zenjen

I have never given the company Amazon much thought until recently. I honestly only bought maybe one thing from Amazon every few months if it was something I couldn't locate in a store near me, until this year. I have been buying things from Amazon more and more frequently over the past 2 or 3 months (mostly art supplies so far) and have noticed the sheer convenience of it is bringing me back for more. As an artist who sometimes makes things to sell, I feel a little guilty every time I proceed to check out. I could be more consciously giving my money away to an individual or a local store or even just a smaller chain store. But damn it is so convenient! I think it might be a good idea for me to boycott Amazon for (at least) the holidays this year. I suppose the message here is to encourage people to spend more consciously as well, not only in what they are buying but from who.

Lol thanks Leo ? I’m aware it’s probably a hill I’m going to die on but at least for my own cause

What do most people value most when shopping? Price and convenience are very large factors, of course. I'm guessing that's why Amazon makes a killing. The value prop of shopping small/local would be not supporting a filthy rich billionaire, less strain on the environment (2-day shipping has its own costs), and taxes can be reinvested in your own community. So, I guess where you choose to buy from depends on your own personal values and priorities. Am I against innovation? No. I would just rather dedicate my resources to things that align with my own values. Not trying to knock anyone, just giving some food for thought.

@PurpleTree I commend you for that! I just had an unsettling thought. The advertising company I work at actually has a large deal with Amazon right now. So in a way my job is sort of supported by Amazon more or less. Oh, the irony.

I’ve struggled with these sorts of inconsistencies a lot in the past. I just started reading one of the best books I’ve read in a long time called “Atomic Habits”. I highly recommend checking it out for good advice on how to create new healthy habits that will get you further in life. Lots of actionable advice in the book. If you can’t find the motivation to read, there is an audio version on audible that you can get with a free trial

I’m just curious, do you really enjoy this job that you have? What if you could find work that could uplift you out of depression instead of work you have to run from? Seems like there’s a deeper issue here. Honestly your employer is probably just concerned for when you will be able to come back and work. If you haven’t given them any indication of the amount of time you will need then they will probably be getting antsy with the idea of keeping you around, no matter how much they like you.

I bought a zoodle maker and use that as pasta instead ? definitely not as good as regular pasta but way healthier. Just sauté for 2 minutes with fresh garlic and it’s done! Also a tip, if your parents aren’t making fresh sauce make sure you buy the sugar free jars. Pasta sauce can have a lot of extra weird ingredients so just check that it’s okay before you buy. But if you do want regular pasta, just make sure it’s in moderation (like anything, really). Check the box for the serving size and measure it out so you don’t overeat.

I made it a point this year to work on my career and health, but my boyfriend, the person I spend the most time with, isn’t focused on bettering himself at all. He did have a job in that paid almost 6 figures (though he has no college degree), but he quit because he didn’t like it. He’s been unemployed for several months now and living with his brother who now pays the rent for him. The only thing he wants to do career-wise is start a blog, which may or may not pay off. I also try to get him to eat healthy and exersize with me, but he has absolutely no interest in doing that. It’s been hard lately feeling like I have no support from him. I just want him to want himself to be better. I love him and he’s still my best friend, I’m just not sure what to do about his motivation problem, so I’m just trying to lead by example and hope he gets inspired to do something. Anyone else facing this problem in their relationship? Is it worth trying to stick it out? Let me know your thoughts.

The video explains what I mean. I’d consider myself a bit of both. I’ve slowly worked on mastering graphic design for the past 5 years or so and have made that my career, and even though I love it now I’m not attached to it by thinking it’s my life’s purpose and something I’ll be doing forever. I have many interests and tend to try new things for awhile but I always come back around to design.

I was quite surprised when I found this podcast. I began listening to a whole 10 part series of Oprah and Eckhart Tolle discussing ‘A New Earth’ (which is about presence, consciousness, and awakening). Oprah seems to be taking her spiritual and self-help speakers on the podcast to the next level this year featuring authors like Dr. Brene Brown (who has a brand new Netflix special “Call to Courage” -check it out!), Elizabeth Gilbert (highly recommend listening to her talk on curiousity vs. passion from the podcast), and Deepak Chopra. This is a great podcast to keep yourself motivated. Highly recommend taking a break from Joe Rogan to check it out.

@jivvie this review is great to see, I've been on the fence about purchasing the life purpose course for a long time

Hey everyone, ?? I have an idea for a self-actualizer type journaling app. I’m a graphic designer and plan on doing all of the UX/UI work myself. However, I’m not sure how to go about finding a developer. I would only be able to invest about $10,000 to start. Does anyone on here have experience developing their own app by chance? Or perhaps have researched the topic before?

If your looking for a trade HVAC technicians, welders, and truck drivers are in high demand.

I have my sun sign in Libra and my moon in is in Aries. These are opposite on the zodiac, meaning I was born under a full moon. I think it makes a lot more sense to me because I never fully resonated with Libra on its own. The scales represent balance, which I like. But it also makes me wonder if my battle with bipolar disorder was written in the sky when I was born.

There’s obviously tons and tons of books on business. Are you looking on starting your own? Books on managing? Is there a specific niche of business you are interested in? My favorite is Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull but it’s more specific to managing creatives, so I’m not sure how much help it would be to you or if it be worth your time. There’s also a book I listened to for free called “Start With Why” that’s not bad.

