In 2014, my friend Morgan Spurlock released his first controversial documentary, SuperSize Me. Morgan embarked on a 30 day challenge of eating a diet entirely from the infamous fast food chain, McDonald’s  His rules were simple: 30 days, 3 meals per day, if the cashier offered to SuperSize his meal he had to agree and he had to everything on the menu at least once.

During these 30 days, he exposed just how fast food chains begin to appeal to children from a very early age with playful characters, fun commercials, birthday parties in fun on-site playgrounds and thrill of receiving that mystery Happy Meal toy.  As he highlighted the tantrums that disappointed children were having as the drove by a McDonalds without stopping, he was also experiencing tantrum of his own.  He was beginning to feel depression, lethargy, terrible headaches and bouts of sexual dysfunction with his girlfriend.  The only cure for these ever present symptoms was more MickeyDees!

As the 30 days concluded, I questioned if I would ever feed my two year old daughter this dangerous food. We were invited to his cast “wrap” party that he held at a NYC McDonald’s Playland with all the happy meals you could eat.  I brought my daughter my own food that day and decided to never feed her fast food for as long as I had control of her meals.

In one month, Morgan had gained over 24lbs, he was very sick and his liver was in failure because of fatty deposits that had begun to build up.  It took him almost a year and half to lose the weight and regain his health.  This documentary not only changed how I viewed fast food decisions for my own family, but it put into motion a nationwide campaign that made all fast food establishments revamp their menus and advertising tactics to offer healthier options,.   and no, you will never be asked if you want that Super-Sized ever again.

I am haunted by an email. About every six months, I pop open ye ol’ Gmail, and I see it sitting in my inbox. Unassuming and bold, just like the other unopened emails waiting for my attention. But, this one I know is possessed with the evils. I was foolish enough to open the first email of its name, and with that, I was forever marked by the dark magic of the internet as ‘interested.’ Initially, I was interested, I can not lie, but now, whenever I see the email or one of its brethren, I am filled with a deep anger. I know this email to be a trap, and I feel a growing resentment with each iteration of it.

I feel this resentment for my bank and its desire to pry away my meager savings. Yes, they know I am a college student, and every semester they send me a cute little note saying, “Hey, we know a way you can pay for your next semester ;).” My bank wants me to take out a loan with them for the coming semester, and they want me to take out a loan to pay off my other student loans. If they have their way with me soon, I will have a loan to pay off the loaned loan. With every email, I resolve to find someone that will do better for me. Maybe you could lend me some advice?

A text doesn’t mean that must, right? They’re just words, right? Wrong. A text has a lot of meaning. It’s a way of communication. Part of communication is convincing, meaning a text can convince you to change your mind. You may not believe it yourself, but it’s true. It happened to me with my future that change my life completely.

How can a single text change my life? My name is Steve Garcia and I wanted to be an actor all my life since I was 9 years old. I thought it was where I belong because of how I love drama and am great at making a scene. I didn’t want to change my career because I fear it will cause more confusion as to what I want to in life. In 2013, I joined YouTube, where I thought I can be the start of my acting career. I’ve done voice-over audition for YouTube series, I’ve done voice reels, and even made a Thomas The Tank Engine series for people to hear my acting. I was in the Thomas The Tank Engine community where I make YouTube videos about Thomas and his friends. I’ve even joined twitter where a bunch of Thomas The Tank Engine community members was. Like YouTube, Twitter is a social media platform where I’ve received comments on post I’ve made. But Twitter as the social media where I’ve discovered a new talent I never thought I had.

I follow this person’s name, Stephen. He makes these beautiful crafts like builds, bridges, and sheds, all made out of wood. I’ve loved his work so much, he encouraged me to try making some of own. So I did. I practice construction with graph paper. I design and make and I thought it was good. I show pictures of my work and the people who followed me loved. So much so, a few said “Why not make more? You’re amazing with these crafts.” I never received many phrases before. This was where I continue making more crafts. I started improving overtime. Much so, I was even paid to do a commission of these crafts by many people. One day on Twitter, somebody twitted to me “You’re better off as an architect than an actor.”, and it was at that moment I realized I forgot of my career of acting as I enjoy making these crafts. I started to ask myself: “Who am I? Where do I belong.” Acting may be something I enjoy but crafting was something I passion. That’s how a single text can change my life.

I have always lived life in the safest way possible. I rarely leave my comfort zone, because why would I? It just did not make sense to make yourself uncomfortable. Living life with this mentality has caused me to miss out on many great opportunities including internships, friendships, and relationships. I always thought that I can do those things later in life, I just want to be comfortable right now. I was content living this way even knowing what I missed out on until I heard the news. Kobe Bryant dies at 41 in helicopter crash alongside his 13 year old daughter Giannis Bryant.

My heart sunk, I could not believe my eyes. The legend himself is gone and all too soon. No one was ready for a headline like this. Kobe’s death opened my eyes to how safe I was living and all the regrets I had. I realized that I cannot bank on things being better tomorrow because I do not know if I am going to be alive tomorrow. I need to live life to the fullest.

I now understand stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things because I cannot say I do not enjoy something unless I try it. Yesterday my friends threw a party for the start of the semester and I did not plan on going because I did not really know anyone there, but I did go and I had a really great time.

https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/kobe-bryant-dies-in-helicopter-crash/index.html

Simple definition: Enso (formally spelled ensō) is a sacred symbol in Zen Buddhism meaning circle, or sometimes, circle of togetherness. It is traditionally drawn using only one brushstroke as a meditative practice in letting go of the mind and allowing the body to create, as the singular brushstroke allows for no modifications.

When I first learned about the ensō, it changed how I think about Buddhism.  I am a Buddhist by birth, and my family has been for many generations. The buddhist practices may differ slightly from different cultures but has the same core beliefs.  I always had a hard time describing the way I think about things and why, as I am not a scholar nor a bhante (lord/priest/monk).  I met a friend who had a tatoo of the ensō, and he explained to me what it meant to him.  It made me realize that something so simple and imperfect, had profound meaning and it help clarify my thoughts.  It helps those who meditate upon it to reach a higher level of consciousness.  It is a Zen symbol of the absolute, the true nature of existence, the duality within life and the imperfection of all things.