A conversation about meditation with a guy at the gym and his life changing testimony.

Naturally, when I walk around in public, I keep upright posture, stay off of my cell phone, and even give a little smile to people when the moment seems appropriate. I know, this seems so foreign. So creepy. and So strange in today’s society where the average person walks around looking like the hunch back of Notre dame, consumed in their cell phone and afraid to make eye contact with another human. Anyways, I was in the Sauna at my gym, and naturally lots of conversations arise when you’re in a small confined space with others and you’re sitting there for 15 minutes in pure stillness. I had a very interesting conversation with someone and had the potential to impact his life pretty greatly.

Started with the small talk. Proceeded to tell me how he has intentionally been practicing more awareness to his actions and words which has all stemmed from more stillness, reflection, and meditation with breath work that he has been disciplining himself to. I thought this was pretty cool that we could both relate on the mental benefits to self awareness with incorporating a meditation routine. The ability to step back, self analyze and realize what the impact of our words and actions are in conversations with different people in our lives.

He next mentioned how he used to be a hot head on the golf course. Yelling and swearing when he missed a bad shot. developing extreme resentment for players that did better than he did that day on the course. he would go home and remain in a frustrated mood and even carry that on mood to the upcoming day. Here is where things shifted: he said since he had started incorporating a meditation routine for a few months now, he has been able to really FEEL the impact of his words and actions more than he previously did. He literally has developed better empathy and the ability to step out of his shoes more often. To step back and understand how his anger on the golf course, and his self pity has been dragging him down. he was more unaware to it previously because he was letting his present day emotions carry on and did not have a process of RELEASING THAT ENERGY IN A HEALTHY WAY. So he would go to bed frustrated, and wake up the next day with unresolved emotions that he never actually processed and thought clearly though.

He said the breath work practice has allowed him to find more calm in the anxieties of his emotions when they arise. he has been able to process them in a more collected way and not RELEASE THEM ON OTHERS. This is the key. how do we process the anxiety, frustration and tough moments without putting others down or spreading that energy?

Remember: our emotions belong to us and no one else. We have the responsibility to process them, attend to them, understand them, and move forward with them. We have a relationship to our emotions. We need to process them before we process them amongst others.

Now what this guy was telling me was quite literally because of his practice of breath work and meditation, he has been able to wear that armor and carry that calm into the more heated moments which he has then responded more peacefully in.

He has quite literally rewired his nervous system to realize that heightened emotions are not a threat. They simply just need a few extra deep breaths and a bit of time to reenforce ourselves that things are going to be okay.

He said in the most recent weeks, he has not only been more calm on the golf course, but he has been able to shake his opponent’s hands which was an action that he resisted previously. He said he has developed more acceptance for those days where he doesn’t play the greatest. He even motioned that he will get home at night, and not be in a poor mood like he previously was.

he also mentioned that he feels more confident to approach individuals and is less likely to feel the social anxiety pressure that he experienced lots previously to his discipline to breath work meditation. He said that he has a younger brother that he is trying to teach golf to, and he also feels more accountable to hold composure so he can show his younger brother how to present himself on and off the golf course. He now notices a difference in his own composure but also is held accountable to impact the future generation. what a powerful fulfilling purpose!

Not only did i feel honored to hear this testimony, but conversations like this make me smile (coming from someone who has strictly disciplined themselves to meditation for 4-5 years now).

social anxiety. frustration. anger. mood swings. whatever it happens to be. there’s lots of hope in the thought that a practice of breath work can help us process all of these things a little bit better, find acceptance with life, develop less holding onto resentment, and in turn: help us more forward better and less likely to respond to life in an uncontrollable way.

this is taking responsibility for our lives.

Getting The Mind Right: 4 simple ways to keep my mind sharp

I like to look at everything as a skill. how do I increase the skill of mental clarity and optimal focus/attention. We PRACTICE IT. Just like the gym. Put in the work and grow. Absolute responsibility our mental health state. Environment and the stimulus we are exposed to. Extremely powerful. Here are my favorite mental clarity practices/boundaries:

  • No social media the first 2-ish hours of the day and no social media the last 2-ish hours the day – Reality: We are in a tech age. We have to be intentional with how we expose ourselves, when, and how much. We’re animals. We weren’t meant to stare at screens. I’ve noticed sticking to this routine programs my brain to operate calm and focused and also allows it to so down and not encourage racing thoughts based off the simple fact that we’re reducing stimulus and giving our brains less to circulate though. Starting the day with simple and ending the day with simple. Healing to the mind. Reduces anxiety. This is a boundary I set to protect my inner peace. Its worked for a long time now. It reenforces presence and encourages a grounded real life experience.
  • Intentional short breaks to breath deeply periodically though the day – Its easy to hard charge though the day and next thing you know: 4 hours goes by. This lots of the time leads to lots of burn out and overwhelming mental state. I’ve noticed taking a break every 1-1-.5 hours to where I can simply step away from the task at hand for just a few minutes and breath slow; promotes lots of calm and focus as I get back to my daily responsibilities. I try to get outside and simply take in all the senses. Looking at the sky and the trees. listening to the birds. feeling the wind on the skin. Making sure I’m bringing lots of attention to breathing in and breathing out very deeply and slowly. These short breaks bring a very large return on investment as you carry that focus and feel good calm state with you during whats to come. I’ve noticed less mistakes are made and a lower heart rate is maintained which keeps me in a lower stress place overall – WIN
  • Prioritizing a 10-15 minute meditation session almost every day – This sorta goes right in line with the last point above. The return on investment for programming the mind to operate in that calm focused state allows the heart rate to remain lower and for the deep breathing to be reenforced more through the day. This is great for managing stress and dealing with some of the more difficult moments. I personally like to do a meditation around lunch time. A intentional break in the day to put some focus toward the skill of operating calm and focused. Deep breath work again is our best friend when it comes to managing stress and keeping optimal mental health.
  • Optimizing Sleep quality by altering our environment at nighttime in a specific way – Some of these ways that I’ve noticed to promote deep restful sleep are: lowering the temperature in the house, dimming the lights at nighttime, lighting a candle, making sure screens are on night mode and there are no blaring lights shinning into our eyeballs, putting on relaxing music like a rainstorm, putting on a live fireplace on YouTube, reading a book, stretching, or simply doing activities that require stillness. All of these things have been game changer. Its hard to have sharp mental health when we’re getting poor quality sleep. in turn, this means we need to practice activities in the evening closer to bedtime that promote relaxation and literally tell the body to slow down and start shutting off. A good night’s sleep does wonders for the mind.

