The necessity of great efforts to

To form new habits, such as  new sleep habits strong application force is necessary. People are less likely to leave the town early to sleep unless they are given no any other option but to do so. If you work for yourself, force yourself or someone else would force you on their own terms. 

Keep notes

I timed my self in public. Friends in Facebook knew what I was doing. I knew also how many hours I worked. Without this I may work 2 hours out of 10 hour period, without knowing it.

I have worked on editing close to four hours, despite having more hours. I have spent more hours on meditation and sleep than on editing. 

I have not habituated weekly scheduling and its implementations. To seccessfully edit the twin books before the deadline, this will be necessary. 

Ka warqab shaqadaada

Markaan u kuur galay intaan xamaashsy shalay waxaa ii soo baxday inay ahayd 5 saac. Ka badan aan u qaadan lahaa, haddii aan diiwan galin.

When I do my best work?

If you pay attention you will note that there are times when you are able to do a quality work, such as writing and editing  and when you are not able to do so. I have learned the conditions of the former. 

Conditions that allow people to edit a work or even write better are the following:

1- Make up your mind to do only one only and only one thing, editing or writing and nothing else. This particularly applies to people who have hard time making choices. Don't think about whether you should apply that job or not or ask out the woman sitting in front of you in the coffee house or not. The mind can only focus on one thing at a time and noting else. Scientific research shows this. 

2- Do your work when you are able to work. Take a break or rest or do something else when you are tired. Don't work when you are least productive, rest.  Dance between work and other activities that allow you to do your work. 

3- Reading out loud is my way of doing aan excellent work of editing or writing. I have practiced this habit in my head, lecturing to an imaginary audience.

This gives me quick feedback. It allow me to set the tone and maintain it throughout the lecture. 

4- I have spent hours doing nothing,  close to an hour and thirty minutes. I could have used this time to sleep 8 hours but I did not. I shall report tomorrow that this problem has been resolved: spending less ours on useless activities and more time on productive activities, such as sleeping 8 hours and planning the next day or even the week, or simply sitting somewhere and just resting to prepare mysel to get some work done that allows me to earn a living, thereby saving myself from working simply to earn a living. I shall also report that I have made this a habit. 

Xiliga ku fiican inaad shaqadaada qabsatid

Marar waxaa jira aad shaqo fiican qaban kartid iyo marar aadan shaqo fiican qaban karin. 

Marna shaqo qabso marna u naso. 

Laakiin tan waxay u baahantahay inaad ka warqabtid waxa socda. Haddaad maahsantahay, waa kaa hoos baxaysaa. Waxaan ogaaday maraan qaban karo shaqo fiican. Waxaana go'aan ku gaaray inaan aminahaan shaqadayda qabsado.

Aminahaan aan shaqo fiican qabsan karaa

1- Markaan go'aan cad gaaro. Wax kale haka fikirin, aan isdhahaa, aan ka ahayn shaqada ku hor taal. Tusaalahaan jawaab cad aan ka bixiyaa? Marwadaan hortayda fadhida ma shukaansadaa mase waa iska dhaafaa? Shaqo hebel ma raadsadaa mase waa iska dhaafaa? Go'aan cad gaar aan ka gaaraa. Arintaan waxay u darantahay dadka ku adagtahay inay go'aan ca gaaraan. 

2- Marar waxaa jira aan maalayacni iska galo, sida inaan meel iska fadhiisto, bacdina shabakadaha aan iska dawaafo ujeedo la'aan bacdina wixii iga soo hor baxa aan iska akhristo ama aan iska fiirsado.

Tan waxay kaliftaa inaan ka dib dhaco jadwalka hurdada, bacidna aan  seexdo xilli ka yar sideed saacadood. Arintaan waxay hoos u dhigtaa tayada maalinta Iyo awoodda aan u  leeyahay inaan shaqo fiican qabsado. 

Soo wari inaad arintaan ka adkaatay, ilaalisayna jadwalka hurdada, kana dhigatay caado ilaalinta jadwalka hurdada.

3- Waxaan caado ka dhigtay inaan saxo qormooyinka anoo kor u akhrinaaya dad hortood. Waa mala awaalaa inay dad I dhagaysanaataan. Bacidna howshayda aan ku qabsadaa.

Reflections on Mu part II

During exhalations, as recommended, one may say mu, as one exhales to stop thoughts. 

You may reach a point where you can stay long time, 20 to 50 seconds,

for instance, without desire to exhale.

If so, you are now standing at a crossroad:  you may continue to say mu as you exhale. If so, you are heading towards absolute samadhi. If, however, you stop, saying mu, you may be head towards shekantaza, that is mere sitting, nothing else. 

Shekantaza is stable state analogous to what Sufis call stable self, or stable ego, whereas absolute samadhi is more like absolute fana, in the Sufi lexicon, that is absolutely gone.

To me the terms make no sense at times, shikantaza or samadhi. What makes sense to me is what allows me to start fresh again and again and so on, refreshment, new beginning. 

Gaarista maqaamka waxba ma jiraan, aan Ilaahay ahayn Iyo ka hadalkiisa.

Qofka markow  u fadhiisto una neefsado siyaabihii la soo magacdhabay, waxaa dhacaysa inuu dareemayaashiisa ay uga imaan wax akhbaar ah, maadaama ay  jirin wax dhaqdhaqaaq ah ama fikir ah.

Waxaa ku saaran. 

Waxba kuma saarna, laakiin waxaa la mid tahay qof jooga meel shib laga wadayahay, bacdina maqlay nin kale oo calooshiisa ay u  budbudayso.

Meeshow  qofka diiradda saaro, meeshaas ay naftiisa tagtaa. Nafta waxaa la dhahaa waa culaab, culaabtana caloosha hoose markii la saaro waxay u qaaraantaa dhalashada nafta dagan.

Jirka qaybtiisa kore marka la saarana waxay u qaaraantaa daganaansho la'aan.

Sidaas darteed aa waxaa la dhahaa diiradda saar meel ka hoosaysa 2-3 suul xudunta.

Si taxadarka la iskugu geeyo caloosha isku qabo indhahaaga, bacdina meeshaas saar diiradda, waa xudunta hoosteeda, waxaad iska dhigi kartaa inaad gadaal uga imaanaysid darbiga caloosha, bacdina meeshaas joog.