#it is extremely depressive and yet the author still keeps going for their own unknown inner reasons they don't fully realise
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
unhonestlymirror · 11 months ago
Text
I'm reading the manhwa "I will die soon," and it leaves you with the feeling like you've made a long and difficult trip and finally returned back home
2 notes · View notes
koifoxes · 2 months ago
Text
chapter 119 atm. I think it's quite telling how slow I am with the first volume. im halfway through and ive still yet to be interested. it's just so... nothing. the substance isn't substancing. 😭 im pushing hard to finish the first volume, I still want to do right by this series that's so clearly beloved by many readers.
regardless, even if the world building so far has been okay (it's cool but extremely slow and lots of info dumping), ive correctly predicted the plot so far so im not feeling very excited by anything. atp i feel like i should be vaguely spoiled (for the first volume) to keep going.
my predictions so far is
- some dead nighthawks (preferably the prominent ones such as old neil and dunn. neil more so because he seems like he's not relevant to main point of interest/mystery; antigonus family notebook. dunn because he's written with enough charm and characterisation for you to remember, but not important enough to stay. then add more nighthawks to the mix i guess. to make you feel something, like oh they were so important.)
- new tarot member. obviously. rules of 3 so there'll be a third member atleast by the end of first vol. seems like the tarot club is gonna be a fully fledged club full of people. theyll eventually know klein's identity as the fool in the later volumes.
- involvement of the true creator somehow. idk how but somehow. clearly an antagonistic force that'll become a threat soon since they're hamming it up. influence would probably result in aforementioned nighthawks deaths
- missing man levnus or wtv his name was becomes relevant later on. clearly written with a bit too much commitment for my own liking. becomes really relevant later in the novel.
- the real cherry on top if something happens to the morreti family. knowing that there's 8 volumes total, the morreti family will eventually become involved. there's no way klein can stay with his family considering the supernatural he's going through. he's likely gonna stay away from them to protect them. the family is the only real thing of substance imo, the author is going to use that to propel you into the next volume, either that or some big new mystery that reveals the "coincidences" that keep happening to klein (preferably the person behind it)
- mr azik becomes relevant later. clearly a character for the next volumes. klein will keep in touch with him
- an important artifact will be involved. uurrrrhh I'm expecting this bc so far artifact use has been introduced twice so rules of 3. the last artifact that the nighthawks use will be really memorable. im thinking itll be used against another nighthawk because of shock factor wrow also expanding the "moral utility" of artifacts (expanding the use of artifacts)
- by the name of the volume, klein will move up sequence to clown. the "act"/role will make klein very depressed (for irony), like... clowns laugh a lot. they're cheery and stuff, so klein will laugh a lot, the acting part comes when it's in the face of danger or the "unknown". i think this is so because of one of the prominent "hidden rules" of being a seer is to be unafraid of the unknown. laughing is not only being unafraid but basically flipping it off. thats courage. this is sorta the only link i found between the two roles, other than how they both belong in a circus like klein suggests. maybe the next sequence is magician or acrobat?
- this is probably the biggest stretch but klein is probably the key to unlocking the mysteries of the gods/lords. the way he utilises the grey fog and prayers would suggest that the other gods are similar to klein. they're human like anyone else, just that they're so good at "acting" (similar to klein acting as the fool) that people think they're more than they actually are. most evident THE MULTIPLE TIMES where the tarot members motion how the fool is a "god". ritual for prayers is similar, acting as a god, etc. klein will likely find out what happens in the epochs and whatnot. the whole thing about "acting" and "digesting", with the way he is with as the fool, he'll become a god himself eventually in the later volumes.
currently 15 chapters into lotm rn. ik everyone says that i should atleast finish the first vol to know whether i should drop it but it really feels like such a chore to read through the first novel
16 notes · View notes
icequeen-shiva · 6 years ago
Text
alright, you know what
about two weeks ago maybe by now, i made a post about how i’ve recently hit 200 followers and i’d like to do a q&a again, and even with a reblog from someone more ~*popular*~ than me, and multiple reblogs once a day for a few days by myself, i didn’t get a single fucking question. not one. earlier today i posted two pictures of myself where i felt pretty (i’ve since deleted them) and nobody i actually know of liked it and i got asked by a stranger who doesn’t even follow me if i had any nsfw pictures. i don’t get asks anymore, i don’t get shit. and that tells me that, you may be following me, but you aren’t connecting with me. and i feel that. i get on tumblr and i don’t feel like i’m friends with fucking anybody. and i did that. i know i did that. 9/10 times i let my fear of rejection and embarrassing myself overcome my desire to talk to people, so i don’t do it, or i let it fizzle out and we go our own ways and we don’t become friends. 1/10 times i actually function as a human being and make a connection or at least something that sticks a little.
so here, below the cut, is a comprehensive (loosely) list of things that i like, in no particular order at all, besides tickling, because apparently both sides of this need a little help connecting on any front.
scooby-doo
beetlejuice
the addams family
the sims
the mcu
classic disney animations; my favorites are dumbo, the great mouse detective, the rescuers, sleeping beauty, and oliver and company (it’s old enough that i consider it in the classic category)
~modern disney animations too; my favorites are treasure fucking planet, coco, and... i’m a sap, beauty and the beast. rise of the guardians too even though it isn’t disney.
musicals; i can’t pick a favorite just fucking ask me, but i don’t know a lot of newer ones honestly
empire records
the greatest showman still
cats (i mean the animals but i also like the show even though it is Weird As Hell)
my cat in particular
alice in wonderland
stranger things
space jam
tsum tsums
elvira, mistress of the dark
dice
kiki’s delivery service and specifically jiji things
winnie the pooh i don’t even fucking care i LOVE HIM AND ALL OF HIS FRIENDS
silly hats
playdoh
interesting earrings
exploring libraries or big bookstores
true crime mysteries; my favorite youtuber for this is georgia marie, bless her. i also watch bella fiori and kendall rae
fictional mysteries too
i have a kind of fascination with jack the ripper and with the lizzie borden case
shipwrecks! i don’t know why but shipwrecks fascinate me! why did they go down? all the stories that went with them!
i once read a novel that was told as a series of letters, or journal entries, by people on the titanic, including the iceberg and it was THE absolute saddest book i have ever read in my life. like, obviously i knew what was coming, but i got attached to the characters, the letters made them alive and it was just like... NO. NO I DON’T WANT THEM TO DIE. I KNOW THEY’RE GOING TO BUT THEY CAN’T. and it was awful. i had to put it down and cry.
cryptozoology
the bermuda triangle theories (i’m not saying i believe sOmEtHiNg’S gOiNg On but i think some of the theories are interesting)
ghosts
the nancy drew computer games
monopoly
i still play a lot of my snes games; my go-to time killer and head-clearer honestly is kirby’s avalanche. i also play a lot of super mario rpg legend of the seven stars, super mario world, kirby’s dreamland 3, and donkey kong 2 and 3
final fantasy x in which i’m guaranteed to call almost (i can’t stress that enough) every character at some point “my child”
hyrule warriors, i know it’s not a tRuE zelda game but it’s fucking fun
same with fire emblem warriors
red dead redemption
kingdom hearts
the uncharted series
splatoon but i don’t have it wahhhhh
mind you i am not very Good at videogames, i just like to play them anyway
game grumps
ninja sex party
jacksepticeye
markiplier
monty python
crocheting
tea
harry potter
classic rock. pretty big on queen lately. i like tom petty and the heartbreakers. i like joan jett and the blackhearts.
i just... like rock. across the board. i like the offspring. i like some rage against the machine songs. acdc on the radio makes me happy. def leppard on the radio makes me happy. beartooth, starset, powerman 5000, as long as it’s got a good beat and good stuff going on behind the vocals then i’m gonna be happy. i’m way more into the guitars and the bass and everything going on instrumentally than i am vocally, honestly. the whole big guitar solo to van halen’s “you really got me” and then that bassline that comes in, that bassline is sexy. it’s so simple but i LIKE it.
anyway music as a whole gets me right in the heart and can lift me up when i am at my literal worst point
it’s hard for me to name a favorite or specific bands that i like because there’s so many and i’m not really picky about it. 
pop vinyls
good ol’ vines
buffalo wings
mac and cheese
grilled cheese
dr. pepper
i drink a l o t of dr. pepper
pretending i know how to do makeup well
history; i watch a lot of expedition unknown and mysteries at the museum, and sometimes i’ll watch a free documentary on youtube if it catches my attention. last weekend i explained the donner party to my boyfriend. just.. on a whim. because i’d just watched a thing on it and he said he didn’t really know what it was. i’m that person.
OH I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THIS BACK AROUND TRUE CRIME BUT I READ A BOOK ABOUT H.H. HOLMES AND HIS MURDER CASTLE AND THE CHICAGO WORLD’S FAIR. it was by erik larson, i believe. larsen? i could google this. devil in the white city. there’s been talks to make it a movie. it’s a good read though i will admit i skipped a lot of the fair parts because i was there for the murder.
i also read a book about the lusitania by the same author and i was like ohhh my goooood what. it got a little boring sometimes, i had to push myself to keep going, but i would read dead wake again.
csi: miami reruns are the greatest thing don’t @ me
dark purple and black aesthetics
just like... witchy aesthetics. those colors and black cats
if you haven’t noticed by any selfies i’ve posted, i do have my lip pierced and i love finding new lip jewelry. i have a new opal stud in and i love its look
leather jackets
combat boots; i have a galaxy print pair and a pair with classic marvel comics stuff printed on the inside and you can fold down the sides to show it. they’re my faves.
owls
drunk history
the first 5 seasons of supernatural and i still have a soft spot for the winchesters and castiel
i’m slowly making my way through watching the librarians
i’m also making my way slowly through watching the magicians
(american) football
nature walks
going to the zoo
going to the aquarium
like really take me to either of the above and i will lose my shit
road trips
savannah, georgia
the smokey mountains
last august i drove by myself from ohio to boone, north carolina for a friend’s wedding and that wedding was smack on a mountain top and it was the coolest thing i think i’ve ever done
roller coasters BUT NOT EXTREME ONES baby steps ok
log rides tho, i don’t know why, i always love the water rides
ren faires!
cosplay, even though i’m not exactly active in it myself (but i want to be; one of my offline friends is an actually-getting-kind-of-internet-famous mei from overwatch cosplayer)
cards against humanity
foosball
pool but i suck at it
speaking of pools i love swimming ... but i suck at it, i just like boppin’ along in a pool
cookouts
summer
there is nothing like being out in the middle of nowhere in summer when the evening starts to fall and the sky is dark, dark blue and there’s a sea of shimmering lightning bugs out over a field. it’s beautiful. it’s peaceful.
there’s nothing like sitting outside on a calm spring night and listening to the spring peepers (they’re frogs) either.
if you couldn’t tell, i live in the middle of nowhere. i have to find enjoyment in the little things.
campfires
dancing around said campfire, you cannot have a campfire without good music. this is when a lot of my classic rock education came to pass.
elephants
my favorite books are the abhorsen trilogy by garth nix, tied with the serpent’s shadow by mercedes lackey
i am trying to get into comic books by way of the youtube channel comicstorian. they break comic books down for you and read them aloud with the images, altered slightly to avoid copyright strikes (and that’s all made very clear, it’s not done sketchily), and it’s been really easy for someone like me who doesn’t just have a comics store close (and i would otherwise continue on as i have been, forgetting to ever look for them on the internet). i listened to injustice 1 and 2, and they covered the game. i’m actively following scooby apocalypse, and there was some teen titans stuff i went all the way through up until now. i don’t think it’s finished yet from what i remember.
i love museums
candles
i actually kind of collect tea sets
i also have a collection of sand art bottles AND IF I’M EVER AT A FESTIVAL OR A FAIR WHERE THERE IS A SAND ART STAND YOU CAN BET I AM GOING TO MAKE ONE
yugioh duels; i’m definitely just a novice and it’s just a fun pastime my friends got me into when they found their giant binders of cards again
i’m not actually that big on pokemon, i don’t know a lot of them but it’s still fun and i know some. but i did love pokemon go when my friends still played it (don’t really have time anymore, and it kept crashing way too badly on one of their phones anymore anytime they tried to join a raid and it just wasn’t fun as a group then)
i don’t have any but i like the ~look of crystals and would like to have some, not for my own aesthetic but i just... like having pretty things!
listening to the rain
how the air smells (at least where i live) after a long rain and everything is just cleansed
depression has stopped me from writing for a long time but, in my heart, writing has always been something that has touched me ever since i knew how to do it and could put my stories down on paper instead of having to just talk about them... so i’m going to include that here
root beer floats
hotdogs
hard dip ice cream (if you don’t know what hard dip means... as my boyfriend didn’t... it means ice cream that you have to use a scoop with, not soft serve)
soft serve’s good too tho don’t get me wrong
strawberry milkshakes
this isn’t even stuff that anyone would need to know on this site to befriend me at this point, nobody’s gonna message me like HEY I READ YOU LIKE STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKES ME FUCKING TOO
you’re cool if you do that lmao
so bad they’re good creature features from the 50s and 60s
the old godzilla movies
i like the moon more than the stars, but i like them too
flower crowns
bouncy balls
original skittles
this has gone on way too long, nobody is reading this, your mom’s a hoe, goodnight
no she’s not, i’m sorry, if you got this far then i hope your mom is a nice person
7 notes · View notes
distressindisguise · 6 years ago
Text
Ranking My Jarchie Fanfiction
I’ve been in the Riverdale fandom for a long time so I’m going to start this off by stating that in the very beginning, the main ships were Beronica and Jarchie. Crazy right? Bughead wasn’t really a thing. Now, there are barely any Jarchie scenes in the show but I still write Jarchie fanfiction on wattpad here.
I love writing reviews and just writing period and after re-reading my fanfiction for the first time in months, I’ve decided to write a brutally honest review. So let’s begin.
Tumblr media
5. Meadow Of Flowers
Tumblr media
For some reason, this is one of my most popular fics. Though it always seems that way right? The things you write that you’re most proud of never get the recognition you think it deserves, but the things that have been slapped together hastily seem to do very well. A. K. A the fanfiction writer’s curse.
Here are the good things: the idea and the plot started off great. It’s a cute, clear concept. It’s not complex or hard to comprehend. The prep draws flowers on the goths notebook, the goth surprises the prep by drawing more flowers, and the prep tries to get to know him so he creates a tumblr and messages him anonymously. The text messages sent between the two are funny. It’s a good laugh, something to snicker at when you’re bored and have free time. The characters are really interesting. Archie has an infectious attitude and watching Jughead try to deal with it is equally as entertaining.
Here are the bad things. The plot loses itself somewhere in the middle. All of a sudden Jughead has an ex girlfriend that comes back in town and his father is the leader of the Mafia or some while crazy crap like that. There becomes too many irrelevant characters. None of the rest of book actually has to do with the main concept, the meadow of flowers drawn on a piece of paper that brought them together. I really don’t know how that concept got so lost. But even still, it garners up tons of reads. For what reason? Probably because of the text messages. Archie’s dirty pick up lines and Jughead’s insertion of memes are probably the only thing that keeps readers coming back.
The writing also extremely lacks. It’s a dialogue based book. There’s not much substance there. It’s literally all quotes. Definitely not my best work. I’d say it’s my worst. I cringe when people tell me they love it so much.
I haven’t updated the book in months and honestly I don’t think I’ve ever going to. If anything, I’ll delete all of the wild chapters and keep the text messages. This fic is the definition of the cringe side of Wattpad and I promise you my other fics are nothing like this trainwreck.
4. Treehouse
Tumblr media
Treehouse is my only ongoing fanfiction. It’s probably going to be my last Jarchie fanfic. I’m not sure if it’s my last fanfic on Wattpad though. I’ll have to see. I’m kind of over the Riverdale fandom and the show if I’m being completely honest.
Jughead and Archie spend a summer in the latter’s treehouse getting to know each other, but once they get back to school the story gets twisted into a lot of dirty rumors. Jughead wants to forget what happened, but Archie wants to further their relationship.
Good things: Characterization. Jughead is fem! In this book. He’s bubbly, innocent, and an all around strong character. He’s an activist, a vegan and a super inspiring person. He’s extremely lovable. It’s easy to support and fall in love with his character. I wrote Jelly Bean, his sister, older in this book. She’s also a dynamic character. She has her own issues as well. The book doesn’t just focus on Jarchie, it focuses on Jelly Bean’s problems, Archie’s problems, Betty’s problems, and my OCs problems individually. Their lives all intertwine and that’s another aspect that makes the book great. The writing is good and the storylines are relatable.
Bad things: Because there are so many storylines, the book drags. I’m often left to wonder what the actual plot is. There’s no climax or end goal. It’s more like a look of the lives into each person, which isn’t a bad thing, but it causes the story to feel slow and sometimes meaningless. There are currently 19 chapters written and published, but it feels as if there’s much less because nothing has been accomplished and nothing has been destroyed yet.
Despite that, I do think it’s an entertaining read and in terms of writing, I think it’s easy to follow and easy to love.
3. Circumlocution
Tumblr media
My readers like to call this book Hell.
I am usually a fluffy fic writer. My books do tend to have angst, problems that need to be solved that eventually work out, but this is not one of those books.
Jughead and Archie dated in high school until Archie left one day out of the blue. Jughead never got a call, never got an explanation, but was instead left to deal with his miserable life without one of the people who made it bearable. Archie comes back to Riverdale a year later, finds Jughead at a bar, and offers to take him home on a long, awkward, emotional car ride into the unknown.
Good things: the plot is amazing. There’s very few settings, the most used one being the car, so it’s easy to follow. It’s structured, the chapters flashback to a couple of years ago so the reader can piece together what happened to Jughead while Archie was gone and what happened to Archie after he left. The flashbacks give a glance to both sides of the story as the characters stay clueless to the whole truth until the very end. It’s my shortest, most consist fic, numbering in at 25 chapters and a heartfelt epilogue. The writing was done very well, every emotion is felt. The anxiousness, the tension, the hatred, and the hint of affection they both still had toward each other are displayed well. There are subtle clues dropped to allow the reader to guess what happened, and little details start to make sense at the very end.
Bad things: even with that “glowing review” there are some shortcomings I think. I’m also very picky about my own work by the way, so in reality these fics may not be as bad as I’m making them out to be.
Because there’s very few settings, I think sometimes the setting does get lost. I think the car could be described more. I think the mentions of the road could be used. Maybe I’m fussing, but there’s lots of times where there’s just conversation and the reader assumes that it’s in Archie’s truck because that’s where they last were. Still, I think there should be reminders instead of just still dialogue. For instance, how much moving around can you do in a car? The only other locations are pit stops to get food. The rest of the locations are in the flashbacks, which don’t really play a huge part to the story itself.
I also think that maybe the book is too dark at times. One thing that I hate about wattpad, is the number of dark fanfics written by 12 year olds who romanticize topics like depression and self harm. I didn’t romanticize the topics, but they’re there and I tried to be respectful and treat them with the seriousness that needed to be there. There’s physical abuse, substance abuse, self harm, it’s a lot. It’s why my readers call the book hell, because it’s a lot of emotions at once, especially when you grow so attached to two characters and grow to vouch for their relationship to work out in the end.
My favorite part of the fic is the epilogue because it shows someone reaching out, getting help, and trying to get better. Its the right approach.
My book is also called hell because of the ending... but I’m not going to spoil that for you.
I just think that the mood in the fic could be lighter in some aspects. There needs to be more breaks for happy flashbacks, or more light hearted conversation. Sometimes I feel as if the transitions are too quick. Jughead could go from yelling at Archie to slowly easing up when they reminisce about the past, but I think the shift should be more gradual. Still, in terms of plot/structure/and writing, it’s my best fic. Hands down. So why is it at number 3? Let’s see.
2. Nameless
Maybe this is where my bias steps in.
In reality, this would be tied with my number 1 choice because this is one of my favorites, though I don’t think it’s technically better than circumlocution in terms of plot. This is another book that drags on for longer than it’s supposed to.
