#the fact that I can’t read them all in this lifetime greatly upsets me

[5thhouse-revelations]

Why I Believe Chiron Can be Healed

Note: I am not a professional astrologer! I am simply passionate about learning astrology and I love to share the insights I have about it. I have found lately that many astrologers have a far too negative perception of the asteroid, Chiron, and so I have gone about the task of attempting to transmute this view. Thank you so much, anyone who reads this! 

I likely have a naive sense of faith in humanity, but it’s because I truly believe in the ability people have to overcome. Transcendence is not a much-considered aspect of old astrology; the astrology that originally surfaced the understanding all of our familiar planets and their meanings. It’s true that the ability to overcome stubborn wounds is not avoided completely through the old structures of astrology, but all that we learn traditionally through it was made sense of by a collective that resided in a very stern and withholding paradigm. I don’t claim this as fact (I’m no authority on history, and these are just my personal speculations), but I perceive that in the collective less work was done internally, than in any other part of history. It seems to me that the collective’s inner work was clouded by the obligations that come with religion and conceptualizing sin, and they did not allow as much for the reflections through other people and ourselves, that we are so willing to grasp today. Instead of making sense of the world through God or dogma, we are beginning to make sense of it through each other and ourselves. Today there is a prevalence of learning through the use of higher perspectives and empathy, and we’ve started taking control of what we believe our soul’s fate to be rather than accepting a handed judgment from any sort of deity.

Ascension and its concept are somewhat new, and so many still don’t believe in it, but for those who do, ascension is all about how we can endlessly overcome. This could almost be a philosophy of its very own, if it weren’t for the fact that it is such an affecting phenomenon.  Ascension and astrology don’t go together in an official sense yet, but I believe we are heading in that direction, because I see how beautifully certain energies play out when they are undertaken with the belief that awareness can shift things, and heal whatever comes up in the scope of life. 

Think of the period in which Astrology was formed: it was formed by people who did not conceive that things were in their control. Everything that happened was a result of the external: Gods, goddesses, magic; other such things, as well as planets, of course. There’s a sense of powerlessness within traditional astrology that is being transformed through the new age. We are in an age now of spiritual accountability, and I truly believe this accountability transfers perfectly onto astrology. Accountability, in my opinion, is what Chiron is all about. Chiron is greatly frowned upon because it’s easy to get so caught up in its pain that we forget our own spiritual responsibilities to reflect, and change and grow.

Chiron symbolizes pain, and long-standing trauma. He indicates pain that is so deeply felt that it creates crises, and around these crises complexes are built. We build structures around our pain that have a way of patching it up so that we can circumvent it, and not have to feel it so strongly. This “patchwork” causes a lack of growth, and it’s my opinion that Chiron shows us where we have to tear this down, heal the complexes, and experience the transformation of how it is that we cope. Chiron is seen negatively because, within his arena, the only way to heal the trauma is to work for it through the transformation of perspective, and an attempted ownership of the wounds. 

Chiron’s neighborhood of affliction too often becomes a zone of comfort. Our trauma can become an accidental refusal in that we hold it so closely to us that we avoid anything that can threaten it. This is what Chiron symbolizes to me: it is that trauma we hold too closely, and identify with too much, and this in itself is martyrdom. Our Chiron is where we say:  “No, this is too much. I refuse to exhume this ever again. This is just who and how I am, and this is how my life ended up” Unfortunately the most common action taken from this mentality is the refusal of change and the rejection of new ways of seeing. We refuse to get creative in the matters that our Chiron represents, because the pain can be blinding.

I think this asteroid is somehow linked to creativity, but in a very unusual sense. It’s just like most crises: we have to utilize dormant parts of ourselves and get creative in order to solve whatever the problems are. I’d like to use an example. My mother has Chiron in the 6th house, and she has always struggled with her health and weight, for the entire length of my life. She is traumatized in that she has an addiction to food that stems from her earlier years, and food brings her a sense of security and safety. For many years she refused to look at this pain, and she went on diet after diet after diet. In her view the dieting was failing, which to her meant she was failing. She felt that this was something that would never end in her lifetime, and the wound symbolized by her Chiron kept getting deeper and deeper, seemingly from an external standpoint. What was truly happening, however, was that the diets were masking the wound she was carrying; it was being circumvented, which did not work in the slightest. 

It wasn’t until two years ago when she actually confronted the wound for what it was, and sought the reflection of herself through others, that the Chironian wound began to truly heal. She is now on a path of good health and longevity, and she is losing the weight with utmost motivation. I could not be more proud of her for everything she has overcome, and I know how seemingly impossible it was for her to heal this wound. She got creative with it in that she sought brand new ways to confront the internal aspects that come with having an eating disorder. This disorder did not come from an external happening - not really. It was outside things that were happening to her, that somehow shaped her perception; she took on that pain and identified with it. We all do this, and I truly believe Chiron is the perfect indicator of how and why we do this. It shows us how we internalize specific outer events in our lives, and lock them into a vault.

Chiron has such a nasty reputation because, for most of us, he shows us where our perception of certain traumas does not change because we flinch away from doing the work to change these perceptions. He shows us the pain we take on as part of our identity when truly, we are none of our pain. He indicates where it is we take certain traumatic events and make them permanent, expecting them to just go on forever and ever, as we secretly wish it would ease up much like Saturn does eventually. The problem is that Chironian wounds appear to go so deep that it makes us feel like it’s impossible to face these issues, and when we can’t face something it leads to spiritual stagnancy, which brings us to perpetuate certain complexes we build around it. 

Even though the asteroid can categorize external events that occur, I believe the purpose is to highlight what it is we internalize that we shouldn’t. It’s indicative of exactly what to avoid internalizing and holding onto. As my father once said: “All that matters in life is that you don’t hold onto what it is that hurts you.” I think this sums up the theme of this asteroid perfectly. It can seem like Chiron is responsible for manifesting the same occurrence over and over again, but it’s my belief that unhealed traumas can easily take on this appearance. I’ll use myself as an example. My Chiron is in the 11th house, in Cancer. I’ve always struggled with the realization of my dreams. I have always carried highly Utopian aspirations within myself, and the seemingly repeated failure to see this manifest has felt like my “wound that cannot heal”. 

