Average Investor

@montecristo Yeah, I hear you there. I have actually suggested to my 80 year old grandma to not bother with it. As I would fear she would consider it out of a lack of research. I'd imagine her diet growing up was a lot more rich in home grown veggies, fruits, and meat. They had some sort of a farm type living and access to a lot more locally sourced goods. I'd believe somewhere in the middle of all of it is our current best option. Getting away from all of the chemicals and crap in modern food. I actually usually almost never promote someone to go vegan, but I will encourage people to quit dairy if they are open to listening. I have encouraged someone with lupus to try going vegan to help with their medical issues, but they did not bother. I believe the government has had a very big involvement in making people sick and fat using dairy. Lobbying from corporations has caused a massive spike in dairy and especially cheese consumption since the early 2000s. Our obesity rate in the US actually correlates with cheese consumption. While cheese is digesting it actually breaks down similar to an opiate. Just like companies tossing sugar in everything to get people addicted, take a look at what has cheese on it anymore. Even in "organic" produce they still use pesticides on it. Almost a very insignificant amount of difference between organic and not from what I have looked at. So shifting through all of this is very difficult. Especially when you have extremists on any end of it. If I even bother to mention something about vegan, I'd assume people think I am like a Jehovah's witness knocking at your door. So typically I try not mention to people I am vegan until I have to continually politely decline their offers for food. But surprisingly people will ask a lot of questions about it once I do mention it. Online here sure I will mention these things more often because I want to help promote people to find alternatives as this is a self help forum.

@montecristo Yeah, it does become hard to shift through the mud especially for the food industry. From any angle of it. And self bias is a major issue within it. Which is why I suggested my direct experience is pretty irrelevant. I believe that our ability to be omnivores has been a big component of our survival. Imagine a hard winter with a lot of snow, causing your crops to become frozen or just other wild plants. You would definitely need to eat meat in order to survive. Especially with the massive loss in calories in that type of environment. I am also not surprised at people who benefit from an all meat diet. Removing sugars, dairy, and a big slew of chemicals from your diet is bound to make you feel better. However, there is a massive amount of different vegan dishes that can provide all the needed nutrients. I would suspect I am at the point of not needing supplements now with my diet. In terms of environmental effect I would suspect growing a lot of plants would be better than farming a bunch of animals. But I don't have any research on hand suggesting that.

I haven't really seen anything that made me believe the opposite. Not any sort of activist or anything of that sort. I feel much better. Have a list of health issues that have disappeared since going vegan. And my health is optimal. I did not make the choice to save the world or anything of that nature. I like the idea that it could help the environment just like cutting down on plastics and what not. But when I go to the doctors and look at how dramatically my health has improved on paper and feeling it makes sense to me. My own success shouldn't matter to you though. Find what works for you. I'll watch some of the videos when I get the time, but I have already made some attempts at looking at opposing information. And try to keep my focus elsewhere after listening to research on the topic for a few months in the last year. As for it being the cause for ruining the environment or something like that have you ever looked how much green house gases the meant industry creates? I'm assuming some sort of fact based evidence towards that is not contained in videos. Maybe try for yourself at looking at the other end of the perspective.

Great article. Speaking from experience I have dropped a lot of friends even ones I have had for nearly 10 years. Thieves, addicts, etc. It's easy to get yourself stuck around people going into a bad direction, but hard to find yourself with the right people going in a good direction. Most of my friends right now are online friends that practice personal development and I can use them as a resource to reflect and share insights with. I have one local friend now I see maybe once a month and we will go hiking or sometimes go bowling with him and his other friends. He is not into the same type of personal development stuff, but he isn't an addict and has good work ethic. I've actually been friends with him since about 3rd grade and we have always kind of had a friendship that would continue even with long periods of not talking. I do want to find more good local friends, but for now this is good for me. I feel the friend may be open to some personal development work in the future though, but it isn't anything I want to cram down their throat. You know there is a lot of music that is stage green and etc. I am sure you could find other artists to work with to create something. You could even work together online. Not even someone you have to meet in person. Just a suggestion. Best of luck.

