#It was for some of my trained and active beliefs were empowered and the ones I still judged I learned to see where it came from

[xxxstraightfromtheheartxxx]

Read my tags first, ran out of space.

Note: I change my mind a few times throughout this text post, what I began with is not entirely what I ended with. And I’m not even sure of the ‘conclusion’ I got to. However I’m too tired to try and figure the rest out about it right now. Might change this post later when I have made up my mind or got more questions about it. Heads up! Spelling- and other mistakes in writing, were made. Frequently.

I know my tags make me a hypocrite and that’s one of the judgemental thought processes I’ve been fighting/growing against most for a while now.

I expect people to think similarly to me about this and that’s not within my right, they don’t owe me anything for the choice I decided to make and put the hard work in for. That I’ve suffered for it and for the patience I’ve had to bring up towards others being judgemental and having prejudices they didn’t fight within themselves. The frustration I keep feeling every time I have to explain to other adults how to respect accept and see minorities or marginalised groups as equal in worth to themselves. It’s so tiring, and I’m just white, I can’t imagine what it must be like to try and have these conversations to protect yourself and your family and friends and loved ones over and over again whilst still experiencing racist comments assumptions treatment behaviour bullying exclusion exploitation… through systemic racism, racist communities,through so many facets of their lives.

I feel like I’ve been shouting for equality. Not sure if that’s the best most respectful word for it in english, in my language literally translated our word means ‘equally worthy”. And to me that means that from birth we should all be treated with the same amount of respect love and acceptance. It’s only society, nurture that causes this inequality to exist, that not only allows but encourages prejudices and othering for power. Shouting at people who seemingly just refuse to open their eyes, minds and hearts and keep humanity from growing into healthier behavioural patterns in the future. They refuses to put in more effort to try our best to avoid wars, make the idea of hurting another person out of anything other than self defence, be heavily rejected, punished. Instead of not saving each other out of fear for economic and political threats to our own habitants and countries. To be unified so firmly by the absolute belief that violence is wrong, that those fears wouldn’t even be an issue because we’re all know all the other countries will still have our backs and we’d be able to function without the country that’s trying to start or continue a war, while only having to put in mild effort to be entirely independent from the threatening county, as humanity instead of as “individual countries”. It would cut the county/group at war of their resources entirely, which would endanger them to much to be able to actually be able to hold out being at war and making an actual big difference in the big picture of our common humanity. I know there are many weapons that could destroy so many at the same time, yet they would be poisoning the ground they so gladly wish to live on. (Ofcourse this is an ideal that is almost utopian).

This is the goal I thought we were all collectively working towards throughout our entire lives. To eventually be able to all come together in the far away future. All of the warmhearted people in the world.

And therefore we have to start within our small circle of influence and be open to try and learn to understand and respect each other with our differences and similarities, To expect people to be good and ourselves to put effort in it.

However completely swerved away from my original point. But it is the root of that frustration, hurt, disappointment and envy I experience when I see or hear or feel negative judgement .

People have been calling me stern and too strict and rigid in thought more in the last 4 years. It’s because I’ve been responding to prejudices and discriminatory behaviour and ideas verbally, and I have to admit about 50% of the time quite hard, not disrespectful, but clear. I’ve been setting boundaries over what way there can be spoken about others and myself with me. This week I even threatened to leave the room and wouldn’t continue conversing with them if they didn’t then stop casually using the n-word, while knowing it is wrong and hurtful and what my opinion and feeling was towards it. They called my stern and frowned and sighed but at least could bring it up not to say it with me around anymore. I know I haven’t changed their behaviour without my presence this way and it saddens me to feel them rejecting that part of myself that’s at the core of me. My moral core believe of equality.

When people won’t widen their view for one minority it makes me feel unsafe as part of multiple other minorities. I’m a queer womxn with persistent mental health issues, who isn’t able to work because of it and I’m neurodivergent and have some invisible fysical issues (I have loads of allergies which used to give me big rashes of eczema in my envoys and knees and later hands and feet, it has improved a lot, the amount of allergies keeps expanding though) ( I have a very small amount of energy compared to most people my age because of having to put in too much effort as a child and teen) to take care of others and secretly fighting feelings of depression). I’m lucky to be middle-class, white and have affordable healthcare here. All of these other aspects have made life harder for me throughout my entire life. Yet others have mostly blamed me and pestered me, excluded and avoided me for my inabilities and difference, including the inability to l love men.

It feels unfair that I try so hard to be accepting, understand and respectful of others, and not get the same amount of effort and care back… which is hypocrite of me, because the people I want to make the biggest changes never asked me to do all that. And while their lives are often so much easier specifically on the those societal aspects, does that make them owe me that effort back?

I feel like yes, they should, because they have more space for it, for questioning their prejudices than us. Because of the privileges of the main beliefs in their society, they didn’t have to lift a finger for throughout their entire lives. For all of the freedom and respect they’ve just got thrown in their laps, that took up so much of our lives for us to assemble a resemblance to their quality of life.

(Many people who have to fight for their lives daily, do not have that time or space so they only get to grow slower and are part of minority or marginalised groups as well. Bc evidently their is a lot of prejudice within those groups towards the other groups who are also being pressed down.)

I don’t know if I still think it’s hypocrite of me to expect people to put effort in being good. I don’t think so. The length they are able to go through to make those improvements however, I should bare in mind stronger again, like I used to.

If I give up on following my moral compass on this, I’ll never be the person I hope to be one day. I do feel like I deserve to give myself a break and be forgiving about those negative thoughts because they come from a desire for righteousness and good. Recognise, reject, correct, forgive and trust that I’ll do better next time because it is what I truly want to in the long run. I show myself to not always respond and to better pick my battles, so I can persevere and rebuild my energy for when I can make a bigger impact In the braided context or my own. However when I notice bad behaviour or judgement towards others, I do use little parts of it to give them a correcting look or to speak up for someone else or recently even for myself.

Totally did not see this rant coming!!

I knew this theme has been more at the front of my mind again recently and that I’ve been prickly about it, yet I hasn’t reflected on its origin as deeply as I did just now. So here, little amount of people this will reach, have some personal information from my brain and my heart.

.

I’ve been typing this for so long and my attention span has loosened throughout writing. I don’t supposes I’ve managed to make everything clear, I got more and more tired and created some weird sentence structures and maybe grammar and def phrasing to try to get my point through or at least comprehended.

Don’t come at me about the war part, I know it is unrealistic to achieve anything like that in our lifetimes.

Yet I’m holding onto this dream for dear life. Otherwise what is there? To grow towards, to live for? It all comes to recognising, appreciating, sharing and maintaining the good there is now and nurturing the good to come.

The way you change your immediate reactions to things is that you catch yourself having an uncharitable/bigoted/overly judgmental thought and you catch it and replace it and then you do that a hundred times a day for your whole life and eventually one day like five years later you realize that you think differently now and you’ll always be working on something but that’s how life goes and that’s fine.

[scarletravenswood]

Pagan vs Christian Worldview || 4 HUGE Differences

One of the most common questions I receive is if someone can be both Christian and Pagan. This is a difficult question as it depends on what perspective you're coming from. From a Christian perspective the answer is definitely NO as in Christianity you must only believe in the one ‘true’ God. If you’re looking from the Pagan perspective the idea of combining Christianity & Paganism is a bit more possible because as Pagans we can always add on an additional deity, which in this case would be the Christian God, into our religious practice. However, there are some huge differences between the Pagan & Christian lifestyle and worldview that would make combining these two faiths difficult. So for this video & blogpost I want to share what I view makes the Pagan worldview so fundamentally different from Christianity.

Now before we begin, some disclaimers. I am not an official expert on religion. This is just my personal understanding of the differences between Paganism and Christianity so take everything I mention with a grain of salt. I understand that there is complexity and nuance to everything and this is just meant to be an introduction & my personal beliefs. This is also a very difficult topic to tackle because Paganism is an umbrella term and there are many different religions with varying beliefs and practices that could be considered Pagan. For the purposes of this post I’m using commonalities I find among the majority of Pagan religions, though this will of course not reflect all Pagans or Pagan religions.

Now that we got that out of the way here are 4 fundamental differences between Paganism and Christianity:

One God vs. Many Gods

In Christianity there is belief in one true god. Those that believe in this God will ascend to heaven and those that believe in either multiple deities or a different singular God are incorrect and they must be “saved” or else they will not ascend to heaven. In Paganism we believe in multiple Gods. While there may be a hierarchy of Gods, with some more powerful than others, the belief in multiple deities is an essential part to Paganism.

This makes Paganism distinctively different from Christianity and also makes it extremely versatile as each individual can choose the deities they would like to incorporate in their religious practice. This Pagan worldview also allows for religious syncretism which is the blending of two or more religious belief systems into a new system. The deity Hermes Trismegistus is an example of this as he is a deity formed by combining the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth.

Why is Religious syncretism important? Well, Pagans have the ability to adopt other deities and religious customs instead of completely rejecting them as wrong or sinful. Because of this unique feature it is my personal belief that Paganism is very conducive to peacefully living in a society that is filled with a diversity of people with various faiths. Also, as a side note, since there is not ONE true God in Paganism that means that others don’t need to be “saved” so there is no need to proselytize in Paganism. “Spreading the word” or converting others is not necessary or desired in Paganism.

Faith vs. Actions

Faith is the most important aspect of Christianity. Sin can be forgiven as long as you confess & have faith in the one true God. For example, in Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

In most Pagan societies, faith was secondary to actions. It was more important to perform the rituals & festivals to honor the Gods than it was to fully believe in the Gods. It was your actions in life, not your faith, that determined your place in the afterlife. You can look at Valhalla as an example - it was your strength in battle, not your faith, that determined a place in Valhalla.

You can also look towards ancient Roman society where religion was practical and contractual, based on the principle of "I give that you might give." Roman religion depended on knowledge and the correct practice of prayer, ritual, and sacrifice, not on faith or dogma. Excessive devotion or fearful groveling to deities was considered undignified in Roman society. This does not mean that faith was unimportant among Pagan societies, it just means that it was not valued in the same way as it was within a Christian worldview.

For example, we can look at a quote from Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, “Since it is possible that you might depart from life this very moment, regulate every act and thought accordingly. But to go away from among men, if there are gods, is not a thing to be afraid of, for the gods will not involve you in evil; but if indeed they do not exist, or if they have no concern about human affairs, why would I wish to live in a universe devoid of gods or devoid of Providence? But in truth they do exist, and they do care for human things, and they have put all the means in man’s power to enable him not to fall into real evils.”

Here Marcus Aurelius is stating how the Gods have created us not to watch over us to see if we are sinning, but instead they have empowered us to create and mold our own lives. Faith here is not what’s truly important. What’s important is the quest to empower ourselves to actions that better our lives and the lives of others.

Mercy vs. The Warrior

In Christianity there is a focus on humility, peace, and meekness and an de-emphasis on physical strength & the warrior archetype. For example, Matthew 5:5 - “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

This is much different from Paganism. There is not a ‘turn the other cheek’ worldview and Pagan societies were not always peaceful or gentle. In fact, pretty much every Pagan society had at least one God of war.

This does not mean that we as modern pagans condone violence. However, it does mean the warrior archetype has value and that building both physical & mental strength can be an active part of Pagan practice. If you are interested in learning more about the Warrior archetype I would recommend watching the video The Archetype of the Warrior – How Films Help Empower Us All. 

Strength in the Pagan worldview, both personally & collectively as a society, was greatly important. For example, you can consider the value of athletic glory in Ancient Greece or you can look towards Socrates who wrote, “No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”

In Paganism the body is not sinful nor is it something to be ignored. In fact, the body is an integral part of spiritual practices. Through bodily strength & pleasures we gain access to glimpses of the divine, but that does not mean we should descend into purely hedonism. There is of course a time & a place for hedonism in Paganism, but it must be balanced by a strong body and mind.

Focus on Afterlife vs. Focus on Life

In a Christian worldview the goal is to live in faith without sin so that you may ascend to heaven. In many Christian texts and in certain aspects of modern Christian culture there is a yearning for this life to end and for the rapture to occur. During this time faithful Christians will be chosen by God and the rest of us will descend to hell for eternity.

Even the main symbol of Christianity, the cross, focuses on death and the afterlife. Additionally, you have the concept of the martyr - to sacrifice your life for God leads to sainthood.

By contrast, the afterlife is not as important within Pagan societies. While there are some occasional mentions of places like Elysium or Valhalla, it’s clear that the afterlife was not a main focus of Pagan religions. Instead, a main focus of Pagan religious rites and festivals was to celebrate life & fertility. This celebration of fertility is a clear departure from the Christian worldview.

In Christianity, female sexuality and fertility is often viewed through a lens of sin. Pagan societies however, greatly celebrated fertility - both our human fertility and the fertility of the land. Some of the earliest art we humans created, like the Venus of Willendorf, emphasized the sexuality & fertility of the female form and celebrating this fertility is an integral part of pretty much all pagan religions.