It wasn’t until this year that I realized it was me that kept perpetuating this belief that only others can have their dreams, and not me. Every failure to manifest my aspirations was just more evidence of my “unhealable” wound. I internalized every single failure, which I think is perfectly resonating with what Chiron appears to do. If you think about it, everyone has repetitive events happen in their life. Everyone fails and everyone loses, but our Chiron is where we internalize these things, thus perpetuating and not healing them. My Chiron placement shows me where in life I internalize my disappointments. I’ve had many failures in my life that have never upset me: I’ve failed school entirely (Even though school has brought me a lot of pain, I never view it as such a personal failure - in fact I embrace it and I’m proud of myself for all that I’ve been able to teach myself to do), and certain jobs; I’ve failed in love and relationships, but never did I internalize these things like I have my 11th house failings. Now I’m realizing how much I refused to be creative and flexible with my aspirations, my perceptions and my identity. I recognize now, how much I truly suffocated these dreams. Instead of letting the mutable forces of life shape and mature them, I deemed my dreams as dying, and I just assumed: “this is where my life has ended up”. I think that sentence describes Chiron quite accurately.

So no, I don’t believe Chiron is a wound that can’t be healed, because I believe we can transcend anything that happens to us. It’s true that Chiron can be time consuming, but I believe his healing depends on how much we are willing to work on the matters of his house and sign, and how much we are willing to be flexible and change our perspectives of what happens to us in these affairs. Humans more than any other species have the power of mental, spiritual and emotional transformation, and this is truly a gift. We are blessed with self awareness and I do not believe there is anything that can doom the ability of this awareness, when we have it, to heal our wounds.

In the realm of pain and trauma, perspective is everything. When we choose to stop seeing ourselves as a victim of external events, we then choose to stop internalizing them and adopting them as our identity. Once we develop a trans formative and free-flowing sense of identity, anything can be healed, whether or not the wound is Chironian in nature.

[eldritchsurveys]

882.

5k Survey IX

401. Some say that high school is the best time of your life. Was that true for you? >> It was not. 402. What do you find yourself encouraging others to try? >> I can’t think of anything that fits that description. Generally if I’m encouraging someone, it’s because they brought up something that they wanted to try and are anxious about it or something. 403. Which is better: Mel Brooks or Woody Allen? >> Man, I love Mel Brooks movies, I think he’s hilarious. Meanwhile I’m not sure if I’ve seen any Woody Allen movies but I did see a clip from A Rainy Day in New York (think that’s the title) that went viral here on tumblr and it was just... abysmally bad. I cringed the whole length of the clip (to the point of physical pain, lmao). So that’s now my frame of reference for his movies. 404. When was the last time you were up all night? >> About 2 or 3 years ago, I’d say. I remember being up all night on stimulants and ended up writing a weird Person of Interest fic (it’s definitely one of those fics that I would have dreamed of writing but would have talked myself out of writing if I’d been sober, because I would have thought it was too weird or stupid... so I’m glad it got a chance to exist), and that would have been around 3 years ago. 405. __ is life. The rest is just details. Fill in the blank. >> I don’t know, man.

406. Are people too complex and different to be categorized? >> People are definitely way more complex than their categories would suggest, but I don’t think that means the categories are fundamentally useless. I think it’s important to keep in mind that categories are only useful to a point -- for quick communication or community-finding, for example, or for legal purposes -- and that it’s best if one doesn’t identify too strongly with one’s categories at the expense of experiencing their full complexity and mercuriality. 407. Is it good to have pride in your own race or does that separate people from each other because it makes them think of everyone else as ‘outsiders’? >> I mean, “race” to me is a pretty wack concept as a whole, so I think being proud of something like “race” is wack too. Now, if you’re proud of your culture, your ethnicity -- the specifics of your upbringing and community, not just some catch-all term that doesn’t really mean shit like “white” or “black” -- then that makes more sense to me. Even then, I’d have to hope that pride doesn’t come with a superiority complex and a system of exclusion. 408. What fictional story would you like to live through? >> I did that once. It both started and ended badly for me. To be fair, I didn’t exactly choose the story I was born into, but, you know. 409. Are cats or dogs smarter? >> It doesn’t make any sense to me to categorise animals like this. Cats and dogs both have instincts and cognitive processes that suit their species and their level of domestication, I’d assume. 410. Have you ever guessed someone’s password and broken into their diary? >> No. 411. What teacher, if any, has effected you the most in your life? >> I had a teacher in fourth grade that gave me the silent treatment for half of the year (literally. another student had to act as go-between for any communications), and that was pretty affecting. Also had a teacher that took me to court for “assault” (what I actually did was inappropriate but it definitely wasn’t assault) and got me put on probation for a year. Definitely affecting. 412. Are you more easily bored or excited? >> I’m way more easily bored. It takes a lot to get me excited. 413. What’s the bravest or most daring thing you have ever done? >> I’m not sure. 414. “What’s the point of robbery when nothing is worth taking?” (- Adam Ant) >> Obviously, something is worth taking if people are willing to take a risk like that. This is a silly ass quote. 415. If your man or woman served you breakfast in bed as a treat what would you want? >> You act like I don’t already eat my breakfast in or near my bed. 416. What do you do only when you are upset? >> I don’t know, most of the things I do when I’m upset can intersect with other emotions. Like crying, which I also do if I’m just emotionally overwhelmed (but not necessarily in a bad way). 417. What’s the oddest CD in your collection? >> --- 418. What’s the best diary name you ever saw? >> --- 419. What would your friends be surprised to learn about you? >> I don’t know. 420. Who owes you an apology? >> No one owes me anything. 421. Who deserves an apology from you? >> Can’t think of anyone I should be apologising to. If someone wants an apology, they’d better ask for it. 422. How would you like to treat your kids differently from the way your parents treated you? >> That is a list a mile long and I’m not about to get into that right now. Especially since it’s all hypothetical, since I’m not having children. 423. Which do you like best: 60’s, 70’s or 80’s fashion? >> I don’t much care for any of these. 424. What is the worst pick up line ever used on you? >> --- 425. Of the following, which word best describes you: inventive, kinetic (energetic), light-hearted, mature >> I don’t know which of these words describes me. None of them seem particularly appropriate. 426. Do you own a record player? Do you use it? >> I do own one, but I rarely use it. The novelty wore off really quickly. 427. How easily do you make friends? >> Not easily. 428. What is the difference between having character and being a character? “Being a character” makes me think of someone who is a class clown, and “having character” makes me think of someone with good characteristics, like being kind, helpful, responsible, etc. <-- Sure, let’s go with that. 429. Are there any animals you flat out refuse to touch? >> I mean, I’m not usually in a situation where I’m presented with an animal to touch... outside of, you know, the normal domesticated creatures. So I don’t know if there’s any animal out there I wouldn’t ever want to touch. 430. Do you care about your weight? >> I care about it in an unhealthy, dysmorphic way. 431. Did you/will you go to the prom? >> I went. 432. Have you ever wanted to date twins? >> No. 433. What one thing would you change about high school if you could? >> I’m not in high school anymore, so I don’t care about changing it. 434. If you came with a warning label, what would it say? >> I can only imagine what it would say. A lot, probably. 435. Are you artistic and creative? >> At some points, sure. 436. What were you (probably) doing on this date last year? >> I don’t know, man. Probably not too much different from what I’m doing right now. 437. What are you obsessed with? >> I can never think of an answer to this question. My capacity for obsession has been greatly diminished over time, probably thanks to trauma. 438. What was the last compliment you received? >> I don’t know. 439. Do you have any brothers or sisters? >> No. 440. Who would you like to be alone with right now? >> Myself, thanks. 441. Do you push people away when you really want them to come closer? >> I don’t actively push people away, I’m just incredibly distant and avoidant because I don’t know how else to be, and people respond to that. 442. Is a prenuptial agreement necessary or does it take the romance and trust out of marriage? >> I’m sure for some people, it’s necessary, or else it wouldn’t exist as a thing. (Also, let’s not even get into the fact that marriage as ~romantic~ has really only become a thing in recent eras, so a prenuptial agreement is actually more traditional than anything else...) I’ve never been anywhere near that level of wealth, so, you know. It’s all irrelevant to me and my life. 443. Do you lie your way out of things? >> I don’t really need to do this, like, ever. 444. Are you better at talking or listening? >> I find listening to be way easier than talking a lot of the time. 445. What will only happen to you once in this lifetime? >> Well, death, right? Not counting symbolic and metaphorical ones. 446. Know of any conspiracy theories you think might be credible? >> No. 447. What are the most beautiful words that have ever been spoken to you? >> *shrug* 448. If it were legal would you own a human slave (race unimportant)? >> Nah, I’m good.  449. Have you ever read your own writing at a poetry reading? >> I did once, in fact. It was pretty cool. 450. What is one simple thing that gives you the happy shivers? >> Er.