I think this has been the cause for the biggest slow downs in my life time for growth. I've managed to create settings for myself where I had no need to be pessimistic a few times. But of course those things don't last. I've watched many others get sucked into a deep hole after something like a family members death, or even a friends death. Placing many others around me who are always in a half empty mind frame and not going anywhere in life. I've removed all real life "friends" but one for other reasons, but this is just another thing on the list. Of course with personal development work I am more optimistic than before, but my mind set needs a good overhaul. I feel as if I have achieved a pretty fair amount even with being pessimistic. But my greatest potential will be much better. I hit a pretty solid amount of ego back lash recently after completely removing adding sugar, high stress, and a lot of introspection. Anger is another thing that I will have to work on. Not that it is extreme, but an emotion that could be used better. Anyway, figured I would share this after doing a good amount of introspection lately. Not my easiest slump I have hit in awhile. Mostly just a mental barrier I have had to hop over and now getting all of the good habits back on track.

@Raptorsin7 Best of luck to you with it. I only have a full year of college. But I was able to use that to figure out I am just going to run businesses, so I found it very beneficial. I love my work now. Has ups and downs, but everything in life does. Just take your time. It won't come quickly.

Take advantage of your electives and anything touching other subjects. Will broaden your horizons while you go.

Terrible choice to continue with it just because it is free. But all sorts of law you could learn and use for yourself in other places.

People are like crabs in a bucket. Once you start to get out of the bucket they just want to pull you back in. I would not waste your breath. I am 100% vegan now. And have been for about a year. It takes some time to transition, but I have loved it. Make sure you really do your research and supplement where you need to. It takes some time. If I were to really make a suggestion with it would be to start with smoothies of fruits and veggies for breakfast. Would help give you a lot more energy and clarity. Take your time though. It really does not just happen over night. As for anger. Anger is a reaction. It is a built in survival mechanism that you have. Hard to be around people like that. He sounds like he is emotionally abusive. I would not try to justify what you are doing to him or even really talk about spiritual stuff with him. I know how hard that can be though. Because you deep down want to see him better himself. You would have to come to the realization that his path is really meaningless to you. If you want to be excited and talk about this stuff try and get some friends from here to message maybe or other places. I don't know anyone in person I would bother to explain this stuff to.

Skip that stuff. Big waste of time. You will find yourself drifting away from the party friends probably as well.

Find more abundance and you won't care if she does not reply. I use to be the same way a long time ago. Never works to get women. Easier to not learn to not care.

Hard lesson to learn. Just costs you more money, pain, and time usually.

I've never been able to get anyone's interest below green personally. Kind of a hard topic to grab someones attention with. I'd have a hard time without a solid conversation to at least get a fair amount of the point across. However, you could describe it as a tool to help track personal development. Saying it has stages of progress, then give an example of the stages, Usually would go with stage orange first because they are most familiar with that stage.

I would recommend trying walks. I have used it for hundreds of hours of contemplation and learning. Mostly learning though. It actually got me through a large amount of actualized content. That has caused a spiral effect into many areas in my life. Left abusive relationship Quit nicotine after 5 years Went fully vegan Lost 50lbs And gained a wealth of knowledge. I can now jog the 6 miles in one go if desired. But try to keep it with consistency. If I can 5 days a week of 6 miles mostly walking, but some jogging. I was able to do all of that stuff within one year and I believe most of that was mostly from walking. I used my new strength to climb a mountain, put in a ton of energy into my small business, and so many other good things. I do want to try and use the time more for contemplation soon though and see how it goes.

@Nexeternity Realize that you relationships are meaningless. Usually, for someone to hurt or abuse you they are acting out of survival. You need to explore the idea on your own though. Are relationships nothing more than favors? Thinking of how your interactions play out in survival with others. This is my direct experience in it. I have been a door mat for long enough. Not to say that you cannot help others in need, but look how the relationship will evolve around that. What do they need you for? I am sure Leo might carry a different perspective. But I thought I might share my epiphany from the other day in a similar situation to yourself. I've been in abusive situations for most of my life.

What is the best practice to love everything? Is it to just love yourself? I was killing some flies the other day and had a similar realization to what you said above. I have tried to see a trait I like about a person before any further judgement. Just hard to keep it on my mind all the time. I should mention I usually don't have a heavy judgement. Usually just feel sorry for someone if I see someone mentally ill etc. People more directly in my experience I do have a bit of judgement. When someone does not hold up their end of a deal, or are careless. To be fair I had someone who typically goes out of their way to wrong me, but I feel sorry for them.

