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  1. Last year around August I met a man online through a dating site. We originally agreed to be friends with benefits, but after a few months things started getting intimate. I started to develop feelings for him and he seemed to have also been feeling the same way. Aside from meeting for sex we would have very deep conversations. Around the holidays my fwb asked me to do him a favor and marry him. I was very open to the idea as I felt strong attachment to him and it seemed he felt the same. After New Years I told him I was falling in love with him (it was true then and still true to this day), however he said he was not looking to fall in love or for anything serious at the moment. He just needed to be married so he can get citizenship and keep custody of his daughter. I spent months trying to convince him that marrying for love would be best. He’d have his citizenship, his daughter, and love. This led to a falling out for a little while. He never came back to physically see me anymore (not since Christmas). I recently had a little incident a few months ago in which he came to my rescue (by calling the police for me). For a short period of time we were actually talking on the phone instead of texting and started to bond again. I felt love from him, but suddenly he distanced himself from me after promising to take care of me. After saying our friendship might blossom into something. Lately I am initiating all of the conversations over text. He refuses to have phone conversations or to even visit me. Says he’s busy and doesn’t have time, but as soon as he needs a shoulder to cry on or to try and ask for a loan he reaches out. It is now clear to me that he has no love or respect for me. He doesn’t really want to be my friend judging by his actions. Every time I ask him if he still wants to be friends or if he ever wants to meet again for sex he tells me yes, but continues to act disinterested. We used to talk about deep stuff and exchange information about each other’s lives, but now he gives me brief answers or ignores me and doesn’t inquire about me or my life anymore. Asking him direct questions is pointless because he won’t give me an honest answer. This hurts so bad because I love him. I really do. The chemistry is (or at least was) there. Not sure if I should just delete him from my phone and move on. What’s the point in keeping him around if he neither wants to be my platonic friend or possible boyfriend. At this point I’m just wasting energy. I don’t understand what is so hard about just confessing that he is no longer interested in associating with me. Something caused him to have a change of heart and that is fine, but don’t leave me hanging as I continue to pour my heart out. This sucks so much. Sorry for long post. Just really heartbroken over this whole ordeal.
  2. I did send you a private message about this, but for all the others in a similar situation...: I think there is a reason for every part of life. The "Having no clue what's next in your life" part can be an awesome time. It's your chance to find out, what you like to do. It's your chance to find out, what you like. As a child, you have restrictions. In a relationship you have restrictions. Did you ever go to a store and bought your favorite cake? Did you get the couch you like the most? Did you build the gaming PC you always wanted? Did you try diffent kinds of beer, wine or other drinks to find out, which one you like the most? Now is the perfect time to do all these things and it's good that you didn't take the next step in life until you tried everything you ever wanted to try.
  3. In walking meditation, readings can be a helpful tool to enhance your mindfulness practice and provide inspiration. Here are a few examples of readings that you can consider incorporating into your walking meditation: Excerpts from spiritual texts: Many spiritual traditions offer beautiful and contemplative writings that can deepen your connection with the present moment. Consider selecting passages from texts such as the Bhagavad Gita, Tao Te Ching, Dhammapada, or works by mystics like Rumi or Thich Nhat Hanh. Nature poetry: Poetry that captures the beauty and essence of nature can be particularly fitting for walking meditation. Explore the works of poets like Mary Oliver, Walt Whitman, or Matsuo Basho for verses that evoke a sense of mindfulness and connection to the natural world. Mindfulness and meditation guides: There are numerous books and articles written specifically for meditation and mindfulness practices. Look for excerpts or teachings that speak to the importance of present moment awareness, cultivating inner peace, or finding stillness amid movement. Personal affirmations or mantras: Create your own set of affirmations or mantras that resonate with you personally. These can be positive statements or phrases that help ground you in the present moment and reinforce your intentions for your walking meditation practice. Reflections on walking and movement: Consider readings that explore the significance of walking and movement in various aspects of life. This could include writings on pilgrimage, the art of walking, or the connection between physical and mental well-being. When selecting readings, choose ones that align with your beliefs, values, and intentions for your walking meditation practice. Experiment with different texts and see which ones resonate with you the most. You can read them before or during your walking meditation, allowing the words to guide and inspire your contemplative journey.
  4. I recently came out of the deepest and darkest period of my life. I went through a triple whammy… lost my job, ended a 6-yr commitment (involved kids) and not by choice, then I lost my rock — my father🙏🏼☘️. The series of these events in 2019… turned me into a nervous wreck, depressed, sad, lost, confused, and scared to death. I sought help for the first time in my life. It helped… I had no choice but to take medicine. I dropped 30lbs in 3 weeks, I had zero appetite, no zest for life and had no direction to turn, so I stayed locked in my room for over 9 months. I came out periodically… just enough to show I was trying. I did a lot of soul searching during this time and a lot of praying. Get the help you need, don’t be ashamed or afraid to ask. And if you need to be alone be alone, but let someone know how you are feeling… there’s a compassionate world out there — we just need to connect and support one another❤️‍🩹‼️🌈☘️🙏🏼🥰 We all grieve differently and there’s no one fix… except for TIME — it’s the key 🔑 to ❤️‍🩹 healing.
