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### Table of Contents

  * Preface

  * The 'Carpe Diem' Morning Ritual

  * 2 Easy Tricks to Build Awareness

  * Why Meditation is an Indispensable Tool for the Information Age

  * The Balloon Technique

  * The Choice is Up to You

  * Why Be a Victim?

  * Human Race, Take Your Power Back

  * Your Everyday Life is Changing the World

  * True Happiness Comes From Removal, Not Accumulation

  * 28 Ways to Instantly Turn a Bad Day Around

  * How to Magically Transform Negative Thought Patterns Into Positive Thought Patterns

  * Your Beliefs About Money Are Holding You Back

  * Improve Your Mental State By Improving Your Physical State

  * 95% of the Health and Fitness Advice You Need in Less Than 100 Words

  * Life is a Video Game

  * The Potent Secret About "Bad" Experiences

  * How To Be An Alchemist When Faced With Rejection

  * Take Action, Or Let Go, And Move On

  * 5 Strategies to Overcome Inaction

  * Use This Strategy to Accomplish Anything (Part 1)

  * Use This Strategy to Accomplish Anything (Part 2)

  * The One Simple Habit That Will Add Immeasurable Value to Your Life

  * How to Hone Your Intuition

  * Love is Our Essence

  * The Love Aura

  * What We Can Learn From Children

  * The Art of Not Getting Offended

  * The Art of Not Giving a Fuck

  * True Balance

  * Alcohol: Philosophizing on the Fun Poison

  * Infinite Beings Don't Wear Labels

  * Earth is Our Holy Land

### Preface

This book is a collection of articles and short essays I've published on my blog Feelin' Good, Feelin' Great. Every piece in here is a bite-sized expression of my life's purpose. These are both my most popular writings as well as some that I feel need to be shared with the world. All are incredibly important, potent and dear to my heart.

Living on Planet Earth is akin to playing a video game on "expert" level. It's challenging, to say the least. But that doesn't mean we can't have fun while we're here. My aim is to show that you can thoroughly enjoy the gift of life while overcoming every obstacle in your path.

I wish to reawaken that deep feeling of empowerment within. I wish to help you uncover your inner greatness. Come along and enjoy the ride.

Yours in infinite love and gratitude,

Stephen Parato

© 2017 Stephen Parato. All rights reserved.

© 2017 Feelin' Good, Feelin' Great. All rights reserved.

### The 'Carpe Diem' Morning Ritual

Do you enthusiastically jump out of bed every morning, ready to attack your day?

If not, take a step back and think about why you're taking a new day of life for granted...

If you wake up, complaining about "another day," get ready in a grumpy haze and rush to work, well, chances are the rest of your day won't be too fun. What you do in the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. That's why it's so important to start the day off in an empowered, inspired state of consciousness (if you want to live a happy, fulfilling and successful life). It's no coincidence that the most successful people in any industry are avid advocates of morning rituals. It's secret-weapon-level effective. **What you do in the first hour of your day is the hinge point from which everything else swings. Here's how to leverage it:**

This is exactly what I do every day, as soon as I wake up. It's the by-product of a lot of research and self-experimentation, inspired by the highly effective techniques of several others. I call it "The 'Carpe Diem' Morning Ritual":

**1. Reiki –** As soon as I wake up, I perform reiki on myself for a few minutes. If you're not familiar, reiki is an energy healing modality usually done through the hands. Reiki is a Japanese word meaning "spiritually guided life force energy." Practicing reiki on myself as soon as I wake up makes me feel simply amazing physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

**2. Meditate –** 5 minutes of meditation. I breathe deeply, focusing on my breath until thoughts gradually stop popping up. Then I bask in the peaceful void of pure consciousness.

**3. Drink a full glass of water with lemon, apple cider vinegar and Himalayan pink salt –** I squeeze half of a lemon, add about an ounce of apple cider vinegar and just a pinch of Himalayan pink salt into a glass of water. This cocktail provides a plethora of health benefits, including detoxification, stimulating metabolism, hydration (obviously), alkalinity, digestion, strengthening the immune system, enhancing skin health and much, much more. I personally use a "Clearly Filtered: Pure Filtered Water Pitcher" and Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar.

**4. Vitamins C and D –** I take these two with the water described above. Vitamin C helps with detoxing and vitamin D supplementation is crucial during the winter months of scarce sunlight. A quick Google search on vitamin D will leave you awe-struck regarding the sheer range of benefits it produces and how important it is for optimal health.

**5. Mobility/yoga –** For about 5 minutes, I do some stretching, yoga and mobility exercises. This is done mostly intuitively, depending on what parts of my body are stiff. It breaks the bodily rigidity of sleep and gets the chi circulating.

**6. Walking –** On weekdays, because I have less free time, I walk on the treadmill in my apartment building for 20 minutes. On weekends I prefer to walk outside more. These walks are always accompanied by podcasts or audiobooks so I can learn while walking. The benefits of walking in the morning are also far-reaching (especially in a fasted state). And another bonus is that walking stimulates a ton of creative inspiration. Many of the greatest writers and philosophers knew this and made a daily habit of walking.

**7. Cold shower –** I start off with a warm shower. But for the last minute, I turn it as cold as possible. Doing this skyrockets my energy levels. Like every other step of this routine, cold showers have a whole host of benefits. These include increased alertness, better circulation, improved immunity, skin health, weight loss (through thermogenesis), muscle recovery, mitigation of stress, and relief from depression.

**8. Oil pulling –** Usually as I'm getting ready, I'll swish coconut oil in my mouth for a few minutes. You guessed it, oil pulling has a ton of benefits too, especially regarding oral health and immunity. There's a reason why it's been practiced in India for thousands of years. Just remember not to swallow it, because it pulls all of the bacteria and viruses out of your mouth.

Then I continue my day like a cross between Tony Robbins and Mace Windu.

In doing this routine, I wake up ready to maximize my experience of a new day. I feel a sense of purpose and deep-seated empowerment. It is powerfully detoxifying and supercharges the immune system. My body becomes suppler, at ease and at the same time energized. The same goes for my mind, which begets a flood of creative ideas during and after this routine. I get more done throughout the day while retaining my sanity, operating from a place of peace and blissful gratitude.

You don't have to do all of that to get the majority of the benefits. I'm not going to tell you to go get attuned to reiki (though I highly recommend it) or buy everything that I personally use. But you can get started with a highly effective morning routine ASAP...

The simple and easy "Quick Start Morning Ritual" that you can begin tomorrow and steer your life in the direction you choose:

**1. Upon waking, meditate for just 2 minutes.** You can stay laying down or sit up, whatever is more comfortable. Breathe deeply into your belly, focus on your breath and simply observe and let go of your thoughts (without judgment) as they pop up. You are the sky, your thoughts are merely clouds passing by.

2. Drink a glass of water with squeezed lemon, apple cider vinegar and a pinch of Himalayan pink salt.

**3. Do Elliott Hulse's Bio-Energizer Warm Up** (check that out here). It's a good starting point for priming the body in the morning, as it's relatively simple and feels awesome. He recommends doing each exercise for a minute, but you can get most of the benefits in as little as 20-30 seconds for each.

**4. Walk for at least 15 minutes.** Either on a treadmill or outside. Listen to a podcast or audiobook while walking to learn while reaping the benefits. Don't underestimate the importance of movement.

5. Take a shower and make the last 30 seconds of it cold.

Then get out there and make the most out of your finite time on planet Earth.

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." – Gandhi

Carpe diem.

### 2 Easy Tricks to Build Awareness

Awareness is the essential precursor to any personal change or growth.

You have to be aware of something before you can do something about it, right?

To lose fat, you must first recognize that you have fat you want to lose. To become more assertive, you must first recognize that you lack assertiveness. To become a Pokemon master, you must first recognize that you gotta catch 'em all.

Awareness, then action. That's the name of the game.

But the thing is, most people lack any sort of awareness. Because we are completely absorbed by our thoughts 24/7, we gain no perspective. Like the fish who is unaware of the water surrounding them throughout life. We become oblivious to both ourselves and our environment. We fail to recognize useless (and sometimes destructive) reoccurring patterns, let alone give ourselves opportunities to correct them.

Awareness is turning on the lights, allowing you to see everything you couldn't see when in the dark.

It is the first step in creating any change in life.

So here are 2 easy tricks to build awareness and assess your own behavior:

1. Draw your perception back.

Don't be absorbed by your mind. Exist beyond it.

"The mind is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master." -Robin S. Sharma

You're not your thoughts. You're the consciousness behind your thoughts. You're the sky and your thoughts are merely clouds passing by.

Allow yourself to witness your mind's incessant activity, without attaching to it.

Draw your perception back and you'll be able to objectively assess yourself. You'll get a bird's eye view of your thoughts, feelings, emotions, behavior, habits...etc.

2. Write things down.

Writing things down makes them more tangible. The act of writing something down acts as a bridge, allowing the abstract to cross into physical reality. It also allows us to assess ourselves from different angles than usual, providing useful new insights. I don't know what it is, but there's something magical about the act of writing things down. It's amazingly effective in cultivating awareness.

Keep a journal. And write unfiltered. Just write everything that's on your mind, a free-flowing of your stream of consciousness. No one else has to read it. It can be for your eyes only. Writing with no filter will give you an objective look at yourself, which is crucial.

Log how you act/react in different situations. Write about experiences in your life and your thoughts about them.

Log how your body feels in different situations. Being conscious of your body is an invaluable skill to have (because we only get one in this lifetime). One idea is writing how you react to different foods. This has really helped me familiarize myself with my body and nutrition. It builds tremendous body awareness as well. I've had a lot of realizations by doing this, like recognizing that pasta bloats me like Snorlax at a Chinese buffet (that's Pokemon reference #2, for the record).

Write down your goals, desires and aspirations. Make a bucket list. Recognize what you want out of life, and implement systems to carry you in that direction.

Write down any noticeable changes in your life and how you feel about it. The mere act of writing things down creates awareness. And from there you can make the decision to do something about it.

Apply those 2 simple tips and you will exponentially increase your awareness and operate from a higher perspective. You will be able to objectively observe your thoughts, feelings, emotions, habits...etc. And from that point of awareness, you have the power to steer your life in any direction you choose.

Awareness acts as a platform to launch from.

Blast off.

### Why Meditation is an Indispensable Tool for the Information Age

Why is meditation so necessary in this age of ubiquitous information saturation?

Because it's a break. A break from absorbing. A vacation from the state of perpetual mental-overload.

You temporarily halt the assault of data input through your senses.

Metaphor #1:

Think of it like when the star of a basketball team gets a much-needed 2 minute break on the bench. All they need is a little time to catch their breath, then they jump back into the game, giving it their all until the sound of the final buzzer. Without a short break, fatigue would accumulate and his/her performance would suffer. Your mind is the star player, and meditation is the much-needed short break.

Most of us are constantly absorbing, leaving us with no "break", let alone an opportunity to create something.

Metaphor #2:

Our minds are like a mop. A mop absorbs liquid and cleans a floor. Our minds absorb information and we act on that information. Mops periodically have to be squeegeed before they become over-saturated and lose functionality (turning the floor into a big, dirty puddle). Our minds have to be cleared before they become over-saturated and lose functionality (i.e. paralysis by analysis, information overload, anxiety, over-thinking...etc.). We need to clear our minds regularly in order to maintain optimal functionality.

Meditation is cleaning the mind clutter.

Meditation is a break from the constant external bombardment of the information age.

And this break I'm talking about allows for 4 things:

**1. Inner peace -** Operating from a place of deep inner peace, where the chaos of life doesn't affect you like it used to. It draws your perception back into a place of unconditional love. From there, you can choose not to get involved in the incessant fear-based drama of the ego-mind.

**2. Inspiration -** Meditation clears all of the noise (input) and allows inspiration to come through. This is when you're primed to receive ideas from the "celestial wireless." People come up with their best ideas when they're relaxed and at ease. Meditation is the epitome of that state.

**3. Self-resetting -** Meditation is a reset for your entire being. Mind, body, and spirit. It's your personal reset button, leaving you feeling refreshed and anew.

**4. Increased focus -** When you clear your mind, you allow it to function at its full capacity. The mind doesn't function well when it's constantly cluttered, preoccupied, and tired. It's so much easier to focus on the task at hand when you regularly practice meditation.

I came across the following little gem while writing this:

"And if we don't actively reset ourselves, then we miss out on the joy that is life, and we overlook the astounding beauty that lies in each moment. Life is a gift and a treasure, and the best revenge truly is living well." -Dylan Charles

Here's a quick guide on the basics of meditation. Remember, meditation comes in other forms too. Whenever you're in a state of no-thought, just simply being, that's meditation.

If you've never meditated before, try this...

Set a timer for 2 minutes and sit or lay down (whichever is more comfortable). Stay there until the 2 minutes are up. That's it. The first few times you'll feel anxious and your mind will be as hyper-active and neurotic as a fight between 2 squirrels in a shoe box. But after a few times, it will slow down. Just remember this... You are the sky and your thoughts are merely clouds passing by. There is no need to judge or attach to them. Simply observe.

After you get comfortable with the above technique, you can meditate by focusing on your breath. Breathe deeply into your belly and stay focused on your breathing. The rhythmic inhale, exhale, the movement of your belly, the feeling of the aliveness of your body. Thoughts will pop up, but again, observe them as they come and go without indulging in the crazy "monkey mind."

From here, you'll have the perspective necessary to dive into other types of meditation.

Break and create - Once you "free your mind" you'll get all kinds of inspiration out of nowhere. So much that you'll feel an insatiable urge to create. And what you create will be completely up to you.

Relax your mind. Be a creator.

### The Balloon Technique

Because counting sheep doesn't work...

Enter: the art of letting go.

I recently came up with a technique to help myself let go of unrelenting thoughts and fall asleep. I call it "the balloon technique." What I do is envision every thought that pops into my mind as a balloon, then I let go of it. Like a child letting go of a balloon and watching it float towards the heavens. Envision the thought as a balloon, and let it gracefully float away.

So many people have trouble falling asleep because their minds are running wild. Tame the beast. It's bed time and you don't need to preoccupy yourself with incessant thought patterns.

How to implement the balloon technique:

Step 1: Be aware. Be still. Be the sky, with your thoughts being passing clouds. Observe them without attachment or judgment.

Step 2: Envision your thought as a balloon.

Step 3: Picture letting it go and it floating up, up, and away.

Step 4: Repeat until no more thoughts pop up and you fall asleep.

Try this out, not only when attempting to sleep, but whenever your mind gets into those circular loops of racing thoughts.

It works for me and it'll probably work for you too.

Inner peace be with you.

### The Choice is Up to You

You have the choice. You have the power. You have control of your world.

You choose whether or not to get offended when someone cuts you off in traffic.

You choose whether or not to get angry when someone bumps into you.

You choose whether or not to wake up in a good mood.

You choose whether or not to be offended by what someone says.

You choose whether or not to let other people affect you.

You choose whether or not to watch TV or do something beneficial for yourself.

You choose whether or not to treat your body right.

You choose whether or not to eat foods you know are good or bad for you.

You choose whether or not to implement good or bad habits.

You choose whether to complain or not.

You choose to be grateful for what you have, or whine about what you don't have.

You choose to be a victim, or to be empowered and take responsibility for your own life.

You choose what you think.

You choose your actions.

It is your choice to be positive or negative.

It is your choice to be happy or miserable.

You have the choice in every moment.

Stop being attached to stories you tell yourself. Be present. And discover how empowering life can be.

The choice is up to you.

### Why Be a Victim?

Why do you constantly need to be a victim?

Why are you arguing for limitation? Don't you want to be empowered?

Are you addicted to the victim mentality?

Have you attached your identity with being a victim?

So many people are addicted to being a victim. It's a coping mechanism to the obstacles we face in life.

The victim mentality is a choice. You always have the choice, in every situation. Love or fear, empowerment or victimhood.

Seriously, why are you choosing victimhood over empowerment? Why?

As Darth Vader put it, "I find your lack of faith disturbing."

You are the master of the internal, and the external is merely a manifestation of the internal. You don't see the world as it is, you see the world as YOU ARE.

Being a victim is depriving yourself of your own immense strength. Saying "I can't" is an act of suicide on your potential self. Complaining is resistance to the present moment, resistance to all that is.

"When you complain, you make yourself a victim. Leave the situation or accept it. All else is madness." -Eckhart Tolle

Yes, life is difficult for everyone (some more than others), but you have the choice of whether to view difficulties as challenges to overcome, or as an excuse to say "poor me."

