In it, I explain how I used the experience I have gained battling addiction to permanently getting rid of the junk foods from my life.
I now haven’t touched sugar or gluten in over 6 months. I’ve lost ALL my excess weight with little effort and feel better than I ever have in my life.
More details here:
Vicious Eating – The Food Addict’s Guide to Redemption
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Being serious indicates a mental stance that moves us to apply ourselves earnestly to healthy and happy living. In the absence of this, negativity crops in and wholesome living becomes impossible. At the same time, in the name of being serious, if the mind is obsessed with the issues, then again the stressful mind causes negativity. To bring about a harmonious blending of seriousness and the laid-back attitude, we should look into the content of those two items so that the associated understanding can help us face the challenge squarely. This is a matter to which we should apply ourselves seriously!
One of the relevant items here is our attention to the process of an issue rather than being anxious about the results thereof. The result has its importance but the psychological disposition of being emotionally hooked on to the result is the cause of mental stress. When we realize the importance of the seriousness in applying ourselves to the process, there is a joy in that application. The result takes its rightful place in our psychology and does not engender anxiety. Whatever happens, we will be able to take it with equanimity. That is where the nonchalance comes in. Thus, a loving application to the process on hand is the secret behind combining the two gems.
The habitual ways of the mind would keep us hooked on to the result and thus sacrifice the present for the future. This habit is not easy to move away from because human beings have lived that way for centuries. Consequently, a mere doctrine that the process is more important than the result cannot bring in the harmonious blending of seriousness and nonchalance. It needs applying oneself to the matter of understanding the ways of the mind and being patient about it. This inwardly turned attention is the secret behind natural esotericism – the spirituality beyond religions. In Sanskrit, this is referred to as the ‘Vichara Marga’, the path of inquiry. It is related to self-awareness as a witness attitude. Such awareness takes us away from the ken of the conventional mind.
When we realize the need to move into expansive consciousness, attention automatically turns in and one moves into the Vichara Marga. People who are on it soon see a lot of meaning in paranormal phenomena such as the Near Death Experience (NDE). That lifts us to a different dimension of consciousness and we become curious about the esoteric side of life. It is known that the NDE people harmoniously combine seriousness and the laid-back attitude without any effort because they are able to look at life from a wider and deeper perspective. One of them says that the experience made him understand our true unity with Divinity, so much so the usual drive for possession, approval and success no longer weighs him down.
If we inculcate in our children from their young days this matter of combining seriousness with nonchalance, we would help them grow into wholesome human beings. When they grow up, they won’t even hurt an ant, let alone throw a bomb and kill innocent people. Education these days, except in some cases, is not geared to bringing up children in that manner; it encourages competition and ruthlessness rather than talk to them about the loftier purpose of life on this planet. The state of affairs can change when more and more people turn esoteric in their approach and live with inner and outer harmony. The website http://spirituality.yolasite.com would be of interest to you.
Gopalakrishnan T. Chandrasekaran received his doctoral degree in Coastal Engineering from the North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA in 1978. He served on the research and teaching faculty of universities in India, the US and Kuwait. His book “In Quest of the Deeper Self” is the outcome of his philosophic reflections and his wish to share the outcome with others. He is a member of the International Association for Near Death Studies, Durham, NC, USA; lives in Kodaikanal, a hill town in South India. Blog: http://nde-thedeeperself.blogspot.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gopalakrishnan_Tiruvan_Chandrasekaran
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Harmonious-Blending-of-Seriousness-and-Nonchalance—A-Sound-Basis-for-Wholesome-Living&id=7530466
The Harmonious Blending of Seriousness and Nonchalance – A Sound Basis for Wholesome Living
There are many causes of depression. External as well as internal. The death of someone we love or care about. The falling out of a friendship. A local tragedy. An unwanted divorce. A serious illness. The constant sense of “impending doom”. Perhaps we realize we haven’t lived up to a set of standards that we have chosen to abide by, making us feel shame or guilt. I call this my conscience. Perhaps we feel constant loneliness. Or worse than that, being stuck in a “bad” marriage. A chemical or hormonal imbalance. The list is as extensive as there are people. Some of these causes can be rectified by us. Some cannot. It is these issues that can seem to have a death-like grip on our emotions.
