Month: December 2013

December 25, 2013

Merry Everything!

Seasons greetings everyone!  Due to the recent ice storms spanning across Ontario, Toronto experienced a severe power outage.  The power went out initially on Saturday the 21 and 300,000 people were left with no power.  Sadly, up to 80,000 Torontonians are currently spending their holidays without electricity and water.  During the last few days, I too, had to deal with the inconveniences of not having power.  We did not have running water or heat and all restaurants, malls, street lights and signs were shut off.  This ice storm couldn’t have come at a better time and was much needed at a time like this.  I do not wish this type of suffering on anyone but this dose of reality is the kick in our pants we all need from time to time.  I saw first hand how miraculously the universe conspires to teach us the value of life over the value of things.

What I learned in the past few days is immeasurable.  I witnessed kindness, calm, organization, thoughtfulness, consideration and most importantly hard work and dedication.   I also witnessed chaos, clutter and recklessness all in the name of technology.  We are so consumed by our smart devices that we’ve become antisocial and quite panicky and almost useless beings.  Living a few days without power gave me some much needed time away from the clutters of this world.  I was able to meditate in complete stillness and darkness with no outside distractions, including light.  I was able to see how the media, propaganda and the collective ignorance of society created a convoluted perception of what Christmas and the holidays are all about.  I saw how consumed we’ve become because of technology and how instead of it helping us extend our lives it has now become something that’s taken over our lives.

I didn’t grow up celebrating Christmas so I was never exposed to the madness of gift giving and shopping.  But, as an adult, I learned to love the idea behind Christmas; designated and official dates to spend quality time with family, friends and those you care about.  It is also a time to extend a helping hand to those who are less fortunate.  The generosity that people feel during the holiday season is unbelievable, it’s as if the world and mankind is almost and finally simultaneously conscious and aware on a deeper level.  The vibrations of positivity and love resonate with such a high frequency that our inner light beams as bright as the Christmas lights we put up.

Christmas and the holidays is supposed to be a time of true and inner reflection.  It would take too much time and I would write waaaayyyy too much and bore you all with my explanation about the true meaning of Christmas.  So let me present to you what someone wrote on Instagram.  I have been following this life coach on Instagram by the name, @thebachbook.  Once the power came back on, in Toronto, I was able to read his post about Christmas and honestly, his explanation must be shared.

What interests us spiritual seekers isn’t so much religious stories themselves, but rather the spiritual principles that underpin them.  We’re less interested in empty, meaningless ritual and more interested in transforming the way we see our lives and the world around us.  We’re interested in powerful stories that change our hearts.

Albert Einstein said, “I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene.  No myth is filled with such life.”  Ditto, Albert.

Enter Jesus of Nazaraeth, a radical Middle Eastern mystic revolutionary who is widely misunderstood, but “came only to be a brother to the world.”  The “Prince of Peace” didn’t have anything we don’t have.  He just didn’t have anything else.  Stripped of fears, illusions, and the world’s ideas of who he should be, he freed himself to become a full expression of the bright light that’s within all of us.  He’s what we really are in truth.  Cool story, bro.

Christmas isn’t a time.  Christmas is a state of mind.  May we enter it now, releasing all that is unreal: our dark fears, our flimsy illusions, our painful judgments of ourselves and each other.  In this profound act of forgiveness, may we reveal our own higher selves and birth into the world the love we’ve all been waiting for.  

The saviour is born.  The saviour is us.

So, I end by not wishing you a Merry Christmas, but rather, a Merry Everything!  This is a time to celebrate and be grateful for all that we have and all that can be lost in a matter of seconds.  Even if we have nothing we should use this time to be grateful for the small things, which ultimately are the ONLY things we truly need.  We must look inward and find the positive from within, then we can experience positivity in abundance from the outside.  Stay safe and again, Merry Everything to all spiritual beings!

December 18, 2013

Humanity

There is nothing humane about the current state of our world.  In my quest toward self discovery I always found and made time to research controversial subjects.  What I learned so far has left my soul feeling rather weak and distraught.  My soul actually weeps for mankind, our earth, this universe and all its creatures and spiritual beings.  I am coming to the sad realization that as we, humans, evolve, we are losing our humanity.  I feel the need to express my sadness and share my thoughts with the world.  All I know is this, I believe in humanity and I believe we can change but it has to start by first acknowledging some key truths.

We are becoming zombies to the corporate world and will quite possibly rename our planet Earth Inc. one day.  We put more focus, time and energy in turning out a profit than helping our neighbouring countries fight poverty, disease and lack of education.  We evolved into greedy creatures that would rather keep more for ourselves than to share with those less fortunate.  We take more pride in our superficial materialistic accomplishments than doing a simple good deed for this world and our fellow man.  We are becoming creatures that do not value the essence of life.  We kill animals to put “fancy” clothes on our backs, shoes on our feet or fragrances on our skin.  We kill animals for gourmet meals.  We kill animals, just because we can!

