#I hope control 2 keeps this level of mystery and explorations—while expanding on the main story and characters we already know

[velvetjune]

I’ve replayed enough Control to not be surprised, but I’ll never forget how magical it was to first uncover small details like the previous director, Northmoor, being in the power plant, all the security cameras following wherever you go, Ahti responding to Jesse’s thoughts, or the book club papers corresponding to deaths you come across in the game

[j-minte08]

Why do I award BalanWonderworld as a masterpiece?

Introduction

⚠️I'm using a translator, so I apologize if any parts are difficult to read.

In this article, I will write about why I award Balan Wonderworld as a masterpiece, with answers to criticisms.

When I played the demo version, I thought this game was SO BAD. But I believed Yuji Naka and bought the full version. (Before I knew it, I had bought four of them...) I'm not raving blindly about it.

At first, I was hopelessly disappointed because nothing had changed from the demo version. However, in chapters 2 and 3, I was impressed by the three-dimensionality and beauty of the stages, and in chapter 4, I realized the comfort of gaining freedom through the acquisition of costumes.

By the time I was completely finished, I was convinced that this game was a great piece of work.

This is an article that I wrote after spending nearly 100 hours on this game.

I hope you will read it.

Main part

First of all, this game is not a game with flashy action as its primary objective. (Flashy battle action is possible in some scenes.)

【Puzzle】　【RPG】　【Exploration】

It is structured around these three main components.

The game also features a "Balance AI" that senses the player's movements and makes changes to the difficulty and world. There is also a presentation of my own work, so please take a look!

Please read with the above in mind.

■ One button action is stressful.

▶︎ As mentioned earlier, this game is not intended for flashy action. At its root, it is an RPG and does not require multiple buttons. The reason it's a simple operation is because it doesn't need to be.

There is only one button, but instead the player is given the freedom to select up to three actions of their choice. The way to play Balan is to find your own strategy within these constraints.

Some people point out that you can't jump, but only a few outfits limit jumping. Most of them are attack-oriented outfits. It's up to you to decide whether you want more attack power or more movement power.

If you're still not convinced, this game just isn't to your liking.(If that's you, I recommend the Wii version of Rodea.)

NiGHTS and Sonic are also action games with simple controls, but the concept is different from Baran, as explained below.

From the very beginning, NiGHTS and Sonic are one-button games that allow for exhilarating action. The action feels good and allows for improvement through trial and error.

However, Balan begins in a state of helplessness. One of his goals is to use his wits and eventually gain the power to run freely around the three-dimensional stage.

Freedom from discomfort. This catharsis is the best part of Balan.

It is also linked to the story's theme of opening closed minds.

■ The structure of the puzzle is sketchy.

▶︎ There is an intention behind this. By making the puzzle structure more flexible, the player is given more choices.

Therefore, each player will have a completely different solution to obtaining a single statue.

Also, each time you play the game, you will find new strategies, making it a game that can be played repeatedly.

This is the reason why Yuji Naka was so confident about this game.

Personally, I think that this action with a puzzle concept has a similar point of view to card games and rock-paper-scissors.

The Mega Man series is a typical example of a game that requires you to observe the situation and your opponent's movements to find the right technique and move. In fact, there is a famous episode where it was derived from rock-paper-scissors. This is also a game where you can enjoy improving through trial and error, but I think the structure of the rules is similar to that of Balan.

■ It's a pain to stock up on costumes.

▶︎ There is no need to overstock costumes. The minimum number of costumes needed to clear the course will naturally be available. Dependence on certain costumes can make the game monotonous. Also, the BalanceAI can sense your movements and take countermeasures.

As the difficulty level increases, you will have a hard time because the costumes will not come back.

The game is made more interesting by the style of play that allows you to use all the costumes to their fullest extent and bring out the true value of each one.

If you run out, explore the stage while collecting costumes. It may lead to new discoveries.

Even if you don't have a specific costume, there are many situations you can get through by applying other costumes.

This degree of freedom is what makes Balan so interesting. The strategy is left to your imagination.

■ The stage is curved. Isn't this a useless design?

▶︎ The curvature of the map allows you to see every corner of the stage. You may be confused because there is no other game that tries to do something like this. However, this is an ideal map for exploration games.

The basics of this gimmick are used as of chapter 1. Chapter 7, which has particularly large differences in elevation, makes good use of this gimmick.

■ The difficulty level is too low.

▶︎ Basics → Application → Review (Boss battle)

This game is designed to follow the above flow thoroughly. As a result, the difficulty level in the early stages is kept low, but the endgame is quite difficult. I almost lost my mind in chapter 12.

The bosses are easy to defeat. However, it is difficult to conquer all three strategy patterns.

Also, if you keep defeating enemies quickly without taking damage, the difficulty level will increase.Stronger and faster enemies will appear in large numbers.I found the difficulty level increased at chapter 3.

In other words, the difficulty of the game depends on how good you are.

■ I want to have a HP separate from my costume.

▶︎ This system prompts the player to use a different costume in case of failure.