Nameless didn’t have a name. He was 17 Years Old. He didn’t talk to anybody but his social worker. He didn’t show emotion. He spent his days reading and coming up with names until one felt right, for the boy had amnesia after a terrible accident that separated him from his parents and his old life. Archie comes around, and soon he learns to stop viewing with the world with indifference and hanging onto the past.
Good things: Characterization yet again. I’m very good at characterization. Although the Riverdale characters are not mine, I’m very good at giving them their own unique personalities to fit my plots and ideas. Nameless is obviously Jughead, but his character is so complex. My favorite thing is watching him grow as a person throughout the book. He seriously learns how to love, how to deal with people, and how to accept himself and what he has. Watching his relationship grow with his adoptive parents and his adoptive siblings is just as amazing as watching his relationship grow with Archie. I think that the writing is done well, though there is some things left unanswered in the end that I ended up explaining in my final author’s note. The plot is consistent as well.
Bad things: Like I mentioned earlier, I do think it drags on. Some scenes are definitely unnecessary and there’s some chapters that can be scraped out. There’s no reason for why there needed to be 60 chapters.
As a fanfic writer though, I think it’s safe to say that most of the time fics are filled with a lot of irrelevant chapters for fluff. They’re fillers, sure, but most people read for the fluffy scenes of a relationship. Chapters like that are also important for live updating a book. Sometimes it’s just easier to throw in a filler to give readers what they want in order to work on plot centered chapters. It’s something I’m conditioned to, but something that isn’t really a pro when writing a real book, which is something I want to do. Maybe I’m giving myself too much crap for this, but eh it’s definitely something that needs fixing.
Another thing that needs work would probably be my tendency to introduce characters and forget about them. One of my original characters, Jay, was a big part in the middle of the book, but then he slowly faded away and wasn’t brought up again until the epilogue.
1. Aberration
Here it is. My first Jarchie fanfic. My pride in joy. Look at the love this fic has been shown? My goodness. 116k. It’s probably my greatest accomplishment. This is my favorite fic and guess what?
It’s total bias.
But let me get into why this is good first. (Jughead being asexual is the best part)
This book is a coming of age story. It’s probably my only fanfic that takes place in the actual Riverdale Universe. All of my other fics are AU’s with the only connection to Riverdale being their names. It starts with Jughead and Archie at 4 years of age and goes up to age 27 with an epilogue at age 33. That being said, I can’t give you a specific plot summary because sooooo many problems arise and so many problems are solved throughout the years. It’s a glimpse of their life, and it’s beautiful.
Good things: sticking to canon. (In the beginning at least) Jughead is just as lost, confused, and edgy as he was in season one. (I say season one because Jughead in season 2 felt like a whole different character and I feel like the writers kind of ruined him. There’s such thing as character development but I think they went overboard. Anyways, that’s a different story.)
Their childhood is written as I envisioned it. There’s canon conversations, like Archie’s proposal to Betty when they were kids. It’s sweet.
Besides sticking to canon, I do a good job of sticking to parallels since there’s such a wide range of events and incidents going on. I think it shows continuity in the characters from when they were 10 to when they were 20.
Not only that, but the plot is just all around entertaining. There’s always something to aww at, something to get mad at, something to laugh at, something to cry at. It’s emotional, watching them grow up and go through all sorts of things. The problems that arise are real coming of age problems. People lose friends, make new ones, go through identity crisis, deal with loss, deal with stress, deal with home issues. It’s all there and very real. It’s raw. I love that. The character development is also amazing. Watching little kids turn into strong men and women is really interesting and fun to watch.
My favorite part is that Jughead is ASEXUAL.
I did so much research. When I found out that Jughead was supposed to be asexual in the show, I took my chance and ran with it. I did my best to represent the asexual community in this book. It’s what makes it so unique. It’s why this is my favorite. I get lots of dms about how this helped people figure out how they identify or get trough what they were feeling. I’ve put resources to the AVEN website, a safe community for asexuals. I did my best and I love the product. I love that I’ve helped people. This really is why this is my number one. Besides that representation, Kevin Keller is gay, Archie is bisexual, Liliana (my og character) is Hispanic, and my other og character, Aaron, is African American. Everyone loves my OCs in the book, especially Jackson. Representation to me is soooooo important. It’s one thing that I really nailed.
Another thing that I love about this book is that my development as a writer is so obvious. As the chapters go on, I get better and better. I start to fall into a style, and it’s so enjoyable to see that reading it again. The chapters get more descriptive, the grammar starts to improve, and the plot starts to get more complex.
However, in terms of technical aspects, it’s probably one of my worst written fics in the beginning. Still not as bad as Meadow of Flowers, but close.
Bad things: First of all, it’s written in present tense. That’s not totally against writing rules, but it’s unconventional and it’s more common for stories to be told in past tense. Again, I didn’t really know what I was doing. It was my first time writing in third person. It was my first time taking a crack at storytelling in years.
The grammar is awful. Because it’s in present tense, my tenses and verbs are sort of messed up at times. It feels awkward. And if it’s not that, it’s the fact that I for some reason can’t spell for my life. It makes for some very embarrassing typos like “he pressed a quick piss to his forehead.” I also didn’t know that whines and wines were two very different things.
...
I used wines as a verb for most of the book. If I was writing in past tense, I probably would’ve caught onto that mistake 100 chapters ago.
That’s another thing, the book is actually 100 chapters long. Despite that though, it doesn’t really drag like the other books do because there’s a new problem that comes along with every age. There’s not many dead spots, but some people do lose interest in it after the two graduate high school which is around chapter 60 I want to say? There’s a table of contents in the beginning that separates the chapters by what grade of school they’re in and by age. It’s convenient. You’ll need it if you don’t feel like sitting through elementary school Jarchie. Or maybe you don’t like college Jarchie and you want to skip to adult Jarchie. I’m telling you, it’s convenient.
But back to the grammar thing, I didn’t know that most quotes didn’t end with periods at the time, and that’s a huge problem that doesn’t get corrected until maybe my fourth book. All the dialogue had periods at the end instead of commas. For instance:
“But you said I could,” Jughead whined.
^That’s correct.
However, this is what I did:
“But you said I could.” Jughead wines.
^That basically sums up how bad the grammar is throughout.
Though technically imperfect, it’s definitely still a good read. The plot is amazing. 116k reads should tell you that it’s worth the read if you can get past those mistakes. Although I’m being hard on myself about it now, no one really noticed it. If they did, they never called me out on it. Honestly, writing on Wattpad has low expectations so just separating paragraphs correctly boosts your writing into the good category. Honestly that’s my biggest pet peeve. I used to do it too, but I can’t read a book that has huge paragraphs of dialogue without a separation between which character is saying what. It gives me headaches.
There’s tons of mistakes in this book, trust me. However, I think I’m going to leave the mistakes there. I want to look back on it, pisses instead of kisses on foreheads and all.
Anyways, I spent a good few hours writing this review and I doubt most people are going to read this but it’s going on my blog because it’s an honest evaluation.
Tumblr media
Honorable Mention
That sixth book you see in the first image? The one with the flowers on the cover? It’s called Alphabet Jarchie and it’s my ongoing one shot book. I take a word from every letter of the alphabet and write a one shot about it. Obviously I can’t really rank it with my fics, but the one shots are helping me cut to the chase in my writing, and I think my ideas are pretty good. So if you don’t feel like sitting through my longggggg fanfics (though they are pretty enticing but this is me being harsh) you can check out my one shots.
This was fun.
DistressInDisguise x
Again, you can find my works here or under my username @DistressInDisguise on Wattpad.
8 notes · View notes
brigdh · 6 years ago
Text
What did you just finish? Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan. A shallow, wealth-porn, frothy bauble of a book, but one which is lots of fun. Rachel Chu and Nicholas Young are both new professors at New York University (Nicholas in history, Rachel in economics, which I have to say seems like a weird choice for a character who spends the whole book being shocked by wealth) and have been dating for about two years, when Nicholas invites Rachel to come to Singapore with him for the summer, so he can participate in his best friend's wedding and she can meet his family. Rachel does so, only to discover that Nicholas is not generically middle-class as she'd always assumed, but rich. And not, like, normal rich, you guys: crazy rich. The rest of the book consists of Rachel gawking at the possessions of Nicholas's family and friends: private jets, personal islands, hotel chains, uncounted maids and drivers and servants, clothes from every top-name designer you can image, antiques and art and mansions and skyscrapers and on and on. Not all is absurdly wealthy bliss, however: various unmarried women try to drive Rachel away so that they can claim Nicholas for themselves, and Nicholas's mother is determined to keep her out of the family. She's shocked enough that Nicholas would marry beneath himself when she assumes Rachel is one of the Taiwanese plastics Chus (such trashy new money!); you can imagine how she feels when she realizes Rachel is actually the daughter of a single-mother real estate agent from Palo Alto, California. Meanwhile, the wedding brings to town every cousin, aunt, uncle, old childhood friend, ex-partner, and business connection from around the world back to town (seriously, this book has an oppressively long character list), and Nicholas's cousin Astrid, who also fell in love outside of the Singaporean elite, is dealing with the breakdown of her own marriage. The whole thing is a bit of a forgettable guilty pleasure, the sort where most of the fun comes from watching people who have such a vastly different lifestyle than me or anyone I know, like Gossip Girl or that Downtown Abbey scene where Maggie Smith asks "What is a week-end?" – except for the fact that pretty much every speaking character is Asian. Still, even if it's silly, it's a fun, fast-moving read. I will confess that my favorite part ended up being the footnotes, where Kwan translates the occasional word or phrase in Mandarin, Malaysian, Hokkien, or other languages and explains references to Singaporean places and people. A few of the ones that made me laugh: Malay slang used to express shock or exasperation like “oh dear” or “oh my God.” Alamak and lah are the two most commonly used slang words in Singapore. (Lah is a suffix that can be used at the end of any phrase for emphasis, but there’s no good explanation for why people use it, lah.) Among Singapore’s upper crust, only two boys’ schools matter: Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) and Raffles Institution (RI). Both are consistently ranked among the top schools in the world and have enjoyed a long, heated rivalry. RI, established in 1823, is known to attract the brainy crowd, while ACS, established in 1886, is popular with the more fashionable set and somewhat perceived to be a breeding ground for snobs. Much of this has to do with the 1980 article in the Sunday Nation entitled “The Little Horrors of ACS,” which exposed the rampant snobbery among its pampered students. This led to a shamed principal announcing to stunned students (including this author) the very next morning during assembly that, henceforth, students were no longer allowed to be dropped off at the front entrance by their chauffeurs. (They had to walk up the short driveway all by themselves, unless it was raining.) Expensive watches, eyeglasses, fountain pens, briefcases, satchels, pencil boxes, stationery, combs, electronic gadgets, comic books, and any other luxury items would also be banned from school property. (But within a few months, Lincoln Lee started wearing his Fila socks again and no one seemed to notice.) The exotic Black and White houses of Singapore are a singular architectural style found nowhere else in the world. Combining Anglo-Indian features with the English Arts and Crafts movement, these white-painted bungalows with black trim detailing were ingeniously designed for tropical climes. Originally built to house well-to-do colonial families, they are now extremely coveted and available only to the crazy rich ($40 million for starters, and you might have to wait several decades for a whole family to die). Overall I'd really only recommend the book to someone in need of a mindless beach read. In particular the ending is left unresolved; I know there's a sequel, but even for a book in the midst of a series I'd expect more loose ends to be tied up than what we got here. That said, I haven't seen the movie yet, and I suspect it's the sort of story where good actors can make all the difference, simply by fleshing out these somewhat-cardboard characters. Driving to Geronimo’s Grave by Joe Lansdale. A collection of six short stories by an author mostly known for capturing the spirit of rural east Texas, both in historical and modern fiction. In the title story, a brother and sister run afoul of a bank robber in Oklahoma during the Great Depression. This one had an excellent first-person narrator and a great sense of humor. In the Mad Mountains is a surprisingly straightforward Lovecraft pastiche, with hints of the Titanic's sinking and Amelia Earhart's disappearance mixing with the cosmic horrors. There's no twists or revisionism here; you could almost mistake this one for actual Lovecraft, except that Lansdale is much better at writing well-rounded characters. Though that's a low bar. Robo Rapid is an old-fashioned, surprisingly cozy YA post-apocalyptic story – more Edgar Rice Burroughs than Hunger Games – with a girl heading out on an adventure across a vast and unknown desert. The Projectionist is darker than the other stories; a noir tale of mobsters and unrequited obsession. Everything Sparkles in Hell is probably my favorite of the six. It reminded me a bit of Django Unchained, having a similar sort of violent humor tucked into a revisionist Western. A black bounty hunter and his Native American buddy track down four murderers, at least until a man-killing grizzly bear and a massive snowstorm complicate matters. Wrestling Jesus is the only story of these that I'd before; it was published in the Dangerous Women anthology and I have to say that I really disliked it there. A bullied teen is semi-adopted by an elderly ex-wrestler, who teaches him how to fight in between preparing for his own big match – he and another man have a rivalry going back decades where they compete for the attentions of a beautiful woman. Read as a story explicitly about a 'dangerous woman' it's a disaster, since a) the woman only appears in one scene, where b) she's literally a prize to be fought over by men. Read by itself, it's a fine story about a father-son relationship. Or it would be, if Lansdale hadn't included a long afterword complaining about the bad reviews he got for the anthology. Don't write a story that so blatantly misses the point and then get upset when people say you missed the point, dude! I hate it when authors I like act like dingbats in their nonfictional writings. But with all that said, this is a very nice collection of stories, with a surprising diversity of tones and settings. I've long been a fan of Lansdale's Hap & Leonard series, but this book would make a good introduction for newcomers. I read this as an ARC via NetGalley. What are you currently reading? Jade City by Fonda Lee. This book has been described as "Hong Kong gangster movie, but fantasy". I just started it this morning so I can't say more than that, but really, what more do you need?
4 notes · View notes
wazafam · 4 years ago
Link
Both surreal and oddly absurd, Yorgos Lanthimos' The Lobster creates an image of a dystopian society where everybody is forced to find someone to pair with. Nobody can stay single, and if they choose to do so, the only way to be safe is by joining those hiding from authorities and the unavoidable probability of either being hunted down and killed or being turned into an animal.
RELATED: 10 Coming-Of-Age Romantic Dramas To Watch If You Love Call Me By Your Name
And yet, at the core of The Lobster lies a dark, twisted romance which perfectly fits the kind of tone the movie is going for. Luckily for the fans of the picture, there are other movies to check out that also feature unusual, dark romances.
10 Swiss Army Man (2016)
Tumblr media
If someone started explaining Swiss Army Man by saying it is full of farts, the listener would probably think that it is a stupid comedy with an abundance of fart jokes. But even though the farts are indeed played for laughs here, there is a much deeper meaning to this black comedy.
As the story progresses, the protagonist, who was left on an abandoned island and found an unusual dead man's body, starts developing genuine feelings towards the corpse. At some point, their relationship even looks more like a romance.
9 The One I Love (2014)
Tumblr media
A very unusual thriller about doppelgangers, The One I Love cleverly combines the wicked with the romantic and the frightening with the dramatic.
In the movie, a married couple finds themselves visiting a therapist to help them keep their marriage intact. The therapist tells them to visit an estate where they can rest and try to fix their relationship. There, they encounter their own doppelgangers who play tricks on them.
8 Thirst (2009)
Tumblr media
Park Chan-wook's Thirst is a dark romance movie both in its story and in its look. A lot of the events take place at night, creating the kind of atmosphere perfect for a horror romance like this.
RELATED: 10 Coming-Of-Age Comedies To Watch If You Love American Graffiti
The story follows a Catholic priest in South Korea who is secretly in love with his friend's wife. He undergoes a medical experiment, but something goes wrong and he starts turning into a vampire.
7 Corpse Bride (2005)
Tumblr media
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride is one of the many collaborations between the director and his two favorite actors - Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter (who voice the lead characters in this stop-motion masterpiece).
Having the kind of Gothic aesthetic Burton is known for, the movie tells the story of a young man named Victor who goes into the woods to practice his wedding vows. Unbeknownst to him, a deceased young woman hears him doing so and now considers herself his bride.
6 Dogtooth (2009)
Tumblr media
Another one of Yorgos Lanthimos' works, Dogtooth is very similar in tone to The Lobster with its absurdist black humor and a way of bringing out the terrifying aspect in something mundane and "normal".
Though it doesn't focus on its romantic storyline as much, it still has one and combines it with its dramatic elements. The story focuses on a married couple who keep their children inside their home for their entire lifetime, so even as they become adults, they are ignorant of the world outside.
5 Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)
Tumblr media
Jim Jarmusch's Only Lovers Left Alive is both similar to The Lobster and to Thirst. It has a slow-paced, somewhat removed-from-this-world narrative that expertly integrates horror and supernatural elements into its storyline.
RELATED: 10 Sci-Fi Horror Movies To Watch If You Love Alien
The story follows two vampires named Adam and Eve who have been married for years but have parted for some time. Adam is a famous musician currently depressed and extremely happy to see Eve returning to him after their time apart.
4 Dracula (1992)
Tumblr media
Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula is yet another vampire story that is the perfect kind of dark romance movie to watch for fans of the genre. Gorgeous visuals, stylish costumes, and historical elements elevate this Gothic horror movie.
Based on Bram Stoker's classic novel Dracula, it follows the ancient vampire Count Dracula who arrives to England with the goal to seduce his barrister's fiancée and pursue his personal goals.
3 Blue Velvet (1986)
Tumblr media
David Lynch's Blue Velvet is rightfully considered a classic like no other, perfectly capturing the image of the small American town its story takes place in. Its neo-noir atmosphere enhances its mystery storyline providing a firm ground for a dark romance to develop.
The story follows a young student who finds a severed human ear lying in the field. As he investigates where the ear came from, he uncovers a criminal network and develops a romance with an unusual lounge singer.
2 Mr. Nobody (2009)
Tumblr media
Starring Jared Leto in the lead role, Mr. Nobody can be confusing at times with its narrative jumping from one possibility to another, but its weird romantic storyline is always at the center of it all.
In a not-so-distant future, people have found a way to stay immortal. The only mortal man left on Earth is the 118-year-old Nemo Nobody whose past is unknown. Before he dies, he is asked to tell his life story, so Nemo recounts his life in the different ways it could have happened by focusing on the three most important moments in his past - at age nine, fifteen, and thirty-four.
1 Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)
Tumblr media
Starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind also has a non-linear narrative which allows the audience to fully immerse themselves into the relationship happening between the two main characters.
The story follows a couple who decide to erase memories of each other after falling out. As the memories get erased, the person to whom they belong has to experience the memories all over again.
NEXT: 10 Intense Survival Movies To Watch If You Love 127 Hours
10 Best Dark Romance Movies Like The Lobster | ScreenRant from https://ift.tt/31zvMKo
1 note · View note
itsfinancethings · 5 years ago
Link
Last year, Bi Chao made an investment that he thought would ensure a comfortable living. He plowed 200,000 renminbi (about $28,000) into buying hundreds of exotic animals—chiefly bamboo rats and porcupines. He planned to breed them on his farm in southwestern China’s Yunnan province, hoping to profit from his affluent compatriots’ penchant for dining on weird and wonderful wildlife.
But then came the COVID-19 pandemic, which experts believe began when a previously unknown virus jumped from an wild creature—possibly a snake or pangolin—to humans at a wet market in the central city of Wuhan. It has since rampaged across the globe, sickening almost 2.5 million and killing around 170,000, and has prompted the Chinese government to ban the rearing and sale of exotic animals.
Bi’s farm is one of nearly 20,000 in China raising rare species, including civet cats, peacocks, boar and ostriches, that have been forced to close. (According to a 2017 report by the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the industry was valued at $73 billion.)
The 37-year-old says he has no choice but to keeping feeding his animals at a loss in the hope that the government reverses or relaxes its ban soon. Still, he remains on the verge of bankruptcy.
