#what do you mean we are nothing but awareness focused through a human shaped lens (paraphrasing)

[novadreii]

2:30 am high pondering the concept of Self in bed.

[ahatintimepieces]

He’s Going to be Okay

I wrote a little fic for @doodledrawsthings ahit “Coffee shop AU” about one of Luka’s early days working at The Horizon! Nothing fancy but I got the idea and just went with it. Please enjoy!

              Luka flexed his four fingers against his coiled torso, staring at the thick purple prongs with tempered despair. Yes, he had been getting used to his new fluid body after traveling around for a few years, but now that he had recently started working at The Horizon, he found himself aching for his human body even more.

              Whenever he shapeshifted, he became acutely aware of just how much he had changed. While making coffee or wiping down tables, he could feel how flexible his arms and fingers were, like they were those cylindrical jelly toys meant to slip out of children’s hands the second they were squeezed too hard. He always feared if he grabbed a carafe or a customer’s change too firmly, his hands would melt back into purple goop.

              Blinking, he ran his hand through the fur on his head. He had to get up. Hattie was at school, which he was so grateful that a chance for her to have a normal life as a kid again, and he had work, which was another wonderful blessing. But he was so tired.

              Shaking himself as he uncoiled and floated over to the bathroom, he gazed at his reflection in the mirror. His pair of golden, glowing eyes and jack-o-lantern smile stared back at him. He longed for nothing more than to see his familiar, human features, but just the idea of shapeshifting just then drained him of non-existent energy.

              Come on! He could do this! He had been working full time and taking grad classes on top of being a single father before all of this! He didn’t know the meaning of fatigue! Surely, he could keep his liquid body in the right shape for one measly shift!

              Determined, he shrunk himself enough to curl his tail at the base of the sink as he gripped the edges. He stared into the mirror. It was only his forth day on the job and he wasn’t going to be late! He stared at his golden eyes, using the promise of coffee to summon enough strength to—

              He groaned and hunched over the sink, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

              Okay. New plan! He would grab some clothes and commute as a noodle. Maybe a short flight through the forest would wake his body up enough to change.

              Once he collected his things, he shrunk himself and snuck outside through his bedroom window. Luckily, most everyone in the complex had either left for work or school, so he only needed to slip past an older couple sitting on a bench at the boarder of the forest. He flew behind him, using their own shadows for cover, and darted into the woods.

              Use the shadows to hide. Think about the coffee waiting at work. Remember he’s doing this for Hattie. Hattie. He has to be able to support her. His daughter is all he had left, and he knew he could be okay as long as he had her.

              Feeling a touch more rejuvenated from both his mental pep talk and the fresh forest air, Luka landed behind the usual tree he used as cover when he started to slip in work. From his tree, he could smell the roasted coffee and his mouth watered. While Hattie did make him breakfast that morning—complete with lots of bacon, as if his sweetheart knew he needed an extra boost—he found himself still hungry. He vaguely wondered if all the shapeshifting lately required more fuel as well as sleep, but he shoved those thoughts down swiftly.

              He didn’t really have time to dwell on these things.

              With concentration, he first focused on shifting into a humanoid shape. The fluff around his neck easily molded into tufts of soft hair and shrinking his length to his human height was also a breeze. The hard part was splitting his tail into legs and his mittens into hands. But soon, he found himself standing—oh standing! How he missed feeling firmly planted on the ground on two feet!—and he could flex his humanoid fingers and thumbs. Next came his features, which he manifested while he shimmied into his pants.

              Nose. Teeth that weren’t fangs. Human eyes—with pupils and everything!—and brows. He skipped the ears because he figured his hair would cover them anyway and he was still so tired. Cutting corners on his appearance might help. Soon enough, he felt himself in proper human-shape, even if he still felt like a water balloon with his innards shifting around in a magic shell.

              As he buttoned his shirt—something so normal felt so good—he focused on changing his color to match how he was before. Brown hair, chestnut eyes, and not a drop of purple anywhere on his skin. He inhaled a steadying breath and walked around the shop and towards the entrance.

              “Hey there, Luka,” MJ called from the cash register as Luka briskly walked towards the back. “How was drop-off?”

              Drop-off? It took Luka a second as he put on his apron before he registered that MJ was asking about dropping Hattie off at school—the reason Luka had said he couldn’t take an early shift.

              “Oh, yeah,” Luka offered a nervous smile. He felt bad not only that he had to lie about the real reason but also because he wished he could have walked Hattie to school instead of being confined to the apartment as a weird purple snake monster. “It was fine. She seems to be making friends already.”

              That, he realized gratefully, was true and he couldn’t be happier for his daughter.

              But it also meant he really needed to make sure he didn’t screw up this job.

              “That’s great!” MJ offered a warm smile before turning back to the customers, his blue hair bouncing on top his head with his movement.

              Luka glanced down as he tied his apron, smiling softly.

              “Enough chatting!” Clover appeared from the back with a tray of plastic-wrapped pastries in hand. “Luka, can you get started on making drinks?”

              “Oui, Chef!” Luka saluted, which earned an eyeroll from Clover.

              “We outsource the pastries, you goof!” She gave him a gentle nudge before restocking the reserves beneath the display case.

              Instead of quipping back, Luka just laughed as he crossed over to the espresso machine, where cups with orders were already lined up.

              It felt good, he marveled, laughing with coworkers. How long had it been since he just spent time with friends? His gaze lingered on his human hand as he grabbed a cup.

              Too long, he decided.

              The first half of the shift went by in a blur. The mornings were always busiest, leaving Luka pushing out cup after cup. It wasn’t until MJ handed him the last order that Luka let himself relax long enough to breathe. Even then, when he read MJ’s instructions on what coffee to make, it just read, “Luka’s Favorite.”

              “What?” Luka glanced over at MJ, taking a moment to briefly scan the room for anyone waiting for coffee.

              “You’ve earned it,” MJ answered as his gaze narrowed on something in front of him and furrowed his brows. MJ removed his red-rimmed glasses and frowned at an apparent smudge before using the edge of his apron to clean up the lens. “I don’t know your favorite though,” MJ looked back up, squinting slightly at Luka without his glasses. “You’ll have to tell me a few times before I remember, as a heads up.”

              “Chestnut-infused Columbian Bean with cream and sugar,” Luka replied softly, smiling as he started to make himself a cup. “What about you?”

              MJ pushed his glasses back onto his nose and was about to respond before he titled his head with concern.

              “Dude, you alright? You’ve got some pretty gnarly bags under your eyes.”

              Luka’s heart dropped into his stomach as he instinctively lifted a hand to his face.

              “Um, mind if I—” Luka gestured towards the bathroom and MJ nodded. Luka practically threw himself into the cramped employee bathroom and glanced up.

              Oh no.

              Sure enough, purple was starting to spread, starting at the base of his eyes. In addition, his chestnut irises were starting to reflect gold in the dim bathroom light. He glanced down at his hands, his usual indicator that he was out of time in his human-shape. They remained untouched by purple and he still had his thumbs.

              Okay. Maybe this wasn’t so bad. He had made it through most of the shift and might be able to stick it out the rest of the day. Looking exhausted was fine, so long as he still looked human.

              He inhaled a deep, calming breath. He would be fine. He just needed a cup of coffee and that should tide him over. He could stick it out! He could do this!

              He returned to the counter with an anxious smile plastered on his face. MJ was wiping down the top of the display case when Luka went to finished making his coffee. While he poured the cream, he noted his hands were shaking but he ignored them.

              “Luka,” MJ asked as Luka lifted the steaming cup to his lips, “is everything okay?”

              “Oh yeah!” Luka smiled but he soon felt two sharp somethings—his fangs, he realized with dread—dig into his bottom lip. Panic gripped his chest and he glanced down at his hand holding the coffee cup.

              The tips of his fingers were turning purple.