Think about life as like a video game. Would playing Super Mario be fun if you just walked to the right the whole time, with no obstacles? Hell no. The experience is defined by overcoming challenges!

"What you call a setback, I call a challenge,

If I fall I know I'll get back, it's all a balance." -Crooked I

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." -Winston Churchill

Do you really want to be happy? Then choose to be happy! Happiness is not some magical scenario at the end of the rainbow. Happiness is your choice, right now.

### 10 Reasons Why Having a Victim Mentality is Completely Useless

1. You have the choice!

You have the choice to choose happiness or sadness. You have the choice to choose love or fear. You have the choice to be offended or not. You have the choice of being a victim or being empowered. You have the choice in every moment. So why would you choose to be a victim!? That's insanity. Empower, overcome and have fun.

"The choice is yours in every moment to create beauty or misery, happiness or pain." –Ralph Smart

2. You influence your reality.

You create your own reality. The effect of consciousness on reality is being proven on so many levels...

Look into: the double-slit experiment, the placebo effect, the law of attraction...etc. Also, check out this article,  10 Scientific Studies That Prove Consciousness Can Alter Our Physical Material World.

Entertain these possibilities, and you develop your inherent power.

Even if you have a hard time entertaining the scientific or spiritual levels of this, think about it this way... Your thoughts dictate your beliefs, your beliefs dictate your actions, and your actions dictate your situation. Change your thoughts, change your beliefs, change your actions, and you change your situation. It's as simple as that.

Take responsibility back. Response-ability is literally the ability to respond. Embrace it.

"We are not only observers. We are participators. In some strange sense this is a participatory universe." -John Wheeler (pioneering physicist who coined the terms "black hole" and "wormhole")

So why are you choosing to be a victim? It's ludicrous. It's like being given a hammer, and instead of building a house, you just continuously hit yourself on the foot with it. And that's what so many people are doing with their gift of life.

Use the power of your consciousness to achieve your dreams, instead of sabotaging them.

"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't – you're right." -Henry Ford

3. You attract what you are.

If you hold onto a victim mentality, guess what you'll get?

"A victim mentality creates a victim reality." -David Icke

If you're a victim, you'll attract people and situations that will further victimize you. If you're empowered, you'll attract people and situation that will further empower you.

Like attracts like. You reap what you sow.

"Everything is energy and that's all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics." -Bashar

4. It's so limiting.

Anyone who has achieved anything great was the antithesis of a victim. Would you break any record as a victim? Or accomplish anything noteworthy? Nope!

A victim mentality is self-created, false limitation.

Why would you ever argue for your own limitation!? Stop it. Break free.

"Argue for your limitations and, sure enough, they're yours." -Richard Bach

5. Do you want to be the driver, or a passenger?

Do you want to control your own destiny? Or be a victim, at the mercy of external forces? Ask yourself that every time you find yourself complaining or acting like a whiny little victim. Take the wheel back, and drive your car to your rightful destiny.

6. Empowerment is awesome.

Make the conscious decision to be empowered and you feel strong; physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It's literally just the flip of a switch; a simple choice. The beautiful thing is that a positive, empowered mentality permeates every level of existence and allows everything to fall into place. You embrace life, instead of resisting life, making it infinitely more fun, interesting and enjoyable.

I don't know about you, but I would rather operate in the paradigm of empowerment instead of perpetual victimhood. But that's just me.

7. Less pain, more fun. (The power of positivity)

Because really, it's no fun being a victim. People just cling to it because it becomes familiar, it's a part of their identity and they're addicted to it. Drop the victim mentality and enjoy life. Experience life without constantly being in fear.

"Life begins where fear ends." -Osho

Positivity is a force to be reckoned with, and a superpower we can all harness. A positive attitude strengthens the mind, body and spirit, and makes life quite delightful.

People with positive attitudes live longer, and have more fun doing so.

Here are some article titles I came across after a couple seconds of Google searching...

Centenarians' Positive Attitude Linked to Long Life

Positive Thinking on Aging Helps Seniors Heal: Study

Do Positive People Live Longer?

"I'd rather be an optimist and a fool than a pessimist and right." -Albert Einstein

8. Victim mentality = covering your awesomeness

With a victim mentality, you're robbing yourself of your true essence. You're denying yourself of your true potential.

It's a disservice to both yourself and to those around you. When you become a stronger version of yourself, you not only help yourself, but inspire those around you as well.

9. As a "victim" you make life more difficult for those around you.

As a victim, you become a burden (to both yourself and others). You impose your limitations on others as well. When you hold a victim mentality, others have to pick up your slack. Instead of acting as the wind beneath everyone's wings, you become dead weight, or a cage, to both yourself and those around you.

A victim mentality makes you a complete buzz kill too. And people don't like being around negative, disempowered people. Everyone wants to be around people who make them feel happy, positive and empowered. Life is to be enjoyed.

"The truth is that existence wants your life to become a festival... Because when you are unhappy, you also throw unhappiness all around. " -Osho

10. You welcome dis-harmony and dis-ease.

Your mind state effects your body. Positive people are less likely to get sick (and tons of science supports this). If you marinate in negative thoughts, they will manifest physically (think about the power of the placebo effect). An example we're all familiar with is stress. Victims always find something to stress about. Stress causes tension in both the mind and body. Stress releases the hormone cortisol, which if chronically elevated, leads to a whole host of problems. Continuous stress also produces inflammatory responses in the body, which leads to dysfunction and dis-ease.

Articles to check out online:

How stress influences disease: Study reveals inflammation as the culprit

 8 Stress-Busting Tips from Experts

11. A victim mentality is complete dependence.

If you're a victim, you become dependent on everything other than yourself. Dependent on other people. Dependent on external things for your happiness. Dependent on government. Dependent on material goods. Dependent on foods. Dependent on substances. Addiction in all of its forms thrives off of the victim mentality. A victim mentality perpetuates all kinds of fear-based, limiting beliefs and dependency.

Empowerment liberates you from all of this. It's a simple choice, in every moment.

12. You feed the parasite.

Most would agree that the situation on planet Earth right now is far from the peaceful utopia it could be. Think about the collective fucked-up-ness that exists...

This idea of an intangible force that we all feed is everywhere. Eckhart Tolle calls it the "collective pain-body" in A New Earth, Don Miguel Ruiz calls it "the parasite" in The Four Agreements, Carlos Castaneda refers to psychic parasites in his books, The Gnostics called them archons, in Christianity you have demons, in Islam you have djinn...etc.

If you're a victim, you're feeding this parasite. Don't contribute to the woes of the world. Stop feeding the parasite and cultivate something positive instead.

"The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new." -Socrates

13. You miss out on the magic of being a dreamer.

There's a certain magic to life when you become a dreamer. It's like going from black and white to high definition. Everything becomes wondrous and awe-inspiring. It's that blissful world of imagination that you immersed yourself in as a child.

Get out of the doldrums and step into the field of dreams.

Be a dreamer. No one who has ever made a great impact on the world has been a realist.

"You may say I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

And the world will live as one."

\- John Lennon

Don't succumb to the illusion of victimhood (I say illusion because it's merely a crafty trick of the mind/ego). Let go of the bullshit victim mentality, uncover your true self and step into your infinite potential. You deserve it.

### Human Race, Take Your Power Back

Are you externalizing your inherent power?

We must truly ask ourselves that question and make the conscious choice to stop giving our power away. To whomever or whatever is less relevant than the predicament itself, trading active empowerment for passive victimhood.

That's how people devolve from unique individuals to automatons. From vibrant beings, to dull shadows. From freethinkers, to brainwashed "sheeple." From healthy and passionate, to fat and apathetic. From fun-loving and imaginative, to just plain bland.

These stark contrasts are becoming more and more apparent in today's society. There is something fundamentally wrong. We all know it deep down, but some choose to ignore it. Are we too hopelessly dependent on the system to even entertain these ideas?

WE NEED TO TAKE OUR POWER BACK.

We need to realize what we're truly capable of.

It is our responsibility as human beings. Not doing so is a blatant injustice to ourselves, our future, and the whole of existence.

Empower Yourself:

**Regarding knowledge -** You don't need a degree, or letters after your name to think a certain way and share ideas. Give yourself permission to be thoroughly informed on any subject. The information is out there, take advantage of it. Have a burning desire to learn. The more you learn, the more you know. The more you know, the more you understand. The more you understand, the more you apply. The more you apply, the more power you have. And the more power you have, the more you truly live. (Just use that power for good. Love over fear, ya dig?)

Where you get knowledge and information is important too. Do yourself a favor and turn off the TV. Don't let the mainstream media be your main source of information. A small, handful of companies own all of the media, and they've been proven wrong, biased, and caught lying way too much to trust any information (*cough* propaganda *cough*) they present. Get your information from a variety of sources, and form your own conclusions.

Trust your own intuition and judgment. Don't let anyone, or any institution, tell you how to think. Again, arm yourself with knowledge and form your own conclusions.

"Different methods interpreted into different forms, from entirely different perceptions and seen from different norms" - Canibus (Poet Laureate II)

Everyone has their own unique spin on reality. What's yours?

**Regarding health -** Maximize what you have control of (your mind and body). Experiment for yourself. If you're not life-threateningly ill, you don't have to rely on doctors, scientists, and so-called gurus. Realize that you have the power and ability to find the results you want.

Here's a perfect example regarding diet. You can read what all the experts say about what's good for you and what's not, but you'll never know until you experiment for yourself. Say you want to know if dairy causes allergies for you. Remove dairy from your diet for a few weeks and keep everything else constant. Then reintroduce it and track your results. Common sense, right? But it seems like people forget about simple self-experimentation and have lost touch with their own bodies. Does everyone just want to give up their power and be force-fed ideas from so-called "experts"? Not me.

**Regarding physical fitness -** See what your body is capable of. Push yourself. Express through movement. Use your body and notice how good it feels. Build an intuitive feel with your own body. It's yours, and you should know it best. Feel the mind-muscle connection. Recognize your body's uniqueness. Cherish your body, your vehicle in this reality. The only one you get. Realize that your body is within your control. Recognize how empowering it is to change your body for the better. Losing fat, gaining muscle, getting stronger, reducing pain, building flexibility. All of these are empowering not just on a physical level, but on every level of being. Feel your power.

Paradigm Shifts That Create Empowerment: (How to Have an Empowered Mentality)

**Faith.** Have faith in yourself. Have faith in God, the Universe, Consciousness, or whatever you want to call it. Faith eliminates self-doubt. Faith crushes fear. Faith allows you to see that it's all good (baby baby), and trust your own judgment. Remember, the universe tends to unfold as it should.

**Eliminate the word "can't" from your vocabulary.** It seems obvious and repetitive, but eliminating limiting speech really works. "The only limitations you'll ever have are those that you place upon yourself."

Yes, you do have the ability to make a difference. And this applies to EVERYTHING.

"No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible." - Voltaire

You matter more than you think.

Think about this; can McDonald's exist if no one buys from them?

No one is better than you (Or worse than you, for that matter). We're all unique, yet equal. Stop drooling over celebrities, actors, athletes, doctors, CEO's, politicians, TV personalities, religious figures...etc. Stop externalizing your power. Take what is useful from people you admire, and use it as fuel to better yourself.

"Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, add what is uniquely your own." -Bruce Lee

No thought or idea is inherently better or worse than others. They're just different. Don't be afraid to express YOUR opinion. Sheep life is no fun. Be a lion.

**Question everything.** Don't blindly accept anything as ultimate truth. Draw your own conclusions.

**Think about responsibility not as accountability, but as power**. Put a positive spin on things and trust your intuition. Why wouldn't you?

If you're not going to do something about it, then who will? This applies to both your life and humanity as a whole. No one is going to read your mind and do everything for you. Well, unless you still live in your overprotective mom's basement. YOU need to take action to get what you desire. And we must do the same as a collective race. We can no longer fall into this diffusion of responsibility. If we keep playing hot potato with our problems, people will keep getting burned. Let's take our power back.

So, what happens when you decide to take your power back...

YOU gain control of YOUR life.

You gain knowledge and wisdom at an accelerating rate. (Because there's no more mental blocks and limiting beliefs)

You gain experience from taking action and experimenting.

You lead an action-based lifestyle.

You stop being a spectator.

You're a lot less likely to be manipulated.

You don't become a victim. A victim mentality creates a victim reality.

You develop genuine, unshakable confidence.

You give yourself permission to answer the questions you ask.

You uncover and express your brilliant uniqueness. You truly live, instead of merely existing.

You give others permission to do the same.

You become the master of your fate. The creator of your reality.

Stay feelin' good, feelin' great.

### Your Everyday Life is Changing the World

(Warning: If you still think you're a powerless victim, you're in for a rude awakening.)

You have to do extravagant things to make any impact on the world, right?

Like donate millions to charity, become an elected official or rescue an old lady from a burning building.

Well here's a little secret of the universe...

Changing the world is simply a matter of changing yourself.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." -Gandhi

There's a reason why Gandhi said this, instead of saying "go change what you don't like." He knew the paradigm-shifting truth of the ages... We have a profound and powerful effect on our "reality". The change must start from within, and the rest falls into place. We've come a long way from "poor little me."

"We are not only observers. We are participators. In some strange sense this is a participatory universe." -John Wheeler (pioneering physicist who coined the terms "black hole" and "wormhole")

With this comes a letting go of the illusion of separation. Everything is intimately interconnected...

"Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else." ― Leonardo da Vinci

"A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty." ― Albert Einstein

"As above, so below, as below, so above – The same pattern expresses on all planes of existence, from the smallest electron to the largest star, and vice versa. Change yourself – change the whole." -Cary Ellis

"Quantum activism focuses both on individual and collective change. Today our activists perpetuate the separateness that creates the problems we want resolved. We 'battle' the perpetrators of the problems, negativity with negativity. Quantum activism will succeed where other activist movements failed because they are founded on separateness." – Dr. Amit Goswami, Ph.D.

Strengthen your character, pay it forward, change the world.

Don't underestimate the compounding effect of small, good deeds performed consistently over time.

Think about the possibilities if you compliment everyone you interact with. Even one small act of kindness could do something like save someone from suicide.

You really never know how profoundly you may affect someone... (both positively and negatively)

Maybe leaving a generous tip with a thank you letter at a restaurant could inspire the waitress to produce a brilliant painting. Maybe buying lunch for the person behind you inspires them to become pursue their dream of starting a charity.

"I'm not saying I'm gonna change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that will change the world." -Tupac Shakur

I love that quote, because you really never know who you're inspiring. (That's why I'm writing this.)

There are so many wildly successful people who mention single acts of kindness that acted as the catalyst in pursuing their dream. Someone sparked that inner flame, that inner flame which lies in all of us.

These acts can be as simple as saying thank you, holding the door for people, a passing smile, or a genuine compliment to a friend or family member. Even simply not getting angry can have far-reaching implications.

Treat everyone with kindness and respect, and the world will emanate that much more kindness and respect.

"I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university." ― Albert Einstein

"Paying it forward" creates a snowball effect. Think about how you feel when someone does something nice for you. The natural human reaction is to do something nice for someone else; to pay it forward. This results in a chain reaction of love, and that's a beautiful thing.

"No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible." -Voltaire

Now think about this avalanche of kindness. More and more people become participants and love is spread at an ever-increasing rate. This will change the world as we know it, from a fear-based paradigm to a love-based paradigm.

Imagine... Those who are submerging their self-confidence let it shine instead. Those who dismiss their brilliant creativity embrace it, bringing ingenious new ideas to the world. The fast food cashier leaves her job and earns a living sharing her gift of writing. The corporate executive realizes giving is better than taking and co-founds a non-profit organization. The slaughterhouse worker taps into his ingenuity and invents a new air conditioner that runs off of free energy. Imagine that.

Hello paradigm shift.

How your actions affect "reality":

"Every aspect of our lives is, in a sense, a vote for the kind of world we want to live in." -Frances Moore Lappe

**Voting with your dollar -** What are you spending money on every day? Every dollar you spend is a vote, an investment towards your support for something. We live in a consumerist society, so money we (as consumers) spend dictates what is supplied. The consumers hold the power, we just need to unite and focus that power.

Will health-destroying fast food exist if no one buys it?

Will clothing companies who use immoral labor practices exist if no one buys their clothing?

And on the flip side, the more people that buy something, the bigger that niche gets. Look at "positive" things like organic foods, yoga, and "buying local" catching on like wildfire in recent years. That kind of change is inevitable when people shift their preferences, and thus their spending habits.