I wanted to make this simple. 4 awarenesses that we can bring some attention to and yield some pretty darn good results. There are lots of different ways to optimize brain health, but when I observe individuals that are sharp in the mind and operate in a peaceful state, I’ve noticed them to also follow some of these protocols above. It’s powerful to look at everything as a skill. I want more _______ so we need to practice more ________. We can always get better. just takes some intention and putting some things to the test. our own experiment gives us everything need to adjust and make the best choices for us.

Relationship to Mother Nature: we were meant to be outside. fight the instinct: face the consequences

Do you ever feel a pull to the water? A pull to feel the sun shining on your skin. A pull to listen to that amazing rainstorm. A pull to sit by that campfire out back on a warm summer night. A pull to feel and breath the fresh air outside as the birds chirp and the wind moves across your skin. Set aside all of the science and the fancy psychological mental benefits and what have you. It simply feels good to be outside. theres something in us that always wants more. were happier when we’re outside enough. heck, we lived outside before civilization actually became a thing.

and the tech age wants you to Alexa that, automatic this, wifi this, automate this, delivery groceries to your house, think for you, build a relationship with your that is only beneficial to you and yours wants and needs with no consideration to what others need, and make it so you don’t have to see 1 ray of sunshine, hear 1 bird chirp or even make your way to the lake where you can take a peaceful walk. because everything is encouraged to be quicker, faster and in turn lazier and less appreciative of the things humans were built upon. the devaluing of relationships with actual humans and the process of breathing and living in the moment without any fancy quick stimulation going on.

literally programming the brain to de value life’s simplicity and beauty.

be highly away or fall victim to the zombie tech age and become an actual robot with diminished mental health, loneliness like you never imagined and emptiness and raging anxiety before you go to bed.

think with the heart. get outside. appreciate what has been here for thousands of years. right in front of you. bright beautiful sun in the morning while you sip some coffee. a nice relaxing walk outside afterwork or at sunset time. dipping your toes into the water down by the lake and appreciating the nose the water splashing on the shore. listening to the wind as it blows the trees that you walk by. highly present and aware with all of your senses in the moment. the feeling of sand on your feet as you walk. the vibrant nature of the grass, flowers, and blue sky with the clouds all shaped uniquely different. Hoping on a bike, skateboard, rollerblades, or simply taking a walk at the park. in the valley. going for a hike and feeling the earth and getting closer to what has been rooted for thousands of years. getting onto a kayak and feeling the water below you. feeling the water with your hands.

this is how I grew up. simply understanding the value of being outside. the value of stepping away from technology. the value of appreciating life as it is in front of us without the construction and fancy gadgets and gizmos all attached to it. simply appreciating. not needing a stimulus change on tik tock every 15 seconds to get the high and joy out of every moment. being able to simply love being in a situation for 30 minutes and not needing things to change. strong attention span. patience. just breathing through moments and letting them calm our mind as we let nature do its work.

I dedicate lots of my appreciation for the outdoors to skateboarding. it was a way of transportation. but it was also a way to enjoy life without structure. a invaluable lesson. sometimes we have to enjoy moments without a complicated drawn out plan. sometimes we would cruise to friends houses, or the skatepark, or down to the water, or simply take a city wide trip on our decks and see what happened along the way with the interactions we had with people or the conversations we had as bros. invaluable. moments never forgotten.

bringing plants and trees into your home. leaving the window open so you can hear the birds. keeping a candle at your coffee table to remind you of a fire that you can have at nighttime and simply sit there in reflection and gratitude. watching the sunset (one of the most powerful outdoor experiences I can think of). simply sit there for the entire thing. 45 minutes worth. while it slowly sets. and watch the way in which it brings your mind at ease. the way in which it brings closure to your day. one of the most powerful things you can experience.

hope this is a bit motivating to bring some intention toward planning time to get into nature.

outside of the pure enjoyment, just watch the way in which it increases your mental health, your sense of joy and appreciation, your sense of calm, and overall programming the beauty of simplicity into your mind. living in the moment and realizing how beautiful life is without all the extras.

give it a try a bit more frequently. I love getting morning sunlight. quite possibly one of the best things we can do as humans. watch the way in which it fills you up, helps with your sleep, and just elevates your mood.

all thoughts here. good things.

get outside.