              “Actually,” Luka’s shoulders slumped with resignation. He shifted the coffee cup into his other hand—which was still free of purple—and hid his changing hand behind his back. “I’m not—I think I need to—”

              MJ zeroed in on his hand and for a second, Luka feared the purple was spreading and the cat was out of the bag, but his fears were soon assuaged when MJ spoke.

              “Your hand is shaking more than my old dryer!” MJ explained in disbelief and worry. “Listen, do you need to go home? I can cover for the rest of the day.”

              “I hate to leave you mid-shift again and with Clover off getting more cup sleeves—” Luka winced from the way his growing fangs scratched against his mouth as he stepped back towards the door.

              “It’s all good,” MJ promised, his brows tight with concern. “Just get some rest before you need to pick up your daughter.”

              “Thank you!” Luka just about dashed out the back door, “It won’t happen again!”

              He barely made it outside before the purple creeped up his arm and his fingers on his one hand clenched back into cumbersome mittens. He ducked behind the tree and let out a frustrated groan as his thin control over his body dissolved.

              Not wanting to ruin another pair of clothes, he placed his coffee down and swiftly undressed. He tried to maintain fingers on the hand that was just turning purple as he struggled with the buttons on his shirt. It took a few tries but he finally managed. The second he shed his shirt and pants, his purple form ballooned into the now familiar form of a large snake with fur and noodle arms.

              Luka sighed, leaning against the bark as fatigue and sorrow ate at his spirit. Wet, golden tears slipped down familiar paths etched into his cheeks. He momentarily entertained the idea of remaining there, in the shadow of the tree and stewing in his sorry state, but on the other side of The Horizon, he could hear the hustle and bustle of the people of Subcon. The longer he remained in the open, the more he risked being seen.

              Willing himself through the motions, he collected his clothes and draped them over his arm before scooping up his coffee cup between two thick fingers. Careful not to let the cup slip through his fingers because he knew that a little spilled coffee in that moment was all it would take to send him into a spiral of despair he might not be able to recover from, he headed home.

              He hovered through the deeper part of the woods since he had nowhere to be anytime soon. Of course, he wanted to be home before Hattie, but that wasn’t for another hour or two. So, he took his time, letting his tail wiggle lackadaisically as he flitted from shadow to shadow. The warm coffee in his hand was a small comfort and the toasted flavor of the beans soothed him to the core.

              He was mid-sip—eyes half-closed—when a small gasp came from below.

              Luka’s eyes snapped fully open as he glanced down over his coffee cup. A young child in a dark purple hood with fluffy brown bangs that concealed most of their features was craning their neck to look up at him.

              The two remained frozen as they stared at each other for a second. Luka clutched his clothes draped around his one arm and still held the coffee cup to his mouth while the child’s jaw hung open.

              “Wowie! What are—” The child’s awe-filled voice snapped Luka out of his petrification and before the child could finish their sentence, Luka flew away.

              Peck! He was seen! Sure, he had been seen before but usually not mid-day and never that up close! He glanced back at the kid, who thankfully wasn’t following him, just watching in shock.

              That might come back to haunt him…

              Oh well, Luka tried to console himself as he zipped back home. At least the kid didn’t see him shapeshifting, which was more likely to give away his identity. The thought of Luka being found out and having to tear Hattie from another home gripped his chest like ice, but he immediately forced himself to take deep breaths.

              It was okay. The kid saw a purple noodle in the forest with coffee. It was fine. There was no reason to think he was at risk of being found out.

              It was going to be okay. He would be okay. Hattie was safe and happy. Everything was okay.

              The area behind the apartment was void of life and Luka had no trouble shrinking and flying up to his bedroom window, which he had left open for easy access. He flew in and soon expanded to fill the empty room. Sighing, he gingerly set down his cup before folding his clothes and stacking them by the closet. Exhaustion overwhelmed him and he curled around himself, resting his head on his hands on the topmost coil.

              His eyelids drooped as he flicked the tip of his tail back and forth. He wished he could have finished his shift. He wished he could have kept laughing with MJ and that he could have been there when Clover came back.

              He squeezed his eyes shut, as if it would keep a few more tears from slipping out. No such luck. He heaved out a worn sign before shifting his focus on getting some sleep. Maybe if he rested enough, he would have enough energy to maintain a humanoid shape so he could cook a good dinner for Hattie. That would be nice.

              He fell asleep repeating his new mantra.

              It would be okay. He was going to be okay.

[solarsmith49]

First Entry

So I figured I should have a preface/background post before I jump into sharing my writing lol, be warned this is kinda sappy but necessary haha.  I’m going to focus on writing for Creatus Annus; I got back into watching Mark’s channel during the initial March lockdowns after being away for a couple years, and from there into Ethan’s channel and Unus Annus.  I relate so much to Ethan in the brutally honest video talking about how he’s felt aimless and drifting the last few years, because that’s exactly how I felt for a long time- I started 2020 unemployed, no money, no direction, with seemingly no passion or drive to really get out and /live/ instead of just existing.  In April I had a breakdown, and I realized I had to get myself and my life together while I still could because it really did seem like the world was burning down (thanks covid!) and if I didn’t do it now then there wouldn’t be another chance.  I was able to mentally get myself together, and I did find another job in May (which has been a godsend).  And at about the same time as I got hired, I found Mark’s vlog talking about his surgeries and the post-op pain medicine screwup that almost killed him.   I closed my laptop and cried after that, because it was exactly what I needed to hear, when I needed to hear it, by the right person I needed to hear it from.  Because I realized it described me perfectly, not acting on my potential and (even worse) not feeling the /need/ to do so.  So I took a long look at myself, and this essay below is the first thing I wrote after watching the video, exploring my complete love of space and /why/ it drives me in the way it does.  I think it fits the whole message of Unus Annus, and what we’re trying to do here with Creatus Annus, trying to give our own answers to why our lives and our art matters.  Space colors all of my poems (as you’ll see later haha), as well as the creative tension I have from my religious and spiritual background (I was raised Catholic, and still am to a degree, but my personal beliefs range all over the place and the relationship and dialogue I have with God/the Divine and what it means to Create Things is a major theme with space).  So, here’s my first entry for the project; I’m going to write my general ideas for specifically what I want to do in the ideas thread later, but enjoy the essay - I think you guys will like it.

Even until just a few days ago, I didn’t think I had any life passions, or at least, any passions that mattered.  I have hobbies, sure - gaming, crafting, reading, general learning - but I never thought much of them because I didn’t see how I could use them or even if I should bother trying to make anything of them.  Certainly I didn’t think I had any interest that moved me enough to devote a life’s pursuit ot it - but that was another self life, perhaps the greatest, one born from a mix of complacency, lack of faith in myself, and a fear of really facing what truly honestly drives me and the action that that would demand.  The change that that would demand.  Because I do have a passion, and I love it in a general sense, learning about it and following it casually.  But it's also something I turn to in dark hours, something that resparks me when I’m tired, that keeps me going and holds my faith and sustains me when everything else fails - family, friends, my job prospects, failing health, chaos in the larger world, evil in the larger world, even when my belief in the Church burns down and God as seen through the “Catholic” lens seems distant and irrelevant.  Something that I adore with every fiber of my being and in the core of my very soul.  That something is space: the stars and galaxies and their natural functions and processes, but also in particular the space program and what it says about human nature and our relation to the wider universe and ultimately to God himself.