  5. Hi suedseefrucht and thank you! Regarding life coaches, first thing is they are not supposed to give you advice. Insights, guidance or information, but not advice since it is up to the client to decide what action to take after a coaching conversation. If they give advice, they are called mentors or advisors. I agree that happiness comes from within yet it is surprising how miserable a lot of people have been by seeking happiness from the approval of others. Experience varies, beliefs varies, knowledge varies. Some people may need support, others don't, but not just being happy but other goals in life as well. So, I guess you are one happy person? If so, I am happy for you
  6. If "in love" means, you both love each other, if he doesn't want own children, if there are things you like to do together on a regular basis and if he is okay with being alone in the end of his life, it can work long-term. I don't mean to break your spirit, but these are the things I would think about first. Now to the positive stuff: In my opinion, life is not about being society conform. It's about making mistakes and making the best of what you've got. And if he is the person who makes these things enjoyable and fun, there is nothing wrong with spending time with him.
  7. If you want to help someone with anxiety, here are some tips: Listen: Listen to the person without judgment and try to understand their perspective. Allow them to express their fears and concerns. Be supportive: Let the person know that you are there for them and that you care about their well-being. Encourage them to seek help and let them know that they are not alone. Offer reassurance: Let the person know that their anxiety is normal and that they are not "crazy" or "weak." Help them understand that anxiety is a common experience and that it can be managed with the right treatment. Encourage self-care: Encourage the person to take care of themselves by getting enough sleep, eating well, exercising, and practicing relaxation techniques. Help them seek professional help: If the person's anxiety is interfering with their daily life, encourage them to seek professional help from a therapist or mental health professional. Offer to help them find a therapist or accompany them to their appointments. Avoid enabling: While it's important to be supportive, avoid enabling the person's anxiety by doing things for them that they can do themselves. Encourage them to take responsibility for their own well-being and to seek help when needed. Be patient: Recovery from anxiety can take time, so be patient and supportive. Celebrate their progress, no matter how small, and encourage them to keep moving forward. Remember that every person's experience with anxiety is different, so it's important to be open, supportive, and understanding. By providing support and encouraging the person to seek help, you can help them manage their anxiety and improve their overall well-being.
  8. You are happy when you feel the emotion of love. When you realize (or more accurately feel) that that is the case, it is as if your soul has reached home. Many people have said exactly this before, and some of us find this description too simple and insufficient. If you disagree with me, I would like you to perform an experiment. A good way of realizing the importance of love is to find out how life would be without any love whatsoever. Pretend that you live in a world where no-one is liked. You don’t even like yourself. What would make you happy in that world? Reflect upon this for a while. You maybe insist that you, after all, still will be able to enjoy the taste of a cake directly taken out from the oven, or enjoy things like good music or a beautiful sunset. After all, our bodies give our brains signals of sounds, pictures and sensations of taste. In order to better understand what this loveless world is like, you have to regard your mind as a radio receiver, with the ability to process several frequencies simultaneous. If your mind is set to only process signals of sensory input, but will discard any signal of love, you will of course still be able to hear the music, feel the taste and see the sunset. But your brain will not register any feeling of enjoyment, simply because you will filter out such signals (or frequencies, to go on with the radio metaphor). Well, it’s high time to change our point of view. Now, I wish you to add love to your imaginary world. Everybody in this world like each other, and everybody are united as one big family. Now, you probably realize how the cake will taste, how the music will sound and what it will feel like when the sunlight is fading out behind the trees. Later on, you will be guided through this experiment in a more direct and concrete way. But in order to prepare you, I will let you examine what love is, and make you understand the keys for enjoying such emotions. To put it simple, you choose if you like or dislike someone. That choice, of liking or disliking, is based on your opinions about how you should live your life. Your opinions about how you should live your life are in turn based upon your understanding of living. So whereas love in itself is a feeling, the reason for liking someone is based on understanding. You like someone because that person cares about someone. Consequently: the more someone cares, and the more people that person cares about, the more you are able to like that person. If you reflect upon this, you will understand that this is the case. If this seems to simple and insufficient, imagine this scenario: Your neighbour’s cat Missy has climbed up a tree, and cannot come back down. You are ill and feel really sick, so you can’t be of any help. However, you do your best, and make an emergency call. This emergency service lets robots do the work. These robots are accurately programmed to give their help the right way, taking into account how the patients seem to feel. Soon a robot named Tommy arrives. He gently brings Missy down to the ground. When the mission is over, he scratches Missy between her ears. She purrs in contentment. After all, Tommy is a machine. Well, he saved Missy’s life. But he doesn’t have any emotions, and he only did what he is programmed to do. It is you, who did what you could do (taking your illness into account), who deserve to be liked. This story shows that caring is the reason for love. Moreover, it shows how important it is to be aware of the emotions that lie behind a person’s behaviour. The more you