But what if I told you that you could still “change” your mood as easily as you could change your clothes? Would you say I’m not being realistic? Would you say that I’ve just never had happen to me what has happened to you? I have had several of these scenarios happen to me or to someone I love. Don’t get me wrong, if any of these things happen to any human being, the natural response is to get depressed. For awhile anyway. That’s normal. Think about that word “depress”. What exactly gets “depressed”? Our natural ability and desire to be HAPPY. There is a scripture in the Bible where God says “you must be happy because I am happy,” so since God is happy, and He created us in His image…
So how does one go about getting happy, truly, genuinely -as opposed to “artificially” – happy anyway?
Good question! Have you ever noticed that sometimes you can wake up in a good mood, then other times you wake up in a bad mood, and don’t really know why, either way? For whatever reason, either our subliminal dreams and the states of emotion they produce, our hormones, that “time of the month”, a sense of dread of either a test at school, some particular project at work, an upcoming bill that’s due, etc., can subconsciously put us in a “bad” mood, then again, maybe we are expecting to receive a tax refund, or a gift from someone, or are about to go on a fun vacation, these can put us in a “good” mood! Do you see how our thoughts can affect our mood? So in reality, what we therefore choose to think about can also affect, manipulate, guide, and control our mood and THAT affects how we FEEL! Do your thoughts make you feel sad or happy? Mad or glad? Realize also that no one can make you feel any emotion unless you give them the power to do so. Here’s proof: think about when you’re driving down the street and out of the blue, someone cuts you off and yells some obscenity out the window at you while making an angry hand gesture. That might make you a little mad. But you’d get over it pretty quickly. But what if, during a disagreement someone you love behaved towards you in this same manner. That would likely hurt wouldn’t it. Because we give those we love the power to affect our own assessment of ourselves. They matter to us!
So again I ask, how does one go about “getting” happy? Really, how can someone “practice happiness”?
One of the many NLP presuppositions says “if anyone can learn to do something and learn to do it well, you and I certainly can!”
There have been, throughout history, countless examples of people who have had horrific things happen to them, and yet they draw on resources within them that enabled them to stand tall, move forward and actually succeed in life, and sometimes succeed so well they are written about! That’s how you and I have come to learn about them. What resources do they draw on?
The very first thing is their thought patterns. What kind of “self talk”, or “pep” talk did they give themselves? Positive or negative? Well, for one thing, there is NO negative talk! None of this “I can’t” or “they won’t let me” or “I don’t know how” business! No, but it might go something like this: “I am not sure how to go about (accomplishing some task, or surviving for that matter) but I am going to ask someone for advice, or get help to learn what to do first!” If you’re a God fearing person, pray for guidance and direction. God won’t let you down. Remember, everything is temporary. We can make the best of a bad situation by remembering THAT, or we can wallow in the bad situation, getting stuck there, and milking it for all it’s worth! We can actually make a bad situation last longer, without meaning to, because we ultimately do nothing to change the situation or how long we “stay” there!
So here’s a little exercise to do when you find yourself “stuck” in depression. And it will take “practice”! In the morning, when you first get up…
Consciously think about how you are feeling. Don’t spend a lot of time there. There doesn’t need to be a reason for the “bad” or depressed mood. It just is. Think about where you feel those negative feelings in your body. Notice where your eyes go when you are deeply in those feelings.
Now consciously think of some good memory, not attached to the subject of your depression. Think of something or someone and an experience where you were happy, perhaps even laughing. Everyone has memories of that sort, no matter how far back you must go. Give it some time. Involve yourself in those thoughts. Then, raise your eyes up to the ceiling. This is important. Now say out loud, in as cheerful a voice as you can muster, “I am having a GREAT day today!” And I know this sounds silly, but start singing — even if it is through tears — and as you begin to walk away, walk with a bounce in your step! It matters not how depressed you are or have been. This works 100% of the time. But it might take some time. It is guaranteed to work! Just give it some time. If you do this every morning for 21 days in a row, you will notice a change in how you feel!