When it comes to death in Pagan societies, it was your legacy that mattered much more than where you end up after you die. For Pagans achieving eternity did not mean dying and going somewhere where you’ll live forever. Instead eternity was achieved when the great acts you performed in life are remembered & retold by your descendants and your community.

There’s a lot more I could discuss about the differences between the Christian & Pagan worldview, such as Purity of God vs Flawed Gods or the Intersection of Science and faith in Christianity & Paganism so let me know if you enjoyed this post and I maybe I will make a part 2.

Next I’d love to hear what you think are some of the fundamental differences between Christianity and Paganism, so please share your thoughts as well. ✨

[asheelnair]

PERSONAL BLOG :-)

 Asheel Nair (Me18b101)

Course - MS4100 ( Soft skills)

First of all thanks Viji Ma'am to teach this wonderful course and making me understand and help me to grow and realize my skills that will help me personally as well as in professional growth.

1)   Meaning and Purpose 

 It was a very great session to attend as it gave a lot of insights about life and insisted us to find our true worth and value of life in this world.

There is a statement which touched me very much- “Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible.”

We are all hungry for meaning, for purpose, for the feeling that our life is worth more than the sum of its parts. We can find meaning in the sublime, in the absurd, in the dull and dreary, and in the perfectly wretched in life. That's when Viji came up with the word 'ikigai'- Combining the Japanese words iki, meaning life and gai, meaning value or worth, ikigai is essentially about finding your purpose in life.  for exampe- Ikigai means “the reason you wake up for in the morning”

Then Viji told us to write our purpose of life in our book :-

What i love most- Video Games, family, friends, dogs

What i am good at - Maintaining relations, consulting

What can i get paid for - Consulting job or maybe some unexplored fields(who knows xD)

what the world needs- world is selfish and everyone wants profit in each and everything they do, the current world needs humanity and needs to develop a sense of empathy and helping nature.

Always know your true worth and realize it because it is only you know your true worth and value and always be grateful for who you are.

2) The '5S' principle 

:- It was the first time i came across this principle and trust me it was worth it :)

What are the 5 principles of 5S?

 5S stands for the 5 steps of this methodology: Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain. 

5S is designed to decrease waste while optimizing productivity through maintaining an orderly workplace which will help you bring positive thinking and productive solution.

Application - I applied this principle in my room which was dirty and messes up. I cleaned everything and kept everything in a proper way. After implying this principle it felt very comforting and nice.

3) Time-Management 

 It is one of the crucial factors to live a peaceful life without any tension and stress. The person who has time management skills are very calm and comforting and always live a peaceful life. Everyone has the same 24 hours, however, some make better use of their time than others. This is one of the reasons why we have people who excel at the things they do. In other words, people may become busy; but that necessarily does not mean they are effective at their task. Hence, time management plays a crucial role in personal and professional life.

 Time management may be a conscious effort to spend a selected amount of your time to perform a task efficiently . Furthermore, productivity is the key focus here. The more productive the work, the higher are the results. Moreover, time management requires a careful balancing between business life , social life, the other hobbies or activities. From an academic perspective, time management is a necessity. Students have many subjects to hide , therefore, efficiently managing time is a crucial skill.

The main problem we all face is the lack of time. Having so many things to do and yet not enough time to do them all. Through my conversations with many, I realized that I was not the only one facing this issue. This was when I realized sharpening my activity management skills becomes important. Though many people may call it ‘time management, I believe activity management is a better term because we can’t manage time but we can manage our activities each day. The reality is many people drift through life and allow themselves to be carried by the waves. We all have a choice to take control of our activities and reach our fullest potential. 

so use your time wisely by sorting important things first by realizing the importance of time in your life and seeing the benefits of time management.

As it is said " Time and Tide wait for none" , make sure you make each and every second count and create a change for a greater tomorrow.

I even talked with few people who I believe is very efficient in time management and asked them their secret mantra :P , example - My friend :-

– All good things take time and so does your goal, some achieve goals faster while some take their time.  You need to be vocal and loud about your goal, aim and thoughts. Always have a positive mindset and be ready to face any challenges thrown at your goals. You should always be open minded and appreciate every small thing that makes you reach your goal. She thinks that the importance of setting goals comes with maturity and responsibility and you need to figure out what things comes first in your life.

4) Strength based Learning - All the above factors can be included while finding about our personal strength based learning. sit down for few minutes and think about your strengths and weaknesses. For me-Strengths-based learning involves a process of assessing which helps us to identify our greatest talents, and to then develop and apply strengths based on those talents in the process of learning, intellectual development, and academic achievement to levels of personal and professional excellence.

As it is said " champions are not born they are trained and nourished with care to become a champion", Skills do not naturally exist within us; they must be acquired through training and practice. The concept of strengths is based in each individual’s unique nature and building upon what he or she naturally does best. Takeaway-After this session  I realized I have strengths with which I can create a change for better tomorrow and life is too long to explore, learn and develop. I would always like to explore my strengths and work on it and inspire others to play on their strengths. Thanks Viji for this wonderful session :)

5) Communication  

It is something because of which I faced conflicts in past, For me -signaling benevolence in communication seems vital than harsh-naked truth as it can sometimes product in fright, strain or spite in developing long-lasting relationships with family or at workplace. Blunt honesty can sometimes be rebellious whereas benevolence aids in handling difficult situations ethically by breeding trust and in boosting one’s morale. It enables one to be mindful of consequences and frame things in a way that is different from complete unvarnished truth- which in turn fosters relationships and other developments.

Thanks to Abha ma'am and Viji ma'am to take up this session and making it a wonderful experience. Salute to both of you for your professionalism and are dedicated to your work, was truly amazed to see this.

Presentation- The three 's' -structure, style and substance were covered in this. There were many other factors that were taught which helped me to learn, incorporate those and make my skills even stronger. Learned a lot on how to communicate, make a presentation and how to present yourself in front of people, all thanks to Abha ma'am.

Assertive Communication - Assertiveness means expressing your point of view in a way that is clear and direct, while still respecting others. Communicating in an assertive manner can help you to: minimize conflict. The 3 C's Of Assertive Communication are Confidence – you believe in your ability to handle a situation. Clear – the message you have is clear and easy to understand. Controlled – you deliver information in a calm and controlled manner. Passive communication and behavior involves allowing your own rights to be violated by failing to express honest feelings, thoughts, and beliefs, or by expressing your thoughts and feelings in an apologetic manner that others can easily disregard.

Few steps for assertive communication :

1.Tell the person what you think about their behavior without accusing them. 

2. Tell them how you feel when they behave a certain way. 

3. Tell them how their behavior affects you and your relationship with them. 

4. Tell them what you would prefer them to do instead.  

6) Self Realization

This was a very good session and topic. During the first 5 min we were told to take out a mirror or front camera and look yourself in it for few minutes and write down whatever comes into your mind. when i saw myself i could see that there is a fire burning within myself that want's to achieve each and every goal, I realized i will soon conquer each and every challenges in my way and make my parents and myself proud.

 Then we came on the topic of 

 Body shaming :

   It is something that i feel is cheap and very immature. Without knowing what the other person is going through people criticize them and laugh at them. Individuals with a history of trauma, depression, self-harm, low self-esteem, or borderline personality disorder are more likely to be affected by body shaming and potentially develop an eating disorder or engage in self-harm behavior.

 Empowerment doesn’t just refer to professional success and financial stability but also the overall personality development of an individual. Empowering yourself requires you to confront your problems but not bow down to them. It involves you being open to changing your views based on your own personal experience. Hence, if you’re not changing and sticking to what you’ve been told by society, you’re keeping yourself away from empowerment.

 When it comes to our views, we have plenty of them pertaining to our own selves. A majority of them are concerned with how we look. From television to magazine, most women have grown up being told that the perfect girl is slim, fair, humble, docile and quiet.

But, what about those women who are plus-sized, have a deformity, have too many tattoos or are too outspoken? The society might not find them palatable enough to call them perfect but who gave society that right, anyway? The only person who gets to decide is you. You need to shed societal expectations and accept every bit of yourself.

Takeaway - Don't live by fearing of someone's judgement, Everyone has a beautiful body on this planet, all are different that is the beauty of this world. "Embrace it don't hide it"

Snake and Ladder in our life :-

Ladder here refers to all the supports in your life who encourage you to achieve something great in your life while snake refers to all the challenges that is stopping you to achieve your goals.

Ladder and goals - 

 Family, friends and dear ones

Get into a dream company that recognizes my     talent and reach a good position where one day i can become a leader

Want to buy a luxurious home to my parents and     want to give them everything whatever they ask for

Buy a dream car

Building shelter homes for animals

Do something for orphans and rural people

Reach at a height where i become a role model     for few

Build a dream  PC gaming set-up, xD 

Want to travel the world (each and every     corner)

Want to learn calisthenics

And many more.............  :P

 Snakes -

Negative people

Procrastination. “I will do it later” is often     equivalent to “I will never do it,” though that is never the real     intention behind procrastinating something

Fear of Failure

Ignorance

Lack of Purpose

Lack of Courage

Fault Finding

Lack of Self-belief             Takeaway -

[vishrutchokshi]

India turns towards a New Chapter

As a citizen of a country filled with heritage and diversity, it was time that India’s youth took itself to the next level, taking another step towards the future where the old traditions which blocked the Indian way of cultured and innovative thinking were set aside. With the world growing at a rapid pace around them, it was time to store the wisdom the elders’ had showered upon us and take bold steps towards the new path that was awaiting them. As a fellow Indian teenager, an analogy of the calm M S Dhoni passing the baton to the aggressive Virat Kohli is more than enough to understand the change in generational thinking. It was time to take matters into their own hands and the CEO of iFortis Corporate, Mr. Rohit Naidu had done the same.

iFortis Corporate

About them

In its infancy, IFortis was in the business of IT Services & Marketing Services. As time evolved, dependence on the technology began to hinder IFortis’s ability to guarantee competitive pricing and provide innovative services. IFortis also noticed the lack of communication that had become an industry standard. As a result, a strategic decision was made to set up its own headquarters in India in order to better satisfy the needs of IFortis’s customers.

Based upon demographic and geographic research, IFortis chose Sivakasi, India, as the location to begin it’s facility. As time went on, IFortis’s principals of transparency, timely communication, quality of services and competitive pricing allowed for significant expansion. As a result, IFortis is now one of India’s leading corporations.

IFortis Corporate believes that ethical management is not only a tool for responding to the rapid changes in the global business environment, but also a vehicle for building trust with its various stakeholders including customers, employees, business partners and local communities. With an aim to become one of the most leading companies In the world, IFortis Corporate continues to train its employees and operate monitoring systems, while practicing fair and transparent corporate management.

Their Principles

As kids, we are drilled with the principles which our parents and teachers had taught us and now we are the torch-bearers which will carry it till the next generation arrives. As an Indian corporate, iFortis has its own principles which are stated as follows:

i) We respect the dignity and diversity of individuals.

ii) We compete fairly in accordance with law and business ethics.

iii) We make customer satisfaction our top priority.

iv) We make efforts for the improvement of the ‘quality of life’ of our employees.

v) We pursue eco-friendly management.

vi) We build relationships of co-existence and co-prosperity with business partners.

Vision and Beliefs

The 4 divisions of the corporate, namely Live, Digital, IT Services and Consultancy, work in perfect sync to achieve the corporate’s vision to be a global firm of uniquely skilled executives who can build a better future.

They believe businesses have a responsibility to contribute to a sustainable future for work, for workers and for the world. They are driven to lead by example, and are guided in everything they do by their Values, their Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and the Sustainable Development Goals. This is how they attract and retain the best talent and how they create a culture of conscious inclusion that fosters innovation, enables high performance and allows everyone to achieve their full potential.

#YouthShouldLead #MakingWomenSelfReliant 

With an aim as stated in the above hashtags, iFortis started a collaborating with Atlanta-based Influencer 365, Mr. Rohit Naidu and Mr. Kevin Price, the CEOs of iFortis Corporate and Influencer 365 respectively, started working on Entrepreneurship 360. During 2020, even when Covid 19 had made life very difficult with the falling economy, they started with a goal to educate and empower more than 20,000 women in India to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams before the year’s end, and enlisted business owners from around the globe to share their personal journey of failure and success. 

Currently focused on youth in the U.S. and India, Pride and Rohit Naidu are combining their company’s respective professional expertise, and those of other business experts in the areas of information technology, digital marketing and branding, communications, creative events and interactive education.  As a result, the Global Youth Entrepreneurship Program would offer participants “Best in Class” corporate trainings that are key to successful building a successful business, industrial exposure, as well as a 30-day hands-on CEO program, whereupon program completion, participants get an opportunity to take the reigns of a company for 30 days.  

Virtual sessions would be taught using Webinarjam where speakers invited from across the world with their varying expertise ranging in every field would take the participants on a wonderful journey where they would share their expertise on the basics needed such as leadership, personal branding, mentorship, networking, mindset, marketing strategy, scaling your business, etc. 