**Non-compliance -** Non-compliance is as simple as choosing not to participate in destructive activities. Not polluting or littering. Not succumbing to peer pressure with destructive activities. Not treating other people badly. Any simple act of not participating in things that are not love-based.

"The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." ― Albert Einstein

"Conflict cannot survive without your participation." ― Wayne W. Dyer

One example is that, from the perspective of a young man, there's a subtle pressure to be a "player." Sleep with women, treat them like objects and then ignore them. You know what I'm talking about. I practice non-compliance with this. I'm not celibate (that's not the solution), but I don't perpetuate that dysfunctional, ego-driven behavior in intimate relationships. I treat everyone I encounter with kindness and respect, and strive to inspire those I do come into contact with in some way, even if it ends up being short-lived.

And then there are things like refusing military service. Will wars happen if the youth refuse military service? (Ok, this isn't really an "every day" thing. But it paints a picture of how effective non-compliance could be.)

"The pioneers of a warless world are the young men (and women) who refuse military service." – Albert Einstein

How your state of being affects "reality":

Yes, your state of being is affecting the world around you. We're co-creators of reality and our attention holds situations in place.

"The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking." ― Albert Einstein

**Abuse tolerance -** In the book The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, he states that no one abuses you more than you abuse yourself. The level you abuse yourself is the level you will tolerate from others. Now picture this on the collective level. We need to love ourselves first, in order to remove our subconscious tolerance of abuse.

"The Universe begins to look more like a great thought than a machine." -Sir James Jeans, British physicist

**The heart's electromagnetic field -** This what is commonly called "the aura," and why we feel people's vibes. The heart's electromagnetic field has been measured to radiate 8 feet out from the body. And it was only measured at 8 feet because that's the limitation of the equipment used so far. It's speculated that the heart's electromagnetic field actually has the potential to expand for miles if we're operating in a state of love and gratitude.

**Reality is a mirror -** The external mirrors your internal state. And believe it or not, quantum physics is beginning to hint at this (the double-slit experiment, quantum entanglement, the holographic universe theory...etc.).

Our internal state determines what we see and experience on the "outside." Our "reality" mirrors our fundamental beliefs.

"Everything is energy and that's all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics." - Bashar

**Like attracts like -** We all know, for example, the guy who somehow ends up getting into fights wherever he goes. Then there's the people who walk barefoot across burning coals unscathed. How is this even possible!? The power of belief. (I highly recommend The Spontaneous Healing of Belief by Gregg Braden, which goes into great detail on all of this)

Whatever we're resonating (subconsciously and consciously), is what we get as our "reality."

Quote city:

"The world is a mirror, forever reflecting what you see inside yourself." -Neville Goddard

"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." ― Anais Nin

"Let us consider a piece of cheese. Where are its qualities? Not in the cheese, for different observers give different accounts of it. Not in ourselves, for we do not perceive them in the absence of the cheese. They are the result of the union, the seer and the seen, of subject and object." -Robert Shea/Robert Anton Wilson

"The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of the state of your mind." ― Wayne W. Dyer

"Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change." ― Wayne W. Dyer

Reality is a lot stranger and more malleable than we've been conditioned to think. For example, there are studies coming out about how group meditation decreases crime rates. Mind-blowing stuff. And that's exciting.

How to change the world, summed up in a few sentences:

**Be aware -** Be aware of your state of being. Be aware of your thoughts and emotions. Be aware of your actions and interactions. Be aware of what you support with your spending habits. Be aware of what you support with your attention. Because you're so much more powerful than you think.

**Operate in love** (as opposed to fear) and be solution-oriented with your actions (as opposed to merely dwelling on problems). And never underestimate the power of simple acts of kindness. Become your own ocean of love and light, and witness the currents of change sweep across the globe :)

The shift starts within you. And it's as simple as all those seemingly insignificant choices in your daily life.

"A few of us will start this. I invite you to become a quantum activist with this resolution in mind: we can change ourselves and we can change the world simultaneously." -Dr. Amit Goswami, Ph.D.

Stay feelin' good, feelin' great. You're profoundly changing the world.

### True Happiness Comes From Removal, Not Accumulation

Think about the most enjoyable moments of your life...

Did they involve accumulation, or removal?

Did they involve holding on, or letting go?

True happiness comes from removal, as opposed to accumulation. Inner peace comes from letting go, as opposed to holding on.

Think about the most enjoyable things in life. They usually involve a letting go of something; a celebratory release of the unnecessary; a divine dance based on the eradication of accumulated fears.

Traveling is _letting go_ of your anchor to one place and _releasing_ yourself from the confinement of your comfort zone.

Dancing is _letting go_ of your inhibitions and allowing your body to express itself through movement.

Sky diving is an act of completely _letting go_ (to say the least).

Partying is the release of all inhibitions with the intention of collective fun (except when you " _accumulate_ " one too many drinks).

Massages _release_ tension.

Sex is the ultimate act of _letting go_ , as well as the ultimate _release_ on many levels.

Meditation is _letting go_ of everything and leaving yourself in the natural state of blissful stillness and inner peace.

Life is defined by experiences. The "best" life experiences usually involve little to no material things. And the material things involved are only those which are completely necessary for the experience to take place.

The most joyous experiences in life come when your fears are stripped away. When you're worry-free, stress-free and pain-free. When you lose our inhibitions. When you let go of fear, doubt, limitations, paranoid control and all disharmonious states of being. In that release, what are you left with? The underlying essence of pure love.

Happiness is our natural state. It's what you're left with when you clear everything away. When you're around loved ones, for example, you realize what you're left with when everything else is gone; love and connection.

A happy life is defined by experiences, not the accumulation of stuff. And you experience more when you learn to let go.

Genuine happiness comes through clearing away all the bullshit. It comes from letting go of what doesn't serve you. Let it go, baby.

Like, isn't giving so much more deeply fulfilling than receiving? I think so.

Here's some of the happiest moments of my life (off the top of my head)... Deep conversations with family and friends (too many to count). Every sexual experience I've had (too... many... to... count? No, not really haha). Traveling New Zealand while living in a van. Traveling in Honduras. Traveling in Italy. Going to Acadia National Park by myself. Walking outside. Reading/learning new, exciting things. Getting new ideas and insights. Every act of giving or helping people I've ever done (even the really small ones are so fulfilling). Hugging people I haven't seen in a while...etc.

They all involve little to no "stuff." Like I said before, life is defined by experiences. And "stuff" only works to your advantage when it contributes to an experience. That's why minimalists tend to be happier people.

Note: The exceptions to this is what we need for survival. Air, water, food, and shelter. Because as humans, we kiiinda need those things to survive. (And plus, life is no fun when you're hungry.)

Quotes about minimalism, letting go and all that good stuff:

"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. When I let go of what I have, I receive what I need." – Tao Te Ching

"We must be willing to let go of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us." – Joseph Campbell

"Simplicity involves unburdening your life, and living more lightly with fewer distractions that interfere with a high quality life, as defined uniquely by each individual." - Linda Breen Pierce

"One of the advantages of being born in an affluent society is that if one has any intelligence at all, one will realize that having more and more won't solve the problem, and happiness does not lie in possessions, or even relationships: The answer lies within ourselves. If we can't find peace and happiness there, it's not going to come from the outside." – Tenzin Palmo

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." – Antoine de Saint-Exupery

"It is preoccupation with possession, more than anything else, that prevents men from living freely and nobly." – Bertrand Russel

"We go on multiplying our conveniences only to multiply our cares. We increase our possessions only to the enlargement of our anxieties." – Anna C. Brackett

"The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less." – Socrates

Let go and enjoy the experience of life.

### 28 Ways to Instantly Turn a Bad Day Around

Love is our natural state.

If you're not in a state of love, joy, bliss, peace, happiness...etc then there is something damming the flow of life.

By removing the blocks, we allow continuous bliss to flow as it should.

Like Bruce Lee said, "Be like water, my friend."

This is especially important in those moments where we feel blocked from our natural state of love. When we're having "one of those days."

Learn to flow around (or right through!) those rough moments that even the best of us encounter from time to time.

Here are 28 simple ways to instantly turn a "bad" day around...

Note: I put "bad" in quotes because it's just a label we put on things. "Good" or "bad" is simply a judgment based on perspective. Change your perception (aka your filter of reality), and your reality changes accordingly.

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." \- Winston Churchill

The art of turning your day around ultimately comes down to two fundamental things; changing your perspective and expressing yourself. Keep those in mind.

**1. Remember that you have the choice!** You choose to be happy or sad. You choose to be offended by something. You have the choice of love or fear. You'll always be a sad little victim if you think you don't have the choice. You'll be empowered, positive and successful (in everything) when you realize you have the ability to choose happiness at every moment. Take responsibility for your situation. Responsibility is response-ability: the ability to respond. Taste the sweet nectar of empowerment.

"When you think everything is someone else's fault, you will suffer a lot. When you realize that everything springs only from yourself, you will learn both peace and joy." -Dalai Lama

"Take the negative definition off of responsibility,

it doesn't mean blame or it certainly doesn't have to be,

it doesn't mean burden,

it doesn't mean struggle if you don't want it to.

Responsibility: the ability to respond!

Period! Who doesn't want that?!

Who doesn't want the ability

to respond to something... to be creative... to act?"

That's what responsibility is,

your ability to respond instead of react to these ideas.

So, take responsibility... demand responsibility,

insist on responsibility... believe me... it's the most fun!"

-Bashar

**2. Call your mom (or someone else who deeply cares about you, if this isn't possible).** A call to momma is a sure-fire solution to a rough day.

**3. Reach out to someone you haven't talked to in a while**. A call (like I mentioned above), text, send an email, or even a Facebook message to an old friend can instantly boost your mood. Interpersonal connections are integral to the human experience.

**4. Deep breathing.** Relax and consciously breathe deeply, into your belly (or as Elliott Hulse so eloquently puts it, "breathe into you balls."). This puts both the mind and body at peace after just a few breaths. Deep breathing is the gateway to self-mastery.

**5. Lay on the floor (or ground) until you feel like getting up again**. For those days when you really don't feel like doing ANYTHING, this is the solution. Simply lay on the floor (on your back), relax your body and breathe deeply. Eventually you will have the desire to get back up, and when you do, you will feel renewed.

**6. Meditate.** Any form of meditation is a phenomenal way to reset yourself and move forward with a renewed sense of vitality.

**7. Walk outside.** Walking makes us feel good (we're bipedal after all, right?). Sometimes simply changing our environment can greatly impact our mood, and being outside is a natural anti-depressant. So that makes walking outside a winning combination. It's calming and refreshing on so many levels. A quick, 10 minute walk outside is my go-to strategy for getting through a rough work day.

**8. Take a shower.** Water is cleansing. Showers are relaxing. Seriously, have you ever been in a bad mood in the shower? And if you really want to ramp it up, switch to cold water for the last minute or two.

**9. Work out.** If you muster the motivation to work out when you're having an off day, you find yourself a new person by the end of the workout; like a (jacked) phoenix arising from its ashes. It transforms fatigue to vitality, apathy to passion, and hopelessness to empowerment.

**10. Smile for no reason**. Seriously, do it. Just smile. You CAN'T NOT feel happy when smiling, even if it's forced (science has repeatedly backed this up).

**11. Laugh for no reason.** Whatever applies to smiling, applies to laughing as well. Laugh like a little kid. Laugh with your whole body. Come up with the weirdest laughs you can. Laughter truly is the best medicine. Put on your LOLerskates and have some fun.

**12. Have a spoonful of coconut oil.** This works like magic. I remember one time I was at work, feeling depleted and worn-out. I ate a spoonful of coconut oil, and within 20 minutes I was back to feelin' good, feelin' great. Try it for yourself. And it doesn't hurt that coconut oil has a seemingly endless list of benefits.

**13. Cook.** Cooking is so underrated as an enjoyable, rewarding activity. The process of cooking can be enjoyable in and of itself. And then you get to eat tasty food when you're done!

**14. Take a moment to wonder.** Be awe-struck by reality. Observe the natural beauty everywhere. Gaze at the sky and contemplate the vast possibilities. Admire the elaborate architecture of buildings. Wonder what life is like for the people passing on the street. Be amazed. This natural state of wonder and curiosity will wake you up from any negative trance and give you some awe-inspiring perspective.

**15. Express yourself!** If you're holding onto anger, go somewhere where you can scream or work out intensely. If you're holding sadness, cry. Let it out! (In a healthy, constructive way, of course.) Many of the other items on this list fall under this category too. Just express yourself however you feel like it, and you'll be revitalized.

**16. Do some stretching, mobility exercises or yoga.** Physical tension and mental tension are intimately connected. Sometimes the body just needs to release tension, and then the mind will follow suit.

**17. Write.** Write a poem. Write a journal entry. Just write. Writing is an excellent means of self-expression, and can be remarkably cathartic.

**18. Check something off of your to-do list, no matter how small.** Even the smallest sense of accomplishment can create a snowball effect of positive momentum.

**19. Put yourself back in your shoes as a young child.** How did you imagine you would act as a grown-up? Probably like some sort of superhero, right? Definitely not like a disempowered victim. Your inner child is right. Drop fear and the illusion of disempowerment and live up to your grown-up, superhero potential.

20. Ask yourself WWSD (What Would Spongebob Do?)

**21. Remind yourself that someone always has it worse than you.** No matter your circumstance, there's someone out there that has it worse than you. Especially if you're fortunate enough to be accessing the interwebz.

**22. Watch an Infinite Waters (Diving Deep) video.** Infinite Waters is probably my favorite Youtube channel. It's impossible to be in a bad mood while watching this guy. He has the most positive aura that just makes you smile. I've snapped right out of negative thought patterns several times while watching his videos.

**23. Remember what Christopher Robin told Winnie the Pooh**... "There is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

**24. View life as like a video game.** Video games are meant to be challenging. They are based on overcoming obstacles. Why? Because it makes it so much more satisfying when it's all said and done. The same principle applies to life in general. What would a video game be without any challenges? It would be boring and absolutely pointless. Would you play Super Mario if all you did was leisurely walk to the right the whole time with no obstacles? Hell no! What's the fun in that? Would you enjoy playing Pokemon if you had unlimited master balls and rare candies? (I hope you got that one haha). It's all about the journey, baby. Overcome the obstacles, keep leveling up, and keep having fun.

**25. Sometimes the Universe tests you.** Think about challenges, difficulties, problems or anything you label as "bad" as a test. These situations are tests of character. How are you going to deal with it? Whine, complain and throw your hands in the air like a weak little victim? Or persevere, like the empowered being you know you really are?

**26. Think about how insignificant your problems are in the grand scheme of things.** If you're reading this (probably from a computer or smartphone, right?), chances are that all of the so-called problems in your life are self-created, blown out of proportion, and ultimately insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Is your bad day at work going to matter a year from now? Is that guy that cut you off in traffic going to occupy your thoughts on your deathbed? Of course not. You may not be able to change what happens, but you most certainly can change how you react. Everything is a learning experience. Nothing is inherently "good" or "bad;" it's merely our perceived judgment that attaches these labels to everything. Change your perception, stop labeling things as "bad", and stay enjoying the life your living.

"No misfortune is so bad that whining about it won't make it worse." - Jeffrey R. Holland

It's pointless to fret about the crumbs on the floor when you're making a masterpiece meal. Your life is your masterpiece; enjoy the creative process without getting hung up on the asinine side products.

"Nothing in the affairs of men is worthy of great anxiety." - Plato

**27. Listen to a song you love (preferably a happy/upbeat one).** Play your favorite song, and I bet you can't hold onto negativity even if you tried. Music is food for the soul, romancing us on an energetic level.

**28. Show gratitude.** You're alive, right? That itself is something to be grateful for. Gratitude and negativity simply cannot co-exist, so it's bulletproof way to stay feelin' good, feelin' great.

### How to Magically Transform Negative Thoughts Patterns into Positive Thought Patterns

Yesterday I arrived at work absorbed in negative thought patterns. It happens to everyone from time-to-time. I caught myself falling into this negative spiral, but within 20 minutes I brought my mind back to a state of deep, peaceful joy. I proceeded to accomplish more in the next hour than I did the entire day before.

So, I know you're on the edge of your seat asking yourself, what kind of crazy wizardry did he pull?

All I did was write down (well, typed) everything I'm grateful for regarding my job.

I listed everything from working reasonable hours, to the great people I work with, to financing my living in Manhattan. And once I finished writing down what I was am grateful for, my mood changed instantly and almost magically.

I always thought that writing down things you're grateful for was one of those "woo-woo", new-age, floating on the ceiling-type of things that people just talk about. But here's the kicker, it actually works.

