Feeling envious when you talk with someone who you think is “better” than you are is often a disingenuous, false signal. Everyone’s dealing with something you have no idea about… Everyone has a struggle. A better approach is to really admire that person for their ability to remain calm on the surface while their world could likely be falling apart. Thinking, I admire you, is a form of mental Aikido will help you in the end.
Read MoreCategory: Self Improvement
Which Foods Help With Depression?
Which Foods Help With Depression? According to a study titled “The Gut-Brain Axis: The Missing Link in Depression“: “A poor diet is a risk factor for depression… Thus, a healthy diet may prevent depression. Regulation of the gut microbiota using diet, probiotics and FMT may have important benefits for preventing and treating depression… The gut-brain axis could aid in understanding and treating neuropsychiatric disorders, especially depression.” A healthy diet is one that promotes the growth and regulation of beneficial bacteria at levels that are good for your microbiome. Eating processed…
Read MoreMental Aikido
Aikido, jiu jitsu and judo all can turn your opponent’s strength against them… Each is an art form… When mastered, a smaller, physically weaker person can easily overcome a sulphurous, vesuvian beast. Inner struggles are always a mismatch… Weakness is so strong. We shouldn’t try to meet it head on. At least not for the first 5,000-7,000 hours of our hero’s journey. Our higher self is too weak to aggressor the lizard directly… We must perform mental aikido. Practice redirecting the inner beast every day… Catch it off guard. Redirect…
Read MoreVoting For Your Life
Efforts to “get out the vote” are repeated without fail come election time. However, according to the New York Times, most “get out the vote” efforts often fail… Basic efforts to get out the vote often fail because they focus on awareness as their primary objective… In other words, the assumption – if we make people aware of the importance of voting, they’ll vote – is flawed logic. Research on successful strategies for getting out the vote indicate that the strategies that work are those that require accountability, cognitive planning…
Read MoreFeel The ______ And Do It Anyway
One of the best pieces of advice Seth Godin ever gave to us was to “feel the fear and do it anyway”… “It” being whatever it is you need to do, but are afraid to do. Fear can be a proxy for any emotion that isn’t helping you on your path to accomplishing your goals… Jocko Willink has offered the same advice. He says feelings and emotions shouldn’t get a vote… In both cases, the secret to accomplishing this is discipline. I think it’s easy for these perspectives to be…
Read MoreWhat To Ignore… And What To Pay Attention To
The sheer volume of information we encounter on a daily basis is mind boggling… Indeed, it is literally so. We need devices and software to manage the onslaught of data from our devices and software. But there are only so many minutes in the day… And it’s so easy to get distracted. As a result, the decisions we make regarding what to pay attention to become increasingly important. When every platform, device, retailer, salesperson, etc. is vying for your attention… Who and what can you cut out? What To Ignore…
Read MoreThought Experiments
The Waking Up Course by Sam Harris is really good. I’m enjoying my morning meditation sessions guided by Sam… I found Day 22 and Day 24 particularly useful in offering unconventional perspectives on consciousness. Any attempt by me to describe these sessions here would be half-assed at best… Suffice it to say the app is worth writing about…
Read MoreWho Am I? It Depends On Who You Ask…
Who do you think you are? If you sometimes think to yourself “Who Am I?” you are you’re not alone… We’re in a constant battle to define ourselves. The battle is between the outside world and our thoughts, feelings, emotions and experiences inside ourselves. Who Am I? If you ask the outside world for the answer, chances are you will eventually hit a dead end… But it’s entirely possible it’s not your fault. You may not even realize that you’re looking outside for the answer. We’re so overwhelmed by stimuli…
Read MoreInvoking The Muse vs. A Personal Mantra For Success?
What’s the difference between “invoking the muse” and using a personal mantra for success? Invocations and mantras have similarities… An invocation is like a prayer that is said in tribute to a higher being… Such as a spirit or a god. You may find an invocation in a religious text, or really anywhere. It doesn’t need to be religious… It can be any passage or writing that is meaningful to you. Invocations are meant to show praise and respect for the spirit being invoked. Invocations are said with sincerity and…
Read MoreHow to Get What You Want…
Start small. Admit to yourself that you want things. More money, more freedom, better friendships, a different job, recognition, creativity, better health, a smaller waistline, to stop drinking… Whatever. Practice telling yourself what you want. Then practice telling yourself that you deserve it. Start showing others what you want in small steps. For example, start by wearing your favorite sports team memorabilia out in public. Or put a bumper sticker on your car promoting something you believe in. Work to overcome the fears that are holding you back from getting…
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