Reddit mentions of Zen in the Martial Arts

I don't know if you need to "get in touch with yourself" per se. It seems as though you have a fairly good understanding and connection with yourself, but simply don't like what you've found.


The suggestion of travel seems to have many up-votes at the moment, but I don't know if I really agree that would help you. Travelling to foreign places will force you to pay attention, but if you can't learn to pay attention in familiar or mundane environments then you lack one of the most important skills a person can have. If I ventured a guess as to the problems you have failed to mention I would guess boredom, and travel would most likely not resolve that when you return from your trips, nor would it resolve the problems you have specifically mentioned. If anything travel would give you a temporary sense of resolution from your boredom, leading to a travelling addiction.


I would suggest you develop a habit of breaking your habits and routines, and your pre-conceived notions. The following list includes a few suggestions, but keep in mind you cannot drastically alter your life all at once as you need to incorporate changes (perhaps every two weeks) in to your life slowly otherwise you may feel overwhelmed.

• Try taking alternative routes to and from work, or other locations. If possible leave a little earlier than you need to so you can take routes you've never taken before and will have the opportunity to absorb the details of these new surroundings.
  
  
• When you go for walk, remember to look up. All too often people look down or straight ahead, but if you happen to live in a city or even a nice town the buildings in your area most likely have some interesting features above your normal line of vision.
  
  
• If you make a conclusion as to the purpose of something you have noticed, comment to or ask someone about it if they would likely have more information about it. They may very well provide you with a response that defies your initial conclusion.
  
  
• Take half an hour each day to listen to an educational audio book, such as one of those from The Teaching Company, preferably on a subject you know very little about.
  
  
• Take half an hour each day to read a book, either fiction or non-fiction, but preferably of critical acclaim in its respective genre. Venture in to genres that normally don't interest you.
  
  
• Engage in zazen for twenty minutes each day.
  
  
  Regarding your family and friends: meaningful relationships certainly help make life more enjoyable, but without knowing about your pre-existing relationships I cannot offer you any advice. Perhaps your family and friends treat you maliciously, in which case you should considered finding new friends or seeking relationship advice from a counsellor. On the other hand perhaps you simply haven't given your relationships the proper effort, in which case you should consider how you may feel about yourself and your relationships should your family or friends die in the near future, because they will likely die sooner than you expect.
  
  
  Regarding your career: perhaps someone can offer you better advice than I as my career has troubled me as well. I have learned that you don't always love what you easily have proficient skill at, and sometimes you have to really work hard to develop your skill for those things you love to do with your time. I've also learned that when you can help people with your work it can fulfill you in a subtle, yet deep and long-lasting manner.
  
  
  If at all possible I would suggest you read If You Meet The Buddha on the Road, Kill Him!, Zen in the Martial Arts and Your Brain: The Missing Manual, as they have proven quite helpful to me. Additionally the documentary Maybe Logic has proven quite helpful to me. These products may not prove helpful to you at all, but if you can find a book or movie that does help you it doesn't hurt to read or watch it whenever you feel yourself slipping back to your old habits. With time you should find yourself reading or watching that book or movie less and less, as you begin to develop some skill with your new life.