We sit around as individuals feeling a sense of entitlement for our own lives as though this world or universe owes us something.  Whereas, we should be the ones who owe the universe for providing abundance all around.  Our universe provides us with life, water, air, food, nourishment, beauty, endless opportunities and natural resources, space and an unknown frontier, joy, peace, and the ability to live amongst a multitude of creatures without harm (for the most part and in favour of humans).  Yet, as humans, we are growing into creatures that only take and take and never give back.  This is becoming the norm and becoming what is acceptable and we don’t even sit back and question these morals!

We live in a time where technology can vastly improve the world, yet we are deliberately using it to create fear, hate, separation, war, poverty, and a plethora of evil doings.  We use technology to hurt animals and one another through genetic engineering.  We use technology to create disease and spread it worldwide instead of stopping, preventing and curing it.  We use technology to deliberately affect mother nature.  We purposely put chemicals in our soil, water, foods, animals, and in the air to experiment with population control.  We use our technology and mankind’s  genius to create massive weather tampering devices to affect the conditions of the earth to serve an agenda.

We don’t care if we see millions of men, women and children die because of stereotyping and generalization and we don’t bother to fix the problems of misinformation and discrimination.  We take pride in abusing our natural resources and depleting them through over consumption.  We do not consciously try to look for ways to fix these problems, instead we find more ways to keep mankind ignorant about solutions and brainwashed into believing that behaving this way is actually good for you.  We do not take the time to educate one another and spread the message of love through all our media outlets.  Media should cover stories that address the problems of this world, instead it glamorizes frivolous wants and false needs of a population with misconstrued priorities.

There are a lot of negative things to say about the lack of humanity we are showing these days.  I am a part of this massive problem and do not want to be anymore.  I feel like a speck in this vast universe and helpless to fix any of these problems.  I realize I can only start where I know change can occur, and that is right here with me.  I can change myself, even if I cannot change this world.  I can change the humanity within me to reach out and spread love.  I feel compassion and I feel something in me that makes me believe in humanities goodness.  It is my mission to prove that humanity still exists amongst us.  I witness the kind acts of strangers and see how nations help one another in times of natural disasters, war and duress.  I believe there are far more good than bad spiritual beings in this universe and I will prove that fact, simply, by being and doing good.

mindbodysoul

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

December 17, 2013

Hair loss

Hair loss for both men and women is hard to deal with.  Psychologically and physically it can take a toll on a persons emotions and well being.  Often genetics, stress, and lifestyle resort to hair loss.  Many people assume that genetics is the only factor involved in hair loss but in today’s fast paced life of stress, fast foods and improper diets, and beauty enhancements it is easy to succumb to hair loss even if genetically you’re not inclined to lose hair.

Both my parents always had full, thick, lush, silky and beautiful hair up until their 30s.  But something transpired chemically in both of them that resulted in hair thinning, loss and almost complete balding as they hit their 40s and 50s.  As I watched both my parents deal with hair loss I started freaking out and thinking, is this my future?  I do not want to deal with this problem at least not until I am in my 60s or 70s.  I needed to first figure out what caused their hair loss in their 30s and what I could do naturally to prevent it from happening and progressively getting worse.

After researching I came to realize that stress was the leading cause of hair loss for my parents.  Both my parents are entrepreneurs and work 7 days a week.  My mom works full time in the day for the government but goes to the office in the evenings to handle all the finances.  Constantly working combined with poor dietary habits and lack of water created a lot of stress that ultimately affected their health and immune systems.  As their immune systems were being destroyed because of poor habits and prescription medication, they were unable to produce proper hormones or chemicals necessary for the natural regrowth and replenishment of hair.  This cycle continued and as the years passed, both my parents continued losing their hair.

Doing just one thing won’t change the problem of hair loss.  Combining a few things such as including a proper diet, taking in proper nutrients and consciously taking care of the hair can lead to hair growth and prevention of further hair loss.  Take a look at the information I  gathered regarding hair loss and some of the tools I apply and some products I personally use to help me deal with this.  Try some of these tricks to help you, but remember, doing just one thing won’t change your problem.  Also, make sure you’re not allergic to any of the products I mentioned below before trying them.

Causes of hair loss

  • Stress
  • Immune dysfunction and auto-immune diseases
  • Trauma to the scalp
  • Side effects of chemotherapy or other prescription drugs
  • Hormonal imbalances such as – thyroid gland dysfunction, pregnancy, menopause, excessive male hormones
  • Hereditary factors in men
  • Ageing
  • Overdosing with vitamin A
  • Fungal infections of the scalp

~ Proper diet and consciously living healthy can drastically affect hair loss.  Here are a few things to note about useful foods and supplements and natural remedies that can help you deal with problems of hair loss.

Foods & Juices

  • Cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, onion and garlic are high in organic sulphur, which stimulates hair growth
  • Alfalfa in its sprouted form is a valuable source of phyto-estrogens which help to counteract the effect of excessive male hormones on the hair follicles
  • Silicon rich foods such as alfalfa and onion help the growth of strong and healthy hair
  • Carrot, broccoli and beetroot contain beta-cerotene essential to reduce inflammation in the scalp
  • Garlic contains selenium, which reduces inflammation in the scalp
  • Ginger can help speed up hair growth and reduce dandruff and inflammation as it’s a natural anti-inflammatory agent

~ By combining these items in a juice smoothie or eating them raw you ensure a healthy diet rich in proteins and necessary nutrients to help improve the circulation of oxygen rich blood to the scalp.