Random Relationship Chasing: A Psychological Dive into Choosing Partners and Deeper Rooted Motives

There are so many different takes on intimate relationships. Do we tend to go after a partner that was similar to our Mother/Father or a hybrid between the two? or do we go for something completely opposite of the love that our Mother and Father shared with us? Do we go after the Love our Mother shared with us and avoid the type of love our Father shared with us? Visa versa. The answer is never absolutely clear. We all have different things we value in partners and also different ways in which we feel absolutely cared for, respected, and appreciated by.

Here is where it gets interesting: our own pursuits through life and whom we decide to settle down with and for what reasons. Early on in life, its easier to look at someone and feel “wowed” by the sports they play, the intelligence they have, the money they have, the power and strength they have, the physical beauty they have,or the house they live in, the car they drive, etc… these initials physical attractions can LURE us in. Of course. Every single day we are exposed to different kinds of people. People we are immediately forming impressions of whether we think we are or not. Simply: We as animals are constantly scanning our environments to observe the traits of others. potentially thinking: “That is lots of beauty. that person smells good. that person stinks. that person is kind. that person is rude. that person holds themselves well in convo. that person has good confidence. that person lacks confidence.. etc”

Ultimately: we absolutely are in charge of whom we decide to get closer to and whom we decide to bring closer to our tribe and personal space. Sometimes you hear the things: “He always seems to go after the same type of woman.” Or the same thing roles reversed. the woman going after a similar type of man. Why so? There are things that each of us search for in a potential partner. some of them can be healthy, and some of them can be very damaging and unhealthy.” Maybe our mothers were caring, affectionate, good listeners, and calm. Maybe our father was assertive, goal driven and confident. So maybe we go after a calm, intelligent and affectionate woman that also has a side to her of confidence and assertiveness when the situation calls for it… Maybe because of our curious human nature, we go the other way: we decide to go for a very dominate strong woman that only has a touch of gentleness to her. On the woman’s side: Maybe this woman decides to go for other woman because of the abuse that she experienced with her father growing up. Or maybe she decides to continue and chase aggressive toxic masculine traits in men because that is what she was familiar with when she grew up with her father. You get the point. Sometimes we go after what we’re used to. Sometimes the opposite. Sometimes a combination of traits between the two.

Our Father and Mother were our first line of protection when we came into this world. Its no wonder lots of connections to love language and how we feel cared for stem back to our Mother and Father. I do see how the older we get: we must be highly aware of which traits are going to be healthy for us in the long term, and which ones are going to produce a high in the short term which ends in lots of chaos and disaster. It’s very important to list down our needs and wants in a relationship. This way we can intentionally approach relationships and be set up for a higher chance of success.

Personally: I would have to say that I was not as intentional with relationships when you look at my track record. A little bit of everything. is this a bad thing? Not necessary. What it does allow for is for us to have data and experience that points toward what is best for us. The “now we know” kind of thing. You just hope that after awhile: You’re gather enough experience to make better decisions when you move forward. to really sit there consciously and think: “this is what I will allow and this is what I will not allow in a relationship. this is what I 100% accept in a person and need from an intimate happy standpoint.” intention. Purpose. These powerful realizations is what makes us different than animals. We are lots higher aware to consequences and potential outcomes of our decisions. The question is: how much will power do you have to stay ahead of these kind of decisions and not let emotions completely take over your mind when trying to make an equally reasonable decision with this sort of thing?

Takes lots of practice and resisting of temptations. But thats what makes us so great as humans. We always have the right to say no. we can always decide to walk away. we can always decide to dive right in. at the end of the day: are you going to take responsibility for all of the outcomes of a given decision? I hope so because you have the choice to go to the grocery store of your choosing, to make plans and meet up with someone, to say yes or no to requests that are given to you, etc. when the outcome doesn’t go the way that you imagined it to go, we must look at that situation and think “What was in my control that I potentially could be more aware of next time so we do not repeat these same mistakes.”

easier said than done.

practice.

It’s no wonder theres lots of freedom in your life when you get a really good grasp on what you will allow into your life and what you won’t allow. The amount of peace you will find. Because I tell ya one thing: The past 1.5 years has been a period of being very intentional with my words, decisions, where I put myself, and being clearly honest. let me also tell you what that has done: freed me. its allowed me to find quality and lots of fulfillment within because I’m putting myself around people and places that are feeding to my energy and allowing me to vibrate at a higher frequency more often than not… the decision to remove myself form a certain work environment, to understand what I need to get closer to when it comes to friends, or family, or intimate situations. They all add up. they can compliment your life or they can drain from your energy. ask yourself at the end of the day: am I happy with who Is around me do I feel supported by those people? We have to be brutally honest with that question so we are not constantly let down and have expectations that are continuously never met. it really is in our hands. What does this person or place have to offer that I need in my life? What challenges are tough parts am I going to get close to and are those worth working on together? Where is ______ person on their journey of healing and how do they prove self work in a sense that would show that they can be committed to getting better and being a healthy exposure in my life?

All good things to reflect on.

I don’t have all The answers.

I do have lots of experience.

Which helps me understand what I want more of and what I want less of.

stay ahead of this game and protect your inner peace.

Control what you can control. realize what is worth controlling and what is worth letting go of. its a practice. always will be. Deeper purpose with all that we do.

