The Spiritual Path of Veganism. At the time of this writing, I’ve been vegan for more than 18 years (vegetarian for 22 years).
I’ve already written about transitioning to veganism, which I did during the 1990s. This time I’ll share some thoughts and feelings about what it’s like to be vegan as opposed to becoming vegan, especially with respect to living in a non-vegan world. Perspectives and Attitudes I see animals as beautiful living beings. I don’t see them as products, consumables, or entertainment.
I prefer to cultivate a more peaceful and loving attitude towards animals. A hummingbird lives in a tree outside my home office. Attraction. Is it true that opposites attract?
Or would you be happier in a relationship with someone who is very similar to you? Is attraction something you have to create with another person? Or does it just happen automatically? Have you ever made up a list of qualities your ideal mate should have, but when you finally met such a person, you realized there was no spark? Opposites Attract In many ways Erin and I are total opposites, but we find ourselves naturally attracted to each other. Erin is very nurturing and motherly. On the other hand, Erin has a much harder time with qualities like confidence and courage. Testing to Failure. Testing ideas through direct experience is among the best ways to learn and grow.
If you want to know if an idea really has merit, test it under real-world conditions. Then you’ll have your answer. For example, suppose you want to ask someone out for a date. One simple test would be to go right up to the person and ask. Within minutes you’ll know the answer. Unfortunately most of our tests are run only in our minds, and in that realm all kinds of problems can arise. Fear-based thinking. Imaginary testing is unreliable, and in many cases, it’s a huge waste of time and energy. By all means be prepared, but don’t fall into the trap of analysis paralysis. What Will Other People Think of You? Don’t waste a moment of your precious life worrying about what other people will think of you.
No good can come of it. The #1 Mistake People Make When Using the Law of Attraction. Whenever you form an intention, that intention has two primary components.
The first component is the content of the intention. The content is the information part of your desire. Polarity. In my last article on The #1 Mistake People Make When Using the Law of Attraction, I stated that every intention has a content component plus an energy component, and both are equally important when it comes to applying the Law of Attraction.
At the end of that article, I asserted that the energy component of every intention has a polarity. Now we’re going to explore polarity, which is the key to understanding intentional energy. Do your best to keep an open mind as you read this article. The concepts are what’s important here, so try not to get hung up on the particular words I use to describe them. Making Peace With Death. While I have a strong drive to enjoy my physical life, I know — really know — it’s just temporary.
Against the backdrop of eternity, our human lives are very, very short… little more than a cosmic wink. Some people treat that as a serious problem, but it really doesn’t have to be. When someone crosses over, such as my grandparents did a few years ago, in my mind they’re doing just fine on the other side. It may be a shock for some when it happens, especially if the death is sudden and/or violent, but that alone doesn’t make it tragic. It’s totally unnecessary to resist death, fear it, treat it like a disaster. I feel great compassion not for those who die, but rather for the inherently broken way we’re socially conditioned to view death. Perfection. Awareness isn’t empty.
It may be a container of sorts, but it’s not an empty vessel. What does it contain? It contains thoughts, and those thoughts manifest in physical form. This is what we call physical reality. Heart-Centered Motivation. In 1998 I had an experience that had a deep and lasting effect on me.
Erin and I were eating lunch at a local soup and salad place, and I noticed a woman cleaning the tables nearby. She looked very sad and depressed, as if she’d just been chastised by her supervisor or had gotten some bad news. Erin and I didn’t have a lot of money at the time — even eating this cheap meal was a stretch for our budget — but as we were getting up to leave, I walked up to this woman, handed her a $5 bill and said, “I know you’re probably not appreciated for the work you do, but I want you to know that we think you’re doing a great job.” The woman’s facial expression changed instantly, from sadness to genuine gratitude. She looked me straight in the eye and said, “Thank you soooo much.” Make People Feel Good. A simple way to enjoy a happier and more abundant social life is to put some effort into making people feel good.
Many people get so caught up thinking they have to rack up some accomplishments, get into better shape, become a person of high value, and more — just to give themselves permission to reach out and connect with others. None of that is necessary. That’s putting the focus on yourself, where you’ll only swirl around in endless circles of self-doubt. You’ll never feel prepared with that approach. The Meaning of Life: Intro. What is the meaning of life?
Why are we here? Is there a God or isn’t there, and if there is a God, what is its nature? Of all the world’s religions, which one is the most correct? Is there an afterlife? Are we primarily physical beings or spiritual beings? People have struggled for millennia to tackle these questions. Behind the Wheel The way we answer these questions will provide the ultimate context for everything else we do with our lives. Let’s say you have your life organized around goals, projects, and actions. But why start the business in the first place? What determines the goals you set (or don’t set) is your context. The most significant part of your context is your collection of beliefs about the nature of reality, which includes your religious, spiritual, and philosophical beliefs. How to Help Negative People. Many people have asked me how they can help someone who’s stuck in negative thinking or depression.
Here are some tips on how to do that. No matter what happens, stay positive I once visited the house of an old acquaintance, and as soon as I saw him, I felt a wave of darkness pouring over me. I regretted stopping by almost immediately. No matter how many times I changed the subject, he proceeded to spin every topic of discussion into an excuse to complain about what he disliked about his life, other people, and the world at large.
One of the most important considerations when helping someone in a negative state is that you must avoid falling into negativity yourself. It makes no difference what particular circumstances negative people blame for their negative outlook. Don’t Die With Your Music Still In You. What if you currently live a very comfortable lifestyle and you have a lot of assets? How can you justify running off to do what truly makes you happy if it might put all your current assets at risk? Here’s my take on this…. To abandon a comfortable lifestyle that isn’t deeply fulfilling is to abandon nothing. There’s nothing of real substance there to protect.
An income, a car, a house, or a lifestyle are not worth protecting if the cost of such protection is your own fulfillment and happiness. I currently have some material stuff in my life. After all, why are we here? And here’s the worst part. Calibration. In personal development terms, calibration is the process of progressively refining your thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors until you shift your equilibrium to the point where you can consistently achieve the results you desire.
Just as you might calibrate a scientific instrument to provide consistently accurate measurements, you can calibrate your skills to generate consistently good results. This is a majorly long article.