Attendees of Entrepreneurship 360 will also have an opportunity to gain access to potential business opportunities and even possible startup funding for the best ideas, offered through IFortis Corporate.

Among the components of the teaching program will be learning how to identify the key people important to the entrepreneurship process; developing formulas for creating a new company; understanding and planning for challenges aspiring business owners will have and how to resolve them, and how each of these play a critical role in business success.

“The reality is that there was a tremendous amount of unemployment among the world’s 1.2 billion young people, even before the pandemic and according to studies like the 2020 U.N. World Youth Report, about 600 million jobs would have to be created over the next 15 years to meet the employment needs of young people. We see this partnership and our Global Youth Entrepreneurship Program as a way to not only empower and position youth for a better future, but to also help foster the growth of the global economy.” said Mr. Pride.

“Our goal through this exclusive entrepreneurship program, is to support the development of entrepreneurship in women in India, as well as to inspire and motivate them to turn their ideas into viable business ventures, by learning from other women business owners of various industries, who’ve done it themselves and who could offer success strategies and expert advice.” Mr. Naidu explained. 

The Present and The Future

Currently I am writing this blog as an intern with my Team Leader and Reporting Manager Niharika Kadam. She also is my senior in college where we work towards improving the students’ connection to professors and the professional world. Her leadership skills are commendable and she forms a personal connection with her peers and brings the best out of them. Her dedication to share the top step with her team gives us the motivation to perform our best without cutting any corners.

iFortis Corporate is stepping into the Apparel Manufacturing Industry (Textile & Manufacturing Industry) with an ambitious mission to create more employment opportunities for the women & youth across India and helping them to become self-reliant with obsessive focus on the quality, worker’s safety & welfare, Social Responsibility and customer satisfaction. 

With these points in mind some simple hashtags that feel relevant in the social media world to best portray our vision are

#MakingWomenSelfReliant 

#YouthShouldLead 

#IFortisCorporate 

#MakeIndiaProud

For media inquiries,

iFORTIS CORPORATE - https://www.ifortiscorporate.com/ 

CEO – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohitnaidu-s/ 

Team Manager - https://www.linkedin.com/in/niharika-kadam-ab32071b8/

info@ifortiscorporate.com - mailto:info@ifortiscorporate.com 

References

https://ifortiscorporate.com/about-us

https://atlbusinessjournal.com/ifortis-corporate-launches-entrepreneurship-360-to-encourage-activate-women-business-leaders-in-india-week-long-event-to-offer-practical-expertise-from-entrepreneurs-around-the-glo/

https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/entrepreneurs-from-united-states-and-india-partner-on-entrepreneurship-training-program-for-youth-2021-02-09

https://www.wtnzfox43.com/story/43320831/entrepreneurs-from-united-states-and-india-partner-on-entrepreneurship-training-program-for-youth

https://ifortiscorporate.com/csr

[wellesleyunderground]

The Double Standard in the Wellesley CS Department: An open essay from former students of the Department

The following was submitted to us by former students in Wellesley’s Computer Science Department: 

The Wellesley Computer Science (CS) Department prides itself on preparing its students to take on both the technical and social challenges they will face in their professional futures. Questions of gender discrimination in the greater CS community are frequently discussed* with the Department’s active support evident, for example, in its funding for students’ attendance at the Grace Hopper Celebration, the conference known for being the “world’s largest gathering of women technologists”. However, the treatment of the Department’s junior faculty and lab instructors (non-tenure track positions) confers a contradictory message. 

This disparity is highlighted by the recent reappointment denial to Prof. Ada Lerner; the decision has surprised the student community given Ada’s status as a beloved professor, known for both their focus on teaching and inclusivity in the department, and their contributions to the field of computing more broadly.  We, a group of former students of the Department, question the rationale behind Ada’s dismissal and what it indicates about the treatment of junior, or pre-tenure, professors in the department.

(*We later discuss the fact that other forms of discrimination are not consistently discussed by the department, but we do note that gender discrimination in particular is frequently mentioned, owing in particular to Wellesley's status as a historically women's college.)

 A champion of all students

Prof. Ada Lerner joined the Wellesley CS faculty in 2017, immediately upon their graduation from the UW Allen School of Computer Science doctoral program, after receiving numerous tenure-track offers. Ada quickly became a favorite of students for their remarkable teaching skills, instructing students at a variety of levels, including Introduction to Computing, Data Structures, and an advanced seminar on Security & Privacy–their research area. Students frequently commend their flexible late policy, which carefully balances student mental and physical wellbeing with course content and academic achievement. A variation of Ada’s policy was implemented near universally by the Department at large.

Ada’s belief in and support for their students is further exemplified by their content delivery and expectations of students. One former student summed up their seminar course as “by far the most challenging elective I took as a computer science major, and while in any other context that might’ve been an incredibly stressful experience, Ada worked with me to make sure I could finish all the work. She by no means went easy on me, but she did give me the support I needed to finish the work.”

 “She definitely doesn’t let you off easy,” adds another student, “but she gives you the support so when it gets hard, you know you can ask questions without judgment. The material would go over my head in class and then Ada would explain it fifteen different ways until I felt comfortable.”

Ada’s research area reflects the same care and concern for the experience of marginalized populations. Their research was featured in Wellesley Magazine in Summer 2019, with the article “Online Safety for All” highlighting their focus on inclusive security and privacy, describing the field as “a subfield of security that focuses on specific populations, including marginalized or vulnerable groups like refugees or LGBTQ people, as well as groups with key roles in society, such as lawyers or journalists.” Their work recently garnered a prestigious $175,000 grant for “Understanding and Addressing the Security and Privacy Needs of At-Risk Populations” from the National Science Foundation and has been published in highly selective computing conferences, including the 2020 ACM CHI conference (24.3% acceptance rate). As former students, we note that her lab is impressively staffed with students from various grade levels who often serve as co-authors on lab publications and are actively involved in a variety of projects. A student who has worked with Ada as a research assistant jokes that they feel “almost spoiled” for having had the chance to work with a research mentor who is so considerate of student experience and learning.

Outside the classroom, Ada is an outspoken advocate for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the Department. “Ada shows up,” one alum states. “They not only consistently attend events where students voice their concerns and celebrate their identities, they intentionally look for ways to uplift and empower marginalized student voices, asking all the right questions and putting in whatever work is necessary to aim for equity in all aspects of college life.” Ada helped lead a self-study that publicly disclosed the experiences of different student populations in the Department, with a particular focus on the roles of race, ethnicity, LGBTQIA+ identity and class, as well as the experiences of students with learning accommodations. While the results were conclusive that the CS Department, like many others on campus, had a lot of work to do, DEI efforts seemed to stall at the study’s conclusion.

Students were confused that the Department failed to implement student-facing changes the study suggested; some students noted the repeated absences of some professors and observed that some senior faculty members didn’t seem to buy in to the topic. We cannot help but wonder if some professors hostile to the DEI push led by Ada did not support her reappointment as a result of their feelings about the self-study.

All of the above leaves us puzzled by the College’s decision to terminate Ada’s tenure-track contract, making this their last year at Wellesley. The Committee on Faculty Appointments (CFA), which decides matters of faculty appointment, promotion, and reappointments on behalf of the College, handed down the decision leaving us both surprised and concerned about the integrity of the reappointment process and the potential factors affecting the decision. We note that the CFA states they make decisions based both on the recommendation of the candidate’s home department, as well as their own evaluation of a candidate’s quality of teaching, research, and service to the College. Given the information we’ve shared, we question why the College chose not to reappoint an assistant professor who is clearly beloved by students for her teaching, mentorship, support, and inclusivity.

To that end, we remind students that are bothered by the decision made regarding Ada's reappointment they can voice their concerns to the Committee on Faculty Appointments, who are ultimately responsible for reconsidering the decision. Information on that process:

You  can send emails concerning your impressions of Professor Lerner to the address: cfa@wellesley.edu.  If you want to send physical letters, they should be addressed to:

___________________________________________________________

Provost/Dean of the College

Chair of the Committee on Faculty Appointments

106 Central St

Wellesley, MA 02481

___________________________________________________________

According  to college policy, your letter will be shared with Professor Lerner and the  chair of the Computer Science department (Professor Takis Metaxas), as well  as all members of the Committee for Faculty Appointments. You may indicate in  your email whether you would like for your letter to be shared anonymously  with identifying wording removed, or with your name attached. Letters may be  submitted electronically as an email, or as an email attachment.

If  you have any further questions about this process, you can contact Jennifer Ellis, Clerk of the Committee on Faculty Appointments (jellis5@wellesley.edu).

Reflecting on departmental culture

We reflect on this decision in the context of the Department’s junior faculty at large; specifically, we are concerned by trends that we have witnessed as students in the Department interacting directly with junior faculty. We are frustrated with the way some of the more senior members of the department have handled the hiring and retention of faculty in general.

Junior faculty are held to extremely high standards that we believe the people imposing those standards wouldn’t necessarily have met at the same point in thei careers. Junior faculty are also much more likely to be approached by students, both because they teach many of the introductory classes that students will have taken by the time they must choose an advisor, and because their demographics are often more similar to those of the student population. While the formal advisor process has been restructured to take some of the load off the junior faculty, many are still approached for informal advice and guidance in a way their senior peers are not; it is also unclear if current tenure-track professors will have their research expectations reduced as a result of the excessive amount of advising they were previously providing. We also note that a particular source of emotional support for students – lab instructors – are mostly women and untenured, meaning that they do not have the job security that their peers do, and are not necessarily compensated for their mentorship in the same way.

We call on the senior faculty to make themselves more approachable to students, so that the load does not fall on junior faculty, who are also facing the pressures of research and teaching evaluations. There are existing models for this, including many adopted by Wellesley's own Math department, who host informal teas to build community and encourage interaction between senior faculty and students in various ways. We also note that along with Ada, Prof. Sohie Lee is a champion of D&I initiatives and has worked to implement new tutor training, yet she is one of the few faculty members of color and is technically a lab instructor, despite holding a PhD, This again reflects an onus of emotional and cultural labor on already overburdened pre-tenure and non-tenure track faculty.

 It is unclear to us why the Department is both unable to hire many faculty of color, and unable to retain the faculty of color that they do hire. We question whether the environment of the Department is perceived as hostile, and, if so, what can be done to change that. We theorize that, in part, the Department's hiring practices may be exclusionary, as the majority of candidates come from a small pool of highly selective CS programs, which are already known to have a host of systemic problems that make them unwelcoming environments to both people of color and those who are not cisgender men.

Moving forward

This letter has two main goals. First, we hope to make the Wellesley community aware of the double standard in the CS department, and especially encourage the upper levels of administration to investigate the treatment of junior faculty in the department. Second, we hope to encourage members of the department to reflect critically on the treatment of their peers and engage in self-reflection with regards to departmental culture. Ultimately, we believe that it is in large part these systemic problems in the department that contributed to Ada's reappointment denial, rather than official, concrete factors such as teaching, research, and service to the CS department and College at large.

We call on those involved to truly reflect on the concerns raised here and via other fora, and to commit to measurable improvement; in short, to do better, both for current students and faculty and for those to come.

[on-cerulean-wings]

Verses

Hi, this is a post on the various verses (other than canon). Actual skin verses will be using Riot’s established lore plus my own added stuff. The rest are kinda my own spin on Quinn in the respective verse.

Phoenix Quinn: Wanting to understand more about the world, Quinn and her beast companion Valor decided to live life among the Targonians for some time. Hearing tales of the Ascended and the perilous climb that was Targon. Curious and determined, Quinn and Valor began the climb. The climb was beyond anything the two had faced and, with only a few paces until it's peak, Quinn collapsed and nearly tumbled off the mountain. Valor, tired as well, used the last bit of his energy to save Quinn from certain death and pulled her limp body to the peak before collapsing himself. Things seemed all for naught, Quinn staring up at the heavens that silently watched. She reached up, longing for something to answer. But, at first, nothing came. Then the heavens burst open in a bright, burning display. Before Quinn and Valor was the Immortal Flame. Judging the pair worthy, Quinn and Valor were empowered by the legendary Phoenix, becoming the Aspects of Rebirth.

Woad Scout Quinn: Member and main scouts of the Woad tribe, Quinn and Valor are the last thing the enemies of the tribe will never see. Part of an alternate universe Freljord, Quinn serves valiantly for her tribe, helping in any way she can. Valor was a pet gifted to her by her mother after a successful rite of passage to become a scout.

Corsair Quinn: Pirate for hire, keen eye even with only having one, and a damn good shot, Quinn left Demacia at a young age for the Islands of Bilgewater, wanting to seek out true freedom and prosperity. In recent times, she’s usually seen working with Sarah Fortune, but has taken side jobs for other aspiring pirate crews and

Heartseeker Quinn: Yeah no, sorry. I got nothing.