There’s No Such Thing as Busy: We’re all “Busy.” We Make Time for What We Value and Prioritize

I’ve learned over the course of my life by observation of others and also personal experience that the word “busy” gets throw around lots. It’s a word that gets tossed into usual conversation and a pretty familiar word in the norm of our society currently. We must be aware of how we’re using the word, how often, and in relation to what context. what i mean by this is: here are some familiar perspectives to what the word busy can actually mean:

Are you spending time being “busy’ just to be busy? Just to fill the schedule and stay in a hard charging go-go-go mode? Is what you’re actually doing with your time what makes you happy? Do we use the word busy to let others know “hey, I really am not going to be able to prioritize you into my schedule?” Is the word busy a way to justify why there is no more room for ____ in our life? How’s things been lately? “Busy.” There are 1,000,000 reasons why we can stay “busy” today. 1,000 applications on your iphone, work places that expect faster and quicker results, fast paced instant results with the technology in our lives and work places, Wrapped up into the routines every day.. You can see there are a million reasons why we all claim to be “busy.”

This brings up a huge awareness: Continuously being able to step back and think, “are there unnecessary actions in my routine that I can take out? Are there more efficient ways to use my time toward _____? Is me spending my time doing _______ or with person ______ serving what i imagine my well valued time to feel like?

Lets look at the word Values:

Values are individual beliefs that motivate people to act one way or another. They serve as a guide for human behavior. Generally, people are predisposed to adopt the values that they are raised with. People also tend to believe that those values are “right” because they are the values of their particular culture.

What shapes our values? Our decisions every single day. Not only what you spend your time on but mentally what consumes your brain energy. Values are shaped by our consistency or lack of it. There may be a strict set of values in people’s lives that motivates them daily to carry out how they choose to love. Whether its work, family time, exploration, fitness, health, thrilling activities, spiritual faith and discipline, hobbies, etc. We spend our time on what it is we want our identity to be. Each action is a vote toward the identity you’re living into.

For Example: Does someone want to be more social and open to letting others in? Maybe their value set is leaning toward openness, exploration and saying yes to invitations or assertiveness toward pursuing these types of things. Maybe someone has value sets in line with a tight close knit group of loved Ones and they’re less open to expanding that circle. Their value sets are more committed to a small group of people and a practice of loyalty to those individuals. Both are very okay and unique in their own ways. When better understanding others around us, its valuable to be able to understand where they physically spend their time and where they mentally spend their time.

The next time you hear the word busy, take a second and think about what that word really means. We’re humans all living different lives. Everyone around you. Even as similar as some people seem to be to you, we’re all slightly different in the way we approach things and what we spend our time one.

Some people desire more people in their livers with similar values. I’ve seen this lots now the older that i get. approaching 30, it seems as though, more and more people are starting to really live into a certain set of values. Versus being 16 years old and running around like a chicken with our heads cut off.

I have seen how conversation changes depending on people in the room and the set of values those individuals have. One of the best lessons: Its better to ask questions and make it about the other person when interacting in person, because you never know what set of values that person may have. they may be 100% different than you. when it comes to interaction, the best way to bridge that gap and make things a bit more casual is to sense that pretty quickly and simply invest into another person’s world. Making it about yourself lots of time creates distance between you and the person in front of you. Because that person may have no idea what you mean or no interest in what it is you have to say. Value sets play a large role in the way conversation is approached and carried out. One thing I’ve noticed is: Its gets easier over time to interact when we practice making it about others and learning more about what the audience is in front of you.

By this point it makes a little more sense why a standard reply is “I’m busy.” A million different lives around you making a million different decisions on how they specifically want to live their lives.

We are all busy.

Just thoughts.


Speaking to Someone’s Soul: A Deep Dive into True Connection Beyond the Physical. A Necessary Foundation for Longevity:

Let’s quickly step aside from the relationship aspect of this title. What do you know about longevity in life from a physical standpoint. We know that it’s possible to get burnt out physically. We know the life’s stressors and responsibilities are around us at every moment of the day. We know that this physical world has lots of distractions and lots of freedom/opportunity. We know very well that can continue and chase physical things which cause highs. Short term highs. then we’re back to ground one. Until we receive that physical presence again. The cycle of the highs and lows. Smiling once we’ve obtained something physical and then it becomes more familiar and boring over time until we find the next best things, or more more more.. Continuously chasing sex, money, cars, hobbies, collections, or any other type of fascination that releases endorphins in us when we obtain or work toward that goal. Physical pursuits are good. They’re apart of our survival but they aren’t the only thing that needs to be present for longevity and sustainability of our pursuits

Back to the spiritual side: Higher purpose. Belief in more than what we can see. Feeling things that sometimes words cant describe. hope in what is to come even when the unknown is a high risk. Sitting in stillness and feeling pure joy and gratitude for what is. reflecting on all of the good in our lives at this very moment. Deep breathing and meditation further putting us in touch with our inner purpose and what we’re meant for. Deep walks into the woods and realizations we come to about our lives and what direction we need to take things. The pauses in our routines to simple have presence and calm. Continuously checking in and asking ourselves, “are the actions I take on a day to day putting me closer to the identity of ______ of which I want to become? Are these actions serving my uniqueness and helping me unleash the potential there is within me. 

