The Self- Induced Six

I am reading a fantastic book at the moment, written by a sociologist named Deepak Chopra. As a 20 year old, this material should in no way be applicable to my life style, but due to circumstances out of my control... I have managed to begin living my life on a windy chaotic road. While reading his story, I noticed 6 very damaging factors that I am learning to eliminate in my life. They are as follows: Unpredictability, Disorder/ Confusion, Accidents, Trauma/Sickness, Violence, Chaos.

Now I am not trying to point a finger, but prior to my winter break, I had managed to escape most of these psychologically induced illnesses. However, December came along and with home came a small space filled with children and "chaos", a difficult decision regarding school, and a few overly aggressive family members. Yes I will admit it, my family is just as dysfunctional as yours ( at least I will tell myself that so I do not feel alone.)

Anyways, after break and during, I got sick for the first time in a long time, left home with a shattered self esteem, and ended up in the ER for stomach problems. Yes, it is true, having your life filled with all of these unhealthy habits will affect your body. I will give a brief summary of each damaging factor, least to most disruptive. End the madness before it gets out of your control.

Unpredictability:
Irregularity in your life: hours, eating habits, sleeping habits, everything that is present in your life as a routine. Chopra says we need to live our life with rhythms. When we change our rhythms unexpectedly, our lives begin to resemble that kid always dancing off beat in high school (just a hot mess.)

Disorder ( my most difficult area):
Confusion, procrastination, doubting ones self. Lack of control in these areas can have a serious affect in your life. It makes your restless and a "drifter" for lack of better words. You can either drift from place to place for 3 months, and be still and actually allow growth in your life.

Accidents:
Unfocused, self-destructive, distracted. All of these things take us from the present moment. Therefore, we are not paying attention to the things going on around us. Rather, our minds separate from matter or our physical environment. A personal example of mine; Just a few weeks ago, I was attempting to move to So Cal and broke my friends glasses when we went to the pool. I was busy thinking about how I should have stayed in Oregon opposed to being fully present at the moment.

Trauma/ Sickness:
Choosing unnecessary risks and danger, gambling with safety. By ignoring well-known guidelines for healthy living, we expose ourselves to all of these traumas. There are some healthy life style choices that are safe to live by.

Violence:
Choosing to be out of control, unleashing anger and rage. This fires up your cells to a high alert. As control in these areas breaks down, control over time breaks down as well. Then we become late to work, miss out on opportunities, and lose the most important part of ourselves (self-love.)

Chaos:
 Living in total disorder: crime, domestic violence, war. Sleep, digestion, and metabolism become seriously compromised in this area if we do not control these factors. This is how a 20 year old ends up in the ER with stomach pains ( i'm just saying.)

Anyways, I have spent several weeks letting almost all of these affect me. I advise you not to do the same. Should we all know better? Sure. Do we? Not in the least bit. Stay calm, enjoy life, and pick up a safe hobby. Oh, and don't forget to Winc ;)