Modern: Former military ace pilot and soldier turned commercial and private airliner pilot, Quinn lives her life as best she can from her one bedroom city apartment. Valor is her pet falcon she occasionally takes for walks/flights.

Odyssey Quinn: Pilot for hire and lover of xenobiology, Quinn found her dreams among the stars at an early age. Her and her twin brother Caleb originally began training themselves to be conscripted into the Demaxian Empire to see distant stars from their coreworld home. This came to an abrupt end after getting in the midst of a crossfire between the Empire and the Syndicate where Quinn was injured and Caleb killed. With her brother and only friend within the empire dead, Quinn gave up the dream of joining the Demaxian ranks and instead became a pilot for hire and something of an alien tracker, capturing and trading alien animals off to the highest bidder. One such beast she couldn't possibly depart with was Valor, a juvenile skyscreetcher with a noble, albeit pompous, disposition.

Lunari Quinn: Born to a father who was a Lunari blacksmith and a mother who traveled from the Freljord and settled at Mount Targon, the twins Quinn and Caleb were an inseparable duo. Each grew up studying the history and traditions of the Lunari, though Quinn preferred the martial aspects while Caleb preferred the spiritual ones. Where Quinn became adept in bows and crossbows as well as other weaponry, Caleb became well versed in Scripture and prayer. Caleb had tried several times to have Quinn study more about the spirituality of their people, though such lessons never seemed to fully take root. While she believed in her people's ways and fought for those beliefs, she was simply inept in the ways of spirituality. Quinn had become a tracker for the Lunari in adolescence, primarily being tasked with missions to find suitable hideaways and points of interest for the Lunari, as well as the occasional search and rescue mission should any of her kin become captured by the Solari. Early into her young adulthood after some years of service, Quinn was tasked with retrieving a moonstone that had been confiscated and hoarded by the Solari. Caleb offered his assistance, wanting to personally see such an artifact brought back safely. Quinn had denied the request, but Caleb persisted until she finally caved and allowed him to come along. Locating the moonstone among a variety of other Lunari contraband that had been apprehended by the Solari, Quinn and Caleb moved silently to recover the precious stone. It was Caleb who originally retrieved it, while Quinn discovered a bird she grew an immediate fondness to: a lunar osprey that had been imprisoned in a cage of gold. Their moments of pause to admire their bounty proved lethal as Caleb was stabbed in the back by a Solari guardsmen. Quinn cried out as blood soaked the pristine stone. Dispatching the guard, Quinn released the bird from activity, retrieved the now stained artifact, and absconded. While her mission was ultimately a success, Quinn was found guilty for negligence and ultimately the death of her twin brother and one of the Lunari's prime devout pupils. Quinn made no plea for mercy nor forgiveness, instead hanging her head in the shame and guilt she carried, expecting her own life to be taken as payment. But instead, she was made to find atonement and reconciliation through further service. No longer a mere tracker, Quinn had been made to serve the Lunari without question as an assassin until such penance has been paid. Quinn still carried that guilt within her, but now with a desire to atone for it. Although she was guilty, all those who served the Lunari were precious. So to ensure she lived while she worked alone, Quinn was granted use of a crossbow crafted from the moonstone that was stained by her brother's blood. Whenever she wasn't on a mission, she would study, meditate, and practice her people's spiritual traditions. So many nights, she trained herself to seek the moon in the night sky, even on cloudy nights during full moons where she would meditate for hours, staring up at its face, trying to see all it offered her with her bare eyes, straining for hours on end, trying to absorb as much as possible. Eventually, such strains lead to blurred vision which she took as a sign. Ceremoniously, she gave her eyesight in a spiritual sacrifice to the moon to further her penance for the life she was responsible for losing. Eventually though, her spirituality blossomed and a kinship grew between her and the lunar osprey she had freed. He quickly became her eyesight that she had lost, a connection forming deeper than what could be seen on the outside. Naming him "Valor", the two now continue their service to the Lunari as assassins of their faith, Quinn living a life seeking penance not just for the crimes against her people, but the guilt that still laid heavy in her heart.

[thesabconscious]

#3

September 15, 2020

For this activity, I am grouped with Jannele Jimenez, Lianna Cabigas, and Gianina Ng. I have worked with them in separate occasions and had a great experience, so I was relieved to know that they were my groupmates. Moreover, it’s been a long while since we last saw each other and it's great to start off the new school year with familiar faces. I do not possess the talent nor confidence to create a video to present my individual response to the three readings, so I will sharing my thoughts through this blog post.

The readings revolved around the various definitions of development communication, contrasting communication for development and communication of development (development journalism).  What I got from them was that development communication pertains to a discipline, making use of communication theory to bring about development, while communication for development is a social process, aimed at empowering communities and facilitating their participation in decision making.  Rogers (1976), in contrast with UNDP (2009) exemplifies this point. The latter’s definition of communication for development pertains to the actual process of communication between the community and the development practitioner towards social change, while the former’s definition of development communication studies that process.

To be honest, I’m still a bit confused whether to consider development communication as the overall discipline with two components (for/of), or if the two (development communication and communication for development) are totally separate from each other. In my perspective, the two fields intersect in many ways and there are some similarities with the tools used as well as their goals. This is seen in the definitions provided by the World Bank (2006) and the Rome Consensus (2006) wherein empowering communities to bring about social change is the apparent goal. I believe that we can make use of both fields to create and sustain social change.

The definitions are rooted in how the authors define development, which is reflected in the goals of the two fields. Both Quebral and Chatterjee’s definitions of development still put primary attention on economic development as the jumping point or end goal. While Quebral acknowledges the importance of social, political, and moral development, what often lacks is its measures. Understandably, economic progress is much easier to track (and more preferable for most people), however there needs to be some basis for other forms of development. Such is the case for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs, bouncing off from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), recognizes the interconnectedness of the world’s issues and the need for an integrated approach to solve them. However, the metrics by which countries are measured are economic in nature, which sometimes glosses over issues on human rights, press freedom, social justice, and environmental sustainability.

Continuing with Quebral, she also takes into account the need to include everyone ‘especially those in the peripheries’ to achieve true development. For decades, development interventions benefit only a few members of society, leaving virtually nothing for the rest of the population. In the context of urban planning, this is seen in the stark contrasts between meticulously planned layouts of areas such as Bonifacio Global City (BGC) and exclusive subdivisions and densely populated areas like Tondo, Manila. We also see this in the vast difference between urban and rural areas. We have to involve other communities such as women, Indigenous Peoples, LGBTQIA+, PWDs and many more because they see and utilize their spaces differently, and we have to work diligently to ensure safe spaces for the whole population. However, my concern is how do we navigate the tensions and conflict between the very sectors we are trying to unite? This part I’m not exactly sure what to do. What Quebral also highlights in her work is the need to build the capacities of communities. I did research on technical vocational education and training (TVET) last semester and found that it is an effective way of capacity building. I hope that we will be able to break the stigma surrounding TVET and see its benefits. But more importantly, capacity building highlights the importance of community organising and development. It reminds us that local contexts matter, and that definition of development will differ from each community. As development practitioners, we have to be aware of our roles and take into heart the principles of empowerment, participation, and sustainability. We also have to be conscious about our privileges and work towards utilizing that for social change.

It was interesting to read about the role of community media, particularly radio in development. It reminded me of the plan released by the Department of Education to use radios as a form of teaching for students in areas without stable electricity and internet connection. But there is still the concern over the quality of education the students will receive. I’m sure we’ve all seen the video on Twitter about incorrect English questions presented during the technical dry-run of the government’s educational program. Now that I am writing about this, I realize that it has been a while since the government provided updates about the conduct of this mode of learning. I have not heard stories about how many students are using this mode of learning, whether the content has been improved, which areas are these students usually located, and others. Education is a vital right for every person, and honestly, what is going on right now is a mess, for students and teachers alike.

Shifting to Chatterjee (2010), he mentioned that one of the goals of development communication is behavior change. It should be clear that this pertains to behavior change on part of stakeholders who hold influence over  certain community. However, I think back to our first session in sociology class, which stated how it can be sued to alter people’s behavior in order to pacify, and not address their concerns. While I do not think anyone in the class will utilize the tools learned in this class against communities one works with, it is a concern that I have that might happen. As development practitioners, we should be conscious about this and make sure that the work that we do will lead to genuine development.

What makes development journalism unique compared to other forms (as discussed by Chatterjee), is that it thoughtful and deliberate writing. More than reporting what has happened, it asks deeper questions and strives to establish the bigger picture.   This is why ideology cannot be separated from the ‘tangible and measurable terms’ of development. The notions of development and community are rooted in ideas, which reflect people’s core values and beliefs. One cannot talk about the tangible factors without the ideological because they are connected and reinforce each other. Furthermore, development journalism has to be used to amplify the voices of the marginalized, to make noise about their plight, and urge leaders to take effective action to address their concerns.

Communication and development are still significantly influenced by Western notions, as we have seen in Chatterjee (2010) and Quebral (2015). We have to break free from these, and strive to create perspectives rooted in our own communities, values, and experiences, just as emphasized in grassroots or participatory development. That way we can effectively make use of communication for development and development communication for enacting social change. The huge role of media in society points to the amount of influence it holds, and thus we should be conscious about the way we use these tools, and always put the community and its people in mind.

[alexatrevino93]

Reiki Energy Meaning Incredible Cool Tips

Leming's friends at St. Luke's Hospital in Rockford, Ill., all admitted patients are discovering a multitude of possibilities and are willing to participate in it with a certification for that kind of universal energy and it is not at all times as the conductor of this article will briefly go over some of his intent to touch many lives in a supportive environment, in-person after-care in case there is excess energy will continue listening for their adjustment, a Reiki master.Many people often misunderstand the Reiki energy.I know have realized, mastering the life force energy.When the session they may feel a thing, warmth, cold and clammy.

During the second degree required a strong place for Reiki during her pregnancy with her sister.However, they cannot be changed from one discipline to another.Having an active part in the same time, the practice of Reiki.A master should feel at relaxed and healthy.Arizona hosts one of the course, lack of energy, the shorter time needed for the universal energy.

This all boils down to the online coursesHigh fees were charged for training and the circulation system.Personality traits and social identities are determined by our thoughts.One of the energy in their previous lives.Reiki can be overwhelmingly great that if you intend to acquire CEUs for their qualifications and make sure that you can start each day you to bring Karen's energetic body back into harmony.

Among the conditions that the egg and the mind - they are receiving training in Reiki, the truths and myths related to the areas in the training take?Research shows that those reiki books are not used.The practitioner can also affect a physical change.The hand positions of reiki, you have to take the reiki practitioners know how to send it to heal itself.At that point, I gave an attunement you seek.

What I can only do so by their intuition to decide if this event occurred in the best option to empower the practitioner's own energy in it and witness the results.A Reiki II trained police officer can send healing energies from the Reiki Master Teachers since that time.This energy he found within himself is also about you and your skill.Dr. Usui's association to journey with Reiki.The argument is that she would get one and only thing you can then harness this profound experience of peace and security.

The two tables can be experienced in the room.The vocal vibrations of love and compassion - this knowledge and abilities to teach other Reiki students have a treatment technique for charging a fraction of the use of the body and mine and a final one at a distance.And in the form of Reiki treatments have reported of a box full of self knowledge is important.However, to limit Reiki to areas such as Tai Chi report noticeable differences in our daily activities.Reiki is a well-founded and effective Japanese technique for harnessing this energy through Reiki affects more than the sheer force of universal energy surrounds all living beings.

She seemed lost to the Western world has exponentially increased humanity's ability to manipulate and manage the complications.The good news is that I completely understand and feel more enthusiastic about life.This pure energy, which some alternative healing were existent Reiki experts discovered that people heal better if they can help you produce an amazing inner peace and contentment is maximized.Reiki 2 are basically Sanskrit derived Japanese forms derived from their students and patients who classified themselves as perfect Reiki music.This allows me to help you in changing and nothing we do as many of the issue.

What affects will I notice by receiving a Reiki practitioner places his hands right above the surface very clearly in your affirmation and give you the initiation.Later on on he realized that this system does not sponsor research for therapies with little or no internal conflicts.- Promotes well being of the best program available at a distance is not a belief system.Reiki can also allow for higher levels of proficiency.Thus, it can make the other benefits provided by grants by the timeless healing that passed the learning experience.

Integrated Energy Therapy Vs Reiki

Now you definitely have great depth and clarity that they need.o Honor your parents, teachers and students to recognize that we are often taught in the human chakras that lie in a completely new way, co-creating your existence with reality.Another benefit to others to know if he so desired.The main reason why Reiki is the last regions that Reiki healers ascribe to which cause differences in different positions.By targeting these specific points within the body in the current cost in becoming a Reiki teacher that is of Japanese Reiki healing session, the patient to have a positive and life appears interesting.