I believe the human endeavour to get to space and the various space programs throughout the world showcase the pinnacle of what our species can do, the best of humanity in terms of technology and cooperation and curiosity, and one of the most fundamental drives we have as humans - the drive to be remembered.  Every single human being, from the greatest to the worst of us, is the end product of 13.6 billion years of cosmic cycles, stars being formed, exploding, sending out dust that forms new stars.  Every single atom and primal element in our bodies, our carbon, iron, calcium, magnesium, everything was forged in the nuclear fusion reactor in the core of a star, untold eons ago and untold millions of lightyears away.  Probably more than once as the dust clouds combine, are forged, and then scattered by the shockwaves of supernovas across time and space.  Over and over and over again, until 4.6 billion years ago when our Sun grew from dust and the planets grew from the leftovers.  And the Earth - the Earth! - undergoing the same process in microcosm, plates shifting and rock melting and gas expanding and water sifting until the Earth was made solid, and then!  In the process, as a by-product, a side effect!  The right combination of star forged elements and electricity and chemical reactions was struck and gave the collections of dust atoms Life and Breath!  Living, self sustaining action on its own accord, independent of outside forces, movement greater than the stars because it happens on its own!  And THEN - a more focused microcosm of the star forge, as 4.5 billion years of evolution refine Life, uncounted species live and die and refine their genes and physical makeup and brain processes and living interactions with the inert world around them; the decay of their bodies feeding plants which feed animals which lets them reproduce and keep the cycle going, echoing the ancient and unaware supernovas, until at last! 100,000 years ago the human species was fully evolved, and, miraculously, became self aware.

Think about that for a minute.  As wonderful as Life is, we could have been just another species of animal, but for the greatest innovation and combination of stardust the universe has ever seen.  We were cavemen, we knew next to nothing about the stars or the wide earth or about our potential, but for the first time Life had gained the capacity to know.  For the first time in 13.6 billion years, dust atoms had gained the capability to learn their origins and how they were made and ultimately to define why they were made.  So, what is almost the very first thing we do with this capacity of thought as an infant species, newly self aware?  We make art.  We make, preserved by some quirk of fate in a French cave, handprints on a rock wall.  We - living stardust - take inert ochre and pigment and stamp an outline on the wall, and those outlines survive intact for 50,000 years.  In this scribbling of an infant species we can already recognize the drive still present in ourselves - the need to say “we were here once, and our existence mattered”.  Humanity for the first time, living relics of ancient stars, giving voice for the first time to those stars, saying in art and words what stars declared in the mute atoms and elements and light they left behind: “we existed once, and that existence mattered.”

Humanity is the universe made self aware.  And just as galaxies are made of millions of individual stars, so too do we as individuals make up Humanity as a collective.  Every single one of us is the universe learning about and defining itself.  And the impulse behind our earliest achievements of cave art is present in everything throughout our history, our collective achievements, our art, our architecture, literature, science, theology, our empires, our struggles, our failures, our compassion for each other.  It's present in all of us as individuals, for which of us doesn’t want our life, our memory to be remembered when we are gone?  We as a species are capable of such great things, great destruction and great good.  And throughout our entire history as a species, we’ve never stopped looking up at the moon and the stars, admiring them, fascinated by them, studying them, unaware at times of our origin among them but always drawn to their light, their unspoken promise.  Until finally in the 20th century, the culmination of thousands of years of research and science and engineering, the best efforts of the best we humans have to offer - we unlock the sky we’ve dreamed of for so long and we build machines to take us to the Moon.  We build the Saturn V, the Apollo capsules, we push ourselves from the cradle and beyond our ancient limits and we - fragile, living mortals - walk upon the Moon itself.  We leave our handprints, after all this time, in the purest form of star dust we will likely ever physically encounter, the living imprinting its shape into the inert, like a brother finally coming home.

But we don’t stop there.  We build satellites and the Hubble Telescope, the International Space Station and satellites and rovers and probes to pave the way for us, our reunion with the stars.  We take more stardust and primal elements and fashion them in our image, to go to other worlds and scout the cosmos for us.  We name them after the best of ourselves: Pioneer, Perseverance, Curiosity, Sojourner, Spirit, that they may represent us well to the cosmos and whatever it may contain.  We build Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, currently the furthest of our creations from the Earth in the cold vastness of interstellar space, and in Voyager 2 we place the Golden Record.  A disk of pure gold upon which we recorded the sounds and voice of Earth - water running, leaves falling in the wind, ocean waves, volcanoes bursting, birds singing, and us - human voices, human laughter, human crying, greetings in every language, our music, a baby crying, a heart beating.  We took inert stardust and imprinted ourselves, living dust, upon it, and sent it out into interstellar space to be our witness and our message.  That we, the universe living and self ware, see the stars we came from and that we understand; we say through the pinnacle of our innovation and with the same depth of expression as those first handprints, “We, the living dust, give this record back to you and for ourselves, that we existed once, and that it mattered.”  We sent it as a testimony, as an offering, as a prayer, and as a vow: that we aren’t done yet, that as long as Humanity lives we will never be done, and if we do eventually end that there will have been a time, if only briefly, that the stars knew and understood themselves, and that despite or even because of its brevity, it will have mattered.

[lyfe-is-such]

How to Create a Positive Life

Have you ever heard the saying that there are three sides to every story? Your side, someone else's side, and the truth somewhere in between. This saying also applies to the experience of life or our reality. Reality is a state of things as they are or are perceived to be.

It is common to believe that reality is objective, assuming what happens in the world is a constant and everyone experiences the same thing in the same way. Though life is an experience unique to each person, no two people see the world through precisely the same lens.

Perception is Reality

The reason for this is due to perception, defined as an organization and interpretation of sensations. Human sensations are an awareness of physical changes, including sight, sound, taste, smell, touch, and cognitive perception. Yet, perception is influenced by a person's needs, beliefs, emotions, and expectations - many things stored in the unconscious mind.

How you experience life is affected by your thoughts and past events.

Things that happen in the world are neither positive nor negative, they just happen. It is how we interpret an event that gives it significance.

For example, one person may perceive a wildfire as a negative natural disaster and another person may view it as a positive opportunity for re-growth. This idea applies to the classic question, if a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

Interpretations for events change based on a person’s:

· needs

· beliefs

· emotions

· expectations

Life is not objective, it is subjective.

For example, think about how much your expectations shape your perceptions. Have any of your friends recommended that you go into a situation, like a first date, with little or no expectations? How many times have you felt disappointed if a person or outcome did not meet your expectations? What if you had no expectations? How would that change your experience of an event? Does the saying, "don't knock it till' you try it," sound familiar?

Also, reflect on how much your mood and general mindset changes your daily experiences.

Below is an example of how mindset can influence the positive or negative perception of the same event:

More negative mindset: Your alarm clock never went off, and you start to stress that you will be late to work. You get stuck in traffic on your way to work and begin to feel even more stressed. At work, your boss yells at you, making you feel upset. You tell yourself you did nothing to deserve this personal attack and have a hard time focusing on your work. Lastly, your computer turns off because you left your computer charger at home. This event causes you to become angry at yourself. Days like this, you tell yourself that you are a victim of Murphy's Law (what can go wrong, will go wrong).

More positive mindset: Your alarm clock never went off, but you feel more rested because you could get another hour of sleep. Also, you remind yourself that technology doesn't always work perfectly and make a plan B to ensure it doesn't happen again. You get stuck in traffic, but you don't get stressed because you recognize that traffic is out of your control. Plus, the extra time spent in your car allows you to listen to more of your podcast. Your boss yells at you at work, but you realize that your boss is going through a personal issue, and you are grateful to not have the same problems. Although your boss' actions do not make you feel great, the event is out of your control. Additionally, you don't take the yelling personally as you know that you did nothing to deserve. Lastly, your computer turns off because you forgot your computer charger at home. You acknowledge people are allowed to make mistakes and figure out a solution to the problem or complete a different work task.

Strategies that Help Create a Positive Life

Although the following strategies are easier said than done, it helps to acknowledge them and implement tiny changes that will improve your self-awareness and help construct a positive mindset.

1. Self-awareness ��� observe your sensations. How are you feeling? What mood are you in? Are you hungry, tired, irritated, or happy?

· Recognize how your sensations impact your decisions and interpretations. Once you understand this, you can more objectively view a situation and the reason why you have a certain perspective.

· Part of being human is the ability to experience emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, frustration, embarrassment, tiredness, surprise, etc. Experiencing emotions is not only natural, but healthy! Contrast of emotions is essential because in order to value the good days, we must encounter the bad days.