[raphsciencefriction]

Final scenario

Saturday November 17th, 2027

// The week was long. Cara is glad to be home. It is time to relax and enjoy the free time. She planned her weekend with her cousin. First of all, she has a small ritual she would not miss for anything in the world; writing in her diary.

Dear journal,

Today is a pretty gloomy day… The sun is shy at this period of the year. It used to snow a few millimeters back in the days. Now, we have rain over and over. I have the feeling that the outside world is not really enjoyable anymore. Fortunately, I go shopping with my lovely cousin tomorrow. I can’t wait to find new clothes. Many things changed according to advertisements. It seems brands are becoming greener than ever. I look forward to see if that is true. The last time I went with my husband, I could not find any clothes made in Europe… How is that even possible? We all do an effort but not them? Don’t they understand what we need? It makes me so upset to write about this… How? Why? I also discovered a new app today. I can know everything I want about a product. They managed to collect datas from companies and NGOs. They can tell you all about the collection available in a store. The most known brands are really worry apparently. They are available on my glasses as well. Anyway, we will see tomorrow what it can tell me. My friend uses them daily and says it has a real impact on his purchases. I will see on me. Since brands already lost me with all the labels on their products, I really wonder how far this thing can go.

//The next day, Cara gets dressed to go shopping.

I’m finally going to the city centre. My breakfast is eaten, I can get dressed. My wardrobe recommended me to wear my large jogging with this pair of shoes, this T-shirt and this hoodie… Wait… I never wear this hoodie when I go outside, why does it…? Ho… I’m stupid, I forgot to tell my assistant I was going outside… Ahh, I should have synchronized my conversations with her… Neverrmind, let’s ask her: “Hey Prada, I’m going to do some shopping, can you get me something more appropriated?”

//The wardrobe awakes and responds;

“Sure, will you be more inside or outside? Here is three scenario that might happen to you.”

//The assistant sends the probable scenes on the phone and start describing;

“According to the last shopping day you had, your metabolism and the weather forecasts, I would recommend you this one over the two others. If you feel like spending more time inside, pick the right one; more outside? Pick the left one… Enjoy! ” … “ Ho, I forgot to mention, most of the stores have a temperature of 22°C. It is two degrees warmer than your room right now. Your watch is telling me you are feeling at your best today. You should definite… “

“Ok ok... OK!! Thank you Prada, I appreciate your help but that’s enough information...”

So, I should wear that jeans, with that t-shirt and that… wait… why that crew? I’d rather to wear my hoodie today…

“Hey Prada, why is it better for me to wear that crew neck over my hoodie today?”

“According to your wardrobe, you have already worn 430x your hoodie and only 150x your crew neck. Your hoodie has an UV protection that work best before 500x used. The sky will be greatly cloudy, you shouldn’t waste this protection for a caprice. Moreover, it seems your cousin Sarah has never seen this crew neck. She might like it and will probably tell you. You should definitely go for this one…

“Heuu... First of all, it is not a whim but rather a comfort decision! You are not able to understand that because you don’t feel anything Prada!”

//The assistant starts thinking before answering... She detects a certain tension that needs to be released.

“You are right, I can’t feel anything… I can only analyse datas and people’s opinions, I hope it will change one day. Maybe I can recommend you to steam your hoodie a bit? You worn it 4 days in a row. A really subtle but present odor should be emanating. It will only take 5 minutes, let me switch it on for you.”

// The answer wasn’t really what she expected but it questioned her and her habit to wear the same things. She smells the underarm’s hoodie to make her own opinion.

God damn it, she is right… I should go for the crew neck. I don’t have time to wash this hoodie anyhow. Sarah is already waiting for me at the station, I should hurry.

// The assistant detects the movement and before Cara leaves the apartment she says;

“Don’t forget your glasses, you will need me for shopping! “

“Holy s… That’s right, thank you. Let’s make you useful for once.”

// Cara Grab her glasses and rushes to catch the bus towards the station. Shortly afterwards, she meets her cousin to window shop. They are now walking down the streets, enjoying the new collections while analyzing the brands. Since it is possible to have all these informations on everything, consumer habits have changed a lot. Some people stand in front of the stores before entering. They read and inform themselves in depth;

“Hey Sarah, do you see this? Are you on the same page as me?”

“Yeah I think I am, the article talks about the manufacturers in Bangladesh? According to NGOs, 65% of the companies they surveyed have discharged their polluted water into the river without any filter upstream… Ho my god, do you see these images? I can’t go shopping there if this is reliable…”

“They say it concerns only a small production that will be sent to China. Apparently, European’s market is not concerned.”

