11/15/19
Svādhyāya (Devanagari: स्वाध्याय) is a Sanskrit term which means self-study; a virtuous observance which entails introspection.
As my first entry, I want to dive a little bit deeper into why this whole writing thing is a worthwhile venture in the first place. Until recently, I never got joy from writing. My only experience with it was from school-prescribed essays and projects. I don't even know how to type correctly. I'm one of those people who looks for each key and presses it down with their pointer finger. Just a few weeks ago, I found myself organizing my notes and thoughts on a Google Doc instead of in a journal. Next thing I knew, I was enjoying it. Writing is a way for me to organize what I'm learning, what I'm liking, and what I'm thinking about. As this collection of various topics continues to grow, I know that I'll learn a lot from myself. If nothing else, this is a success in itself. If I'm enjoying myself, learning, and creating a timestamped journal to reference, then it's already worth my time. What it really comes down to is this: so far, putting together writing snippets like this one have added to my happiness. When they stop contributing in that way, I will shut this all down right away.
In a simple sound bite, my motto for writing is one that gets my words on paper without overthought: "Document, don't create." All too often, fear of what others might think about us keeps us from doing what feels right -- this is a topic in itself that can fill a whole other blog post. In other words, if I was writing to make a quick buck, I would be too anxious and fearful of what Johnny will think of me to get anything substantial on paper. Instead, I'll document with no expectations other than to look back on it in the future. Maybe in ten years I'll look back and get a glimpse of my old life. Maybe in fifty my granddaughter will read it and say, "Wow, Gramps, I feel exactly like you did, and I feel better reading what you wrote." Wouldn't that make it all worth it? If that wouldn't justify this time spent, then I wouldn't have been enjoying myself. But, while I am, we will see where it takes me.
Whatever the reason for writing is--a cure for boredom, a mindful practice, or something else--I can think for a few minutes about the things that engage me and at the end of the day I can feel more productive and fulfilled, even if slightly. Ultimately, this is to make me happy. It's meant to solidify all of the thoughts that motivate me to live how I do, and in that way, I think it will be satisfying.
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