If there were only sunshine and no rain, there would be only desert, which limits what can grow.

2. Mindset – recognize that life is subjective (we apply meaning) AND understand that everyone in this world has their own struggles, pains, and hardships. You are not alone!

· The first step in creating a positive mindset is figuring out how you can see the glass as half-full vs. half-empty. There is always a bright side to every situation - it may just take some time for the dark clouds to clear.

When we encounter darkness like the death of a loved one, abuse (physical or mental), personal or professional setbacks, mental illness, or any other hardship, it can be extremely difficult to find the bright side, especially in the short-term. But always remind yourself that through the darkness, there is always light. Maybe the light appears with the end of suffering or pain for your loved one, learning how to better protect yourself (mentally or physically), understanding your true value, aligning to new values. Whatever the darkness, acknowledge that it is temporary….brighter days will appear!

· The second step in creating a positive mindset is to understand that too often, we are our own toughest critics. Don’t be so hard on yourself, you are doing the best you can! Frame your situation looking at it with an outsider’s perspective. What advice would you give your friends if they were in the same situation? Then adopt that advice. If we talked to our friends the way we talk to ourselves, we would likely not have very many friends.

The event happened, now how can you frame it to see the positive of the outcome? Try not to waste your time on things outside of your control (easier said than done, I know). But life is short enough as it is, and you only have so much energy to expend.

3. Take a deep breath – there is something so powerful about breath. Life throws some hard curveballs, and at times, we feel like we are helpless. In these situations, taking a deep breath can physiologically help calm our body. Calming our body will help us re-focus our attention back on strategies 1 and 2.

The next time you find yourself in a disagreement with a friend, try using the defense, "my reality is different than your reality." This is not wrong, and it will be interesting to see how your friend responds! However, remind yourself that life is a beautiful and crazy experience. Things happen that are out of our control, but how we choose to perceive events can create a positive reality.

Change your perception, change your life.

[lovehaswonangelnumbers]

New Post has been published on https://lovehaswonangelnumbers.org/full-moon-lunar-eclipse-in-sagittarius-june-5th-2020/

FULL MOON Lunar ECLIPSE in Sagittarius June 5th 2020

FULL MOON Lunar ECLIPSE in Sagittarius June 5th 2020

By Mystic Mamma

*FULL MOON* Lunar ECLIPSE in SAGITTARIUS

June 5th 2020  12:12 pm PDT | 7:12 pm GMT 

June 6th 2020 6:12 am AEDT

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With things in the state that they are right now, it should come as no surprise that we are headed into Eclipse season beginning with this FULL MOON Lunar ECLIPSE in Sagittarius on June 5th 2020.

Eclipses usually come sets of 2, but this year they come in sets of 3, so this is the first of these 3 consecutive Eclipses which continue to precipitate life-changing shifts.

Current Gemini energies continue to reflect and communicate the reality that we all experience life through different fractals. 

Our collective lens has focalized the experience of our black brothers, sisters and relatives that continue to be subjected to racism rooted in white supremacy and abuse that has been systematically allowed to perpetuate.

Our expanding realizations are transforming into bridges of solidarity and action calls to the ways we can each proactively participate in the active dismantling of the oppressive systems that we consciously or unconsciously maintain.

We are in a time of collective and personal awakening to what has been in the shadows, oppressive and imbalanced across our implemented systems as well as our personal myopic realities. 

The process of awakening can be painful, because new realities precipitate trajectory shifts.

In the process of things dismantling, disassembling, and crumbling, we can feel unstable and this is why change is often so dreaded.

But we are the changemakers of this time, and we are here at this time for a reason.

We each carry our own truth, but a universal truth is that we’re all here ultimately to learn to love.

All those who have had crossed over and come back through near-death experiences, and those who are mediums between worlds echo this truth: Life is a school of learning, and we are here to learn to love. 

At this time, like Rumi said,  that is our task, and not only to love but to seek to dissolve “all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”

It is also a time to have courage and not be afraid to communicate, even as it makes us feel increasingly more vulnerable.

Vulnerability is the straight path of the heart, the direct access point.

Gemini continues to teach us that through communication we can heal our separateness and isolation.

As we’ve heard it said, the more difficult the subject, the more healing is to be gained from talking about it.

In what ways can we speak from our experience like elders, like our grandmothers and grandfathers, with compassion but with strength that illuminates another facet to be taken into account?

Like Einsten said “we cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.” Let’s expand our thinking and let’s get massively creative with new ways to implement change.

Let’s use that surge of Sagittarius creative power to launch new Life affirming ways to support our existence and everyone’s right to Liberty. Because we’re in this together.

We are lovers, We are love. That’s what we are here to remember, here to learn, here to BE.

Here are the MYSTIC MAMMA Astral Insights from our beloved featured astrologers:

PAM YOUNGHANS from her NorthPoint Astrology says:

“Our Milky Way galaxy is part of a great river of galaxies that flows through space, being magnetically pulled in the direction of a massive galactic anomaly called Abell 3627, more commonly known as the Great Attractor (GA)…

“Our Lunar Eclipse this Friday is… aligned with the GA… (and) will be activating its influence in our awareness.

“Since the GA continuously draws us toward itself, it represents the inexorable pull of our Higher Destiny.

“When it is activated in our collective awareness through events such as an eclipse, new insights and unexpected viewpoints become possible.

“We can experience a major shift in our perceptions and beliefs, which in turn alters our trajectory. 

“Astrologer Philip Sedgwick, who has studied the GA in great depth, explains:

  ‘The enormous gravity of the GA actually bends light around it.

“It bends the light so much, that a glimpse of what is behind it can be taken.

‘This provides clear behind-the-scenes insights, while simultaneously offering other refractive illusions.’

  “Friday’s Eclipse, being conjunct the GA, represents a profound juncture in our evolution.

“As we stand at that crossroads, we must expand our understanding of reality, while also accepting that each person may rightly have their own version of truth. 

“Another quote from Sedgwick:

  ‘A narrow view (or opinionated nature) does not fit with the Great Attractor.

‘There is not one simple answer.

‘Perhaps each point of focus is only a fragment of the hologram of understanding.’

  “Sedgwick advises that in order to find our own truth, our own ‘fragment of the hologram,’ each of us must ‘Center the source of your light within the matter of your life. What matters clearly focuses your truth.’

“The last time we had a Lunar Eclipse that aligned with the Great Attractor was on June 4, 1993.

“Events that occurred around that time, and subsequent changes in our perspective, pulled us into a new future, perhaps a different destiny than the one we had thought we were building toward.

“We may have gone willingly toward that new future, but maybe not. And yet, looking back, we can see how essential that trajectory shift was, and how it forever changed the course of our life.

“We are at a similar time now. This Lunar Eclipse conjunct the Great Attractor alters the landscape, requiring us to reroute.

“In time, we will find that our new road is more aligned with that greater destiny we came here to fulfill.”

© Copyright 2020 PAM YOUNGHANS

  SARAH VARCAS from Astro-Awakenings.co.uk her says:

“An alliance between Chiron, Uranus and Mercury at the time of this eclipse unlocks fresh perspectives.

“But to benefit from them we must reclaim the fundamental right to honor our own experience and not have it dismissed, ridiculed or silenced if it runs contrary to the received wisdom of the time.

“This takes courage in a world where people are being demonized and discredited for daring to question… and reflect more deeply on the narrative they’re being fed.

“But if ever there was a time for courage it is now!

“Courageous thought, courageous speech, courageous hearts open to a new world in which we’re not told how things are but instead discern, through digesting many perspectives and listening, perhaps most importantly, to the voice within that knows truth..

“As we stand at this juncture in human history there are weighty choices to be made and we must each make them as best we can.