              // In a moment of hesitation, Cara prefers to ask her assistant.

“Hey Prada, can you tell me if there are any clothes in this street not working with Bangladeshi manufacturers? This is stressing me out.”

// While processing to an answer, the vocal assistant loads the images on the glasses, showing the information she wanted.

“Here is what I found: Around 80% of the stores in this street work with compagnies in Bangladesh. Only 15% of these brands have authenticated their engagement with NGOs for safe dyeing process. It seems the store in front of you have few items certified. In average, a T-shirt here has a CO2 footprint 1,5x more important than similar brands... Do you want to know more?”

“No, I heard enough about this one, is there any alternatives?”

“The greenest T-shirt you can have in this area is in the shop around the corner, let me guide you.”

//By conviction for a greener future, they decide to follow Prada. Cara is pretty confident; she is finally getting alternatives to unsustainable products. While looking through the window, Cara asks the opinion of her cousin;

“What do you think about the collection?”

“Well… That’s basic… like really basic… They say it is “timeless for lifetime products”. My glasses tells me it’s 100% cotton. I needed a jean but… It is so sturdy…”

“It seems you have to make a choice… I think I found the T-shirt I was looking for. It traveled 10 000 km, used more or less 1000 L of water and has released 1 kg of CO2 in the atmosphere. This product has 8,5/10 in washing resistance, weights 250g, no GMO and made in Europe…. That numbers are impressive but better 2,3x better than the average… I think I cannot find anything better. Should I get it or not? Looking at all these datas I’m a bit lost… Wait my assistant wants to tell me something… Hey Prada, what is so important?”

“Hey Cara, before you buy this product, I would like to remind you that your closet is still above average. You have 3,3x more clothes than most of the people of your country. Perhaps you should resist today and use the clothes you have a bit longer? Let me quote what Barack Obama said: “The shift to a cleaner economy won’t happen overnight, and it will require tough choices along the way. But the debate is settled. Climate change is a fact.” Maybe you could have a look in the second hand corner of this store?”

“No Prada, you have said enough, thank you...”

Sometimes I really wonder why I set her on Eco-mode…

[dfroza]

An ancient Letter that speaks to the heart

is what the True nature of the Scriptures do as Spirit-inspired truth. and from my reading Today with the paired chapters of the Testaments (2nd Corinthians 7 and Isaiah 26) we see the reasoning of Paul in writing and sending his Letter and in Isaiah’s Scroll we read of a sign of rebirth and of Judgment and cleansing of beautiful earth in A grand end of time (even a mirroring of a heavenly marriage is seen as a secret elopement, a grand escape from this world that is promised to the Children of Light)

from Paul’s Letter:

With promises like this to pull us on, dear friends, let’s make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without. Let’s make our entire lives fit and holy temples for the worship of God.

[More Passionate, More Responsible]

Trust us. We’ve never hurt a soul, never exploited or taken advantage of anyone. Don’t think I’m finding fault with you. I told you earlier that I’m with you all the way, no matter what. I have, in fact, the greatest confidence in you. If only you knew how proud I am of you! I am overwhelmed with joy despite all our troubles.

When we arrived in Macedonia province, we couldn’t settle down. The fights in the church and the fears in our hearts kept us on pins and needles. We couldn’t relax because we didn’t know how it would turn out. Then the God who lifts up the downcast lifted our heads and our hearts with the arrival of Titus. We were glad just to see him, but the true reassurance came in what he told us about you: how much you cared, how much you grieved, how concerned you were for me. I went from worry to tranquility in no time!

I know I distressed you greatly with my letter. Although I felt awful at the time, I don’t feel at all bad now that I see how it turned out. The letter upset you, but only for a while. Now I’m glad—not that you were upset, but that you were jarred into turning things around. You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all gain, no loss.

Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets.

And now, isn’t it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You’re more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you’ve come out of this with purity of heart. And that is what I was hoping for in the first place when I wrote the letter. My primary concern was not for the one who did the wrong or even the one wronged, but for you—that you would realize and act upon the deep, deep ties between us before God. That’s what happened—and we felt just great.

And then, when we saw how Titus felt—his exuberance over your response—our joy doubled. It was wonderful to see how revived and refreshed he was by everything you did. If I went out on a limb in telling Titus how great I thought you were, you didn’t cut off that limb. As it turned out, I hadn’t exaggerated one bit. Titus saw for himself that everything I had said about you was true. He can’t quit talking about it, going over again and again the story of your prompt obedience, and the dignity and sensitivity of your hospitality. He was quite overwhelmed by it all! And I couldn’t be more pleased—I’m so confident and proud of you.

The Letter of 2nd Corinthians, Chapter 7 (The Message)

from the writing of Isaiah:

[Stretch the Borders of Life]

At that time, this song

will be sung in the country of Judah:

We have a strong city, Salvation City,

built and fortified with salvation.

Throw wide the gates

so good and true people can enter.

People with their minds set on you,

you keep completely whole,

Steady on their feet,

because they keep at it and don’t quit.

Depend on God and keep at it

because in the Lord God you have a sure thing.

Those who lived high and mighty

he knocked off their high horse.

He used the city built on the hill

as fill for the marshes.

All the exploited and outcast peoples

build their lives on the reclaimed land.

The path of right-living people is level.

The Leveler evens the road for the right-living.

We’re in no hurry, God. We’re content to linger

in the path sign-posted with your decisions.

Who you are and what you’ve done

are all we’ll ever want.

Through the night my soul longs for you.

Deep from within me my spirit reaches out to you.

When your decisions are on public display,

everyone learns how to live right.

If the wicked are shown grace,

they don’t seem to get it.

In the land of right living, they persist in wrong living,

blind to the splendor of God.

You hold your hand up high, God,

but they don’t see it.

Open their eyes to what you do,

to see your zealous love for your people.

Shame them. Light a fire under them.

Get the attention of these enemies of yours.

God, order a peaceful and whole life for us

because everything we’ve done, you’ve done for us.

O God, our God, we’ve had other masters rule us,

but you’re the only Master we’ve ever known.

The dead don’t talk,

ghosts don’t walk,

Because you’ve said, “Enough—that’s all for you,”

and wiped them off the books.

But the living you make larger than life.

The more life you give, the more glory you display,

and stretch the borders to accommodate more living!

O God, they begged you for help when they were in trouble,

when your discipline was so heavy

they could barely whisper a prayer.