Juice smoothie recipe for Hair loss

  • 1 cup alfalfa sprouts
  • 2 cabbage leaves or 2 brussels sprouts
  • 1 cup broccoli florets
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 2 slices red onion
  • 1 medium beetroot and tops
  • 1/2 to 1 clove garlic (optional)
  • 2 slices of watermelon (to sweeten if desired)

Supplements

  • Essential fatty acids such as flaxseed oil, salmon oil and evening primrose oil
  • Vitamin E to reduce scarring of hair follicles and improve circulation
  • Silica is one of the most essential nutrients our bodies need for healthy functioning and can drastically improve skin and hair growth – comes in the form of a pill or gel -bamboo, horsetail and collodial silica
  • Red palm or coconut oil

Natural remedies & preventative measures

  • Red palm oil or coconut oil – heat oil for 20 seconds, massage into scalp and run through hair, leave in for 2 hours or as long as desired, wash out oil with SLS and paraben free shampoos and conditioners (twice)
  • Red palm oil – also helps reduce greys while promoting healthy hair growth
  • Ginger – rub the juice from ginger roots onto balding or thinning areas of hair, let it sit and wash out, it allows stimulation of blood flow to the scalp
  • Silica gel – add 1 tablespoon of silica gel to smoothies, water, or consume it directly, or take 1 silica capsule a day
  • Avoid blow drying – avoid blow drying your hair after washing it, try to naturally dry it using a towel or air dry it
  • Avoid brushing hair while wet – brushing the hair daily while dry makes you lose 50-100 strands on its own, but doing it while the hair is wet causes breakage and damage directly to the hair follicles
  • Avoid chemical products whenever you can or use organic products free of parabens and SLS – styling the hair daily with harsh chemicals and products can lead to hair loss and damage to the scalp
  • For women: avoid hair extensions – constantly wearing extensions adds weight to the hair follicles and causes pulling, this slowly damages the roots and creates balding in the areas that have constant pressure or tightness

mindbodysoul

December 16, 2013

What to do when life burns you

Recently I posted a blog called “Let it burn”, about using negative feelings created by your mind to fuel and drive you toward accomplishing goals or overcoming negativity.  The reason why I posted that blog was because out of nowhere, through no fault of my own and while trying to do a good deed, I was stricken with an unfortunate incident that resulted in the loss of my assets and all my future investments.  All the hard work over the course of my life and predominantly the last 5 years amounted to absolutely nothing, financially, because of this incident.  I was feeling so much hate, anger, frustration, sadness, betrayal, regret and doubt in myself and this world.  I couldn’t understand how I went from feeling so positive and high on life and motivation to being dropped a million feet below ground level and into an abyss of darkness.

This compelled me to write my blog as a means to help channel my feelings and release the negativity.  After I wrote the blog, I had a different attitude toward this ordeal.  I was slowly drifting away from behaving the old way and consciously trying to handle this situation a new way.  I usually don’t publicly admit my flaws or share my lows, but I felt this time it was necessary.  I was being true to who I am and doing something that my inner voice guided me to do.  As I learned to handle this ordeal and move past it, I learned to consciously apply tools that could help guide others through similar situations.  Because life decided to burn me yet again, I finally learned what to do.

The universe taught me an invaluable lesson through this ordeal.  I never appreciated and understood the value of my lows until this time, when my character was truly tested.  During this ordeal I experienced a plethora of emotions.  At first I resorted to my old ways of behaving and handling situations.  I cried and felt sorry for myself and had a self defeating attitude about the situation and wanted to give up.  Then anger developed because it wasn’t fair that I had to deal with this after being good for so long, I didn’t deserve this.  Followed by hurt and betrayal that the universe would deliberately, through no fault of my own, try to teach me a lesson in the midst of being on a good and positive flow all to slow me down.  Then to finally accepting, handling and moving past this ordeal with confidence, contentment and fulfillment.

I have personally learned to cope with my problems in life by documenting how I feel.  I usually write in a diary or journal or sometimes video tape myself.  I do this because it allows me to express what I am going through with no judgment.  After doing that, I choose an activity that will rid me of the negative feelings, either through exercise, prayer, or meditation.  After reinforcing the positive feelings I concentrate on being grateful for the event and consciously move on.  When life burns you, you can either fall or use it to make you stronger.  I am not about to let life destroy me when I fought so hard to be created.  So here is a true depiction of my emotions and how I coped with one of life’s burns.  Maybe you can try something similar next time life tries to burn you.  I strongly suggest you try incorporating meditation or prayer if you haven’t tried it already.