How useful did you find psychedelics on your journey? What kind of time frame did it take you to reach enlightenment? How happy are you truthfully? Here is a good questionnaire for happiness. https://www.uaex.edu/health-living/extension-homemakers/docs/Leadership_Training_Guides/2 Fordyce Emotions Questionnaire with Answers.pdf

I notice craving for weed for about 2-3 days after use. But really after that not much. I have used it for exploration of the same things. It can work it just depends on the persons reaction to it. I suggest doing it alone. If you can find a peaceful walk to go on uninterrupted that would make a great experience to get in your head.

@Pav I appreciate your response. I thought about the rat park experiment and I started reading authentic happiness. I think having a partner and eventually a family is a big part of being happy. I remember being really happy at certain points in other relationships. I am happy now alone and working through what I can. I am trying to put all I got into this business right now. As I don't want it to just be a dream. I want it to be a reality. I was abused by my last partner emotionally and verbally. I am not perfect for sure, but she did do a fair amount of damage. I have done some introspection lately to see that. And I have been ordering some books on relationships and studying them a bit. I was in a 2 year relationship with that ex 8 months ago or so. So I have had time to heal and work on myself. It has been excellent. I just worry a relationship could dig into my money or my spiritual growth deeply. But maybe I will be able to find someone going on the same path, or at least stage green. Not to say that money is everything. But business costs aren't cheap either. You're right though. I can't just avoid them. I actually have been avoiding this girl because I know she will ask me out if she sees me in person. I heard her talking about it. I do feel bad because I expressed some interest in her. I do think she is pretty and all. So maybe I will go on a date with her. I wonder how much physical attraction I should have? She mostly just seems nice is why I like her. But there is other options that look better. But I suppose in any relationship there always is. I don't have any issues sticking with one though and have realistic expectations. I don't watch any porn etc.

I realize maybe there is not always "right time" for anything. Monetary success wise? Personal development wise? I still live with my mom at 23. But I've kind of hit a turning point in my business where a 6 figure income could be obtainable in the coming years. I work very hard at my business. Sometimes 60 hours a week or more. Almost have it at the point where I can start hiring people and have time to myself more. I'm not loaded by any means right now. I spend everything on the business and expenses. I feel like I have not explored enough of life really. I have been getting into new hobbies like hiking and mountain biking. I want to travel and explore a bit doing those things. I've been practicing meditation for a bit over a 6 months. I have done a pretty large amount of shadow work and work with addictions in the last year. But I am definitely not in the woowoo spectrum. I am still running through stage orange a bit. But incorporate a lot of stage green and yellow life style and thinking. Especially in terms of compassion etc. I can keep up with Leo's advanced teachings. Of course I meet a lot of interesting women and I have had previous relationships. I have quite a few prospects that are attractive and seem nice. I seemingly have a problem of getting too invested with the relationship. In terms of money and time. I threw away a lot of personal development and business progress in my last one. Not to mention it was a bad relationship on both ends in terms of what would go on. To be fair I was not nearly as developed in my last one at all. My progress in that time made me realize I was in a sinking ship. Should I just blow off the thought of relationship and max out my income? Keep working on myself more and more? Or was the last relationship maybe the cause for my large spike in growth? Maybe it could bring a lot more opportunities etc. I feel like I would really need to be really good at relationships in order to have a really well functioning one that could last the rest of my life. I hardly see anyone expect previous older generations (People who are 70-80 now) with anything long lasting. I would like the idea of having a family eventually, but I have my whole life to go for that, however long that might be. What is your experience with them?

I think this is a normal issue. I think you just have to manifest abundance and confidence. That and learning to be happy for others.

I've seen good people achieve good results in doing these. Only thing with longer ones would be maybe some form of supervision would be recommended. Your body can handle quite a bit though. Could do a 30 day if you made it, but that is definitely more recommended for super vision.

Any advice?

Enjoy the feeling. I would not get too carried away with it though. Have fun.

While it might sound very fun in thought. I would highly suggest staying away.