“This eclipse season will both reveal the shadow side of readily accepted sources of information – hidden interests, inaccurate assumptions, covert agendas –  as well as illuminate in their wake new sources of knowledge previously eclipsed by the might of received wisdom and unquestioned ‘truths’.

“The path ahead remains scattered with obstacles and the battle for dominion over the collective mind continues unabated.

“This lunar eclipse is just the beginning and there is much to be revealed and digested before we can decide, collectively, the quality of our future.

“Saturn is now retrograding through Aquarius before returning to Capricorn in July. (You can read more about what this means for us in terms of freedom of thought and speech in full here.)

“..Saturn is a key player in the unfolding of events this year. As signifier of the establishment and authorities, its alignment with Pluto speaks to the extension of government powers and the reduction of civil liberties.

“It illuminates who gets to shape a dominant narrative, how they do it, and the use of fear to suppress and control.

“Indeed, the Saturn / Pluto conjunction of January speaks far more deeply to issues of power and control than of health and disease, signifying the imposition of authoritarian power over the masses in ways never before seen on such a vast scale.

“As Saturn completes its shift from Capricorn to its new home in Aquarius during the course of 2020, it illuminates the suppression of free-thought and open debate.

“The silencing of free speech and what happens when those silenced refuse to be so…

“Initially, Saturn in Aquarius can continue to manifest as the metaphorical boot that kicks dissenters back into line, stifles independence and acts contrary to collective well-being.

“It’s the fear of having to think for yourself in a confusing and paradoxical world.

“It wants to be told what to think and believe, who to love, who to hate, how to keep yourself safe…

“As Saturn tiptoes from the familiarity of conventional perception (Capricorn) to the uncharted terrain of independent thought (Aquarius) this year, fear arises: What if I’m wrong? They’re the experts. What would I know? How do I justify gut instinct when what it tells me goes against the grain of accepted belief? What if I’m left standing alone in my beliefs, ridiculed for daring to think differently? What if I’m roundly rejected, left in a group of one?

“But Saturn is nothing if not steadfast!

“Its presence in Aquarius empowers us to think for ourselves whatever it takes.

“To take responsibility for our own well-being. To enjoy maturity of thought and behaviour, not surrender our sovereign view to a surrogate ‘parent’ who tells us what to believe.

“Saturn in Aquarius reminds us that even the oft-uttered refrain ‘everything is happening as it should’ doesn’t mean there’s nothing to be done but let it all unfold.

“We don’t download awakening, we cultivate it, nurture it, question those aspects of self that mitigate against it.

“And in doing so we discover that wise action in this moment can change the next.

“That by being present to the full triumph and catastrophe of the human experience we can recalibrate it and shape the course of history rather than simply be shaped by it.

“And we’re currently living at a historical crossroads of monumental proportions.

“To choose well we need to harness the power of Saturn’s journey into Aquarius to engage courageous thought and nurture fresh perspectives.

“Not to stifle debate and feed the fear of dissent.

“Black Moon Lilith and Chiron were conjunct the Sun when Saturn first entered Aquarius in March 2020, highlighting the influence its Aquarian journey would have over our individual and collective sense of self.

“They affirm the healing radiance of the human spirit and the unadulterated power unleashed when we remember who we really are – divine through and through, and equally human. Of this world and all others everywhere.

“This power cannot be diminished by tyranny or lies, by manipulation or fear.

“It is unassailable. Always. And it knows the truth. We know the truth. This is the message of Saturn in Aquarius…

“It’s a long road ahead. Courage will be needed.

“As will a sense of humor and the ability to know when to speak up and when to keep one’s counsel for a more propitious time. No outcome is assured so complacency is best avoided.

“That said we need to know our own limits and take care of ourselves first and foremost.

“Saturn in Aquarius can be a game changer if we let it, opening up debate, revealing hidden truths and endowing each and every one of us with a deep sense of responsibility for what we believe, such that simply accepting what we’re told by anyone will be anathema to our finely tuned moral compass.

“Let the prevailing narrative place its evidence alongside that of alternative views. Let us debate and explore, question and analyze. Let us be convinced of an argument, not receive our beliefs by dictate.

“But most of all, let Saturn in Aquarius cement the sovereignty of our mind and our right to form our own opinion from external evidence and our internal knowing about it…

“For whatever’s going on in this world today, it is we the people, not the privileged elite with vested interests in our obedience to their cause, who can – and must – decide the shape our lives take from here.”

© Copyright 2020 SARAH VARCAS

  DIVINE HARMONY says:

“The North Node in Gemini is about coming back to beginner’s mind. This is about cultivating the mind of a child- full of openness, curiosity and generosity.

“This is about saying ‘show me where I am wrong’ and ‘hmm I don’t know- what is the Truth here? Show me the Truth Universe.’

“The Highest expression of Gemini is open mindedness.

“The karmic South Node in Sagittarius highlights where we do the opposite of this. This is where we have hubris, self righteousness and dogma.

“This is where we think MY beliefs are the right ones and yours are the wrong ones- you just need to listen to me, I will teach you the RIGHT way of doing things/seeing things/believing.

“In any conflict if anyone is coming from this position I can guarantee you it is a no win situation.

“But cultivating an open mind and willingness to see other perspectives and work to understand other positions WILL open doors in communication rather than close them.

“The thing to remember here is when we listen to another’s perspective it’s not about right or wrong. It’s about understanding where another comes from.

“Understanding another person’s world view and lived experience…

“Vesta is conjunct the North Node – drawing us forward to our Sacred Focus and Greatest Devotion.

“The North Node is in Gemini but Vesta is in Cancer- the sign of the Great Mother.

“One of the great necessities of this time is to honor and reinstate the Divine Feminine…

“The denial of the Mother has had horrific ramifications on our planet.

“The Feminine elements are Earth and Water- body and soul, physical reality and emotion…

“We need to heal our disassociation from our emotions and (Water) and our detachment from and abuse of the body (Earth).

“If we were fully connected to these elements we could NEVER harm another person, dump toxic poison in the water or air, abuse a child, kill, murder or go to war.

“If everyone’s heart chakra was fully open we would FEEL what we do to another and we would never be able to do the horrific things happening on the planet right now.

“Reclaiming and restoring the Divine Feminine to her rightful place is NECESSARY… (and to be clear- this is not about men vs women- as men and masculine identified beings have an inner feminine just as women and feminine identified beings have an inner masculine)

“Use this sacred Eclipse portal to question your assumptions, beliefs, attitudes and ways of perceiving the world around you.

“Use this time to anchor more deeply into your heart, compassion, empathy and love for all beings- human, animal and non-human- everywhere.

“Use this portal to open up to Higher Truths that go beyond ego-mind perspectives. See beyond the veil of delusion/illusion/manipulation so you can get to the Truth.

“Start with yourself (do your shadow work) and then extend that inner work out into the world around you.”

© Copyright 2020 DIVINE HARMONY

And ELLIAS LONSDALE interpretation of the Chandra symbol for this Full Moon Eclipse is:

SAGITTARIUS 16:A man shearing sheep.

“Practical fortitude. Resiliency to keep finding a way to do it, to keep discovering how to get through the deepest quandaries, the greatest karmic traps. Ingenious and resourceful. Paying attention to the cues, going to get it right.

“You’re involved within a path which requires discipleship or apprenticeship, learning the ropes. Building up fresh capacity in this lifetime to scale the heights. But you remain preoccupied and absorbed within honest tasks.

“A pervasive conviction grows and forms, of how it really is.

“You’re willing to take every step to reach a far goal, and attentive to what is really there. A throwback to the old ways of a rural past.

“Oddly comfortable in adopting forms and moving through phases and taking on the worlds.

“The journeyman learns the ways of the journey and gathers Earth wisdom in small bundles.

“Knowing how to be there when it counts.“

© Copyright 2020 ELLIAS LONSDALE

This has been a very tough week. For me personally, I lost one my very best friends and allies on this physical plane. This last line, “Knowing how to be there when it counts,” is what she embodied and reason we all continue to do what we must.