@Leo Gura Thank you for the solid advice. It’s always a pleasure to read your feedback. To be honest this idea just popped into my head today and I’m still contemplating whether or not it’s a good one. My first thought was to get a quote on how much the development + marketing would cost me first to see if it’s even in my realm of possibility. I work for a marketing company currently and would be interested in consulting with my coworkers on a marketing strategy. Still, I’m going to do some more research on my own and see if it’s something I really want to take on.

Do you have in interest/passion in psychology? Do you have an end-goal for what you want to do with your degree? If you have a strong enough vision of what you will be able to do with your degree, it should be able to help carry you through when times get rough. I would suggest journaling and asking yourself what your five year plan is and what your ideal life would look like in 5 years. I stayed in college for nearly 7 years until I finally dropped out. I already have a job I really like that I don’t need a degree for, and I was not at all interested in what I was studying at university. My motivation became so bad I was failing classes when I was previously a 4.0 student. It was a tough decision to quit but I realize that I can always take it slow and finish my degree later in life if I so choose. To be clear I’m not suggesting you give up already and just drop out, you are only a freshman and that can be a tough year of transition. Maybe it’s the wrong major for you, or maybe you just had a small hiccup and you’ll get back on track if you just give yourself some time. Try not to beat yourself up about it too much, because that won’t really help. I have faith that you can turn it around.

Hey everyone, I feel as though my relationship with money isn't that bad, but it could be better. I drive an old car and live in a rather small apartment with a roommate, but for whatever reason it doesn't upset me in the least. I pride myself in not being envious of others who have wealth, even though I don't have much myself. Currently, I feel I can afford most of the things I want and so I really don't spend much time thinking about money. I guess you could say I live a comfortable life, by my terms. However, I was just reading a chapter in a book about manifesting money and realized I probably have some limiting beliefs about making money, considering I don't make a whole lot. I guess my question is how do you balance being happy with what you have and wanting more money-wise? I realize now that there are a lot of potentially great things I could do if I had an abundance of money, such as helping my parents with their retirement and being able to pay for my very own house. Is there anyone on the forum who makes good money/has a good relationship with it who could provide some advice? Tips to overcoming limited beliefs around money? Any books about making money that you highly recommend? Thank you!

Work is easy for me once I get into the “flow state” (there are many articles and videos on how to do this, I’d suggest looking it up). I also aligned myself with a job where I get to be creative, and that’s something I love to do so even when I’m staying late and drowning in tasks it still doesn’t exactly feel like “hard work” to me because I’m in the flow. It’s also important to watch your thoughts. If you truly believe doing work like writing a book is difficult and miserable, it probably will feel difficult and miserable when you do it. If you believe “writing books is challenging but fun” the process will probably feel much lighter and simpler even though it’s still time consuming work.

Update I temporarily decided not to start Zumba with my roommate due to the expense. I already paid for PIIT so I think I'll just stick to that program and maybe see if she wants to do it with me. Room has been kept decently clean. I threw some clothes in the hamper once I got home today Still need to make time for contemplation and journaling, will probably do that tomorrow when my roommate is gone so I have some alone time with my thoughts Cut back on smoking a bit Still need to enroll in Community College and School of motion, missed my personal deadline but for a good reason at least. I will probably end up doing CC next Monday. Exciting news! My work will probably end up paying for my School of Motion course! It's almost $900 so I was scared about asking for it but my boss said it was reasonable. They also want to get me the Cintiq drawing tablet which I have been wanting but it's $800 so I was reluctant to spend the money on myself. So work is going to save me about $1700 total for my creative endeavors in the new year. Good deal! Keep the good vibes flowing, universe

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy What I've Overcome Depression/most anxiety/bipolar disorder Suicidal Ideations for almost 15 years Coming clean about old childhood memories that caused me trauma Two stays at the mental hospital Hallucinations Social Anxiety Fear of dying Codependency Nihilism What I've Learned Integrity over everything Let yourself feel your emotions, sit with them until they disappear Energy and anxiety can be channelled in a healthy way through artistic pursuits I am being divinely led through this life Everything you truly want manifests itself before your eyes, learn from the hard times Life doesn't actually suck, it's meant to be a journey of learning Everything and everyone is connected to each other, we are all made of the same energy manifested in different forms Reality is like a mirror image reflecting back on itself People aren't actually as bad as you think Love what you have been given in this life Have faith in a higher source My purpose in life is to help others

@Arthur gave some good advice. Your lifestyle may have to change temporarily, but it’s not the end of days. With time, you can come back from this stronger than ever and then I imagine you having one hell of a story to tell. Are you currently employed? Full time?

@martins name thank you my friend ??

This book is a great starter for getting acquainted with the many facets of self-helpery with a spiritual aura. I'd like to stress that this is more of a beginners guide through self-help (it is a #1 New York Times bestseller, after all), so if you've been doing self-help for a few years like I have, these concepts probably won't be anything new to you. Nevertheless, it was a great refresher and I was able to learn about manifesting money, which is a topic I normally ignore (she has another book about money which I will probably read). This would be a great gift book for someone who is a newbie to self-help that you think would benefit from the topics listed below. It's an easy, entertaining read. Some of the topics: Forgiveness Faith in a Higher Source Meditation for beginners The stories we tell about ourselves/the ego, which she calls "the big snooze" Giving and Recieving Gratitude Fear Projection Money Surrender Here are some quotes I highlighted "Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past" "If you're serious about changing your life, you'll find a way, not an excuse" "The more you have, the more you have to share" (in regards to finance)

@XYZ This is good advice. I've probably been too complacent for too long in this area of my life. I think it's finally time for me to get a little uncomfortable with where I'm at currently and start pushing for more.