“My parents’ health is not good, and I have a seven-year-old daughter who has just started school,” he tells TIME. “I thought I was ready for 2020, but now I’m in massive debt. How can I get through this?”
The livelihoods of breeders like Bi are among those most directly affected by coronavirus, though workers across every sector will be asking similar questions as hardships cascade. Even as official infection figures drop to double-digits daily, economic data released Friday reveals China’s economy contracted 6.8% in the first quarter of 2020, during which some 460,000 Chinese firms closed. Registration of new firms fell 29% year-on-year between January and March.
It’s the first recorded contraction in China since before Mao-era collectivization was abolished in the late 1970s. But analysts agree that even the 6.8% figure is extremely optimistic (as Beijing’s official figures tend to be). By comparison, JP Morgan is predicting that the U.S. economy will contract by 40% in the second quarter of the year.
Getting China’s economy revving again is not as simple as flicking a switch. Containment measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 mean hundreds of thousands of workers are stranded far from factories. Production also been interrupted by the shelter-in-place measures that currently apply to half of humanity. Factories that have reopened have been forced to reduce capacity, or even close again, due to cratering demand for Chinese exports.
It’s a dire picture that bodes badly for the global economy. Last week, the IMF estimated that global GDP will shrink 3% this year—compared to its pre-pandemic prediction of a 3.3% expansion—and that contraction may continue into 2021, marking the deepest dive since the Great Depression almost a century ago.
Across the Asia-Pacific region, $2.1 trillion of lost output is projected to mean 23 million people lose their jobs in 2020. Banks and lending institutions will be scrambling to roll out stimulus packages.
“A crisis of unprecedented severity calls for a response of unprecedented scale,” APEC secretariat executive director Rebecca Sta Maria said in a recent statement.
Small businesses are particularly vulnerable
As the world’s number two economy and biggest trading nation, comprising 28% of global growth in the five years from 2013 to 2018, what happens in China is key. Analyst firm IHS Markit says that crumbling world demand for Chinese exports and Beijing’s reluctance to provide a stimulus package of sufficient heft portend tough times ahead.
“If renewed [containment] restrictions are required, then a double-dip recession cannot be ruled out,” it said in a briefing note.
Stimulus programs amount to about 2% of China’s GDP today, compared with 12% in 2009, when huge infrastructure projects kept the economy growing in the wake of the global financial crisis. Efforts to counter trade war pressures had already pushed China’s debt to 248.8% of GDP—excluding the financial industry—at the end of March 2019, according to analysis by two government think-tanks.
One top of its own debt burden, China is being forced to restructure the debts owed to it by struggling neighbors, particularly those arising from its $1 trillion Belt and Road transcontinental trade and infrastructure initiative. Though traditionally unwilling to renegotiate debts, Beijing has joined the World Bank and other G20 nations—including the influential “Paris Club”—to agree to a debt moratorium as COVID-19 decimates developing economies.
Yet it is China’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that are poised to suffer most. In China, SMEs make up over 60% of GDP, compared to 43% in the U.S. Compounding matters, they are not typically financed by the big mainstream banks but rather the shadow banking system, which doesn’t receive central government bailouts.
“All those [small] businesses are going to be severely impacted,” says James Nolt, an Asia specialist at the World Policy Institute “I don’t know if the Chinese authorities will pay that much attention to that sector.”
Still, there will always be a few fortunate ones that emerge from this crisis unscathed and even ahead. Shares in Shenzhen-listed Dawn Polymer, which specializes in melt-blown fabrics—the kind of fiber used in surgical masks—have risen almost 400% since the coronavirus outbreak was first publicly acknowledged Jan. 20. According to the U.K. Financial Times, that led the holdings of founder Yu Xiaoning and his wife to soar $1.9 billion by Mar. 9.
Some smaller-scale suppliers are also cashing in. A Mr. Zhao, 32, who has worked as a medical supplies salesman in Beijing for 10 years, suddenly spied the huge business opportunity when he received panicked calls for medical masks while on a scuba diving holiday in Southeast Asia during the Lunar New Year.
He has since partnered with large Chinese factories to export PPE to the U.S. and Europe, as well as various types of ventilators, from the portable versions used by ambulance crews to the hi-tech types found in ICUs. The 500,000 masks and 30,000 protection suits he has sold since the crisis began have alone netted him a cool 300,000 renminbi ($42,000).
“Now the pandemic is under control in China, I mainly sell to large distributors who supply E.U. countries,” he tells TIME. “Our sales volume has increased tremendously.”
—With reporting by Zhang Chi / Beijing
0 notes
rogueanalystblog · 5 years ago
Text
The Bat Effect
When a weakened human organism is infected by the Corona Virus/SARS-CoV-2, it is more likely to suffer more damage and go through a more severe, if not critical, order of events up to ending up in intensive care or even facing death. 
This is by now probably not really a novelty to most readers, as I am writing this during the peak of the Corona crisis in Europe. However, this crisis exposes not just individual health related weaknesses, but also a much larger systemic and political one.
When the new kind of disease started to spread in Wuhan, Chinese authorities opted for a full lock-down of huge metropolitan area with more than 10 million people, all after counting just 400 cases, and sent in a well-oiled machine to combat and suppress the outbreak on January 23rd 2020. Today is March 19th 2020 and Mainland China did not report a single new case, apart from a few imported ones that they intercepted at the airport, while in Europe we are now surpassing the death toll of the Chinese with new infections still growing in an explosive manner and it is becoming more and more clear that each and every European state does not have the capacity to deal with a pandemic of this magnitude. And by European states we are not talking about Moldova or Ukraine, but Italy, Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Britain, Spain, Sweden et cetera, so realtively wealthy countries with a reputation for having very solid healthcare systems and well trained physicians and other specialists. So how on earth is it possible, that it is exactly here where the virus hits hardest? Has the disease not spread from Mainland China? Has Europe not had weeks or even months to brace for the impact? Why are they so unprepared? Did they not bother to formulate action plans in case of a pandemic outbreak? They had to deal with the threat of terror attacks for two decades now, so they should have had every reason to prepare for such scenarios.
Yet they did not. Even weeks and months into the outbreak, Europe did not even bother to cancel flights or screen passengers, let alone instruct doctors and hospitals to test patients with certain symptoms for Covid-19, the lung disease that follows from a Corona infection. Au contraire, it was European “specialists”, some of them not even physicians but veterinaries, like in the case of the German Robert Koch Institute, who posed as experts on a virus that they have never seen and that they did not fully understand. While even in China, the virus sent about 4% of all infected into their early grave, European virologists and health experts compared the SARS-CoV-2 with the normal Influenza or flu, which in fact has a death-rate of usually less than 0.1%. Instead of demanding decisive measures, controls, testings and ramping up of capacities across the board (hospital beds, desinfectants, consumables like masks et cetera), they downplayed the threat and advised for letting the virus spread through the population to allow for a  “herd immunity” to develop, a collective resistance against the virus. At the same time a number of Asian states have taken all sorts of measures to contain the virus and even reducing the number of new cases down to zero, effectively eradicating the virus, at least for the time being, and thus buying time to develop vaccines and medication to manage it better down the road.
Letting a virus, to which your population has not acquired said immunity (which by the playbook of mother nature is a rather cruel process that goes hand in hand with high casualties, just think of the smallpox that killed up to 90% of the native South American population a few centuries ago). demonstrates an almost criminal incompetence and negligance.
And while the death rate in Wuhan was just shy of 4%, the death rate in Italy stands currently at a whopping 8.3% (when you divide the number of deaths by the number of reported cases). And it is not just the old and sick that perish. It is doctors and nurses, who are under great stress. It is the younger ones who have a chronic condition, known or unknown, and it is in general people of all ages, whose immune system is just temporarily not in shipshape to combat this new virus  and who are thus affected most severly. In short: the virus is a threat to everyone across the board.
Now compared to the smallpox that hit the indigenious populations in South America, the Corona Virus is relatively “mild”, it will not wipe out the population. However letting the virus spread in this uncontrolled fashion is playing lottery with the lives of millions and effectively a euthanasia program for anyone whose health is already impacted by another condition. In short: it is something we would have expected from an autocratic corrupt dicatatorship or one-party state but not something that happens in relatively rich, civilized and democratic Europe. A continent which supposedly values the individual and which would be expected to go to extreme lengths to protect its population. And yet it is exactly European countries that play nonchalantly with an unknown disease and who are putting up with enormous risks for their citizens,while China and Vietnam, both undemocratic one-party regimes, keep the disease in check and effectively protect their nation against it.
By now, we have to ask ourselves the painful question: why has Europe let this happen? We have more than enough governments, institutions, universities and reasearch facilities and yet almost none alarmed the wider public, in fact they all downplayed the issue up to the point when it became clear that they were all massively wrong.
The even more painful answer is that this is a systemic failture. Our systems are not that democratic as we want to think they are. They are way more rotten and corrupt, in same cases even more than certain autocratic regimes, than we try to autosuggest to ourselves. And they are way more unprepared to deal with a real crisis, that cannot be inflated away by central bankers. In fact our systems have decayed to the point where they are not any more capable of sound decision making processes and probably have been already for some time. It is not a question of left or right, or individual politicians. It is a question of the whole sytem of government that buys support with empty promises and debt and yet fails to deliver in times of need. So far we were lucky and many government failures could be contained or their effects postponed to future generations, but this one is different. The virus does not care about interest rates or currency reforms. It does not change its deadly impact or just goes away by relabeling it or using the wrong statistics to downplay the effects. The virus itself is a fact that cannot be negotiated away and no PR campaign will be able to contain it. What Corona did, was exposing the rotten state of Europe (and maybe the US of A) and the collective incompetence of our elites and maybe our own because we put them there. 
And when the day comes and we will have survived the outbreak, surely with massive losses in terms of health and jobs and lives, we will have to get up and start another kind of therapy: fixing our democracies. 
You all have probably heard the phrase that crisis is just another word for opportunity. And in this case, Corona is exactly what the doctor ordered. A painful wakeup call. And if we gonna miss this, the next disaster will just just follow. And who knows, the next plague will not just contend itself with 3% or 8% but maybe 10 % or 60%? The next economic recession might not just result in bouncing back in the next 10 months but may become a full-fledged depression (as it partially has been in southern Europe already since 2009). In short: if we gonna miss this one, reality will most likely continue to punish us harder and harder, up to the point where we start to learn and adapt, or jump off the stage of history itself.
Agreed, today we all stick together, take care of our loved ones, our neighbours and ourselves. Today we have to fight this battle against this invisible enemy, but when this is over, we will have to start asking questions.
A bat made a Chinese man feel a bit funny in late autumn or summer and all of Europe came apart at the seams in spring...the bat effect. And before you try to blame the Chinese government for not “controlling enough” (oh the irony!) or the Chinese people for their exotic eating habits: this could have been anything, from a bat soup in Wuhan to an undercooked chicken in Madras or foul shrimp in your salad that was served in a bistro in your neighbourhood. These things happen, but it is your job to contain it and deal with it. And by these standards Europe (and by the looks of it America as well) has already failed spectacularly.
0 notes
Text
5🔑 When You Are FEELING LOST and Confused 🛑 If you Feel ALONE & SAD 👀 This MOTIVATIONAL VIDEO
Here are seven tips that will help you out of this lost state and remind you of the power you have to create a life you love. 1. Remember what you love to do and go do it! Do you remember the last time you had fun in your life? Do you remember when things felt easy and in the flow? It was likely because you were fully engrossed in the fun of the moment. As we grow up, we lose sight of how amazing life can be because we feel burdened by the responsibilities and mundane parts of life. It’s time to reconnect with what you love and to take action on it. No more excuses about not having the time, money, resources, babysitter etc. Make a commitment to do what you love and watch your life change before your very eyes. 2. Go on an adventure. Whether it’s a day trip, a solitary retreat, or a week-long drive along the coast, go out and explore the world. This will not only allow you to tap into the flow, but it will also give you the time and focus to really reconnect with yourself again. You’ll be away from the noise of your regular life and will be able to see and experience the world with fresh eyes. I promise, when you come back you will have far more clarity about where you are going than you had when you started. 3. Reconnect with your dreams and dream BIG. What kinds of dreams did you have for your life before you lost yourself in the busy-ness of life? What have you since deemed impossible or improbable because of where you are today? Grab a journal and reconnect with the dreams you once had and better yet, come up with some new dreams. In a perfect world, what would you love to be, have, or do? What is your soul aching for? Once you reconnect with your dreams, you’ll have the desire and inspiration to begin to take action and suddenly you will have found yourself again. 4. Expand your comfort zone regularly. It’s time to get uncomfortable by trying new things and meeting new people. Growth doesn’t happen by staying in your bubble of comfort where everything is familiar. Challenge yourself to do something that is slightly terrifying, yet invigorating. That is what I like to call the zone. It’s the space where you are stretching yourself just enough to continue to grow and evolve. What’s the first thing that came to mind for you? Go do that! 5. Get quiet and listen. Everyday there are signs, messages, and guideposts that will inspire you to act, but you only notice them if you are open. With all the mind chatter and busy-ness we have these days it can be difficult to recognize the signs that are all around, so it’s important to get quiet and listen. Pay attention to the signs on the road, songs on the radio, and the people you meet in the street. There are messengers all around with Divine guidance to help you move forward on your path. Your key to finding yourself may very well be on a billboard or come to you as a thought in the shower. Listen up, pay attention, and then follow through on your inspired action. 6. Remember you have the power to be, have, and do anything you desire. Sometimes the feeling of being lost is all-consuming and you forget that you get to choose what you think and how you feel. You are given a great amount of power to create the life you desire and get the answers you are looking for. Whether you use affirmations, mantras, meditation, yoga, journaling or something else, it’s important to focus on the beauty and joy around you. When you do that, the Universe sends you more of the same, including the answers you are seeking. 7. Ask for help. There are so many people in the world whose purpose it is to help people like you. Reach out and ask for help. You don’t have to figure this out all on your own and sometimes simply having a chat with someone can provide the insight you need to move forward with ease. Whether it’s a life coach, mentor, friend, counselor, or the Divine, ask for help and be open to the guidance and tools that come your way. Let’s keep the conversation going. What has helped you find yourself when you were feeling lost? Share in the comments below, I’d love to hear your input. What To Do When You Are Feeling LostWe all have moments when we feel lost and unsure of what is going on, where we are going or what to do next.What if in your greatest darkness when you felt lost, you were actually much closer to where you needed to be?It’s scary to sit in the unknown. It’s often easier to go back to the familiar comforts of your old life. But this only leads to more of the same.It’s easy to stay stuck in fear, and lose faith in such moments of feeling lost. But to act from fear only creates more drama and things to be afraid of.Rather than act from fear and desperation, simply ….Be still.When you don’t know what to do…Be still and allow life to reveal to you it’s direction. Allow life to unfold it’s magic, miracles and grace.Rather than trying to frantically run around and figure life out from your limited mind, in the stillness, really listen to the wisdom and deeper guidance of your soul’s intelligence.Life will show YOU the way. It may not show you the entire path, but it will show you the next step.You must be still, so that you can listen.There is a part of you that knows everything because at the deepest level you are everything.You don’t always need to know where you are going in order to get to where you need to be.Listen deeply, and you will be guided by your soul’s innate compass.Rest assured when you feel lost, the next level of your life is being orchestrated by the universe beyond what your mind can imagine. This is a profoundly powerful time of gestation and transformation.So…..Be still.Listen deeply.Surrender.Love.Now http://www.you2repeat.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE http://www.ezlooper.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE http://youtubeonrepeat.com/watch/?v=CUipEtBnseE https://listenonrepeat.com/?v=CUipEtBnseE http://youtubeloop.net/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE http://www.infinitelooper.com/?v=CUipEtBnseE http://endlessvideo.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE http://loopvideos.com/CUipEtBnseE http://loopthetube.com/#CUipEtBnseE http://youloop.org/loop.php?v=CUipEtBnseE https://www.youtuberepeater.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE http://www.yourepeat.com/watch/?v=CUipEtBnseE http://www.vidtunez.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE The Basics1. IntroductionKnowing that you’re feeling lost is a good thing. It means you’re in the homestretch. Congratulations are in order, because you are further along than most.When you’ve lost a sense of who you are, it’s similar to the grieving process when you lose a loved one. The first stage of grief is denial, the stage most stay in their entire lives. Then there is anger and frustration, when you start to recognize that you are just going through the motions instead of being who you want to be. Then you bargain with yourself, thinking that something will come along, won’t it? Sure it will. But what if it doesn’t? No, it will. But then there’s depression, where you think, “I find myself dwelling on the negative. Nothing will change, because I’m not doing anything about it.” And now here we are: acceptance. You have accepted that you’ve lost touch with who you are, want to get back something you lost, and you’re ready to find yourself.2. Why Do You Feel Lost?There are several reasons why you can be saying to yourself, “I am lost”. You might feel like you are drifting along looking at yourself from a helpless lens while your body just does what you’ve trained it to do. Excitements are few, challenges are sparse, and the routine has taken over.Falling out of touch with yourself happens when you buy into other ideas of what you are supposed to be or should be doing. This can happen whether those ideas come from friends, family, society, or even yourself. When you follow what you think you are supposed to be doing rather than what you want to be doing, it’s a path that leads to losing yourself. If you want to do something, but don’t because of someone else’s expectations, you are not living your own life. You lost yourself, and only your true self can lead you to a path of happiness, passion, validation, and independence.Picture walking aimlessly into unfamiliar woods. The longer you continue walking in that direction, the more lost you become. That is what the path of not being your truest, happiest, and most authentic self is like. Simply recognizing and admitting to yourself that “I am so lost in my life” is extremely difficult. You overcame that. You did, not us. How do you move forward from this realization? We’re here to help you with the next step: finding yourself so you know how to get out of those woods.The idea of finding yourself simply means accessing your confidence, natural and potential abilities, sense of self-worth, self-reliance, and independence. I’m sure you’re thinking, “Easier said than done.” But that’s true for anything (except for maybe onomatopoeia).Learning how to find yourself doesn’t mean understanding where you are currently; it’s figuring out who you are and where you can go. So, let’s start by discussing how you can find yourself by figuring out how you got where you are.3. Why is it Important to Find Yourself?Self-help expert Gretchen Rubin, author of the “New York Times” best seller Better Than Before, Happier at Home, may have put it best: “What I do for my work is exactly what I would do if nobody paid me.”When you are finding yourself, you find what makes you truly happy, not just “happy enough.” You are here because your heart isn’t singing, and we’re here to give your heart the music it’s been looking for. Finding yourself opens up your potential to truly accomplish anything you set your mind to.You may have heard the saying, “You made your bed, so now you have to lie in it.” What happens if you lift a bed and bring it out to the curb? Would it be a lot of work? Sure. But now that the bed (your life) is in the past, it’s time to make a new one, and it can be anything you want it to be. Other people won’t understand or won’t care to understand why you’re making a new bed. They’ll wonder what was wrong with your old bed. This is a mentality that causes us to lose our sense of self in the first place. What we’ve learned, society’s expectations, and the path that seemed to be paved for us at birth all create an avalanche that pushes you along and sweeps you up until you don’t know who you are anymore. “What is the meaning of life?” It’s an age-old question with a timeless answer: to be happy. Being happy can only be accomplished by finding yourself, and here’s how.4. Where Do I Start?A good first step for what to do when you feel so lost in life is to make a timeline of your life. Not only is it fun, but it is extremely beneficial. List your past achievements, your regrets, and moments that stick out as momentous, both positive and negative. List every major life event you can think of. For the negatives, consider what you gained from the experiences. For the positives, consider what felt good about them and what resulted from them.Now make a list of your goals and dreams. It can be quite specific, like becoming a pilot, or very general, like simply wanting to feel more satisfied in your daily life. This will be useful as a reference point going forward, as well as something you can pull from when talking to a mentor or life coach.This first initial exercise is essential for us to see what we look like on paper. A new perspective is what this is all about, and you will be surprised in the revelations that a timeline of life events can bring to the surface. People who have found themselves will be able to make a list quickly and easily, and might even put it on their fridge with pride. That type of person is doing what they want and what they love, and feels passion in accomplishing both their long-term goals and their daily duties. Feeling Lost?A Life Coach Will Help You Find YourselfFree Consultation Totally Confidential Easy to Get StartedHow to Effectively Find Yourself1. Conventional/Traditional MethodsTake Responsibility, Then Accept ItIf you are here and reading this, then chances are that you are taking responsibility for your life. Recognize that you became lost, that you let yourself stray from your true self, and accept it. It happened, it’s done, and it is time to get over it. There is no way to find yourself and realign your perspective without accepting that you lost direction in life and that finding yourself is essential. Do not stay stuck in the past. Being stuck in the past is what makes people lose their sense of self in the first place. Accepting that you are feeling lost in life is the first step to taking the responsibility upon yourself to make a real change. Realize that anything is possible if you set your mind to it.Self-AcceptanceDo not confuse self-acceptance with the more common term known as self-esteem. Low or high, self-esteem is how we feel about ourselves and our accomplishments. Self-acceptance, on the other hand, is our ability to accept negative things about ourselves. Accepting who you are is a vital step towards finding yourself, because you cannot fully know yourself until you recognize aspects about yourself that you don’t like. Denying these characteristics their rightful place in your psyche means that improving upon them or shedding them is impossible.Since childhood, we have been told how people view us. Parents may have let you know that you were capable of this, but not of that. Romantic attractions may not have been reciprocated. Grades throughout school may have made you feel that you weren’t smart.We all have negative characteristics that are easily overshadowed when we place a heavier emphasis on the positive. When we identify both