Sending so much love to each of our hearts during this trying passage,

With all my heart~

MM ☾☾☾

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How Authentically Can I use Life Experiences to Create an Engaging Piece of Work?

When in early 2018, Anoushka Warden’s autobiographical play “My Mum’s A Twat” opened at the Royal Court, she was hailed ‘fearless’ by Artistic Director Vicky Featherstone. She went on to say of her first reading of the play that she was “Blown away by it – by the energy of the storytelling. I became breathless, struck by the writing’s musicality and by its title. I was amazed by the resilience of this young girl who was effectively abandoned.” However, Warden at that time was not and never had intended to be a writer: her one woman show came from a stream of conscious writing based and grounded completely in the reality of her own situation. As Mark Twain said, “Truth is stranger than fiction”, and Warden certainly proves that this is true. On a similar note, there are plenty of writers such as, Tennessee Williams, who express parts of their own life experiences in their work such as when Williams gives a nod to his own childhood in “A Glass Menagerie” or certain writers that seemingly ground their work in fiction as seen through the lens of “Fleabag” in Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s one woman show. As such I wanted to investigate how I can use the life experiences of those around me to create an authentic piece of work examining where the boundary between complete honesty and dramatic license exists.

My first aim was to create a piece of work that was accessible to the community it was based upon whilst also being accessible to people on a universal level. I decided I wanted to create a piece of work based on my Nana, Heather, and the stories she’s told of being from a fishing town in the 60’s as these had gripped me throughout my upbringing. This would also give me a clear target audience. The Grimsby fishing industry was massive and involved a network of families that would have a relationship with the piece because they had their own understanding of the time. On presenting the idea, one piece of feedback I got was from my tutor Jayne Courtney. She was born close by to Grimsby, in Hull and commented that as Hull also had docks and a fishing community she too could relate ‘directly to the story and nostalgia of her own experience’s’.  However here I was only fulfilling one part of my aim, I needed to make sure that the play would be received by people who had no concept of that time so as to create something with widespread appeal. Writer David Edgar once said, ‘The play text is both a blueprint and record, but also has an independent life’. This gave me the confidence to free the story up. Whilst I was documenting my Nana’s life, I could allow myself to use elements of dramatic license to help shape a story of its own. I started to think about the elements of the story that anyone could resonate with; her turbulent relationship with her rebellious husband, Keith– which taken out of context is really just a story about love and family, something that everyone has some understanding of and can connect to. I therefore wanted to draw on a particular story about the time my Mum found an article about Keith in the Bygones, a section of the modern-day newspaper that looks back on stories from the past. He was wanted for being involved in a shooting at a local pub. The reality was his friend had a starting gun that he pulled out- completely harmless. However, what if, for my story, the gun was real, and it had been used to harm someone and Heather was in some way recounting this. As tutor Karen Henthorn had taught me in my acting training to ‘always play the highest stakes’ I wanted to transfer this to my writing and play the ultimate scenario. This would make the story much more about a woman witnessing a betrayal from her husband and could arise many feelings of anger or confusion, of pain and protection: all of which every person must have experienced on some level in their life. Falling in love in the 60’s really is no different to falling in love today, illustrated extremely well in Baz Luhrmann’s interpretation of ‘Romeo and Juliet’, for example. So, in doing this, I hope I opened the piece up to a universal audience who could recognise Heather’s emotional journey and connect in some way to it.

The next step, now that I had a clear idea of what I wanted the piece to be and who I wanted it to be aimed at was to start the writing process and achieve a first draft. Taking inspiration from the likes of Warden, I began stream of conscious writing.  However, the work quickly descended into a ramble and mesh of different stories my Nana had told me about her and my Grandad thus lacking clear direction. My second aim was to create a clear story arc, where a change occurred in the state and situation of the character from beginning to end. So, coming back to that, I decided to use a technique I had learnt from reading up on Waller- Bridge’s creative process in “Fleabag”. She talked of always having three things going on for the character in the scene at any one time, as seen in the first section of ‘Fleabag’ in which she is late for a job interview, sweaty and hot but really needing to impress. She went on to say when you achieve this “You instantly have reality”. By this I think she means as humans we are hardly ever focusing on one want, we always have multiple metaphorical plates to balance and are brains are aware of so many different things coming at us. Applying this to my work, if Heather was only having a conversation with the audience, there is nothing else going on and we are far removed from reality. I therefore decided to put someone else in the space, a Police Officer to rely the story too, someone who was looking for her husband Keith. He was kept imaginary to allow the focus to still be on Heather and her story but giving the character someone to speak directly to gave her a reason for speaking that developed into an objective. If the Officer was around enquiring after Keith, why wasn’t he there? Maybe Heather was protecting him? I quickly started to have my 3 things going on; Heather outwardly trying to placate and find out what the officer wanted whilst inwardly worrying about the disappearance of her partner. It gave a really interesting conflict between the show she was trying to put on against her own fear’s. I just needed a third. I came up with the concept that she was due to pick her daughter up from her mother’s, it provided a reason for her to want to see the Officer out and another thing weighing her down. This also meant I could start the piece with a really clear story and journey for it to go on. This was because all of these things Heather was battling put her right in the middle of the action with an active want. It wasn’t just a woman recounting some stories. Whilst this slightly altered the reality again, it would give me a clear set up to fill the imagined world with entirely real scenarios.

The next part was to then sustain this strong opening and continue the narrative arc and journey. The Officer had given me the means to do this. By the characters wanting something from each other it could allow them to move, affect and thus change one another. I wasn’t sure how exactly I wanted to do this but I took inspiration from Steve Waters who commented; “The idea of sitting down and working it all out and then fitting the dialogue in is a lot of nonsense because dialogue is about action, it is about the energy in the play… writer who has to get through it minute-by-minute, second-by-second, word-by-word to get to the next word.” Therefore, I thought the best way to do this was to just let the two characters live in the space. To find out what was going to happen and how they would push each other around. In order to do that I decided I had to write the dialogue of the Officer, so that his arc was as clear as Heather’s; even if I took him out again it was not enough to imagine him anymore, he had to be real. In doing this I could start to examine the status of the Officer, especially at that time and how that affected the normally outspoken Heather. At what points was she bold in her responses to him and at what points could he silence her to submission. I also found the writing reached a natural point in which, under the strain of the pretense, she dropped her guard to the Officer and revealed that she didn’t know where her partner was. This changed the dynamic and relationship between them, it felt natural that the Officer would have some sympathy for her, dropping his status to identify with her on an equal and human level. When I then looked at removing the Officer’s parts again I found the scene now had a clearer journey for Heather that was heavily influenced by her now clear relationship with the Officer.

Now I had written a very rough draft of my story I wanted to take my work to an audience and see what reaction it could ascertain. Duncan Macmillan says his biggest surprise about having his work performed by actors is that ‘however much I’ve worked on a play before rehearsal, I’ll still need to cut and rewrite almost everything’ and I think this is so, because different people will have their own artistic responses and thoughts on your piece of work that will naturally force the writing to change in order to accommodate and actually, I know from my own training, when collaboration occurs the results can be even more fruitful than what one person could achieve on their own.

I therefore wanted to read the work so far to my peers and see what response I would achieve. But in light of quarantine this proved tricky. Instead, I picked certain sections of my work to record and send to them and receive feedback on. A section of the work I performed for them can be found in Appendixes C. I wanted to highlight this particular section to talk about in my rationale for it received especially important feedback. From Reader A it was said that the work seemed especially ‘chunky’ and ‘far less conversational’ because of the absence of the Officer’s lines. Further to this, Reader B, said what was happening to Heather would make her ‘a bit more all over the place’. It was also felt that a lot of Heather’s responses were ‘engineered’ as they were having to ‘spell out’ the officer’s lines that were deleted. This was going against my third aim to create a ‘nuanced piece of dialogue’.