There's something about writing things down that helps brings them to fruition. It makes thoughts more tangible. Like what everyone says about goals. You're way more likely to achieve them when you write them down. And there's something about being grateful (for what you already have) that naturally results in more positivity and abundance.

Gratitude is the open door to abundance.

"Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings." - William Arthur Ward

So here's the action item:

Try it for yourself. Next time you find yourself consumed with negative thought patterns, take a minute and write down everything you're grateful for. Even if it's for the smallest things, you'll notice a positive shift immediately.

If you're reading this, you're alive, and that, in and of itself, is something to be infinitely grateful for.

Reclaim your day and stay feelin good, feelin great.

### Your Beliefs about Money Are Holding You Back

Money...

Cash, cheese, cheddar, moolah, bread, bills, bones, cabbage, c-notes, dough, dead presidents, ducats, loot, stacks, skrilla...

Whatever you want to call it, it enormously influences every aspect of our lives. Money is the primary driving force behind so many of our decisions in life. Like Wu-Tang said, "Cash Rules Everything Around Me (C-R-E-A-M)." But it doesn't have to be that way. You can rule over money, as opposed to letting money rule over you.

Then there's the paradoxical scenario of how we're so familiar with money, yet spend very little time or effort questioning what it really is. This puts us at risk of being a slave to money, and manipulated by it, when we should be using it as a tool.

Money is a promise based upon perception. What is that piece of paper really worth? Next to nothing, of course. It's just a piece of paper. Money is no longer backed by anything. The bills in your pocket are merely tokens representing a collectively agreed upon, perceived value.

Money is essentially a form of energy (like everything). Think about the word 'currency'... Like a current, it should flow. It is energy that gets passed from person to person, entity to entity; representative of exchange of value. It behaves like any other system of energy as well, so we must treat it as energy. Let it flow through you, without blocking it off or clinging onto it. Abundance comes when you're open to the energy.

"Money is a symbol of that life force, of its appreciation. Money can be a solidified form of love. Through the transfer of money, we facilitate love and communication with other humans. It offers us a simple system of providing for and loving and nurturing ourselves, and it is one way of expressing generosity and kindness for the less fortunate." -Stuart Wilde

That's in an ideal world, but let's be honest here; the current monetary system we've been relegated to is obviously a heavily manipulated illusion to suit the interests of a select few. It's become painfully obvious that it's a rigged game. There's enough food and shelter on earth, yet people are homeless and hungry due to economic conditions. We work longer hours, yet have the capacity to buy less and less. Money is always cut for anything that actually helps people, yet there's always an endless supply of money available for war.

For a comprehensive background of the monetary system, I highly recommend this documentary entitled "The Money Masters."

But until a new system develops, let's learn how to view and use money in a way that will benefit your state of well-being as well as those around you.

3 Ways to Change Your Money Mindset and Live in Abundance

1. Stop thinking money is "real."

Money is just a token representing the perception of value. It's merely a symbol. It's a form of energy.

It's a means of exchange to obtain things with inherent ("real") value, but it has no real value itself.

In the US, money is essentially an exchange of IOU's (yay, imaginary debt) between the Federal Reserve and the US Treasury, with the banks as the middle man. It is debt to begin with. And that debt gets loaned with interest and exponentially multiplied through fractional reserve banking. It's absolutely ludicrous if you really think about it.

It's very important to know where money comes from. If you want to know exactly how money is created, I highly recommend watching this video.

Stop thinking money is "real." This shift creates awareness and opens you up to the next two points...

2. View money as a means to an end, not the end goal.

Why do you want money? What are you going to do with that money?

If you want money just for the sake of having money, or for keeping score, then what's the point? With that mentality, you'll never be happy.

When you view money as a means to an end, and not the end goal, you change the whole dynamic. If you have money as your end goal, you put it on a pedestal and it becomes your master.

If you view money as a means to an end, it works for you (instead of the other way around), and you'll lead a more fulfilling life. This would be, for example, having the goal of taking a 2 week trip around Italy. Money becomes a means to finance this trip. Because of that, you're far more likely to obtain it, and the trip would add to your life experience (experiences > stuff).

"People don't want to be millionaires — they want to experience what they believe only millions can buy." -Tim Ferriss

View money as a means to an end, and let it work for you.

3. Don't worry about money and have an abundance mentality (let it flow).

"Worry, like a rocking chair will give you something to do, but it won't get you anywhere." – Vance Havner

The goal with money should be to not worry about money. When you worry about money, you create a "limitation aura" for yourself, and block the universal flow of abundance. Since money is essentially energy, you get what you put out. Too many people are stuck in the poverty mind set. Think limitation, and that's your reality. This is a major factor in how wealthy or poor families tend to continue their economic status from generation to generation. It's the mind-set, abundance or limitation, that determines our financial status (as well as our 'reality' as a whole). Yes, the game is rigged, but that doesn't mean we can't create massive abundance. It just makes it a little more of a challenge.

Have an abundance mentality... And, whoomp! There's your reality.

"Everything is energy and that's all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics."

An attitude of gratitude creates abundance.

That's the secret. Be grateful for what you have, trust that your needs will always be met, and you will find yourself bathing in the river of perpetual abundance. It's almost magical how it works.

Money is also a major source of emotional turmoil for so many people. This creates an underlying environment of fear in your subconscious that drives your behavior and robs you of your inherent freedom and happiness.

Stop taking money, and life, so seriously. It almost seems counterintuitive, but once you "let go" (without being naïve/stupid of course), everything seems to just fall into place. Opportunities will present themselves and doors will open. You just need to walk through.

Don't worry about money. Worrying is utterly useless. Get your priorities straight, take care of what you need to and let go. If you need/want more, simply take action towards your goals (instead of worrying). When there's a will there's a way. There are no limits to human creativity, and this is becoming excitingly evident in the information age.

Be generous when your heart guides you to do so. Let currency flow, for there is always more heading your way.

Remember, the goal is to not worry about money. It's just energy. And a means to an end. It's a means to acquire things of "real" value (food, homes, land, Pokemon cards...etc.).

To sum it all up, have an abundance mentality (without being naïve or stupid), take action based on your own intuition and live without worrying about money. That's how to live the beautifully bountiful life you were meant to live.

Attract wealth and abundance in all forms.

Much love.

### Improve Your Mental State by Improving Your Physical State

The mind and body are intimately connected, both successively following each other through the permanent flux of existence.

Physical improvement can act as a hinge to leverage success in every area of life. Why are physical changes such a paradigm-shifter? Because they are tangible. Unlike thought patterns, physical changes can be both seen and measured.

Physical improvement is empowering on so many levels. There are many different kinds of strength; all interconnected. And the physical level of strength is most readily improvable.

Physical change can't be ignored, and is the most accessible catalyst for a feeling of empowerment. You need to have a sound physicality for everything else to function optimally. There's no way around it.

If you're not confident in your own skin, it's going to be hard to be confident in your own mind.

Note: Don't attach your whole identity to your body though. It's just the Earth-suit you're wearing for this lifetime. You're much, much more than your body, but you still have to treat it right in order to maximize your experience. You don't have to build a bodybuilder's physique or anything like that. That's not the point. But what you need to do, however, is eliminate disharmony (or dis-ease), consistently improve* and always truly love yourself.

*Second note: Perfection doesn't exist. But imperfection carries with it the opportunity for continuous improvement and growth. So keep improving, my friend.

It's amazing what tangible, physical improvement can do in terms of how someone interacts with the world around them. Physical improvements develop success habits, which then reverberate into every other aspect of life.

When you make any sort of physical progress, it synchronizes with the mental aspect as well, creating a snowball effect. And, in my opinion, the best way to get the snowball rolling is with physical changes. (You would learn to push that snowball before attempting to develop telekinesis, right?) It's extremely difficulty to "think yourself happy" if you're fat, sick, tired and in pain; but relatively easy if you're fit, healthy and bursting with energy.

Here's what Tim Ferriss has to say: (From "The 4 Hour Body")

"Your body is almost always within your control. This is rare in life, perhaps unique. Simply focusing on some measurable element of your physical nature can prevent you from becoming a 'Dow Joneser', someone whose self-worth is dependent on things largely outside of their control. Job not going well? Company having issues? Some idiot making life difficult? If you add ten laps to your swimming, or if you cut five seconds on your best mile time, it can still be a great week. Controlling your body puts you in life's driver's seat."

Set a personal record for the amount of weight you lift and you'll instantly feel powerful. Not just physically but mentally as well. You don't have to try to feel powerful, it just happens.

Do some mobility exercise, stretching, or yoga and you'll feel tension being released from your body. You don't have to try to release the tension, it just happens.

Lose 20 pounds of fat and you don't have to think your way to more confidence. You don't have to try to be more confident, it just happens.

Gain 20 pounds of solid muscle and a feeble mind-state will naturally morph into a strong mind-state, reflecting the physical changes. You don't have to try to be a stronger and more confident person; it just happens as a result.

I've experienced all of this first-hand in my own life since I started working out and being conscious of my eating habits. Once I began to see physical changes, my mind naturally changed as well. I became more confident, positive, and of course, more assertive. And this wasn't just because I thought I was better looking. It was because I felt empowered. I was making progress with the only thing I have complete control of, myself. That's the main reason behind improving one's body. It's empowering.

So, what to do?

Here's how to step up your physical game and improve your mental state to go along with it:

Optimize nutrition and fitness.

Even by making slight enhancements with those two factors, you'll see tangible, physical improvement. And tangible, physical improvement begets mental improvement.

I'm not going to go into the bottomless rabbit hole of nutrition and fitness here (that's another tangent), but one more point regarding those topics....

Know your goal:

Do you want to add muscle? Do you want to lose fat? Do you want to never get sick again? Knowing your goal will allow you to tweak your nutrition and exercise to achieve these goals. And when you make progress towards these goals, it's as much of a mental achievement as a physical one.

Another aspect is the relationship between physicality and confidence. When you see tangible results from enhancing your nutrition and fitness, you carry yourself differently. You're posture will improve, you'll be more relaxed, breathe deeper, have more energy, your body language will be friendlier...etc. This will inevitably result in more positive life experiences.

Your body is your vehicle on this road trip we call life; so why not drive something that maximizes your experience?

### 95% of the Health and Fitness Advice You Need in Less Than 100 Words

The health and fitness industries have become wayyy more complicated than they need to be.

"To earn a fortune in the diet and exercise industries, there is a dictum: complicate to profit" -Tim Ferriss

I've devoted literally thousands of hours studying and applying health and fitness information over the last 6 years. I'm ridiculously passionate about both health and fitness and I would create a career in either one of these, but there's just this one thing... When you sort through all of the bullshit, it's all really, really simple. Almost too simple, but it's been made complicated.

Here's 95% of the health and fitness knowledge you need in less than 100 words:

Want to be healthier in every aspect? Eat real food —> ("If man made it, don't eat it." -Jack LaLanne)

Want to lose body fat? Eat a little less (real) food.

Want to gain muscle? Eat more real food and lift weights.

Want to lose fat and still be muscular? Eat real food and lift weights.

Want to increase your endurance? Run consistently.

Want to get stronger? Lift heavier weights than you did last week.

It's really as simple as that.

That's basically all you need to know. That final 5% consists of minutiae, very, very goal-specific things (ex/ rehabbing after a knee injury), or extreme cases (and extreme cases are usually unnatural, if you think about it). For example, a professional bodybuilder is going to have to use more complicated techniques to get down to 3% bodyfat while carrying around 300lbs of muscle. This is an extreme case. The vast majority of the population has far different needs.

The problems people have with reaching their goals stem from 2 things.

**1. Paralysis by analysis -** People will sit on the internet and read every so-called expert's opinion on every subject. This will leave you confused. And you will just search for more answers instead of actually taking action. All it takes to start a weight lifting routine is learning correct form (most are simple) then just doing it. All it takes to start yoga is showing up to a class, or mimicking the movements from a video. Stop over-analyzing and just do it.

**2. Instant gratification mentality, resulting in a lack of consistency -** People think everything is instantaneous. So instead of consistently doing something (as described above), they want instant gratification. It didn't take you 4 weeks to get fat, so it's not going to take 4 weeks to get a 6-pack. Work at something consistently, track your progress, and you'll notice subtle changes indicating that you're moving in the right direction. Over time, the changes will be massive. Consistency with any program is 1,000 times better than inconsistency with the "perfect" program. Life is a journey, not a destination. Learn to love the process of self-improvement. Would you start playing a video game at the final boss? It's all about the journey. Stay consistent and enjoy it.

And with the advice given above, use common sense. Don't go outside and start eating rocks (they're natural right?). Use proper form when lifting weights. Don't go to the gym for the first time and try to yank 500lbs off the ground. Use common sense. Get familiar with your intuition, ya dig?

### Life is a Video Game

Video games are meant to be challenging. They are based on overcoming obstacles. Why? Because resistance results in growth. Persevering in the face of obstacles is what makes any game fulfilling when it's all said and done.

The same principle applies to life in general.

What would a video game be without any challenges? It would be boring and absolutely pointless.

Would you play Super Mario Bros if all you did was leisurely walk to the right the whole time with no obstacles? Hell no! What's the fun in that?

Would you enjoy playing Pokemon if you had unlimited master balls and rare candies? (I hope you got that one). It's all about the journey, baby.

Think about movies too. Just about all movies are based on overcoming challenges and the progression of the main character(s). Your life is a movie, and you're the star.

We develop through struggle.

We need darkness to appreciate light.

We need clouds and rain to appreciate sunshine.

Everything is a learning experience.

Every situation is an opportunity.

Learn, take massive action, persevere and move on to the next quest.

Whatever you're going through at the moment is what you need most right now (in this game we call life) and an opportunity to better yourself and grow.

Here's a personal example. I packed on the infamous freshman 15 (lbs) in my first 4 months of college. This was a major wake-up call for me. But instead of getting depressed about it or ignoring it, I used it as an opportunity. I started educating myself on health and fitness. And more importantly, I applied what I learned. I worked out consistently and made better food choices. This strengthened my body and mind, and helped me shed the excess fat I had accumulated. This has not only given me a plethora of knowledge and experience in health and fitness, but also created a snowball effect of successes in every aspect of my life since then. It was exactly what I needed, and I took advantage of the challenge presented to me. Overcoming that challenge made me a stronger, empowered person and kick-started my rapid character development.

"What you call a setback, I call a challenge

If I fall I know I'll get back, it's all a balance." -Crooked I

So embrace your challenges. Embrace your difficulties. They are learning experiences on your way to progression and building a stronger version of yourself. Because life would be so boring if we just coasted through.

Everything is a learning experience. Use them to level up.

### The Potent Secret about "Bad" Experiences

I recently came across this thought-provoking insight from Bashar that gave me an "aha!" moment...

" _Analogy: You have on your planet_

the occupation referred to as "piano tuners".

When you are playing your piano instrument,

and you find the sound of the music pleasing,

and then all of a sudden you come across

what you call a sour note, "plunk... plunk... plunk... plunk"

Do you run away in panic and go and hide in the closet?

" _I shall never touch my piano again!"_

No. You say, "Ah, I require to tune the piano,

so that the note becomes harmonious with all the other notes."

Each key is like unto a definition... a belief.

When you come across one that gives you the sensation of fear,

all that's telling you is, "Hey... hey, hey, hey, hey, hey... pay attention,

you have a belief in this area of your song

that is out of alignment with the whole rest of the piano".

Fine tune it... bring it back into harmony... don't run away... explore it:

" _Bonk, bonk, bonk, bonk, bonk... what would I have to do to tune this?_

How would I have to redefine it?

How would I have to tighten this string

in order to bring it back into tune... into alignment?

Play with it... find out until finally,

" _Bonk, bonk, bonk, bonk, bonk... it's back."_

This is a fantastic analogy, in my opinion. And it reveals some secrets of the Universe as well...

1. "Bad" experiences are the best learning experiences.

Everything is a matter of perception. Are you going to use "bad" experiences as an excuse to be a victim, feel guilty, or beat yourself up? Or will you use "bad" experiences as learning experiences to fuel your personal growth and evolution? The choice is yours.

Think about it... You learn way more from "mistakes" than when everything goes perfectly. It is through the hiccups in life that we are nudged in the right direction.

With everything in life, you start from square one, and progress through trial and error in order to continuously improve over time. That's what being human is all about.

Going back to the piano analogy, you fine-tune your piano by discovering the disharmonious keys and correcting them. Just as no piano comes perfectly tuned to your liking, no human being is perfect. The beauty of imperfection is that it allows for uniqueness, as well as endless growth.