the negative and the positive characteristics and see them simply as parts of ourselves, we can strengthen the positive characteristics by applying them towards goals, and work on weakening the negative by avoiding environments where they’re most likely to come to the surface.Take Small Steps, but Dream Big DreamsA big part of finding yourself is figuring out what your true calling in life is. The best place to start is to narrow in on goals that you feel best fit your passion, and gradually work up to completing them. A few examples might be running a 5K, painting a portrait, or writing a book. You could start by walking a mile, taking a painting class, or writing an outline, respectively.Discovering one’s true calling is a gradual process. Take small steps towards your larger goals, because practice makes better no matter what the goal may be. Remember that there is no such thing as perfect, and, more importantly, no such thing as a waste of time. Keep improving, keep working towards big dreams, and never consider a dream too big. Be realistic about what you can do today, but be as bold as possible about what you can be tomorrow. As you complete goals, it will become easier, but the goals themselves also become more focused, each leaning closer towards finding your true self and your true calling.Take Note of Those You Admire and Don’t AdmireLook at other people as a mirror and take note of the qualities you admire about them, as well as those that you don’t. Attempt to reflect the positive attributes and work towards shedding the negative attributes. You will grow as a result, and your true self will surface gradually as you express what you want to express and rid yourself of the toxicity of negativity.Being more aware of what other people project will heighten your sense of awareness, leading to stronger social skills. Not only will it better your ability to read people, it will also strengthen your sense of dictating how others perceive you.Live a Healthy LifestyleWhen you are healthier, you feel healthier. When you feel healthier, you feel better in general. We all have a certain level of vanity, but it is an unshakeable part of our psyche that can be shifted in a positive way. You are not the clothes you wear or the car you drive, but your body is part of you.Starting with a clean slate can be hugely beneficial. Exercising regularly, eating healthy foods (with the essential caveat that you indulge now and again), dieting, and quitting vices like smoking or heavy drinking can help shape your path towards finding yourself.You will have a clearer mind, while looking and feeling better, and the combination of will provide the groundwork for moving forward and making positive steps towards finding yourself.Write In a JournalA great first step towards finding yourself is to list out all of the most impactful moments of your life. There is no way to figure out where you are going without formulating where you have been. But after that first journal exercise, continue to write in your journal. Put it in a safe place where it is highly unlikely someone will open it. Write down your daily or weekly events. If you are not sure what to write, just start writing and your words will find their sense of direction, guaranteed.Because you are writing for your eyes only, it will become easier and easier to open up. Start with something mundane, and you will eventually uncover something profound. Do not hold back either, because self-consciousness will stifle what you may otherwise be able to uncover. Writing in a journal is also a great tool for increasing your self-awareness and acceptance.Ask Yourself QuestionsAsk yourself as many questions as you can think of. This is actually a great jumping off point for your journal, but it can be done when in traffic, while browsing the web, while doing the dishes, or at any other moment.Who am I? What do I want? What is something I could do today that will make me feel accomplished? What is something I can do today that will benefit me tomorrow? Where am I going? There is no wrong question, and there is no right answer.When you start asking yourself questions, you are developing a habit that will not only translate into finding yourself as a whole, but improve your problem-solving abilities. When you can answer profound questions about yourself, you can answer conquer any challenge.Do More of What You LoveHaving a job that does not fulfill you in a passionate way becomes a lot easier to swallow when you have something that you love to look forward to. Start experimenting in the kitchen, take a design tutorial, read up on how to write a screenplay, grab an instrument, or start home brewing. Find the time to do whatever makes you excited.Even prodigies have to practice and practice in order to better themselves, and natural ability must be supplemented by determination. You could very easily strike gold with an idea, segue the passion into the career, or just get into the habit of doing more of what you love. Nothing that makes you happy is a waste of time, and embracing things that excite you is a major stepping stone to finding yourself.Get Out of Your Comfort ZoneThe routine, repetition, monotony, and lack of change in your life can all contribute to and deepen the path towards becoming lost. Step outside of your comfort zone and experience something new, visit a place you have never been, or do something you would have otherwise avoided.You do not need to limit that to big things like traveling to a different country or going skydiving. Some simple examples include going to an experimental jazz show, walking to a new neighborhood, traveling to a nearby small town, or striking up a conversation with a stranger.Honing your ability to think on your feet and accessing your ability to meet any unforeseen challenge helps you find your true self.Get Lost, LiterallyGetting out of your comfort zone is a conscious decision where you decide to try something or be somewhere new. Taking that a step further, walk outside of your house or step off a plane and get lost. Wander aimlessly. Do not take out your phone and figure out where you are. If your first instinct is to take a right, take a left instead. Get into the car and just start driving. Get off a highway ramp into an unknown area.Sound scary? Good, it is meant to be! But it is also meant to be very rewarding. Right now, you are feeling lost, and you are in search of yourself. Take your physical body and literally get lost. It is a therapeutic exercise that reminds us that no matter how lost we get, we can always find our way back. This literal exercise will translate into a more figurative realization when you are trying to find yourself. Where do you want to go when you find yourself again? As an added bonus, it should get you out of your comfort zone as well.Consult with a Life CoachA third party perspective is a very beneficial tool when attempting to find yourself. We strongly encourage seeking guidance from people you know that inspire you, but that often comes with the hiccup of a biased perspective. Another problem is that a good conversation is a back and forth between two people, so it is easy to get off track or end up talking about the other person rather than yourself.A life coach is there for you and only you, using their unbiased, third party perspective and seasoned expertise to really connect with you and make a difference. They can clarify things and help develop strategies that lead to finding yourself. There are tons of life coaching resources, but Life Coach Spotter’s many coaches are certified, and services includes a free, no obligation consultation.Pick Up Hobbies and Learn New SkillsDon’t be afraid to try a new hobby. Discovering what does not interest you will help you zero in on what does, and any opportunity you can take to challenge yourself helps you find yourself.There are plenty of adult classes in most areas, and thanks to the Internet, there are countless classes on every topic imaginable online. Whether it is something that you can see yourself pursuing as a career, something that you want to do purely for fun, or something to better yourself physically, the only regret that you will have is not trying.Reconsider Your Career and RelationshipsOn the topic of trying something new, consider the career you are in and the relationships that you’re a part of. Decide if your career and relationships are positive or negative. If something is just a means to an end, then it is more than likely a negative.Deciding if your career is part of the reason you became lost or if you are in an unhealthy relationship is best done under the guidance of an online coach. Letting go of something that is comfortable is difficult. It is easy to decide that an unhealthy thing is positive when considering it from a personal, narrow perspective.2. Unconventional MethodsReally Open up to Those Around YouIt is amazing how therapeutic it is to get things off your chest or discuss deep issues or truths with people. By having discussions about things outside of the weather, work, school, or whatever mundane topic is considered proper dinner conversation, you will learn things about yourself and the people around you.Opening up can lead to a deeper connection with yourself and others, as well as lead to new ideas or ways of thinking that can be incredibly beneficial. Not only is it another way to step outside of your comfort zone, it also builds up your ability to truly be yourself around people.Express How You FeelOne of the biggest frustrations when one feels lost is that sense of hopelessness that nothing is going to change, and the thought that no one cares about the way you are feeling. There is also a fear of confrontation that can cause you to bottle up things that bother you until you reach a bursting point.It is important to express yourself and have a say in your surroundings and environment. When you are able to tackle the fear of saying how you feel, it makes formulating how you feel and who you want to become much easier on a personal level. If you can express a problem to another person, surely you can express it to yourself. If the person does not respect your wishes, that can be seen as a productive thing, because now you know that they do not respect you, and it is time to rethink their value in your life. Assertiveness is not easy, and a life coach can help you decide whether a compromise can be made.MeditationSome people scoff at the concept of meditation, but centering your mind and attempting to clear it not only relaxes you, but also can clarify or put into perspective problems and obstacles. Most people who say that meditation is a joke have never tried it. If it does not work for you, that is completely fine, but trying new things and keeping an open mind are crucial building blocks to finding yourself (and maybe some inner peace, too!).Rekindle Past FriendshipsPeople lose touch all the time for no other reason than they simply didn’t make the time to connect. Reach out to an old friend that you have lost touch with. Give them a call rather than sending them a text or a message on social media. Try and meet up with them for some coffee, lunch, or a drink.This is especially beneficial if it’s a friend from back when you felt that you knew yourself. Triggering that nostalgia can be exceptionally beneficial. If you want to take it a step further, you could try and get a group of old high school, college, or work friends together for a night at the bar or over to your house for a casual party.Do Something CrazyWhether you make stupid faces in the mirror to crack yourself up or try bungee jumping off of a bridge, letting go of your inhibitions and acting a little crazy loosens you up and clears negative energy. Someone could say to you, “You quit your job? That’s crazy!” And you can laugh in the face of their judgment, recognizing that your job was toxic on your path to finding the real you.Whether it seems crazy to the lost version of yourself, or crazy to other people that can’t understand why you made such a leap, if it feels right, it is an important part of your journey. Simply embracing the fact that you are lost and that you need to find yourself may seem like a crazy path to some, but doing what is right for you is never crazy.Embrace SpontaneityEmbracing spontaneity is similar to doing something crazy, but with a particular emphasis on repetition. When you pass by a store, go inside. If you weren’t planning on going out, but see a concert or a movie or a play being advertised, go see it. If someone wants to go grab a drink, think, “Why not,” instead of, “Why?”We always hear that being spontaneous is a positive characteristic, but it doesn’t have to be a personality trait. Anyone can be spontaneous simply by going out and doing something. Seize the day, seize every moment, and find excitement in the smallest of places. By challenging yourself to let go of the hesitations that led you to losing touch with yourself, you can discover things about yourself that were buried deep, and be more willing to say yes, both to yourself and to others.Forgive Yourself for EverythingYour past is in the past for a reason. Whatever you have done, whatever skeletons you might have in your closet, forgive yourself for them. Your biggest critic is yourself, and the sooner you are able to let go of past transgressions or missed opportunities, the sooner you will be able to take on virtuous endeavors and take hold of new opportunities.Dwelling on the past is unhealthy, can cause someone to lose himself or herself, and hinder your progression in a very dramatic way. It is very similar to forgiving people that you have grudges against. When you dislike someone for a past transgression, you are filling up valuable brainpower and energy on unproductive vindictiveness. The same goes for how you think of yourself. Love yourself wholly and completely, faults and regrets and all.The safest way to forgive yourself is to talk to a third party bound by confidentiality, like a therapist or a life coach. Therapy sessions not only help figure out what specifically you may be feeling guilty or regretful about, but also ways in which you can forgive yourself for them.Live in the MomentLaugh, sing, dance, daydream, watch, listen, feel, enjoy. Any verb that triggers an image or experience that excites you is one that you will want to try and perform on a daily basis. Every single SECOND of life is a gift. It is up to each of us to make the most of every second.Someone passed away a second ago, and you are experiencing a second in time and in life that they did not get to experience. If you don’t owe it to yourself, you owe it to all those that it’s too late for. Consider every moment a beautiful wonderful miracle of existence. Washing dishes? Lose yourself in reliving a vivid sexual experience. Stuck in traffic? Blast the radio and sing full volume. Go outside when its nice out, and brave it when it’s not. Take some chances, make some mistakes, but for the love of God, enjoy your life! Feeling Lost?A Life Coach Will Help You Find Yourself https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE&app=mobile https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE&app=desktop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE&hc_location=ufi https://youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE&app=desktop https://youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE https://youtube.com/watch?feature=youtube_gdata&v=CUipEtBnseE https://youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=CUipEtBnseE https://youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CUipEtBnseE https://youtube.com/v/CUipEtBnseE?version=3 https://youtube.com/v/CUipEtBnseE https://youtube.com/embed/CUipEtBnseE https://youtube.com/e/CUipEtBnseE?app=desktop https://youtube.com/e/CUipEtBnseE https://youtu.be/CUipEtBnseE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE&feature=youtube_gdata https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE&feature=youtu.be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE&feature=share https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE&feature=kp https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE&app=desktop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtube_gdata&v=CUipEtBnseE https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtube.be&v=CUipEtBnseE https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=CUipEtBnseE https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CUipEtBnseE https://www.youtube.com/v/CUipEtBnseE?version=3 https://www.youtube.com/v/CUipEtBnseE&feature=youtube_gdata https://www.youtube.com/v/CUipEtBnseE&feature=youtu.be https://www.youtube.com/v/CUipEtBnseE&feature=share https://www.youtube.com/v/CUipEtBnseE&feature=kp https://www.youtube.com/v/CUipEtBnseE https://www.youtube.com/embed/CUipEtBnseE https://www.youtube.com/e/CUipEtBnseE?app=desktop https://www.youtube.com/e/CUipEtBnseE https://www.youtube.com/attribution_link?a=CUipEtBnseE&u=watch?v=CUipEtBnseE&feature=share https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE&feature=youtube_gdata https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CUipEtBnseE https://m.youtube.com/v/CUipEtBnseE https://m.youtube.com/e/CUipEtBnseE http://youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE&app=desktop http://youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE http://youtube.com/watch?feature=youtube_gdata&v=CUipEtBnseE http://youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=CUipEtBnseE http://youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CUipEtBnseE http://youtube.com/v/CUipEtBnseE?version=3 http://youtube.com/v/CUipEtBnseE http://youtube.com/embed/CUipEtBnseE http://youtube.com/e/CUipEtBnseE?app=desktop http://youtube.com/e/CUipEtBnseE https://youtu.be/CUipEtBnseE What Finding Yourself Can Accomplish1. Understanding Who You WereThe first step to finding yourself is to figure out who you are now by writing down how you got here. Your true self will be much different from who you were when you were lost. The way you feel when you find yourself will become a foundation that you can pull from to avoid feeling lost again.The methods set forth are meant to be habit forming, and in the same sense that you lost yourself without realizing it, you will continue to find yourself without realizing it. It will start as deep focus, and slowly transition into a subconscious continuation.2. Building On ObjectivesYou may have a list of goals that you want to accomplish. These goals are important benchmarks in envisioning what you want to accomplish and who you want to become. As you achieve goal after goal, you will start to feel more confident, have a well-rounded list of accomplishments, and feel as though you are living a life that matches who you are and your full potential. Each accomplishment is a building block, and each objective you face will be met with an increasingly assertive stride.Eventually you will feel like nothing can stand in your way in life, and no goal or dream is out of reach. And you know what? You’ll be absolutely right.3. Sticking with It No Matter WhatSomeone who has found himself is not ruled by fear or clouded by judgments from themselves or the people around them. They have recognized that they were lost, and recognized that a change needed to be made.People who have found themselves have recognized that finding their true calling was necessary, because they only have one life to live. It is never too late, it is never too soon, it is never the wrong time. First you have to trust in yourself and believe that it is possible. Soon you will know that it is possible.Eventually you will prove to yourself and everyone around you that anything is possible. When you find yourself, you will stay on track no matter what, because you will find that there is no other option.4. Changing Your PerspectiveGoing through the motions needs to become a thing of the past. That feeling of being lost is all a matter of perspective. Your perspective now is that you do not know who you are, what you are capable of, and what the future has in store. Where you are now and where you have been is the focus. When you find yourself, your perspective on life, its purpose, other people, yourself, your past, and your future will change in a more positive way than you could ever imagine. It will fill you up and elevate you to a new level of understanding: that you are you, and you are awesome.5. Using the Change in PerspectiveWith this change in perspective, everything that comes after it will become easier and easier. Even if it’s a new challenge, a challenge of a level that you have never seen before, your new self will meet it with the gusto and internal braggadocio of a champion.Right now you are feeling lost, so obstacles, goals, and dreams seem like crossing an ocean. Using your new change in perspective, it will be like jumping over a puddle, and you’ll stop to splash around in it too, because the reward comes in two parts: the act of accomplishing it, and the accomplishment itself.You will not become another person when you find yourself. You are the same person, but the best version of that same person possible. That comes down to a new perspective and regular action.6. Becoming Who You Want to BeThis may be obvious, but it is certainly worth noting. Throw out the term “a new lease on life.” Leases expire. You earned a new life, and it is yours for keeps. When you have found yourself, the idea of becoming lost again will seem impossible, and that is because it will be. The idea of finding yourself and unlocking your true potential seems like a challenge, and it is. However, everything is surmountable with the right strategy and focus. Feeling Lost?A Life Coach Will Help You Find YourselfFree Consultation Totally Confidential Easy to Get Started How a Life Coach Can Help1. What Does a Life Coach Do?A life coach is one of the best resources for those who feel lost. With vast experience and exceptional track records, our life coaches are able to crystallize what you want in your life, identify what is holding you back, help clarify your vision, and provide useful strategies for self-improvement.An unbiased, third party viewpoint gives you a new perspective, and the collaboration results in a unique support system that continues during the coaching sessions and long after. By continuously encouraging forward motion, life coaches keep you accountable, ask important questions, and help you find the answers. A particular emphasis is put on the combination of challenges and encouragement, digging deep into what makes you tick, and what will make you tick even better.Part of the reason you might feel lost in the first place is a lack of support from friends or family when it comes to following your dreams and accessing your true self. A life coach heavily encourages both, giving clients permission to make the decisions that are right for them, not for the sake of other people.By providing the tools you need to reach your goals while identifying ways to stay true to your true self, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the path to your true self.2. How Will a Coach Help Me Find Myself?A life coach will consider where you are now, where you have been, and where you want to be. These goals can get you back on track to thinking: “I can find myself again.” With clearly detailed objectives and regular sessions, a life coach will help you get to where you want to go. They’ll find the best ways for you to formulate and map out both short- and long-term goals and visions. Those goals and visions will then be turned into a reality. Insights and realizations garnered from sessions with a life coach never slow you down, but instead are designed to do the exact opposite. To those feeling lost, a life coach employs real action and in-depth, revelatory conversation that deepens your path towards finding yourself.3. Where Do I Start?The first step in deciding which type of life coach is right for you is to decide what you want them to help you achieve. Since you are feeling lost and are looking to find yourself, that step is out of the way. Other things to consider include the coach’s gender, age, level and type of experience. You’ll also want to consider their approach, methods, and techniques. Life Coach Spotter’s matching service is a great way to find a life coach,that aligns with your needs. While we believe that our method of finding the ideal life coach is the most efficient (there are over 16,000 life coaches in the United States alone), having someone to talk to in general is always beneficial.4. What Does Life Coach Spotter Offer?We match any potential client with a life coach based on our quick eight-question questionnaire. You are asked how serious and committed you are to investing your resources into achieving your goals, the country you live in, what you want most in your life, and other relevant questions to help match you with three coaches that fit your responses.You are able to consult with each life coach for free before choosing the life coach you made the best connection with. From there, they work closely with you to help transform your life. We have over a hundred certified and hand-selected coaches, making Life Coach Spotter the ultimate resource in bettering your life no matter what your goals are. See this 5 Keys For When You Are feeling lost and Confused in LIFE. STOP!  if you Feel ALONE & SAD SEE This MOTIVATIONAL VIDEO. DON'T be depressed, don't be sad. YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Whether you’ve lost yourself in your job, relationship, your role as a parent or simply feel lost in life in general, you are not alone. It doesn’t mean your life is doomed and that you will never find yourself again. It simply means you are going through an incubation period and transformation. The key is not to get stuck in your current lost state and to tap into your creative power to create a life you love. Sometimes when you think you are most lost, you are actually much closer than you think. As you face dark times, failure, or confusion, it’s easy to lose the faith and want to give up. It’s easy to feel alone and question yourself and the validity of your dreams. In the midst of a difficult time, you may not always understand WHY things are happening. But TRUST that all things are happening for your good, even if you can’t see it right now. The universe is cooking the blessings on your behalf. So you must let go of the life that you have in order to embrace the next level of life that awaits you. When life doesn’t work out the way you wanted, it’s easy to go into fear, contract and collapse. The tendency you might have is to lose faith, panic, and hold onto the life that you have created. In doing so, you end up resisting what is seeking to happen and block the flow of life. Resisting only creates suffering, and you will often find your life stops flowing. Life is just inviting you to grow, reinvent yourself and become more authentically you. So if you are going through a difficult time: Let go – Rather than try and hold onto the status quo, use it as an opportunity to release the old and embrace the new.Trust – Even in the midst of your challenge, the universe is working on your behalf. And something better than before is being prepared for your life.Reevaluate – Take this time to reevaluate what’s working and what’s not working in your life. It’s an opportunity to get real, be honest and feel what is really important to you now.Focus on what you can control – Focus on taking the actions that are in your power rather than all the things that aren’t. You don’t get to control life’s circumstances, but you do control your response. Focus on the next action step.Gratitude – Focus on acknowledging the good in your life. The more you focus on what’s beautiful, the more resourceful you will feel and the more of what is beautiful will grow.Trust life. It has been around long before you and will be around long after you!