The dynamics of this exercise are these: it is your subconscious that decides your behavior. Your subconscious is where your drivers are. And remember, we wake up in the mood set by that very subconscious. We are hardwired to a certain set of behaviors but we can consciously change them by telling our subconscious what to do! When you wake up in a sad, bad, mad or depressed state, it is either because of our chemistry (which, by the way, can be changed by changing our thought patterns) or what our subconscious has been thinking about in our sleep, IF we sleep(!) When we take control of our thoughts, rather than let our thoughts “run amok”, we essentially “reboot” our mind / thought patterns!
If we really want to improve our mood, if we really want to be happy, we can! Once we “get the hang of it”, once we “fake it till we make it” — living in an “as if” we’ve already achieved our goal, the everyday problems of life won’t get us down, and the bigger issues won’t keep us stuck. We are in control, and we get to decide to practice happiness!
Cynthia is an NLP Master and Health Practitioner and practices in the Modesto, CA area.
http://www.NLP-stanislaus.com
My name is Cynthia (many call me Cindy) Smith and I am a certified NLP Master and Health Practitioner and live in the central valley area of California. I have a coaching / counseling business which I conduct in the Modesto, CA area.
I absolutely LOVE NLP and helping people reach their maximum potential using the various processes and techniques I learned in 2006-2007 at NLPCA in Burlingame, CA.
http://nlp-stanislaus.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cynthia_L._Smith
http://EzineArticles.com/?Practice-Happiness&id=7524588
Procrastination – to put off till another day or time; defer; delay
Have you delayed something that you knew you should start? I have. Maybe it was something that you don’t enjoy doing like putting together a spreadsheet containing next quarters projected sales figures. Maybe it was fear of what others would think of you when you decided to join the gym and workout in front of them. Or maybe, even the belief that you weren’t capable of being a successful writer even though you secretly desired it. These are all examples of course but they are some of the things that people delay and sometimes, never even start.
When we procrastinate, things typically don’t get done… plain and simple. We put it off till tomorrow and then tomorrow comes and then all of a sudden, it’s due. It’s a cycle that usually ends with us backtracking to get it done, causing stress and ciaos, which aren’t needed. We already have enough of that in our lives, right? Then we start trying to cram all this work that needs to be completed TODAY that could have been done over a longer period of time.
Let’s apply procrastination to our fitness or weight loss goals. We all know that we need to exercise and eat healthy and that it could really make some positive changes in our life. Yet, it’s so much easier not too. It takes work and planning and well, that does not sound like a whole lot of fun. But, here’s the deal… if you do those things, a little each day, the tasks don’t overwhelm you.
When you are faithful, day in and day out, the scale begins to move, the jeans you once could wear now button and you have more energy. You try new foods and you find an exercise routine that you enjoy. You might notice that what you are doing inspires others to join you in changing their own life. And, the more and more you do it, the less it seems like work and the less you procrastinate.
Today, I want you to find one thing that you put off and develop a creative way to get it done. If it’s paying down debt for example, look at how you might be able to do that. Some ways that come to mind are:
- Can you sell a few items or hold a garage sale?
- Can you give up your morning cup of coffee that you purchase on the way to work and instead brew it at home?
- Can you pick up additional work; maybe even start your own home based business?
- Can you forgo an expensive gym membership and instead work out at home?
- Can you go to the Library and check out books verses buying them?
I could come up with a larger list then this but as you can see, there are many ways to work on the paying down your debt goal. You do the same with your fitness or weight loss goal. Just evaluate what changes you can make and then apply so that you choose not to procrastinate. You are worth the effort.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laura_Kelly-Pifer
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Procrastination-Cycle&id=7526452
By 
Empathy: the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner; also:the capacity for this Merriam -Webster.com
Where has empathy gone? Replaced by anger, jealousy, judgment, and apathy; it seems to have disappeared from the consciousness of the general population.
We sit in darkened theaters consuming popcorn and candy while watching a woman being brutally raped. We sit in our living rooms and watch an autopsy realistically portrayed while the kids are doing their homework at the dining room table. Mass murder is reported on by news agencies as if it is a sporting event-getting the gory details of the action that took place. Is there any wonder that empathy is disappearing?