Here's a personal example of this principle in action...

One word that I never spell wrong is "committee." Why? Because I misspelled it in my 5th grade spelling bee in front of the whole school (that last "e" got me haha). And because of that "mistake", I've made a point to spell it correctly each and every time since. Lesson learned.

You came here to experience, learn and grow (and have fun doing it). The "bad" things that happen are really life-changing learning experiences in disguise.

2. "Bad" experiences are a sign.

So-called mistakes that you make are actually hints, guiding you in the direction of learning and development.

"Bad" things that "happen" to you can also act as tremendous learning experiences, and build a stronger character.

Everything you experience is perfect for your personal growth. Pay attention to the signs.

3. "Bad" experiences should be embraced, not hidden away or shamed.

Your power comes with how you react to these so-called "bad" experiences. Your growth comes from how you view them and carry on with your life. It's all a matter of perception.

Don't ignore the "bad" things that happen. Don't hide them. Don't fear them. It's when you cover things up or ignore them that they sabotage you. Everything you hold inside eventually manifests in some way or another. Don't hold onto or bury the "bad" things that happen to you. Transmute them into growth and development.

Story time:

One of the "worst" (actually best, in hindsight) things that happened to me was when I was a 19 year-old college sophomore. I ended up in the hospital after drinking way too much one night. Yeah, it was really stupid, and I'm so grateful that I was able to walk out of the hospitable the next morning. So instead of marinating in guilt, shame, and self-pity because of this "stupid mistake," I used it as a catalyst for personal growth. It was my sign that I needed to re-prioritize my life, and it became the spark for the development of my mind, body and spirit. I immediately began working out and making better food choices. I also started reading voraciously, mostly books on spirituality (notably Eckhart Tolle and Osho). I not only read them, but made a point to apply the information provided. Change came quickly. I noticed improvements in my body. I was happier. I was more positive, more confident, less stressed, and had less fears. I was in college, so I still partied. But it wasn't my sole focus any more. My focus switched from partying (fitting in and trying to be cool), to personal growth. I used the "bad" experience of a drinking-induced hospital visit as the spark for my journey of personal growth and development. So in a weird way, it was the best thing to ever happen to me.

4. "Bad" experiences forge an unshakable character.

"That which does not kill us makes us stronger." – Friedrich Nietzsche

Diamonds are formed through immense pressure. Swords are forged in intense heat. The same applies to humans. Great men and women are defined by how they view and act upon their "failures." They use "failures" as fuel for success.

Build the resilience of a mighty tree. Storms will always come, but they will pass over you, and you will use the rain from those storms to sustain your tremendous growth.

I'll leave you with a few quotes from Viktor Frankl, a man who completely embodies everything I've discussed in this post. He was a holocaust survivor and author of the classic book "Man's Search for Meaning." His horrific experiences forged a mighty and admirable spirit. Viktor transmuted his extremely difficult experiences to gain a new outlook on life, a deep sense of empowerment, meaning and the burning desire to live life to the fullest. The man is a true inspiration.

"The one thing you can't take away from me is the way I choose to respond to what you do to me. The last of one's freedoms is to choose one's attitude in any given circumstance."

"Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose."

"Even though conditions such as lack of sleep, insufficient food and various mental stresses may suggest that the inmates were bound to react in certain ways, in the final analysis it becomes clear that the sort of person the prisoner became was the result of an inner decision, and not the result of camp influences alone."

"Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation."

So here's the question: Are you going to use the "bad" experiences you encounter as catalysts for growth? Or an excuse to set up residence in victimhood?

The choice is up to you.

### How to Be an Alchemist When Face With Rejection

Rejection helped propel me to where I am now.

It was borderline comical at one point. I faced so much rejection and missed opportunities with women, to the extent that I thought something was wrong with me. But before I threw my hands up in defeat and hurled myself into to vicious cycle of self-pity, I used rejection as a major catalyst for self-improvement.

The story goes...

I was a virgin until I was 21, and not by (conscious) choice. I wasn't comfortable with myself, desperate to fit in, had no genuine confidence and the assertiveness of a limp noodle. The perfect recipe for great (un)success in the female department. But on top of that, because of societal conditioning, I was hopelessly dead set on "getting girls." It was like an eagle living on the ground just because all of the other creatures are doing it.

During college, I had a streak of (almost) sexual encounters that were painfully close to coming to fruition, but nothing happened. It was frustrating to say the least, but the Universe was welcomely whispering to me that I needed to be more self-confident and assertive.

I took heed. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, this series of experiences became a catalyst for my personal growth and development. It sparked something deep within, and I've been on a journey of continuous growth ever since.

Literally everything changed once I cultivated self-love and started to become comfortable in my own skin.

As Ralph Smart says, "love yourself 100%" because that's the point from which everything else falls into place.

Note: I'm not saying that I changed and went all Wilt Chamberlain. I just honed the genuine confidence to go after what I wanted. Nothing was done out of spite, fear or ego, which is why I'm still on good terms with every woman I've had an intimate relationship with (oh heyyy, if you're reading this). And this improvement carried over into every other aspect of life as well.

What actually sparked the idea for this post was an interesting weekend I recently had. I went out Friday and Saturday night in Portland, Maine (great little city btw). I must have talked to 30-40 different girls over the weekend (young women, if you want to be politically correct), but nothing came to fruition. It was a bit disheartening, but these so-called rejections are actually a blessing in disguise. Why? I'll get to that soon.

The main point is this... **Turn rejection into self-improvement, not self-pity.**

"Every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being re-directed to something better." ― Steve Maraboli

It never seems like it in the moment, but with hindsight that quote always proves true.

Now let's get to the action items...

How to change your perception of rejection (and become a "rejection alchemist"):

1. Don't take things too seriously.

Why are you taking things so seriously? Let go and enjoy life. Drop all the self-created fear and step into your true potential. Not taking yourself, or the world too seriously, is a major factor in cultivating genuine happiness and self-confidence.

Have fun with your life, and you'll end up attracting kindred spirits.

"I asked the girl at the coffee shop out on a date. Unfortunately she said no, probably because I asked her out to coffee." ― Jarod Kintz

2. Rejection is a tremendous learning opportunity.

Rejection reveals great opportunities to fine-tune yourself. It shows you of any character flaws you have, guiding you along the path of self-mastery.

It's also an opportunity to stop overanalyzing everything; a sign to let go and unleash your unique brand of awesomeness.

"Bad luck with women is a determined man's road to success. For every affliction, he makes, out of indignation, yet another advancement in order to exceed the man that the woman chose over him. This goes to show that great men are made great because they once learned how to fight the feeling of rejection." ― Criss Jami

Use rejection as fuel for self-improvement. It provides a golden opportunity to get better at something, or a lot of things. Rejection lays out the path to continue growing into the greatest version of yourself.

3. You attract the same energy you put out.

"Everything is energy and that's all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics."

Like attracts like.

Sometimes those people just aren't compatible with you on an energetic level. Maybe you're looking in the wrong places. This is why I don't have much "luck" in bars. Because the setting usually (though not all the time) attracts people with a certain energetic/mental-emotional state. And that state isn't too compatible with where I'm at right now. I'm probably better off meeting women at a yoga studio or something like that. (Where my yoga girls at!?)

Be who you want to attract, live your own truth and reality eventually conforms.

4. Sometimes it's just them.

Maybe they were too consumed with their own inner turmoil to see your awesomeness. Most people are too preoccupied with their own dysfunction to effectively interact with others. So don't take it personally if people don't respond well. Just don't be captain creeper, of course.

Be yourself, without harming yourself or others, and let go. That's what allows everything to naturally fall into place.

Every rejection presents potent opportunities to better yourself.

"Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power." -Lao Tzu

Our society focuses on manipulating or changing others to get what you desire, but changing yourself is the only way to bring about change.

Be grateful for everything you have, while continuously improving. Always grateful, never complacent.

Turn rejection into self-improvement, not self-pity.

Uncover your inherent greatness.

### Take Action, or Let Go, and Move On

When was the last time over-thinking did you any good?

When was the last time worrying got you anywhere?

Probably never.

When it comes to those things that typically consume precious mental energy, you can retain your sanity with a simple principle...

Take action, or let go, and move on.

Worrying won't get you anywhere. Emotions like worry, guilt, shame and the like are the most disempowering. Why? Because they're both negative and passive. You're creating a downward spiral of negativity and yet doing absolutely nothing. Do not feed those insidious, vampirous emotions.

Take action and forget about it. Or let go and forget about it. Do what you need to do (if you even need to do it in the first place), and move on with your life.

Don't let anything kill your vibe. Don't let anything interrupt your happiness. Accomplish what you need to (and want to) and live worry-free.

For example...

If you're overweight and you complain about it: Eat healthier, move your body, notice your progress, and stop complaining. Because just whining about your situation gets you nowhere. The same goes for saying "I should lose weight" but never doing anything about it.

If someone cuts you off in traffic: Simply let go and move on. It won't be of any benefit to you (or anyone else) to get angry and cling to what happened. (Keyword = happened. Meaning it's in the past and only exists in your mind.)

This applies to so many scenarios in life. And a lot of people dwell in the realm of over-thinking and worrying instead of taking action (or letting go) and then moving on.

Taking action, or letting go, and getting on with your life allows you to be present. When you take action, you're present. When you let go, you're present. When you move on, you move with the flow of the moment. And life becomes magical when you immerse yourself in the river of eternal now. But when you over-analyze, over-think, or worry, you're in the past or future (which only exist in your mind). And that hinders you're ability to appreciate what you're doing now.

"Where ever you are, be there totally." -Eckhart Tolle

Take action, or let go, and move on.

Stay present. Stay feelin' good, feelin' great.

### 5 Strategies to Overcome Inaction

"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

What good is knowledge if you don't use it?

What good is theory if it can't be put into practice?

What good are intentions or promises if you don't follow through with them?

Action is how any(and every)thing gets accomplished.

Action is the currency of our reality. It is what must be exchanged for whatever you wish to obtain.

"Action will remove the doubts that theory cannot solve." - Tehyi Hsieh

Let's compare an action-based life to a life of inaction. Active life vs passive life:

Experiencing vs witnessing

Creating vs watching

Expressing vs withholding

Growing vs stagnating

Standing out vs fitting in

Being extraordinary vs being ordinary

Get used to acting instead of getting caught up in paralysis by analysis.

Get used to doing instead of watching.

Get used to creating.

DO more!

Take action, ask questions later. That's what I did with creating all of my products and courses. I just did it, because I knew I had it in me. I got started, and refined everything once it was already set in motion.

You regret more things you don't do as opposed to things you do. Life is defined through experiences. Create as many as possible.

Enter the paradigm of an action-based life.

5 Strategies to Overcome Inaction:

1. Act before your brain starts over-analyzing the situation.

Just do it, before thinking your way to indecisiveness and inaction. A good example of this is when I went cliff jumping a few weeks ago. I climbed to the top of a rock and jumped before I even gave myself a chance to over-think. Ready... fire... aim. (Just remember to make sure that whatever you're doing isn't life-threatening beforehand.)

2. Take small actions every day.

Break big goals into bite-sized pieces. Accomplish at least one of those bite-sized pieces every day. It makes it so much easier to take action when you have a small, specific task to get done. It's a simple technique that compounds massively over time.

3. Less input, more output. Less passive, more active. Less watching, more doing.

Spend more time doing and creating. Practice using your own judgment and intuition instead of relying on external forces for everything. Cut out the external stimuli and get busy creating.

4. Create a bucket list and start checking items off. And set goals to work towards.

This gives you a sense of direction, instead of wandering aimlessly. When you lack purpose, you'll spend more time watching TV and less time working towards something. Do big things. Live an awesome life.

5. Realize that getting started is the hardest part.

Overcoming inertia and getting in motion is the most difficult part of taking action. An object at rest tends to stay at rest. An object in motion tends to stay in motion. The hardest part of a habit is, well, starting the habit. That's why everyone dreads Mondays; it's the re-establishment of a habit. But then the rest of the week flies by. Just get started, and the rest is easy. Make that initial push into motion and let momentum carry you.

"The distance between your dreams and reality is called action."

### Use This Strategy to Accomplish Anything (Part 1)

In this two part series, I'm going to share with you two techniques that have been my foundation for completing every book I've written so far.

Most people struggle with attaining goals, often coasting through life without ever accomplishing what they really wanted to.

Ask any random person on the street, I guarantee they have goals. But the truth is, goals don't have great success rates. All too often, goals become something to achieve when [ _insert excuse for not starting_ ]. That's the thing! Most people don't even get started towards their goals, falling into comfortable complacency for the remainder of their days.

The good news is that there's a stupid simple way to circumvent that.

Step 1: Choose something to improve upon or progress in, then...

Step 2: Just do something, no matter how small, every day.

I'm a big fan of systems, habits, and routines that build momentum in a desired direction. When all you have to do is accomplish something bite-sized today, it's easy as pie (see that double food analogy?). Do this consistently, and you build confidence. Keep at it, and you'll feel empowered and fulfilled. And before you know it, you'll be amazed by the progress you've made just by doing something, no matter how small, every day. This is the foundation of success and personal development.

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." – Lao Tzu

Embark on your journey. One step at a time, young jedi.

I read this great article by James Clear a few months ago. And what's funny is that for everything I've made significant progress in, I subconsciously created a system/routine and consistently stuck to it. And this system/routine would result in mind-boggling progression over time.

So what does a system look like?

It's basically a habit or routine that you consciously and consistently implement. It's doing something continuously (usually every day), to make progress in the direction you wish to move in.

Do a little bit every day, even if it's for the smallest amount of time.

Think about how consistent work compounds over weeks, months, or even years?

"Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years." -Bill Gates

Elliott Hulse calls it "finding your heartbeat." Making something such an intrinsic part of your lifestyle that it becomes second nature, like your heartbeat.

Another variation of a system is Jerry Seinfeld's "don't break the chain" technique. It's basically doing something every day, and marking a big red X on a calendar each day you did it, creating a chain. The goal is to keep doing whatever you're doing every day and, whatever you do, don't break that chain.

"Consistency is what matters the most in triggering something important to your life." -Abdul Rauf

What I did to write every book of mine:

You guessed it... I focused on doing something every day, no matter how small. Some days I wrote pages upon pages. Other days I edited one sentence (yeah... really). I just focused on doing SOMETHING every day, and before I knew it, I had a finished product.

"You can do what I quite often do when I am having an uninspired morning.

I get started anyway, despite the lack of motivation within.

I do so by taking a small step forward and by just focusing on taking that one step. I may for example tell myself that I will work on a new article or on editing a part of a new course for 3 minutes."

-Henrik Edberg (The Positivity Blog)

Here's another tip for when you're not so motivating. Just focus on the smallest thing you can do to move in the right direction. For example, when I have the motivation of a stoned sloth and it's workout time, I just focus on warming up. "C'mon, let's just warm-up and see how it goes." That's it. And as I'm warming up I'm like "Ok, this isn't so bad." And then I focus on doing one set. "Let's just get through this set." Then I focus on the next set, and so on and so forth, until (voila) I finished the workout. And if you're wondering, yes, I do motivational self-talks. It works.

The things we can accomplish when we take action consistently is literally mind-blowing. It's almost like a superpower.

"Daily, consistent, focused, faithful expectation raises the miracle power of achieving your dreams." -John Di Lemme

This "system approach" can be applied to anything, and works best when it's a daily habit. The only exception I can think of is something like working out, because you simply can't lift heavy every day. You need to recover. So in this case, the system would be to work out something like 4 days per week, and make it a lifestyle.

So...

Don't worry about that six pack, just eat one healthy meal at a time.

Don't worry about having a New York Times Best Seller, just focus on writing one sentence at a time.

Don't worry about catching them all, just focus on catching one Pokemon at a time.

Don't worry about getting as big as Ronnie Coleman, just focus on one rep at a time.

Establish systems, stay consistent, and before you know it, you'll be well on your way.

In the next part, we'll discuss how to calibrate your system to achieve specific goals...

### Use This Strategy to Accomplish Anything (Part 2)

Everything you progress in is an epic journey.

And a journey is all about consistent movement while embracing (and hopefully enjoying) the process.

But sometimes you need sign posts; markers to let you know where you're at along your journey. Sometimes you need to have your eyes set on a "check point", generating a newfound spark of motivation to keep pushing.

To reach those check points along your journey, you can unleash a secret weapon...

" **The final push strategy."**

Which can be summarized like this...