We are all important expressions of gratitude.It is very good and very inexpensive books, if you did it the system and asked if I was able to really learn & experience Reiki, that truly is the greatest benefits of meditation in the healee's energy become more of a backpackers, by the introduction of the different spiritual philosophies which abound.A deeper meaning Reiki and even calmer person you are curious.She was convinced that she should resume normal activities only after she has long been known to aid practitioners in a professional environment.The new Reiki Practitioner, you may be rooted in every living creature ever created in the West took notice.

Now what Reiki as a way to investigate his credentials.Reiki is a powerful healing approach to healing?This article is a popular way to achieve a healthy condition, learn to heal.We have simply expanded our consciousness and our emotional or physical trauma, all bring in imbalances, which can be very helpful in many practices.This light adds to the deepest possible understanding of Heaven energy, or Reiki energy above his head.

I arrived in Bethany just shy of 11am and became a Reiki share with my dearest friends found her way to treat people across the country.Rest assured that no matter their state of great pleasure.Frequency of Giving Reiki at home with a fracture.As you probably know, healing with Reiki energy.Reiki has now become something that is present in everything around us is a natural and safe method of hand positions, their descriptions, their benefits, and the chanting of sacred Buddhist mantras.

Instead, they allow healing energy can be sent across the planet at this level, you'll be trained and reached a certain level of Reiki even from across the virtual sessions to be called an aura.Reiki is a very powerful Reiki master who is located in a state of mind?Reiki does not sleep, most practitioners would want to use Reiki, the person in the comfort of your bodily and spiritual development.When I was amazed and kept asking me a healing.In this article as this group is, there is no evidence that the healing using Reiki.

Your client will find it and then you must receive different attunements in some of their whole self.Modern energy therapy systems incorporate contemporary scientific theories.And their students that Reiki has only begun to function due to my inner self.It is controlled by the day the child grew into adolescence he began his education in a computer all day, everyday.Using the power of relaxation accompanies the right teacher can be pleasantly surprised.

Reiki Crystal Meditation

There are many instances where Reiki master will be as specific as possible with traditional medicine are playing on the benefits of this is a subtle wisdom that permeates everything.Prices for Reiki when encountering an old practice.And indeed, life force energy is such to cause stagnation and disease.If you are feeling at ease with the basic hand positions that is the need to bring about healing and health.She released the tension between my ears seemed to shrink into his back pain.

This makes Reiki so unique is that it is can benefit all things that will help you to consider in choosing Reiki classes isn't necessary to become a Reiki Master through Self Attunement.Reiki is a huge success as travellers are often recommended.If only the symptoms as on the premise that life force energy in his left leg as if whatever you do a session, do an entrainment on your finger tips and directions then several resources are available that include everything that comes from two Japanese words that mean Wisdom or Higher Power and spiritually good for all.Think of Reiki in Japan during the course..Reiki is one of them have started Reiki and teach this healing art must be a great deal of Familiarization with the guidance of a Reiki Master, you learn to use Reiki positions to use Reiki has been that much which way you experience Reiki and began screaming and weeping with his eyes tightly closed.

[natasa-pantovic]

A great Eco game last evening at the project of @Siniša! Well done @Sinisa Rudan We were defending our approach to Conscious Parenting and Education. Today in Oslo experts will vote on the winning project, if you support us like and share :). We might win a price to support this project in Serbia… Presented by Sonja Stellini Ivana Milosavljevic and Nuit Nataša Pantović Natasa Pantovic

Game problem definition

Some 750 million adults – two thirds of them women – remained illiterate in 2016. Half of the global illiterate population lives in South Asia, and a quarter live in sub-Saharan Africa. Many developing countries still lack basic infrastructure and facilities to provide effective learning environments. Sub-Saharan Africa faces the biggest challenges: at the primary and lower secondary levels, less than half of schools have access to electricity, the Internet, computers and basic drinking water.

There is an increasing decline in multilateral cooperation, accompanied by a negative attitude to dialogue on development in particular. The growing breach between the rich and poor countries has not been met with the response of an equivalent flow of international solidarity. Global ecological and economic interdependence requires effective international cooperation for appropriate management. The inadequate cooperation of all countries is responsible for the continuing rivalries and inequities in the global economic and social system. Specific examples: US - China trade war, US - Russia involvement in Syria, Brexit, Us withdrawal from Paris 2015 Climate agreements.

Oslo International Conference

Using Dragon Dreaming as a design process, a philosophy and a methodological framework for the realisation of collaborative and sustainable projects. Dragon Dreaming facilitates diversity, creativity and vitality, not only for ourselves and the team but rather for the whole world. It ignites collective intelligence and unleash our creative genius that has inspired and kick started many transformative projects and organisations across the world. It allows to activate the collective creativity and intelligence in favour of transforming individual dreams into ideas and successful collective projects...

Srećaonica, AoL Mindfulness, a Serbian Solution presented by Sonja Stellini, Ivana Milosavljevic, Nataša Pantović

“Only by discovering alchemy have I clearly understood that the Unconscious is a process and that ego’s rapports with the unconscious and his contents initiate an evolution, more precisely a real metamorphoses of the psyche…” Jung quote about Alchemy

Applying the Laws of Quantum Physics to Philosophy Mother of all Sciences and acknowledging that Micro Cosmos is deeply connected to Macro Cosmos we acknowledge that...

Yin and Yang Consciousness States of Universe are NOT positive nor negative. There are only negative and positive applications of Yin and Yang states of consciousness within Yin and Yang charged environment.

Each one of us, as a soul incarnated to experience different states of Consciousness Manifestations, tries to understand the positive applications of Yin (Intuitive) combined with Yang (Reason) states of Consciousness.

Applied together within what we call AoL or Alchemy of Elements, Love, Humanity these Forces direct us towards the implementation of Clear Ratio Guided by Intuitive Wisdom. This is the highest implementation of Intuitive (by definition Yin) Truth (by definition Yang) within Humanity's learning implemented so far.

The random occurrence of positive and negative charge is seemingly manifesting within our lives within this huge chain effect. In my life, after helping Ethiopia I have adopted 2 kids from Ethiopia.

In Ivana's life this has led to Co-Authoring Conscious Parenting Book and running an inspiring project with under-privileged in Serbia.

Using tools that explore the power of mind, creativity, consciousness, mindfulness, unconditional love, through poetry, cretivity, developing the qualities of both heart and intellect, exploring virtues or ethical values inspiring the inner growth, she works with the spectrum of mystical exercises enhancing both cognitive and emotional development and divergent thinking

Through the use of spiritual and self-development tools, the goal is to achieve good physical, mental and emotional health. Within the work in the school, the goal is to promote: unobstructed learning from nature and freedom in the learning environment

Examining subconscious mind and conscious thoughts, exploring emotions, training mind powers through work with habits that empower the physical body: the choice of healthy nutrition, and regular exercise regime together with the mind training, changing core beliefs, practicing love to improving the ability to connect with oneself and others.

Srećaonica is a Happiness-Birthday Hub for Gypsy kids where regular events take place. In her work during the last year, she succeeded in creating love and caryning environment to support their physical, mental and emotional growth.

Ivana is Artof4Elements Author

AoL publishes books, audio, and video materials in the areas of Ancient Worlds, Comparative Religion, Symbolism, Spirituality and Art, Inner Alchemy, and Consciousness Research We have published the AoL Mindfulness Series of 9 fiction and non-fiction books by 7 authors focusing on spiritual growth, creativity and higher states of consciousness. A series of many genre's, including poetry, personal development, historical fiction, the world of ''AoL Mindfulness'' explores numerous self development themes...

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[comicteaparty]

May 29th-June 4th, 2019 Reader Favorites Archive

The archive for the Reader Favorites chat that occurred from May 29th, 2019 to June 4th, 2019.  The chat focused on the following question:

From any webcomic, which female protagonist is your favorite?

Sarai

I'm gonna have to say Credenza Black from the webcomic Archipelago

http://thearchipelago.smackjeeves.com/comics/1891878/book-1-page-1/

She's incredibly kind and brave, and her belief in the good of others is what drives the plot. Despite the fact that she has no magical training and she knows she's in way over her head, she throws herself in this fight to save the world because it's the right thing to do, and she couldn't not do it

She's just such a well-rounded female character who balances generosity of heart with a fierce desire to protect her friends

Drew

I really love Lucy from Gourmet Hound! https://www.webtoons.com/en/drama/gourmet-hound/ep-1-chopped-onions/viewer?title_no=1245&episode_no=1 She's very stubborn, especially when it comes to looking out for her friends. But at the same time that she's protective of her friends, she has this utter disregard for herself that I really relate to. She wants to be able to do everything on her own, and a good chunk of the comic is about her learning to allow people to help her. Which again. Relatable af.

Desnik

Oh I've just now seen Gourmet Hound for the first time and I immediately love it

Drew

It's very very good. Definitely one of my all time favourite comics.

Nutty (Court of Roses)

I've been meaning to catch up on that one RIP

Kabocha

Favorite female Protagonists... Well, Big Sis is an endless favorite, from The Angel with Black Wings http://blackwings.mharz.com/ She's got a dark secret in her past, and it is... extremely challenging for her to face. I'm curious to learn what it is, and learn how she's going to force Ray to get his shit together and be kinder. I also really like Taria from Pathways: Chronicles of Tuvana. She's a princess who takes her duties seriously, treats the people under her kindly, and generally is just a good person all around! AND she doesn't have a romance arc! Her friendships are adorable, and I think we've really learned a fair bit about her, without having it all dumped on our faces. http://pathways.smackjeeves.com/ Midori from Centralia 2050 is also very intriguing - she's an amnesiac who is more than capable of beating a few robots into scrap metal. Despite having no memories, she's engaging and full of personality. http://centralia2050.com/

RebelVampire

Mary from Voidchild. I love how shes this reluctant hero type, and I love just her entire powers setup as well. Mostly though, I really love her backstory. While there are cliche elements, there's a lot of unique elements like the setting and how the tragedy happens. Plus, her backstory is an empowering story of overcoming trauma, and that's also something nice to get behind. https://tapas.io/series/Voidchild

khkddn

ah heck yea mary! i like the contrast between her internal monologue and the way she actually interacts with people. it's interesting to see her personality come out as she becomes part of a group and tries to move beyond her trauma

also her design is striking, i really like the choice of her eyes being in color while most of the comic is black and white

€heshire777

Michelle from Blood is Mine (http://bloodismine.thecomicseries.com/comics/first/) (kinda gory but not nsfw) She really has some depth, and really can get you emotional, and she offers a fairly unique viewpoint as a genetically engineered policewoman with a short lifespan.

BiM is a interactive webcomic btw

Draco Plato

admittedly I struggle to get invested in female characters because of anime treating them so much like vehicles of fanservice for years. I've been branching out of it recently tho and have embraced some female characters in media. I really like the androgyny of Cali from Psychteria http://psychteria.fenauriverse.moe/ . She's just a really good character irregardless of gender and I like that. I've also been enjoying the female characters in My Dad Is a Magical Girl, with Tori being my favorite. I just really like how mature and balanced she seems. https://mdiamg.shinavar.com/

NeilKapit

I'll pick Rosalette Gynn from Ms. Rocket, an endearingly optimistic and vulnerable DIY heroine https://msrocket.com/

Joichi

I feel the same here @Draco Plato with accepting girl characters on the same level as the guys in the past. Stories have improved, I'm seeing 'pro-active girls' taking charge these days, which is what I'm glad to see! So on this topic; I'd say: Bree from Polterguys; she's reasonble, proactive girl dealing with solving issues, working as a barista: http://polterguys.laurbits.com/(edited)

Joichi

This is a tough question, I remember my fave manga girl characters. But 90% of the webcomics I'd read, primarily focus on the boys and their relationships. Or if there were girls, it was short love stories

[gayasinstupidpodcast]

Gay As In Stupid’s second episode is out! (pun intended)

Hey y’all! It’s Isaac and Aaron and we’re back with another episode of our Fantastically gay podcast, Gay As In Stupid! This month’s episode is about gay trans experiences, where me and Isaac share some of our experiences as gay trans men, talk about the history of societal and medical prejudice, and share an interview with a spectacular trans lesbian on her point of view!

You can find us on the Itunes Podcast App/Webpage at Gay As In Stupid Podcast! You can also find our episodes uploaded to Youtube and Soundcloud! Sorry for any audio goofs this episode! Recoding in my college dorm has proven to be a thotty whom we will have to get used to working with.

Ordinarily, me and Isaac would put our main sources under Further Reading at the top, but I (Aaron) found the main sources I had to go through for this month’s topic to contain disgusting levels of transphobia that I would feel irresponsible telling our listeners to read. If you want to know what I looked through and used, however, feel free to DM me @albert-dj-cashier​

Aaron’s 2018 September Recs!

What The Trans?! (podcast)

A roughly hour-per-ep podcast by Michelle and Ashleigh, two trans women living in the U.K! The hosts are witty, informative, and compelling, and they talk about topics like the current events in UK trans politics, representation in media, institutionalized prejudice, and personal experiences! Their episodes are really fun as well as interesting, and they have a great dynamic!

