The Formula for a Beautiful Life: Energy

Continuing with the thread of 'finding the Truth' from the first post of this blog series, I'll first elaborate on what that 'Truth' is.
It's unique to you, but universal at the same time.
But you won't find it, you aren't actually going to live it...
Unless you start living life.

"It is not the eyes that are blind, but the hearts."

—Quran, 22:46 

Now, I'm not here to lecture you on religion, but I can tell you that this quote from the Quran states a truth that you need to hear:
Just because you look alive, doesn't mean you actually are.
Actually living means living mindfully, with intention.
And the way to do that is by taking advantage of time and energy.
The formula for a beautiful life is ultimately:
Time * Energy

Life is like fractals: a simple process repeated to form intricate patterns.
But what makes it different from fractals is that there's different energy for each pattern.
Different energy that makes each repeat beautiful and unique.
Makes each repeat worth living.
So direct your energy wisely. 

The law of energy states that it can't be created or destroyed, only transferred or converted from one form to another.
Your energy will always be unique.
What makes your energy 'wrong' is the way you use it.
The way you transform it into something negative.
Like language, energy itself is not negative; our use of it is.

Basic human interaction is literally a transfer of energy.
Think of energy like the forks in a tree branch.
Every junction at which the tree branch forks is a person.
The branches formed by the fork represent how the individual redirected the energy they received.
How they changed the energy they received.
Some people will keep more energy (introverted).
Others will give out more energy (extroverted).
That doesn't make any of them wrong.
It just makes them unique.
And the thing is, because of this interconnectedness... 
Your energy will affect others;
But others' will affect yours, too.
However, that's okay.
Because, ultimately, you possess the power to transform that energy.
Now, it's your choice what you want to transform it into.
And in what form do you want to give it out.
It's kind of like having two pipes: one's clean and has a filter; the other doesn't.
Let's assume both of them are being provided the same, dirty water.
The pipe with the filter will give a better result than the other one.
While this is, in no way, me saying that you need to hide parts of yourself by 'filtering', but it is me saying that you need to find a positive energy vessel that converts your negative energy into something better, something more true to you.

For example, if you're angry, listening to 'good 4 u' by Olivia Rodrigo is way better than murdering somebody.

Here's how to make sure you're channeling your energy out right.

You need to spend your energy on things that actually invigorate you, that're fun for you.

And no, stuff like social media is not 'fun'.
If your idea of 'fun' is social media, it's about time you redefined that term.
You need to realize that the entire business structure of social media relies on keeping your attention glued to the screen.
They literally make money off how many people see their ads.
They're harvesting human futures.
People are scared that AI's going to take over the world.
They don't realize it already has.
Because they've made themselves the algorithm's pawns.
The algorithm shows them what they want.
Keeps them in their tiny little bubble with next to no exposure to opposing views, causing mass polarization.
Mass polarization that has already turned deadly.
Social media relies on manipulation tactics to keep your attention glued to the screen, and it doesn't care what it does to your growth.
Studies have shown that negative energy is often more attention-grabbing because it triggers our survival instincts.
So, when an algorithm with no conscience is seeking to get more and more users' attention...
It's going to spread negativity.

Because it's going to notice that more people engage with negative content.
Will you let yourself be controlled?
Furthermore, social media doesn't actually invigorate you because almost none of it's authentic.

You're literally watching other people live their lives while your own rots because you aren't giving attention to it.
And you still wonder why you get FOMO?
News flash: it's because you've let yourself get brainwashed.
Will you let it go on?
Will you let them harvest your life?

Moving on, here's the actual definition of fun:
Things that are actually fun include things that invigorate you, that actually give you energy, too, and foster your life for the better, instead of giving you split-second dopamine hits with no good return on investment.

Next, I'll talk about some of the activities that fit those guidelines.

Self-discovery and self-development.
Learning and discovering stuff about yourself is self-love.
Life never peaks; it grows.
And so does love.
No matter who the person is, you fall in love a little more every day because you know a little more about them every day.
Life's about finding fullness in the silence, not just in the music.

