MasterSelf Year One Read online

  One upside to stopping here is that I will be able to start incorporating some degree of intermittent fasting (IF) into my normal routines. I’m planning on doing two days of IF on the first two workdays of my week (Sunday and Monday.) This may be adjusted as time goes on, but it is certainly something I would not have the willpower to do if I had completed the fast as intended.

  A takeaway that I will be using in the future is that I will never attempt any fast longer than 30 days again. Something about hitting the month mark really puts how long the fast is in perspective, and it’s not exactly a pleasant realization. I’m fairly bummed out about all of this, but I have a duty to both myself and to anyone who has (or will) read this series to do this fast in a healthy, sustainable way. It would be foolish and unethical for me to go against my own advice and push through despite the Golden Rule of Fasting. When I first decided I was going to stop early, I was originally going to continue to 45 days. Then I realized that’s just another two(ish) weeks of not feeling great, and what would the point of that be?

  As soon as I get done writing this, I’m going to go pick up a watermelon from the store, drive home, pour myself a nice tall glass of apple juice, and eat the very small amount of that that I will be able to eat. Then, about fifteen minutes after that, I’m going to do it again, and that’s going to likely be me for the rest of the day. I may even go all out and get some sort of broth? Who knows.

  I guess I should expand more on how one is meant to break a fast. First rule- nothing solid, just broths, juices, or watery fruits. There is some kind of rule that says “take as long as you fasted to break the fast,” but there is no way I’m going to do that. I screwed up last time, however, by returning to solid food much too quickly, so this time I will be incorporating my 10 Day Challenge system into the break. I will be doing only liquids, non-chunky soups, and watery fruits for the next 10 days, then I’ll figure out another step for the 10 after that. I haven’t really gotten that far, to be perfectly honest.

  All in all, it has been a good run- and this will not be the last time I do a fast- just the last time I do anything this long. Thank you to everyone who has supported me in this, and thank you to everyone who has read these articles! I will write a follow-up next weekend to let you know how the fast breaking goes.

  Until next time!

  FasterSelf VII: The After-Fast

  As I write this, it’s been a week since I broke my fast (with apple juice and watermelon.) I was afraid that the fast may not have been what was causing me to feel so sluggish, but it seems that it was. While the first day of breaking a fast sucks a lot, by the next day I felt perfectly fine and back to my normal levels of energy and motivation. It’s unfortunate, but that’s just the way it played out.

  After a week of analysis, I’m fairly convinced that the difficulties I had towards the end of the fast are the result of the dry desert climate. Whereas my 40 day fast took place during the summer in Fayetteville, NC (which is incredibly humid,) the environment in Reno almost completely lacks humidity. As a result of this, every morning I would wake up with my nose stuffed solidly and my mouth open and bone dry. That’s pretty unpleasant, if you can’t imagine. On top of that, it made staying hydrated quite a bit harder, and that’s a terrible thing when your number one priority is staying hydrated.

  As far as breaking the fast itself went, it was actually much easier than last time. I had really intended to stick to soft foods and all that good stuff for the first five days. I really did. However, as fate would have it, after the apple juice and watermelon, my roommate and I went to a friend’s place and there just so happened to be red beans and rice… so that plan didn’t work. The bright side of this is that I had no issues beyond the initial reactivation of my digestive system. For the record, when you break a long fast, don’t plan on going anywhere for the first few hours- just trust me on that.

  The question on my mind now is how I’m going to go about incorporating IF into my normal routine. As of this moment, I’m going to fast the next two days, then I’ll be experimenting with a couple different intermittent schedules. Depending on how the week goes, I may or may not be writing another chapter in this series next Saturday, but I will be continuing it at some point. For now, I have a nice big bowl of pasta salad cooling in the fridge at home that promises to make me a very happy man.

  Prisms and the Refracted Self

  Have you noticed that you act differently around different people? You’re not alone- this is pretty normal, and everyone does it at some point. It’s pretty obvious that you’d act differently with your friends than you would with a stranger, or with your family as opposed to your coworkers. It’s just what people do. However, do you know your self when you’re alone?

  In a sense, we’re a lot like a prism. For those of you who aren’t familiar, a prism is an angled piece of glass that is used to split white light into its constituent colors. Think of the album cover for Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon.” In much the same sense, we refract different colors of light for different people.

  Imagine everyone has some degree of colorblindness. Some people can’t see red or green, others can’t see blue and yellow- you get the gist. Because of this, we adapt by refracting the kinds of light that people can see- we adapt our personalities to fit the narrow perspectives of those around us. It’s a survival mechanism, but it can have pretty negative side effects. One downside (and this happens to almost everyone at some point) is that we forget about all of the other colors in the spectrum- everything else in our personality that doesn’t fit the ideas that others have of us. That’s not any kind of way to live.

