the_matt79

I have recently decided that I want to think more.

Those of you that have read a few posts of mine might recall that I do not like the fact that I over think things, but that's not what I am getting at here.

You see, I want to use my brain more, as I don't feel I am using it to it's full potential, something I might never do, but I want to try.

I figure maybe if I let it think about things more, maybe it will let me over think things less.

Solid hypothesis?
Why don't I think that much?

Well, I think at my job, enough to keep safe, and to get my work done for the shift, but it isn't a job that causes deep thought. I am not complaining at all, nor am I looking down on the job, but it is what it is. Washing locomotives in and out, dumping shitters, things like that do not cause you to wax poetic, but they do allow you to live a good life. A life full of things that can help stimulate your mind, a life that sees you flying around the country doing things you had dreamed of. So that's why I will look outside of work.

I also don't partake in large discussions like I once did, at least not in person anyway. A lot of my friends that I would sit down and talk with live far away from me, and that's just part of life at this point in time, and that's fine, I will live close to those people again soon, and I look forward to that. I have people that I can talk to here, but I don't take advantage of that as much as I should, and that's on me. Maybe I am forgetting how to do this in person, maybe I am just getting lazy when it comes to it, maybe my shift and days I work throw me off. All very possible reasons, but no matter which it is, I still want to use my brain more, to think more.

So, how do I propose to do this thinking?

Reading will play in heavily, of course. I want to look towards the whole philosophy spectrum of things, throw in some zen, some studies, essays, non-fiction, and the like. That should be a good start to get my brain into gear.

I can throw in some documentaries, some thought provoking movies, more music while I sit idly by. There are movies that I watch, and afterward I feel inspired and energized, I want to latch onto that feeling and run with it.

I should get back into doing crossword puzzles, even the ones that irritate me by showing me I am not as smart as I thought I was.

I will take time to just sit and appreciate things, whether it be nature, art, or whatever. These things should be taken in, taken in and appreciated. You shouldn't speed past things like these in your life, unless someone is closing the museum and you have to rush, of course. That's actually how I saw an actual Van Gogh at the Smithsonian, they were closing in 20 minutes, so I found the arrows, walked quickly, and found the room. The wonder I was filled with when I saw those haystacks was something that I would love to be able to bottle up and savor over the years. I suppose that is what memory can be, in a way.

That is another reason that I want to think more, I want to exercise my brain so that it will take these things in and hold onto them.

I want to be able to share thoughts with others.

I want to have well formed opinions.

I want to be able to recall memories in a way that allows me to share them with others.

I want to be able to take in the beauty of the world.

I want to be able to react to the ugliness that hides behind that beauty.

I want to react.

I want to help.

I want to think!