understand someone (in other words, the better you know someone), the more you are able to like that person. I explain further: the more you know about how a person is feeling during different stages of life, the better you understand of how much caring there is in that person’s soul. And as I explained earlier, the more caring a person is, the more you are able to like her or him. Getting to know someone better, of course might give you insights that makes the love for that person decrease, or even fade out completely. But anyway, love that is based on false assumptions, isn’t real love after all. It is of course the case, that the more people you know, the more people you are able to like. Moreover, you may pay your attention to several things (in this case, persons) at the same time. Consequently: if more than two persons spend time together, it is possible to feel love/friendship for everyone in the group at one given moment. However, if you have lots of friends or a large social network, you might face difficulties achieving deep, meaningful social contacts. The important thing here is to feel what is right for you. The more people you care about, the more emotions of love you are able to enjoy. I explain this with a story: Claire is your best friend. You have empathy with her to such a degree, that you care as much about her as you care about yourself. One day, when you go for a walk in the woods, you suddenly get the sight of your friend from a distance. She tenderly looks at a deer that curiously looks back at her. At this moment, you don’t enjoy your own love. In this case, you enjoy Claire’s love for the deer. As you care as much about your friend as about yourself, it doesn’t matter that you aren’t involved. You are happy because Claire is happy – you are happy because you enjoy the love that she is feeling. However, to reverse the reasoning from before: if you have few friends, who you know very well, you might find yourself with a relatively small social network. But as I said before: the main thing is that your way of living feels right for you. The more you care in general, the more love you are able to enjoy. I will reconnect to your friendship with Claire. In this case, you are on your way to work. You are late, so you are in a hurry. On your way to work you get the sight of Claire, playing with her dog. Just by watching them, you realize their strong bond to each other. However, you don’t give this much attention. Instead, you worry about getting late for work. Love is an emotion – not a thought. You don’t have an experience of love when you think to yourself: I like Claire”. You have the experience of love when you feel how you like Claire, because she is the way she is. As I said before: That experience is an emotion – not a thought, that might be expressed with words or other symbols. Now, that you know more about love and about what makes you enjoying these emotions, it is time to put the pieces together. Now, you will perform the experiment that shows that love is the reason for happiness. But this time, you will perform the experiment in a more direct and tangible way. Do something that you normally enjoy: play music, and/or make yourself something nice to drink. While you listen to the music, sip on your drink, or whatever you feel like doing, you have to devote your attention to something that is completely meaningless. You might for instance spend your time counting the dust balls in the room. If you have cleaned so carefully that there aren’t any dust balls, you might try to figure out where the first dust balls will be vissible. You still have to listen to the music, and feel the taste of the drink. The purpose of this part of the experiment is to pay attention to your sensory input, while you are engaged in your meaningless activity. Now, take a break and just let go of your thoughts. If you like, you might wait until the next day. Now, it’s time for the second part of the experiment. Now, you have to do the same as before: turn on the same playlist as before, and have the same drink as last time. But this time, you will not count dust balls. Instead, choose someone that you like. Maybe it’s time to appreciate yourself for being the fantastic person that you really are. You also may choose a friend, a family member, a partner or a pet. Of course, you may choose several people. It is even possible to perform this part of the experiment with others. In this case, you have to agree upon a time for this part of the experiment, which ensures that all of you really know and feel that you are sharing this experience. While you listen to the music and feel the taste of the drink, pay as much attention as possible to the love that you feel for the person or persons that you have chosen. It might feel better to use words like friendship or devotion; that doesn’t matter, those words are after all words for some form of love. Let the emotion of love get stronger, by memorizing what this person has said and done, that makes you like him or her. And don’t forget to follow the flow of the music and to sip on your drink. Let the second part of the experiment last as long as the first part did. Then, it’s time to finish. Now, it is time to compare: How did it feel to do something that you like, while paying attention to something meaningless? How did it feel to do the same, while paying attention to love? In love and light, Pelle
  9. My most friendship is also one sided like any one sided love interest. Now a days in real life no friends for hangout and previous life friends are busy in their life. I think one sided friendships is also cool and I am successful with internet friends. You are also a example of my one sided friends to think sometimes as a special girl for me. You did not accept my friendship request but still I am commenting and engaging at your posts. When a friendship is one sided, two sided love can happen. Lol 😀