How I dealt with one of life’s burns:

  • I cried
  • I felt sorry for myself and slept for days
  • Didn’t eat, stopped working out and even going out
  • Allowed my mind to race about all the possible negative outcomes
  • Screamed at the world, God and the universe for allowing this to happen and declaring my hate
  • Caught myself becoming this ugly, hateful, deceitful and pitiful human being ready to give up and blame everything else to justify behaving this way
  • Realized I didn’t want to be this type of person that would allow life “situations” to affect me this drastically and change me from being this calm and collected person
  • Needed to immediately calm myself down from the hysteria I was feeling on the inside and what I was portraying on the outside as I threw a hissy fit
  • Started praying and calling out to God, asking for help and guidance
  • An inner voice kept nagging at me to voice how I was feeling, out loud even if no one was listening, so I turned to my computer and wrote my blog “Let it burn” to express how I was feeling at that exact moment
  • I felt anger and needed to express that anger and use it to fuel my motivation instead of have it use and consume me
  • I had to make a conscious decision to use my feelings to my advantage
  • I then immediately turned to meditation to help look inward, I performed an extreme deep breathing meditation to help relax my hysterical soul and to calm myself as I cried
  • I concentrated so hard on the breathing that I released all the sadness, tension, hate and anger and I became still and calm to the point where I couldn’t even remember why I was feeling so hysterical seconds before
  • I felt embarrassed and ashamed of my initial reaction of hate and anger toward God, the world and the universe
  • I finally accepted the situation for what it was, a learning experience and to be grateful for the grander scheme of things, this situation was truly a blessing in disguise
  • Thanked myself for listening to my inner voice and allowing my inner voice to speak louder than the psychotic voices of hate created by my mind
  • Documented my journey through this ordeal and released negative feelings while utilizing them appropriately, and developed positive feelings to help reinforce my true character, a warrior that never gives up
  • Came up with a contingency plan for the new year

Time to reflect:

Are you going through something right now that is really testing your character.  Is it making you doubt everything you ever believed in or worked hard for?  Do you want to give up and allow defeat to consume you?  My friend, trust me when I say this, it will get better.  But you have to choose to make it better for yourself.  You cannot allow your mind to over power your inner voice, which will calm and guide you.  Your mind will try to scare you but you have to choose not to listen and choose to concentrate on using that fear to motivate you.  If you catch yourself feeling like the old you, that’s your inner voice guiding you and telling you to change how you’re feeling.  Then choose to feel different by meditating or doing an activity that will force you to change or express your feelings through some outlet.  Focus on feeling calm and releasing the tension.  After concentrating on feeling good and grateful, be thankful for the experience, document it if you wish, and allow the negativity of the event to simply pass your life and think about what you want to do next.  Good luck 🙂 

mindbodysoul

“That which does not kill us makes us stronger”. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

December 15, 2013

Celebrity power

I was never a big fan of celebrities.  I never got excited about meeting an actor, singer or athlete.  I could NEVER wait in line just to get a glimpse of a celebrity or even ask, let alone pay for, an autograph.  I justified it as, they are humans just like everyone else, so what’s the big deal?  They aren’t God, or don’t possess God like characteristics so why do people worship them so much?  I couldn’t understand what the hype was about, I mean it’s not like they cured world hunger or some kind of disease.  I was guzzling down a ton of haterade.

Over the course of my journey toward self development I realized that I need to stop hating and learn to appreciate and love celebrities and the significant role they play.  I needed to understand that celebrity worship is a necessity for the development of humanity.  If celebrity worship is used wisely it can create revolutions or movements to help progress mankind.  If used incorrectly, celebrity worship can be used against the good of mankind to create separation and hatred.  The power a celebrity actually has to change or influence lives is astonishing.

Sadly though, many of todays celebrities are misunderstood and unable to exert their true power and express themselves honestly.  If a celebrity has an opinion or belief to express, they have to first discuss it with their PR team and consider their image before truly expressing themselves.  Even if they could influence thousands and create great change, their power is limited because the agenda for the use of celebrity power is actually something else.  Unfortunately, we are living in an era where profit is more important than humanity.  Sigh.

So, I look at many celebrities today who seem whacked out or crazy simply because they are utilizing their celebrity power to help convey their message to the masses. Take a look at Kanye West, Leah Remini, Tila Tequila, Angus T. Jones, Sinead O’Conner, Beyonce, Rashida Jones, Lady Gaga and etc.  I used to sit and think, “what loons, they are just ranting and raving about nonsense to get a headline story”.  Some of them ignorantly compare themselves to historical figures or professionals who risk their lives.  Some even post videos on YouTube crying about their success.  It’s crazy to see how worlds apart people are, in terms of their thought process, simply because of the information they are exposed too.  The reality is that these celebrities are privy to information that none of us are even aware of.  They are often exposed to life altering information and things that an average human being will never see or hear.  The saddest part about all of this is that celebrities are often unable to truly express themselves or expose certain truths, for fear of losing their career, fame, status and money.  At the risk of being labeled “crazy” or “too controversial”, many of todays celebrities don’t utilize their celebrity power to the fullest.

