ZenRising

You made me laugh out loud with that one... christ, I can't imagine trying to do game on psychedlics.... nevermind LSD.... jeeeezuss... I'm just getting back into it after a very long absence (long-term relationship), and it really feels like I'm starting from square one again... it takes time, but I know it works and I know it's worth it...

I thought you'd never ask... ... sorry...but that was funny!

For me, it's essential that my work is something I'm genuinely passionate about... it's just far too big a part of my life for me to be dedicating so much time to something that doesn't really enthuse me... Again, only speaking for myself, but self-discipline, while important, can only carry me so far... i can't force myself to work hard at something I don't love for any meaningful length of time... the energetic state of tension is just not sustainable... so self-discipline has it's uses, but only genuine passion can really fuel and drive me in a sustainable way...

haha... more of this please!

Ultimately all great empires fall, and history shows us that as they go into decline they tend to tear themselves apart from the inside... their people become anxious and fearful and cracks and divides emerge... I don't know if this is the case of the US, but it certainly looks like it...

I agree with micafofa here... what you describe sounds a lot more like avoidant personality disorder than narcissism... the journey is indeed just starting... seeing a therapist will be important.... SLAA also offers good support for avoidant issues - might be woth checking out? https://www.slaauk.org/is-slaa-for-me/anorexia-sexual-social-and-emotional/

Bingo. How do I benefit by carrying around anger and resentment? I don't... it just poisons me.

Sounds right to me.... that said, it is very problematic to make orgasm the entire focus and objective of sex within a couple... Making it ok that you or your partner don't have to orgasm ever time opens the door to a lot more relaxed fun and exploration, in my experience at least...

I'm not a musician, but 'Mosh For God' may be the best name for a band I've every heard!

It sounds like this is a psychological issue, and that 1 & 2 are probably linked.... fearful thoughts and hyperalertness surely go together... have you though about getting some help to explore why you have these troubling thought patterns?

Me too.... it's not that looks are irrelevant - making the best of 'what you've got' is always good advice... and the converse is also true, I know a couple of guys who are considered to be 'gorgeous' by our female friends, but they lack confidence and charm, and as a result they live their lives in friendzone hell...

Agreed.... as Gandhi observed it is only experience that changes the will... theoretical learning is usefull but it cannot bring transformation... we have to act in the real world and take real risks to build personal empowerment...

The loneliness epidemic owes a lot to three decades of neoliberalism that has atomised people all over the planet and relentlessly promoted this agenda that we're all just individual consumers and nothing more, and that life satisfaction must primarily be drawn from accumulating wealth rather than through human connectedness.... Thatcher and Reagan sowed the seeds of the loneliness epidemic back in the 80s, and now we're reaping their bitter harvest...

I pray I get to be right there with you!

These are obviously not comparable metrics... maybe try comparing the US with other industrialised liberal democracies?

For me, I know there are many forms and channels of meaning... love, kindness, the willingness to suffer and sacrifice for the sake of personal growth and change... and perhaps most of all integrity... speaking only for myself, there are many different things that give meaning, and they tend to feed into each other, but there is no hierarchy ... no one thing that is 'the' source of meaning...

Sounds right to me...

This is a noble and powerful beginning! Well done my friend... I'm looking forward to reading your posts and sharing in your journey.... (I also do video and motion graphic work by the way) Keep it coming! Lucas

Nobody wants to read a long resumé... get it all on one page in an attractive graphic format, and potential employers will thank you... nobody wants to 'read' a resumé - they want to be able to scan it and get the key facts of who you are and what you've accomplished professionally...

This is a bigger conversation than something that a few tips will help.. maybe you could explain your situations and what your experiencing a bit more?

Agreed... the guide prices for drugs set by the UK's NHS remain the main reference for pharamceutical pricing for most the world (except the US of course)... that's why Big Pharma is so obsessed with gaining influence over the NHS....

I couldn't agree more... the arguments generally thrown around about the role of gun ownership in 'protecting democracy', and particularly with regard to the founding fathers' intentions, are wildly misinterpreted and misrepresented by the right wing...

What's your read on your friend's motivation... could it just be that he/she genuinely forgot? It's easily done, but I guess the tone of the 'apology' suggests otherwise?

changing bad habits for good ones is haaard... for me at least... in many ways, success and fulfilment in life is really a question of what behaviours and patterns I have effectively habituated... for me it was and is incredibly important to have support and accountability when trying to shed old habits and develop new ones... willpower alone is rarely enough - the whiteknuckle approach to personal transformation has 'got no legs' Good luck my friend! Lucas

Yes indeed... it's all about building the muscle.. it took me many years to accept the fact that I am an introvert, but I've discovered that I can also develop general interest in others and enjoy conversations with them...