youtube
Here are seven tips that will help you out of this lost state and remind you of the power you have to create a life you love. 1. Remember what you love to do and go do it! Do you remember the last time you had fun in your life? Do you remember when things felt easy and in the flow? It was likely because you were fully engrossed in the fun of the moment. As we grow up, we lose sight of how amazing life can be because we feel burdened by the responsibilities and mundane parts of life. It’s time to reconnect with what you love and to take action on it. No more excuses about not having the time, money, resources, babysitter etc. Make a commitment to do what you love and watch your life change before your very eyes. 2. Go on an adventure. Whether it’s a day trip, a solitary retreat, or a week-long drive along the coast, go out and explore the world. This will not only allow you to tap into the flow, but it will also give you the time and focus to really reconnect with yourself again. You’ll be away from the noise of your regular life and will be able to see and experience the world with fresh eyes. I promise, when you come back you will have far more clarity about where you are going than you had when you started. 3. Reconnect with your dreams and dream BIG. What kinds of dreams did you have for your life before you lost yourself in the busy-ness of life? What have you since deemed impossible or improbable because of where you are today? Grab a journal and reconnect with the dreams you once had and better yet, come up with some new dreams. In a perfect world, what would you love to be, have, or do? What is your soul aching for? Once you reconnect with your dreams, you’ll have the desire and inspiration to begin to take action and suddenly you will have found yourself again. 4. Expand your comfort zone regularly. It’s time to get uncomfortable by trying new things and meeting new people. Growth doesn’t happen by staying in your bubble of comfort where everything is familiar. Challenge yourself to do something that is slightly terrifying, yet invigorating. That is what I like to call the zone. It’s the space where you are stretching yourself just enough to continue to grow and evolve. What’s the first thing that came to mind for you? Go do that! 5. Get quiet and listen. Everyday there are signs, messages, and guideposts that will inspire you to act, but you only notice them if you are open. With all the mind chatter and busy-ness we have these days it can be difficult to recognize the signs that are all around, so it’s important to get quiet and listen. Pay attention to the signs on the road, songs on the radio, and the people you meet in the street. There are messengers all around with Divine guidance to help you move forward on your path. Your key to finding yourself may very well be on a billboard or come to you as a thought in the shower. Listen up, pay attention, and then follow through on your inspired action. 6. Remember you have the power to be, have, and do anything you desire. Sometimes the feeling of being lost is all-consuming and you forget that you get to choose what you think and how you feel. You are given a great amount of power to create the life you desire and get the answers you are looking for. Whether you use affirmations, mantras, meditation, yoga, journaling or something else, it’s important to focus on the beauty and joy around you. When you do that, the Universe sends you more of the same, including the answers you are seeking. 7. Ask for help. There are so many people in the world whose purpose it is to help people like you. Reach out and ask for help. You don’t have to figure this out all on your own and sometimes simply having a chat with someone can provide the insight you need to move forward with ease. Whether it’s a life coach, mentor, friend, counselor, or the Divine, ask for help and be open to the guidance and tools that come your way. Let’s keep the conversation going. What has helped you find yourself when you were feeling lost? Share in the comments below, I’d love to hear your input. What To Do When You Are Feeling LostWe all have moments when we feel lost and unsure of what is going on, where we are going or what to do next.What if in your greatest darkness when you felt lost, you were actually much closer to where you needed to be?It’s scary to sit in the unknown. It’s often easier to go back to the familiar comforts of your old life. But this only leads to more of the same.It’s easy to stay stuck in fear, and lose faith in such moments of feeling lost. But to act from fear only creates more drama and things to be afraid of.Rather than act from fear and desperation, simply ….Be still.When you don’t know what to do…Be still and allow life to reveal to you it’s direction. Allow life to unfold it’s magic, miracles and grace.Rather than trying to frantically run around and figure life out from your limited mind, in the stillness, really listen to the wisdom and deeper guidance of your soul’s intelligence.Life will show YOU the way. It may not show you the entire path, but it will show you the next step.You must be still, so that you can listen.There is a part of you that knows everything because at the deepest level you are everything.You don’t always need to know where you are going in order to get to where you need to be.Listen deeply, and you will be guided by your soul’s innate compass.Rest assured when you feel lost, the next level of your life is being orchestrated by the universe beyond what your mind can imagine. This is a profoundly powerful time of gestation and transformation.So…..Be still.Listen deeply.Surrender.Love.Now http://www.you2repeat.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE http://www.ezlooper.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE http://youtubeonrepeat.com/watch/?v=CUipEtBnseE https://listenonrepeat.com/?v=CUipEtBnseE http://youtubeloop.net/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE http://www.infinitelooper.com/?v=CUipEtBnseE http://endlessvideo.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE http://loopvideos.com/CUipEtBnseE http://loopthetube.com/#CUipEtBnseE http://youloop.org/loop.php?v=CUipEtBnseE https://www.youtuberepeater.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE http://www.yourepeat.com/watch/?v=CUipEtBnseE http://www.vidtunez.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE The Basics1. IntroductionKnowing that you’re feeling lost is a good thing. It means you’re in the homestretch. Congratulations are in order, because you are further along than most.When you’ve lost a sense of who you are, it’s similar to the grieving process when you lose a loved one. The first stage of grief is denial, the stage most stay in their entire lives. Then there is anger and frustration, when you start to recognize that you are just going through the motions instead of being who you want to be. Then you bargain with yourself, thinking that something will come along, won’t it? Sure it will. But what if it doesn’t? No, it will. But then there’s depression, where you think, “I find myself dwelling on the negative. Nothing will change, because I’m not doing anything about it.” And now here we are: acceptance. You have accepted that you’ve lost touch with who you are, want to get back something you lost, and you’re ready to find yourself.2. Why Do You Feel Lost?There are several reasons why you can be saying to yourself, “I am lost”. You might feel like you are drifting along looking at yourself from a helpless lens while your body just does what you’ve trained it to do. Excitements are few, challenges are sparse, and the routine has taken over.Falling out of touch with yourself happens when you buy into other ideas of what you are supposed to be or should be doing. This can happen whether those ideas come from friends, family, society, or even yourself. When you follow what you think you are supposed to be doing rather than what you want to be doing, it’s a path that leads to losing yourself. If you want to do something, but don’t because of someone else’s expectations, you are not living your own life. You lost yourself, and only your true self can lead you to a path of happiness, passion, validation, and independence.Picture walking aimlessly into unfamiliar woods. The longer you continue walking in that direction, the more lost you become. That is what the path of not being your truest, happiest, and most authentic self is like. Simply recognizing and admitting to yourself that “I am so lost in my life” is extremely difficult. You overcame that. You did, not us. How do you move forward from this realization? We’re here to help you with the next step: finding yourself so you know how to get out of those woods.The idea of finding yourself simply means accessing your confidence, natural and potential abilities, sense of self-worth, self-reliance, and independence. I’m sure you’re thinking, “Easier said than done.” But that’s true for anything (except for maybe onomatopoeia).Learning how to find yourself doesn’t mean understanding where you are currently; it’s figuring out who you are and where you can go. So, let’s start by discussing how you can find yourself by figuring out how you got where you are.3. Why is it Important to Find Yourself?Self-help expert Gretchen Rubin, author of the “New York Times” best seller Better Than Before, Happier at Home, may have put it best: “What I do for my work is exactly what I would do if nobody paid me.”When you are finding yourself, you find what makes you truly happy, not just “happy enough.” You are here because your heart isn’t singing, and we’re here to give your heart the music it’s been looking for. Finding yourself opens up your potential to truly accomplish anything you set your mind to.You may have heard the saying, “You made your bed, so now you have to lie in it.” What happens if you lift a bed and bring it out to the curb? Would it be a lot of work? Sure. But now that the bed (your life) is in the past, it’s time to make a new one, and it can be anything you want it to be. Other people won’t understand or won’t care to understand why you’re making a new bed. They’ll wonder what was wrong with your old bed. This is a mentality that causes us to lose our sense of self in the first place. What we’ve learned, society’s expectations, and the path that seemed to be paved for us at birth all create an avalanche that pushes you along and sweeps you up until you don’t know who you are anymore. “What is the meaning of life?” It’s an age-old question with a timeless answer: to be happy. Being happy can only be accomplished by finding yourself, and here’s how.4. Where Do I Start?A good first step for what to do when you feel so lost in life is to make a timeline of your life. Not only is it fun, but it is extremely beneficial. List your past achievements, your regrets, and moments that stick out as momentous, both positive and negative. List every major life event you can think of. For the negatives, consider what you gained from the experiences. For the positives, consider what felt good about them and what resulted from them.Now make a list of your goals and dreams. It can be quite specific, like becoming a pilot, or very general, like simply wanting to feel more satisfied in your daily life. This will be useful as a reference point going forward, as well as something you can pull from when talking to a mentor or life coach.This first initial exercise is essential for us to see what we look like on paper. A new perspective is what this is all about, and you will be surprised in the revelations that a timeline of life events can bring to the surface. People who have found themselves will be able to make a list quickly and easily, and might even put it on their fridge with pride. That type of person is doing what they want and what they love, and feels passion in accomplishing both their long-term goals and their daily duties. Feeling Lost?A Life Coach Will Help You Find YourselfFree Consultation Totally Confidential Easy to Get StartedHow to Effectively Find Yourself1. Conventional/Traditional MethodsTake Responsibility, Then Accept ItIf you are here and reading this, then chances are that you are taking responsibility for your life. Recognize that you became lost, that you let yourself stray from your true self, and accept it. It happened, it’s done, and it is time to get over it. There is no way to find yourself and realign your perspective without accepting that you lost direction in life and that finding yourself is essential. Do not stay stuck in the past. Being stuck in the past is what makes people lose their sense of self in the first place. Accepting that you are feeling lost in life is the first step to taking the responsibility upon yourself to make a real change. Realize that anything is possible if you set your mind to it.Self-AcceptanceDo not confuse self-acceptance with the more common term known as self-esteem. Low or high, self-esteem is how we feel about ourselves and our accomplishments. Self-acceptance, on the other hand, is our ability to accept negative things about ourselves. Accepting who you are is a vital step towards finding yourself, because you cannot fully know yourself until you recognize aspects about yourself that you don’t like. Denying these characteristics their rightful place in your psyche means that improving upon them or shedding them is impossible.Since childhood, we have been told how people view us. Parents may have let you know that you were capable of this, but not of that. Romantic attractions may not have been reciprocated. Grades throughout school may have made you feel that you weren’t smart.We all have negative characteristics that are easily overshadowed when we place a heavier emphasis on the positive. When we identify both the negative and the positive characteristics and see them simply as parts of ourselves, we can strengthen the positive characteristics by applying them towards goals, and work on weakening the negative by avoiding environments where they’re most likely to come to the surface.Take Small Steps, but Dream Big DreamsA big part of finding yourself is figuring out what your true calling in life is. The best place to start is to narrow in on goals that you feel best fit your passion, and gradually work up to completing them. A few examples might be running a 5K, painting a portrait, or writing a book. You could start by walking a mile, taking a painting class, or writing an outline, respectively.Discovering one’s true calling is a gradual process. Take small steps towards your larger goals, because practice makes better no matter what the goal may be. Remember that there is no such thing as perfect, and, more importantly, no such thing as a waste of time. Keep improving, keep working towards big dreams, and never consider a dream too big. Be realistic about what you can do today, but be as bold as possible about what you can be tomorrow. As you complete goals, it will become easier, but the goals themselves also become more focused, each leaning closer towards finding your true self and your true calling.Take Note of Those You Admire and Don’t AdmireLook at other people as a mirror and take note of the qualities you admire about them, as well as those that you don’t. Attempt to reflect the positive attributes and work towards shedding the negative attributes. You will grow as a result, and your true self will surface gradually as you express what you want to express and rid yourself of the toxicity of negativity.Being more aware of what other people project will heighten your sense of awareness, leading to stronger social skills. Not only will it better your ability to read people, it will also strengthen your sense of dictating how others perceive you.Live a Healthy LifestyleWhen you are healthier, you feel healthier. When you feel healthier, you feel better in general. We all have a certain level of vanity, but it is an unshakeable part of our psyche that can be shifted in a positive way. You are not the clothes you wear or the car you drive, but your body is part of you.Starting with a clean slate can be hugely beneficial. Exercising regularly, eating healthy foods (with the essential caveat that you indulge now and again), dieting, and quitting vices like smoking or heavy drinking can help shape your path towards finding yourself.You will have a clearer mind, while looking and feeling better, and the combination of will provide the groundwork for moving forward and making positive steps towards finding yourself.Write In a JournalA great first step towards finding yourself is to list out all of the most impactful moments of your life. There is no way to figure out where you are going without formulating where you have been. But after that first journal exercise, continue to write in your journal. Put it in a safe place where it is highly unlikely someone will open it. Write down your daily or weekly events. If you are not sure what to write, just start writing and your words will find their sense of direction, guaranteed.Because you are writing for your eyes only, it will become easier and easier to open up. Start with something mundane, and you will eventually uncover something profound. Do not hold back either, because self-consciousness will stifle what you may otherwise be able to uncover. Writing in a journal is also a great tool for increasing your self-awareness and acceptance.Ask Yourself QuestionsAsk yourself as many questions as you can think of. This is actually a great jumping off point for your journal, but it can be done when in traffic, while browsing the web, while doing the dishes, or at any other moment.Who am I? What do I want? What is something I could do today that will make me feel accomplished? What is something I can do today that will benefit me tomorrow? Where am I going? There is no wrong question, and there is no right answer.When you start asking yourself questions, you are developing a habit that will not only translate into finding yourself as a whole, but improve your problem-solving abilities. When you can answer profound questions about yourself, you can answer conquer any challenge.Do More of What You LoveHaving a job that does not fulfill you in a passionate way becomes a lot easier to swallow when you have something that you love to look forward to. Start experimenting in the kitchen, take a design tutorial, read up on how to write a screenplay, grab an instrument, or start home brewing. Find the time to do whatever makes you excited.Even prodigies have to practice and practice in order to better themselves, and natural ability must be supplemented by determination. You could very easily strike gold with an idea, segue the passion into the career, or just get into the habit of doing more of what you love. Nothing that makes you happy is a waste of time, and embracing things that excite you is a major stepping stone to finding yourself.Get Out of Your Comfort ZoneThe routine, repetition, monotony, and lack of change in your life can all contribute to and deepen the path towards becoming lost. Step outside of your comfort zone and experience something new, visit a place you have never been, or do something you would have otherwise avoided.You do not need to limit that to big things like traveling to a different country or going skydiving. Some simple examples include going to an experimental jazz show, walking to a new neighborhood, traveling to a nearby small town, or striking up a conversation with a stranger.Honing your ability to think on your feet and accessing your ability to meet any unforeseen challenge helps you find your true self.Get Lost, LiterallyGetting out of your comfort zone is a conscious decision where you decide to try something or be somewhere new. Taking that a step further, walk outside of your house or step off a plane and get lost. Wander aimlessly. Do not take out your phone and figure out where you are. If your first instinct is to take a right, take a left instead. Get into the car and just start driving. Get off a highway ramp into an unknown area.Sound scary? Good, it is meant to be! But it is also meant to be very rewarding. Right now, you are feeling lost, and you are in search of yourself. Take your physical body and literally get lost. It is a therapeutic exercise that reminds us that no matter how lost we get, we can always find our way back. This literal exercise will translate into a more figurative realization when you are trying to find yourself. Where do you want to go when you find yourself again? As an added bonus, it should get you out of your comfort zone as well.Consult with a Life CoachA third party perspective is a very beneficial tool when attempting to find yourself. We strongly encourage seeking guidance from people you know that inspire you, but that often comes with the hiccup of a biased perspective. Another problem is that a good conversation is a back and forth between two people, so it is easy to get off track or end up talking about the other person rather than yourself.A life coach is there for you and only you, using their unbiased, third party perspective and seasoned expertise to really connect with you and make a difference. They can clarify things and help develop strategies that lead to finding yourself. There are tons of life coaching resources, but Life Coach Spotter’s many coaches are certified, and services includes a free, no obligation consultation.Pick Up Hobbies and Learn New SkillsDon’t be afraid to try a new hobby. Discovering what does not interest you will help you zero in on what does, and any opportunity you can take to challenge yourself helps you find yourself.There are plenty of adult classes in most areas, and thanks to the Internet, there are countless classes on every topic imaginable online. Whether it is something that you can see yourself pursuing as a career, something that you want to do purely for fun, or something to better yourself physically, the only regret that you will have is not trying.Reconsider Your Career and RelationshipsOn the topic of trying something new, consider the career you are in and the relationships that you’re a part of. Decide if your career and relationships are positive or negative. If something is just a means to an end, then it is more than likely a negative.Deciding if your career is part of the reason you became lost or if you are in an unhealthy relationship is best done under the guidance of an online coach. Letting go of something that is comfortable is difficult. It is easy to decide that an unhealthy thing is positive when considering it from a personal, narrow perspective.2. Unconventional MethodsReally Open up to Those Around YouIt is amazing how therapeutic it is to get things off your chest or discuss deep issues or truths with people. By having discussions about things outside of the weather, work, school, or whatever mundane topic is considered proper dinner conversation, you will learn things about yourself and the people around you.Opening up can lead to a deeper connection with yourself and others, as well as lead to new ideas or ways of thinking that can be incredibly beneficial. Not only is it another way to step outside of your comfort zone, it also builds up your ability to truly be yourself around people.Express How You FeelOne of the biggest frustrations when one feels lost is that sense of hopelessness that nothing is going to change, and the thought that no one cares about the way you are feeling. There is also a fear of confrontation that can cause you to bottle up things that bother you until you reach a bursting point.It is important to express yourself and have a say in your surroundings and environment. When you are able to tackle the fear of saying how you feel, it makes formulating how you feel and who you want to become much easier on a personal level. If you can express a problem to another person, surely you can express it to yourself. If the person does not respect your wishes, that can be seen as a productive thing, because now you know that they do not respect you, and it is time to rethink their value in your life. Assertiveness is not easy, and a life coach can help you decide whether a compromise can be made.MeditationSome people scoff at the concept of meditation, but centering your mind and attempting to clear it not only relaxes you, but also can clarify or put into perspective problems and obstacles. Most people who say that meditation is a joke have never tried it. If it does not work for you, that is completely fine, but trying new things and keeping an open mind are crucial building blocks to finding yourself (and maybe some inner peace, too!).Rekindle Past FriendshipsPeople lose touch all the time for no other