Physical purely by itself does not sustain long term happiness. Spiritual by itself does not necessary sustain long term happiness. A combination of both is quite necessary. We can claim to be spiritual and have the fanciest words, understandings, and realizations about what our lives are meant for, but we do have to take physical action and discipline ourselves to habits and routines that act out the dreams and drive that we’re building inside of our minds. We were put on this earth for a reason. If the physical didn’t matter, then we would all be floating angels in the clouds. There is a reason why we are here on this earth. But we aren’t here forever. Which further makes me think: how do I use this time on the physical earth the way that my unique presence was meant for? How do I leave the best impact? How do I treat people and want to be remembered for? What will I leave that continues to give to further generations? How do I build a family that will continue to live on, procreate and be empowered to change the earth in which I set the tone for? All great things to think about that are lots deeper and further than just a simple physical answer or quick high that we can get. 

Let’s circle back to the relationship aspect of this: do you know what it feels like to speak soul to soul with someone. Do you know how deep that feeling hits in the chest. Do you know what true connection and fire behind your soul feels like? When you speak to someone’s soul, you see beyond their physical beauty and feel them for who they really are. You see the simplicity of their core. You see the power and healing calm behind it. You feel this and its something you just cant forget. It’s not just the beautiful choice of words. It’s something further than what can be explained sometimes. its still setting in. Something adding to your energy every single morning that you wake up. It’s an extra boost. It’s not something that can be forced. It’s just there and it’s happening. It doesn’t feel like a quick high followed by a low. It feels like a consistent presence. A a mark on the soul. A life changing interaction. This is what I mean when I talk about something further than the physical. The immediate reaction and thought is not to need anything physical. But simply just appreciate the energy that the situation as whole is creating. It’s refreshing. Its peaceful. It’s clear. It’s reassuring. It’s powerful. And it’s something more powerful than anything physical around me. The guns, the ego, the toxic masculinity in society and whatever you name it: there is no power equal or even close equal to the power of a soul speaking interaction. It’s one that you know you will fight for. It’s one that you know will remain. its one that you know you will resist the temptations of life for. Because really soul connections are ones that sustain in the hardest and best of times both. Not knowing more than simply: this is apart of my purpose. This is the type of thing worth fighting for in the long term. This is in line with who I am and what I’m about. This is on the same wavelength as me. This is worth putting full effort toward. this is what I mean by understanding when something is serving your soul versus something just serving a physical short term high. The high is fun at times. It’s great at times. But it’s not long term what is going to lead to fulfillment and true happiness. There will never be enough. when you find something or something that fires your soul up, you think about it day and night. simply daydreaming about it brings you so much joy. Hold this energy close. Its rare. Its meant for you. 

Soul serving or physical serving. I’ll choose the soul servings in life. One thing is for certain: they require work. Work that is worth it. Not simply chasing something and stressing out ever decision just to gain a benefit or reach a high. This is why people in poor jobs, or unhealthy relationships are constantly in a state of burn out and low energy. They aren’t vibrating on a wavelength that radiates the light. They’r beat down by the stresses of the situations which are not moving them in the right direction, emotionally beating them down, or not allowing for an open safe place to reach a high unlimited potential. This is another big point. We can not grow in a situation that limits our soul. How are you being treated? Are you valued? Are you respected? Are you compliment and encouraged? Are you supported? Thee are the questions we need to ask ourselves when it comes to our careers and our closer relationships. We spend 40 hours a week or more at a job. Outside of that: we’re around people that we claim are our friends or loved ones. Two things that need strong purpose and soul firing energy are our careers and our relationships. 

What If we sat and wrote down what it was our soul needs? Is that an easy thing to do? Maybe for some. Maybe extremely difficult for others. All I know is this: Lots of things at this stage of life are lining up with my soul. They’re not adding to my stress meter. The energy meter is staying full. Sure some days are exhausting and difficult. But I don’t claim them as “stressful.” Theres a big difference I do believe. If we’re continually being stressed out by the same thing over and over, is that stressor actually worth it? Because if it was: for example: doing diapers for your child. Is that stressful? Potentially at first. But it doesn’t become a continuous activity that stresses parents out. Why? Because it’s part of the higher purpose. It’s necessary. It’s moving the child toward a more productive further. It’s part of a parents deeper high duty to serve. I hear lots of people who are unhappy for a very long time claim to be “stressed by this, stressed by that.” I’m thinking, “is this stress worth it to you?” Because if the challenges and hard times are apart of a beautiful purpose in which you’re apart of, they aren’t always viewed as stresses. They’re challenges that are necessary. When you’re in a beautiful relationship that is 100% worth it to your soul, we aren’t walking around sayin, “my partner stresses me out, my relationship is stressful.” I would imagine that we would say things along the lines of, “things are challenging at times, we work together to find resolutions to our conflict.” But do you see the difference there? Stressors versus necessary challenges. Stressors simply spinning our wheels and being drained over and over by mindless things… challenges are necessary difficulties and hardships that are apart of the puzzle when it comes to our soul reaching relationships and endeavors. Hard stuff can be worth it. Very worth it. Perspective. 

All thoughts here. Things that were on my mind recently in relation to relationships, soul serving actions versus non soul serving actions. Stresses versus purposeful challenges. All good things here. Reflection. Gets us thinking. Thats all for now. Feels great to get these thoughts out of my head and down onto this document. what good are they if they’re only up here In my head. they’re thoughts to share with the world. let it flow.

We thrive on consistency and routine. But we can also be restricted by our consistency and routine. How the balance makes sense

My workouts every day. my morning routine. My nighttime routine. My grocery story routine. Routine. Routine. Routine. Routine is fun until it isn’t fun. The question is: what is the right amount of routine and when is it good to break the routine to keep that fire under us burning fresh and strong?

