For sizable portions of my life, I was stuck in the realm of 'trying to fix my head' by simply sitting dormant and sullen, going through the motions at work, going about my business, and trying to think my way out of being sad.
I figured "My head is broken, so I obviously have to fix it by using my head." Not so much, because the broken head can't fix the broken head.
But then, what? What does fix the broken head?
Well, I wasn't -totally- wrong. It does take reflection. But sometimes, you're head is rooted so deeply in a pit of routines, programs, and habits that you are only semi-aware of and often find you don't have much willing control over. Why is that?
I'll tell you.
Because we are what we do, not what we think about.
Before you throw your arms up in a huff and tell me that the brain is more powerful than the nebulas and the voodoo, realize that [like most things] you have to think of this from a specific angle.
Yes, the brain is powerful - but picture in your mind, if you will, somebody who sits in his room all day thinking about everything he could do. He thinks of how strong he will become through his experience, he thinks about how much love and happiness he will spread, he thinks of how meaningful his life will be as he travels the world in search of the perfect cucumber.
But this man does not go out. This man does not do these things. I guess we'll never know if there is a perfect cucumber.
What is that man accomplishing?
Is this man successful?
Could you say that he is strong and experienced?
Could you say that he is spreading love and happiness?
Could you say that his life is meaningful?
Do you think he's looked at enough cucumbers?
If you were trying to be nice, you might say a couple of those things. But we know that he really isn't accomplishing those things.
And so it's with ACTION that we find the link between our mind and reality.
You see, our mind is NOT reality. Our mind is very warped, despite what you may think. It's been programmed, shaded, jaded, ritualized, lied to [gasp], distorted, colored, and all sorts of things, your poor brain - And we are left with our perception of life.
When we DO things in this life, that's links our mind and reality together in a symphony of senses. Our mind and body must act in harmony in order to create the spontaneous! To make art! To chat with a stranger. To pick up some cucumbers at the store... The things we do are what our life is composed of.
When we're in the mire of the same old habits and the same old routines - work, tv, social media - that's not the same as what I'm talking about. When we do these things over and over, we mistake it for living. Sure, we're doing things, but these things barely even require our brain to turn over. How many times have you simply started scrolling down a social media page only to find an hour gone? Perhaps even an evening or afternoon?!
It's when we engage our senses, linking our body and our mind and breaking the stale habits.. That's where we find life.