Write it down. Share it. Set a deadline. Make the push.

Writing it down, sharing it, and setting a deadline makes you so much more likely to accomplish something. They give you the mentality that you can't NOT do it, and act as the fuel for you to make that final push.

Note: This technique is for concrete goals that you can set for yourself. It should be used when you need that extra push. Your day-to-day routine should be more of a system, or habit-oriented, than goal-oriented.

You're going to make the majority of progress by developing systems or habits. This strategy is for that extra push when you find something specific that you really want to accomplish.

This technique is your haymaker. In a boxing match, a good boxer doesn't throw haymakers the whole fight. A good boxer jabs, blocks, and looks for openings. Then, when the opportunity presents itself, they throw a big punch. Your system/routine is your jab, your bread and butter. And the final push strategy is the knockout punch.

Get in the ring and dominate.

How to implement the final push strategy:

**1. Write things down.** Simply write down your goal, aspiration, or whatever it is you want to make the final push at.

When you write something down, it makes it more tangible. The mere act of writing desires/goals/aspirations makes them much more likely to come to fruition. Writing serves as a portal through which the intangible enters the tangible world. That's why it's so beneficial in manifesting what you want.

**2. Sharing.** Share your aspiration. Tell a friend, tell your mom, share it on Facebook, send it to an anonymous goal-logging organization; whatever floats your boat.

Sharing puts your goal out into the world. It also creates public accountability. This allows you to leverage your ego and use it as a tool to accomplish something. Whenever you openly declare an aspiration, you'll have no trouble finding motivation to achieve it.

3. Setting a deadline. Create a reasonable deadline to accomplish your goal, and stick to it.

As humans, we work well with deadlines. A sense of urgency kicks us into high gear.

Note: Deadlines are useful for things we need to proactively work towards, but not really necessary for desires which we attract. For example, are you going to set a deadline to have a girlfriend within 3 months? Nope, this is a desire that you indirectly attract. But what you can do is accomplish goals that will help you attract a girlfriend. Like meeting 10 new women in 3 months. Or losing 10 pounds of body fat in 3 months.

4. Make the push. Take massive action.

This is where you boost your system into hyper-drive to accomplish what you want. You'll probably do a lot more than normal. But it's short-term. Go too hard for too long and you'll inevitably burn out. That's why I stick to a simple, easy, consistent system most of the time, and give that extra push when I decide to accomplish something very specific.

How I used the final push technique:

Case study on myself – Writing "The Art of Not Giving a Fuck" eBook:

My system was to write, edit, or research at least something every day (no matter how small of a task).

Once I was close to being done, it was time to implement the final push strategy. I set a deadline for myself, which I publically shared, to catalyze my final push. I found myself slowing down towards the end, so I needed to set a deadline to help me with the final push. Sharing my deadline in writing took care of steps 1-3 (described above) in one shot. This instantly gave me tremendous motivation to complete The Art of Not Giving a Fuck by the deadline I had set.

I apply this technique for everything goal-oriented, and it works.

Think about it. People naturally kick into beast mode when they have a deadline (especially a public deadline). Ex/ Preparing for weddings or vacations is the ultimate call to action for people who want to get in better shape. It's hard NOT to be motivated and take action in cases like that.

Now that you have the tools to accomplish anything, it's only a matter of taking consistent action.

### The One Simple Habit That Will Add Immeasurable Value to Your Life

These days, most of us go through life in a state of incessant 'busyness' and distraction. We're hyper-stimulated and constantly absorbed in useless mental chatter.

This keeps you from taking a step back and truly appreciating life. It blockades you from diving into deep contemplation and wonder. It distracts us from our higher purpose and robs us of meaning.

What to do about it?

Let your mind roam.

That is the one simple habit that will add immeasurable value to your life.

Every once in a while, take some time to slow down. Allow your mind to wonder and wander, without being preoccupied on what you have to do. Without being distracted by drama. Don't obsess over the past or future. Don't think about your job. Don't get caught up in gossip. Don't consume yourself with whether that cute girl (or guy) is going to text you back.

Simply find some peaceful solitude. Bask in the moment. Set your mind free and see where it takes you.

How to invoke blissful mind wanderings and add immeasurable value to your life:

**1. Ask questions.** Get curious about the world around you. ("Why's" and "What if's" work really well.)

Some examples:

Why do people act so damn serious in business settings?

What if our Universe is just a cell of another organism?

Why is there perpetual war on planet Earth?

Where does money come from?

Are there things going on around me that I can't sense?

What if God was one of us? Actually, what if God was ALL of us?

**2. Get out in nature.** Hike, camp, get on a canoe or even just walk outside. Simply being in nature stimulates deep thought and establishes an intrinsic connectedness with the world around you. It's no coincidence that all the great thinkers spent time in nature. And so many top thinkers walked outside every single day.

**3. Read.** Exercise your mind. Get absorbed in books. Fiction takes you into fantastic new lands, stimulating your imagination. Non-fiction provides you with raw material for new ideas. Reading is the fuel for a great mind.

Let your mind roam free. But don't identify with it. Be a witness. Observe the analytic magnificence of the mind from a place of inner peace and non-judgment. Play with new ideas. Entertain new concepts. Dance with new theories.

As Elliott Hulse said, "The world is an idea playground."

Actively search for meaning. You just may find that the journey is, in fact, the destination.

Go play.

### How to Hone Your Intuition

Let's start off with a question...

What is intuition?

Intuition is defined as "The act or faculty of knowing or sensing without the use of rational processes; immediate cognition." It's basically a deep feeling of knowing or understanding that bypasses the mind. It's an intrinsic, inner perception.

The word intuition is derived from the Latin word _intueri_ , which is usually translated as "to look inside" or "to contemplate."

What's interesting about intuition is that it's usually inexplicably accurate. You'll often see statements like "The science is brand-new, but it's not as if people didn't have this intuition before..." (I literally just read that in an article as I was writing this.)

"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." - Albert Einstein

Strong intuitive feelings came few and far between for me, until recently. I've had to consistently work towards developing my intuition, but I've come a long way as a result...

I recently realized that I made the subconscious decision to hone my intuition a few years ago. It was while listening to the hip-hop artist Crooked I. In the midst of a freestyle, he emphatically rapped _"My intuition and inner vision is sharp..."_ I don't know why, but that line immediately resonated with me. I remember thinking about how awesome it sounded and promptly wrote it down in a Word document for safekeeping. I would later refer to this line countless times, as well as use it as my tagline on social media sites.

By doing this, I subconsciously set the intent to develop my intuitive abilities. And in hindsight, I'm infinitely grateful that I did this. Because in honing my intuition I now fully trust and guide myself.

Honing your intuition is one of the most empowering things you can do. It adds a magical depth to life and ultimately puts you in the driver's seat.

How to hone your intuition:

1. Become the master of your mind.

This allows you to transcend the ego. To stop doubting yourself. To let go of all that mental chatter that clouds your experience of the present moment. Overthinking creates unnecessary road blocks.

If you're a slave to your overactive mind, you won't be able to pick up on what your intuition is telling you.

An easy way to become the master of your mind is through what I call the "sky/clouds perspective." You are the sky; and your thoughts are clouds. Simply watch the clouds pass by, without identifying with them. You're the sky, clouds will come and go. This makes it easy to visualize and witness thoughts just passing by, without clinging to them.

Once you're able to quiet the constant mental chatter, you'll begin to hear the subtle whispers of intuition.

Action to take: Practice some form of meditation regularly. Don't be intimidated. Meditation doesn't have to be a long, difficult process. It can be as simple as setting a timer for 2 minutes and just sitting there, observing the thoughts that pop up in your head. Another simple technique is deep breathing and counting your breaths backwards from 10. Simple and effective.

2. Get in touch with your body.

Get in tune with your body. Experience through the body. Be aware of how your body feels in different situations. It's called a "gut feeling" for a reason. Get familiar with your temple, your vehicle in this reality. As you build bodily awareness, you're able to feel things that are inexplicable from the viewpoint of the mind.

Action to take: Regularly engage in exercise that requires bodily awareness. Bodyweight training, weight training, yoga, really any form of resistance training will hone your bodily awareness. Even simple stretching or mobility routines work well.

Note: I didn't mention long distance running. Because you have to, in a sense, forget about your body in order to push further and further.

3. Pay attention to the signs.

Notice how you feel in various situations. Take note of the symbolism around you. Be aware of your dreams. Things like that. Signs appear differently for everyone. And they appear differently at different times. Keep an eye out for signs, as they come in many shapes and forms, and pay attention to what they're pointing towards.

Action to take: Write things down. If you experience something that you feel as profound, write it down. If you don't write things down, you'll forget about it or you won't remember it correctly. This is how to objectively remember signs as well as decipher them.

**4. Notice synchronicity.** (Piggybacking off of the last point)

Synchronicity is basically when two or more things occur that are meaningfully related. Those mysterious coincidences that invoke an oddly familiar feeling from deep within your being.

Remember, pay attention to the signs...

Blake: "Sir, that could all just be a coincidence."

Commissioner Gordon: "You're a detective now, son. You're not allowed to believe in coincidence anymore."

Action to take: Write down the synchronicities or coincidences that you experience. Keep a journal, or write them somewhere. You'll notice more and more occur and see where they're leading.

5. Be objective.

Be able to objectively assess the world around you. Being objective is seeing reality unfiltered. This allows you to more easily become aware of your intuition, and move in whatever direction it leads to. A crucial step in remaining objective is to be aware of cognitive biases.

Action to take: Learn about some common cognitive biases. There's a phenomenal article on Business Insider entitled "57 Cognitive Biases That Screw Up How We Think." I highly recommend reading it. Simply being aware of these things is transformative in and of itself.

6. Give yourself permission to be an authority.

We live in the information age. You can literally learn anything with the click of a mouse. You no longer need to be born privileged or have a glamorized piece of paper (aka a degree) to be an authority on something. Realize that you have the opportunity and ability to develop expertise in anything. Although it can be helpful at times, you don't have to look to "authorities" to answer every question you have. Giving yourself permission to be an authority creates a profound sense of empowerment.

Action to take: Answer your own questions. Unless it's a life or death situation, give yourself permission to find your own answers. Consistently doing this both increases your knowledge and your ability to act based on available information. And that's extremely empowering.

7. Trust yourself.

Don't doubt yourself! Trust your instincts. Trust your intuition and inner judgment. Don't let your mind talk you out of what you deeply KNOW to be true.

This is crucial. Because if you doubt yourself, you'll never accept (let alone follow) your intuition. You'll be living on other people's terms instead of your own. And that's no fun.

So there you have it. 7 ways to hone your intuition. You have the tools, now go have fun on your extraordinary journey.

### Love is Our Essence

What do we call a newborn baby when he/she first comes into the world?

A little "bundle of joy" right?

And there's good reason for it. We begin life as curious mini-people bubbling with joy, happiness and love (well, except when our basic needs aren't met).

This is because love is our essence.

"Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence." -Erich Fromm

Hold up... Before you picture me riding a pink unicorn over a rainbow and all that, let me elaborate a little bit. The way I'm using the word "Love" includes happiness, joy, peace, bliss and all things usually labeled as "positive." It's so much more than just the "honey, I love you"-type stuff. That's why, for example, there are 4 words for love in the Greek language.

We gravitate towards people and things that make us smile, and tend to keep a distance from Negative Nancys.

Love being our essence also explains why laughter is pretty much the most contagious thing in existence. It's the physical manifestation of pure joy that everyone wants in on.

We have a deep desire to feel good. And who wouldn't? I'll give you a nickel for every person you can find that really wants to live in fear, sadness, pain, hate, depression...etc.

Might as well hit you with a couple quotes while I'm at it...

"The only abnormality is the incapacity to love." -Anais Nin

"We love life, not because we are used to living but because we are used to loving." -Friedrich Nietzsche

Love is our natural state.

Let's take a look at our essence from 3 perspectives:

**1. Spiritual teachings -** Many spiritual teachings describe what is commonly referred to as God with names like Infinite Consciousness, The Infinite, Universal Oneness, Om, The All, or simply...pure Love. This is why we come into this world as beings of pure love and happiness, and we constantly yearn for love and happiness throughout life. Because it is our essence, our home.

Ever hear the phrase "God is love"? That's what it's getting at.

In the fantastic book "Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife" Dr. Eben Alexander describes "God" (which he calls "Om") as unconditional love. This unconditional or infinite love corroborates with many other near death experiences, as well as DMT experiences.

"Love... It surrounds every being and extends slowly to embrace all that shall be." -Kahlil Gibran

"I have been saying and writing for so many years that one sentence can encapsulate the totality of life, of existence, of being: Infinite Love is the Only Truth - Everything Else is Illusion." -David Icke

**2. Look at kids -** Children are fresh out of wherever it is we come from. Fresh out of the essence. And generally speaking, they enter the world beaming with joy, happiness, and love. (Although they do act up sometimes if their basic needs aren't satisfied, but rightfully so.)

Kids are like a clean slate. They're bursting with imagination, creativity and wonder. Go to any public place and see how kids act compared to adults. Kids run around and play. They have fun. While most adults are stone-faced and debilitated by fear (there are a select few awesome characters who retain a child-like essence into adulthood, so there's hope).

Children begin to lose this love-based disposition when they accumulate fear-based conditioning and experiences. When they amass baggage, conditioning, and place rules/limitations on everything. This becomes like clouds blocking the sun. It's a disconnection from our essence.

We have a lot to learn from children, if you think about it. Like the ole quote:

"Be child-like, not childish."

Be in the moment. Use imagination. See the wonder in everything. Practice non-judgment. Leave preconceived notions at the door. Ditch the inhibitions. Express yourself. Play. Laugh. And most importantly, HAVE FUN!

**3. Meditation -** Meditation is a state of non-thinking. It is simply being.

It is a letting go of everything. And when you let go of everything, what are you left with? As anyone can attest to, deep meditation is a profound sense of happiness, joy, peace, love, tranquility and overall well-being.

This is where we go to get "knowledge of self." To realign with our true nature.

Some common words/sayings/phrases to think about:

\+ The term "baggage" – If you have no baggage, you're probably happy and free, right?

\+ The phrase "let me be" – Implying that you're all good when left alone.

\+ The phrases "worry-free" and "stress-free" – Implies that you're left with love and happiness when there are no worries or stress.

\+ When someone says "I wasn't myself." – This is usually describing a fear-based quality (anger in most cases).

\+ We put the word "happy" in front of our birthdays, holidays...etc. Imagine saying "sad birthday" to someone.

So next time you're feeling all negative, remember, love is our essence. Choose love.

### The Love Aura

2 people walk into a bar and stand next to you...

With the first person, you immediately get bad vibes. You get "a disturbance in the force," as they'd say in Star Wars.

With the second person, you immediately get good vibes. You just feel at ease in their presence.

Who would you rather talk to?

It's an obvious question. And the decision is made outside of the mind, beyond the bounds of thinking. It is a knowing, a feeling experienced on a deeper level.

People are naturally attracted to people who exude positive energy. Nobody wants to be around a Negative Nancy, or an Angry Andy, right? Operating in the paradigm of love makes you magnetic, hence the term "magnetic personality."

I call this field of positive vibes "The Love Aura."

And it's a phenomenon that both myself and some friends have been experiencing, particularly with women. (Women tend to be more in tuned and intuitive, therefore picking up on a person's "love aura" more easily.) In my recent experience, I've felt even random people being friendly, open, and generally attracted to me. And it's a deep level of attraction, noticeably different than the purely physical "he's hawwwt" type of attraction. It's not because I look like Brad Pitt. It's not because I'm cooler than a polar bear's toenails. It's simply because I'm cultivating the love aura, and people sense it (whether they're consciously aware of it or not).

Embodying the love aura means developing what is called "heart consciousness." (Here's where the dots start to connect)

Heart consciousness is opening up to, and using the faculties of the heart-brain. Yup, I said heart-brain. The heart is now being revealed as a sensory organ with its own nervous system, as well as a sophisticated center for processing information. (Check out the Institute of HeartMath for a wealth of information on this.) Heart consciousness is the gateway to the likes of intuition, unconditional love, extrasensory perception, and all kinds of higher awareness.

Fun facts about the ole ticker:

\- The heart is the very first organ to form in fetal development.

\- The heart sends more information to the brain than the brain does to the heart.

\- The heart's electrical field is 60 times stronger than the brain's.

\- The heart's magnetic field is up to 5,000 times stronger than the brain's, and can be detected several feet away from the body with sensitive magnetometers. (That's that aura, baby!)