Hard charging and loving the routine. Or a little overwhelmed and wanting to step back from the routine. We’ve all been there. The flow of life. We eliminate lots of anxiety and find lots of safety in our routines. they’re our safe place. Our consistency’s and what give us stability in our lives. A feeling of ease when you know you’ve got everything done you need to get done in your routine. Ahhh such a great feeling.

However: think about the new job that you might’ve stepped into or will step into. that new lady friend you met or are wanting to meet. that new hobby that you’ve daydreamed about but never actually done anything about it. new music you might’ve been curious about. new restaurants or outdoor adventure areas you might’ve always wanted to try.

For some: initially thinking about going new places or trying new things sparks lots of anxiety. there are some who need to stay in their city, go to their usual grocery store, and not leave more than a 10 minute radius of their home. Do not fear. This is normal. Humans since the beginning of time lived in tribes. lots of time was spent most of our time close to home for gathering food and building a life.

However: If you’ve dug into any modern-day psychology, you will see lots of info on stepping out of comfort zones and being able to explore and be curious toward new stimulus or environments. This can be beneficial for us as modern-day humans. We have lots of resources and interact with so many different people, that opening our eyes to new stimulus or environments can help us connect better, getting along better, and further our own internal data base of knowledge that we can use to impact our own tribes or environments.

Lets go over a modern day example: when I was a kid, my mother was really good at facilitating curiosity and exploration in us. On a Tuesday, she would go: hey, I’ve got a really good plan as a family for us on Saturday. Sometimes she would give us the details and sometimes she wouldn’t. she made it familiar for us to expect some sort of “out of the box and out of our comfort zones” activity. It would entail some sort of adventure into the wilderness, new restaurants, fun places to go like farmers markets, movies, trampoline parks, water parks, etc. She was good at helping us be familiar with new places and new people. A value skill set that our mother practiced with us. This naturally can help increase communication skills, sense of joy and belonging, and a bigger picture view of the world around us.

Lets fast forward a little further ahead to our adult years. Some people in their adult years let the stress of work and responsibilities of life kill that fire beneath them. What i mean is: as a kid, you are smiling, being curious, joyful and looking at the world as a new experience. Then is see adults who walk through their days looking at the world like they want it to end. the stress of life taking away that joyful look and feeling that the world has to offer. no longer having that childhood lens that we used to have growing up.

The answer is simple: when you’re feeling out of touch with yourself, stressed out beyond belief from work, or whatever it is: a step into a unfamiliar territory can be that decision you need to make all the difference. A perspective change. Why do you think they’re treating depression with Mushrooms now? perspective change. Sometimes in the stress and busyness of life, we let that exhaust us and we forget to see the beauty and appreciation in all that is around us. it becomes so familiar because we see it every single day. Not that you need drugs to do so: but lets get out of our city, go to a park we never went to. read a book somewhere where you’ve never sat and listened to the birds at. Try some new food in a city where there is a restaurant unlike one that you have near home. hangout at the beach, get outside and just be a free animal. because that’s what we are. animals.

being a hard charging human is a beautiful part to mankind. we have the ability to choose. to commit. and produce results from which we commit to. but even routine needs moderation. our batteries need a recharge before we can go back to battle. we can not lay on the gas pedal 100% of the time. We need to try new things, explore what this world has to offer, and experience as much life as we can experience.

and guess what: the humans that are more active in their lives with their bodies, minds, and spirits tend to be the happiest and most fulfilled humans there are. Live well.

Embrace your curiosity.

Instagram: The_Human_Experiment

Have you ever noticed the people that treat others poorly coincidentally also have a poor nutrition?

Take this context into consideration: This individual wakes up: consumes coffee. Dehydrates themselves right from the get-go. eats a Poptart. Maybe even a bowl of cereal. a glass of orange juice. Takes no vitamins. maybe skips breakfast and gets to work and eats a doughnut. Doesn’t leave home with a water bottle or any sort of way to hydrate. Mid-morning comes: “i feel horrible.” this situation is far familiar for many. I like to ask often what people’s morning routines look like. I tend to ask people that seemingly look healthy and ones that also look unhealthy. Sometimes deceiving, but still; I like to gather as much information as i can about people so that over the course of my life, I create my own internal database based on different contexts and unique situations. I love listening to what people’s routines are and the results they get.

Back to the poor diet with high sugars and low protein intake. I run into individuals that are very rude. sometimes they’re extremely attractive individuals with arrogance and too much pride in the way they live. however: lots of the time, I am mistreated by individuals that are unhealthy. How do i know they’re unhealthy? Simply by observing their actions. usually have some sort of pop, juice or energy drink in their hand. They’re usually overweight. And sometimes i take a peak into their grocery cart at the store, and i can tell why they have elevated blood sugar, high blood pressure, and peaks and crashes of energy.

Maybe the effects of those foods contribute to the way they treat others? Fighting the feeling of wanting to be energized and mentally/physically supported for the day. I could imagine too how it would be hard to smile yet be kind to others around them.

how about the other person: skips breakfast because they’re rushed to leave the house and don’t have any kind of lunch made for when they get to work. Now they’re starving by 10:30 am and are more likely to binge eat something really unhealthy for lunch. that person over consumes and has a blood sugar crash by 2PM and starts feeling HORRIBLE by mid afternoon. Another reason why that individual would most likely not treat others kindly.

