I want I want

This is going to be a long blog entry so please bear with me. Today I am going to talk about our WANTS. Take note ah, wants is something we can actually do without and still survive. For instance a 42 inch flat plasma TV, a Nintendo Wii, an iPOD and many others. These are things we can do without and still survive. Let's do an experiment. Take out a piece of paper. Now put down the one thing that you would like, if all resources are available to you.

Have you written? Nope, ok lah, if you do not have a piece of paper and pen or too lazy to take it, think of something you want now. Again take note ah, it is Want, not Need. Done? Assume that your first wish is granted. Now put down the second thing that you would like, if all resources are available to you. Done? Assume that your wish is granted. Now write down the next thing that you want, if all resources are available to you. Done? Great, Assume that your wish is granted. Haha, feel like Santa Claus. Anyway, write down or think of the next thing that you want. Please keep on continuing such a process until you have come to a point where you really cannot think of anything that you Want. Continue to reading the blog only when you have reach the end of your thought process.

Done? Or you feel too tired of thinking about it because there does not seem to be an ending soon? I have the same thought process as well. I want this Book, I want that book, I want to travel here, I want to travel there. I want a beautiful wife. I want a competent wife. I want to eat the best food here and the best food there. I want to go and watch so and so concert. We all have unlimited wants. You will notice that we really cannot satisfy all the wants that we have. It is like filling a bottomless hole with dirt, you cannot see it being filled to the top at all.

Now if you notice, it is a source of unhappiness for us. Now first thing first, I am not advocating that you should not have wants. Our Wants will drive us to new heights and help us reach our potential, there is no way you can deny its effect in your life. Why it is a source of unhappiness is firstly we are always constraint by the resources that we have, as such we cannot get what we want easily and thus we are disappointed if we do not have it.

Now if you are so attached to having your wants satisfied, you might take drastic actions that you regret later. For instance, shoplifting of the things you like, or back-stab your gd friend so that you can satisfy your wants. But such actions will make your Satisfied wants short lived, in the sense that the amt of happiness you derived is very short and small. If we are able to control out Wants and not let it affect our life, we can lead a happier life. If we focus too much on the Wants, we can ruin our life if we do not maintain a balance state of mind towards it.

Ok that is for the first part of this blog. Next part now.

As most of you know I am studying Buddhism (when I have time lah :P) One of the practise of Buddhism is meditation. Why meditation? Well to keep ourself focus and mindful every moment. To learn to stable our mind, understand how our minds works and able to identify thoughts as and when it comes. So recently I took up meditation. Well not a regular practitioner of meditation but I can feel the benefits of it. First benefit, I am able to think faster and better now. My thoughts are more focus on the particular activity I am in now. And most of you'll know my activity is usually reading, so I am able to absorb better now. I am not kidding.

Second benefit is I am able to stand at the side and look at my train of thoughts. What I mean is that I am able to stand at the side and watch my thoughts and have thoughts on my thoughts. Haha! Sounds complicated right? Let me give an example. Supposedly, there is something I like, so "I like XXX" is a thought. And to go deeper into this thought would be answering the question, "Why I like XXX?" You are able to find out more about yourself this way. Beats taking all the psychological test that you find on magazine. :P You are able to look at your thoughts and understand why you have them in the first place. Once you are able to understand their existence, you are able to see yourself clearer and learn to control yourself better by controlling your reactions to thoughts.

Doing meditation let's me become more mindful abt the conversation I have people, be more careful in what I say and able to assess what should be said, at split seconds to other people but a longer process in my mind. :) Sounds unbelievable but it is the truth.

I strongly urge all readers to learn meditation. I really benefited greatly from it. Due to a change of working environment, a circle of events is happening again and I am able to see the whole thing happening clearer and know how to react to it better through being mindful (which is through meditation). Haha. It is just my Wants at fault again. Haha!

There is something else to share but I guess I live it to another time.

Cheers!