  10. OVERCOMING NERVOUSNESS BEFORE EXAMS Ms. Arsha (D/o Dr. Nikhil & Smt. Devi) asked: My examinations begin tomorrow. How can I overcome my nervousness? Three Steps of Closeness with God Swami replied: O Learned and Devoted Servants of God! You must think that God Datta is always with you like your bodyguard to fight with the nervousness that attacks you and to protect you from it. Nervousness will surely be defeated by God Datta and it will run away. This is your close relationship with God. If you find the nervousness still attacking you, you should come closer to God by thinking that God is in you. This will almost certainly push away your nervousness because no thief dares to rob the house of the police officer. But if you still find that the nervousness persists, you should become closest to God by thinking that you are God Himself! Now, the nervousness has to run away and it dare not come even close to you since there is no worldly force that can attack the omnipotent God. The three steps of (1) being a close devotee of God, (2) being inseparable from God and (3) being identical with God, reflect the three Vedantic philosophies. These three philosophies were given by the three divine preachers, Śaṅkara, Rāmānuja and Madhva respectively. The first step is Dvaita, the philosophy of dualism of Madhva, in which the soul is separate from God even though closely associated. The second step is Viśiṣṭa Advaita or the special monism of Rāmānuja, in which the soul is like an inseparable limb of God. Rāmānuja explains this through the Śeṣa-Śeṣi Sambandha or the Whole-Part relationship. As per this concept, God is the Whole and the soul is its part. The third step is Advaita or the monism of Śaṅkara, in which both God and the soul merge with each other leaving no room for even the slightest duality between the two. Devotees of God can make use these three steps for any good purpose. The Effect and Cause of Nervousness The student has limited energy in the brain to think and do useful work. Nervousness consumes that limited energy to such an extent that hardly any energy remains to do useful work. As per the first law of thermodynamics, the energy supplied to a system is partly used in raising the system’s internal energy and only the rest is available for doing useful work. Nervousness is like the internal energy of the system. If all the energy supplied through food is used only in raising nervousness, there is no energy left for doing work. The situation will be like a computer with no electricity supplied to it. It has all the information stored on its hard disk but in the absence of electrical energy, no information can be displayed on the screen. When the student’s entire energy is consumed in the nervousness, there is no energy left to display the stored right answers in the brain and to write them on the answer script. The devoted student has prepared well for the examinations and the answers are properly stored in the brain. Studying hard and storing the answers in the brain is the duty of the student. But even when there is no deficiency in the student’s effort, the right answers do not come to the student’s mind. The student is not lacking the answers, but is lacking the energy necessary to display the answer in the brain since all the energy is consumed by the nervousness. What is the cause of this nervousness? The punishment of some sin attacks the student in the form of nervousness, even though the student had performed his or her duty of studying sincerely. The fruits of intense good and bad deeds attack the soul here itself (Atyutkaṭaiḥ pāpapuṇyaiḥ ihaiva phalamaśnute). The fruits of normal deeds are received by the soul in heaven and hell after death. However, if the soul is highly devoted to God, God will provide some chance for the soul to get reformed. Getting settled in life is essential before reformation. Getting a good education is a prerequisite for settlement in life. Passing examinations is like crossing important landmarks in one’s education. Souls who are not concerned about God, will be attacked by the fruits of their intense deeds in the form of nervousness. One should not blame God in this context because God is impartial in implementing the established rules of the divine constitution regarding the karma chakra or the cycle of deeds. But devotion to God is also a deed and this deed must also have its fruit as per the rule of deeds. Thus, the student suffers from nervousness as a punishment for his or her intense bad deeds. But as a result of his or her devotion, the student also receives help from God. Such help rendered by God to the devotee is justified based on the student’s devotion and hence it does not violate justice in the divine administration. The same three steps described by Me above were also preached by Jesus also through the following three statements: (1) I am in the Light. (2) The Light is in Me and (3) I am the Light. The first statement says that the divine preacher is a messenger of God. The second statement says that the divine preacher is the son of God. The third statement says that the divine messenger is God or the divine Father Himself. Jesus also said “I am the truth” which also indicates His identity with God. The first statement describes a high devotee who is close to God. This is Madhva’s dualism. The second statement describes an even higher devotee, which is Rāmānuja’s special monism. The third statement describes the case of the Human Incarnation of God, which is Śaṅkara’s monism. There is a fourth special stage of the highest devotee, who is even higher than the Human Incarnation. Due to the devotee’s exceptional devotion, God becomes a servant of that highest devotee! Assuming Monism Without Committing Sins In order to overcome nervousness while doing a good deed, a devotee can use any of these three steps. But the devotee should not exploit them to overcome nervousness while committing sin. Advaita philosophers claim that they are already God. Such a claim is not necessarily a sin. When the little son of a police officer holds a stick in his hand says that he is a police officer, the father, who is the police officer, smiles. He feels happy and is not angry with his son. If the son beats a real thief with the stick, the father becomes very happy saying that his son will certainly become a police officer in the future. But if the son beats an innocent person with the stick, the father becomes angry with his son. He takes away the stick from the son and slaps the son saying that he will never become a police officer and instead will become a thief! Hence, a devotee assuming monism with God for doing good deeds is recommendable. Simply, assuming monism without doing any deed is also enjoyable fun for God. But assuming monism for doing bad deeds must be avoided. Śaṅkara, in His monistic theory stated that the soul is the absolute truth or God and that the world is relatively true with respect to the soul. Through this concept of monism, He was encouraging souls to do good God-like deeds. But the relative truth