I love reading articles that I can totally related to and understand. Today I read this one titled “Self Doubt: A Disease that Doesn’t Discriminate!”. The article starts off much in the style of “The Eighth Habit” by Stephen Covey, where the author writes about common problems everyday people faced. I could relate to many of the listed issues related to self doubt; “What if I’m not qualified enough?”, “What if I get all excited – like I always do – and then fail?”, “What if I disappoint people?” which ultimately leads to “Hmm, perhaps I need a little more time to plan and think about this”.

The only thing I wanted to add to the article is that fear is such a deeply embedded disease. And even when we have acknowledged our problem of fear and made a decision to face our fears, it is an extremely difficult problem to face. Rejection and humiliation are the worst feelings in the world, which is why fear is so powerful. So while the article was great, I felt it was a little tough on people whose lives are affected by fear. I whole heartedly agree that the solution is you, because only you can face your fears and manage your fears. And it’s one of those problems that takes so much effort to correct but the tiniest set back can undo all that was done. The solution I believe will involve a lot of support from friends and family, and taking very small steps on the stairway of fearlessness.

Sleep is the watering place of the soul to which it hastens at night to drink at the sources of life.
In sleep we receive confirmation … that we must go on living.
Abram Tertz (Russian writer and dissident)

It is no secret that sleep plays such as important part in our lives. However there are many (including me) that choose to neglect sleep. Whether they want to get more work done, believe that sleep is a waste of time or just stay up for the heck of it, sleep is pretty low priority. The article I included at the top of this post explains some of the seven myths about sleep.

The gist of the article is really this: we need 8 hours of sleep, no more and no less. Sleep too much or too little, we will develop the same problems. While there have been some very successful figures that functioned on less than 8 hours of sleep per day, it is not ideal. Additionally, in the article I got an interesting perspective on catching up on sleep. Although I find it hard to sleep in on the weekends, due to my circadian rhythm, some people can and like to sleep in over the weekend. I remembered hearing from a source that we can “store” sleep, so sleeping in on the weekends either provides us with a sleeping buffer over the weekdays or we can recharge our lack of sleep. And while this may be true, this will utimately upset our circadian rhythm and normal sleeping pattern which I never really thought about.

The other myths covered were about medication and chronic sleeping problems, which I don’t think I have. If you suffer from chronic insomnia, see a physician. If sleeping problems come sparingly take medication or sleeping pills. And tylenol PM is not a better alternative than a prescription drug.

While there are many mysterties to sleep, one thing is for sure; we all need to sleep. This necessity is the basis of my belief that during sleep our body revitalises and replenishes our bodily supplies, much like a gardener watering the plant that is our soul.

It happened very randomly; I was walking to get some candy and the next minute I decided to go and give blood (and I didn’t even get to the lolly shop). We actually talked about giving blood over dinner a couple of nights ago and I guess it got to me. I walked to the van and approached the friendly staff, two of which were psychology students studying the blood giving experience for first time donors. Usually people make appointments, but it just so happened that there was one last time spot at 3:30pm, which was the time then.

As I thought I would only be out for a little while getting candy, I didn’t bring a jacket. So while waiting I was suffering the consequences and hence shivering, which could be from a combination of my anxiety and chilliness although at that time I thought it was probably just the weather. I filled in the paperwork and the pre donation questionnaire, which I offered to participate in, and there was a bunch of questions asking about how I was feeling. I have to say I was feeling a little more negative than usual.

Once it was my turn I walked in van. I got pricked for a haemoglobin test and the result was good; I had a reading of 165, which is quite high according to the nurse. My blood pressure was also good; 121 / 71, so physically I wasn’t stressed. Then came the moment of truth. I jumped on the bed and laid out my left arm trying not to think about the needle. I avoided looking at the needle, and in an instant there was a quick sting and that was it; it was in me. I don’t remember much discomfort as I was happily passing out my fluids. It ended in about 10-15 minutes and was given a popper, cheese, crackers and chocolate. I had to wait 15 minutes before they let me go so I used it to fill the post donation questionnaire.

It had the same questions, but this time around when I was filling out the form I felt much more positive. I felt more confident, more at ease and happy. It is somewhat like the feeling you get after finishing an exam. The feelings experienced were quite different before and after the blood donation. There was also a feeling of righteousness and peace. I know giving blood isn’t so much of a big deal but you can’t help feeling like a better person. I have already made an appointment for next time and I know this time round it won’t be as negative.

Today was also lab meeting day where I had to present, and although I didn’t really feel like presenting I felt the talk went well, especially for how much preparation I had. Tonight was also “State of Origin” night so I went over to a friend’s place to watch the game. I don’t have a great understanding of the game, but it was still good to be more social. For the records, Queensland won tonight due to pretty sloppy play by NSW. I also passed by Borders and purchased Learning Perl The Fifth Edition, which I plan to read from start to finish.

I plan to start from the beginning and move forward to the more advanced Perl programming books. I have decided to be known as a Perl programmer due to the usefulness of the language. Again this is another dedication that I need to keep and although I won’t push myself too hard so that I burn out, but I will definitely try to keep up with my regular Perl reading. My current knowledge of Perl is just too scattered, and I hope I can start building the foundation towards a strong understanding of the language.

Today is the first day of the month, a good time to start a new regime. I went grocery shopping tonight and purchased almost 120 dollars worth of groceries. I bought lots of fruits, vegetables and breakfast! I’ve been buying food from the university for almost two weeks now, and besides wasting a lot of money, it has been unhealthy. I have also finished doing some light skipping and weights, and necessary cleaning of the bathroom! And my mind is definitely much more clear and active now. A week ago I would have difficulty writing my blog and just thinking concisely. I should really remember the importance of good health.

I know I can easily lose focus and lose track of things, but for once I would like to keep focused. It has been physically and mentally rewarding, and it is only day one.