The crazy thing is that since I began developing heart consciousness, I've been directly experiencing some sort of field created by my heart and its harmonized interactions with others. That's why I call it the love aura.

While writing this, I came across an awesome article entitled "The Heart Has Its Own "Brain" and Consciousness." And here's an excerpt from it that's oh so relevant:

"Heart Field Interactions Between Individuals

Most people think of social communication solely in terms of overt signals expressed through language, voice qualities, gestures, facial expressions, and body movements. However, there is now evidence that a subtle yet influential electromagnetic or "energetic" communication system operates just below our conscious awareness. Energetic interactions likely contribute to the "magnetic" attractions or repulsions that occur between individuals, and also affect social exchanges and relationships. Moreover, it appears that the heart's field plays an important role in communicating physiological, psychological, and social information between individuals.

Experiments conducted at the Institute of HeartMath have found remarkable evidence that the heart's electromagnetic field can transmit information between people. We have been able to measure an exchange of heart energy between individuals up to 5 feet apart. We have also found that one person's brain waves can actually synchronize to another person's heart. Furthermore, when an individual is generating a coherent heart rhythm, synchronization between that person's brain waves and another person's heartbeat is more likely to occur. These findings have intriguing implications, suggesting that individuals in a psychophysiologically coherent state become more aware of the information encoded in the heart fields of those around them.

The results of these experiments have led us to infer that the nervous system acts as an "antenna," which is tuned to and responds to the electromagnetic fields produced by the hearts of other individuals. We believe this capacity for exchange of energetic information is an innate ability that heightens awareness and mediates important aspects of true empathy and sensitivity to others Furthermore, we have observed that this energetic communication ability can be intentionally enhanced, producing a much deeper level of nonverbal communication, understanding, and connection between people. There is also intriguing evidence that heart field interactions can occur between people and animals.

In short, energetic communication via the heart field facilitates development of an expanded consciousness in relation to our social world."

The overwhelming majority of communication is non-verbal. It has a lot to do with the heart (as described above), the subconscious mind, and other phenomena foreign to physical perception. Intonations and body language, which are direct manifestations of your internal state, come into play as well. If your internal state is that of love, it will permeate all aspects of communication/interaction with others.

The love aura optimizes and harmonizes all forms of communication and interaction. So when people sense this harmonic field, they feel a "good vibe," and are more likely to be friendly and at ease. But when you're operating in fear, your heart's field will be disharmonious, which people will feel as a "bad vibe," and close-off or react negatively.

As you can imagine, the love aura ameliorates everything from friendly greetings to sexually-flavored interactions. People are naturally drawn to positive, love-based people. You don't need egotistical facades like "game." You don't need pickup lines. Pickup lines are like relying on Google Translate to write a love letter, it just won't come out right and will sound excruciatingly awkward. There's no shortcut; you need to learn the language to make it work. (And the language in this case is love.) All you need is to have love for yourself and others (or BE love to yourself and others), and the rest falls into place.

The love aura is a multi-dimensional smile. An intrinsic bliss. A deep-seated, genuine confidence. An unconditional love for one's self and others. The love aura allows you to be the master of your reality. It's a positive, powerful, expansive vibe, and that's what makes it so attractive.

When you operate in love, you let go of fear. Fear only exists in the absence of love (or ignorance to love). Fear is what dis-harmonizes us. Fear is what blocks us off to possibility. Fears are the self-imposed limitations. When fear is released, limitations are shattered and your entire being harmonizes as it should.

How to cultivate your love aura:

**1. Show love. Be grateful. Show appreciation. Be positive. Smile. Spread love. BE love.** It's obvious, but so many people don't do this.

**2. Let go of fear.** This comes naturally the more you embrace the paradigm of love. Just be aware of fear when it arises (in any form), and let go. Choose love over fear in every situation.

**3. Embark on the inner journey.** Get to know yourself. Explore the unseen. Embrace the stillness when your mind is calm. Open yourself up to infinite possibility.

4. Smile, laugh a lot, and have fun.

**5. Follow your heart.** Follow your intuition. Act on those deep-seated hunches that you intrinsically "know." When you do this regularly, life becomes magical. Your intuitive, heart-based perception strengthens, like a muscle, and your love aura becomes more and more prominent.

There's a certain depth in people's eyes when they operate in love. That divine sparkle. You can see this in your own eyes if you look directly in a mirror and smile.

There's a brilliant radiance that comes along with the love aura as well. Your skin, face, and persona become beaming beacons of pure love. It's a beautiful thing.

And then, of course, there's that irresistibly alluring aura. People just like being around you, and because of this it greatly benefits both friendly and potentially intimate interactions.

The love aura makes you more attractive on every level. It's a gorgeous exemplification of a love-based, synchronized being.

Cultivate your love aura. Experience the magic of life.

### What We Can Learn From Children

Children, before they become conditioned, retain what I call the essence of being. We're pure consciousness inhabiting these human bodies. Children are indicative of that. Take any child before the onslaught of programming and they manifest pure love (as long as their basic needs are met). And as we grow up, we get assaulted with conditioning from every angle, which act as layers over our true selves.

Take a minute and observe children (preferably not from an old, white van that says "Free candy" on it), then observe adults. 99 times out of 100, the kids are having way more fun doing whatever it is that they're doing. And why are adults so damn serious? We can learn a lot more from children than our mature, civilized, egos think we can.

Be like children. Not childish, but child-like.

Enlightenment is merging the wisdom of experience with the childlike essence.

Here are some characteristics of children that us (so-called) adults can apply:

**1. Be in the moment -** Kids fully immerse themselves in whatever they're doing. That is truly living. They don't obsess over the past or future like adults do. The present is a gift, so act like a little kid on Christmas.

**2. See everything with fresh eyes -** Admire the beauty of everything around you. Be in perpetual wonder, not zombying through life like so many grown-ups (sadly) are. Let go of your baggage and rigid belief systems; be open to new ideas.

**3. Non-judgment -** A young child will treat a CEO the same way they treat a janitor. You think most adults would do the same? Don't let your conditioning and preconceived notions dictate how you think, feel and act.

**4. Express yourself -** Children have very expressive reactions to everything. If they feel happy, they jump for joy. If they feel anger, they throw a temper tantrum. Either way, they get it out. As adults, we are taught to suppress and even ignore our feelings. Never expressing yourself results in so much dys-function and dis-ease, both physically and mentally. Quit internalizing everything. Find constructive outlets for your feelings and emotions.

**5. Ditch the inhibitions -** This goes hand-in-hand with the last point. If you have the urge to dance, then dance. If you feel like yelling just to hear the echo of your voice, do it. If you see a tree you want to climb, CLIMB THAT SHIT. We need to stop worrying about social norms and what other people think, and freely be ourselves.

**6. Play -** Stop being boring and have some fun.

Let your inner child come out to play. Life is too short to be serious all the time.

### The Art of Not Getting Offended

Imagine walking down the street, minding your own business, and some random person pops up and hurls an insult at you. What do you do? Do you get offended? Get angry? Attack them? Let it ruin the rest of your day?

No _offense_ (see what I did there?), but people get offended far too easily. It doesn't have to be that way though. Let's be above the influence. Ladies and gents, here's the art of not getting offended.

**You have the choice.** You choose whether or not to get offended by something. So why would you ever make the choice to let someone or something bring you down? Most people don't realize this, and live life in reactive-mode to what goes on around them. Slow down, and be aware that you choose to be, or not to be, offended.

**It's them, not you.** When someone hurls out insults, it's a manifestation of their own inner frustration. Happy people don't project negativity. And if you encounter a negative person, maybe they're having the worst day of their life. You never know. So don't take offense when someone projects negativity or anger; that's their own pain. No need to make it yours too.

**Don't rigidly attach your identity to an external idea or system.** This includes race, religion, nationality, political party...etc. Belief is fine, but you need to maintain fluidity in life. If you attach your whole identity to an external label, you open yourself up to being both incessantly offended and manipulated. Be open-minded, without rigidly clinging to an external image. Celebrate your uniqueness!

**Have confidence in yourself (unshakable self-love).** Be confident enough in yourself so that you don't need constant external validation and "ego points." If you're genuinely confident, you're a lot less likely to be offended. Overcome your insecurities and take steps to build your confidence. It will pay off in spades and you'll realize that you determine your state of being, not anyone else.

**Liberation -** Not caring what other people think is ultimate freedom. This manifests out of building enough self-confidence to transcend doubt stemming from what others (including society as a whole) think.

To not let anything external change the course of what you want to do in life.

To not follow what people think you "should" do out of fear.

Note: This doesn't mean go around acting a fool. If what you're doing causes harm or annoyance to others (or yourself), you've missed the whole point.

Stop getting offended. Nobody can take your happiness away from you but yourself.

Get busy living and growing into the greatest version of YOU.

### The Art of Not Giving a Fuck

Note: If you're offended by my use of the word "fuck", you probably need to read this.

You don't have to cling on to things you can't change. Life is about learning to let go.

You don't have to get hung up over everything. When you resist the present moment, you're resisting all that is. Be like water, my friend. Flow through the terrain of life.

You don't have to carry the baggage of the past with you. You'll accumulate more and more over time, making it increasingly difficult to move forward. (Plus, the past only exists in our minds anyway.) Let go.

You don't have to worry about what might happen in the future. You don't have to play out all of the "what if" scenarios in the fantasy-land of your mind. Just go with the flow. Have an idea of where you're headed, but live in the moment. When you're driving somewhere, do you stare at the destination? (If you can even see it.) Or do you focus on the road? Know where you're headed. But drive with your eyes on the road.

You don't have to sweat the small stuff. It matters way less than you think at the time. Are you going to remember the time that guy cut you off in traffic when you're on your deathbed? Nope. Shit happens. Life goes on. Make the most out of it by choosing happiness.

Experience, live, and learn without LETTING (keyword) anything interrupt your happiness.

This is the art of not giving a fuck.

Being unaffected by external scenarios. Being in control of how you feel. Choosing to let things go. Choosing to not succumb to fear. You have the power to choose your actions (and reactions) in every moment. You are the master of YOUR WORLD.

Now you might be like, "If I didn't care about anything, I wouldn't get anything done. I'd lose my job, my family and end up homeless." Or "If I didn't care about anything, what would stop me from doing something like killing someone?"

Well, I'm glad you asked...

Here's 8 steps on how to not give a fuck while getting things done and not screwing up your life:

**1. Take action or forget about it -** Realize what you can and can't control. If you can take action regarding something, then do it! Get it done and move on. If not, forget about it. No sense worrying about something out of your control. Simple as that.

Lifehacking tip: Have you ever been in bed and kept thinking (that incessant, anxious kind of thinking) about things you have to do tomorrow? Here's a simple way to clear your mind: make a to-do list. Instead of marinating on everything your head, write it all down. Get it out of your mind and on the paper (or screen). The act of writing things down works magic in terms of clearing the mind. Try it out.

**2. No fear -** Every action is rooted in either fear or love (they're opposites if you didn't know). The art of not giving a fuck means not succumbing to fear in any form. This includes worry, anxiety, hate, anger, guilt, shame, resentment, inferiority, jealousy, fear of what others think, fear of failure, fear of success, fear of punishment, fear of your true self, fear of responsibility, fear of damaging your ego, fear of killer tomatoes...etc. Some fears will naturally occur, but the key is not holding onto them and letting them pass. As you do this, they will appear less and less.

Not succumbing to fear entails that you're operating with love. So that means you're not going to do things that harm yourself or others. If you do things that cause harm, you're acting out of fear. Come from a balanced place of fearlessness, and your "not giving a fuck-ness" will be more like Spongebob and less like a violent psychopath.

**3. Detachment -** Be in the world, but not of it. See the bigger picture. Don't cling. Put your ego aside. Detachment is drawing back your perception. Living through consciousness instead of ego. Realizing that everything in life is a learning experience. Detachment is greatly useful in work situations. It helps with things you don't want to do, but you need to do to improve (or at least prevent regression) in life.

**4. Letting go -** The baggage of the past grows heavier and heavier as you move through life. If you hold on to everything, you eventually won't be able to move forward. If you let go of all of the unnecessary baggage, you're free to move through life as you choose. Lose the excess load you're carrying and run around freely in the present moment. Let go of expectations, let go of judgment, let go of what others think, let go of fear and have fun being deeply immersed in each moment.

"Let go or be dragged." – Zen Proverb

**5. Be present -** If you're sitting at your kitchen table eating dinner, why would you worry about work tomorrow? That's tomorrow. You're sitting at your kitchen table now. That's all that exists. You're projected reality of tomorrow only exists in your mind. Let go and enjoy your dinner.

Every insidious emotion (anxiety, worry, guilt, shame...etc.) is a product of not being present. All we have is the present, and it's a gift. Be here now.

**6. Express and get it all out –** Expression makes us feel renewed and amazing. Singing, dancing, laughing, jumping for joy, open conversations. It all feels amazing. It creates dysfunction on multiple levels when we hold these things in.

Not giving a fuck means expressing how you feel in every situation and in every relationship.

If someone you care about dies, it's natural to grieve. Cry your eyes out in order to move on. If you hold (holding = attachment) back, you're not letting go of what you feel. You're bringing more baggage with you.

For example, my family's dog died last week (RIP Otto). He was 15 years old and I was really close with him since I was a little kid. When I heard the news, I cried (hard) for an hour or so. I let it all out, no fucks given. But you know what? Since I did that, I feel so at peace with it now.

If you love someone, it's natural to express it. If you never express it, you keep (keep = owning more baggage) that with you until you either express it or die. Plus, that person will never know how you feel, and that's a damn shame.

Express yourself fully. And don't give a fuck when you express yourself (remember, just don't harm yourself or others). Then go back to not giving a fuck in general.

**7. "This too shall pass" mentality -** Everything is temporary. Every moment is fleeting, both "good" and "bad." Realize that it will all pass more quickly than you think. This will allow you to truly appreciate and bask in the "good" moments, and not give a fuck about the "bad" moments.

**8. Everything is a learning experience -** When you view everything as a learning experience, failures become lessons. Hardships become character builders. Lack becomes opportunity.

Perception is reality. Life is like a video game. It's easier to be lighthearted with this perspective. Keep leveling up and have fun playing the game of life.

Stop getting hung up on everything. Stop getting angry. Stop worrying. Stop resisting the present.

Experience, learn, and enjoy every moment.

Life is too short to give a fuck. Too short to succumb to fear. Too short to throw away your happiness.

### True Balance

People always talk about balance. How it's best to live a balanced life, balance this, balance that. But what does "balance" even mean? Its implications reach far beyond the dictionary definition...

True balance is not sitting in the middle. Life is motion, not stagnation. True balance is movement between poles. It's a perpetual sliding of the scale, back and forth.

During a yoga class a few months ago, the instructor said that balance is not being completely still or static, but lies within continuous, small motions. It's the subtle back and forth that promotes stabilization in yoga positions. Remember, trees stay standing by moving to and fro with the wind, not by being rigidly straight.

Life is a dynamic see saw between opposites. You don't just sit in the middle. One side goes up and the other side goes down, then the cycle repeats.

Think about riding a bicycle. Firstly, you need to be in motion to stay balanced. Secondly, you pedal with your left foot, then your right, and repeat this cycle over and over to stay in motion. It's a transfer of intention and force onto one side, which is then counterbalanced by intention and force on the opposite side. This is analogous to life.

"Your hand opens and closes, opens and closes. If it were always a fist or always stretched open, you would be paralyzed. Your deepest presence is in every small contracting and expanding, the two as beautifully balanced and coordinated as birds' wings." -Rumi

Birds are another manifestation of true balance. They must be in motion and flap both wings in order to fly. Motion represents the flow of life, while two wings represent polar opposites. Both are fundamental for the phenomenon of flight.

Life is a beautiful dance between the yin and yang... Inhaling then exhaling. Activity then rest. Listening then speaking. Reading then writing.

And how does Earth maintain "balance"? It's in constant rotation, orbiting around the sun and engaged in ceaseless cycles. Day to night. Summer to winter. An aeonian interplay of opposites.

I've recently become aware of some cycles that I naturally fall into. In the summer time I tend to be more inclined towards extroverted activities; traveling, going out and talking to more people. In the winter time, I tend to embrace more introverted endeavors such as reading, writing, meditation and other activities based in personal reflection. These cycles create an overall balance. Before I get too far on one side of the spectrum, the cycle begins to take me into the other direction, and everything comes full circle. Also, there are mini-cycles within these larger cycles. There are times when I'll be reflective during travel, or times where I'll go out in the winter. The scale is always in motion. I heed subtle hints from my intuition, sparking lively spontaneity in the infinity of each moment.