Like a woman having a baby,

writhing in distress, screaming her pain

as the baby is being born,

That’s how we were because of you, O God.

We were pregnant full-term.

We writhed in labor but bore no baby.

We gave birth to wind.

Nothing came of our labor.

We produced nothing living.

We couldn’t save the world.

But friends, your dead will live,

your corpses will get to their feet.

All you dead and buried,

wake up! Sing!

Your dew is morning dew

catching the first rays of sun,

The earth bursting with life,

giving birth to the dead.

Come, my people, go home

and shut yourselves in.

Go into seclusion for a while

until the punishing wrath is past,

Because God is sure to come from his place

to punish the wrong of the people on earth.

Earth itself will point out the bloodstains;

it will show where the murdered have been hidden away.

The Scroll of Isaiah, Chapter 26 (The Message)

and to accompany these chapters we read in Psalm 17 and 90 (for day 17 of june and day 90 of Spring) a set of ancient prayers by King David and Moses, respectively.

translated in English in The Message:

A David Prayer

Listen while I build my case, God,

the most honest prayer you’ll ever hear.

Show the world I’m innocent—

in your heart you know I am.

Go ahead, examine me from inside out,

surprise me in the middle of the night—

You’ll find I’m just what I say I am.

My words don’t run loose.

I’m not trying to get my way

in the world’s way.

I’m trying to get your way,

your Word’s way.

I’m staying on your trail;

I’m putting one foot

In front of the other.

I’m not giving up.

The Book of Psalms, Prayer 17:1-5 (The Message)

[A Prayer of Moses, Man of God]

God, it seems you’ve been our home forever;

long before the mountains were born,

Long before you brought earth itself to birth,

from “once upon a time” to “kingdom come”—you are God.

Oh! Teach us to live well!

Teach us to live wisely and well!

Come back, God—how long do we have to wait?—

and treat your servants with kindness for a change.

Surprise us with love at daybreak;

then we’ll skip and dance all the day long.

Make up for the bad times with some good times;

we’ve seen enough evil to last a lifetime.

Let your servants see what you’re best at—

the ways you rule and bless your children.

And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us,

confirming the work that we do.

Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do!

The Book of Psalms, Prayer 90:1-2, 12-17 (The Message)

to be concluded by a few lines from Psalm 18 for day 168 of the year:

A David Song, Which He Sang to God After Being Saved from All His Enemies and from Saul

I love you, God—

you make me strong.

God is bedrock under my feet,

the castle in which I live,

my rescuing knight.

My God—the high crag

where I run for dear life,

hiding behind the boulders,

safe in the granite hideout.

I sing to God, the Praise-Lofty,

and find myself safe and saved.

God made my life complete

when I placed all the pieces before him.

When I got my act together,

he gave me a fresh start.

Now I’m alert to God’s ways;

I don’t take God for granted.

Every day I review the ways he works;

I try not to miss a trick.

I feel put back together,

and I’m watching my step.

God rewrote the text of my life

when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.

The Book of Psalms, Prayer 18:1-3, 20-24 (The Message)

my reading in the Scriptures for june 17, day 90 of Spring and day 168 of the year:

[billssefton]

client pressured me into buying lingerie, employee thinks “thanks” is positive feedback, and more

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…

1. My client invited me to lunch — and then pressured me into buying lingerie

I’m a freelance worker. One of my clients has been with me for several years, and I greatly appreciate her loyalty. Recently she put me in a very awkward situation, and I probably could have handled things differently, but I don’t know how.

She invited me to have lunch with her and her friend, implying that the friend could become a prospective client. Well, to cut a long story short, that “friend” turned out to be a salesperson, and the two of them basically browbeat me into buying several hundred dollars worth of products that I don’t want or need, that I’ll never use, and that have no resale value whatsoever. (It wasn’t an overt multi-leveling marketing scheme. It was lingerie, and I wasn’t pressured to join their “great, once-a-lifetime opportunity” at all, perhaps because I don’t look anything like a lingerie model. They just seemed strangely desperate to make a sale as quickly as possible, and I was was so desperate to get out of there that I didn’t care what it took.)

Needless to say, I’m not going to be accepting any more lunch invitations from her. How could I have handled the situation differently (given that physically leaving was not an option, because we went there in her car)? I really was blindsided by the whole thing, and it has shaken my trust in her. I’m not even sure I want to keep her on as a client anymore. For what it’s worth, I’ve heard similar stories from other friends and colleagues, and I’d always assumed that I was smart enough to never allow it to happen to me … until it did.

That’s incredibly rude of your client — she took advantage of your relationship and you’d be entirely in the right if you do decide you’re not interested in maintaining a relationship with her anymore.

As for what you could have done differently, usually the thing that keeps people in that situation is they don’t want to be rude — and in fact, that’s what people like your client are counting on. Recognizing that that’s what they’re relying on can help you stand up to it.

And frankly, it’s not rude to say, “I misunderstood the purpose of this lunch. I’m not interested in buying anything, so let’s talk about something else.” And if they continued with the sales pitch, it’s not rude to say, “My answer is a firm no. I don’t want to spend the rest of our lunch discussing it.” But even if those things were rude to say (and they’re not), they pale in comparison to the rudeness of what your client and her friend were doing. So it’s entirely justified in that situation to be a little rude if you want to or need to! It also would have been fine for you to say, “Jane, I’m disappointed that you’d deceive me about the purpose of this lunch and I’m leaving now” and then get up and take a cab home.

2. My employee thinks “thanks” is positive feedback

I have an issue with my direct report, “Fergus,” who thinks that when someone thanks him for doing a task, that constitutes positive feedback. He forwards emails to me that read simply “thanks” with notes asking me to take not of the evidence of his fantastic work.

In the culture that we both work in, and have for many years, “thanks” means only that someone has recieved an email and does not relate in any way to the quality of the work, the timeliness of the response, or anything else. So by misinterpreting them, Fergus is getting an unfarily positive understanding of his work product. This is leading him to push back against the performance management that I am going through with him, becuase his work is in fact unacceptably poor. However, he gets very upset and defensive at the slightest criticism and often does not seem to take in negative comments. How do I explain that “thanks” and even “great, thanks” does not mean “well done,” in as effective and kind a way as possible?

“I’ve noticed that you’ve forwarded me many emails from people saying ‘thanks.’ In our culture, that’s an acknowledgement that you did a task for them, but it’s not typically feedback on the quality of your work. However, if you have emails from people talking specifically about the quality of a project you did for them, I’d love to have those.”