of the world was misunderstood by some as its non-existence. Yet, Śaṅkara kept silent allowing people to conclude that the world is non-existent. The idea behind His silence was that when the world is said to be non-existent, the follower of monism would at least not have a strong desire to do bad deeds, even if there would be no desire to do good deeds either. Any deed in a non-existent world is also non-existent like an action done in a dream. A soul doing neither good deeds nor bad deeds would remain more or less inactive, assuming the world to be non-existent. At least such a person would not harm others. Thus, Śaṅkara allowed devotees to assume monism to encourage them to do good deeds and He allowed them to assume the non-existence of the world to at least prevent the soul from doing bad deeds. But He also warned any potential misusers of His concept of monism by saying that the punishment received for one’s sins must be also treated as non-existent! To demonstrate this concept, He swiftly ran away to escape from an elephant rushing towards Him. When questioned by the followers as to why He was running away from a non-existent elephant, He replied that not only the elephant, but also, His running away was non-existent (Yathā gajo mithyā...)! On the whole, Śaṅkara preached that the world is non-existent to the real absolute God, while it is existent to every relatively-existent soul. The world is not existent to God and not non-existent to the soul. So, it can be said to be different from both existence (sat) and non-existence (asat). He called it mithyā, which He defined as different from both existence and non-existence (Sadasat vilakṣanā). Ascending to Monism and Descending from It God is pleased when you use these three steps to overcome your nervousness while doing good deeds. He will be furious only when you exploit these steps to do sins. It is also very important that after ascending from the first step of dualism to the third step of monism, you must also descend back to dualism. There is no harm in continuing to be in the first step of dualism. It is, in fact, better to always continue in the first step. The first step is thinking that one is close to God. Even though an ordinary soul is actually far from God, it is better to think that he or she is close to God. It helps the soul remember that God is watching every deed done by the soul. So, every devotee should think that he or she is close to God, which means that God is always closely watching every deed done by the devotee. Some devotees are eager to ascend to the step of monism but they never want to descend to dualism. That is very dangerous since the soul might easily commit sins as a result of continuing to be in monism. The soul begins to think that it is above justice since it is God and can even commit sins. The Gita says that ascending is done for the sake of doing some action (Ārurukṣoḥ...) and descending is done for the sake of maintaining peace (Yogārūdhasya...). Devotees should clearly understand that ascending to monism in this context does not mean that the devotee actually has become God. It is only an assumption to overcome nervousness. Even the Human Incarnation, who has actually ascended to the third step, has to sometimes come down to lower steps while preaching to devotees. Only if the percentage of ego and jealousy in the devotees around the Incarnation is nearly zero, does He declare His monism with God. If the devotees have a moderate level of ego and jealousy, He claims to be a Son of God, corresponding to the second step. If the ego and jealousy of the devotees is a hundred percent, then the Human Incarnation only claims to be a messenger of God, which is the first step. It is for this reason that Prophet Mohammad always claimed to be just a messenger of God. Another advantage of remaining in this first step of dualism with God is that there is place for the spiritual effort. Only when the soul realizes that it is different and far from God, can it take the effort to come closer to God. Of course, there are people who do not want the closeness of God because it makes it inconvenient for them to do sins in the presence of the God who is so close! To avoid this inconvenient situation, some such people have placed God beyond this world. Others have denied the very existence of God! As a reaction to these two attempts of pushing God away, some people have developed the concept that God is omnipresent. This omnipresence of God serves the purpose of ensuring a constant closeness of God with every soul. But it also has a disadvantage. There is a danger of thinking that since God is omnipresent, He must also be in the sinner. In that case, it would mean that God is doing the sin! This, of course, is not true! Thinking that God is only beyond creation and thinking that God is omnipresent in creation are two extreme ends. The middle golden path between these two extreme ends is that God is beyond this creation, but He enters creation whenever and wherever there is a justified necessity. The omnipresence of God is not to be taken in the sense of His physical presence everywhere. It is to be understood in the effective sense. It means that even though God is not physically present everywhere, He is effectively present since He knows and controls everything in this creation. www.universal-spirituality[.]org Universal Spirituality for World Peace
  11. I have learned some things about myself in the last few years. I tend to let my head rule over my heart, as a result I can be a cold person who is not naturally empathetic. I have had loved ones in crisis and it didn't register with me like it should have. I would take them to the doctor, mend their wounds and take them to the eye doctor but showing real concern/empathy was and is a challenge for me. I put it down to my childhood abuse at a very young age in foster care where I learned to cut myself from my feelings and become a cold fish as a coping mechanism. This doesn't help the people in my life who need my emotional availability. I tend to be clinical in my approach to life/relationships which does alienate people. My Myers//Briggs profile says I'm an INTJ, which means I lead with my head instead of the heart. I have to access my feelings to show my loved ones that I love them. Before it's too late. I could be dead tomorrow (car accident, heart attack) and I need for my loved ones to feel the nurturing that love provides. What can I do to become a more empathetic person?
