Many good things

I was just thinking that I want to express that I am so grateful for all of the people in my life. I am very fortunate to have association with so many great people.

Varun -- thanks for the great conversation last evening
Pia -- thanks for the facial a few days ago, and thank you for being so cool
Five Point Capital -- Team Fleisher, thanks for being so fun
Hare Krishna devotees -- thanks for being so wonderful and helpful
Family -- thanks for the love
massage therapy classmates -- thanks for being so fun and so great to be around, and for the great massages
Beate -- thanks for being a great person, and letting me sit in your massage chair
Mr. Esgar (high school biology teacher) -- thanks for writing my recommendation to get into college, and thanks for being such a great teacher, you motivated me to do my best
Tirzah Conlon -- Thanks for changing my life for the better, you are an angel
Jessica Marks -- Thank you for being one of my best friends
Princeton football friends -- thanks for all of the good times
Dan Rudman -- thanks for getting me into trading

This is a start...

Front Door Epiphanies

I paused while standing in front of the door to the townhome in which I live this evening right before entering the house, after a day at work.

I thought, WHAT DOOR WILL I BE ENTERING 10 years from now? How about 20? How about 30 years from now? I envisioned me in an older body, knocking on the door of a family's home, telling them about God, with such a peaceful, happy, loving disposition. I would stay with them for a night and maybe we would talk all night, and laugh, cry, and share our hearts.

I also envisioned, me in an older body, walking into a home that I own, and my kids would be waiting for me on the couch. I had a great day trading the markets that day, I would be walking into the home where my family is. I would be with my wife and kids...still knowing that it is all so temporary, and that I am the soul, and my family all are souls, journeying through life eternally. I hope to have spiritual association wherever I am.

Which door will it be? There are other potential doors I could walk through as well, these two came to mind though. It was very poignant because I really experienced both scenes, and "lives." Neither one would be satisfying if I was not putting my heart in to it. Both would be satisfying if I was. At the last moment, all I have is Hare Krishna. This material world is very dream-like. The only constant is change. We can go within and have peace and knowledge in our heart and soul by humbly bowing down before the source of all that be and saying please let me do right by you.

Chanting Hare Krishna whilst playing tambourine aka happiness of the soul

I acquired a tambourine yesterday, and I am playing it so much now. I carry it with me in my car, and I bang it on my right knee while driving, and I sing along to the beat. Mostly I sing Hare Krishna. It is really fun. It actually makes car rides ecstatic and completely joyful. That is the power of singing to Krishna, Krishna is so full of ecstasy and knowledge and love. And also, it is our soul's dharma to love Krishna all of the time, so singing to Krishna is a way that I express my gratitude to Krishna and also my surrender and also my love. Plus it is incredibly fun and enlivening. I hope to get in a studio and record an album.

I was at a party last night, and saw some friends whom I had not seen in a while. I met someone new, and he noticed that I was drinking water. He said something like, "Do you not drink?" I said, "No I do not." He asked me why, and I said for my health and well-being. Then I said, "How about you?" He was unsure of what I was getting at or what I meant, so I just said have you ever not been a drinker, or something like that. He said, well, I don't need to drink, but I do sometimes. THEN -- he said: "The body will rot and wither away anyway, so why not help it along?"

This comment stayed with me for the rest of the night, not because there is truth in what he said about the body dying at somepoint, but because I did not respond intelligently to him. I feel like I let down my brother, I truly do, and I am sad about it. I want to see him happier and more enlightened, and I feel like I did not do my part to to help my brother and fellow soul. I learn this lesson: I intend to be more confident in speaking whatever knowledge I have.

To take what he said to its logical conclusion -- why not just kill the body NOW then?? Why not? This is the essence of what he is saying. I wish I told him about the soul and how true happiness comes from devotion to the supreme spirit, Krishna. This satisfies our self that never dies. We actually never die, we go on and on and on...Everyone can experience happiness that goes beyond these temporary conditions of this world, we just need to go within and understand that we are a FOREVER-SELF, totally transcendental to material conditions. And what satisfies our FOREVER-SELF, and actually puts it into major happiness, is devotion and love of God, the SOURCE.