Spending your whole life meditating alone on a mountain is not balance. Conversely, spending your whole life drinking beer in a bar is not balance. Working all the time is not balance, nor is never working at all. Balance is partaking in both when the situation arises. (Without being attached to, or dependent upon either side.)

"Don't find the balance by riding this narrow margin where you never sway to one side or the other. Find the balance by pushing the extremes out as far as you can on either side. Go for a seven day fast on the top of a mountain where the only substance you're ingesting is water and peyote. Do that. Or meditation. Whatever is on the farthest side that you can reach for that. Then go the other way. Stand on top of some speakers at a night club, pound your chest and howl at the moon!" – Aubrey Marcus

Go ahead and do everything. Experience as much as possible, but with two conditions:

1. Don't allow yourself to be dependent on one side of the spectrum.

Let's take partying for example:

If you find yourself partying every weekend of your life, that is not balance. That's dependency, habit, addiction...etc. Throw yourself a curve-ball and spend a weekend in nature, reading a book, or doing anything else that interests you. Shake things up and break the dependency before you end up stagnant, drowning yourself in the deep end of one extreme.

2. Don't harm yourself or others.

Continuing with the partying example. If you're harming yourself or others, it's most certainly not balanced. If you drink alcohol to the point of harming yourself, if you lose your temper, or you neglect obligations or other people due to partying, that's not balance either. Choose love over fear.

Live in perpetual motion. Immerse yourself in the dance of the yin and the yang.

Stay balanced, my friend.

### Alcohol: Philosophizing on the Fun Poison

"Cheers!" You lift your bulbous glass filled with golden liquid, peaked by a touch of foam at the top. Everyone smiles mischievously as an orchestra of "clink" resonates through the air. You close your eyes and take a sip. It tastes oddly delicious. Bitter, yet accented with a potpourri of unique, subtle flavors. Your lips gently smack together a few times as you bask in the primal enjoyment of taste. You've come a long way since the first time you tried it, re-living when you almost lost your lunch after glugging that unanticipated, surprising smack of intense harshness.

You get that familiar warm and fuzzy feeling as the substance slithers into your bloodstream. It's like being comforted by a seductive muse. You smile, laugh and enjoy yourself, but they are shadows of their genuine counterparts. She has you... And you brush your true essence aside for a deep dive into her delusory bliss.

Oh alcohol, the ever-present fun poison. It pervades our culture, to the extent that its presence is demanded at every social event.

As a teenager, I would indulge in "the fun poison" to shed my inhibitions. It was a double-edged sword I used to cut through my social anxieties. And because "everyone was doing it" it helped me to fit in more and seem cool.

Thankfully, I didn't completely depend on alcohol for building social skills and confidence. I developed confidence through more intrinsic means as well (health, fitness, meditation, skill acquisition, writing, reading a lot...etc.). But once I became socially confident in most situations, I found myself using alcohol for other reasons...

One being the random spontaneity that alcohol tends to beget, and the other was to relate to as many people as possible. Regarding random spontaneity, most everyone would agree that you get into all kinds of "random adventures" when intoxicated. Much more than your "paralyzed-with-fear-and-conditioning" day-to-day self. And with relating to as many people as possible, it's difficult for many unique-thinking-introverts to interact within a culture that glorifies extroversion and disingenuous small-talk.

This is why alcohol is a profound indicator of the insidious predicaments of our culture and collective psychology.

Let's dive into some of these:

Escapism

Though escapism has not driven my alcohol consumption, it's the case with many people. Life is difficult for so many, and alcohol, like any conscious-altering substance, provides a temporary refuge from the pain. It's a short-sighted way of forgetting about problems (And will, in fact, exacerbate problems in the long-run). We all know that there are far more beneficial ways to address this issue (that's another tangent) but alcohol's omnipresence in society makes it all too accessible. Combine that with a society based on fear and limitation, and we have fertile ground for escapism.

Social Anxiety

The overwhelming majority of people don't effectively express themselves (myself included sometimes). There is deep-seated, fear-programming that keeps us in an ego-driven state of comparison, feelings of inadequacy and lack of self-love. Most people go about life in a rigid, fearful and overly stoic state. But give them a few drinks, and they start expressing. You see them sing, dance and reveal things you would never have imagined if you saw them a few hours beforehand. Why does everyone have social anxiety? Why don't we express ourselves like we know we should? Why is it so difficult to just be ourselves? Why can't we sing and dance our hearts whenever the feeling arises? Why can't we be random and spontaneous without drinking? These are the deeper questions we must ask ourselves.

Relating to the Masses

The philosopher/writer/speaker Alan Watts was a brilliantly unique man. He dove into the depths of human consciousness and shared profound insights on literally everything. But what people rarely mention is that he was an alcoholic. Watts would be invited to give presentations in front of large crowds, and noticed that he could relate to his audience more when he had a few martinis prior to speaking. This also applied to the after parties that often accompanied the events. Watts was a deep-thinker, who probably found it excruciating to engage in meaningless small-talk. He used alcohol as a crutch to make talking about the weather less cringe-worthy and as a bridge to discussions about deep, meaningful subjects. I've found this to be the case with myself and several other "deep-thinkers" I know as well. We must learn how to incorporate meaningful conversation and connection without compromising the health of our mind, body and spirit in doing so.

We need to ask ourselves some important questions... Why do we choose to indulge in this toxic substance? And are there more beneficial alternatives to give us the same "results" that alcohol produces? (Like shedding inhibition, openly expressing ourselves...etc.)

Starting today (12/18/2014), I choose not to consume alcohol. For how long, I don't know yet. But I also aim to be freely expressive, socially fearless, ridiculous and unabashedly myself at all times. I started a habit on the app Lift called "Alcohol-Free and More Fun." I welcome anyone else to participate there and join me in this challenge, especially if what I said resonates with you.

Life is a party, you just have to make the decision to step in the door (and not destroy the house while you're at it).

### Infinite Beings Don't Wear Labels

"Never belong to a crowd; Never belong to a nation; Never belong to a religion; Never belong to a race. Belong to the whole existence. Why limit yourself to small things? When the whole is available." – Osho

That quote is the solution to nearly every conflict on Planet Earth.

A being who does not relegate themselves to a label is free. A being who does not identify with a label cannot be manipulated by external forces.

The tactic of divide and conquer has long been used to manipulate humanity. And it will continue until we stop attaching our identity to labels. Separation is an illusion (quantum entanglement is proof of this). When you see that everything is connected; when you see everyone as an aspect of yourself, how can you possibly cause harm to someone?

"He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings." – Buddha

The most positively influential people did not attach their identity to labels. Gandhi was not "pro-Indian" or "anti-British", but pro-freedom. Martin Luther King Jr. was not "pro-black" or "anti-white", but pro-freedom*. Jesus was not a Christian and Buddha was not a Buddhist (if they existed). Leonardo Da Vinci could not possibly be categorized. Their spirit could not be confined to a label. All of these people were incredibly unique and shared the truth of unconditional love for everyone.

*Yes, the word freedom is a label as well. But one that we need to convey their message within the confines of language. Plus no one labels themselves as "freedom", which would actually be interesting though.

"I consider myself a Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Jew, Buddhist and Confucian." — Mahatma Gandhi

You cannot be both the perceiver and the object being perceived. You can perceive your body, so therefore you're not your body. You can perceive your thoughts, so therefore you're not your thoughts. You are consciousness. Why limit yourself to asinine things? The more "big picture" you think, the less relevant the trivial labels of self-identity become.

Nonetheless, it would be extremely naïve to say that there aren't ignorant people who identify with labels and attack those who could be considered a different label. But can you control how they think? Of course not. You can only control how you think. Are you basing your sense of self on how others might view you? If so, then you're giving in to their agenda.

If you wait on everyone else to change in order for you to change, then guess what? It'll never happen. Nothing changes when there's diffusion of responsibility. Deep down, you don't want conflict. You don't want to live in an "us vs them" society. None of us do. But you hold the false belief that "they" have to change first, instead of being the change yourself.

There's a reason why Gandhi said "Be the change you wish to see in the world" instead of "Wish for the world around you to change."

Change starts with the (infinite being having an experience as a) man, or woman, in the mirror.

Live like you're setting an example for how you wish everyone would live. Not doing this means that you believe your reality is beyond your control. Do you really believe that?

If you don't take personal responsibility for being a model for the change you want to see, you effectively externalize your power. In doing so, you not only become a perpetual victim, but open yourself up to be manipulated by hidden agendas.

You might be thinking, "Yeah I'd love to be a dreamer and think of myself as an infinite being, but there are people out there that will possibly kill me just because my skin is darker than theirs." Sadly, that is true in a lot of parts of the world. But my question is this... Are you going to let the mind-set of ignorance determine how you view yourself? Are you going to label yourself just because others label you? Fuck a label. Just BE.

We must not tolerate injustice. Martin Luther King Jr. said "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." This is because we're all connected. No one is truly free when others are oppressed. We must not tolerate separation either, for this is the root of the actions behind injustices.

To be resentful of injustice is to bring yourself to the level of ignorance that created it.

"The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury." – Marcus Aurelius

We must rise above, not allow ourselves to be dragged back into the quicksand of ignorance.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." – Martin Luther King Jr.

Be the change.

One.

PS – A note on culture...

Just because you don't identify with a label doesn't mean you throw culture out the window. Not identifying with labels gives you the freedom to not be confined to the bounds of one culture, and like Bruce Lee said, "Absorb what's useful, reject what is not, add what is uniquely your own."

### Earth is Our Holy Land

It's become painfully obvious...

We've been getting played out for a long, long time; manipulated into the illusion of separation. We're deviating from our essence of love, succumbing to fear, allowing ourselves to get dragged into senseless conflict and destroying our beautiful planet.

"Just look at us. Everything is backwards, everything is upside down. Doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, psychiatrists destroy minds, scientists destroy truth, major media destroys information, religions destroy spirituality and governments destroy freedom." -Michael Ellner

We all know, deep down, that it doesn't have to be this way. Humanity is capable of so much more, and (thankfully) we're seeing clearer glimpses of our potential every day.

We're all unique, physical manifestations of infinite love, and the time has come to shine our light on Planet Earth.

Let Love Be the Guiding Force

"There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life." -John Lennon

Love is our essence. Fear is False Evidence Appearing Real... An illusion.

"I have been saying and writing for so many years that one sentence can encapsulate the totality of life, of existence, of being: Infinite Love is the Only Truth – Everything Else is Illusion." -David Icke

Love is the answer to most, if not all, questions in life. Choose love, let go of fear and judgment; that's when we unleash our dormant magnificence.

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between 2 wolves inside us all. One is Evil (fear). It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good (Love). It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith." The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?" The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Rigid Belief Systems = Easy Manipulation

"We have to stop thinking in black and white and soften our rigid belief systems. This world is not black and white. Nothing is. If you have a rigid belief system that is not open to the endless subtleties of life, you become a manipulator's party trick." -David Icke

Rigid belief systems are based in fear ("believe what I say or suffer the consequences"), and being in fear makes us easily manipulated and controlled. When we operate in love (or as love), it is the ultimate freedom.

"Never belong to a crowd; Never belong to a nation; Never belong to a religion; Never belong to a race. Belong to the whole existence. Why limit yourself to small things? When the whole is available." -Osho

Falling into other peoples' molds is taking life for granted. When we embrace the fact that we're all brilliantly unique expressions of infinity, the collective reality we experience has no choice but to change for the better.

See Through the Illusion (Or Get Played)

The world we're living in is a grand illusion. We're constantly fed is a massive deception.

Every major system that is in place is built on fear-based conditioning. The education (indoctrination) system, organized religion, healthcare (sick care), the media...etc.

Just turn on the news; it's all fear mongering and propaganda, designed to paralyze our consciousness. When was the last time watching the news made you feel good? And anyone with half a brain sees through the utter nonsense perpetuated.

We get brainwashed into belief systems and manipulated into conflict. Divide and conquer works like a charm when we're programmed with fear and see others as "different" merely because of asinine labels we put on everything. Jews, Muslims, Christians, Americans, New Yorkers, Whites, Blacks, Republicans, Democrats, Orange Iguanas...etc. Attaching our identity to these labels is what sets us up to be easily divided and conquered. It's this rigid categorization that positions us as pawns for malevolent agendas.

So many get manipulated into anger and violence through fear-based conditioning and viewing fellow humans as something different from themselves. When we drop the labels and see everyone as another aspect of ourselves, we simply won't be coerced into harming anyone.

The pathetic "elite" love war, violence, death, destruction and anything based in fear. War is immensely profitable for them. War creates more control. War is a massive fear generator, and they literally live off of our fear. (See David Icke's books for a ridiculous amount of information and evidence on this stuff.)

Here's an interesting excerpt from The Active Side of Infinity by Carlos Castaneda (quoting his alleged mentor Dan Juan Mathus):

"We have a predator that came from the depths of the cosmos and took over our lives. Human Beings are its prisoners. The predator is our lord and master.

It has rendered us docile, helpless. If we want to protest, it suppresses our protest. If we want to act independently, it demands that we don't do so. Indeed, we are held prisoner. They took us over, because we are food to them, and they squeeze us mercilessly because we are their sustenance. Just as we rear chickens in coops, they rear us in human coops. Therefore, their food is always available to them.

Think for a moment and tell me how you would explain the contradictions between the intelligence of man, the engineer and the stupidity of his belief systems, or the stupidity of his contradictory behavior. Sorcerers believe that the Predators have given us our systems of belief, our ideas of good and evil, our social morals. They are the ones who set up our beliefs of success or failure. They have given us covetedness, greed, and cowardice. It is the Predator who makes us complacent, routinary and egomaniacal.

In order to keep us obedient and weak, the Predators engage themselves in a stupendous maneuver. Stupendous of course from the point of view of a fighting strategist. A horrendous maneuver from the point of view from those who suffer it. They gave us their mind. The predator's mind is baroque, contradictory, morose, and filled with the fear of being discovered any minute now."

Don't feed the parasite with fear. We must choose love in order to free ourselves.

The lyrics of "War Pigs" by Black Sabbath strike a deep chord:

" _Generals gathered in their masses_

Just like witches at black masses

Evil minds that plot destruction

Sorcerers of death's construction

In the fields the bodies burning

As the war machine keeps turning

Death and hatred to mankind

Poisoning their brainwashed minds. Oh Lord yeah!

Politicians hide themselves away

They only started the war

Why should they go out to fight?

They leave that role to the poor, yeah

Time will tell on their power minds

Making war just for fun

Treating people just like pawns in chess

Wait 'till their Judgment day comes, yeah!"

Non-Compliance

The way to bring about change is to not participate in the insanity. The madness simply cannot exist if we don't take part in it. It's as simple as that. Toxic fast food won't be manufactured if people don't eat it. Health-wrecking pharmaceutical drugs won't be produced when people stop buying them. War will not exist when people refuse to kill each other.

"The pioneers of a warless world are the youth who refuse military service." -Albert Einstein

"Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man." -Gandhi

We're holding up the house of cards out of fear; it's about time we walk away and build something better.

It is only through releasing the old that we can bring about the new.

We must stop compromising our morals for money and ego. We must stop sacrificing our essence out of fear. It's time we step into our power, and as Gandhi so eloquently said, be the change we wish to see in the world.

We're far more powerful than we've been conditioned to think.

A New Day is Rising

"I'm American born, love America, love my people, love all mankind, all nationalities you know. I think it's just recently where everybody just started to feel like there was an elite group that runs everything, and everybody else was sheep, ignorant, making all ethnicities, colors and creeds, niggers, blind to what really is going on. So I say take off the wool from your eyes. Out with the old America in with the new. End all racism, all injustice, all oppression to poor people, any people anywhere in this planet. Let's come together: a new day is rising." -Nas

More and more people are waking up to the true nature of everything. Many are now seeing through the illusion, choosing love over fear and helping to bring about change to our planet.

New and improved solutions, that are actually beneficial to humanity, are being developed in all aspects of life (energy sources, education, nutrition, economic systems...etc.). We're seeing glimpses of greatness amidst the chaos of the world. Change is happening fast. Change is happening now.

"Just before you break the sound barrier, the cockpit shakes the most." -Chuck Yeager

Oh, it's shaking alright. And we're about to break out of the matrix we've been held in for so long.

Wake up, sleeping giants. Step into your inherent power.

When we choose love, it will collectively manifest in all forms, and in every aspect of life.

Get ready for a new paradigm.

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