  12. Hello! I am an 18-year old girl. Why is my best friend's girlfriend such a jealous stupid girl? She is so possessive towards her 18-year old boyfriend! I hate her! She complains to her boyfriend a lot about these things: 1. My best friend spends 2 days a week and 2 hours a day with her while my best friend spends 7 days a week and 9 hours a day with me. Also, she gets to have phone calls and text messages with him. Plus, she gets to have sex with him within those two hours. Isn't she fucking content? 2. Her boyfriend and I exclude her from a lot of activities and trips. 3. Her boyfriend helps me out in a lot of things while he only helps her in very few things. 4. My best friend and I do not inform her about our trips, activities, and personal secrets in order to hide them from her. She complains about these things? She complains about the fact that her boyfriend prioritizes me over her? Really? Her boyfriend prioritizes me over her and is closer to me because he and I have been best friends since childhood while she only met him when they were 16-years old! Also, my best friend and I often fought together as comrades and protected each other against tough guy bullies since childhood and we are still fighting together as comrades and defending each other to this day while all she does is stand there to be protected by him but cannot help him. I even cook delicious foods for her boyfriend while she can't. I guess she is inferior to me as a person. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! And what's funny is that her boyfriend often takes my side against her whenever she and I get into fights. Then I and her boyfriend berate her together. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! That means she is a bad person! I mean my best friend is a very nice person so if he always takes my side against her then that means there really is something wrong with her. Seriously, she is so mad that her boyfriend prioritizes me over her? I mean so what if she is his girlfriend? Like who cares? No matter what she does, There will always be roles in her boyfriend's life that she can never equal or be better than me at. Those roles will always be mine and will never be hers. I will always be his one and only platonic friend. She is just there for sex. So for all girls who is like my best friend's girlfriend, remember this: A boy fights for and dies for his girlfriend while best friends fight together and die together. Remember that!
  13. Well said!!! Really... Daily meditation practice should be a part of your life to live life peacefully and happily.
  14. What merciless circumstances. It's hard to imagine how painful that must have been, to be denied even the opportunity to grieve your sudden loss. I've also experienced sudden and inexplicable loss, and one point that must be addressed is acknowledging the death. For most of the time that you've known him, you've been concerning yourself with your husband's life and happiness. Those intentions are like a river; when they have somewhere to go, they flow all the way to the ocean in an endless cycle. But if they keep flowing toward where there's nowhere for them to go, they'll back up and cause flooding, destruction, and stagnation. When your husband died, his ability to receive your intentions was lost. Your river is backing up all the way to its source, and you're drowning in it. Your husband is now beyond earthly concern. Nothing you do can harm or help him. You are not keeping him alive by sending your good intentions his way. There are no more "what ifs" or "if onlys". There is no betrayal in saying goodbye. The universe isn't going to be nice and give him back. If you're the kind of person whose affection overflows and doesn't easily turn off, then maybe you need to redirect it toward a living concern instead, like your dogs or volunteer work, or yourself. You're still alive, and it's unfair for your living body if you chain it to a dead one. You need self-affection as well.
  15. Thanks everyone in my life right now is looking to me to be the fixer. Everyone just wants something from me. I wish I did have people that appreciated it but right now it just feels like what can I do for them is the question. Sometimes you just want to be in the background.
  16. Here's a poem that I really like maybe it touches you too - maybe not. Maybe for you it's the warm water of a shower, a fresh breeze, your feet touching the ground as you walk, or like in the poem by Thích Nhất Hạnh - a cup of tea. Tea meditation You must be completely awake in the present to enjoy the tea. Only in the awareness of the present, can your hands feel the pleasant warmth of the cup. Only in the present, can you savor the aroma, taste the sweetness, appreciate the delicacy. If you are ruminating about the past, or worrying about the future, you will completely miss the experience of enjoying the cup of tea. You will look down at the cup, and the tea will be gone. Life is like that. If you are not fully present, you will look around and it will be gone. You will have missed the feel, the aroma, the delicacy and beauty of life. It will seem to be speeding past you. The past is finished. Learn from it and let it go. The future is not even here yet. Plan for it, but do not waste your time worrying about it. Worrying is worthless. When you stop ruminating about what has already happened, when you stop worrying about what might never happen, then you will be in the present moment. Then you will begin to experience joy in life.