Depending on the situation, you can either sacrifice valuable costumes, or use inconvenient but well-stocked costumes... The game throws a variety of choices at the player. This gameplay becomes more apparent as the difficulty level increases.

If you separate the HP from the costume, this tense gameplay will be lost.

The system of choosing outfits based on what will happen next fosters the ability to think and survive on one's own. It will also help the child's ego independence.

■ I need more explanations and hints. It's designed in an unfriendly way.

▶︎ It's not a game that requires you to do anything difficult, so if you think about it, you should be able to understand it to some extent. All you have to do is immerse yourself in collecting statues by any route you can think of.

Some people criticize Balan for being old-fashioned, but they are missing the point.

Games are essentially content that teaches you to think and act for yourself. This is a posting of what games should be, and a refreshing return to the basics.

However, I don't mean to criticize modern games. The immersive feeling of being in a movie, and the friendly design of the UI that shows you where you are going so you don't get lost. I think it's a beautiful evolution for today's hectic world where it's hard to find time to be alone.

However, to be honest, it is abnormal to say that only works that follow the latest trends are evaluated, and it is difficult to say that there is creativity in such works. Evolving technology and the presence or absence of originality have completely different meanings.

I would like to say that games like Balan, which have their own rules and think for themselves, are what we need today.

■ I don't understand the story. I want subtitles.

▶︎ With both video and dubbing, the amount of information is extremely high. By not using real words, all the people in the world have the exact same experience. Very romantic, don't you think?

It's not to dismiss the unspoken parts as non-existent, but to let your imagination run wild and have fun with it.

Since ancient times, there has been an aesthetic in Asia that finds meaning in blank spaces.

If you want a more substantial story, I recommend the novel version, which probably has what you want. It is available for Kindle.

At the end

Balan Wonderworld is a game designed to grow with the player the more time they spend playing.

Despite its gorgeous visuals, the reality of the story is deep and Yuji Naka's philosophy shines through, making it a masterpiece that can be called a compilation of his work.

At first, you may find some scenes difficult or the system annoying. However, they all have a meaning and will make sense as you continue to play.

Balan is built on a very complete system.

EVERY MOMENT IS AN ADVENTURE... This tagline is true.

But the fact is that Balan is a very peaky game. But that's also true for Sonic and NiGHTS.

If you have enjoyed Yuji Naka's past works, you will surely understand the quality of Balan. I recommend that you take the time to face this game first without any preconceived notions.

Now that I've spoken highly of Balan, I'd like to offer some criticism of the official advertising.

I think the main reason for this failure was the poor choice of stages included in the demo version, which made it difficult to convey the fun of expanding the degree of freedom by acquiring costumes, the sense of freedom, and the fun of being able to create a number of unique strategies.

As for the official SNS, rather than introducing the costumes and the storyline by themselves, the official should have done a better job of showing how they are all connected to make this game interesting.

That's how it looked from my personal point of view, but I believe that the current situation is the result of continuous failures in the area of advertising.

I'm so disappointed that this masterpiece is being buried, and I hope that the officials will have the guts to turn its reputation upside down even now.

Hopefully, this game will get the recognition it deserves. I love Balan Wonderworld.

[operationrainfall]

Title Persona 4 Golden Developer Atlus Publisher SEGA Release Date June 13th, 2020 Genre RPG Platform PC (Steam) Age Rating N/A Official Website

A few years back, when I was convinced to buy a Vita, there was one game everybody said I had to own. Despite chafing at being told what to play on my consoles, I eventually took the advice to heart. That game was none other than Persona 4 Golden, and it astounded me. Prior to playing it, I hadn’t been patient enough to play through Persona or SMT games, and got especially frustrated with the difficulty of Persona 3. But after P4G, I learned what to expect from the series, and with that knowledge came a greater appreciation for these games. The grind was just part of the experience, and it complemented a wonderful and twisty story. So when I discovered that Persona 4 Golden was coming to Steam, I jumped at the chance to cover it for oprainfall.

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After I started playing Persona 4 Golden on Steam, the weather fittingly took a turn for the worse, and it began raining hard for several days. There were intermittent breaks of sun, but the wet weather kept coming back. Which is my way of saying there’s a chance you’ll see my bearded face on the Midnight Channel not long after you finish reading this review. In the meantime, let me tell you what to expect from the game. After all, even many years later, I acknowledge not everyone is intimately familiar with the adventure. And since I’ve already beaten the game a couple times on my Vita, this review will mostly be focusing on the differences between the versions, as well as giving a synopsis of the plot and characters.

The story takes place in the rural town of Inaba. You’re the unnamed hero, a young man with strikingly gray hair moving in with your uncle and his daughter. While the purpose of your visit is primarily to attend Yasogami High, things quickly take a turn for the strange. Bodies start piling up, and suddenly Inaba is known more for murder than the local Junes store. And since this is a Persona game, you quickly discover you have a special knack for summoning your inner self to battle monsters as well as jumping inside a hidden world within TV screens. Thus starts Persona 4 Golden, and I promise you it’s a wild ride with many delightful twists and turns. While I won’t spoil any of them, I will focus next on a key component of any Persona game – the characters.