You could add, “The sort of feedback that we’d be looking for to indicate praise for your work would be things like if Jane commented on the thoroughness and accuracy of the report you sent her, or if Bob said he appreciated the nuance in the draft you wrote for him.”

That said, he sounds unreasonable enough, and the issues with his work sound serious enough, that he may not get this, no matter what you say. So I wouldn’t make your bar for success here “Fergus understands how poor his work is.” Rather, your bar for success is “Fergus brings his performance up to a good level quickly or we transition him out.” And if you haven’t already, I’d be very clear with him about that so that he understands that this isn’t a debate.

3. I interviewed with someone who hires “from a vibe”

I recently had an interview for a very competitive role at a high-profile company. The job description perfectly lines up with my strengths and passions.

The person who interviewed me would be my future boss if I got the job. We got along well and it was an easy-flowing, conversational meeting. He told me his strategy is to hire off of a vibe — that the work itself would have a very short learning curve for someone with my background. We spent most of our 30 minutes together talking about non-work-related topics such as music, pets, restaurants in town. When those 30 minutes were winding down, his assistant knocked to let him know the next applicant was waiting for him so he quickly asked me if I had any questions. At that point, I felt a bit pressured to rush through them!

I read the job description thoroughly, felt confident about my abilities to carry out the work, and enjoyed my time in the office, but I left the interview knowing next to nothing about the day to day functions, culture, or benefits. He told me they’d need to make a decision shortly and that works for me. There are no more rounds of interviews scheduled.

Is the casual nature of the interview a red flag in your opinion? If I got an offer, I would sort of be going in blind. Should I accept on good faith assuming there would be some training?

No, don’t accept that on good faith! That’s too important a thing to gamble on.

For the record, this is a terrible way to hire; he’s only learning about whether he has rapport with you and nothing about your skills or accomplishments or how you work. (It also makes it really likely that he hires people like himself in some way — which can lead to really discriminatory hiring.) If you’re interested in the job, you’ll have to do the work yourself of figuring out if it’s the right match for you, since he’s apparently not going to do it. That means that if you get an offer, you could say something like, “I’m really excited about the role based on what I know so far, but we didn’t get a chance to dive in much to the details of the work when we talked last time. Could we set up some time for a more in-depth call where I can ask you about the day-to-day work, the team, and so forth?”

4. Do I have to train my replacement when he’s sick and contagious?

I am retiring after decades at my current position, having given generous notice and have a new hire showing up to get trained for one week only. Am I obligated to train the new person if he shows up stinking sick? There are flu and other viruses going around. It’s even a battle trying to stay well in our workplace, despite a generous sick leave policy. But I will literally have this person sitting next to me. I promised my spouse a special vacation that we will be going on shortly after my departure. Am I obligated to sit next to someone who is coughing and sneezing because he is too scared to not show up to his new job knowing that he only has a one-week stab at me? Believe it or not, I know of two people in my circle of friends who have had this happen. I don’t want to sound selfish, but I don’t think my company’s problem and the new person’s problem shouldn’t be my problem. What are your feelings on this? Is there a protocol? We are a large company. We are numbers. But after decades of dedication, it’s my opinion their problem should not be my problem. Or is it?

Before you try to opt out of training the person completely, can you see whether there are ways to do the training that don’t require sitting right next to him? Can you work from separate offices while on the phone with each other? Can you screen-share? Think about what you’d do if he’d been hired in a remote office and you still had to train him — or if one of you had serious allergies to something about the other. Companies make this work in those situations, so if you think creatively, you might be able to come up with solutions that work.

Meanwhile, it’s reasonable to say to your boss, “I feel terrible for Bob — he’s very sick and clearly felt like he had to show up since it’s his first week. But he’s quite ill, and I can’t risk sitting next to him all week while he’s likely contagious. Here’s what I propose instead…”

5. Boss okayed remote work and now is dragging his feet

I moved 300 miles in October to take a great new job. My husband told his boss at that time that I had moved and he would need to follow me. His boss came back with an offer to transition him into a role he could do remotely, with higher pay and a manager title. This sounded great at the time.

As of now, he does have the manager title and a little extra pay (though less than he was originally led to believe and salaried instead of hourly, so no overtime money), but he’s still in our last city because his boss can’t seem to let go. He’s basically still doing his old job because the guy they hired to replace him makes so many mistakes, and he’s been trained in his new jobs and is pulling his weight there as well. He told boss before Christmas that he wanted to move around now. Boss was evasive about giving a firm yes or no, so husband assumed it was fine and we gave notice on the apartment in that city that we would be out by the end of the month. Then, Boss said he wanted husband to stay for another three to six months! At this point, husband is no longer doing trainings, the vast majority of his work communications are by phone or email, and all of his work is on his laptop. I think that if his boss is saying that he can’t leave now, there’s never going to be a point when boss will say he can leave. I’m sick of doing the long-distance thing, and he’s even more miserable about it. I just don’t know how he should proceed to get out of this limbo.

How firm is your husband being with his boss? Ideally he’d say something like, “I’ve been relying on our agreement in October that I’d be working remotely by now. I’ve given notice on my apartment here and need to be out by the end of the month. I know you’d like me to stay longer, but at this point I do need to make the move. I’d like to plan on my last day in this city being (date). Can we move forward with that plan?” He could also say, “I’ve made a lot of plans based on the agreement we made last fall, and it’s not going to be possible at this point for me to change those.”

But if the boss still drags his feet, that’s a sign that your husband may need to look for a different job in your new city.

You may also like:

why are job candidates balking at an interview over lunch?

my coworkers all stopped going to lunch with me

business contacts say they want to ask my opinion, but it’s really a sales pitch

client pressured me into buying lingerie, employee thinks “thanks” is positive feedback, and more was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager.

from Ask a Manager http://www.askamanager.org/2018/03/client-pressured-me-into-buying-employee-thinks-thanks-is-positive-feedback-and-more.html

[hasansonsuzceliktas]