As a spiritual being, I feel compelled to help the world given my vast knowledge.  I feel helpless knowing that I cannot do more to change this world for the better, given my lack of influence and power.  Then I wonder, how a person with power  would cope with this thought.  Can you imagine the conscious guilt some of these celebrities might be feeling knowing they have power but cannot utilize it appropriately?  I personally don’t agree with some of the above mentioned celebrities approaches or tactics for expressing themselves.  Nor do I agree with or validate all their opinions or beliefs, but, I can understand why they are behaving the way they are.  I can also understand that they believe their actions will lead to the results they are hoping for.  They are lashing out to help draw attention to their message, whatever that message may be.  This peaks my curiosity and makes me want to learn more about their messages.

Now, the biggest problem for celebrities who are trying to enforce change, is that they forget their audience.  They are trying to convince millions and even billions of people to think outside of their norm.  They are trying to force the average mind, who is already comfortable the way it is, to change and think differently while accepting a different message.  As the old saying goes, you can’t help somebody who doesn’t want to be helped; likewise, you can’t change a persons mind who doesn’t want to change his/her mind.  These celebrities forget that in order to convey their message they have to present it diplomatically so that the audience will relate, comprehend and finally accept the message.  A celebrity that is running around acting arrogant and claiming that he/she doesn’t care about the audience accepting his/her message, is defeating the entire purpose of his/her message.  These celebrities need to realize that they need their audience just as much as the audience needs them, the celebrities who will lead and enforce change.

The celebrities I mentioned above are quite controversial and have expressed some very interesting and crazy points.  It is very easy to judge looking from the outside and say, “I would never do that on stage” or “I would never say, tweet or write that”.  The more I observe these celebrities and their actions, the more I believe they are todays modern day Michelangelo, Picasso, Beethoven or Cleopatra.  The collective world is not ready for their information and most importantly these celebrities are not yet ready to clearly express their messages to the world.  There is a clear information gap and neither parties are in any position to have full access to said information.  I just hope these celebrities continue to look inward and learn to diplomatically express the truths they know of without jeopardizing their power.  These celebrities need to realize we are willing to listen and offer our support if the information is presented appropriately.  There are many of us within the general population who are awake and ready to be guided and led by those who have the power to enforce positive change.  In conclusion, celebrity power combined with the conscious willingness to change by the general population, can help this world and all its beings reach infinite potential.

Time to reflect:

This was a very RANDOM post because lately I have been reading a lot about celebrities who are going on crazy rants.  It’s happening too often and my gut is telling me to look into why this is happening and then document it.  We are living in a time and age where mankind is partially awake.  Some of us are aware and conscious while many of us are not.  Being unconscious, we allow the mind to be manipulated and controlled by media and society.  Being conscious , you have a sense of purpose, and that is to serve.  I feel these celebrities understand their purpose is to serve in the modern day and be the controversial change we all need.  I’m not sure if I agree all that much with the type of change they want to enforce, but, I am willing to listen.  These so called “crazy” celebs were put here to make us reflect on our own opinions and beliefs to help us exert a positive change that is already in the making.  I hope these celebrities can wake up even more and realize if they really want change, they have to BE the change, that they believe so much in and then lead the way.  

mindbodysoul

“A sign of celebrity is that his name is often worth more than his services.” ~ Daniel J. Boorstin

December 12, 2013

Natural is the way to go

For the past few years I have been on a health kick.  Dealing with the pressures of society to maintain health, youth and my image forced me to think of ways I could deal with this.  The internet is plagued with information on surgery and unnatural ways of healing and changing yourself and your image.  You have cancer, use chemotherapy to kill your cells.  You’re overweight, don’t exercise instead take diet pills.  You don’t have hair, get extensions or plugs.  You don’t have breasts, go buy and insert them.  You don’t have a butt, get injections.  You have wrinkles, freeze your face and inject it with unnatural compounds.  There is a surgery or evasive treatment for almost everything out there now.  Not only that, but most of us are unfairly pressured into believing that, in order to maintain health and youth, we all have to eventually resort to this unnatural way of living.  The general population is then made to feel inadequate and inferior to others while being compared unrealistically to societal standards based on extreme and unnatural enhancements.

Women and men have spent thousands upon thousands trying to perfect their image.  We can all stand to go for a tune up now and then.  We all want to and deserve to look our best.   However, at what cost?  The amount of money one could save by doing things naturally is astonishing.  The personal health risks one takes while experimenting with foreign objects in his/her body is mind blowing.  Now don’t get me wrong, I am not judging nor am I being critical of anyone who has undergone surgery to correct their image.  We all have a right to choose how we want to live and we are the rulers of our own body and image.  Furthermore, there are certain diseases or health issues that require surgery or evasive treatments because it is the absolute last resort and the only way to cure it.  I myself have even considered rhinoplasty for years but just can’t seem to convince myself to go ahead with it.  I personally feel that a person should educate him/herself on alternative, natural or holistic treatments before resorting to evasive treatments.

Many people are not educated enough on natural remedies or natural beauty products that could help you retain youth while keeping you healthy internally as well.  We live in a time where we are all looking for a quick fix.  We have an endless amount of resources for unnatural ways to change, but very few resources for natural cures and remedies.  But, in order to be truly healthy, youthful and energetic we need to maintain our health internally and externally.  Going natural is NOT a quick fix.  The biggest let down for most people looking for a quick fix while trying things naturally is the expectation of immediate results.

