Los Suenos Institute

Finding Excitement

by Sueños on 05/18/17

I was asked an interesting question by a friend the other day. I often talk about the importance of following your passions and interests in order to create meaning in one's life. My friend's question was essentially, "What if I haven't found anything that I'm passionate about?" An odd question to me, as most people approach me asking how to attain a specific goal or to better follow their passion. I spent some time thinking on it, and I think I may have a satisfactory answer. Cease to expect.

Excitement is usually found in moments of unexpected wonder. It is, as it were, to look at things through a fresh perspective, in which the usual seems brand new. I remember being particularly struck with this sentiment when I visited Disneyland California Adventure as an adult. I had seen hundreds of water shows in my lifetime, from the great fountain in front of the Bellagio to the small show done from the in-ground fountain at my local mall. However, the World of Color exhibition was something entirely different. It was a moment in which things that had become ordinary, water moving to lights and music, became something truly unexpected.

However, these moments aren't isolated to wondrous spectacles, they're happening everyday. It's in the uniqueness of each tree's blossom, and the feeling of freshly cut grass on bare feet after a long winter. History is made every second, and if you're not allowing yourself the novelty of each moment,  then you will continually find yourself unimpressed with anything. Passion will strike in one of these moments, in which you find something that totally consumes you. If you have not found something that lights your soul on fire, remain open to new things and let the old be new. Passion will come.

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Three Things We Can All Learn From Facebook Arguments

by Sueños on 05/17/17

We've seen them, we've been in them, and we've all had our phones come close to vibrating into another dimension because of them. I wish I could say I've excused myself from them when they tread into the ridiculous, but I, like so many, have taken the tempting bait of vilification. So, what can we learn from these often toxic threads to help us think more critically and stay centered?

You Aren't Your Beliefs
So often when facebook discussions begin they start rational, and then quickly descend into ad hominem attacks about what special type of idiotic person the other person is. It's a mentality, I believe, brought about by a certain owning of one's beliefs as part of who they are as person. "People who believe XYZ are good, and I as one of those people, am good. People who believe otherwise are categorically bad people." It's a certain clinging to that which feels good, as opposed to a search for what is true. I too have recognized instances of this within myself, in fact, I think we all have done it. Abandon your ideas as your image, and, rather, allow them to stand on their own. Criticizing of such things allows them to stand stronger, if they are true, and adapt closer to that which is if they are not. This kind of thought process is essential to avoiding things like group think, and, more importantly, key to maintaining a level head when questioned about your beliefs.

You Don't Always Have to Be Right
Even if you know you're right, even if every scientific journal in the world published multiple studies affirming your position, you don't have to be right. Now, I'm not saying that people shouldn't be corrected, especially with the rise of fake news, but why waste your time trying to force someone to believe what you believe after they've been presented with the facts? If they've been presented with the facts, and are completely unwilling to change their position, in what way are you going to change that? Those who believe that which is ineffective or untrue are doomed to suffer the consequences of such beliefs. Your life is too precious to waste it on those who stay willfully ignorant.

Educate, Don't Belittle
Too often someone's entirely logical argument is completely discredited because the person feels personally attacked. The truth has a way of holding its own power, and your disparaging words, even if correct, can rob it of such. Many people want to be well informed, but when personal attacks are the barrier to such, they immediately discredit the new information.

I think remembering these three things can not only help us better navigate the quagmire of online discussion, but also help us engage people in discussion more effectively in general. Whether it's politics or the best way to conquer a logistical issue, we can all make more effective decisions by putting our egos aside and discussing our ideas as they lie.

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Why You Should Never Stop Developing Your Passions

by Sueños on 05/16/17

A friend of mine recently finished his Computer Science degree, and he also happens to be an incredibly talented musician. Throughout the last five years he had played at nearly every local venue, and had been on several tours. This is exactly why I was surprised when he said he hadn't touched his guitar or drum kit in months. He told me that although he loved playing music, he was ready to start hunkering down on his career and creating a space to start a family.

It broke my heart a bit, and part of me absolutely prays he will read this. Your passion and career don't have to be separate, in fact, it's at their crossroads where people often find their best breakthroughs. It's at this point, I believe, where performance meets genuine undying interest that people can find meaning. That's the most divine form of human expression. An idea so big it takes a whole human lifetime to build, and each day is greeted with excitement as it's another day to continue building.

Without our passions life becomes, in a way, autonomous. Without those moments of pure expressions of joy, what is it we're working for? I implore of anyone who reads this, build your life in such a way that you work with your passion. It is from lives lived in such a pursuit that the most brilliant ideas are hatched, and that so many are helped. I wish you all a wonderful week, and may you make your wildest dreams come true.

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5 Easy Things You Can Start Doing Now to Live Healthier

by Sueños on 05/12/17

When people start thinking about beginning a new meal plan, they can feel overwhelmed by how much they have to change. However, there are a few little things you can start doing now that will help you lose weight, feel more energetic, and start you down the path to a healthier you!

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The Awareness of Anger

by Sueños on 05/11/17

On the path towards living a more centered life, people often find themselves defeated when they lose their center. Whether they allow themselves to fly off the handle, or sulk because something didn't quite go as they had imagined, they then find themselves additionally beating themselves up because they allowed themselves to be un-centered. So not only did they lose their center, but now they've lost their center because they're frustrated about having lost their center. To those who find themselves in this predicament, it is in the moments where we seemingly lose our center that we can learn the most about maintaining it.

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