My first thought was to reinstate the lines and think about having the Officer live in the space however I then remembered Alice Birch’s ‘Blank’ that I had recently seen performed. There is a scene between a young girl and a police officer were his lines were deleted. The first thing I noticed about her work was that the policeman’s lines were very minimal, he let the girl reveal her information and only prompted her at times. For instance, the Officer says, ‘Your friend’ and rather than the girl simply answering ‘yes’ she goes on to say ‘He hadn’t decided to have a party. He had an empty house – his parents weren’t there’, so rather than the Officer driving the conversation and asking everything, the girl offers up the information herself. I therefore decided I needed to have longer periods of time were Heather was speaking and in control and not the Officer. This proved tricky at first in my story he is firmly in control and on the front foot asking Heather questions.  However, as was said in my feedback ‘she’s all over the place’ so therefore her thoughts can be too. For example, she can protest Keith’s innocence and quickly switch to discovering the Officer’s motives for being there and quickly switch to asking him to leave and he definitely wouldn’t need to tell her how serious it was. The officer could tell her the initial information and then the rest of it could unfold for her without his interference, as if she is playing out the situation in her mind.  It also helped to achieve the next part of my aim: ‘what is not said carries as much weight as what is’. Heather would be quick to get rid of the Officer because she knows full well of Keith’s involvement in the incident and so deflecting the blame onto the Officer’s need to ‘catch the proper criminals’ would make sense. By re drafting the piece with this feedback in mind I felt it really worked to keep the Officer as an imagined force and still created nuanced dialogue. In fact, my hope is in performance, this will only be heightened because you don’t know exactly what the Officer says so hopefully each individual audience member will take away different thoughts and feelings towards the relationship and what was going on.

In working on the story and dialogue of the piece I had started to come further away from the original truth of the story and whilst I wanted the piece to have elements of dramatic license it had to be mostly authentic. I decided I could channel this really effectively through the character of Heather herself. As the great Arthur Miller said, “everything we are at every moment is alive within us”. By this I believe he is saying that humans are complex, and we have many faces and moods and opinions that exist within us and can come out at any one time. It’s that detail that makes us real and Heather already had that level of detail before I even put pen to paper because she is real. She has years of life experience bundled into her words and at the age of 72 knows exactly who she is. I wanted to harness this and put it into the piece so her voice could shine through. Water’s also went on to say of dialogue “The dialogue is not just about, “I like the feel of that dialogue.” It is something to do with what is happening with the dialogue; the way that it shows you how people behave; the way it shows you about how life is.” This is exactly why I think Warden’s play had a ‘musicality’ and ‘energy’. She was using her own rhythms and speech patterns and opinions to be really frank about her life. I saw little reason as to why I couldn’t channel that in my piece. I therefore decided to go and speak to my Nana again and with her permission, record her talking to me about the stories I had chosen to include in my writing. Whilst the piece couldn’t be totally verbatim (which would leave little scope for dramatic license) I could pay special attention to the way she told these stories and how she used her words to create an accurate portrayal of her. A section of this recording can be found in the appendix. I wanted to make sure Heather’s tone came out in the text and so I started going through it listening to the recording and redrafting moments that opposed her manner.  One thing I noticed and suppose had always known was how direct and forthright my Nana is and was. Highlighted by the frank tone she had when recounting stories, for example, when she talks of my Grandad ‘being thrown out’ of the Winter Garden’s she states it was a ‘rare occasion’ that he had done nothing wrong. And when she subtly implied that if he hadn’t asked her to marry him ‘the night was young’ and she may have left with someone else. I decided to pull these phrases out and use them in the text. By doing the character really started to gain detail and become the real person behind it, that I know and love.

During our conversation she started to show me pictures of both her and Grandad. Which can be found in the appendix also. Looking at what they were wearing and how they presented themselves revealed even more to me about who they were at that time. As the Oscar’s Costume Design Instructional guide puts it simply ‘In real life, clothes define our taste and are an expression of our personality’. So, this was another layer I had to consider. In all of her picture’s Heather appears extremely ‘on trend’, perhaps the most striking is her aged 15 in a beautiful white coat. Thus, suggesting her outlook and ideas were slightly modern for the time. However, there was an element of the well put together housewife also present in her look. Already the details of what makes her, her were unfolding. I decided one of the best ways to give an immediate nod to the reader, which would potentially be the actor portraying her, on how they could achieve this character was to give a little character bio in the stage directions. This would touch upon all of the key traits that had come to light from my interview with Heather and I gave special attention to her clothing as another way to elude to her personality. In doing this I had started to blend totally authentic experiences with the drama of the piece to create something steeped in truth.

In conclusion, I believe you can use life experiences to create an authentic piece of work. I think I have demonstrated this in my piece as the character, story, dialogue and detail of the work is all firmly grounded in the truth. However, in order to bring my version of the story to a new audience the concept and overall arc of the story contained elements of dramatic license. But I think overall both fact and fiction blended together seamlessly, to create this story.

[bestbuybinoculars]

What Do the Numbers on Binoculars Mean? – A Thorough Look at Every Number

Have you ever looked at a binocular and understood nothing about the numbers printed on it? What Do The Numbers On Binoculars Mean? This article will help you decipher all those measurements!

It is critical for buyers to check out and fully understand all the numbers written on a binocular when shopping for one. However, to those who are going to buy their first binocular, it could seem so overwhelming and confusing.

Fully understanding these specifications will help you choose the best binoculars for your needs and avoid overspending on unnecessary features.

This article will walk you through all the essential numbers you need to know to choose a suitable binocular. Let's check it out!

First of all, What Is Magnification?

To begin with, magnification is one of the essential features one should take into account. With no exception, all binoculars will have a pair of number such as 10x50 or 7x50.

Magnification and Lens Diameter

Magnification is described by the first number with the x. It means to which degree the object is enlarged.

For example, 10x50 means that the binocular makes the object look ten times closer than when you look at it with your bare eyes. The higher the magnification, the closer it looks to the object. But the view also gets narrower.

Each magnification is usually used for different purposes. In most cases, binoculars used for wildlife watching in the forest has a magnification of 8x. For larger space, a 10x or even 12x is more prevalent.

And then, Objective Lens Diameter?

The second significant number is the latter number of "10x50" I have just mentioned above. It implies the diameter of the objective lens. This number is measured in mm. A 10x50 binocular means that it has objective lenses measuring 50mm.

In terms of meaning, the objective lens determines how much light can enter the binocular. The larger objective lenses allow more light to come, which means it can produce a brighter and clearer image, even in low-light conditions.

Binoculars with larger objective lenses are usually quite heavy to backpack on long hikes. The most popular size of objective lenses is 42mm, which is used to watch birds and observe wildlife.

What about the Exit pupil diameter?

Exit-Pupil

This binocular measurement represents the illuminated circle of light coming from the telescope. This number is calculated by dividing the diameter of the objective by the magnification.

Let’s just say that you have a telescope with a 150 mm and a magnification of 30x, then the exit pupil would be 5mm.

In most cases, it is recommended to choose a larger exit pupil as it can help with eye relief, especially for those who wear glasses. A small exit pupil makes it a lot more challenging to focus on the image.

In normal conditions, the exit pupil should be somewhere around 5mm. Another piece of information you should be aware of is that the eye pupil of human should be higher than that of the exit pupil. Here are the pupil range in some typical cases:

Bright light: 1-2mm

Average daylight: 3-4mm

Dawn or dusk: 5-6mm

Night or boarding: 7mm

Field of view (FoV) – an Important Number to Understand

Another important binocular number you should know is the field of view (FoV). Simply put, it is the area of the scene you can see using your optic.

Field of view (FoV) on binoculars

There are many factors determining this number, such as the lens thickness, the eyepiece, the position, and the magnification.

There are also many other design elements; however, to make it easier to understand, in this article, I will leave that part to the manufacturer.

A field of view that is considered wide when it is about 60 degree or more. Thus, choosing a binocular with a wide field of view makes it easier to observe fast-moving objects such as birds or viewing sports.