But, if we are all taught about natural ways to heal, fix and correct from a young age, we learn to develop positive habits that reinforce health and youth.  The problem is most people are not provided with enough guidance about products or specific natural plants, foods and formations such as sand, rocks, stones, and etc. that help with the aging process.  How do you think people 3000 or 4000 years ago maintained health naturally?  They didn’t have large pharmaceutical companies shoving pills or cosmetic surgeons sucking out fat or injecting the body with chemicals.  They must’ve done things naturally that still worked.  How else could the human race have evolved to where we are now?

In the very near future, I will dedicate a few blogs specifically related to natural remedies.  They will outline some key natural ingredients that the human body requires to maintain good health.  I will also outline alternative medication or ways to solve common problems such as the cold or skin disorders and etc.  Hopefully, by writing and sharing enough information I can help others avoid resorting to unnatural ways of curing their problems and thus help change their perception on quick fixes and what it really means to be healthy.

Time to reflect:

Do you feel pressure from all around to be a certain image?  Have you considered going under the knife or doing something evasive to correct a problem you currently have?  Body image is a delicate subject and everyone has insecurities.  We all want to change certain things about ourselves but how far are we willing to go?  Look at what you wish to fix and instead of resorting to a quick fix, try looking for alternative ways to improve those qualities you feel you lack.  For instance, if you have dry skin, look for natural products to help relieve dry skin without using lotions with chemicals.  Once we start being truly healthy, our minds will also become healthy and not be consumed by the pressures of society to do things unnaturally.  

mindbodysoul

“To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” ~ Buddha 

December 11, 2013

Budgeting

I was brought up in a meager household.  My parents were raised back home and came from the poor and middle classes.  We lived on welfare for most of my childhood and adolescence but eventually became a family of entrepreneurs and led ourselves to comfortable living.  My family believed in hard work and enjoying life.  But we also valued sharing and giving back to those less fortunate since we lived and understood it.

I spent a good portion of my adult life living comfortably and sometimes even lavishly.  The moment I started working and earning my own money I developed a sense of entitlement and believed I was in control.  Growing up and having no money to all of the sudden having some form of financial freedom boded well for me at first.  I was able to save money because I hadn’t develop a habit of spending.  But then out of nowhere I became reckless.  I started changing because I didn’t truly understand the value of money.

Once I got engaged and was trying to save for my wedding I began living frivolously with my money.  I spent thousands upon thousands on material things that fulfilled temporary joy.  It made me feel confident and in control.  By spending within my means I justified my bad habit as, “oh I deserve to treat myself” or “you only do this once.”  But once I got married, my spending habit amplified.  I became a crazed woman with my husbands credit card ready to go on a spending spree on the daily and spending beyond my means.  I became something so far from what I used to be.  I didn’t have a budget or limitation, so I just spent to fill a void in my life.

Since my divorce my life changed drastically.  I went from never repeating the same clothes, let alone bras or panties, twice, to being completely broke and in debt.  The financial shock left me feeling defeated and confused.  I didn’t like who I became when I had all that money, but I also wasn’t satisfied with being broke or just living comfortably.  I realized the value of money because I lost it.  I realized the value in budgeting and using money wisely and investing it correctly.  After a few years I regained my independence by first working in the corporate world and then establishing a few businesses.  I have come a long way, but have a lot more to accomplish.  

The most important thing I learned about money is, budgeting.  I developed the ability to cut my spending habit exponentially all while saving.  I was forced to figure out ways to maintain some of the luxuries I became accustomed too.  I have a motto, “always maintain and gain”.  I couldn’t just give up everything I got used too, but, I also couldn’t afford everything I was used too.  I had to figure out a way to keep what I had and build from that.  So, I taught myself how to do whatever I used to pay someone else to do.

For instance, being a girl I got used to getting manicures, pedicures, waxing, dying and cutting my hair and performing all other beauty regiments.  I used to spend hundreds possibly even thousands a month to pay someone else to do these things for me, but my situation forced me to learn to do it all myself (YouTube is amazing) and even naturally.  This saved me a ton of money and refined my personal skills.  Also, by not purchasing new clothes and shoes I was able to make use of the stuff I already had and only wore once or twice before.  I also spent less money eating out, thus, helping me get back in shape because I cut out excess fatty foods.  Finally, I cut some of my social habits such as partying, drinking and smoking which saved me hundreds a month.  I learned to do all of the things I wanted to do while budgeting myself and still saving a little for a rainy day.