reason than they simply didn’t make the time to connect. Reach out to an old friend that you have lost touch with. Give them a call rather than sending them a text or a message on social media. Try and meet up with them for some coffee, lunch, or a drink.This is especially beneficial if it’s a friend from back when you felt that you knew yourself. Triggering that nostalgia can be exceptionally beneficial. If you want to take it a step further, you could try and get a group of old high school, college, or work friends together for a night at the bar or over to your house for a casual party.Do Something CrazyWhether you make stupid faces in the mirror to crack yourself up or try bungee jumping off of a bridge, letting go of your inhibitions and acting a little crazy loosens you up and clears negative energy. Someone could say to you, “You quit your job? That’s crazy!” And you can laugh in the face of their judgment, recognizing that your job was toxic on your path to finding the real you.Whether it seems crazy to the lost version of yourself, or crazy to other people that can’t understand why you made such a leap, if it feels right, it is an important part of your journey. Simply embracing the fact that you are lost and that you need to find yourself may seem like a crazy path to some, but doing what is right for you is never crazy.Embrace SpontaneityEmbracing spontaneity is similar to doing something crazy, but with a particular emphasis on repetition. When you pass by a store, go inside. If you weren’t planning on going out, but see a concert or a movie or a play being advertised, go see it. If someone wants to go grab a drink, think, “Why not,” instead of, “Why?”We always hear that being spontaneous is a positive characteristic, but it doesn’t have to be a personality trait. Anyone can be spontaneous simply by going out and doing something. Seize the day, seize every moment, and find excitement in the smallest of places. By challenging yourself to let go of the hesitations that led you to losing touch with yourself, you can discover things about yourself that were buried deep, and be more willing to say yes, both to yourself and to others.Forgive Yourself for EverythingYour past is in the past for a reason. Whatever you have done, whatever skeletons you might have in your closet, forgive yourself for them. Your biggest critic is yourself, and the sooner you are able to let go of past transgressions or missed opportunities, the sooner you will be able to take on virtuous endeavors and take hold of new opportunities.Dwelling on the past is unhealthy, can cause someone to lose himself or herself, and hinder your progression in a very dramatic way. It is very similar to forgiving people that you have grudges against. When you dislike someone for a past transgression, you are filling up valuable brainpower and energy on unproductive vindictiveness. The same goes for how you think of yourself. Love yourself wholly and completely, faults and regrets and all.The safest way to forgive yourself is to talk to a third party bound by confidentiality, like a therapist or a life coach. Therapy sessions not only help figure out what specifically you may be feeling guilty or regretful about, but also ways in which you can forgive yourself for them.Live in the MomentLaugh, sing, dance, daydream, watch, listen, feel, enjoy. Any verb that triggers an image or experience that excites you is one that you will want to try and perform on a daily basis. Every single SECOND of life is a gift. It is up to each of us to make the most of every second.Someone passed away a second ago, and you are experiencing a second in time and in life that they did not get to experience. If you don’t owe it to yourself, you owe it to all those that it’s too late for. Consider every moment a beautiful wonderful miracle of existence. Washing dishes? Lose yourself in reliving a vivid sexual experience. Stuck in traffic? Blast the radio and sing full volume. Go outside when its nice out, and brave it when it’s not. Take some chances, make some mistakes, but for the love of God, enjoy your life! Feeling Lost?A Life Coach Will Help You Find Yourself https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE&app=mobile https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE&app=desktop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE&hc_location=ufi https://youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE&app=desktop https://youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE https://youtube.com/watch?feature=youtube_gdata&v=CUipEtBnseE https://youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=CUipEtBnseE https://youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CUipEtBnseE https://youtube.com/v/CUipEtBnseE?version=3 https://youtube.com/v/CUipEtBnseE https://youtube.com/embed/CUipEtBnseE https://youtube.com/e/CUipEtBnseE?app=desktop https://youtube.com/e/CUipEtBnseE https://youtu.be/CUipEtBnseE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE&feature=youtube_gdata https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE&feature=youtu.be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE&feature=share https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE&feature=kp https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE&app=desktop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtube_gdata&v=CUipEtBnseE https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtube.be&v=CUipEtBnseE https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=CUipEtBnseE https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CUipEtBnseE https://www.youtube.com/v/CUipEtBnseE?version=3 https://www.youtube.com/v/CUipEtBnseE&feature=youtube_gdata https://www.youtube.com/v/CUipEtBnseE&feature=youtu.be https://www.youtube.com/v/CUipEtBnseE&feature=share https://www.youtube.com/v/CUipEtBnseE&feature=kp https://www.youtube.com/v/CUipEtBnseE https://www.youtube.com/embed/CUipEtBnseE https://www.youtube.com/e/CUipEtBnseE?app=desktop https://www.youtube.com/e/CUipEtBnseE https://www.youtube.com/attribution_link?a=CUipEtBnseE&u=watch?v=CUipEtBnseE&feature=share https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE&feature=youtube_gdata https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CUipEtBnseE https://m.youtube.com/v/CUipEtBnseE https://m.youtube.com/e/CUipEtBnseE http://youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE&app=desktop http://youtube.com/watch?v=CUipEtBnseE http://youtube.com/watch?feature=youtube_gdata&v=CUipEtBnseE http://youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=CUipEtBnseE http://youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CUipEtBnseE http://youtube.com/v/CUipEtBnseE?version=3 http://youtube.com/v/CUipEtBnseE http://youtube.com/embed/CUipEtBnseE http://youtube.com/e/CUipEtBnseE?app=desktop http://youtube.com/e/CUipEtBnseE https://youtu.be/CUipEtBnseE What Finding Yourself Can Accomplish1. Understanding Who You WereThe first step to finding yourself is to figure out who you are now by writing down how you got here. Your true self will be much different from who you were when you were lost. The way you feel when you find yourself will become a foundation that you can pull from to avoid feeling lost again.The methods set forth are meant to be habit forming, and in the same sense that you lost yourself without realizing it, you will continue to find yourself without realizing it. It will start as deep focus, and slowly transition into a subconscious continuation.2. Building On ObjectivesYou may have a list of goals that you want to accomplish. These goals are important benchmarks in envisioning what you want to accomplish and who you want to become. As you achieve goal after goal, you will start to feel more confident, have a well-rounded list of accomplishments, and feel as though you are living a life that matches who you are and your full potential. Each accomplishment is a building block, and each objective you face will be met with an increasingly assertive stride.Eventually you will feel like nothing can stand in your way in life, and no goal or dream is out of reach. And you know what? You’ll be absolutely right.3. Sticking with It No Matter WhatSomeone who has found himself is not ruled by fear or clouded by judgments from themselves or the people around them. They have recognized that they were lost, and recognized that a change needed to be made.People who have found themselves have recognized that finding their true calling was necessary, because they only have one life to live. It is never too late, it is never too soon, it is never the wrong time. First you have to trust in yourself and believe that it is possible. Soon you will know that it is possible.Eventually you will prove to yourself and everyone around you that anything is possible. When you find yourself, you will stay on track no matter what, because you will find that there is no other option.4. Changing Your PerspectiveGoing through the motions needs to become a thing of the past. That feeling of being lost is all a matter of perspective. Your perspective now is that you do not know who you are, what you are capable of, and what the future has in store. Where you are now and where you have been is the focus. When you find yourself, your perspective on life, its purpose, other people, yourself, your past, and your future will change in a more positive way than you could ever imagine. It will fill you up and elevate you to a new level of understanding: that you are you, and you are awesome.5. Using the Change in PerspectiveWith this change in perspective, everything that comes after it will become easier and easier. Even if it’s a new challenge, a challenge of a level that you have never seen before, your new self will meet it with the gusto and internal braggadocio of a champion.Right now you are feeling lost, so obstacles, goals, and dreams seem like crossing an ocean. Using your new change in perspective, it will be like jumping over a puddle, and you’ll stop to splash around in it too, because the reward comes in two parts: the act of accomplishing it, and the accomplishment itself.You will not become another person when you find yourself. You are the same person, but the best version of that same person possible. That comes down to a new perspective and regular action.6. Becoming Who You Want to BeThis may be obvious, but it is certainly worth noting. Throw out the term “a new lease on life.” Leases expire. You earned a new life, and it is yours for keeps. When you have found yourself, the idea of becoming lost again will seem impossible, and that is because it will be. The idea of finding yourself and unlocking your true potential seems like a challenge, and it is. However, everything is surmountable with the right strategy and focus. Feeling Lost?A Life Coach Will Help You Find YourselfFree Consultation Totally Confidential Easy to Get Started How a Life Coach Can Help1. What Does a Life Coach Do?A life coach is one of the best resources for those who feel lost. With vast experience and exceptional track records, our life coaches are able to crystallize what you want in your life, identify what is holding you back, help clarify your vision, and provide useful strategies for self-improvement.An unbiased, third party viewpoint gives you a new perspective, and the collaboration results in a unique support system that continues during the coaching sessions and long after. By continuously encouraging forward motion, life coaches keep you accountable, ask important questions, and help you find the answers. A particular emphasis is put on the combination of challenges and encouragement, digging deep into what makes you tick, and what will make you tick even better.Part of the reason you might feel lost in the first place is a lack of support from friends or family when it comes to following your dreams and accessing your true self. A life coach heavily encourages both, giving clients permission to make the decisions that are right for them, not for the sake of other people.By providing the tools you need to reach your goals while identifying ways to stay true to your true self, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the path to your true self.2. How Will a Coach Help Me Find Myself?A life coach will consider where you are now, where you have been, and where you want to be. These goals can get you back on track to thinking: “I can find myself again.” With clearly detailed objectives and regular sessions, a life coach will help you get to where you want to go. They’ll find the best ways for you to formulate and map out both short- and long-term goals and visions. Those goals and visions will then be turned into a reality. Insights and realizations garnered from sessions with a life coach never slow you down, but instead are designed to do the exact opposite. To those feeling lost, a life coach employs real action and in-depth, revelatory conversation that deepens your path towards finding yourself.3. Where Do I Start?The first step in deciding which type of life coach is right for you is to decide what you want them to help you achieve. Since you are feeling lost and are looking to find yourself, that step is out of the way. Other things to consider include the coach’s gender, age, level and type of experience. You’ll also want to consider their approach, methods, and techniques. Life Coach Spotter’s matching service is a great way to find a life coach,that aligns with your needs. While we believe that our method of finding the ideal life coach is the most efficient (there are over 16,000 life coaches in the United States alone), having someone to talk to in general is always beneficial.4. What Does Life Coach Spotter Offer?We match any potential client with a life coach based on our quick eight-question questionnaire. You are asked how serious and committed you are to investing your resources into achieving your goals, the country you live in, what you want most in your life, and other relevant questions to help match you with three coaches that fit your responses.You are able to consult with each life coach for free before choosing the life coach you made the best connection with. From there, they work closely with you to help transform your life. We have over a hundred certified and hand-selected coaches, making Life Coach Spotter the ultimate resource in bettering your life no matter what your goals are.
0 notes
adiaphora5-blog · 6 years ago
Text
Winnie-the-Pooh (2011 Film)
Short analyses of characters, metaphors, anaphoras, and anaphorisms
Pooh
The seemingly dim, more-ironic-than-necessary protagonist of the film hides a more subtle tone of complexity within his few, yet impossibly deep characteristics. Pooh is the depiction of the general human being. Such a person, whose chapters begin with waking up from their sleep. Pooh is the radical exaggeration of a person seeking happiness. Throughout the story, he is found in want of honey, a sweet, yet not as overbearing to our weight as high fructose corn syrup. The honey is a materialistic image of attainable happiness. This substance was somewhat desired equally amongst the other characters, however, Pooh had a more stronger desire even to fantasize swimming in it, as in indulging in the bliss that it brings. From the beginning to end, Pooh expresses symptoms of withdrawal from the powerful warmth and implied joy the honey brought. Towards the falling action scene in the movie, Pooh is begging Owl for “just a taste” of honey. His stomach is growling rather loudly, and he is caving into his cravings. Yet, he manages to (SPOILER). After this, he is offered by Owl a jar of honey, which was what he had been searching for as part of the exposition. Instead, Pooh turns down the honey and decides to go and (SPOILER), a common theme in which man realizes what is important in terms of priority, as well as how one is rewarded for simply being patient and putting others ahead of oneself. Pooh could’ve easily just satisfied himself with the honey instead of (SPOILER), but he considered a friend in need was something worth passing up his own needs. Through Pooh, the common man is given a childish mask and made simple, simple-minded, and altogether a wonderful mystery.
Piglet
Piglet is nothing short of an extremely timid, if not shadowing homosexual undertones, a rather meek supporting character. He is the underdog, constantly being pushed around by others because of his size. He is ultimately the introvert that seeks to be accepted, praised, and most of all, wanted, by others. He is very obedient, very shy, and under scrutinized observance, he satisfies the role of a foundation for Pooh, where Piglet can see something Pooh has missed, possibly a reference to those with the ability to break free from the ignorant flocking of sheep mentality. Despite this, Piglet is often overpowered by Pooh’s brute size and assertiveness. He gladly lets Pooh take the reins and still continues to clean up after Pooh’s troublesome fuck-ups. All in all, Piglet is a rather well-rounded character, almost matching Pooh in that of a dynamic character position.
Owl
Owl is introduced as a rather intelligent and rational voice that prefers to get things done through a means that reflects his learned personality. It closely mirrors the scientific method, in which scientists would take individual steps to solving a question posed by the unknown, by using deductive reasoning and experimentation. And yet Owl bears a striking semblance of what the modern ‘scientist’ has become. Simply a misled person on the journey to understand, but understanding very little. Often, Owl would be placed in an ironic situation in which he is completely unaware, which does not help at all considering that none of the other characters seem to have even the slight capacities within their characterizations to be able to bring forth a subjective viewpoint, in order to see how everyone is also being dragged down by the same misunderstanding. A sort of leader amongst the others, he is often the person to look to when there is a question raised. Albeit, he has proven himself unable to produce a more accurate response without causing a bit of havoc or concern. Perhaps not being corrupt does not merit a trust in what seems like only another fallible human being.
Eeyore
Eeyore portrays a very much passive character, not yet shy enough to keep his emotions to himself, but a more substantially depressing mode of exhibition. Eeyore is the bearer of gloom and doom. Not as engaging as the others, he tends to be the center of the problems. Not purposely at fault, but he is that person in one’s life that is a given issue often overlooked because of rather unfortunate details. We are more than not, tempted to just shut away his problems and just generalize his being as whole, to be a tad sadder than the rest of mankind. Yet, he may be the one who needs the most help. In contrast to everyone else’ general positive demeanor, Eeyore would be the seeds for a maturing bout of depression. Suffering from a grey world where others are happy except himself. Perhaps the real voice of reason, but in reality, a voice best ignored because conformity rules the majority.
Kanga & Roo
These two go hand-in-hand. In the movie, Roo is rarely, if not, never without Kanga. A casual picture of mother and son. The strong maternal bonds is what keeps Kanga an interesting character to the viewer, but there is something deeper to her character than that of simply a filler shadow to simply make Roo a much more childish addition to the plot. Kanga carries her child in her pouch for the most part, sometimes housing small and frail Piglet. She has the motherly figure, and also the face of a single mother. She is constantly worried about her only son. Despite the shenanigans of the entire group, she manages to have an air of maturity about her that keeps Roo at ease. The enigma itself lies within her son. Perhaps the youngest in the group, he is on par with everyone else in terms of intelligence, if not at times, a lot more perceptive than the others. Together, mother and son, they form a union of being a more stable household than everyone else.
Rabbit
Rabbit denotes a simple, but cross-over from conventional antagonists. He contains within himself a dual-characterization. Not necessarily the direct antagonist to Pooh’s search for happiness, he is a crumpled foil (pun) to Pooh, as he is actively pursuing his selfish intentions. Rabbit has the capabilities of a leader, but he is the more aggressively self-centered persona. The most easily provoked, he is impatient and sees others as a crutch and prefers to be the alpha of the pack, despite his rather thin figure. He has a deeper understanding of the workings of practicality over
Tigger
I just thought he was a very stupid animal.
Christopher Robin
Perhaps one of the more prevailing points of authority, Christopher is the systematic government that often sets off the the chain reactions that seem so predictable in their small and understandable “society”. It’s suffocating to imagine him simply as a very young and naive boy. As a form of government to which the people have been subjected to, here being involuntarily, everything is within the boundaries that he has domain over. Namely during his mysterious disappearance. His youth and age could be likened to that of a young and growing governing body of a city-state or nation.
The Red Balloon
The most seemingly spiritual icon in the entire story. The Red Balloon was, for the most part, acknowledged by all of the characters in the beginning. An image of God, or the invisible attributes that make Him a silent character that simply drifted out of reach, occasionally coming down to interlope upon the happenings and lives of the animate stuffed animals. During the climax of the story, the Red Balloon returned from being forgotten in a thicket and brought light upon a situation that eventually led to the saving of everyone from a pit, possibly a metaphor for a deeper pit, or hell. The Red Balloon was an example of one abstract or surreal elements in the setting of the story. The entire world of which the illustrations were built upon was a story book in which the characters could interact with the very print that formed words, sentences, and paragraphs.
0 notes
jakehglover · 6 years ago
Text
Suicide Is on the Rise — Know the Warning Signs, and How to Help
youtube
By Dr. Mercola
The recent suicides of fashion designer Kate Spade and celebrity chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain,1 which occurred within days of each other, have reignited a much-needed public discussion about suicide, mental illness and its treatment. As noted by Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), depression “is not a condition that is related to success or failure. No one is immune.”2
Statistics also reveal suicide rates have risen sharply across the U.S. since the early 2000s, prompting health authorities to call for “a comprehensive approach to addressing depression.”3
However, while a number of headlines scream for new drug treatment,4 I believe we’ll get nowhere fast unless we start to address mental health from a more holistic perspective. It seems quite clear that antidepressants, in addition to not working very well (or in some cases at all), are actually part of the problem thanks to their side effects.
Meanwhile, nutritional deficiencies, a decline in social interaction brought about by increasing reliance on social media and technology, excessive exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs), lack of sleep, “lack of life purpose” or spiritual connection and chronic, unresolved stress are just some of the factors that can contribute to depression, none of which can be addressed by new or more drugs. Specific medical conditions, such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and stroke are also linked to a higher risk of major depressive disorder.
Spade’s Suicide Took Those Closest to Her by Surprise
According to Spade’s husband and business partner, Andy Spade, Kate had struggled with depression and anxiety for several years, and was taking medication for these issues.5,6 The couple separated 10 months ago but lived within blocks of each other, met on a daily basis and had “never even discussed divorce,” according to Andy, who stressed she did not have an alcohol problem or business-related struggles.
Her father, Frank Brosnahan, also confirmed she’d been “taking pills,” which he’d “advised her not to take.”7 Both her husband and father spoke to her the night before her apparent suicide, saying she sounded happy and that there was no indication that she was thinking about taking her own life.8 Both say her suicide was a complete shock.