  17. Hello All, I'm looking forward to being a part of a community that is open-minded as well as, contains people who are willing to change from good to great. I really believe that is the true progression of life. And if a person finds themselves stuck at a point in life hopefully they may find their way to somebody who will lead them to a better reality. Trust me I know, change can be a scary word or action but, in a lot of cases it necessary.
  18. Hi one and all. It’s a pleasure to join your group. I am coming into alignment with my life purpose which is supporting the dying holistically and spiritually. I am currently gaining as much knowledge as I can in this area and am doing your course on grief. I am interested in making new friends and contacts in the group too with resonant souls. I am from the U.K. but happy to engage with souls from anywhere in the world. Much love and many blessings Louise
  19. Hi, Max, Now that you’ve taken charge of your life while taking care of yourself, you sound very happy. Life has to be in balance before happiness can happen. You’re on the right path! Susan
  20. Hi, I'm new here and am reaching out to share my love and support and hopefully to receive some much needed understanding and comfort back. My mum died, very suddenly, 4 years ago today. At the time, everyone rallied around, every one was understanding and wanted to help. To be honest, it was such a blur of disbelief and shock that the time just kind of passed by. So today, I am incredibly sad, I miss my mum so much, I want to be held and told I'm actually doing OK and that she's proud of me... But instead I'm very alone and lost. In general I think I'm a happy person, a people pleaser and will make sure everyone around me is OK and hears what they need to at the right time - I don't have a person in my life that thinks like that and is there for me....which I think makes me feel lonelier. I've read alot and know I should be the friend I need, to myself but that's hard Does anyone feel like this at all? Looking forward to getting to know you out there, big love ❤️
  21. Hello Bobbie, First of all, my condolences for your loss. I can relate how lonely you must be feeling after y mom died. She must be a big part of your life. Being a people pleaser is hard because y dont can please everyone. Most of the time people are very ungrateful too. Often you don't even get a thank you. It is taken for granted. I think y can be a good friend. But first of all you must learn to like yourself. Than you have more love for others. I wish y the best on your way ❤️
  22. For long life healthy living is important and for healthy living good Food is the way
  23. What do I say? A limitless entity/being, well I mean we all are, that includes you "The one reading this in your mind" , We are not the subject of inherited information past down generation and generations where these informations start creating their own informations ruling the minds of many today but we are the ones in control of presence, this present moment all things encompassing unity, flow, reason, harmony pretty much everything in this present moment is happening all at once, that which is seen and that which is unseen, love it!! Life isn't and hasn't been the easiest while im trying to float being suppressed by the sheer number of people who are not close to discovering their own limitless self, but I have had a lot of opportunities allowing me to become the person I am today, helping and being part of thousands of peoples lives deeply, experimenting with my own beliefs and the potential of mind and body and guiding people to a better them by dealing with all the challenges we face. I mean im young but I got a whole lot of lives lived through my eyes. All love, I guess im finding better ways to tell this story, "Although our lovable main character, wrapped up in their story of life, he wonders if being at his lowest yet again is helping him search for the answer...the answer to yet another question purposely stimulating the compound matrix of nerves electrifying their brains for what would otherwise bE. JuSt. A. tHouGht." I guess ill need to figure this one out. Hi my name is Mau5e (mouse), nice to have you read the above. im all over the place as you could tell but hey, im sure you know little lot about me'ish. 😜
  24. Dear Mau5e, Dear All I like what you are saying. It is not easy to realise that one is not only a robot 🤖, passed down with the programming, gernerations of generations. I am now 46 years old. I think at least more than half of my life I lived as a robot, never doubt the programming I have received from my parents and environment. I had the luck to meet psychology and Mindfulness meditation, which make me able to see that everything appears in the mind are just thoughts without any substance. With that I start to see that we are not the slave of our conditionings. Since that I am practicing Zen regularly and start to uncover more and more. Life become easier and easier 🙂🙂 I wish everyone will have the blessings to be in touch with the reality 🙏❤️ All the best, Max