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The fabric of the game universe is woven tightly by the bonds established between this eclectic cast of characters. And while you could certainly make the same claim for any title in the beloved Atlus series, I have a special fondness for this cast of characters. Even years later, they still make me laugh, groan and cry at their antics. Whether it’s the spunky carnivore and lover of Kung Fu Chie, or the fiery diva with an odd sense of humor Yukiko, or even the awkward goofball Yosuke, it’s a really fantastic group. There’s more main characters than those I just mentioned, but I probably should let you discover the rest. I will say, they’re all well developed and quite distinct. One of my favorites is a certain bad ass who wields desks and chairs as weapons and is much more nuanced than you’d imagine, but there’s no duds here. Even the NPCs you encounter wandering the streets of Inaba add something to the mix. And the side characters bring a lot to the table, such as your adorable cousin Nanako or your gruff uncle Dojima. Your connection to the cast is important, since the bonds you cultivate between your hero and others not only expands your understanding of them, but it empowers you via Social Links.

I’m not sure if the folks at Atlus are fans of Freud, but the Persona games definitely focus on concepts of identity. This game in particular also confronts many gender issues, but in such a way that it’s up to the player how much attention they devote to that. As the game progresses, your characters confront those sides of themselves they repress, and only by accepting them, ugly bits and all, can they truly grow. In the process, your team slowly earns their own Personas, one for every main character. The only exception is your hero, who can utilize any Persona at your disposal, those encountered while dungeon crawling or fused in the Velvet Room. Another way the game addresses these concepts is via the Social Link system. As you spend time with others, you learn their hopes, dreams and fears. As those friendships grow, your rank in their corresponding Arcana increases, based around Tarot cards. For your teammates, that lets them learn new abilities and grow stronger. An example is acquiring follow up or team attacks, surviving critical damage once per battle, or even helping downed allies recover. For side characters, you’ll just gain bonuses when you fuse Personas of their Arcana, such as Hierophant, Empress or Star. Depending on their rank, you’ll garner more or less of added benefits. It’s complex, but also very well streamlined. Every Persona in the game belongs to a particular Arcana, so you actually have a lot of control over your team’s growth.

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Besides the bonds you forge, you can also improve your hero’s attributes such as Courage or Understanding. Your level of growth will determine certain choices you can make during dialogue, such as courageously telling that special someone you’re attracted to them, or explaining death to a child with compassion. Attributes are improved through a variety of methods, such as reading books, doing well in class, attending clubs and even taking on part time jobs. The longer you play, the more options open up, and it all makes for a very dynamic and addictive loop. Your time is pretty much yours to use as you see fit, though you’d do well to spend it constructively. Keep in mind that once you encounter the next major story arc, it’s best not to wait too long. Because if you don’t save victims of the mysterious culprit fast enough, it’s game over. But that’s only if you’re really dillydallying. Just remember, if you get a forecast of rainy weather for several days, you’d better be ready to save the day. As a result, I often would go dungeon crawling on sunny days just to get my feet wet and level up my characters a bit.

More P4G on Page 2 ->

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Speaking of leveling up, one of my favorite elements of Persona 4 Golden is the combat. It was definitely an inspiration for later games I’ve enjoyed such as Tokyo Mirage Sessions and Persona Q. Essentially, each dungeon is procedurally generated every time you enter it. That means the overall layout will be slightly different, though key events will occur at predetermined floors. For example, mini bosses have to be slain or keys to locked doors must be found. As you explore the dungeons, you might find something handy like a treasure chest, but more frequently you’ll encounter roving Shadows. Many appear like angry puddles of oil with grasping hands and theater masks, though on occasion you’ll find rare ones that look like scurrying hand monsters with comical faces. If you hit Shadows from behind, you’ll get advantage in battle and be able to attack first, but if they catch you off guard, they’ll instead get an uninterrupted turn to wallop you. Once battle is initiated, you select attacks for characters, at least if you like to directly command your team. I love controlling every aspect of my strategy, so I quickly turned off the auto battle tactics. Though if you’re feeling lazy, you can always let the game auto battle.

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Your goal is to hit foes with an attack they’re weak to. This could be a physical attack, status effect, or more frequently an elemental attack. Once you’ve discovered their weakness, it will be displayed via the Analyze command. When you hit a foe with their weakness, they’ll become downed. If you down every foe, then your team of heroic ruffians will rush them, doing significant damage. You might also trigger optional attacks from your allies if you’re friendly enough with them, even ones not in your immediate party. It’s really fun and dynamic, and the tides of battle can turn rapidly. Whenever you see red Shadows, get ready to run or muster your courage, cause those are the extra hard monsters. Perhaps not as hard as FOEs from Etrian Odyssey games, but no pushover either. If you do especially well in battle, you’ll get to play a mini game with Tarot cards to acquire various benefits, such as increased experience, money, ability cards and even new Persona. If you manage to grab every card, you’ll get a Sweep Bonus, which lets you pick more cards the next time. I love the combat, and the Tarot mini game made even the hardest battles a real treat. Simply because you know that if you went into battle with the right tactics and equipment, you’d be able to beat anything. Even the incredibly challenging bosses you’ll face in the game.