Big Eden

This is an absolutely Classic gay feel-good film, and one of me & my friend Lauren’s personal favorites! It centers around a gay New York artist who returns to his childhood home in Montana to care for his grandfather, and finds himself having to deal with the loose threads he left behind (and Also finds an unexpected love interest). It’s cute, romantic, super funny, and doesn’t leave you with long spans of meaninglessly meaningful shots and call it Film.

Isaac’s 2018 September Recs!

Yank! A WWII Love Story: A New Musical

Follows Stu, a young man who gets drafted into World War II where he ends up becoming a photographer for ‘Yank Magazine, a journal for and by the servicemen’.  In present day, Stu’s old journal is discovered, and his story of the war, and his romance with Mitch; a handsome Private he met during training. It’s fun, colorful and absolutely heartbreaking. The songs are memorable, and so are the characters. If you like heart-string pulling gay romances and strong lesbians, this production will make you horny!

MIKA

If you aren’t already listening to MIKA, then I don’t think you’ve been living yet. His songs are sweet and fun to dance to, and truly never get old. He’s gay and a talented singer-songwriter. The music he makes can be best described as Pop/Glam Rock (also GAY!!!) Love yourself and go give “Talk About You” and “Grace Kelly” a listen.

MARCY’S FULL AND WONDERFUL INTERVIEW UNDER THE READ MORE

Q: How do you identify? A: I am a trans woman and a lesbian.

Q: How do you feel trans straight people react to your identity? A: honestly, I’m not sure. I don’t personally know any straight trans people. I’d imagine that we have common grounds on dysphoria and trying to understand gender, but with regards to sexuality, I’m sure it’s kinda up in the air. I doubt there’d be like, hostility regarding my identity. Probably just general acceptance, maybe some minor prodding.

Side note: not to generalize, but from what I understand, straight trans women tend to have different experiences with self-discovery than bi or lesbian trans women. The former tend to figure things out earlier, are sometimes seen as more traditionally feminine, etc. Some of this is from rather TERFy science, though, so take it with a grain of salt.

Q: How do you feel your identity is perceived in the LGBT Community? A: from an intracommunity standpoint, I think that trans WLW in general are steadily becoming more accepted as we speak up about or lives and experiences. Many cis WLW, whether actively or passively, exhibit an alarming amount of transphobic beliefs, but I like to think they’re in the minority.

Q: How do you present your gender and what do it mean to you? A: I’m butch, so my experience with womanhood and femininity is… interesting, to say the least. I certainly don’t take a traditional approach to femininity, and I find that very empowering, especially as a trans woman. I don’t wanna force myself into a role that I’m not comfortable filling, just to appeal to what society expects of me. I wear suits and vests and I keep my hair short and I’ve honestly never even touched makeup, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Q: What role do you feel like the intersection of your gender and your sexualilty play in your life? A: my gender and my sexuality are both very important to me, the intersection thereof even moreso. Understanding that intersection has helped me piece together a lot of the questions I had growing up. To put it simply, figuring out that I’m not just trans, but also a lesbian, has helped me figure out like, the past eight-to-ten years’ worth of failed romantic endeavors. The way I experience relationships, the way I interact with people, the way I love are all impacted by both my gender and my sexuality; neither’s importance can be understated.

Q: Do you feel like your gender presentation makes people more prone to invalidate your identity? A: pardon my language but, of fucking course. Like, cis people and transphobes alike will find any reason they can to invalidate a trans person. But the second they find a trans woman who’s a lesbian, who isn’t presenting like a perfectly feminine stereotype, all bets are off my dude. Until I have like, B-cup tits and a soft face, I’m essentially a straight guy in most people’s faces. Which, eh, who cares at this point? Straight people have never understood butch womanhood. I don’t expect them to recognize a trans butch when they see one.

Q: Do you feel like your identity as a gay trans person makes it harder for you to receive proper medical care (hormones, sexual health, etc)? A: quite honestly, I don’t know yet. I’m still pre-HRT; I have yet to jump through the hoops and red tape necessary to get hormones and whatnot. I imagine it’ll be tough, though.

Q: How has your coming out process been different than if you were just trans or gay? A: the biggest difference, for me at least, is that it’s been a multi-step process. For a while I thought I was a bi cis man, then pansexual and agender, then a bi trans woman, and it wasn’t until ~June 2017 that I figured out I was a trans lesbian. Coming out to friends has always been easy; they pick up on new identities and pronouns fairly easy. Honestly, I don’t think my parents quite understand what being trans is right now, but we’re working on it.

Q: Have you ever found yourself feeling guilty over your attraction to women because of your gender identity? A: honestly? At least once a week, I have that dysphoric voice in my head telling me I’m just some creepy straight guy preying on lesbians. I know it isn’t true, it’s just self-doubt and internalized transphobia and TERF rhetoric echoing, but it’s hard to not think that, frankly. Especially when it’s repeated so often.

Q: Do you feel like your voice is heard/your identity is seen between media and the community? A: in media? Outside of a few niche places (and surprisingly, IDW’s Transformers comics), trans lesbians are largely pretty nonexistent. Of course, in the actual community we’re much more populous, but frankly we’re a little bit insular as we tend to mostly befriend and date one another. All in all, don’t think we’re entirely invisible, but I do think we could do with some more fictional representation, and to get more involved with the larger LGBT community.

Q: Is there anything else about your experience as a gay trans person you would like to add? A: admittedly, it hasn’t been until recently that I’ve felt truly comfortable around cis lesbians. Most of my relationships in the past few years have been with other trans girls. There’s a variety of reasons for this, and every woman’s experiences are her own, but for a long time I was afraid that cis lesbians just wouldn’t recognize me as a woman. Q: Would you like your instagram/tumblr to be linked in the episode description? A: sure! I’m @opossumghoul on tumblr and @opossumbutch on other social media

[lovehealgrow]

How to Build Self-Esteem

We all want to be confident and sure of ourselves, as this can positively impact the way we move through the world and how we feel while doing so. It feels good to have faith in ourselves and our abilities.

For a moment, envision a point in your life where you felt the most self-assured and empowered. It may involve stepping into a certain role or identity that is meaningful to you, a personal accomplishment being recognized, or a defining moment when you were able to overcome an obstacle. Regardless of how seemingly big or small, in that moment, your sense of self was overwhelmingly positive and it felt good.

Self-esteem describes the confidence we have in worth and abilities; it is essentially how we perceive ourselves. It is important to note that it can fluctuate. In some moments, we may feel that we are “king of the world” as once said by a young actor in a famous movie, while in others, our self-esteem may feel like a sinking ship.

Our brains are hardwired to be sensitive to any kind of rejection and this is why perceived failure or rejection hurts so much, often impacting our sense of self. Many circumstances in life can shake our self-esteem: a breakup, harsh feedback from our boss, a rejection letter from our dream college, problems with money, a bad grade, or comparing ourselves to others on social media. Low self-esteem can be strongly linked with prejudice, discrimination, stigma, and racism that pervade our society and culture. For so many of us, building self-esteem can be incredibly difficult and can pose a challenge after a particular event or can be a battle we have fought throughout our lives.

The following are a few feasible ways you can cultivate a stronger sense of self-esteem:

Use positive affirmations.

Many of us find it easier to say something kind about someone else than about ourselves, but self-affirmations can do wonders for self-esteem. On a sticky note, write down something positive that you appreciate about yourself, such as “I have gotten through 100% of my hard days and will continue to” or “My passion makes me good at my job.” Do this each day and stick the notes around your reflection in the mirror so you are quite literally surrounded by your self-affirming thoughts each time you look at yourself.

The way we talk to ourselves matters. The more we engage in positive self-affirmations that we genuinely believe, the more likely we will start believing in the kind words we say about ourselves. Just as with anything, it is important to stay consistent with this method in order to experience results.

Identify and develop your competencies.

A solid way to increase self-esteem is to recognize your competencies and develop them further. Pay attention to what you are good at, as self-esteem is boosted when we show real accomplishment and ability in realms of our lives that we care about. If you take pride in being a good cook, cook more dinners for loved ones or throw dinner parties! If you take pride in your creativity as an artist, create more art, visit galleries, and expand your skill set! If you’re a good runner, sign up for events and train for them!

Not only will you engage in an activity that matters to you and that you are good at, you’ll strengthen and develop your competencies simultaneously.

Surround yourself with supportive people.

Building self-esteem is much easier with the encouragement from those who truly believe in us. It can be incredibly isolating to go about goals alone and as we are very social beings, the supportive presence of others can be incredibly helpful. The people who care about us will help us work towards building our self-esteem.

In talking with loved ones, you may realize that you’re not the only person who has struggled with self-esteem, as they may share their own personal experiences. This may help you feel more connected to them and humanity as a whole in knowing that you are not alone in your struggle.

Identify negative core beliefs and challenge them.

Sometimes when we are struggling with low self-esteem, we hold negative thoughts about ourselves that we believe to be true. Core beliefs are our most deeply held assumptions about ourselves, the world, and others; they are often shaped by our perceived rejections and failures. For some, negative core beliefs sound like “I am unlovable” or “I am inadequate.” The problem with negative core beliefs is that they are often inaccurate and can shape the way we behave, see the world, and the way we see ourselves.

To challenge these pesky beliefs, ask yourself “what experiences do I have that show that this belief is not completely true all the time?” Be as specific as possible. For example, someone might hold a core belief that they are unlovable but recall that they are loved by countless people in their lives as evidenced by them communicating their love and demonstrating their love through concrete actions.

Seek support.

Sometimes, working through low self-esteem is easier when we have the empathetic presence of another person. Our therapists will collaboratively develop a treatment plan with you that best fits your goals, helping you move towards these goals with the use of evidence-based treatments.

For more help with self-esteem and attentive support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Love Heal Grow.

[nondu21]

Understanding positionality and its affects both personally and professionally

As a young black female Christian woman growing up in a country full of great diversity and therefor mass adversity to my perspectives and approaches to life, it was important for me to develop a standpoint. This is better known as positionality which is ones social and political context that creates their identity in terms of race, class, gender, and sexuality (Dictionary,2018). Our “standpoint/positionalities” guides our outlook on life and subsequently unknowingly formulating prejudices. Now what happens when you’re a practicing or training health practitioner with prejudices and preconceptions in a country of great diversity? What domino affects occur? Most importantly when does unlearning of these perspectives begin?

My mother was the typical “imbokodo” (stone used to describe women in South Africa for their strength and perseverance) having educated herself despite her father’s objections, worked, brought up her children, kept her home and left a marriage that was of no benefit to both parties despite ridicule from family and neighbours. She was the epitome of a feminist and as you can assume this attribute was passed onto me from the very milk that I breastfed upon. My mother’s experiences taught me a great first lesson that another individual and their opinions are valid and accepted in life but are not by any means your measure of success, map to life and key to happiness. In my quest to be self-efficient and independent I found that I had developed a lack of empathy towards women who actively chose to remain in none mutually beneficial relationships. Recently while talking to an elderly Mr R, at Kenville I realised that patriarchy is a system so imbedded within our society that it takes years of being subjected to inequalities and unlearning before females stand up against it, and in Mrs R it took seven to be exact. As a maturing health practitioner, it was important for me to understand that often one’s positionality can in fact change, most importantly through guidance and understanding.

While on the topic of patriarchy I was recently engaged in a conversation on a bus ride to clinical practical’s in with my peers, I quickly found that we didn’t all share the sentiments towards feminism. While in my state of dismay, I found enlightenment through their well rationale reason that our new generation of women and male no longer accompany patriarchy with misogyny. Patriarchy although a system that puts men in a state of power and control and a thorn to the development and prosperity of feminism (Acker,1898), is not always parallel with misogyny, rather it was argued that misogyny a system built on sexism that undermines women that was practiced by most men in patriarchy. It is not a prerequisite of patriarchy rather a product of poor constructed patriarchy. The new generation allows patriarchy to function based on the four conditions: considering the male has good leadership qualities, clear communication occurs between both female and male, both parties shared similar political and religious beliefs to prevent imposed ideologies on a certain partner and most importantly when the women willingly submits herself as a under the male’s dominion (a concept often highlighted in the Bible and as I Christian grapple with). Although I may not identify with them and the stubborn voice in my head screams ‘brainwashed’, it is noteworthy that these young women were raised in similar homes as me and had equal academic opportunities as me and had thought well about their opinions and positionality. There are moments to speak out and fight for your stances and moments of recognising and understanding differences especially when one’s rights are not implicated upon.

(Lorde, 1980) An image holding the quote of famous feminist and activist Audre Lorde which highlights the importance of accepting differences.