The Unbearable Happiness of Losing Weight by Eating

You're standing naked in front of a mirror and looking at yourself. How do you feel about your body? Are you happy, sad, or spiteful? Maybe you think it’s beautiful, or maybe you think it’s ugly? I find it impossible to judge my body in the same way as women do, but I was certainly ashamed when I looked in the mirror last year. I kept asking myself, “What the heck is that?” An advantage of being male is how women do not judge you on your appearance. Although they like to see a fit, handsome man, this is not a top priority when it comes to relationships and marriage, and frankly, we, the male nation, are at ease in this regard. However, a woman’s appearance is so important that a man will marry a woman for just her beauty and not even consider her other qualities, even though beauty should be judged as a whole. (You can bet the result would be a disaster though.) That being the case, obesity is much more of an issue for women than it is for men. They are then faced with diets, exercise routines, magic formulas, and various drugs at this point. The History of My Weight My mother would always say to me, “You were so skinny as a boy that I would chase you around with a spoon.” Thinking back to my childhood, I really was skinny, but something broke lose at one point and I became plump. I remember when my elementary school teacher weighed us in class. I weighed 66 pounds, while everyone else was around 50 pounds. I didn’t hesitate in flattering myself about this at the time, because it meant I was the biggest member of the class. This situation continued until I was a sophomore in high school, and its biggest disadvantage was the shame and inferiority complex it brought with it. I was regarded as nothing more than a fatso, and the girls would always have their eyes on the handsome boys. After all, why would they be interested in me? I stuck to a very strict diet and exercise program during my sophomore year,  quickly losing weight and gaining height at the same time. My world quickly turned upside down: I gained self-confidence, and my interactions with my schoolmates hit a record high. I then started college, where I would walk from my dorm to school every day, contributing to my good shape. When I moved into my own house, however, I started gaining weight again. The years went by as I struggled to control my weight, and then I got married. Marriage Adds an Extra 20 Pounds to a Man After marrying, the first thing women do is change their hairstyles, but men change their bellies. I observed from my friends that men, even when they were in good shape before marriage, got paunchy within the first year of marriage. I was already chubby on my wedding day, but I really let go afterwards. I call this situation the “the neutered cat syndrome.” You know, when you neuter a male cat, he gets lazy and gains weight just because he can’t have his flings anymore. This is just like married human males: “The womanizing is over, dude. Let yourself go.” I really let myself go, though. I was pushing my limits when I reached 240 pounds. The appearance aside, it was a very unhealthy state, and I was easily exhausted. Imagine having an extra 50 pounds on your body all the time. You can’t help but get exhausted quicker. What’s more, even though I kept telling myself that I didn’t care about my appearance, I got very upset when I saw my reflection in the mirror. I didn’t even want to look at photos of myself. I would fantasize about advanced aliens coming down and placing me in some sort of shaping-up device. I was that hopeless about reducing my weight… As I write this, I realize I’m very close to the image I wanted back then, and this happened without any alien intervention. If someone had told me I would be in this shape today, I would have laughed at them. Nevertheless, it happened, and I’d like to tell you the process that easily took me down from 235 to 200 pounds. In the Temple of Dionysus The place where everything started was the Temple of Dionysus in Teos, south of Sığacık in Ä°zmir Province, Turkey. On a warm, cozy July afternoon, my dear friend Cem Şen and I sat in the sacred chamber of the temple. Deniz, Cem’s son, then started to take photos of us meditating. When I looked at the photos on his camera, I said, “Man, we look like a couple of Buddhas. Look at my belly!” The conversation then moved on and Cem said, “Actually, losing weight is really simple for you. Just eat foods with a low glycemic index and see how easily you lose weight.” I didn’t understand what he meant, so he explained further, “Sugar, namely the hidden sugar in foods. You know I teach very intense spiritual training practices to people, and what I usually see is this: People are very focused in the morning, and the practice goes easily, but when it gets to lunchtime, they become drowsy. Why is this? It’s because they surrender themselves to bread products and cakes. The body cannot tolerate that much sugar, so it slows down. This process can even lead to depression. When I took bread and sugar out of their diets, our practices became more efficient, and their excess weight also wore off.” It all sounded very logical to me. As well as being overweight, I also had a tendency toward depression. My mornings were very tiresome and pessimistic. I never considered this was caused by all the jars of chocolate paste that I scoffed down at nights. Both the paste and the bread I spread it on were rich in sugar. Besides, there were also a couple of great new cake shops in my neighborhood, and I would eat a box of baklava every week. My love for sweet things was this extreme. My breakfast consisted of half a loaf of bread filled with kasseri and strawberry jam. I drank boxed fruit juices, considering them healthy, but these were also full of sugar. These things didn’t just cause me to gain weight—they also deteriorated my mood. So, What Should I Eat? This conversation between Cem and me influenced me greatly, so when I returned home, I started researching foods with high glycemic indexes. Almost everything I was eating had a high glycemic index, so it was no wonder I gained weight. I later chatted with my friend Seher (Gülcan) on Facebook while thinking about what I should eat, and she advised me to read a book. The next day, I bought the book, The Paleolithic Diet by Prof. Ahmet Aydın, and my process of saying goodbye to excess weight began. If you’ve ever heard of the paleolithic diet, you will know it’s a diet with very low amounts of carbohydrates and high amounts of protein. The book also explains how common food products ruin our bodies. About a year before reading this book, I attended an event in Susurluk Park where a doctor gave a wonderful speech about the issue. I cut out all kinds of soda and sugary drinks after that. I mean, I was already practicing part of the book’s advice, but I also learned about problems with foods that I previously considered healthy. After finishing this book, I read about the Karatay Diet, and my thoughts became clearer. I knew then exactly what I should do. Everything Is in the Head I can easily tell you that what we call our habits are actually programs in our heads, and these programs can change. For example, I despised eggs so much I wouldn’t even sit at a table if there was a boiled egg on it, and I was very fond of sugar and salt. When I look back over the last seven months of my life, however, I see a man who gobbles down three boiled eggs for breakfast. I can no longer drink my tea if I accidentally put a single cube of sugar in it, and those french fries they make in fast-food chains are too salty for me now. As I said, everything is in our heads. Besides the other books I mentioned, Yasemin Soysal’s book Our Brain: The Actual Fatty One helped me a lot at this point, because it showed me the effects of these programs in our heads. In fact, Soysal unwittingly wrote a guide on how to use our brains. (I can easily use the word “unwittingly” because I know the author personally.) I read the book a couple of years ago, and the most significant bit for me was this: “Never throw out your undersized pants. Always think about the day when you’ll fit in them again. You’ll see you’ll achieve this goal one day.” In my wardrobe, I actually had a pair of small pants that I‘d never worn. My wife tried to throw them out many, many times, but I never let her. Now, I can fit in them perfectly. (By the way, maybe it’s because they were ten years old, or maybe some other reason, but I looked ridiculous in them. Regardless, the goal was accomplished despite the pants not really working out.) I don’t want to go into a lengthy explanation about the things I learned from these books, because if you really want to lose weight, you can read them for yourself. I can only summarize what I have experienced on this journey.  