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Now, most of you are probably familiar with Persona 4 Golden already. As such, I want to spend a little time talking about how it plays on Steam. First things first, it’s really nice to play the game on a bigger screen. Everything just bursts with color, especially the animated sequences. I actually noticed minute details in the background that I completely missed the first time around. The music is also fantastic, and the voice acting has never been clearer. While you have your choice of Japanese or English audio, I am really happy with the talent from the English VA team. It’s great how they spur you on during battle, as well as bringing the story to life through their energetic conversations. Though I will say, it’s important to check your display settings. I’m far from experienced modifying settings for PC games, so it took me some time to tinker and get it where I wanted. Initially the display was set to 1280 x 720, while my screen is 1920 x 1080. As a result, the character models were deformed initially. Thankfully, once I adjusted it accordingly, the models had the normal proportions I remembered. Funny enough, the squash effect only applied to in-game models, not the animation or static art for character heads.

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As for the controls, you have a couple options for playing Persona 4 Golden on Steam. If you have an Xbox controller, you’re more than welcome to use one. I purchased a new one right after I received this version of the game, and it worked pretty effortlessly, with one proviso. I don’t like how the camera controls were set to airplane mode, AKA inverted. Though if you want, you can use the bumpers instead of the right joystick to slowly pan the camera. But, if you’re a dedicated PC gamer, you can also play Persona 4 Golden with keyboard and mouse. At first I was worried about this setup, but I actually really grew to appreciate it. Though the game doesn’t explain all the controls for keyboard / mouse, they’re pretty intuitive. You can use WASD to move, F to access shortcuts, Z for map, C to return, click to select options, press spacebar or enter to investigate things, and Tab to go to the menu and adjust settings. And quick note, though I didn’t rely on the shortcuts feature much on Vita, it was invaluable this time around. While gamepad is probably the best way to play, I often was too lazy to dig it out. In the 30 something hours I played the game, more than half was spent playing with keyboard and mouse.

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While I like a lot of how Persona 4 Golden played on Steam, there were some small hiccups. One is that the graphics blur a bit during character movement. Whenever they’re running or gesturing, it’s very noticeable. I checked, and that’s also the case on the Vita. It’s just much more noticeable on a bigger screen. Even though I tweaked the V Sync and other settings, I couldn’t get the blurriness to completely go away. Thankfully it was something I was able to ignore for the most part. Something I’m less forgiving about is a small glitch I encountered multiple times. I would load up the game after hours of playing it, and suddenly the display wasn’t how I had set it. I managed to fix it by quitting and restarting, but I’m a bit surprised it persisted. Hopefully that will be addressed soon. The biggest surprise for me was that there wasn’t any new content in this version of the game. Granted, it’s hard to improve near perfection, but I half hoped there was a new dungeon or something. Or even just a graphically improved port. But, it’s hard to complain when I’ve been having so much fun.

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Visually, the game holds up really well. Especially considering it’s a Vita port of a PS2 game. Though the character models are a little rough, I love the design of all the characters, Shadows and assorted NPCs. Take the creepy flair of “The Nose”, or the eye catching design of Teddie. Everything looks great, and that goes double for the animated sequences. On the topic of audio, it actually held up even better. The voice acting is sharp and clear, and the music is outstanding. Every track fits the action perfectly, and the dungeon music is especially entertaining. It keeps you motivated to keep playing and playing, which is good considering how long it’ll take to get the best ending.

It’s always hard improving on something like Persona 4 Golden. And while you can debate if this port succeeds, it’s still a joy to play Persona 4 Golden on Steam. Especially if you’ve always been interested but didn’t want to buy a Vita to play it. You can own the game for only $19.99 for the standard edition, or $24.99 for the deluxe with digital artbook and soundtrack, either of which is a bargain for 50+ hours of content. Put simply, the must own title for Vita owners is now a must own title for PC gamers. It’s a treat to cover this release, and I hold out hope there’s more on the way soon from the fine folks at Atlus and SEGA.

[easyreview cat1title=”Overall” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4.5″]

Review Copy Provided by Publisher

REVIEW: Persona 4 Golden on Steam Title Persona 4 Golden

[sharionpage]

Dependence is More Than an Undergarment for Adults…

The Self Improvement Blog | Self Esteem | Self Confidence

We will never achieve peace or harmony on this planet if we believe we are separate from one another. Only through awareness will we find the traction to effect positive change and the interdependent evolution we are desperately in need of. Let’s talk about this dependence.

Dependence from the beginning

We come into this world a blank slate — kicking and screaming for all we’re worth, yet unable to walk or articulate words. If not for the vested interest of a caregiver, we wouldn’t last long before succumbing to starvation or the elements.