I’ve learned when we feel good ourselves, its lots easier to treat others well. You’re not fighting the fake smile kind of kindness when you yourself are radiating the light and feeling your best. It just naturally displays itself.

lets look at the habits of the individual that eats unhealthily. so they’re most likely not thinking ahead to what their next meal is or what the future of the day in a sense of eating looks like. Making decisions emotionally or because they’re starving. which increases the chance of them to make a faster decision than normal. increases their chances of being impulsive and snappy. This then leads to a fast answer. A fast answer is usually a poor one when it comes to nutrition.

This individual is most likely not too aware of a regular fitness regime either coincidentally. Keep in mind: a fitness regime will hold you more accountable to think ahead, plan, and make better decisions for your health.

now, for the sake of humankind: please don’t be that individual that thinks eating lettuce and chicken salads all day means you’re healthy. you’re most likely missing out on good amounts of fats, carbs that you need for your brain and body, and other nutrient diversity to make sure you aren’t mineral deficient.

now imagine this individual:

has their meals made. has an idea of what they’re going to make for breakfast tomorrow. Has awareness to what the future plans are. Now lets approach the next day and where we are mentally:

no mental energy to put toward what we’re going to eat. no starving feelings which lead to emotional fast decisions. no unknown variables. no crashes of energy most likely because the food is home made and cleaner.

now we feel great.

now its much easier to radiate that kindness.

it makes sense why one of the coincidental traits of unkind individuals is a poor diet.

feel good. be good. they go hand in hand.

The Low Quality of Mass-produced foods: Calling out the industry and its manipulative marketing and low standards.

The part they don’t want to tell you: There are intelligent psychologists, analytical geniuses, tech wizards, doctors and more that are helping business owners make decisions on what their product description should say and what it should look like to stimulate a feeling within the consumer so that they can feel more reassured that what they’re purchasing and consuming is a good buying decision.

today more than ever, packaging is fancier than its ever been. more vibrant. words like endurance, prosperity, longevity, percentages used to make you feel better, bold words, sounds in commercials, potentially a tiny little ingredient in the product that is highlighted as something that will “save your heart.” all sorts of statements that allow so much room for gray area.

before you read all of this, if you don’t take anything away.. at least take this: you must look at ancestral wisdom. there are some things since the beginning of time that we cant change. then there are some beautiful things today that compliment our ancestral wisdom. look at the habits of humans since the beginning of time, and then take all this fancy google literature and apply it with a grain of salt.

I’m not going to name drop. But lets take this container of coffee I’m looking at in my work office: it says: classic roast. robust flavor. Mountain grown. The container is a sharp red color. There are mountains and sun shinning on it. rich pure taste. 100% pure coffee.

Lets quickly analyze some of this. Sorry, you’re not fooling more mainstream bs coffee. The color red: earning luck and prosperity. its a power color. could be happiness and good luck. strong. the color in general is a power color. just that alone will draw attention. The word robust: draws attention. its bold. strong and healthy, study, rich. mountains and sun. another relatable sign of power and higher uplifted mental state.

Lets dig into the contents and how the body processes them. we use reverses osmosis water and a clean coffee maker. Also just a little concerned that the half a dozen times I’ve tried the coffee, it leads to stomach disruption and unfamiliar bowel movements within the next two hours. Keep in mind, im a avid aeropress organic coffee drinker daily. never have had one issue with my home made coffee.

Also have dug into some podcast episodes with some private coffee companies who have specially done third part testing that has shown the level of plastic and micro toxins in these mainstream coffees.

But the average consumer will walk down the isle, have a mental cue registered from the appearance of the container, and then pulled further in by the words and BOOM. they’re sold.

Drinking this coffee daily and wondering why their poops are nasty and why they have mid-day crashes and all sorts of lingering issues with their health.

the crazy part is: this is just one food item.

how about the low quality of the oils put into processed boxed foods in a majority of the grocery store. keep in mind: those oils are the building blocks of your cells. But companies are continuously figuring out how to increase their margins with the result of more poor quality products.

The juices? lets pasteurize them and make them last 1.5 years in our fridge. oh and lets add vitamin powder and advertise them. 100% juice. what does that even mean?

bread quality? lets make it so sweet that humans get addicted to white bread. consuming this for 10’s of years until its treated us as poorly as its made.

don’t get me wrong: there are lots of ethical businesses out there and its obvious in the price. you get what you pay for. but there are so many loopholes in today’s day and age.

zero calorie drinks? taking up half the isle in the grocery store. do you think your great grandparents would drink that? that’s probably a good question to ask. would my great great grandpa or grandma consume or drink this? guess what: our deeply rooted ancestors made very good decisions with eating. we might have more access to a diversity of nutrients today, but they went chasing after what’s easiest and what’s quickest. which is the downfall of health. quick and easy.

why does everyone always say: i love my grandma’s homemade cooking? Are we quite literally saying that we don’t home make our foods home made on a regular basis? that’s an issue if a majority of our food we’re eating is not homemade. I get it. Grandma makes great recipes. most likely filled with different herbs, spices and all sorts of nutrient density. Yes, quite possibly a bit fattier than your average meal, but the quality of these fats and the diversity of the meal is something that can be utilized by the human body in a beautiful way.