  To make matters worse, no one is really born this way in the first place. Kids all start out without any kind of prism, they just ‘are.’ Children don’t ever run around thinking about what others think of them, they just act and react and go about their business. To be fair, they also don’t have very well developed senses of self, so it’s quite a bit easier for them than it is for us- we have years of bad wiring to tear out and they’re damn near blank slates. To quote Chris Martin, “Nobody said it was easy.”

  However, all things go, and the children, too, grow up and build their prisms. As I said earlier, it’s a necessary evil- everyone goes through this stage of determining who we are in relation to others. First it’s in relation to the parents, then the siblings, then friends, and so on. That being said, many people stop somewhere down the line, too far caught up in identifying with their prism. They never make the necessary leap to the most important question of all- “who am I when I’m alone?”

  This is one of the most important questions that one can ask in their life. Until you know the answer, you’re doomed to live the life of a refraction- a part of yourself crafted for the eyes of another. You’ll buy the house to impress your neighbors. You’ll get the job your parents wanted for you. You’ll drive the car to appear attractive. Until you know your Self, you will be nothing more than the neighbor, the son or daughter, the significant other.

  For the Self is not a prism- the Self is the clear light that moves through it. Children are this light- a full, undiluted spectrum of color, glowing and shining as they move. This is the meaning behind Matthew 18:3 (NASB,)

  “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

  and also what Nietzsche relayed in Thus Spoke Zarathustra:

  “But tell me, my brethren, what the child can do, which even the lion could not do? Why hath the preying lion still to become a child?

  Innocence is the child, and forgetfulness, a new beginning, a game, a self-rolling wheel, a first movement, a holy Yea.

  Aye, for the game of creating, my brethren, there is needed a holy Yea unto life: its own will, willeth now the spirit; his own world winneth the world’s outcast.

  Three metamorphoses of the spirit have I designated to you: how the spirit became a camel, the camel a lion, and the lion at last a child.—”r />
  Cast away your prisms and let the clear light of your Self shine- because this light contains all color within it. Let the colorblind see of you what they can, for those with eyes to see may yet know you for what you truly are.

  Master of the House: Clean Your Room (And Then Some)

  This may initially seem like a strange article for this website, but trust me on this one. Today we’re going to talk about how to clean your room, tablecloths and the importance of keeping a tidy house (or dorm, apartment, etc.) Believe it or not, there are a surprising number of people who have spoken on the subject of cleanliness being one of the keys to success:

  Make Your Bed – Navy Seal, Admiral William H. McRaven

  Clean Your Room – Psychologist, Dr. Jordan B. Peterson

  Also, this guy called ‘Improvement Pill’ I found on Youtube just now.

  (Search these on Youtube for video supplements to this article.)

  Now that you have some context, it doesn’t seem so crazy, right?

  As the videos above so explicitly laid out- start with your room. If you can’t keep your room clean, there’s no way you can keep the house clean. It’s just not possible. Additionally, unless you live with another person in your room, it’s entirely within your sphere of influence alone- you’re the only one who messes it up and the only one responsible for cleaning it.

  Here’s a list of some things that may help clean your room:

  -A hamper (stop throwing your clothes on the floor)

  -A shoe rack (stop throwing your shoes on the floor)

  -A coat rack (although this may be something you put outside of your room)

  -Plug-in air fresheners (they only need changed every few weeks)

  -A scented candle (you never know when this will come in handy)

  -Hangers (this should be obvious but hang your damn clothes up)

  -A proper bedroom set with a comforter, sheets, and a bed skirt (to cover your box spring)

  Also, vacuum your room every now and then, it makes a difference. You can get a cheap vacuum for less than $50 and that will more than cover your needs. If you can get all of this done, you’ve just moved up a rank as a mature adult and can be trusted to start making the rest of your living space better.

  Did you clean your room? Good. Now we’ll move into the kitchen and dining room. The first thing we have to tackle is the dishes. These are the most significant problem and the fastest way to show someone that you invite over that you’re either a disgusting slob or a respectable, upstanding citizen. Personally, I get a sort of Zen-like meditative satisfaction from doing dishes- it’s engaging but not terribly challenging, and it gives you a proper sense of accomplishment. Much like the Admiral mentioned in his speech, it’s great to start your day by completing a task, and, for me, that’s doing the dishes first thing in the morning.

  You’ll need:

  -A container of dish soap

  -A box of dishwasher soap (if you have a dishwasher. I prefer the powdered soap.)