Years will pass before we learn sufficient motor control of our limbs. Baby horses will be walking within hours, but human infants may take a year or more to figure out balance and mobility, happily shitting their pants in the meantime, whenever the urge arises.

Trial and error will slowly teach us how to express our thoughts through sounds and scribbles, and eventually we’ll learn to feed and care for our own bodies. Decades may slip by before we’re ready to leave the nest, but one day a decision will get made to depart the roost for good, with hopes of soaring to new heights, yet to be imagined.

Because of this inglorious and helpless dependence at our beginning we all endured, there’s no possible way some concept of dependency failed to influence our formative years — the years which cement beliefs and behaviors many of us will adopt unwaveringly for the entirety of our adult lives.

Some will explore the concept through wild rebellion — from their first emphatic, “No!” screamed at Mommy, to unruly hairstyles, heavy pot-smoking, and the occasional B&E, just for kicks. (I don’t know anyone like that, I swear)

Others will live happily following the the herd, comforted by the security of like-minded thinkers, and the surrogate parenting of a “concerned” government.

Some will justify failure or addiction as rooted in a disadvantaged upbringing, and others will use those same disadvantages to motivate the realization of an office floating high in a financially abundant stratosphere.

But each and every one of these scenarios is based upon a fundamental truth — none of us could have existed in this world without the support of other humans.

Even if you were raised by wolves, a female still carried you for nine months, and allowed you access into this realm to breathe life. Whatever her issues for abandoning you may have been, you would not have existed without her dedication to see your lifeform reach its completion.

We have been, are, and ever will be, interdependent when it comes to living, thriving, and surviving on this planet.

This is not a thing to take lightly.

Even your smallest actions toward your fellow man, woman, or child will reverberate ceaselessly like ripples in a pond, interacting with other energies in unpredictable ways, affecting future choices of others, which will ultimately influence yours again. Separation is a fallacy.

When we choose to live on autopilot — playing our self-absorbed games to further our lots in life — without concern of how our actions affect others, we remain ignorant of the most important factor that can shift our chaotic world back to one of harmony.

Awareness.

When we become fully present to witness how our simplest of choices affect the lives of those around us… when we make the wacky consideration that our species might be a unified organism, interacting with millions of other non-humanoids seeking the same basic harmonies and balances in life we do… when we drop our dogmas and rigid belief systems that keep us arguing incessantly amongst one another — despite the fact we’re all fixated upon the identical goal of achieving happiness — we begin to find traction to effect positive change.

I just returned from a 2-month tour of Central America, visiting Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico. Motivation for travel came down to a couple things — escaping the winter climate in Canada, and expanding my understanding of self.

What did I learn? Far more than I could possibly share in this short post. The journal I kept of the experience may be worthy of a novella somewhere down the road, but there are 3 main insights I’d like to share with you today…

1. People are Awesome, Everywhere

Despite the endless warnings, and fear-inspired guidance to vigilantly protect my money, passport, and the 45-pound pack of creature comforts, not once did I feel intimidated, threatened, or uncomfortable.

Even with a pathetic working knowledge of the Spanish language, my respectful efforts to integrate into a culture foreign to me provided the opportunity to meet some of the most helpful and caring humans I’ve ever encountered.

I spent most of my time avoiding tourist areas, choosing to interact with people in the smallest towns I could find, to discover each human had the same basic traits in common — the need to make a buck or two to survive, an overflowing love for family and friends, and a desire to smile, love life, and have fun. Hmm, go figure…

2. Fear is a Shackle

If you want to stay stuck in a rut, let fear be your guide. If you want to explore the unknown, evolve your being in leaps and bounds, or simply find out what mystery-meat a taco vendor is selling, fear needs to get relegated to the BlueBin. With enough practice, it stops becoming an issue, replaced by a confident boldness when stepping beyond comfort zones.

The role of fear has been twisted in modern society. Its rightful place exists when the common sense of self-preservation is in question. It should never influence your decision to try a new restaurant or ask a girl out on a date. Fear in those circumstances does not protect us from harm, it prevents us from living.

3. Influences Exist Beyond the Physical Plane

I have no desire to drag anyone into a God debate here, but I definitely need to share with you something I experienced beyond the Newtonian-physics, hard-core skeptical mindset that dominated most of my life living in Western culture.

My Adventure Blog probably logged some 20,000-plus words during my travels, but an unexpected theme kept recurring — almost on a daily basis. It got to the point I needed a name for the phenomena. This insight occurred while traveling day-to-day, with no plans, and no desire to formulate an agenda beyond 5 hours into the future.

I have no clue who coined the phrase “God takes care of children and fools,” but experience has convinced my immature and moronic self this sentiment is accurate. Some might call it dumb luck or random chance, but I prefer labeling my unconventional protector the Divine Tour Guide. Whenever forks in the road were reached on my travels, whenever options seemed hopelessly limited, or whenever I was lost, alone, and unable to resolve a situation with my sad language skills — abilities akin to a two-word, grunting Spanish Hulk — DTG stepped in to save my ass. Without fail. Love that entity!

