desire are easily satisfied, and difficult or taxing entanglements are avoided," the authors of a study examined in the article claim.

Every person is unique and that in itself is purpose. No one will bring what you bring. Happiness is simple, selfish and fleeting, but the real importance lies in discovering and believing in a purpose for your life. Read the article, it’s fantastic.