Beam

A rude awakening or something bad happening in one's life is catalyst for change. Its amazing how motivated people get when their ass is on the line ..

The search for enlightenment may well be enlightenment in itself. To question what appears to be to find what actually is. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Enlightenment was a philosophical movement which dominated the world of ideas in Europe in the 18th century. The Enlightenment included a range of ideas centered on reason as the primary source of authority and legitimacy, and came to advance ideals such as liberty, progress, tolerance, fraternity, constitutional government, and separation of church and state.[3][4] In France, the central doctrines of les Lumières were individual liberty and religious tolerance in opposition to an absolute monarchy and the fixed dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church.[5] The Enlightenment was marked by an emphasis on the scientific method and reductionism along with increased questioning of religious orthodoxy.[6] The Age of Enlightenment was preceded by and closely associated with the scientific revolution. Earlier philosophers whose work influenced the Enlightenment included Francis Bacon, René Descartes, John Locke, and Baruch Spinoza.[8] The major figures of the Enlightenment included Cesare Beccaria, Voltaire, Denis Diderot, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, David Hume, Adam Smith, and Immanuel Kant. Some European rulers, including Catherine II of Russia, Joseph II of Austria and Frederick II of Prussia, tried to apply Enlightenment thought on religious and political tolerance, which became known as enlightened absolutism. Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson visited Europe from America during this period and contributed actively to the scientific and political debate, and later incorporated the ideals of the Enlightenment into the United States Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.[9]

Something good is going to come from this bad , without the bad no one would desire change , desire is the strongest incentive. The system will have to fail before the population will allow a new one. Change is in the air Big time

Hello Actualized , A recent awakening out of a deep sleep has set me on a journey of self improvement of all three mind body spirit. After much thought and consideration I have decided to try a vegetarian Diet with bodybuilding / weightlifting and riding. Last year I dieted and lost 40lbs of fat , currently at 12% body fat. I'm lean and want to eat a high protein diet with high carbs to put on the muscle I'm after. By chance would any of our members have any tasty healthy recipes and tips to recommend a beginner ?

I was having sleep issues some months ago. I stopped all caffeine and my sleep has returned to normal. Meditation at bed time is also effective

It is important to keep things in context that the police are trying to stay alive when there is a threat real or imagined of a gun it changes ones thinking to that of self preservation. Its better to be judged by 12 then carried by 6 The incompetent people on the police force need to be removed , all officers who shoot unarmed people should be punished and banned for life from owning a firearm. They should never be aloud to be in authority again and have future wages garnished to pay restitution to the families. Mistakes happen lets make them right.

Fear is used to keep one safe but its not real , its an illusion that your Ego uses to keep you separate from others. Social fears are lies that keep people home where its very safe , boring but safe. Challenge yourself to do something daring , say diving off a cliff or the high dive board.

Self confidence makes one more approachable and attracts women much like a magnet , it really does. You should walk confidently and your hand should come out first to shake , ask the prettiest girl in the room a question and smile often or have a grin at all times. People love a happy face , men and women. The important thing is that YOU believe it then you can project it for others. Negative thoughts do not promote a air of supremacy so do not think them in public ( or in private) To be a Top dog you have to act like one , it will become habit and rewards will follow. Its one of the laws of attraction. *Look for a mentor*

You can give them a call when your at the Top ! I let a lot of people go over 10 years ago when I stopped drinking and do not miss them , people will drag you down with them for your friendship/company. Thought should add , brought one person with me from the old days , we both quit drinking and bought a house together and brought a friend to live with us after he had a stroke. Besides that I left everyone behind., sold it 5 years later and bought our own houses , since then I bought and sold two other houses and am currently prepping one for sale. The success came when I quit drinking and hanging out with Bad influences. My close call came when I got too comfortable and neglected responsibilities , hence why i'm here. Keep yourself pointed in the right direction and you will get there and learn lots doing it. AND be sure to hang out with winners and people who give it their all. They are infectious.

I like the sounds of this , simple easy and can use water instead of milk I'm going to watch fork vs Knives again , its been years.