Again: are we eating too much like the average modern day American, or are we going to take a look at our ancestors and pay attention to their habits with eating, cooking and the time spent to create a quality meal.

but chipotle, chick fil a, and sandwich huts are easy. they’re good. they’re fresh aren’t they. try eating them every day and see how you feel. now limit that to 1-2 days a week, and cook the rest of the days and see how you feel.

maybe some of the arguments made by the FDA and mass produced companies is: if we made the quality higher, we wouldn’t have enough food to feed the population. yield would be lower if it was down more in line with mother nature’s processes. I could see that. But i also ask this question: why are there so many overweight, pre diabetic, hyper blood sugar human walking around? What if millions of overweight people decided to cut back on processed foods. or what if the quality of food standards raised as a whole, and didn’t allow people to make quicker faster decision related to food. we would be forced to cook our foods. like our ancestors did.

all just reflective thoughts here.

pay attention to how certain foods make you feel 1-2 hours after consumption. how much food is consumed in one sitting and what that sweet spot is for optimal health. if you can’t avoid some of the bs food products out there, at least make it a goal to eat a small volume of them as a whole. maybe less frequently or less at one time.

the standard is to cook in a kitchen. period.

theres a difference between surviving and thriving.

I don’t’ want to see anymore people get taken advantage of or falling into the habit of the average American that spends all of their mental energy before every meal, asking “what’s for lunch.. what’s for dinner.” constantly making so many on the stop quick decisions. quick decisions = poor results. plan ahead or let life make the plans for you. letting life make plans for you means you’re a zombie. a robot.

educate yourselves just as I’ve done. listen to podcasts. read books. dig into literature. make the decisions for yourself so that there is INTENTION and PURPOSE behind decisions. all of them count.

all actions are a vote toward the induvial you want to be. do you want to be healthy and thriving beautiful human or do you want to cast votes toward being a pre diabetic sluggish snail. the choice is yourself. take responsibility.

Sparking your creative side: It’s a skill just like the gym. You practice creativity to see more of it in your life.

First and foremost: Lets take the no victim mentality toward this and really hone in on this concept: If you want more of something in your life, you must practice it, and put the habits into action daily. If you want more calm in your life: you practice calm through calm activities like reading, meditation, intentional breaks from the cell phone, calm walks outside, listening to music and staying present through deep breathing, walking your dog, etc. this enhances your CALM SKILL POINTS. lets throw it back to the RuneScape videogame days. If you want to get better, you need to increase your skill points.

Creativity:

I hear things like: I want to be more creative….I want to put things into words better and articulate what’s on my mind better…. I want to speak my feelings and understand them better…. i want to feel things more strongly and have deeper passion behind my work…. I want to just have more fun and have that childhood spark of joy when i am present with things i do.

Back to the RuneScape days. We have our CREATIVE SKILL

BREAKING OUT OF THE ANALYTICAL PROBLEM SOLIVING MIND

Lets break it down on how we can level up.

The feeling part of you, deep senses, daydreaming, fantasy, photogenic mind, and more are stimulated by activities that need those skill sets activated.

Lets start here:

This could simply be finding a fiction/fantasy book to dive into which will spark creativity. This could be getting out into nature and being highly observant of the beauty which lies around you. This could be carrying a journal around with you and taking intentional breaks to write down how you feel, what’s on your mind, or just random thoughts of the day. This could be achieve through trying painting, drawling, yoga, and more.

But, HOW OFTEN are you preforming these activities? Remember, a skill is developed by practice. No victim mentality. You want to increase you creative skill points, then we must discipline ourselves to tap into these creative activities more often.

Now lets say you’ve been sticking to a more disciplined creative minded schedule for awhile now.

I can honestly say that a “creative mind block” happens time to time. That feeling where you just can’t put anything into words. We all experience this. You’re a little “blah.” This feeling is okay. You’re human. Sometimes it takes some intentional action to get back to a more creative flow state:

I’ve noticed this can be achieved through the type of music you’re playing. Switch to some instrumental music without lyrics. This can help your brain get away from focusing on the words and being guided by the words. Instead, your brain will decide the route it goes based off the frequency of the melody. Meditative music melody. This is a good way to spark the creative mind. Sometimes when I’m feeling blah, i decide to take a bath or go for a walk in the woods. Sometimes it might be as simple as reading a book with a candle lit. Creating a atmosphere of calm and presence.

I’ve found this to be helpful for people in general who might not even want to foster more creative thoughts. Just simply the concept of space, time, and calm. life gets busy and our minds get wrapped up in the responsibilities that we are attending to. The fatigue mentally from all of that can put us further away from a flow state and creative feel good mind. This is where the intentional breaks and the creative mind training on a regular basis comes into handy. Pulling it out like a weapon on the frequent and putting it to play.

Next thing you know: You will be hours deep into an activity that keeps you so present, that a feeling of calm and joy comes across your mental. Congratulations: you have accessed the flow state. Such a beautiful place to be when you can activate it. The state is quality time. it doesn’t leave you empty. its fulfilling.

the best part is: Lots of the time, the flow state requires simplicity. not multitasking. Full attention toward one activity.

creative flow. creative state. creative mind. YOU CREATE IT. no victim mentality. everything is a skill. Some will naturally improve faster than others, but if it takes 30 years just to get 18% better, that 18% is worth it. No victim mentality.

OLD MENTALITY: “that’s just the way i am.”

NEW MENTALITY: “This is where I am, and I am open to room for improvement and will put in the work to make a change.”