The same appears to be true for Bourdain, who spent the last five years enthralling viewers with his passion for food and travel in his award-winning series “Parts Unknown.” His body was discovered by Eric Ripert, a French chef and close friend, in his hotel room. Bourdain was in France, working on an upcoming episode.
Overwhelmingly, the sentiment is that he was a passionate and generous individual, a master of his craft and staunch defender of marginalized populations, especially restaurant workers, in the middle of doing something he loved. In fact, some of the last words Bourdain said to his friend Michael Ruhlman was that “love abounds.” “The last I knew, he was in love. He was happy,” Ruhlman said, who was “stunned” by the news.9 His girlfriend Asia Argento appeared equally shocked.
Suicide Statistics
Depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the U.S. affecting more than 16 million Americans,10 and the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide.11,12 Globally, rates of depression increased by 18 percent between 2005 and 2015.13 In the U.S., suicide rates have steadily risen since 2000, primarily in more rural areas14,15,16 — a trend blamed on the effects of social isolation, economic pressures, opioid addiction and limited access to mental health care.
Depression can be a terminal illness if a person continually attempts, and eventually is successful at taking their own life. Tragically, suicide has risen sharply among children and teens. This simply must speak to some deeper societal problems at work, although antidepressants may play a role in some of these cases as well.
Many antidepressants are known to increase the risk of suicide in children, teens and young adults,17 yet despite such warnings, these drugs are still often prescribed for younger people. According to the most recent statistics:18,19,20,21,22
Between 1999 and 2016, suicide increased by 28 percent across most American demographics; in 25 states, the suicide rate rose by more than 30 percent
Between 2008 and 2015, the number of children hospitalized for either thinking about suicide or attempting suicide doubled
Among young girls (aged 10 to 19), the suicide rate rose by 70 percent between 2010 and 2016  
In 2016, nearly 45,000 Americans committed suicide, making suicide the 10th most common cause of death that year
Along with drug overdoses and Alzheimer’s disease, suicide is one of three leading causes of death that are on the rise
Know the 12 Warning Signs of Suicide, and How to Help
While some are better at keeping their depression and any thoughts of suicide well hidden, even from the ones they love, it’s important for everyone to recognize the warning signs, and what they can do to help. According to the CDC, the 12 warning signs that someone may be contemplating or getting close to suicide are:23
Feeling like a burden
Being isolated
Increased anxiety
Feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
Increased substance use
Looking for a way to access lethal means
Increased anger or rage
Extreme mood swings
Expressing hopelessness
Sleeping too little or too much
Talking or posting about wanting to die
Making plans for suicide
If you notice one or more of these signs, take the following five steps to help. For more information about how to prevent suicide, see bethe1to.com.
Ask how they are feeling and if they are considering ending their life, or if they have a plan to do so
Don’t let them be alone and do your best to keep them safe
Make yourself available to them
Reach out to them daily and help them connect to others
Follow up
If you live in the U.S. and are having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text 741-741 for the Crisis Text Line.24 If you are in danger of acting on suicidal thoughts, call 911 for immediate assistance.
Depression Is Not the Sole Cause of Suicide
An important, yet frequently overlooked contributor to depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders is EMF exposure. In 2016, Martin Pall, Ph.D., wrote a magnificent and comprehensive review on this that is available for free online.25 He reviews how regular exposure to low intensity microwaves, like those from your cellphone and Wi-Fi, impact your nervous system. There are even two U.S. government reports that detail this.
It’s also important to realize that depression or other mental illness is not the sole cause of suicide. More than half of those who commit suicide do not have a known mental health condition, according to CDC data. As noted by Julie Beck in her thoughtful article, “When Will People Get Better at Talking About Suicide,”26 published by The Atlantic, “The traumas and losses of people’s lives and the ways they respond to them are infinitely varied and context-dependent. And that makes suicide hard to talk about.”
And yet we must, if we are to save each other from needless tragedy. According to the CDC, contributing factors to suicide in 2015 included the following:27
Relationship problems (42 percent)
A crisis in the past or upcoming two weeks (29 percent)
Substance abuse (28 percent)
A physical health problem (22 percent)
Work or financial problem (16 percent)
Criminal or legal problem (9 percent)
Loss of housing (4 percent)
Antidepressants Are Not a Satisfactory Answer
According to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, 11 percent of Americans over the age of 12 are on antidepressant drugs. Among women in their 40 and 50s, 1 in 4 is on antidepressants,28 the side effects of which run the gamut from loss of libido to emotional flatness, restlessness, sleep disturbances, brain damage, and suicidal and/or homicidal ideation.
Antidepressants can also harm your immune system, and raise your risk of Type 2 diabetes by two to three times in high-risk groups.29 These side effects are all the more significant by the fact that there is very little evidence to suggest antidepressants benefit people with mild to moderate depression. In fact, researchers have found they work no better than a placebo in 80 percent of cases.30,31
What’s worse, long-term use of antidepressants may also cause you to develop bipolar disorder or other types of psychoses,32,33 which means you’ll need to graduate to a new or additional medication, often an antipsychotic drug that blocks dopamine receptors in your brain.
There are safer, and in many cases better, alternatives. Many of the basics have been covered in a variety of previous articles on depression and its treatment. In the following sections, you’ll find summary compilations of lifestyle strategies and nutritional interventions that have been shown to be beneficial. Also know that while these lists are extensive, they’re not exhaustive.
Key Dietary Considerations and Helpful Nutritional Supplements
Eat a healthy whole food diet and avoid processed foods and junk food
One of the first steps in addressing problems like anxiety and depression is to clean up your diet and address your gut health. Otherwise, you’ll have virtually no chance of getting healthy emotionally and mentally.
Foods have an immense impact on your mood and ability to cope and be happy, and eating whole foods as described in my nutrition plan will support your mental health. Avoiding sugar and grains, which processed foods are loaded with, will also help normalize your insulin and leptin levels, which is another powerful tool in addressing depression.
Go gluten-free
The gluten level in our grains is much higher today than it ever was before, thanks to various breeding techniques, and gluten can produce depression if you’re sensitive to it. In such a case, the key is to remove gluten from your diet entirely.
Optimize your omega-3 level
Animal-based omega-3 fats are really important for optimal brain function and psychological health. If you haven't read Dr. Andrew L. Stoll's book, “The Omega-3 Connection,” on this subject, I highly recommend it. He is an enlightened Harvard psychiatrist who has written an outstanding book on the topic of treating depression with omega-3.
Optimize your vitamin D level
Making sure you’re getting enough sunlight exposure to have a healthy vitamin D level is also a crucial factor in treating depression or keeping it at bay. Vitamin D deficiency is actually more the norm than the exception, and has previously been implicated in both psychiatric and neurological disorders. One previous study found that people with the lowest levels of vitamin D were 11 times more prone to be depressed than those who had normal levels.
Balance your gut microbiome
Unbalanced gut flora has also been identified as a significant contributing factor to depression, so be sure to optimize your gut health, either by regularly eating traditionally fermented foods or taking a high-quality probiotic.
St. John’s wort
St. John’s wort is commonly used for the treatment of depression. It is available in tablets, capsules and liquid form. Research suggests it exerts its antidepressant action by inhibiting the reuptake of the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine.
Numerous double-blind, placebo-controlled studies have examined the effectiveness of St. John’s wort for the treatment of mild to moderate major depression, and most have found the herb more effective than a placebo. It can be at least as effective as paroxetine (Paxil) in the treatment of moderate to severe depression in the short term.
S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe)
SAMe is an amino acid derivative that occurs naturally in all cells. It plays a role in many biological reactions by transferring its methyl group to DNA, proteins, phospholipids and biogenic amines. Several scientific studies indicate that SAMe may be useful in the treatment of depression.
5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP)
5-HTP is another natural alternative to traditional antidepressants. When your body sets about manufacturing serotonin, it first makes 5-HTP, so taking 5-HTP as a supplement helps raise your serotonin levels. Downstream, it also boosts production of melatonin, so taking it shortly before bedtime can help improve your sleep.
B vitamins, including B1, B2, B6, B8, B9 and B12
B vitamins play a role in the production of certain neurotransmitters that are important for mood regulation and other brain functions. Folic acid (vitamin B9) deficiency has been noted among people with depression, as has pyridoxine (B6) deficiency. Pyridoxine is the cofactor for enzymes that convert L-tryptophan to serotonin.
There’s also evidence that people with depression respond better to treatment if they have higher levels of vitamin B12, while high doses of niacin (vitamin B3) are particularly important for schizophrenic patients. It turns out that pellagra, a disorder caused by niacin deficiency, produces the same psychiatric symptoms, such as irrational anger, feelings of persecution, mania and dementia, found in many schizophrenic patients.
One 2017 study34,35,36 found high doses of vitamins B6, B8 (inositol) and B12 in combination were very effective for improving schizophrenic symptoms — more so than standard drug treatments alone, and particularly when implemented early on.
Low doses were ineffective. Aside from schizophrenia, researchers have found niacin can be successfully used in the treatment of general psychosis, anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. B12 deficiency can also trigger mania, psychosis and paranoid delusions.37,38
One of the reasons for B vitamins’ effect on a wide range of mood disorders and neurological and psychiatric conditions relates to the fact that these vitamins have a direct impact on the methylation cycle, and are required for the production and function of neurotransmitters and the maintenance of myelin, the fatty sheath surrounding your nerve cells.
Without this protective coating, nerve signals become slow and sporadic, which can lead to motor function problems, cognitive losses and changes in mood.
B8 also aids in cell communication, allowing your cells to properly interpret chemical messages and respond accordingly.39 Meanwhile, B6, folate and B12 (in combination with S-adenosylmethionine or SAMe) regulate the synthesis and breakdown of brain chemicals involved in mood control, including serotonin, melatonin and dopamine. Hence, a deficiency in one or more of these B vitamins can also play a role in depression.
Address hormonal imbalances
Perimenopause and other hormonal imbalances are frequently misdiagnosed as depression. Women are now entering perimenopause at younger ages these days; some even before the age of 40, and this phase can last for years. Women who have never had PMS may suddenly experience rather severe symptoms, feeling depressed, moody and irritable.
An antidepressant is not going to solve the problem in this case. Rather, you need to balance your hormones. Basics include a nutritious diet and detoxification to ensure proper liver function. Milk thistle or bupleurum are herbs that can help with this.
Other herbs like dong quai and black cohosh may be helpful against menopausal and PMS symptoms. Bioidentical hormones such as progesterone are another option that may or may not be necessary depending on your situation. Once you hit on the right combination, symptoms will typically recede within two menstrual cycles.
Lifestyle Strategies That Help Combat Anxiety and Depression Without Drugs
Exercise regularly
Exercise, including strength training, is clearly one of the best-kept secrets for depression. In one study, which involved adults diagnosed with mild to moderate depression, researchers looked at exercise alone to treat the condition and found:
After 12 weeks, depressive symptoms were cut almost in half in those who participated in 30-minute aerobic exercise sessions, three to five times a week
Those who exercised at low-intensity for three and five days a week showed a 30 percent reduction in symptoms
Participants who did stretching and flexibility exercises 15 to 20 minutes three days a week averaged a 29 percent decline in depressive symptoms
Address stress and unresolved emotional conflicts
Like so many other families, I have been personally affected by depression. My mother suffered from this problem for a time, and actually made several unsuccessful suicide attempts that really devastated me. This occurred just as I was making the transition into energy medicine, so initially she was treated with medications.
However, the medications and inpatient care were a terrible failure. Ultimately, it was energetic techniques that helped her fully recover from her depression.
Learning how to use an energy psychology tool like the Emotional Freedom Techniques can make an enormous difference if you suffer from depression or any other kind of emotional dysfunction. This energy psychology tool is one of the most powerful methods I know of, and is a crucial element of any successful treatment program. In the video below, EFT practitioner Julie Schiffman demonstrates how to use this technique for depression.
youtube
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps you change how you think about things and has been used successfully to treat depression.40 In fact, several clinical studies have demonstrated that CBT is as effective as antidepressant medication. Within 20 sessions of individual therapy, approximately 75 percent of patients experience a significant decrease in their symptoms.
Unlike more traditional forms of therapy, CBT focuses on “here and now” problems and difficulties, and is a recommended treatment for depression triggered by the stress of moving from one culture and country to another.41 In this case, the therapy assumes mood is related to the pattern of thought. CBT attempts to change mood and reverse depression by directing thought patterns.
Light Therapy
For years, light therapy has been used to treat seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression caused by short winter days and extended darkness. A lack of exposure to sunlight is responsible for the secretion of the hormone melatonin, which can trigger a dispirited mood and a lethargic condition.
Light therapy helps to regulate the body’s internal clock in the same way that sunlight does. Light therapy is an effective treatment for seasonal affective disorder, and may reduce symptoms of nonseasonal and major depression as well.
Minimize EMF exposure
Excessive free radicals triggered by low-frequency microwave exposure from wireless technologies have been linked to anxiety and depression, so take precautions to minimize unnecessary exposure. For example, avoid carrying your cellphone on your body, and never sleep with it next to your head or beneath your pillow. Also do not allow your children to sleep with their phones. To learn more, see “The Real Dangers of Electronic Devices and EMFs.”
Massage
One of the best-known benefits of massage therapy is its ability to enhance feelings of well-being. Massage therapy lowers levels of stress hormone cortisol by an average of 30 percent, while increasing serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitters that help reduce depression.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese treatment in which needles are inserted at specific points in the body. A review of eight controlled trials supported the theory that acupuncture can significantly reduce the severity of depression.
Yoga
Yoga is an ancient system of relaxation, exercise and healing with origins in Indian philosophy, and has been shown to alter your brain chemistry. Some yoga positions are effective in stimulating the release of endorphins and reducing the level of stress hormone cortisol.
Several human studies support the use of yoga for depression, and yoga postures have been specifically shown to increase levels of the neurotransmitter gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), which may alleviate depression. In one study,42,43 researchers studied the effect of Iyengar yoga classes on participants diagnosed with major depressive disorder who were either not taking medication or had been on the same medication for three months.44
One group was assigned to take a 90-minute yoga class three times a week, plus participate in a 30-minute session at home four times a week. The second group participated in two 90-minute classes and three 30-minute at home sessions.
After three months both groups experienced a reduction in symptoms by at least 50 percent, with no differences in compliance.45 The group who participated seven days a week experienced the greatest reduction in symptoms.
Other research has linked these improvements to changes in GABA, an amino acid that acts as a neurotransmitter in your central nervous system. GABA is responsible for blocking nerve impulses, telling the adjoining nerve cells not to “fire” or send an impulse. Without GABA your nerve cells would fire frequently and easily, triggering anxiety disorders, seizures and conditions such as addiction, headache and cognitive impairments.46
Biofeedback and progressive muscle relaxation
Biofeedback and progressive muscle relaxation may help to reduce stress levels and therefore a primary environmental trigger for depression. In biofeedback, electrical sensors attached to your skin allow you to monitor your biological changes, such as heart rate, and this feedback can help you achieve a deeper state of relaxation. It can also teach you to control your heart rate, blood pressure and muscle tension through your mind.
Biofeedback is commonly used in the treatment of stress related conditions such as migraine and tension headaches, fibromyalgia, depression and anxiety. Progressive muscle relaxation may achieve the same level of stress reduction through tensing and relaxing all the major muscle groups from head to toe, thereby helping you to recognize muscle tension.
Visualization
Visualization and guided imagery have been used for decades by elite athletes prior to an event, successful business people and cancer patients — all to achieve better results through convincing your mind you have already achieved successful results.47,48 Similar success has been found in people with depression.49
Spend time in nature and/or listen to nature sounds
Both have been shown to alleviate anxiety and depression. To learn more, see “Nature Heals,” and “Science Reveals Why Nature Sounds and Deep Breathing Are so Relaxing.”
from HealthyLife via Jake Glover on Inoreader http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/06/21/suicide-warning-signs.aspx
0 notes
blogwhatthef-blog · 7 years ago
Photo
Tumblr media
MYSTERIOUS MURDER(S): CHARLES C. MORGAN
Researching and writing this reminded me of why I absolutely love investigative blogging. This mystery started in March of 1977 and by the time we get to the end three people will be dead, a family left shattered and confused, and a reporter that followed the story of a lifetime will have a hit on his own life! In Tucson, AZ Charles C. Morgan went by the name “Chuckie” to his friends, family, and business associates. He owned an escrow company and lived the average normal life with his wife and four daughters.
Except…on March 22, 1977 Chuckie vanished after carrying two of his daughters to school. He finally stumbled back into his home in the middle of the night three nights later.
He claimed he couldn’t speak but wrote his wife (Ruth) a crazy unbelievable message claiming that somebody “painted his throat with a hallucinogenic drug.“ He wrote to her a message of torture, threats, and fear.
According to his wife, he was missing a shoe, had a plastic handcuff around one ankle, and had his hands tied together with a plastic zip tie. He asked her to move his car because he didn’t want “them” to know he had returned home. However, he would never tell her who “they” were. He also told his wife to not call the police and to not call for an ambulance.
Over the next two weeks Ruth nursed him back to health. She fed him with a dropper til he was able to talk again. He never spoke about the kidnapping except to drop hints that he was a “spy for the Treasury Department” and his life was in danger because of his statements against criminals.
After the kidnapping he became extremely paranoid. He only allowed himself to drive his daughters to and from school, and spoke with the school demanding nobody ever be allowed to pick them up.
Two months after the first disappearance Charles went missing yet again. During the days he was missing, before his body was found, his wife Ruth received an anonymous phone call. The woman on the line referred to herself as “Green Eyes”. “Green eyes” said nothing to Ruth except “Ecclesiastes 12:1-8,” the same citation her husband would later be found with - hiding in his underpants. Nobody has ever figured out the meaning of this depressing bible verse. It has never brought meaning to his murder, has never identified his killer, and only leaves more questions.
https://biblia.com/bible/niv/Eccles%2012.1-8
Remember your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
and the years approach when you will say,
“I find no pleasure in them”—
2 before the sun and the light
and the moon and the stars grow dark,
and the clouds return after the rain;
3 when the keepers of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
and those looking through the windows grow dim;
4 when the doors to the street are closed
and the sound of grinding fades;
when people rise up at the sound of birds,
but all their songs grow faint;
5 when people are afraid of heights
and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
and the grasshopper drags itself along
and desire no longer is stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home
and mourners go about the streets.
6 Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,
and the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
and the wheel broken at the well,
7 and the dust returns to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.
“Everything is meaningless!”
This time he was found 11 days after his disappearance, outside of his new Mercury Cougar, in the middle of the Arizona desert, 40 miles west of Tuscon.  It was ruled a suicide even though the kill shot entered the back of his head. He had been shot with his own .357 magnum revolver. There were no fingerprints on the gun. Inside the car there was a cache of weapons and ammunition. His NEW mercury cougar had also been altered so that the doors could be locked and unlocked from the fender (remember…this was 1977! Also…if a reader knows WHY a person would do this kind of alteration please comment and let me know. I don’t understand what the point of locking and unlocking from your fender would be!?)
He was wearing a bulletproof vest at the time of death, was found with a pair of sunglasses that did not belong to him, had one of his own teeth in his pocket wrapped in a handkerchief, and had a $2 bill stuffed in his underwear, which was annotated with seven Spanish names and a Bible citation – Ecclesiastes 12:1-8. On the opposite side of the $2 Bill there was a drawing of a map. It was a map of Robles Junction and Sasabe, both are well known areas for smuggling and criminal activity.
https://biblia.com/bible/niv/Eccles%2012.1-8
After his first kidnapping Charles had told his father that if anything ever happened to him he had hidden a letter that would explain everything, and would name names. This letter was never found.