@Pelin Thank you for tips and link suggestions I'll hit them in a few minutes , hemp seed , chickpeas and homemade houmous on my next shopping day , nice. I have been eating lentils , very hearty and filling. Who knows if I'll end up vegan , probably would if I looked into it deeply at some point. Thanks for the replies guys ! Someone suggested to look for vegetarian cooking shows on youtube

Thanks for the ideas popi and hey great to hear you switched to a vegetarian diet as well and for 5 months now , that's great ! We are going to live a lot longer for it Cancer , heart Disease and diabetes is a meat eaters disease copy Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Dietary factors account for at least 30% of all cancers in Western countries. http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/22/2/286.full

Have a search for those killer ab routines that people post on youtube , the more ab work you do the more muscle you'll make and calories you'll burn. sit-ups , crunches , then flat on your back do leg lift reverse crunches , leg punches , scissors and hold your legs out straight at 2 inches off the ground for as long as you can. Daily , for your core work imo It will burn calories and build your ab muscles stupid fast , much faster then biceps or your chest and once you have the abs all weightlifting gets easier. I was in good shape once upon a time. Also to start Make pushups your friend, do as many as you can do at one time at least 10x a day , this should only take up 10 to 20 minutes per day it will build you chest triceps , back , stomach muscles and core. The plank is great for your core , your core is where your strength starts, if its weak you'll have a hell of a time lifting weights.

I am getting prepared to start a casual vegetarian diet using whole grains .legumes fruit and vegges. Its surprising how much protein is in some of the Vegetables. Also many of the Chinese vegetables are loaded with protein and minerals very tasty and they add some nice variety.

Its worth it and your worth it , its a worthy productive undertaken that will reward you with health , confidence and a great body. Its a win females are attracted to a man who cares for himself is dominate fit and can protect her, weightlifting is way to build those desirable traits

Great suggestions , Also if your getting bored with it try adding new exercises into the routine to inspire you again. I have been enjoying my ab workouts but not my weights so much atm , once my core gets stronger I'll enjoy lifting a lot more so I have been beating on my abs but good.

Its important to find something that makes you happy smile and feel good. Positive thoughts attract more positive just as negative thoughts attract more negative thoughts. Try some positive thinking out right now , think of your future with you happily in it and you now have a direction to go. There is great pain in negative thinking and great relief with positive thinking.

You must put in the effort searching the web reading articles blogs and books. Do not be looking for quick tips and short cuts to success , instead put in the hours reading and studying from as many sources as you mind can handle or you need. The trick is to stop all recreation such as tv , gaming , drinking / smoking dope etc and instead study. Its needs your undivided attention for a week or two what ever it takes to snap you out of it. The more effort the more effective so work hard

I'm not impressed with Barracks lack of enthusiasm at doing anything about it. In his statements he is blaming the people for being wrongfully murdered never did he blame a Trigger happy police officer. The World knows the U.S Courts will not prosecute the Police for Killing Black men , until they start prosecuting , run duck and cover. Wait , don't run they will surely shoot .. the hunter and his game

Its helpful to study from as many sources as you can , you can use the search function at the top of the page to get fast answers on the forum. Just starting the 2nd week of self work , I was directed that meditation is the base and the place to start. Set a timer for 20 or 30 minutes in a darkened room , try be still letting your mind relax and cycle threw its images which you should ignore and let go on by without entertaining. It puts you in touch with your mind , with practice you can choose what thoughts to act on and which thoughts pass on. this can have a profound effect on your actions.

If your not meditating now , it sounds like your not , you should pick it back up or start doing it. It has great effect on the unsettled mind.

