"To learn and grow from every opportunity."
My philosophy is to explore as many cultures as possible. To approach them with open mind and to find their best principles. And most importantly, to implement these principles in my life. I like the following ones.
British mornings
"There is no need to be at work at 6 am. Hopefully."
During my UK stays, I have discovered that almost nobody come into office before 9 am. Mornings are an ideal opportunity to get some exercise. And then take the rest of the day easy.
Exercise
"Because you are only as good as you continue to push."
It doesn't matter too much what kind of exercise it is, the important is to enjoy it and do it regularly. My favorite is running (obviously), strength
training (I prefer my own weight and couple of essential tools - it is the
most time-effective way), yoga (all kinds), swimming, bicycling and hiking. But I have started as a lazy skateboarder.
Green tea
"There is always time for tea."
I hate coffee (but I like its smell) and I don't drink sweet energy drinks.
Instead, I am a green tea addict. My love are high quality Japanese (Sencha,
Gyokuro) and Chinese teas, but I can drink practically anything. If there is
no time for a proper preparation of a loose tea, I can always have a bag of
good old English Earl Gray (but strictly plain!).
Japanese martial arts
"From skateboarding to discipline."
Practicing Japanese martial arts is a great way to experience Japan
culture. I have started with iaido - a practice of swordsmanship with
a replica of famous katana swords. Then I added aikido - a peaceful way of self-defense and ability to fall without injuring myself (too much). I also had some (rather painful)
experience with kendo, jodo and thai box, but that is a
different country, right?
Packed lunches
"Want something to eat? Prepare it by yourself!"
Eating as a vegan is not super easy and if I want to get a proper lunch, I
have to prepare it myself. It takes some time, but it saves a lot of money
and I will get what I want. Or at least I know what I will
get.
Meditation
"Ohmmmm."
After several years of regular practice, I cannot imagine starting a day
without a proper meditation. I have started with zazen meditations
and after a 10-day Vipassana retreat, switched to it. It helps me to sort my
thoughts and catch up my sleep deficits. And despite the fact, that I know
that I shouldn't crave for good feelings, some meditations were truly life
changing and one of the strongest experiences in my life.
Minimalism
"There is not much to it."
Minimalism is a way of simplification in various aspects of life. It is
becoming super popular and Internet is full of various resources. It can
have many forms. In my practice, I am trying to keep as less things as
possible. That is also why I don't enjoy getting presents and why most of
it ends up in charity (the best present for me is a tea). I try to keep
only essentials and I am able to pack for a year into one suitcase (more
or less). I also love this simplistic launcher for Android:
ap15 Launcher. It keeps all my applications in one screen and gives me overview of all
notifications. Lastly, I enjoy the barefoot running most (although number
of my running shoes can be hardly considered minimalist).
No alcohol
"I don't need alcohol to make bad decisions."
Czech Republic is famous for its beer and the highest consumption per
capita
[1]. Not to drink alcohol there is considered weird at least. But during my
travels in Asia, I have discovered that most cultures do not drink
alcohol there at all. And it makes perfect sense. Alcohol slows down the body
recovery processes, negatively influence sleep and has a lot of health-related risks. I am not saying I never drink, but if I do, it has to be a
really special occasion (or an alcohol in some Christmas sweets).
Rain
"But it is raining there."
The UK completely changed my perspective on rain. It is impossible there to wait for a
good weather, because there is no guarantee it will ever come. I am still not
natural, and I still don't understand people, who enjoy rain more than sun,
but I am trying my best. I have drowned few shoes in mud, survived couple
of days without electricity during the Desmond storm, was regularly
hiking in the wettest spots in the UK and commuted by running for 2
months without a break. And you can bet that it wasn't sunny too
often!
Veganism
"Where do you get your protein?"
I have become vegan after doing some intensive research during my
vegetarian stays in the UK. When I read and watched enough material, I
have realized that I have to try it. Facts outweighed discomfort and
apparent limitations of this type of living. Soon I have discovered that the plant-based eating is actually simple, easy and not limiting at
all. It forced me to try out so many delicious foods I would probably never try
otherwise.