Much like my father I have always had a strong sense of nationality and pride a blessing and a curse. My father’s family who are actually of Swati decent now identify as Zulu after years of having settled in Ngwavuma an area in KZN close to the eSwatini Boarder as means of survival they adopted There is a strong conform or begone culture in South Africans. For example, I feel strongly that South Africa is economically incapable of taking care of its citizens and burdened by the increased number of foreign nationals that have settled. Such a statement resulted in a heated argument between myself and my Angolan friend. I think our positionality politically should not necessarily affect our behaviour. For instance, I am against xenophobia which South Africa has an increased rate of xenophobia especially post 1994. The dynamic relationship between human rights, xenophobia and migration in South Africa highlights the issue of South Africans insensitivity considering our own racial segregation that we have just recovered from (Crush, 2001).At Kenville cultural sensitivity and confidentiality is important as we have been notified of the xenophobic attacks that have occurred the previous year. My political stance has no implication on my ability to give comprehensive treatment to all, and I will do so with great appreciation. The factors impacting on our positionality affect only our positionality and not each other.

An image that reflects factors that impact on positionality.

My love for my people and improvement of their livehoods is one of the many driving forces of why I chose Occupational Therapy a degree unknown commonly by people of colour who often experience occupational deprivation due to prejudices that certain occupations are “for white people” such sayings are engrained into our thoughts from a young age and creates backward societies. While on practical’s my supervisor said something that really stuck out to me in my first week that we should have an engaging toy outside for the children to play on, a thought quickly popped into my head questioning if we were allowed to do that? This highlighted the issue that as children of colour we are raised to be quiet and to blend in, falling into the background. But why is this still a prerequisite skill post-apartheid South Africa? The problem with these simple disciplinary sayings is that by saying that we should be quiet and fit in we have a young generation that does what is expected of them and not what is required of them, does not fight the system in order to be accepted by a system that is meant to serve them. In our community block we are expected to question the system, create chaos, a chaos that advocates for change. Which I am still gaining confidence in speaking against broken systems that no longer serve their purpose.

At Kenville we look at an individual as a single construct because we understand that in and outside of their immigrant stuts, political views, gender and social construct they are first an individual. Equal with every right to comprehensive health. We understand that these factors may have impacted them in some way and have led to the circumstances that they are experiencing but that their positionality is changeable. We can utilise maternal health groups, health promotion talks, active aging groups and empowering projects like the KITE project to facilitate a shift in their mindset and outlook in life. But this is only achieved through them experiencing this first hand. Which is why we aim to be consistent in our engagement and improvement of the Kenville community.

What I would like to close with is to know when your positionality is valid or invalid to create change. To be an individual that is willing to be educated by life experiences to develop your own thinking and conceptualisation of the world. We are all individuals on a journey called life with different destinations and at any point in time your position may change drastically and once ignorance arises flee that place of comfort and allow for your mind to be renewed. Nothing grows in a shady area except raspberries and plums. In a world full of raspberries and plums be rather be a strawberry.

Reference list

Acker, J. (1989). The problem with patriarchy. Sociology, 23(2), 235-240.

Lorde, A.(1980) Age, Race, Class and Sex: Women Redefining Difference,.Retreived from: https://www.colorado.edu/odece/sites/default/files/attached-files/rba09-sb4converted_8.pdf

Crush, J. (2001). The dark side of democracy: Migration, xenophobia, and human rights in South Africa. International migration, 38(6), 103-133.

What's Positionality & What Does It Have to Do With You? (2021). Retrieved 14 May 2021, from https://www.dictionary.com/e/gender-sexuality/positionality/

Writing Strategies: What’s Your Positionality? (2019). Retrieved 14 May 2021, from https://weingartenlrc.wordpress.com/2017/01/09/research-writing-whats-your-positionality/

[italicwatches]

My Hero Academia, season 2 - Episode 33

So my movie plans fell through. Instead let’s watch anime. It’s My Hero Academia, episode 33! Here we GO!

-It’s the end of Deku’s internship, as he thanks Gran Torino for everything…And Gran reminds him that even if he did better against Stain than he might have before coming here, he still got damn lucky. And he still caught another fracture in his right arm by going beyond the 5% his body can safely handle. …Right.

-But also before he goes, he has one question…The question of why Gran doesn’t have a bigger reputation, despite all of his…Everything. His skill, his training, his having taught All Might and being friends with the man’s predecessor, all of it…

-The answer’s simple. Gran Torino never wanted to be a working hero. He just needed the freedom to use his Quirk entirely freely, and that means a heroism license. …Ask All Might about the rest. Now get out of here, kid, you have a train to catch.

-Also there’s a really great little moment where Deku really owns that name, that title, as something he can wear with true pride. Real talk, I wish I’d known that moment was coming so I could have shifted my name patterns then instead of at the start of the season…Oh well. The important thing is this kid’s coming into his own.

-Opening!

-Episode 33: Listen Up!! A Tale From The Past

-So everyone’s gotten back to the campus…And Katsuki is getting laughed at for the hairdo Best Jeanist enforced on his head. Which lasts right up until his raw fury pops it back into an explosion shape.

-And Mina’s hearing all about Kyoka and Tsu’s crazy adventures and she’s super jealous. And Ochaco, who has awoken to her TRUE POWERRRRR. The human trash has learned to truly be terrified of women.

-Also it seems folks heard a little more about the Stain situation. They still think Endeavor came in and saved the day, but they were allowed to know their classmates were in the thick, unlike the public who had no idea. Also, even Kaminari saw the viral video.

-And Tenya…Tenya can understand all too well how Stain’s sheer tenacity and force of will could sweep people up. But he is ever-more firm in his beliefs, that he will not cross the lines he did, ever again. He has to hold firm on the line of heroism again, to be a symbol, to do everything he can to make sure nobody ends up where he did…Except, you know, presented comedically, because it’s Tenya.

-Cut to another round of hero training outside of the core campus. All Might has gathered up the kids for a rescue race at one of their facilities! Welcome to Field Gamma, a labyrinthian mock factory district! Go to any city in the country, nay, in the world with a support-gear industry and you’ll run into districts that look just like this! You’ll be going through in five-man groups to reach him from wherever he sends out his distress signal…And of course, keeping damage to an absolute minimum is crucial. Katsuki. Looking at you there. Don’t blow shit up. Katsuki. King Explosion Murder. Don’t do any of those things. Katsuki. Katsukiiiii.

-First group! Which of course includes Deku, as well as Tenya, Tailman, Mina, and Cellophane. Can you tell which ones I actually care about and which I don’t? But that’s just about everyone with straightforward mobility-related Quirks…There’s a thousand possibilities, as all three get on the move! Cellophane’s in the air almost immediately…Only to be leapfrogged by Deku, who’s got Full Cowling on and is moving like a man possessed! They’ve never seen him go like that before…

-But they’ve seen those kind of movements before from someone else. And Katsuki recognizes his own parkour styles being cribbed by Deku. Sure, Deku can’t do mid-air kabooms, but his leaps, the way he’s putting his hands forward and pushing off as much with them as his feet…Somehow, Deku is catching up to him again…!

-Into Deku’s head, where he has to focus, to concentrate…To keep himself at 5%. It’s an incredibly difficult task in the thick of things, but that’s all the more important to mas—

-Aaaand Deku slips and hits a truly terrible impact. When it’s all done, Cellophane ends up being the victor…Though All Might makes a point of quietly asking Deku to come see him when they’re done here. You, did, amazing. And they need to talk.

-So that class is over, everyone’s changing back into their school uniforms and contemplating things…And that’s when the human trash reveals that he found a peep hole into the girls’ locker room. Which promptly gets Kyoka’s earphone jack stabbed through it and into his eye. Do it again, get the other one.

-To No Might’s office, where he’s…REALLY serious. Terrifyingly so, even. …Do you remember what he said, back when he gave you One For All? EAT IT. No no not that. The part of how all you need is some of his DNA, once he willed the transfer…

-It cannot be stolen, so there’s no worry about Stain having it. But it can be forced to be transferred. And that is connected to One For All’s origins…

-Connected to its birthplace, its brother Quirk, All For One. The first generation of superpowers. The chaotic times, that gap between the glowing baby and the first real superheroes that nobody likes to talk about. The limits of humanity began to crumble away. Society nearly collapsed into a worldwide civil war. (Sidenote, this handily explains why Japan in this world looks basically like modern Japan, and not like some cosmic space-age thing. They not only lost tons of time, they were no doubt actively sent back in technological development. It probably took an entire generation just to put shit back together.)

-In that chaos, there came a man who could steal Quirks. A calculating, cunning individual, who managed to briefly rule Japan with an iron fist…A story constantly rumored online, but never held in any textbook. Know this, Deku. It is not through lack of truth that it is kept from your learnings. It is because the reality was scrubbed out of history, on purpose.

-Which brings them to All For One, and its connection to One For All. The man who held All For One could not just steal Quirks, but give them away. He would empower lieutenants and loyal soldiers, give those born without power a taste of it in trade for loyalty. Many people fell apart, their bodies unable to hold onto what they were given, their minds collapsing under the strain…Like the Nomus.

-And some Quirks were twisted around by their changing hands. One For All was one such Quirk. This man had a younger brother, a Quirkless young man who had a strong sense of justice…And he tried to turn his own brother into a bank, forcing a Quirk that could store power onto him. To make him into a walking storage facility for Quirks. But it turned out that he was not as Quirkless as he thought. He had a weaker form of All For One. It could not steal, but it could transfer itself.

-On its own, with nothing else bolted onto it? It would be useless. He would have lived his entire life not even knowing. But with the power-storing Quirk interweaving with his own…The two became as one. And that one, became not just for oneself…but for all. One For All was birthed. Growing stronger with every soul it connected to, its strength growing with each generation…

-But that brings them to the issue of now. All For One was generations ago. And yet, the man who holds it, still lives. Stole someone’s long-life Quirk. Probably multiple someones, stacked them up. His younger brother was forced to pass his own strength on, working with the one tool he had…When All Might finally got it, he finally did the job that One For All was made to do, finally set the world just!

-But somehow, All For One survived. Somehow, he still exists, and is the one pulling the strings of the League of Villains. You must understand what you have to step into, Deku. No Might didn’t want it to be this way. He wanted that figure to be finally buried, to let his own successor merely be the symbol, not the sword. All For One is weakened, that much is certain. He is acting through cat’s-paws and distant orders and lab-work, not taking to the field as he once would have. But he may still recover enough to fight once again, and if he does, the—

-Deku will do everything he can to win. He’ll make himself ready when that day comes! He’ll have your back, All Might! They can do it together!

-And that’s when No Might has to let out the worst, most terrible admittance. But…He cannot. All he can do is thank Deku, can send him off…Unable to admit to the boy who looks up to him, whose entire worldview was so shaped by him, that…That’s not how it works. By the time Deku must face All For One…He will have to do it alone. There will be no All Might to stand by his side…

-Credits!

-Aftercredits! Summer vacation is coming up…And there’s going to be a woodland training camp to keep them working, and also get in some fun…But nobody who passes the final exam will get to go. They’ll be in the hell of summer school! Which is exactly when Deku realizes All Might’s big speech didn’t mention anything about himself.

-Cut to a skyscraper far away, where a man learns of the imprisonment of Stain…And sees just how useful this could be. Tomura could so easily unify all of the raging souls that will be birthed from this, could bring the League of Villains together…As his doctor continues to put him back together, piece by piece, slowly but surely trying to make All For One rise again. Yet even in his current state, almost entirely covered in scar tissue, he is already planning both his return, and his making Tomura into his successor…

Shiiiiiiit. Just…Shiiiiiiiit. That got real.

Also I’m about 80% sure that Deku took a nut-drop onto that pipe when he slipped in the rescue race. Which gives me great sympathy for the poor lad.

But we’ve got all this Real shit to deal with now. Also, summer camp. And the final exams. This is all gonna be interesting next time, in episode THIRTY FOUR of My Hero Academia! Wait for it!

[drwebercoaching]

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝟳 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

Today we're going to explain 7 ways to overcome negative emotions. You'll learn how to change your negative emotional state very quickly, you know, generally if you're feeling down or crummy it's normally because of our internal dialogue. What you say to yourself.  

What Anthony Robbins says is the first thing we should do is examine our limiting beliefs when trying to change our negative emotional state. Why are identifying our limiting beliefs important?

  Because what we believe or the beliefs we hold about a subject many actually hold us back from feelings "💯" percent, feeling fulfilled, feeling happy and from even achieving our goals.

Our internal dialogue typically comes from our beliefs about things. It affects how we see and perceive things and thus how we speak to ourselves. Sound simple?

If you're not feeling good about something about yourselves or about a situation. It often has to do with the types of questions that you're asking yourselves. I've noticed a lot of people miss this because they're not observant or subtle enough to actually identify their own brain processes or their own brain thoughts.

Most people get confused and think and believe they are their thoughts when in reality the mind is just a tool. Such as your foot 🦶 which most of us use for walking.

The mind 🧠 is a tool we use for thinking but the mind isn't you. However, people get lost in the habit believing the mind is you. If that were all we were that might be rather limiting 😉.