I had a break threw tonight listen to meditation Native throat singing and reading different blogs on the Web when I came across some great info that allowed me to actually find my Ego as plain as day. Its the bad advice I get in my head thats been making problems happen , misguiding me lying to me using fear as its tool. I know this creature intimately but never had a name for it until now. This article , tonight , made all the sense in the World finally I can do this head on no dancing around looking for the mysterious Ego I have to share The Ego The ego is the opposite of self-esteem. The problem with the ego is it can often ‘disguise’ itself as your self-esteem and it is important to become aware of this behavior when it arises. Your ego has a number of different definitions, but its most commonly agreed definition is it is your self-defense mechanism and more importantly, your false concept. All the ego is concerned with is indulging itself in self-destructive behaviors (I want, I need and so on) and differentiating itself from others (you’re better than him/her, you’re cooler than him), whether it is talking about other people behind their back (often coming from a place of your own insecurity) or self-appraisal (I did this, I need to tell everyone about it). The ego needs to be validated at all costs in order to ‘survive’ if it is not (even by your ‘self’, the it begins to weaken). The ego could even be likened to your inner child, constantly in need of attention and if it does not receive is, lashes out. The Ego In Practice Egocentricity is very common in Pick Up; if you move from a place of scarcity to abundance of women in your life, it can become self-destructive. Pick up can be liken to a ‘drug’ and with every new conversation you start with a beautiful woman, you become ‘higher’ with each hit, often neglecting other important areas of your life. Men becomes idolised by their peers (wow, you’re becoming quite a lady’s man) and this fuels their new ‘addiction’. A friend of mine once asked me “if you could sleep with the most beautiful woman in the world but you could not tell anyone about it, would it still be as impressive?” Most men are very egocentric when it comes to their dating lives, so the answer for a lot of men would probably be no. This kind of behaviour can also be seen with materialistic people; buying more and more possessions to fuel their false self-concept (I must have this, I must have that, my friend’s will be so impressed); if you did not have these ‘things’ would you feel less of a person? When I wrote why I do not feel homesick, this is what I was referring to: people who want to travel but own a lot have difficulty relinquishing it because they feel attached to it; it has become a part of them. Facebook has become a haven for the ego driven; statuses are often nothing but false self-esteem increasers with each person racking up ‘likes’ to differentiate themselves from others. The ego loves to feel what is called ‘otherness’ from others. People who post pictures of themselves are often guilty of this, as this Huffington Post article justifies. This is not to say that everyone does this, but it is undeniably very common. Ultimately, people want to convey a narrative for a life that they may or may not be living; some people chose to show the bad and not good, others both, but what it comes down to is wanting to feel a place of belonging. The ego will try and protect itself at all costs in a “us vs. them” mentality. For instance, if someone is going through a break up and a friend says to them to motivate them “come on, it’s been months now, get over it!” rather than take the sage advice, the ego will answer back “don’t let them speak to us like that, we’re ok with how we’re coping with this.” However, the ego can also be self-destructive; it can make you feel worthless, lonely, depressed, and insignificant and all those other negative emotions. Separation So how to you dis-associate from egoic thinking and move to a more internally validated, self-esteem-based way of thinking? You have to re-direct you focus on yourself, your ‘true’ and not your ego or what others may (or may not) think about you. Be honest with yourself, what do you like about yourself and what do you not like about yourself? Do not challenge it – just accept it. The ego is concerned with emphasising strengths and de-emphasising weaknesses. It is okay to ‘love’ your ‘self’, this is not the same as inflated self-importance; what do you like about yourself that is of the benefit to others (are you a really good listener?) and what do you not like that you can work on (sometimes I can feel jealous of others people’s wins, why is that and how can I minimise it?) I woman I was spoke to said “you’re very arrogant aren’t you?” and I said “no, I’m confident.” She said “what is the difference?” and I answered “arrogance is overcompensating for a known weakness; confidence is knowing your strengths but also knowing your weaknesses, that way you can improve them.” There are a lot of people who prefer to ‘hide’ behind their strengths in fear that if the don not, their weaknesses will be revealed. If you have weaknesses, it is okay, it means that you are a human. When you catch yourself having egocentric thoughts, become present; do not judge or condemn the thought (if you do this it will argue back) and just become aware of it, it will soon dissipate. To paraphrase Tolle, “once you bring it into the light of consciousness, the ego is unable to ‘survive’.” You are not your thoughts. When you become aware of these habitual thought patterns, you begin to become more self-aware of your ego and more importantly, how you can weaken it.

An Awakening has occurred and a pretty deep one , nice

Holy Wow the throat singing travels deep I know what I'm meditating to tonight and its not the monks clanging and chanting , just when you get chilled clang clang lol. They have a superpower of meditation that I'm lacking Good one lorenzo