  -A set of sponges (wash off after use, don’t leave them in the sink, change as needed)

  -Steel Wool (for cleaning tough pans and rust, DO NOT USE ON NON-STICK)

  -Kitchen Razors (good for pans, glass, and countertops [that you can’t scratch])

  -Rubber gloves (optional)

  -A dish drying rack and a mat to put under it

  The key here is doing the dishes frequently. When you let them pile up, they become disgusting- I’ve seen horrible things at the bottom of a sink full of dishes, things I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemies. Also, make sure to take the time to rinse your dishes out when you put them in the sink (if you’re not going to wash them immediately,) and soak the tougher dishes in hot, soapy water. Don’t put dishes in other dishes- especially knives. I’m sure you can imagine why cutting yourself in a pot full of old, soggy food isn’t ideal.

  Once you’ve got your dishes done (and made them a part of your routine,) we can work on the rest of the kitchen. Start with the fridge. Throw out anything that’s expired, first of all. Some of you may think that’s obvious, and good for you, but you’d be surprised. After that, organize everything appropriately: meats, milk, and other dairy products should be near the bottom and towards the back, where it’s coldest. Eggs can go in the middle, and fruit and vegetables should go in the humidity drawer. Butter goes in that compartment on the door, and condiments and other highly-preserved things can go on the door as well. As far as the freezer is concerned, just label anything perishable and make sure you seal it all properly to avoid freezer burn.

  If you have a pantry, organize it with some sort of logic. Keep track of anything perishable, and especially watch your breads- they get moldy quickly. Get bag clips for your chips and other containers, and make sure you keep them as sealed as you can. Don’t put your peanut butter in the fridge- not because it’s bad for you, just because it’s disgusting, you monster.

  Clean your countertops frequently- you can use the razor you got for the dishes, as long as the counters can’t be scratched with it and you’re careful. If you don’t have one, get a silverware organizer for your drawer. It’s also a good idea to keep a kitchen rag hanging on the oven, just be sure to wash it often. I also recommend a paper towel dispenser and one of those boxes to put plastic bags in for reuse.

  One of the best things you can get is a little whiteboard to put on your fridge. If it’s not magnetic (which I learned the hard way,) get some of those little 3M adhesive squares and attach it. You can make an indicator to let your roommates know whether or not the dishes in the dishwasher are clean, or just leave other notes and reminders on it. It makes a huge difference, trust me.

  The biggest thing you can do, however, is to get a tablecloth for your dining room table. This is very odd, I know, but it works wonders and makes a huge difference in your quality of life. I’ve tested this in two different places that I’ve lived, and it works every time. Something about having a tablecloth gives you the feeling like you’re living in a nice place and taking care of stuff. If you have roommates, you need one rule: “Whoever destroys the tablecloth buys a new one.” This will actually force everyone to keep the table clean, and that small step will help to make the rest of the house clean, too. I also suggest you get a decorative placemat or something to put in the center of the table and get a napkin holder as well as a candle- it’ll bump the class up a few notches.

  If you can do everything I’ve listed here, you’re at least halfway to becoming a self-respecting adult who wouldn’t be ashamed to bring their parents, coworkers, or romantic interest over to their place of residence. Until then, clean your room!

  Leave it Better

  There was a certain glorious time in my life that I never want to go back to- my rave days. For those of you who were there, I don’t have to say anything else. For those of you who weren’t, you’d never understand.

  Now that I’ve finished glancing off wistfully into the distance, there is one big takeaway that I’ve been thinking about for the past few weeks- ‘leave no trace.’ Generally, if you’re going to a proper rave and it’s not in a warehouse (or the 90’s, for that matter,) it’s somewhere in the middle of nowhere, out in the woods that are down a dirt road from a tiny farm. Because of the location, and also because of the- let’s say, interesting- clientele, they’re very strict about not littering or ruining the environment, hence ‘leave no trace.’ It’s a great motto, and unfortunately, one that isn’t always followed- damn hippies.

  The National Parks of this country have a similar unofficial motto- ‘leave it better than you found it.’ If you’re someone who has hiked or camped any significant amount, you’re probably familiar with it. This motto is the reason that there are trails and campgrounds in the parks instead of just brush and thistle. If you ever meet the people that make those trails, thank them- it’s hugely labor intensive and almost always a thankless job. That’s something that stuck with me, though- ‘leave it better.’ The thought raised a question for me,


  “Am I leaving things better than I found them?”

  The concept is certainly cause for reflection, and I’m not talking about cleaning up the environment here. Can you honestly say that every person you’ve met is better for having known you? What about your job- would they be better off with someone else, or are you valuable to them as an individual? It’s a tough question, and one that may be hard to answer honestly. I can say with confidence that when I was in college, I wasn’t always the most beneficial person to know- I was often reckless and self-destructive, and I definitely wasn’t a consistently good influence on the people around me.

  However, like most things, admitting one has a problem is the first step, or so they say. You have to come to terms with the fact that you have room for improvement before you improve- and if you think you don’t have room for improvement, you’re most certainly wrong. That’s a good thing, though- to live is to improve and advance and conquer. Complacency is stagnation and entropy and death- and I, for one, do not have any desire to die.