I would like to be less afraid of connecting with people. Sometimes, I worry about what others think and so open myself up less, or I am so focused on what I need to get done that I forget about socializing. I think maybe my intellectual/industrious/logic side might need a little more balance with my emotional/connective side. When I am less afraid or less overly serious about all my daily tasks, then maybe I will open myself to more smiles, friendly conversations, and maybe even hugs (with consent, of course).

When I see the corpse of an animal that has been hit by a car or see someone go “Ew, spider!” and then step on an innocent creature that had no intention of hurting anyone, I see how fragile life can be and how careless we can be with it. This is why combating speciesism is so important today. I know, however, that resilience alone can help us combat this, and we must keep fighting even when we fail. When we see creatures suffer, we need to remember to speak for the voiceless, and even if the people at the top aren’t hearing us, we can be reassured that someone is.

When I was in high school, I would always write handwritten thank you notes to my teachers at the end of the semester, usually accompanied by a gift card. Since I started college, I have kind of fallen out of this habit, but it would be a good habit to start again. I would write a note to Dr. Clanton thanking him for all the spiritual growth he has allowed me to have and for the clarity I now have about the world because of his teaching; a note to Dr. Runestad thanking him for the beautiful spiritual experiences and cultivated gratitude that music has brought forth in me; a note to Dr. Nathaniel Wilson thanking him for helping me cultivate better speaking skills for my future career and for helping me see my life in a new way through the lens of gender; and a note to Coach Brad Jenny thanking him for helping me to cultivate better running skills and for encouraging me during my races.

I’ve noticed lately that whenever I feel self-conscious or anxious around others, I start to spiral into negative thoughts: I’m not good enough; I’m socially awkward; what if people don’t like me? But then I remember the story of Adam and Eve, where the primeval couple eats from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and immediately hide from God, being afraid of having their nakedness exposed. This, of course, is an etiological story about the human experience of self-consciousness, but what’s most interesting about this is that Adam and Eve are said to be “like gods, knowing good and evil.” So then, I flip my perspective. Yes, it’s scary wondering if people are judging me, but if I look at social anxiety with mindfulness, then I realize that it is an exciting initiation into divine wisdom.

If they want to talk, don’t tell them how to handle the situation or try to “fix it” (unless they ask for advice). If they want advice, be careful about the wisdom you give; it will impact their lives. If a person is obviously suffering, ask them if they need anything. If they do, give them what they need. If they want to be left alone for awhile, give them that, and just say, “Well, if you need anything, let me know.” Above all, pray for them, affirm for them, and visualize good for them, since our thoughts are very powerful. Be LOVE for them.

I intend to live simply (though I am finding this difficult given that I am in a system that lives in consumer culture, so that I have to sometimes conform to function within that system). I can live ascetically without concern for material goods, trusting in God to provide, just as the ancient Cynics and Christians did. Nature is sacred to me, and I intend to keep it alive. I can also preserve the memories of my life by writing an autobiography. This will preserve the memories of my life for generations and keep family memory and tradition holy.

1. Do not be so arrogant as to think you can achieve your goals on your own (that is, from the standpoint of the separate self); instead, trust in the divine within you. Trust in God, just as the Israelites trusted in God to win their battles. When they turned away from God, they would lose because submission and trust is the only way to achieve.
2. Men should not have to conform to the standards of “being tough” or “real men don’t cry.” I learned recently that being vulnerable, while uncomfortable, actually gives you a chance to receive compassion from others and strengthen your connections with them.
3. Don’t always trust authority figures just because they are called as such; there is no king, president, or parliament but God and the divine spark within oneself.
4. Inner peace is not about always being happy; it is about being content even when going through an emotional rollercoaster.
5. To really empower oneself and others, one needs to affirm a connection with the divine Source and recognize oneself as a divine spirit having a human experience.
6. For distance runners, start conservative, especially if you are prone to starting too fast. The last mile, give it a comfortably hard push beyond the pace you have been going. Sprint to the finish once you can see it. More importantly, don’t overthink it.
7. Avoid biased news sources, whether CNN or Fox or MSNBC. These can be helpful for getting basic information, but be very skeptical of the ways these are presented.
8. Sexual self-awareness; human pain, suffering, emotion, and joy; awareness of the inevitability of death; having to make ethical decisions; working at a career or job to make a living; and self-consciousness and fear of the thoughts of others are actually beneficial initiations into divine consciousness, or, as the Bible puts it, “knowledge of good and evil.”
9. Rape culture is not the notion that people are just going around saying rape is a good thing. Rather, it is a multitude of cultural micro-aggressive attitudes, narratives, and portrayals that are slippery slopes to complacency about rape.
10. Religious movements that demean women through gender roles contribute to rape culture by making society believe that men have an innate, God-given superiority to, and thus authority over, women.
11. Find a way to get a catchy nickname if you want to get closer to others. I don’t know why, but it really works.
12. When speaking in public, scan the audience before and after you speak to connect with the audience better.
13. Patriarchy was not a deliberate attempt of men to oppress women. Rather, the origins of society happened to come from males and so were chiefly concerned with matters that pertain to males. Feminism tries to deconstruct the bias within that framework.
14. Social anxiety can be seen as a blessing, not a curse. While difficult, it is a special path to divine knowledge of self-consciousness.
15. Music can be a beautiful way to raise awareness about suicide and mental health issues.
16. It is not just victims of cyberbullying who suffer; cyberbullies suffer, too, and it is the responsibility of human beings as a community to help such individuals through their pain and insecurity.
17. Be careful about joking on social media; people might not take it as a joke, and there can be serious consequences.
18. Cynicism (as in Greek philosophy, not a negative view of the world) and the path of Jesus of Nazareth (imitatio Christi) is a brilliant way to live in light of the current environmental crisis.
19. Socializing is important. Don’t take on too much, or you will lose time to socialize, and this can lead to depression.