Multiplying Positive Habits

"We first make our habits, then our habits make us.'' - John Dryden

I've loved meats and never thought about becoming a vegetarian. I used to get annoyed when eating out with vegetarians or friends who eat meat to the minimum.

Last year June, I went to a ten day meditation retreat that only served vegetarian meals. I was also told that the reason behind is to support our wholesome actions with wholesome habits during that period. Surprisingly, I was completely fine and enjoyed every meal. I was even happy that not eating meats helps keeping some animals from suffering.

After I came out from that retreat, I continued not eating meats until I moved back home. Once I got back, there was food that I'd been missing and couldn't resist meats in it. So I went back to my normal habit just eating whatever that's available.

Recently, my brother talked about interest in becoming a vegetarian after his conversation with a friend. So we started discussing about 'factory farming', googling those pictures of factory farming, watching a documentary 'farm to fridge', and learning about the book Eating Animals. Not to mention helping the environment. (Animals raised for food eat enough grain to feed the world.) He went as far as doing a photography project about meat markets and meat industry here. I accompanied him when he went to meat markets and slaughterhouses. It really was horrifying to see animals' sufferings and how they are treated as commodities.

I decided to try becoming a vegetarian. I said 'try' because I really am not sure how long I can keep up with this. I know myself how many times I have failed doing something I thought I "should''.

I will still eat meats if I get too agitated not eating or it'll be a burden for others to make vegetarian food/meal for me.

Since I decided to stop eating meats, I have paid more attention to my eating habit. I try to eat more nutritiously adding more vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains etc. Since I've been eating healthy, I wanted to add exercise to my routine.

I feel really great and positive doing exercise for a month. Then, I wanted to get up early to exercise. Morning run or workout has been lovely- I love seeing the sunrise, hearing the birds signing and breathing the fresh air. I've picked up a habit of making healthy breakfast that energizes and prepares me to begin the day.

Since I'm up early, I usually have extra time so I spend time reading a real book (not browsing internet) over a cup of coffee. I still have extra time so I meditate for half hour, which really clears my mind. I've got all these things done before I start working at 9 am.

I normally need 6-7 hours of sleep. To rise early at 6:30, I go to bed early around 10:30 with my kindle so I can read an hour before I fall asleep. (I stopped the habit of bringing the computer to my bed browsing the internet.)

It's been so wonderful to begin and end the day. With all these great habits influencing each other, it'll be hard to quit being a vegetarian. Even if I did give into my temptation, it'll be a good reminder that my morality is not that strong...

Why I love traveling

I have always loved traveling. But why I love it now is different from why I did in the past.
In the past, I loved it because:
1. I got to escape from boring routine and reality of life - school and work and other mundane things.
2. I got a chance to see totally exotic things and experience cool adventure like walking around the streets of Paris, getting lost in Venice, ziplining across beautiful rain forests and mountains of Costa Rica.

When I lived in the U.S., everyone around me was so optimistic. I followed some news just so to keep myself ''informed''. When I saw bad news somewhere outside the U.S., I just shrugged ''Thank God, I'm grateful for having a good life.''

Now, since I moved back here to my home country, I started realizing how little I know and understand about the world around me, and how much I'm out of touch with lives of others around. I began to see struggles of most people just to get daily meals. Reading about the poverty and hunger is one thing, seeing right in front of my eyes is the other. I learned how little understanding I had about issues that are bigger than me. Then I decided to approach travel differently, not just vacationing to have fun and relaxation any more.

Here are main reasons why I love traveling now.

1. It's a good reminder that I'm incomplete.

In this information age, we get access to news all over the world very instantly and see pictures of many parts of the world. It often leads me to this delusion - I know just enough. But it's when I travel, I realize how little I know, how incomplete I am. It's an uncomfortable truth but it's something I often need to be reminded of.

2. It makes me more human.

In daily lives, I just let things pass me by and don't notice much. When I travel, I notice things and people more. I felt bad and uncomfortable when some people look at me as their superior or serving me instead of treating me equally as their fellow human being. It made me really sad to see the kids waiting to eat my leftover meal. I found it hard to resist when a poor street vendor begs me to make her very first sale. The experience softens my heart and makes me learn to care more.

3. It pushes me out of my comfort zone.

I live in a fairly comfortable life. But when I travel, I often have very limited options due to limited resources - money and time. So I often push myself to make the most of it, take some risks and face some fears. One time, I got up at 5 am to see the sunrise over the grand canyon, hiked half day into the canyons and drove myself 8 hours to Los Angeles, all of it in the same day! I learned to make a camp fire (not as easy as I thought).  My friend and I tagged along with a random stranger across the bay in Costa Rica to experience a promising paradise. ( It was indeed a paradise and the most memorable part of our trip!) I jumped into deep water regardless of my fear. I did rock climbing and found myself afraid when nothing to grab or step to move up. The experience of taking risks and facing fears comes in handy when I'm challenged in my real life.

4. It makes me live in the moment.

Well, there is enough teaching out there about living in the moment. In reality, it's hard. I either get caught up in the past or too concerned with the future. But, when I travel, I am completely in the moment, the most I will care is what to do the next day. There is nothing more joyful than living in the very moment. It makes me aware of myself more and things outside at the present. Even if I find ugly things about me and situations outside, I learned the present is much more closer to the truth.

5. Nature inspires me.

When traveling, I get to be in touch with nature. Taoism says nature inspires us because the nature is very strong. It's true. I get exhilarated and refreshed to see ranges of enormous mountains, endless sea and sky, and deep green forests. All these structures in nature are very strong unlike me. I often get weakened, toppled, insecure every time I am criticized, afraid or rejected. 

It takes extremely strong wind or forest fires or man-made equipment to impact a significant change on the nature. Well, human beings are destroying our own planet but still the planet is quite strong and beautiful.

All these reasons make me love traveling more. I want to travel far and wide whenever I get a chance...