  25. What is Food Yoga Food Yoga is defined as, “a discipline that honours all spiritual paths by embracing their core teaching – that food in its most pure form is divine and, therefore, an excellent medium for expressing our unconditional love and purifying our consciousness. “ Food is an integral part of live, it is the first and foremost essential things that helps to sustain life. One can use food as a tool to achieve progress spiritually - maintaining healthy and pure eating habit is a key to successful spiritual life. Food Yoga is all about employing as much techniques possible to make your food pure and healthy and more than that, divine. Food and God In Hindu religion, the practice of offering food to God is very common. The food that is offered to God is referred as, ‘Naivedhya’. The naivedhya is prepared using pure ingredients and are cooked by trained cooks. The naivedhya offering is not same for all the gods, they differ from deity to deity. For example, modhak is offered to Lord Ganesh and urad vada is offered to Lord Hanuman. The neivedhya offered to the Lord is referred as, ‘Prasad’. The prasad is distributed amongst the devotees. Food and Spirituality Hindu religious scriptures prescribe sattvic food for spiritual development. Like men, food too is classified as Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamsic foods. Depending on their character, foods influence people, sattvic foods promote spiritual leaning whilst food with rajasic qualities boost worldly desires and tamsic food makes you lazy and addicted to senses. Examples of Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamsic foods Sattvic foods They are the purest form of food. Sattvic foods calm the mind, rejuvenate body, and improves your spiritual inclination. Benefits of Sattvic Foods · They reduce chronic disease risks · Sattvic food helps to lose weight · They promote longevity · Aid physical and mental strength · Are easy to digest List of sattvic foods Below is a list of well-known sattvic food items falling under various food categories. 1. Vegetables: Spinach, Carrots, Celery, Potatoes, Broccoli, Kelp, Lettuce, and Peas. 2. Fruits: Apples, Bananas, Papaya, Mangoes, Cherries, Melons, Peaches, and Guava. 3. Juice : Fresh Fruits Juice, Carrot Juice, Spinach Juice, and Bitter Gourd Juice. 4. Grains: Barley, Amaranth, Bulgur, Millet, Quinoa, Wild Rice, and Maize. 5. Nuts and Seeds: Walnuts, Almonds, Peanuts, Pecans, Pumpkin Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Unsweetened Coconut, and Flax Seeds. 6. Oils: Olive Oil, Sesame Oil, Flax Oil, Mustard Oil, and Ghee. 7. Dairy products: Cow Milk, Yogurt, Cheese, Coconut Milk, and Cashew Milk. 8. Legumes and Beans: Lentils, Moong Beans, Chickpeas, and Bean Sprouts. 9. Beverages: Water, Non-caffeinated Drinks, and Herbal Tea. 10. Spices and herbs: Coriander, Basil, Nutmeg, Cumin, Fenugreek, and Turmeric, and Ginger. 11. Sweets: Honey and Jaggery. Rajasic foods Rajasic food is believed to be stimulating in nature and may cause physical and emotional stress. Too much of rajasic diet may make life imbalanced. Effects of Rajasic foods · It overstimulates the mind and body. · Can lead to hyperactivity. · Contributes to the overexertion of the body. · Can cause stress, and anxiety. · Can make a person angry. List of Rajasic foods Below is a list of popular rajasic food items falling under various food categories. 1. Vegetables: Eggplant, Onions, Capsicum (Bell Peppers), Leeks, Hot Peppers (Chilis), Potatoes, Radishes, Sea Vegetables, Sprouts, Tomatoes, and Cauliflower. 2. Fruits: Dates (dried), Guava, Lime, Lemon, Apple, and Banana. 3. Grains: Millet, Corn, Buckwheat, Oats, and Parboiled Grains. 4. Nuts and Seeds: Hemp Seeds, Peanuts, Sprouts, and Sunflower Seeds. 5. Oils: Avocado Oil, Hemp Oil, Peanut Oil, and Sunflower Oil. 6. Dairy products: Fresh Cheeses, Cottage Cheese, Egg, and Yogurt. 7. Legumes and Beans: Yellow Dal, Kidney Beans, Navy Beans, and Red Lentils. 8. Beverages: Coffee, Caffeinated Teas, Decaf Tea, and Coffee. 9. Spices and herbs: Asafoetida (Hing), Cayenne, Chili, Black Pepper, Garlic, and Salt. 10. Other: All fermented food, Ice Cream, Olives, Salt, Vinegar, Commercial Almond, Hemp or Rice Milk, all Caffeine. Tamasic foods Tamasic food is not good for body and soul. Intake of tamasic food leads will cause harm to humans in all possible ways. Effects of Tamasic foods · Causes stagnation in thinking · Is a source laziness and lethargy · Results in intense mood swings · Would reduce life span List of tamasic foods Below is a list of well-known sattvic food items falling under various food categories. 1. Vegetables: Mushrooms, Pumpkin, Onion, and Garlic. 2. Fruits: Plums, Watermelons, Avocado, Apricots, and all over-ripe fruits. 3. Grains: Wheat, Rice, extensively refined grains, dried and packaged Pasta. 4. Nuts and Seeds: All old or exposed to light, Chia Seeds. 5. Oils: Vegetable Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Canola Oil, and all older than 1 year or rancid. 6. Legumes and Beans: Urad Dal, Black Dal, Pink Dal, and all canned items. 7. Sweets: Artificial sweeteners, White Sugar and refined sugars. 8. Others: Alcohol, all animal flesh (Beef, Chicken, Fish, Goat, Lamb, Pork, Shellfish), barbecued or blackened food, food with preservatives or synthetic ingredients, deep-fried food, frozen food, leftovers, condiments, smoked food, microwaved food. Knowing what to eat is an important step in practising Food Yoga. Now that you have learnt the same, it is time for you to put it into practice.
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