In this day and age of instant coverage, we watch television reports of massive sink holes consuming houses and the people inside as if they were talking about an everyday meal. We watch the aftermath of hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, earthquakes, droughts, floods, snowstorms and tsunamis as if they were populated by actors and the results have no lasting consequences on the people involved.
Every day there are reports of animals that have been abused-beaten, used for target practice, left with no food or water for days at a time… and if we hesitate even a moment to ponder how horrible it is, how many of us take action of even the smallest kind?
Children are emotionally, physically, and sexually abused on a daily basis. Children are in hospitals fighting against cancer and other catastrophic diseases, and unless we know one personally, we never even think about them.
People everywhere have health issues, emotional issues. They are lonely, they are hurting in one way or another and what do we do? For the most part… nothing. We sit back and wonder what time the next game starts or whether there is any ice cream in the freezer. Very few of us actually take any action because we have lost the basic ability to empathize with others.
I’m sure the scientific data is out there to conclude that to a large extent our lack of the ability to empathize is a result of our constant inundation with images of violence-be it on television, movies, video games or computer. People have begun to blur the lines between what is real and what is fiction. We have lost the ability to imagine ourselves in situations. Imagination is the beginning of empathy-being able to “walk in another person’s shoes”.
People who read have a much better ability to empathize, because the process of reading encourages them to put themselves into the situation. A reader imagines that the story is happening around and to them rather than being a casual observer, and as a result they empathize with the characters in the story. That is why so often you will hear people say that the book was much better than the movie. It is because as they read the book, they were actually there experiencing the emotions of the characters rather than just watching someone else portray those feelings.
Reader or not, everyone has the ability to empathize with others. Whether they do or do not is a conscious decision. As a society, we seem to be losing our humanity and our willingness to look for the good in people. It is much more profitable to print the scandalous. Apparently, when a scandal doesn’t exist, it seems that we have started to accept innuendo and fabrications as truths. In an attempt to get a picture of a celebrity, paparazzi take more and more risks-putting themselves in danger and endangering those around them. They target children of celebrities in addition to stalking their parents. These children are being traumatized as much as any child at the hands of an abuser. Emotional abuse is still abuse. Members of the press and the paparazzi would serve themselves well by employing a bit of empathy. Rather than being so driven to take a photograph of a child that might make them a few dollars, perhaps they should take a moment to empathize with the parents of the child screaming to be left alone and with the child whose world is being invaded by “scary people with cameras”. The consumer, too, would do well to apply a bit of empathy. The people who purchase the magazines and visit the sites that promote pictures of this kind may not be aware of the chaos involved in the process of shooting said photographs. If they were aware, perhaps they would choose not to purchase the publications or visit the sites in question. If they utilize their ability to empathize with the objects of these photographs and realize that they are not objects, but indeed they are real people with feelings and rights just as normal human beings, then perhaps these photographs would have less appeal.
Empathy isn’t dead and gone, but it certainly is on the endangered species list. Civility, humanity and kindness seem to be there too. Hopefully, it isn’t too late to save them. Our society is suffering in their absence.
Please visit the following websites for evidence of the lack of empathy currently being shown in the entertainment industry.
http://wertheplan.wordpress.com,
http://justiceforkristen.wordpress.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sue_V.
http://EzineArticles.com/?Whatever-Happened-to-Empathy?&id=7535103
In today’s society, we are expected to do several things in a small amount of time. Most of the time, people really have to learn to be good at multi-tasking in order to get things done on time. Small businesses may have decision makers who wear several hats for the company from owning a share, managing a team, buying and purchasing products to actually making the sale. It can become pretty hard to compete with multi-tasking individuals, especially if you don’t have any time management skills.
Wikipedia defines time management as planning your schedule accordingly within a given amount of time in an effective and efficient manner. But what people fail to understand is that without proper time management, you can become replaceable — at work or at home.