Time to reflect:

Are you good with money?  Do you spend within or beyond your means?  We all like to indulge but are your indulgences borderline obsessive and compulsive?  Do you know how to budget your money?  Do you like who you are when you spend money?  Ask yourself these questions as you go out and spend your hard earned money.  Think about what you’re giving up in order to gain.  If you are trying to change your ways of spending, consciously figure out where your money is going.  Once you know where and how you’re spending your money, learn to budget yourself.  Find alternate ways to maintain your activities without spending the same amount or possibly even doing it for free.  

mindbodysoul

“Soon gotten, soon spent; ill gotten, ill spent.” ~ John Heywood

December 10, 2013

Mistakes = Guidance

I have made my share of mistakes.  I am far from perfect and will never deny my faults.  In fact, I take pride in most (not all) of my mistakes.  Number one reason why is because I have no regrets.  The mistakes I made were because of what I wanted and chose during those times.  The second reason being, I actually use my mistakes as my guiding light which paves the way for how I aspire to live now and in my future.

Growing up I was the oldest child of a first generation immigrant family.  We all lived based on trial and error.  I never really had the appropriate guidance that I wish I had.  I was often the guinea pig in the family, whereby my parents made all their mistakes with me versus my younger brother.  I was the first generation high school, college and university student and graduate.  I was deprived of the freedom and opportunities my brother was offered through school and extra curricular activities which helped develop and refine certain skills and passions he had.  I experimented outside of my cultural norms and developed relationships with various people from various backgrounds and predominantly used their experiences as my guidance.

Naturally this way of living affected my personal choices and I made poor decisions based on misinformation and lack of direction.  This affected all my relationships, ie. family, friends and coworkers.  I would put myself in one way relationships where I would give far more than get back, emotionally speaking.  I would choose to be in relationships as a means to complete myself when in fact I should’ve been focusing on my self development to achieve completion.  I would make poor choices which affected my education thus, delaying my educational growth.  Finally, my work and financial progress was affected because of my self defeating attitude.

So now I look back and feel blessed because I value those mistakes I once made.  All my past mistakes  have helped me see what I no longer want, need, or desire versus what I actually deserve.  I am able to clearly see what does and does not serve my purpose.  My past paves a way that steers clear of what I once used to be.  I use my memories and feelings from those moments to help decide how I wish to handle my new dilemmas or decisions differently than before.  I owe it to my past because it helped me understand that I deserve to be the best I can be now and going forward.

Finally, I use my mistakes as guidance for others who share similar journeys.  Anyone suffering from an identity crisis, a broken heart, or if you’re feeling lost within your inner world can learn from my mistakes.  I want others to avoid making similar mistakes to help gain time.  Time is limited and if I can help save you even one extra minute and help guide you, then again those mistakes have served their purpose.  So ultimately, even if we do not find guidance through a role model or in the form of a person helping or directing us, we can at least take comfort in knowing we do have a guiding light.  That guiding light is known as our mistakes.

Time to reflect:

Look back at your past mistakes and catch yourself to see if you’re repeating the same mistakes.  It’s time you look at those mistakes differently and use them as your light.  Use your mistakes as a beacon to guide you toward what you actually want and deserve.  Your mistakes should help eliminate options that don’t necessarily work for you or teach you how to apply things differently.  Practice looking at your faults this way and turn yourself into your own life coach.  

mindbodysoul

“Our greatest mistakes, if we look at them, and digest them, and interact with them, and learn from them… they can be the greatest moments of our lives.” 
~ Dan Pearce

December 10, 2013

Temporary highs

I got to a point in my life where I was tired of all the temporary highs.  The reason I only experienced temporary highs was because my gratitude for everything was short lived.  Every time I gained something new or experienced something exciting I felt a momentary high of bliss and joy.  Everything felt like it was in perfect harmony.  My desires, wants, needs and expectations were all met at that exact moment so I felt a great high.  However, that same high came crashing down very quickly.

I could never seem to maintain that elated feeling of happiness and bliss.  This was because I was conditioned to believe that happiness isn’t supposed to last.  This misinformation was the leading cause of all my burn outs and crashes.  I lived a life chasing moment after moment never being satisfied with the stillness that occurred after an event or incident.

I was always moving on to the next thing in pursuit of happiness, failing to see the importance of basking in the ambience of feeling good from the previous or current event.  It was always during the hallow chase that my high would dissipate into nothingness and leave me feeling empty and useless.  It left me feeling unfulfilled.  I needed to change this horrid feeling and fast.

I changed by consciously forcing myself to take an extra 10 mins to focus on the good from the current event I was occupied with (I know this might not seem like a long time or it might not seem like it makes a difference but applying this regularly drastically impacts life).  Rather than instinctively jump to the next situation, I made the effort to remind myself of how I felt.  If I felt good, I would allow myself to concentrate on that feeling for an 10 extra minutes because I know I wouldn’t make the time otherwise.  By doing this, it prevented me from starting something new immediately, it prolonged the blissful sensations and kept me feeling content and fulfilled for a longer period of time.  My time spent was now being redirected to feeling good and allowing those feelings to be and last.

It’s important to remember that gratitude is attitude.  By changing our attitude in our pursuit for happiness and taking the time to feel grateful we allow those temporary highs to become more permanent or longer lasting highs.  By being grateful for the event/situation at hand and allowing ourselves to consciously focus on feeling good longer, we build up our tolerance for happiness.  We realize that we can remain happy longer all thanks to how we perceive that happiness.