It got to the point that when I was staying in a hostel, and someone had an issue that needed resolving, I simply suggested they hang out with me for a couple hours to find guidance, as my Divine Tour Guide would provide an answer before long. And DTG always did.

I have no desire to convince you of guardian angels or spirit guides, but I experienced enough first-hand “you-must-be-kidding-me” moments to consider that non-physical forces are definitely at play in our Universe, taking dependence and interdependence to an entirely new level.

Quick side note: DTG was not a puppet-master. Free will was always on the menu. It was still up to me to make a choice whenever a new opportunity arose, no matter how impossibly and conveniently timed the suggestion fell into my lap.

When it comes to awareness, when it comes to contemplating our dependence or independence relating to our brethren wandering this floating rock in space, or whether it comes down to making even the simplest of decisions in life, I think the best way to end this piece is with a quote from Carlos Castaneda:

“Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good; if it doesn’t, it’s of no use. One makes for a joyful journey, the other makes you curse your life. One makes you strong, the other weakens you.”

We’re in this game together, my friends, no question. We might as well accept our dependence on others.

Follow the path that makes your heart sing, and you might just realize the people following behind you are whistling the same tune.

Dependence is More Than an Undergarment for Adults… published first on https://bitspiritspace.tumblr.com/

[sharionpage]

Dependence is More Than an Undergarment for Adults…

The Self Improvement Blog | Self Esteem | Self Confidence

We will never achieve peace or harmony on this planet if we believe we are separate from one another. Only through awareness will we find the traction to effect positive change and the interdependent evolution we are desperately in need of. Let’s talk about this dependence.

Dependence from the beginning

We come into this world a blank slate — kicking and screaming for all we’re worth, yet unable to walk or articulate words. If not for the vested interest of a caregiver, we wouldn’t last long before succumbing to starvation or the elements.

Years will pass before we learn sufficient motor control of our limbs. Baby horses will be walking within hours, but human infants may take a year or more to figure out balance and mobility, happily shitting their pants in the meantime, whenever the urge arises.

Trial and error will slowly teach us how to express our thoughts through sounds and scribbles, and eventually we’ll learn to feed and care for our own bodies. Decades may slip by before we’re ready to leave the nest, but one day a decision will get made to depart the roost for good, with hopes of soaring to new heights, yet to be imagined.

Because of this inglorious and helpless dependence at our beginning we all endured, there’s no possible way some concept of dependency failed to influence our formative years — the years which cement beliefs and behaviors many of us will adopt unwaveringly for the entirety of our adult lives.

Some will explore the concept through wild rebellion — from their first emphatic, “No!” screamed at Mommy, to unruly hairstyles, heavy pot-smoking, and the occasional B&E, just for kicks. (I don’t know anyone like that, I swear)

Others will live happily following the the herd, comforted by the security of like-minded thinkers, and the surrogate parenting of a “concerned” government.

Some will justify failure or addiction as rooted in a disadvantaged upbringing, and others will use those same disadvantages to motivate the realization of an office floating high in a financially abundant stratosphere.

But each and every one of these scenarios is based upon a fundamental truth — none of us could have existed in this world without the support of other humans.

Even if you were raised by wolves, a female still carried you for nine months, and allowed you access into this realm to breathe life. Whatever her issues for abandoning you may have been, you would not have existed without her dedication to see your lifeform reach its completion.

We have been, are, and ever will be, interdependent when it comes to living, thriving, and surviving on this planet.

This is not a thing to take lightly.

Even your smallest actions toward your fellow man, woman, or child will reverberate ceaselessly like ripples in a pond, interacting with other energies in unpredictable ways, affecting future choices of others, which will ultimately influence yours again. Separation is a fallacy.

When we choose to live on autopilot — playing our self-absorbed games to further our lots in life — without concern of how our actions affect others, we remain ignorant of the most important factor that can shift our chaotic world back to one of harmony.

Awareness.

When we become fully present to witness how our simplest of choices affect the lives of those around us… when we make the wacky consideration that our species might be a unified organism, interacting with millions of other non-humanoids seeking the same basic harmonies and balances in life we do… when we drop our dogmas and rigid belief systems that keep us arguing incessantly amongst one another — despite the fact we’re all fixated upon the identical goal of achieving happiness — we begin to find traction to effect positive change.

I just returned from a 2-month tour of Central America, visiting Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico. Motivation for travel came down to a couple things — escaping the winter climate in Canada, and expanding my understanding of self.

What did I learn? Far more than I could possibly share in this short post. The journal I kept of the experience may be worthy of a novella somewhere down the road, but there are 3 main insights I’d like to share with you today…

1. People are Awesome, Everywhere

Despite the endless warnings, and fear-inspired guidance to vigilantly protect my money, passport, and the 45-pound pack of creature comforts, not once did I feel intimidated, threatened, or uncomfortable.

Even with a pathetic working knowledge of the Spanish language, my respectful efforts to integrate into a culture foreign to me provided the opportunity to meet some of the most helpful and caring humans I’ve ever encountered.