If you take a moment to reflect back to your childhood days, you may just come to realize how important time management truly is because it has been embedded in us to do things in a timely manner. At school, students are given assignments and projects to be accomplished by a certain day. In high school or college, we have several subjects to study, and each class may assign a project all with different due dates — how did you manage your time then? How are you managing your time now?
There are several reasons why managing your time can be beneficial in all aspects of your life — family, love and work life. Let’s first agree that the economic state of our country is not as strong as we hope it could be, even if it is slowly becoming stable. However, because of the restraints we have due to the economy, businesses are looking for people who can help build the company up, not just keep the company afloat. They want to hire people who will do a specific job on time and lend a helping hand when needed. They want someone who takes initiative to do more than just what was asked of them. Take secretarial positions nowadays, for example. Not only are they expected to answer the phones, take messages and cater to the visitors, but they must organize files, schedule meetings and daily activities of their bosses and respond to general emails or inquiries from clients or customers. Without time management, a secretary of today might not just ruin her job, but also delay the business dealings of her boss and his clients.
When it comes to your personal life, whether it is about your family or your partner, time management is also key in keeping the waters running smoothly. Working parents need to balance their time between their personal and work life. Otherwise, their child or partner might think they are not worthy enough to spend some time with. Stay at home parents know that running a home is not easy either. You have to manage cleaning the house, taking care of the kids, cooking, laundry, running errands and paying bills while your partner is at work. You need to have a good sense of time management in order to get everything done on time and efficiently.
There are several ways for you to develop time management. It starts with prioritizing what is the most important thing to do and what needs to be done first. Next, you want to make sure you be proactive — this means no procrastination. Finally, make it a habit to organize your schedule so that you won’t miss a thing. You can also research and read about other ways to help you develop the proper time management skills to keep your life in order.
Ranches Lee Hall Understands The Importance Of Helping Other People In Life,He Understands That Personal Growth and Self Development Gives A Person The Ability To Deposit Value Into The Life Of Others. Learn More By Visiting Structured Self Development Level 1
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This past weekend, I had the amazing pleasure of participating in a co-ed husband & wife teamed crossfit event in the town of Upland, California at CrossFit Kinnick. My husband and I along with another couple competed in an intermediate category of 4 individual crossfit WODS (Mini-Helen, Mini-Jackie, Fran, and Grace) along with CrossFit Totals at the end of the competition. Per lift, we had 7 minutes to find our 1 Rep Max in the Deadlift, Back Squat and Press) for all four people.
At the very last minute, we lost our babysitter and chose to take our children to the event. My children are 6 & 9 and had spent the last week being ridiculously sick. So sick that they were sleeping upwards of 14 hours a day and had a high fever for 3 + days. We figured they’d be happy at the competition because there are always tons of kids around and lots of ipads and iphones to use in case of an emergency. Turns out my kids can be VERY obsessive when it comes to Angry Birds on the iPad when left to their own devices. Anyway, when it came time for us to compete, I nudged them both and tried to get them up to come watch us!! They would not budge!
So, I start my workout of 600 meter row, 30 thrusters and 20 pullups and was fairly well gassed by 300 meters…My husband is right behind me doing FRAN at the same time. We had no idea what the other one was doing and we both were in our own version of the “pain cave”. All I could think about during the row was how to save my legs, because 30 thrusters were coming up……I get off the rower and start thrusting a 33 pound bar which is SUPER light and my quads were on FIRE. Like it burned everytime I took a squat. Those 30 thrusters were the hardest and most painful of my life, not kidding. In the middle of this SERIOUS pain, I see my youngest child directly in front of me. He’s got that look of urgency and then points to his private parts and mouths the words, “mommy, I need to pee”! Clearly, I was in the middle of something and that didn’t matter to him! I will never forget this event for that one moment.
Major pain face
In the end, we all had a good time inflicting pain on ourselves. I would like to thank the organizers of the Battle of the Boxes for hosting a well run, well judged, appropriately timed event. I had great help from the staff when I needed it and I even got a “Congrats” from the owner of the box which I totally didn’t expect. In fact, I felt horrible about my particular event that anytime anyone told me I did a good job, I gave them a weird look–cause in my mind, I stank it up.
There’s always room for improvement, Rachel!!
Until next time!