After his death, authorities discovered he had been hiding out in a west-area motel for the previous several days. An “acquaintance” told police he was trying to come up with enough cash to pay off a hit on his life. Another “acquaintance” who later admitted to being the mysterious caller “Green eyes” stated that the last time she had seen Charles alive he had had a briefcase filled with $60,000 in cash. “Green eyes” said that Charles had hoped to buy off the hit on his life. The informant gave enough personal details that the police were pretty confident she was telling the truth, at least as far as having known Morgan socially. Unfortunately, that was the last that anyone ever heard of Green Eyes, and the case went completely cold. Some people theorize that Morgan’s escrow company was a front for money laundering, and the whole thing went south. Or, maybe he really was a secret agent for the government. Or, there’s some third, even weirder explanation we haven’t guessed. I believe that would be reasonable since this case was so strange from the start, and had so many twists and turns that nobody could’ve seen coming.
Three weeks after his death two FBI agents showed up at his home demanding to search it. They tore the house apart. Its unknown what they were looking for or what things they had taken. A reporter, Don Devereux, that advocated for the family from the beginning contacted the FBI about the search and they deny ever sending agents to search the home. 
Ruth Morgan passed away in 2006. Ruth always maintained that her husband was murdered and that it was covered up by corrupt government officials and a corrupt police department. His four daughters also took on the fight for justice. They state that their father was murdered and would like to see justice brought to the person/persons responsible.
HUGE TWIST TO THE STORY: (This part gets a little confusing. While researching I had to re-read articles a few times to make sure I had the information correct and make sure I kept the case straight and accurate.) Here it goes… Don Devereux was a journalist that from the very beginning got sucked into the Charles C. Morgan case. He found it odd that Charles’ death was ruled a suicide when too kill himself, Charles would have had to have had stretch Armstrong arms! It was just crazy and implausible to think a man drove out into the desert, wore a bullet-proof vest, just to get out of his car stretch his arm behind his head/back, and shoot himself in the center of the back of his head, also leave NO fingerprints, and somehow hide the gloves he must’ve been wearing (since he left no prints) before he immediately dropped dead! Devereux investigated the case that police wanted no part of, he talked to people the cops wouldn’t make time for, and he spoke out and advocated for the Morgan family when no one else would. He kept the story in the media for decades.
During Devereux’s investigation he found evidence of Charles Morgan’s money laundering through his escrow company. Charles was also involved in gold and platinum transactions out of South Asia. Devereux also found that Charles kept duplicate records of all illegal transactions. Devereux theorized that whomever Charles was involved with found out about his shady record keeping, and wanted Charles taken out. (I haven’t found proof in my research but I’ve seen several reports that Charles did a lot of illegal business with some high ranking politicians and some extremely wealthy “business men,” and when I say “business men” I mean, wealthy mob bosses.)
On May 14, 1990 Doug Johnston left for his night shift job at a computer graphics company in Phoenix, AZ. An hour later he was found murdered in his company parking lot. Again…cops tried to rule it as a suicide. Doug had one shot to his head behind his left ear. Though the placement was better for a suicide ruling than Charles Morgan’s shot to the head, evidence was still on Doug’s side. There was no gun at the scene, no gun powder residue on his hands, and he was right-handed which made the shot to the left side of his head strange and awkward. In the end it was ruled a homicide. (At the time of Doug Johnston’s murder it was believed to be just a random, wrong place/wrong time murder, but within the next year events would play out to prove otherwise.)
In 1991 Don Devereux was contacted by Danny Casolaro, a writer from Washington D.C. regarding the evidence Devereux had about Charles’ money laundering. Devereux agreed to share all of the evidence he had uncovered. Before Devereux could mail it out, Dan Casolaro was found in a hotel bathroom. His wrists had been slashed. Yet again….a death was ruled suicide. Devereux knows it was murder, and Casolaro’s brother believes it was murder. Dan Casolaro’s brother stated that Danny was extremely squeamish around blood. He said IF his brother was going to commit suicide slashing his wrists would NOT have been the method used.
Six months after Casolaro’s death Devereux learned that there had been a hit placed on him. He learned that Doug Johnston’s murder in 1990 was a case of mistaken identity, and was meant for him.
Though names have not been released, a CIA officer, and an informant for Israeli Intelligence have confirmed the hit for Don Devereux’s life.
Charles Morgan, Doug Johnston, and Dan Casolaro’s murders have never been solved.
SOURCES:
http://tucson.com/news/local/crime/cold-case-strange-evidence-found-in-on-near-man-s/article_e84a1034-c078-5a43-81a1-e602f52eda02.html
https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/4m3sq3/the_unbelievably_bizarre_case_of_charles_chuck/
http://unsolvedmysteries.wikia.com/wiki/Charles_Morgan
http://thesop.org/story/20140407/an-unsolved-mysteries-episode-charles-morgan-throws-you-down-a-spooky-rabbit-hole-with-zero-bottom.html
https://unsolved.com/gallery/chuck-morgan/
http://unsolvedmysteries.wikia.com/wiki/Doug_Johnston
( function() { if (window.CHITIKA === undefined) { window.CHITIKA = { 'units' : [] }; }; var unit = {"calltype":"async[2]","publisher":"BlogWTF","width":550,"height":250,"sid":"Chitika Default"}; var placement_id = window.CHITIKA.units.length; window.CHITIKA.units.push(unit); document.write('<div id="chitikaAdBlock-' + placement_id + '">'); }());
0 notes
andersunmenschlich · 7 years ago
Text
Shambhala, chapter 4
"In order to experience fearlessness, it is necessary to experience fear. The essence of cowardice is not acknowledging the reality of fear. Fear can take many forms. Logically, we know we can't live forever. We know that we are going to die, so we are afraid. We are petrified of our death."
I am terrified of dying. I can't tell if I'm more frightened by the idea of not existing, or by the idea of existing forever, in eternal torment. They both seem pretty bad. I used to think I'd prefer nonexistence. Now I'm not sure.
Rationally, I prefer nonexistence. Irrationally, I prefer hell—not for me, but for somebody!—and if that somebody is me, well, I hate it but I have to laugh, too....
"On another level, we are afraid that we can't handle the demands of the world. This fear expresses itself as a feeling of inadequacy. We feel that our own lives are overwhelming, and confronting the rest of the world is more overwhelming."
That I am not afraid of. I know I can't handle the demands of the world. My best isn't good enough, and it never has been. I keep doing it anyway. Maybe someday it will be.
"Then there is abrupt fear, or panic, that arises when new situations occur suddenly in our lives."
Ha. Yes. I've never been particularly fond of change.
"There are innumerable strategies that we use to take our minds off of fear. Some people take tranquilizers. Some people do yoga. Some people watch television or read a magazine or go to a bar to have a beer. From the coward's point of view, boredom should be avoided, because when we are bored we begin to feel anxious. We are getting closer to our fear. Entertainment should be promoted and any thought of death should be avoided. So cowardice is trying to live our lives as though death were unknown."
Interesting. Boredom has never felt that way to me. It feels more like being dead already. Nothing matters, I don't care about anything, nothing is pleasant or worthwhile, I don't even care enough to not do things if people want me to do them—I don't care. Nothing matters, and I don't even care about that. I just go on living because I don't care enough to stop.
I don't know if I've ever felt less afraid than when I'm bored. Death itself isn't frightening. Neither is hell. I simply don't care. It's not pleasant. It's not unpleasant. I do try to avoid it. It doesn't seem conducive to a lengthy lifespan.
The author and I seem to experience boredom very differently. Whatever the case, does thinking about death really help anything? You're going to die whether you focus on the fact or do your best to forget it—why spend your time thinking about it? I may be missing something here. Perhaps he's saying that it's not a good idea to spend all your time rushing from one thing to another in a desperate attempt to avoid the truth when you could just accept it and get on with your life.
Ha. Were it only so simple. Accept that? No, I'm with Yudkowsky on this one.
"There have been periods in history in which many people searched for a potion of longevity. If there were such a thing, most people would find it quite horrific. If they had to live in this world for a thousand years without dying, long before they got to their thousandth birthday, they would probably commit suicide. Even if you could live forever, you would be unable to avoid the reality of death and suffering around you."
Oh. I see. Dear me. The horror. How ever would I cope.
"...acknowledging fear is not a cause for depression or discouragement. Because we possess such fear, we are also potentially entitled to experience fearlessness. True fearlessness is not the reduction of fear, but going beyond fear. Unfortunately, in the English language, we don't have one word that means that. Fearlessness is the closest term, but by fearless we don't mean 'less fear', but 'beyond fear'."
But if you go beyond fear, doesn't it reduce your fear? For example, I kept a spider as a pet (and let it crawl on me) because I found spiders irrationally terrifying. I wasn't any less scared of the leggy thing when it was on my arm—at first.
"Going beyond fear begins when we examine our fear: our anxiety, nervousness, concern, and restlessness. If we look into our fear, if we look beneath its veneer, the first thing we find is sadness, beneath the nervousness. Nervousness is cranking up, vibrating, all the time. When we slow down, when we relax with our fear, we find sadness, which is calm and gentle."
How in the name of sanity does one relax with their fear? I don't want to die. I do not want to die. I can't think of anything I wouldn't do, if it meant not dying. It's possible I just don't have a good enough imagination, but I would do my very best to cut off my own head with a pocket knife if I believed (for whatever ludicrous reason) that would help.
"Relax with our fear," indeed. Well, under my fear I find terror, and under that there's desperation, and under that there's despair. I suppose despair could be considered sad, calm, and gentle. Sort of.
"Sadness hits you in your heart, and your body produces a tear. Before you cry, there is a feeling in your chest and then, after that, you produce tears in your eyes. You are about to produce rain or a waterfall in your eyes and you feel sad and lonely, and perhaps romantic at the same time. That is the first tip of fearlessness, and the first sign of real warriorship. You might think that, when you experience fearlessness, you will hear the opening to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony or see a great explosion in the sky, but it doesn't happen that way. In the Shambhala tradition, discovering fearlessness comes from working with the softness of the human heart."
Despair. This is definitely just despair. But such remarkably intense despair that it's actually... sweet? I'm not entirely sure how to express it. And it makes me love everything all over again. How horrifying reality is. How terrible.
Hey, this is the same feeling from the last post, isn't it? That deep love for reality? Yes, it's precisely the same feeling. How odd.
"The birth of the warrior is like the first growth of a reindeer's [antlers]. At first, the [antlers] are very soft and almost rubbery, and they have little hairs growing on them. They are not yet [antlers], as such: they are just sloppy growths with blood inside. Then, as the reindeer ages, the [antlers] grow stronger, developing four points or ten points or even forty points. Fearlessness, at the beginning, is like those rubbery [antlers]."
Reindeer have antlers, Chögyam Trungpa, not horns. Antlers. You're throwing me off. Ah, the dangers of learning English as a second language.
"When a reindeer first grows its [antlers], it doesn't know what to use them for. It must feel very awkward to have those soft, lumpy growths on your head. But then the reindeer begins to realize that it should have [antlers]: that [antlers] are a natural part of being a reindeer. In the same way, when a human being first gives birth to the tender heart of warriorship, he or she may feel extremely awkward or uncertain about how to relate to this kind of fearlessness. But then, as you experience this sadness more and more, you realize that human beings should be tender and open. So you no longer need to feel shy or embarrassed about being gentle. In fact, your softness begins to become passionate. You would like to extend yourself to others and communicate with them."
Ng. I don't know about that.
I'll admit it does feel good. Passionate, yet placid. Serene and sweet, joyful—but intensely, achingly painful as well. Sort of a "still waters run deep" thing, I guess.
But look, I'm pretty sure extending myself to others and communicating with them in accordance with this feeling would be a terrible idea. I have no desire to go to prison. It's not a thing I'm particularly interested in. It's not a matter of shyness or embarrassment. (Though, admittedly, there is a bit of that. Ever since I hit puberty I haven't been much of one for emotional expression.) I don't want my life destroyed, thanks.
It does feel good, right, appropriate, natural, desirable, and all that. But the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: I'm very nearly entirely certain that going along with its idea of what's good and right is a horrible plan.
"When tenderness evolves in that direction, then you can truly appreciate the world around you. Sense perceptions become very interesting things. You are so tender and open already that you cannot help opening yourself to what takes place all around you. When you see red or green or yellow or black, you respond to them from the bottom of your heart. When you see someone else crying or laughing or being afraid, you respond to them as well. At that point, your beginning level of fearlessness is developing further into warriorship. When you begin to feel comfortable being a gentle and decent person, your reindeer [antlers] no longer have little hairs growing on them—they are becoming real [antlers]. Situations become very real, quite real, and on the other hand, quite ordinary. Fear evolves into fearlessness naturally, very simply, and quite straightforwardly."
There are a number of assumptions here that I think the author may not have realized he was making.
Nevertheless it is true that, when I'm responding to things in this way, the most excruciating stimuli are (in some ridiculous way) enjoyable. How terrible that just opening my eyes should hurt this much. And I want to laugh. How cruel that even taking one breath should burn in this way. And I want to laugh. It's delightful. Even though it's me, and I don't want it to be me!
When it's someone else, I love them for it. I can't help it. I want to get right up close to them and take their pain in my hands. I want to touch it, this pain that isn't mine. I want to breathe it, to taste it, to see every part of it in all its richness. It's stunning. They're gorgeous. They're as lovely as I am, and I feel as though I love them every bit as much.
Yes, I respond to these simple, basic, and beautiful things from the very bottom of my heart.
I'm explaining myself very poorly, I'm afraid—but then, that's emotion for you. I never did understand it. In any case, while I'm certainly being open and genuine, tender and vulnerable at times like this, I doubt the author would call me decent.
I may be wrong. But I doubt it.
"The ideal of warriorship is that the warrior should be sad and tender, and because of that, the warrior can be very brave as well. Without that heartfelt sadness, bravery is brittle, like a china cup. If you drop it, it will break or chip. But the bravery of the warrior is like a lacquer cup, which has a wooden base covered with layers of lacquer. If the cup drops, it will bounce rather than break. It is soft and hard at the same time."
It's a lovely metaphor. I think 'plastic' works better than 'lacquer', though.
Still, whether it's plastic or lacquered wood, despair or sadness or love, that feeling definitely does work to make life easier to manage. Whatever happens, you still have that feeling, and it bears you up.
I'm still not certain this is a good thing in my case—for anyone, but most especially for me.
Chapter four. How many chapters are there to this thing? Twenty-one? Well. That should keep me busy for a while. I should have scheduled these posts much farther ahead than I did. Oh well.
0 notes
itsfinancethings · 5 years ago
Link
April 21, 2020 at 12:57AM
Last year, Bi Chao made an investment that he thought would ensure a comfortable living. He plowed 200,000 renminbi (about $28,000) into buying hundreds of exotic animals—chiefly bamboo rats and porcupines. He planned to breed them on his farm in southwestern China’s Yunnan province, hoping to profit from his affluent compatriots’ penchant for dining on weird and wonderful wildlife.
But then came the COVID-19 pandemic, which experts believe began when a previously unknown virus jumped from an wild creature—possibly a snake or pangolin—to humans at a wet market in the central city of Wuhan. It has since rampaged across the globe, sickening almost 2.5 million and killing around 170,000, and has prompted the Chinese government to ban the rearing and sale of exotic animals.
Bi’s farm is one of nearly 20,000 in China raising rare species, including civet cats, peacocks, boar and ostriches, that have been forced to close. (According to a 2017 report by the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the industry was valued at $73 billion.)
The 37-year-old says he has no choice but to keeping feeding his animals at a loss in the hope that the government reverses or relaxes its ban soon. Still, he remains on the verge of bankruptcy.
“My parents’ health is not good, and I have a seven-year-old daughter who has just started school,” he tells TIME. “I thought I was ready for 2020, but now I’m in massive debt. How can I get through this?”
The livelihoods of breeders like Bi are among those most directly affected by coronavirus, though workers across every sector will be asking similar questions as hardships cascade. Even as official infection figures drop to double-digits daily, economic data released Friday reveals China’s economy contracted 6.8% in the first quarter of 2020, during which some 460,000 Chinese firms closed. Registration of new firms fell 29% year-on-year between January and March.
It’s the first recorded contraction in China since before Mao-era collectivization was abolished in the late 1970s. But analysts agree that even the 6.8% figure is extremely optimistic (as Beijing’s official figures tend to be). By comparison, JP Morgan is predicting that the U.S. economy will contract by 40% in the second quarter of the year.
Getting China’s economy revving again is not as simple as flicking a switch. Containment measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 mean hundreds of thousands of workers are stranded far from factories. Production also been interrupted by the shelter-in-place measures that currently apply to half of humanity. Factories that have reopened have been forced to reduce capacity, or even close again, due to cratering demand for Chinese exports.
It’s a dire picture that bodes badly for the global economy. Last week, the IMF estimated that global GDP will shrink 3% this year—compared to its pre-pandemic prediction of a 3.3% expansion—and that contraction may continue into 2021, marking the deepest dive since the Great Depression almost a century ago.
Across the Asia-Pacific region, $2.1 trillion of lost output is projected to mean 23 million people lose their jobs in 2020. Banks and lending institutions will be scrambling to roll out stimulus packages.
“A crisis of unprecedented severity calls for a response of unprecedented scale,” APEC secretariat executive director Rebecca Sta Maria said in a recent statement.
Small businesses are particularly vulnerable
As the world’s number two economy and biggest trading nation, comprising 28% of global growth in the five years from 2013 to 2018, what happens in China is key. Analyst firm IHS Markit says that crumbling world demand for Chinese exports and Beijing’s reluctance to provide a stimulus package of sufficient heft portend tough times ahead.
“If renewed [containment] restrictions are required, then a double-dip recession cannot be ruled out,” it said in a briefing note.
Stimulus programs amount to about 2% of China’s GDP today, compared with 12% in 2009, when huge infrastructure projects kept the economy growing in the wake of the global financial crisis. Efforts to counter trade war pressures had already pushed China’s debt to 248.8% of GDP—excluding the financial industry—at the end of March 2019, according to analysis by two government think-tanks.
One top of its own debt burden, China is being forced to restructure the debts owed to it by struggling neighbors, particularly those arising from its $1 trillion Belt and Road transcontinental trade and infrastructure initiative. Though traditionally unwilling to renegotiate debts, Beijing has joined the World Bank and other G20 nations—including the influential “Paris Club”—to agree to a debt moratorium as COVID-19 decimates developing economies.
Yet it is China’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that are poised to suffer most. In China, SMEs make up over 60% of GDP, compared to 43% in the U.S. Compounding matters, they are not typically financed by the big mainstream banks but rather the shadow banking system, which doesn’t receive central government bailouts.
“All those [small] businesses are going to be severely impacted,” says James Nolt, an Asia specialist at the World Policy Institute “I don’t know if the Chinese authorities will pay that much attention to that sector.”
Still, there will always be a few fortunate ones that emerge from this crisis unscathed and even ahead. Shares in Shenzhen-listed Dawn Polymer, which specializes in melt-blown fabrics—the kind of fiber used in surgical masks—have risen almost 400% since the coronavirus outbreak was first publicly acknowledged Jan. 20. According to the U.K. Financial Times, that led the holdings of founder Yu Xiaoning and his wife to soar $1.9 billion by Mar. 9.
Some smaller-scale suppliers are also cashing in. A Mr. Zhao, 32, who has worked as a medical supplies salesman in Beijing for 10 years, suddenly spied the huge business opportunity when he received panicked calls for medical masks while on a scuba diving holiday in Southeast Asia during the Lunar New Year.
He has since partnered with large Chinese factories to export PPE to the U.S. and Europe, as well as various types of ventilators, from the portable versions used by ambulance crews to the hi-tech types found in ICUs. The 500,000 masks and 30,000 protection suits he has sold since the crisis began have alone netted him a cool 300,000 renminbi ($42,000).
“Now the pandemic is under control in China, I mainly sell to large distributors who supply E.U. countries,” he tells TIME. “Our sales volume has increased tremendously.”
—With reporting by Zhang Chi / Beijing
0 notes