I spent most of my time avoiding tourist areas, choosing to interact with people in the smallest towns I could find, to discover each human had the same basic traits in common — the need to make a buck or two to survive, an overflowing love for family and friends, and a desire to smile, love life, and have fun. Hmm, go figure…

2. Fear is a Shackle

If you want to stay stuck in a rut, let fear be your guide. If you want to explore the unknown, evolve your being in leaps and bounds, or simply find out what mystery-meat a taco vendor is selling, fear needs to get relegated to the BlueBin. With enough practice, it stops becoming an issue, replaced by a confident boldness when stepping beyond comfort zones.

The role of fear has been twisted in modern society. Its rightful place exists when the common sense of self-preservation is in question. It should never influence your decision to try a new restaurant or ask a girl out on a date. Fear in those circumstances does not protect us from harm, it prevents us from living.

3. Influences Exist Beyond the Physical Plane

I have no desire to drag anyone into a God debate here, but I definitely need to share with you something I experienced beyond the Newtonian-physics, hard-core skeptical mindset that dominated most of my life living in Western culture.

My Adventure Blog probably logged some 20,000-plus words during my travels, but an unexpected theme kept recurring — almost on a daily basis. It got to the point I needed a name for the phenomena. This insight occurred while traveling day-to-day, with no plans, and no desire to formulate an agenda beyond 5 hours into the future.

I have no clue who coined the phrase “God takes care of children and fools,” but experience has convinced my immature and moronic self this sentiment is accurate. Some might call it dumb luck or random chance, but I prefer labeling my unconventional protector the Divine Tour Guide. Whenever forks in the road were reached on my travels, whenever options seemed hopelessly limited, or whenever I was lost, alone, and unable to resolve a situation with my sad language skills — abilities akin to a two-word, grunting Spanish Hulk — DTG stepped in to save my ass. Without fail. Love that entity!

It got to the point that when I was staying in a hostel, and someone had an issue that needed resolving, I simply suggested they hang out with me for a couple hours to find guidance, as my Divine Tour Guide would provide an answer before long. And DTG always did.

I have no desire to convince you of guardian angels or spirit guides, but I experienced enough first-hand “you-must-be-kidding-me” moments to consider that non-physical forces are definitely at play in our Universe, taking dependence and interdependence to an entirely new level.

Quick side note: DTG was not a puppet-master. Free will was always on the menu. It was still up to me to make a choice whenever a new opportunity arose, no matter how impossibly and conveniently timed the suggestion fell into my lap.

When it comes to awareness, when it comes to contemplating our dependence or independence relating to our brethren wandering this floating rock in space, or whether it comes down to making even the simplest of decisions in life, I think the best way to end this piece is with a quote from Carlos Castaneda:

“Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good; if it doesn’t, it’s of no use. One makes for a joyful journey, the other makes you curse your life. One makes you strong, the other weakens you.”

We’re in this game together, my friends, no question. We might as well accept our dependence on others.

Follow the path that makes your heart sing, and you might just realize the people following behind you are whistling the same tune.

Dependence is More Than an Undergarment for Adults… published first on https://bitspiritspace.tumblr.com/

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Dependence is More Than an Undergarment for Adults…

The Self Improvement Blog | Self Esteem | Self Confidence

We will never achieve peace or harmony on this planet if we believe we are separate from one another. Only through awareness will we find the traction to effect positive change and the interdependent evolution we are desperately in need of. Let’s talk about this dependence.

Dependence from the beginning

We come into this world a blank slate — kicking and screaming for all we’re worth, yet unable to walk or articulate words. If not for the vested interest of a caregiver, we wouldn’t last long before succumbing to starvation or the elements.

Years will pass before we learn sufficient motor control of our limbs. Baby horses will be walking within hours, but human infants may take a year or more to figure out balance and mobility, happily shitting their pants in the meantime, whenever the urge arises.

Trial and error will slowly teach us how to express our thoughts through sounds and scribbles, and eventually we’ll learn to feed and care for our own bodies. Decades may slip by before we’re ready to leave the nest, but one day a decision will get made to depart the roost for good, with hopes of soaring to new heights, yet to be imagined.

Because of this inglorious and helpless dependence at our beginning we all endured, there’s no possible way some concept of dependency failed to influence our formative years — the years which cement beliefs and behaviors many of us will adopt unwaveringly for the entirety of our adult lives.

Some will explore the concept through wild rebellion — from their first emphatic, “No!” screamed at Mommy, to unruly hairstyles, heavy pot-smoking, and the occasional B&E, just for kicks. (I don’t know anyone like that, I swear)

Others will live happily following the the herd, comforted by the security of like-minded thinkers, and the surrogate parenting of a “concerned” government.

Some will justify failure or addiction as rooted in a disadvantaged upbringing, and others will use those same disadvantages to motivate the realization of an office floating high in a financially abundant stratosphere.

But each and every one of these scenarios is based upon a fundamental truth — none of us could have existed in this world without the support of other humans.

