Ronnie Nurss

Finals are finished and the summer has already snuck up on me. After seriously take deep relaxation and catching up on sleep lost during finals week, its time to evaluate what I want to do this summer. I normally coast through summer with no defined goals and things to accomplish.

Sure everyone has the basics; like saving money, travel and to leave with memorable and fun times, maybe complete summer school. For many college students, the summer can be the perfect launch pad for the near future. With a surplus of free time, summer goals can help position yourself to reach and accomplish your big long term goals for the next couple years . I plan to use this summer to experiment in practicing lifestyle design, along with goals to making a better, newer, stronger version of myself. So here are a few of my goals to accomplish this summer….in no particular order.

• Build solid relationships with new people, and enhance present relationships
• Meditate 15 minutes each morning
• Thoroughly read and study 1 book a week - expand my library
• Find an ideal apartment/condo downtown or in midtown, near Sac State
• Experience Yosemite
• Watch David Beckham and the LA Galaxy play live
• Continue building my website
• Maintain work out regimen, 3 times a week
• Learn to play the acoustic guitar
• Practice and improve my Spanish
• Revamp and restart the Financial Fraternity
• Get published in a newspaper and magazine
• Find more mentors and meet new influential people
• Start savings for my 2010 South Africa trip for the World Cup
• Attend 3 seminars

Definitely take the time, preferably with a good friend or a goal buddy, and map out clearly defined goals to accomplish this summer. Goals do not have to be serious and all business; make goals to have fun and experience enjoyable times with good people. Become a better, faster, stronger version of yourself by making goals to have a kick-ass summer.

I will be posting my progress of certain goals throughout the summer. Chances are, I will be constantly adding more goals to the list as during my summer encounters.

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.” - Buddha

For the past 6 months I have waken up every Friday morning at 6 AM to participate in a meditation club. I was lured to “Mind Your Business Club” by my friend Grant. Basically, we have 30 minutes of meditation, followed by 30 minutes of discussion related to meditation, Buddhism, and everyday life. I never quite understood the point of meditation. The only thought that came to mind of meditation was Yoda, who I thought was a true badass, so I decided to give it a go.

Basically, I have come to love meditation, and try to practice it whenever I can. Meditation is also something I believe Generation Y should atleast learn about and try. In our generation, when we have an abundance in material goods and satisfactions, it is even more imperative to seek self-fullfillment and self-happiness. Meditation can be one avenue to achieve that.

There can be huge benefits to anyone who decides to take meditation seriously.

• Deeper Levels of Relaxation and Reduces Stress: Honestly, I have never met anyone my age, or any age for that matter, that says they have to much relaxation. American Society seems to be a hot zone for stress. This is one benefit any can enjoy.
• Observe and Control Your Own Thoughts: While meditating, you want to focus on your deep breathing. The goal is not to focus on one dominant thought. Hundreds of thoughts will pop up, and you just let them pass. “Think about nothing”. This is extremely difficult, and becomes easier with practice. Its great though, for you can sit back and see what really is on your mind in a contolled and relaxed manner. Not when your pissed off in traffic or vulnerable to make a fool of yourself in the moment. You seriously become your thoughts. Why not learn how to observe and control them?
• Improve Concentration: While you attempt to obserce and control your own thoughts you will build your skill of concentration. In a information-packed world with literally thousands of distractions every minute, concentration is important. Concentrating on your breaths, and not giving into any one particular thought during meditation, will allow you to become better self-controlled and allow you to concentrate better in other aspects of life - work, school, etc. The more concentrated you can become, the more efficient you will be.
• Better Understanding of Yourself and the World Around You: As you meditate, you really see a movie of all your thoughts before your eyes. You will notice which thoughts come up more, which seem to bother you the most, etc. Also, as you meditate, you can observe your thoughts without all the prejudices and other negative factors you might carry with yourself throughout the day. Since your more relaxed and more concentrated, you can better understand the daily issues that arise. This is huge to better understanding your school issues, work, relationships, and overall, your purpose and motivations in life.

Just start out trying to meditate 5 minutes a day in the morning, at lunch, or before you go to bed. Meditation is one way to live a more balanced life. And the more balanced you are, the more stress-free you tend to be. Meditation is one thing I believe all Generation Y should consider and practice.

I realize more and more the gift of Laughter. Laughing is healthy for you and obviously makes things more fun. Besides releasing endorphins and increading your heartrate, its great for relationships socially and in the workplace. According to Robert Provine, from the book A Whole New Mind, laughter has more to do with relationships than jokes. The best times and memories I share with people close to me are all something I could laugh back on. And seriously, some of the best ab workouts I’ve had are due to laughing.

Laughing in particular is also extremely beneficial for the workplace, according to this article from Forbes. People who can laugh tend to be more creative, as laughing comes from the right-side of the brain, and people who can laugh together often can work together. If you do a group project or you meet someone for the first time, and you go for the opportunity to try and share a laugh with your new acquaintance, there is no harsher feeling than being rejected. Being able to laugh with others, and yes, sometimes at yourself, you can develop more meaningful relationships, more pleasant to be around, and hey, live happier and healthier.

With this in mind, I’m going to check out a Laughter Club, as there are a couple here in Sacramento. It combines elements of yoga, meditation, aerobics, and social contact, according to A Whole New Mind. You could probably find one in your area here. Try and notice how much, or how little, you laugh daily.  Laughing can definitely enhance the way people experience relationships, school and work, and life.  Seriously, this no laughing matter.

Metaphor is the understanding of one thing in terms of something else, and is a product of Right-brain thinking.  The book, A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink, stresses the importance of developing and using Right-brain thinking in the businesses world and life. 

Left brain = literal and textual.  Right brain = metaphorical and contextual.  Knowledge workers tend to be dominated by left-brain thinking.  Practicing to balance both sides will be crucial for business and life in the future or globalization and self-fullfillment and happiness. 

 George Lakoff writes that metaphor is central to reason, and believes that human thought processes are largely metaphorical.  Lakoff says that metaphors are central to development of thought, and how we think metaphorically in nature.

Metaphorical thinking helps us understand others, which will be crucial in business as we will come into contact and work with people of diverse backgrounds in the forms of collaboration. 

Besides in the business world, and as Pink notes, that the more material benefits and comforts brought to use by abundance will matter much less than the metaphors by which we live by.  As Lakoff explains, “A large part of self-understanding is the search for the appropiate personal metaphors that make sense of our lives.”

Realizing, understanding and thinking more metaphorically are great tools to consider using while dealing with life and work.  Metaphors are creative, fun, and can connect people together powerfully.  As Pink caps it off, the more we understand methapor, the more we understand ourselves.