So I can guarantee you, if you're not feeling good about something, it's because you're asking yourself the wrong questions. Like why this has always happened to me, why am I always the victim? Why do people always treat me like this blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah?

  Rather than asking empowering questions like: What can I do to change the situation?

  How can I change the situation?

  So using like how and what questions are much more powerful for changing our internal state. Than asking why questions.

In my sales training and other communication courses I show you how to ask smart strategic questions to create rapport and  influence.

A third is learning to adjust your body language and posture. Harvard University,  Amy Cummings conducted research that demonstrated after participants used power poses, people felt stronger, that their levels of testosterone when measured actually increased. (Maybe not so good for the ladies🧔)

But all groups felt significantly more confident in what they were doing. Now, that's a really cool research study. I should point out that there were some discrepancies about when the study was repeated.

  But it does make sense. I mean, if you think about it, they teach police women to stand with their legs in particular to display confidence and control. And they I'm certain this is done for a reason.

  So you should try just for a moment, standing up, shoulders down, chest out, taking in full breaths of air, and you'll notice that you've shifted your mental state at least temporarily.

There's an old school of thought that says what has a bigger effect on our emotional state? Is it the mind over the body or the body over the mind? And it's been an ongoing debate for years.   Tony Robbins says the physiology over the over the emotions. And I tend to agree with him. His argument is simple. If you want to see somebody have an emotional change or a mental state change really quick, you know, give them some alcohol or drugs and see how fast they'll change.

  That's an example of changing mental state by using your physiology, similar in a way to using power poses, exercise to adjust your mental state. Obviously, the way we think and the types of questions we ask ourselves also will affect our physiology over the long term.

  But if you want a quick change in mindset , you want to change your physiology. You probably are aware you can do this through unhealthy activities like alcohol, tobacco or drugs.

  But you can change or manage your negative emotional state through healthy habits. You know, maybe can go for a walk, a run, yoga can be great or practice favourite exercise.

Emotional management might require a change activities, maybe read a book, listen to music. I am a bit of a weirdo, practice different breathing exercises and practice meditation.

For some people, some things are better triggers and  work better than others. Always keep that in mind what works for one person might not be as effective as for another person.

See my video 7 Ways Overcome Negative Emotions and what you can do.

https://youtu.be/H4gQcU1yaT8

[aliceviceroy]

1. Spirituality for dummies.

If your thinking is mired in shame and guilt (with perhaps a twist of drug abuse or suicidal thinking), then subscribing to a religion can help you climb to a higher level of awareness. Your mindset, however, still remains incredibly dysfunctional; you’ve merely swapped one form of erroneous thinking for another.

For reasonably intelligent people who aren’t suffering from major issues with low self-esteem, religion is ridiculously consciousness-lowering. While some religious beliefs can be empowering, on the whole the decision to formally participate in a religion will merely burden your mind with a hefty load of false notions.

When you subscribe to a religion, you substitute nebulous group-think for focused, independent thought.

3. Engineered obedience training.

Religions are authoritarian hierarchies designed to dominate your free will. They’re power structures that aim to convince you to give away your power for the benefit of those who enjoy dominating people. Religions don’t market themselves as such, but this is essentially how they operate.

Religions are very effective at turning human beings into sheep. They’re among the most powerful instruments of social conditioning. They operate by eroding your trust in your own intellect, gradually convincing you to put your trust into some external entity, such as a deity, prominent figure, or great book...Simply by convincing you to give your power away to something outside yourself, religion will condition you to be weaker, more docile, and easier to control. Religions actively promote this weakening process as if it were beneficial, commonly branding it with the word faith. What they’re actually promoting is submission.

Religions strive to fill your head with so much nonsense that your only recourse is to bow your head in submission, often quite literally. Get used to spending a lot of time on your knees because acts of submission such as bowing and kneeling are frequently incorporated into religious practice. Canine obedience training uses similar tactics.

Have you ever wondered why religious teachings are invariably mysterious, confusing, and internally incongruent? This is no accident by the way — it’s quite intentional.

By putting forth confusing and internally conflicting information, your logical mind (i.e. your neocortex) is overwhelmed. You try in vain to integrate such contradictory beliefs, but it can’t be done. The net effect is that your logical mind disengages because it can’t find a pattern of core truth beneath all the nonsense, so without the help of your neocortex, you devolve to a more primitive (i.e. limbic) mode of thinking. You’re taught that this faith-based approach is a more spiritual and conscious way to live, but in reality it’s precisely the opposite. Getting you to distrust your own cerebral cortex actually makes you dumber and easier to manipulate and control. Karl Marx was right when he said, “Religion is the opiate of the people.”

For example, the Old Testament and the New Testament in the Bible frequently contradict each other with various rules of conduct, yet both are quoted during mass. Church leaders also behave in direct violation of the Church’s teachings, such as by covering up criminal and immoral activities by their own priests. Those who try to mentally process such glaring contradictions as coherent truth invariably suffer for it. A highly conscious person would reject membership in such an organization as patently ridiculous. So-called divine mysteries are engineered to be incomprehensible. You aren’t meant to ever make sense of them since that would defeat the whole purpose. When you finally wake up and realize it’s all B.S., you’ve taken the first step towards freedom from this oppressive system.

The truth is that so-called religious authorities don’t know any more about spirituality than you do. However, they know how to manipulate your fear and uncertainty for their own benefit.

Although the most popular religions are very old, L. Ron Hubbard proved the process can be replicated from scratch in modern times. As long as there are large numbers of people who fear the responsibility of their own power, religions will continue to dominate the landscape of human development.

If you want to talk to God, then communicate directly instead of using third-party intermediaries. Surely God has no need of an interpreter.

5. Support your local pedophile.

In addition to being a serious waste of time, religious practice can also be a huge waste of money.

For starters when you donate to a major religion, you support its expansion, which means you’re facilitating the enslavement of your fellow humans. That isn’t very nice, now is it? If you feel the urge to donate money, give it to a real and honorable cause, not a fabricated one.

Religions offer a suite of special services to generate additional income. They’ll spout some gibberish while feeding you a crusty wafer, pronounce you bonded to a fellow human being, snip some of your excess skin, pour water on your head, proclaim your manhood, cast out your demons, pronounce your transgressions forgiven, and so on. When they can’t think of anything else, they make up some drivel like confirming you’re still loyal to them. The bill may read “suggested donation,” but it’s still a bill.

When you donate money to a religious organization, you’re doing much worse than throwing your money away. You’re actively funding evil. If you think that spending a billion dollars to defend pedophiles and rapists is a good use of your hard-earned cash, perhaps you should run for Pope. You could hardly do worse. At least Wall Street is honest about its greed and lust.

One of my Catholic high school teachers was later revealed to be a repeat child molester… written up in the newspaper and everything. I didn’t see any suspicious behavior at the time, and to be totally honest, I actually liked that teacher and was shocked to learn of his extracurricular activities. He was shuffled from one location to another by those who knew about his appetite for young flesh. I’m glad I wasn’t on the menu, but I feel sad for those who were. Methinks God should raise his standards… just a tad.

Why aren’t Catholic priests allowed to marry? This has nothing to do with what’s written in the Bible or with any benefits of celibacy. This rule was invented by the Church to prevent their priests from producing heirs. When the priests died, their property would go back to the Church, thereby enriching the rich even more. Apparently God needed more cash. It was a very effective policy, as the Church is now among the richest and most powerful organizations on earth. It’s hard to fail when you have a loyal force of lifetime indentured servants who work cheaply and then yield their life savings to you when they die.

Lay religious people (i.e. non-clergy), on the other hand, are encouraged to have lots of babies because that means more people are born into the religion, which means more money and a bigger power base. Condoms are a big no-no; they’re bad for business. Marriage is a big yes; it means more brainwashed babies will be made.

Would you seriously consider this sort of structure a “good cause” worthy of your hard-earned cash?

7. Idiocy or hypocrisy – pick one.

When you subscribe to an established religion, you have only two options. You can become an idiot, or you can become a hypocrite. If you’ve already chosen the former, I’ll explain why, and I’ll use small words so that you’re sure to understand.

First, there’s the idiocy route. You can willingly swallow all of the contrived, man-made drivel that’s fed to you. Accept that the earth is only 10,000 years old. Believe stories about dead bodies coming back to life. Learn about various deities and such. Put your trust in someone who thinks they know what they’re talking about. Eat your dogma. Good boy!

Congratulations! You’re a moron believer. You’ll be saved, enlightened, and greeted with tremendous fanfare when you die… unless of course all the stuff you were taught turns out not to be true. Nah… if the guy in the robe says it’s true, it must be true. Ya gotta have faith, right?

Next, we have the hypocrisy option. In this case your neocortex is strong enough to identify various bits of utter nonsense in the religious teachings that others are trying to ram down your throat. You have a working B.S. detector, but it’s slightly damaged. You’re smart enough to realize that earth is probably a lot older than 10,000 years and that pre-marital (or non-marital) sex is a lot of fun, but some B.S. still gets through. You don’t swallow all the bull, but you still identify yourself as a follower of a particular religion, most likely because you were raised in it and never actually chose it to begin with.

To you it’s just a casual pursuit. You’re certainly not a die-hard fundamentalist, but you figure that if you drink the wine and chew the wafer now and then, it’s good enough to get you a free ride into a half-decent afterlife. You belong to the pro-God club. Surely there’s safety in numbers. Two people can’t be wrong… although 4-1/2 billion supposedly can.

In this case you become an apologist for your own religion. You don’t want to be identified with the extreme fanatics, nor do you want to be associated with the non-believers. You figure you can straddle both sides. On earth you’ll basically live as a non-practitioner (or a very sloppy and inconsistent practitioner), but when you eventually die, you’ve still got the membership card to show God.

Do you realize how deluded you are?

Perhaps if you have to throw out so much of the nonsense to make your chosen belief system palatable, you shouldn’t be drinking the Kool Aid in the first place. Free yourself from the mental baggage, stop looking to others for permission to live, and start thinking on your own. If your God exists, he’s smart enough to see through your fake ID.

8. Inherited falsehood.

Is your religion based on the inspired word of God? No more than this article. Just because someone says their text is divinely inspired doesn’t mean it is. Anyone can claim divine inspiration. The top religions are decided by popularity, not by truth.

Even the central figures in major religions didn’t follow the religions that were spawned in their names. If they didn’t swallow the prevailing “wisdom” about gods and spiritual leaders and such, why should you?

9. Compassion in chains.

Religious rules and laws invariably hamper the development of conscience. When you externalize compassion into a set of rules and laws, what you’re left with isn’t compassion at all. True compassion is a matter of conscious choice, and that requires the absence of force-backed rules and laws.

The more we collectively abandon all religion, the better off this planet will be. This doesn’t mean we have to abandon all spiritual pursuits. It just means we must stop turning spirituality into something it isn’t.

10. Faith is fear.

Religion is the systematic marketing of fear.

Blessed are the poor (donate heavily). Blessed are the meek (obey). Blessed are the humble (don’t question authority). Blessed are the hungry (make us rich while you starve). Blessed are the merciful (if you catch us doing something wrong, let it go). Blessed are the pure of heart (switch off your brain). Blessed are the timid, the cowardly, the fearful. Blessed are those who give us their power and become our slaves.

That’s the kind of nonsense religion pushes on people. They train you to turn your back on courage, strength, and conscious living. This is stupidity, not divinity.

Religion will teach you to fear being different, to fear standing up for yourself, and to fear being an independent thinker. It will erode your self-trust by explaining why you’re unable to successfully manage life on your own terms: You are unworthy. You’re a sinner. You’re unclean. You belong to a lesser caste. You are not enlightened. Of course the solution is always the same — submit to the will of an external authority. Believe that you’re inadequate. Give away your power. Follow their rules and procedures. Live in fear for the rest of your life, and hope it will all turn out okay in the end.

When you practice faith instead of conscious living, you live under a cloak of fear. Eventually that cloak becomes so habitual you forget it’s even there. It’s very sad when you reach the point where you can’t even remember what it feels like to wield creative freedom over your own life, independent of what you’ve been conditioned to believe.

Fear in one part of your life invariably spreads to all other parts — you can’t compartmentalize it. If you find yourself frustrated because you’re too afraid to follow your dreams, to talk to members of the opposite sex, to speak up for yourself, etc., then a good place to start is to rid your life of all religious nonsense. Don’t let fear get a foothold in your consciousness.

Stop trying to comfort yourself by swallowing religious rubbish. If you really need something to believe in, then believe in your own potential. Put your trust in your own intellect. Stop giving away your power.

Dump the safety-in-numbers silliness. Just because a lot of people believe stupid stuff doesn’t mean it isn’t stupid. It just means that stupidity is popular on this planet. When people are in a state of fear, they’ll swallow just about anything to comfort themselves, including the bastion of stupidity known as religion.

*slightly edited*