And the thing is, this element is present in literally every aspect of your life.
Work, your relationships, etc.
Figuring out what works for you and what doesn't is a form of self-discovery. 
And you may be wondering how the hell work could be a form of self-love, but...
Work should be a labor of love for you.
If what you're doing isn't something that you love, then it's a sign that you need to redirect your energy to something you're actually passionate about.
And don't you dare give me the excuse that it's "too risky".
Living itself is a risk.
Take it.
It's better than the safety of death.
Work should be a labor of getting to know yourself and enhancing your personal world.
Embrace it.
Use all aspects as inspiration for what you feel is true to you.

For example, I make connections between all my school subjects to kind of map in my head (for fun) how everything's connected, and marvel at the way God created all this.
This keeps me religiously fresh and fuels my creative and analytical urges whilst helping me understand how the world works as well as how I can operate best in it.

Making and developing systems that fit you is an art.
It's enhancing the systems of your world.

Here are some practical tips on where to start: 

• Figure out your sleep chronotype—this'll help you learn to manage your literal energy levels better and plan out your day accordingly.
• Find out your MBTI—I had to say it. (For those of you who don't know, this is a personality typing spectrum.) While some might say that the theory is unsupported, that's because people don't explore and develop it enough. I genuinely believe that it has practicality and truth to it. So, I highly suggest trying it out to help figure out your personality and the subtle nuances with which your brain works. MBTI is like the systems operator of your brain, and it can help you leverage your strengths and weaknesses.
• Figure out your Enneagram—again, another personality typing spectrum, but this one is more generally accepted compared to MBTI and is more specific and understandable. You'll figure out your core misbeliefs, fears, and desires, and learn a lot of fascinating facts about your persona that'll make you feel like you never properly knew yourself. 
• Figure out your learning type—this one's especially for students, but can and should be used by everyone in general in this ever-evolving world. Figuring out your learning type will help you figure out how to study better, and most importantly, why you study better using certain ways.

You might've noticed that I included a lot of self-evaluative ways of figuring out your systems.
But that's the thing, creating systems is a form of self-love.
Your world, your systems, revolve around you.
So, of course, they're supposed to take your personality into consideration.

Now, in order to develop systems, you need to actually do things too.

You learn by doing, not ruminating.

You might be procrastinating, saying 'But I don't want to...'
But here's the thing:
I used to be in the same place once.
And here's why you're procrastinating:
You're afraid of seeing how behind you are once you start.
You're afraid of starting the race because that means you lost.
Not participating at all is safer.
But that's the thing—
You've already signed up, genius.
If you start now, your name'll at least come somewhere on the leaderboard.
But if you never start?
Well, I don't need to explain what that means for a racer who just stood idling at the starting line.

It's not about winning or losing, it's about tossing your hair and enjoying the apricity of the sun on your back while the wind rushes past you.
Enjoy life in all its imperfect glory.

Circling back to my statement about doing instead of ruminating, this is a principle you can apply to literally any aspect of your life, whether it's studying (active recall), managing a team, etc.
You need to balance rumination and execution.
Having a plan in mind is important, but don't overplan.
Don't go into the details of something when you don't even know whether those details will align with when you actually execute your plan.
Just go through with the plan, spot holes, and adjust spontaneously but effectively.

A plan is like a sculpture: if you try to chisel it too much, it's going to crack.
And every time you face a problem, quit whining and actually accept it and find a solution.
Of course, this doesn't mean I'm promoting emotional suppression.
Absolutely not.
That's toxic positivity and way more harmful in the long run.
But if you're constantly whining without getting to the bottom of why and how to make yourself happy again, you're just fostering a bad relationship with yourself.
So, I'm not asking you to be a robot, since even robots need to recharge.
I'm asking you to make space for yourself, to acknowledge and appreciate your feelings, and use them, sharpening them into a tool that benefits you.
Remember, never tamp down on any emotions, because your emotions are like the volume on your phone—you turn down the volume on the bad ones, the good ones get silenced, too.
Revel in feeling.
Because it's part of your energy.