Time to reflect:

Do you face temporary highs because you’re constantly chasing after the next thing that will make you happy?  How long does the high last?  A day, a few hours, or maybe even a few minutes?  Try to practice consciously focusing on feeling good or the high you get from whatever it is you’re doing.  If your instinct is to naturally feel bad as soon as the good feeling is experienced or is over, then consciously try focusing on feeling good for an extra 10 minutes on top of what you already felt or did.  By doing this, you are conditioning yourself to prolong your “high” and ultimately feel happier for much longer.  

mindbodysoul

“Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy”.
~  Guillaume Apollinaire 

December 9, 2013

Opportunities

I have been studying the wealthy for some time now.  I aspire to be wealthy eventually, so naturally I started following successful people and working toward goals that will help me achieve this.  By studying the wealthy I was able to notice that many rich and successful people maintain their wealth because of opportunities.  Many people believe that the rich are simply born into wealth, which is accurate to a certain degree.  The general misconception here is that the rich are always rich.  The reality is that the rich actually maintain their wealth.  How do they do this?  They stay rich because of opportunities.

Did you ever notice that the rich and wealthy hardly pay retail?  Average people love  a bargain sale, and so do the rich.  The rich are able to seize financial opportunities because of their connections and their financial position.  For instance, we all hear how a super wealthy person is able to buy a $6 million wedding ring.  Now that is outrageous.  Who has the means and ability to actually pay that price?  The reality that we don’t see is that, that very same person who bought that ring actually paid $500,000.  The fact is, the ring was sold at a “player” price.  In this situation both parties were able to seize opportunities.  The opportunity rose for the jeweller to sell a valuable ring to a successful and rich person.  This brought about publicity and popularity for that said store.  This was a brilliant marketing strategy for both parties.  The successful person seized the opportunity to purchase a high end custom ring at a fraction of the price simply by using his popularity and influence.  This allows the wealthy person to maintain his wealth by seizing the chance to save money while purchasing something of high value.

Not everyone is fortunate enough to come across opportunities specifically like this.  But, the reality is we all get opportunities all the time, even if it’s something small, and it’s up to us to see and seize it.  It is up to us as individuals to seize those chances we get to be treated like true “players”.  For instance, you may not have the financial sources or right connections to attend a conference, but then an opportunity arises where you can attend for free as a student, intern or colleague.  Sure it may not seem all that glamorous in the moment because you won’t be sitting right next to the keynote speaker, and you may even feel a little inadequate because you didn’t pay for it, but nonetheless you still get to attend.

For a significant portion of my life I was unable to read the many signs and opportunities that life threw my way.  My eyes, ears, heart and mind were closed off to all the wondrous things this world offered.  Recently, however, I was able to seize an opportunity and gain a lot by doing so.  I was able to attend “Simply Meditation” which is normally a $250 mediation workshop, all for free.  My friend, who is a meditation teacher and life coach, recently launched her business.  Her connections led her to meet some very inspirational people.  Specifically, she met an Atma Kriya yoga Guru who lives in the States.  She was able to fly her to Canada and conduct a weekend workshop.  I was unable to attend the workshop because of my financial situation.  However, my friend suggested that she would personally teach me the course instead of the Guru for free since I couldn’t attend.  My first instinct was to say no way, I am not going to learn something half-assed.  But, this time I tried to look at it as, “Hey I’m getting to learn the technical skills I need for absolutely free, so what do I have to lose?”

This simple shift in my attitude helped me gain so much more than what I expected.  I got to rekindle my friendship with my friend.  We caught up on old times.  I then learned all the technical skills one on one and was able to ask questions to help clarify my doubts.  I also got connected directly to the Guru and was invited to attend another meditation workshop, which she would be conducting, again for free.   Had I chosen to act like how I always did in the past, I would never have learned what I learned.  Also, I would never have made the connection that I did.  Because I took the chance, I was able to retain information that would’ve cost me up to $500, for free and like a true “player”.  These are the opportunities I am talking about.  These are the chances that we all come across from time to time that we fail to recognize.  Take chances that you normally wouldn’t see the value in and you’ll surprise yourself.  By practicing seizing opportunities you will see an abundance of opportunities throughout life.  Going forward, there will never be an opportunity too small or too big that I will not seize!  I will be treated like a true “player” in every situation.

Time to reflect:

Take a few minutes to evaluate your life.  Go back and see how many opportunities you missed out on simply because you weren’t receptive to the signs.  Did you ever have a chance to do something but you chose not do it because you felt it wasn’t good enough or didn’t meet your exact expectations?  If that’s the case, think about what you would’ve done differently.  Would you have attended that show, conference or date?  Then visualize what other opportunities you may have opened up simply because you seized that chance.  By doing this you are forcing yourself to look at things through a new set of eyes.  Practice doing this and next time an opportunity prsents itself look at both scenarios.  Outline what you will gain and lose by seizing versus not seizing.  Concentrate more on what you will miss out on by not seizing the opportunity.  Think about every new chance as your last chance and you will soon see the value in seizing every opportunity that comes your way.  

mindbodysoul

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” ~ Thomas A. Edison