The Low-Carb Diet The Karatay and Paleolithic diets are categorized as low-carb diets. You take carbohydrate-based foods—such as bread, sugar, desserts, pasta, and so on—out of your diet and eat natural products that are rich in proteins. I started with two or three eggs (either boiled or fried), cheese, olives, plenty of tomatoes, and walnuts for breakfast. I skipped lunch and finished the day with a dinner consisting of soup, meat, and salad. I didn’t eat anything after eight at night. I drank plenty of tea, and even though I didn’t really feel hungry, I drank a glass of buttermilk when my stomach rumbled at night. I also walked a lot. You might be asking how long I kept on living like this. First of all, if you regard a diet as a process that continues until you lose enough weight, reverting to your old ways afterwards, you’re destined to keep gaining and losing weight. A diet is a regulation of your daily nutrition, and the answer to the common question of “How long should I live like this” is simple: for a lifetime. What the authors explain in these books is not just about losing weight—their purpose is certainly not that. They convey what they know about a healthy diet, and you can’t help but tell yourself, “Gosh, I had no idea.” We are ashamed of our bodies when we look into the mirror, and it’s simply because we’re clueless. We should be ashamed of our ignorance rather than our appearances. This is what creates our flabby bodies. I used to feel hungry at night and eat whatever I could find in the fridge and chug sugary fruit juices back, yet I never felt satisfied. Then a greater greed would emerge in me. Eventually, as well as being chubby, I also experienced reflux. When I put my diet in order, the first thing I bid farewell to was my reflux. I immediately started losing weight, and within just three months, I had lost more than 28 pounds when the scale displayed 206 pounds. Is This the Same Thing as the Dukan Diet? Another question I’m frequently asked is, “That sounds like the Dukan Diet. Have you read about it?” No, I never read about it, but I didn’t need to. After all, I think the dietary habits in France are different to other countries, despite our basic similarities. I live in Anatolia, for example, so how should the Dukan Diet consider my local foods? This is why I haven’t read it. Another comment I encounter is, “But don’t other doctors criticize the idea?” I personally believe both authors were genuine about what they tried to convey, so I believed them. I did exactly what they suggested I do. By the way, when you decide to start a diet like this, you’ll be surprised how many “nutritionists” you have around you. Everyone around me became self-styled nutritionists and gave me advice from newspapers. No one ever took the trouble to research it properly, and what’s more ridiculous, almost all of them had bellies of biblical proportions. Tibet’s Fountain of Youth I wasn’t very physically active outside summer because I work in a home-office environment. I can take walks in just shorts and shoes in the summer, but the fall brings a busy work schedule and the cold weather, and somehow I just end up stuck at home. At this point, I needed a way to stay active and energetic, and this was when Tibet’s Fountain of Youth was added to my life. This exercise is actually a variation on yoga that Tibetan monks practice. It consists of five very simple principles, and completing a set every morning takes no more than 20 minutes. So, you then have your daily exercise, and this helps you lose weight while also charging your spiritual batteries. You can watch videos on how to do it if you search for “the five Tibetan rites” on YouTube. There are also books about it that I recommend you read as well. The Effects and Results of the Process It’s seven months today since I started my new diet. I weighed 235 pounds when I started, and now my weight is down to 200 pounds. I know I will lose more weight over time, but I don’t force myself that much anymore. This doesn’t mean I just returned to my old dietary habits. While at first I abstained from all kinds of sweets, I can now cut myself some slack for an occasional treat. I can eat a wrap if I crave it, not that I have much desire for bread. I seldom eat baklava, and when I do, it’s because it’s extremely well made, even though I know it’s not good for my body. Sometimes I eat bitter chocolate with a cup of coffee, and it’s a blissful experience for me. That said, I don’t crave this much either. I enjoy seeing my body in the mirror because it’s the result of my hard work, and even though I’m not an athlete by any means, it still looks good to me. By the way, I should add that I never worked out at a gym during my diet. I found jogging on treadmills that lead nowhere extremely boring when I was younger, if you know what I mean. Plenty of other things can support your diet, such as yoga, Pilates, and so on. Maybe I would have slimmed quicker if I went to a gym, but my aim was to discover if we can lose weight by just regulating our dietary habits rather than straining ourselves with heavy exercises. And yes, we can. I feel energetic and healthy now. People warned me about cholesterol because I started eating a lot of eggs during this period. I didn’t pay attention and enjoyed my eggs instead. I’ve recently had a blood test taken for this article, and my cholesterol level is 157, well within the normal range of 140 to 220. My blood markers were also excellent. I haven’t encountered any kind of health problems except for a food-poisoning incident and a cold I caught last winter. I’m 36 years old by the way. More importantly, I experienced a major change in my spiritual energy. The heavy, depressive feeling I suffered from in the mornings is gone. They still happen from time to time, of course, but now I know exactly where they come from: the other problems in my life. I don’t have to struggle against the effects of the huge amounts of sugar I used to consume. When I combined my diet with the Tibetan Fountain of Youth, my energy gained considerably. Okay, so are there any negative effects of this new diet? Well, yes, there are some things. First, there are no usable pants in my wardrobe because they are all so huge. Second, it’s tough to find places to eat out because fast food and sandwiches are so widespread in my country. You can’t eat bread or fries, so your options are pretty slim sometimes. My wife complained a lot about this at first, saying things like, “You don’t eat this. You don’t eat that. What will I give you to eat?” Sometimes, one small portion of rice or pasta is acceptable if you don’t have enough time, but you can’t have such meals all the time, and you need to eat a full meal. This can get impossibly hard at times. You’ll also find your food expenses increasing, but it actually seems to balance out once you cut down on the sweets, sodas, and juices. Of course, the hardest aspect of changing your eating habits is saying goodbye to the sweet foods that you’ve associated with pleasure since childhood. Many of my friends rejected the idea of a dietary change and claimed they didn’t need it, just because they couldn’t imagine giving up this pleasure. Ha, just take a step forward and see if you really need it or not. The Bottom Line I’m perfectly content with my new diet, and I’ve tried to summarize my journey for you. I would recommend you try this low-carb diet as well. I read two books—The Paleolithic Diet by Prof. Dr. Ahmet Aydın and The Karatay Diet by Canan Karatay, both written in Turkish—but I’m sure there are plenty of English equivalents in the USA and Britain. (By the way, everyone has a different metabolism, so if you have hesitations or health problems, you may want to consult your doctor first.) What’s more, when you combine this with the Tibetan Fountain of Youth, both your body and spirit will benefit. You can then continue your journey through life with a clearer, more positive approach. Read the full article