Speaking of actually doing things...

Focus on what you did instead of what you didn't do.
On what you are doing instead of what you aren't.

That'll help you actually evaluate whether you're directing your energy optimally or not.

Some examples include:

• You didn't complete the math homework you were supposed to do today, but you did let yourself rest emotionally to prevent burnout VS You didn't complete your math homework today, and you scrolled the entire day.
  Which one sounds better?
• You aren't doing that physics competition in school, but you are writing a book VS You aren't doing that physics competition in school, and you do nothing nourishing in your free time.

In each of the examples, I've kept the thing you didn't do or aren't doing constant, whilst changing what you have done or are doing to show why what has occurred is more important than what hasn't.

Doing this will sharpen your focus on what worked and what didn't by narrowing it down to what you actually did to cause your results, effectively helping you optimize your systems.

Learn to celebrate the tiniest of wins, the smallest of details, even if you didn't do much else.

To keep track of what you are doing...
Divide your life into sections: 

• Personal: 
• What it is: Your social life, your relationship with yourself, your religious life (if applicable), etc.
• Advice: 
• Socialize only in groups that you know are exclusive to specific interests/values true to you (e.g, writing clubs, etc). 
• Your innermost circle consists of you and whatever higher power you believe in (if you do). Nourish those before you nourish all else, since you can't pour from an empty cup.
• Make sure you take care of yourself 💖. Sleep, eat a balanced diet, move your body in a way that feels good and is beneficial for your body. 
• Professional:
• What it is: What you do for work. Your passions can be considered a part of your professional life if you plan to pursue them professionally.
• Advice: 
• As stated earlier, make sure what you do for work aligns with your values, aspirations, and brings positive change to you and the world. 
• Enjoy every moment of it.
• Academic:
• What it is: Self-explanatory.
• Advice: 
• Make sure you align each of the subjects with your values and interests (even if you aren't a math person, remember, it's always connected.)
• Enjoy every moment, enjoy the student life.💖

They're all connected, these parts of your life, so neglecting one will ultimately affect the other, too.
Make sure you enhance each part of your life as much as you can in a way that isn't overwhelming, but freeing.

"Focus is good, but focusing on one part leads to ignoring other parts, making you separated, isolated"

 — Healer Han (From KPop Demon Hunters)

Make sure you alternate between these parts of your life daily for balance and to prevent burnout.
In a way that makes you feel like you're creating art without pressure.

And lastly....
Do not spend your energy comparing yourself to others.
Do not waste it on who's screwing up and who isn't.
Other people have their own pace to enlightenment.
Think of them as someone learning to swim for the first time.
All you can do is yell instructions from the shore.
But ultimately, they need to learn to swim themselves.
Because if you got in there and tried to help them...
You'd end up drowning along with them.
You can't control whether others want to learn to swim or not.
You can't control whether they're going to drown or not.
In the end, they're responsible for themselves, not you.
And for people who think that by 'letting go' of others, they're 'giving up' on them, and acting like people can't be loved at their worst:
That's not at all what you'd be doing if you didn't jump in to save them instead of teaching them.
As somebody who's struggled with this too, remember, drawing boundaries for yourself isn't about not loving people; it's about loving them more healthily.
For me, the reason why I did this was because I was subconsciously trying to convince myself that I was lovable at my worst if I loved others at their worst, too.
I didn't realize I needed to redefine what loving others at their worst meant.
It meant letting them learn at their own pace and encouraging and affirming them instead of doing everything for them.
The important thing is knowing that they're meeting you halfway.
If they aren't...
Pray they learn better one day.
That's all you can do.

Focus on things you can control instead of what you can't. 
Focus on yourself.
You are the light that the world needs.
The energy that the world needs.
Whether it's soft, bright, it doesn't matter.
Because it's you.
And no one will have ever seen a light like yours.
And they never will after you.