Even if you were raised by wolves, a female still carried you for nine months, and allowed you access into this realm to breathe life. Whatever her issues for abandoning you may have been, you would not have existed without her dedication to see your lifeform reach its completion.

We have been, are, and ever will be, interdependent when it comes to living, thriving, and surviving on this planet.

This is not a thing to take lightly.

Even your smallest actions toward your fellow man, woman, or child will reverberate ceaselessly like ripples in a pond, interacting with other energies in unpredictable ways, affecting future choices of others, which will ultimately influence yours again. Separation is a fallacy.

When we choose to live on autopilot — playing our self-absorbed games to further our lots in life — without concern of how our actions affect others, we remain ignorant of the most important factor that can shift our chaotic world back to one of harmony.

Awareness.

When we become fully present to witness how our simplest of choices affect the lives of those around us… when we make the wacky consideration that our species might be a unified organism, interacting with millions of other non-humanoids seeking the same basic harmonies and balances in life we do… when we drop our dogmas and rigid belief systems that keep us arguing incessantly amongst one another — despite the fact we’re all fixated upon the identical goal of achieving happiness — we begin to find traction to effect positive change.

I just returned from a 2-month tour of Central America, visiting Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico. Motivation for travel came down to a couple things — escaping the winter climate in Canada, and expanding my understanding of self.

What did I learn? Far more than I could possibly share in this short post. The journal I kept of the experience may be worthy of a novella somewhere down the road, but there are 3 main insights I’d like to share with you today…

1. People are Awesome, Everywhere

Despite the endless warnings, and fear-inspired guidance to vigilantly protect my money, passport, and the 45-pound pack of creature comforts, not once did I feel intimidated, threatened, or uncomfortable.

Even with a pathetic working knowledge of the Spanish language, my respectful efforts to integrate into a culture foreign to me provided the opportunity to meet some of the most helpful and caring humans I’ve ever encountered.

I spent most of my time avoiding tourist areas, choosing to interact with people in the smallest towns I could find, to discover each human had the same basic traits in common — the need to make a buck or two to survive, an overflowing love for family and friends, and a desire to smile, love life, and have fun. Hmm, go figure…

2. Fear is a Shackle

If you want to stay stuck in a rut, let fear be your guide. If you want to explore the unknown, evolve your being in leaps and bounds, or simply find out what mystery-meat a taco vendor is selling, fear needs to get relegated to the BlueBin. With enough practice, it stops becoming an issue, replaced by a confident boldness when stepping beyond comfort zones.

The role of fear has been twisted in modern society. Its rightful place exists when the common sense of self-preservation is in question. It should never influence your decision to try a new restaurant or ask a girl out on a date. Fear in those circumstances does not protect us from harm, it prevents us from living.

3. Influences Exist Beyond the Physical Plane

I have no desire to drag anyone into a God debate here, but I definitely need to share with you something I experienced beyond the Newtonian-physics, hard-core skeptical mindset that dominated most of my life living in Western culture.

My Adventure Blog probably logged some 20,000-plus words during my travels, but an unexpected theme kept recurring — almost on a daily basis. It got to the point I needed a name for the phenomena. This insight occurred while traveling day-to-day, with no plans, and no desire to formulate an agenda beyond 5 hours into the future.

I have no clue who coined the phrase “God takes care of children and fools,” but experience has convinced my immature and moronic self this sentiment is accurate. Some might call it dumb luck or random chance, but I prefer labeling my unconventional protector the Divine Tour Guide. Whenever forks in the road were reached on my travels, whenever options seemed hopelessly limited, or whenever I was lost, alone, and unable to resolve a situation with my sad language skills — abilities akin to a two-word, grunting Spanish Hulk — DTG stepped in to save my ass. Without fail. Love that entity!

It got to the point that when I was staying in a hostel, and someone had an issue that needed resolving, I simply suggested they hang out with me for a couple hours to find guidance, as my Divine Tour Guide would provide an answer before long. And DTG always did.

I have no desire to convince you of guardian angels or spirit guides, but I experienced enough first-hand “you-must-be-kidding-me” moments to consider that non-physical forces are definitely at play in our Universe, taking dependence and interdependence to an entirely new level.

Quick side note: DTG was not a puppet-master. Free will was always on the menu. It was still up to me to make a choice whenever a new opportunity arose, no matter how impossibly and conveniently timed the suggestion fell into my lap.

When it comes to awareness, when it comes to contemplating our dependence or independence relating to our brethren wandering this floating rock in space, or whether it comes down to making even the simplest of decisions in life, I think the best way to end this piece is with a quote from Carlos Castaneda:

“Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good; if it doesn’t, it’s of no use. One makes for a joyful journey, the other makes you curse your life. One makes you strong, the other weakens you.”

We’re in this game together, my friends, no question. We might as well accept our dependence on others.

Follow the path that makes your heart sing, and you might just realize the people following behind you are whistling the same tune.

Dependence is More Than an Undergarment for Adults… published first on https://bitspiritspace.tumblr.com/