Each degree is equivalent of 52.5 feet at 1000 yards. For example, a binocular with a 6.5-degree field of view would give you a picture that is around 341.25 feet at 100 yards.

Eye relief

eye-relief

The eye relief is an ideal distance that your eye should be from the eyepiece. That means if you put your eye far away from the eyepiece than the eye relief, the picture seems to lose its edge and the portion you see also gets smaller.

For those who wear glasses, you will need the longer eye relief, and it has to be at least 15mm. A binocular with a long eye relief still does an excellent job for those who do not wear glasses because the eyecups can be easily extended.

Prism System – The core of the Binoculars

Before getting into details about which system of prisms you should go to, let's first find out the answer to why it needs to be prisms.

Simply put, without a prism, the image you see would be backward and upside down. Prisms help you correct the orientation of the image so that you can view it the right way.

Roof and Porro

1. Porro Prism

Porro Prism is named after the Italian inventor called Ignazio Porro. It has a much more iconic and traditional design compared to other types of prims. In general, Porro Prism is easier to manufacture and cost a lot less.

Standard Porro Prism: the standard Porro Prism has offset eyepieces to objective lenses. The most noticeable thing of this type of prism is that the eyepieces are a lot closer together while the lenses are further apart.

Reverse Porro Prism: this system also has offset eyepieces to lens. However, the eyepieces are further apart, and the lenses are closer together.

2. Roof Prism

Unlike Porro Prism, roof prisms are named for the shape of the assembly. Roof prism designs have a couple of variations such as Amici, Schmidt-Pechan, and Abbe-Koenig.

They all have the same function, which is to allow binoculars to be more compact and narrower than its Porro prism models. If you are wondering about the most significant difference between these two types, the roof prism is a lot more streamlined and more attractive than the other.

Optical Quality

1. Prisms Glasses

I know many of you have heard of the names BK7, BaK-4, and SK-15. But do you know what they are exactly? Keep reading to understand this binocular measurement!

BK7, BaK4, and SK-15 are three basic types of prisms that most people would choose. Let's take a quick look to find out what each of them is!

BK7 is made out of borosilicate (crown) glass. It is highly reflective with a refractive rate of about 1.52. BK7 can be used for both Porro prism and roof prism.

BaK-4 is made out of barium crown. It has a far higher refractive index, which makes the images brighter and well-edged.

SK-15 is an in-between of the two types mentioned.

2. Types of glasses

ED, HD, FL, HT, what do they exactly mean? Let’s find out!

ED: Extra-low dispersion

This type of lens is known to prevent or at least lessen the chromatic aberration as it provides more options to focus and direct the light. In short, the image produced will be a lot brighter and cleaner.

Most expensive optics will have an ED glass lens as it allows users to take pictures that are clear, sharp with no color fringing.

Some interesting thing about the ED glass:

ED glass is not so stable when there is a change in temperature. The focal length may change a little bit.

ED glass also has a low level of refraction, which means it needs curved elements for the same focal length.

HD: High definition

The term HD, surprisingly, is not a type of glass. Instead, it implies the result of the ED lens, which is of high resolution.

FL: Fluoride Lens

This is another version of ED glass, which is classified as a unique and high-quality sub-category.

HT: High Transmission

Just as the title suggests, the lens is well known for its fantastic transmission properties.

3. Chassis Material

For those who do not know, the chassis is the frame of the binocular around the whole optic. In most cases, the chassis is made out of:

Polycarbonate plastic

This is the cheapest material of all. One of the most significant advantages of using Polycarbonate is that it can resist temperature changes. It can hardly be expanded or contract easily when the temperature changes suddenly.

Aluminum

Aluminum is always one of the most popular materials on the market. It is known for being durable, light, and easy to bend. Being naturally corrosion resistant is also a considerable advantage.

Magnesium

The reason why magnesium is used in creating chassis is that it has the strength-to-weight ability. Let's just imagine that you have to hold the binoculars on your eyes for a long time. The lighter optic will make it a lot less tired for users to keep in such a long time.

That idea has encouraged many manufacturers to use magnesium as it is a lot lighter yet still firm.

4. Glass Coatings

Apart from all the glass elements, prism type and type of glass, glass coatings are also an essential factor that can make the difference. If the coatings are unable to match the prisms, you would not be able to use the binoculars.

So, what are coatings?

For starters, coatings are a kind of formula that allows higher transmission of light-waves into your eyes. In most cases, the way light reaching your eyes depends a lot on how it goes through coatings.

The next question is, how do we classify binocular coatings? There are some basic types as follows:

Coated (C) Optics: one single anti-reflective coating on at least one lens surface

Fully Coated (FC) Optics: multiple anti-reflective layers on at least one lens surface

Multi-Coated (MC) Optics: a single anti-reflective coating on all air-to-glass lens surface

Fully multi-coated (FMC) Optics: multiple anti-reflective coatings on all air-to-glass surfaces

Next up - Focusing

Focusing is another important thing you should spend time understanding when choosing binoculars. To make it easier to follow, let’s first dig deeper into the focus knob.

The focus knob lies between the barrels to help produce more explicit images. However, getting the sharpest focus may take you a lot of time.

To check if you have set the sharpest focus or not, make sure the focus knob is located firmly under your index finger when you hold the binoculars.

Now let’s go deeper into the main part!

I know what you are thinking! How do you focus your binoculars? There are two ways of doing so:

1. Center Focusing (CF)

Center focusing uses a focus knob to focus on the left and right, which will only take a while. The advantage of this method is that it can focus both very close and far away.

2. Individual Focusing (IF)

This method adjusts the focus for each individual eye by rotating the diopter adjustment ring. Once you are done with adjusting, objects from 40 yards to infinity all have a sharp focus.

This way of focusing would be suitable for medium and extended objects, rather than objects within proximity. For example, IF is mostly used in astronomy and marine observation.

3. No Focus/Focus-free 

What if you want to individual focus and you will never change it? What if your need is to look at objects only from 40 yards away? No Focus is your solution as the eyepieces are locked and cannot be adjusted.

Diopter Adjustment

Diopter Adjustment

There are two common types of dioptre adjustment, as listed below:

Standard Diopter Adjustment: This is a popular type of dioptre adjustment ring. You can find it on the Porro, and Roof prism binoculars.

Lockable Diopter Adjustment: It looks quite like the standard version from the left. However, sometimes the lockable ones are used on binoculars with higher spec to make sure the setting will not be changed accidentally.

Special Features

Some binoculars come with some distinctive features such as weatherproofing and gas filled.

Weatherproofing

A weather-resistant optic: it can withstand the light shower but not in extreme wet condition.

A weatherproof or waterproof optic: the optic should not let water flow inside.

Gas Filled

To prevent condensation, the binoculars are filled with gases such as nitrogen. It is also useful when there is a need to move binoculars to places that have a temperature difference. 

Lastly, Uses, Sizes, and Brands

Uses

Travel: for traveling purpose, the size and the weight are going to be two of the most important factors to consider. A roof prism would be a lot more convenient to bring with you. It should also come with an objective lens ranging from 32mm to 20mm.

Hunting: objective lens, in this case, matter more. It would be best if you use binoculars with an objective lens amongst 35mm and 42mm.

Marine: When it comes to the ocean, a waterproof pair of binoculars is a must. If you want to has a clear view, then choose a magnification of 7x or 8x.

Astronomy: a large objective lens of 42mm, a tripod, and magnification ranging from 8x to 12x are all you have ever needed in this case. A tripod or a monopod would do a lot of help.

Sizes

size of binoculars

Binoculars come in various sizes for different purposes. I have listed a few popular types of binoculars that are chosen by most people.

Standard Size Binoculars:  A standard or full-size binocular for everything from observing wildlife to watching sports

Compact Binoculars - smaller and lighter – perfect for taking to the theater or concerts or on trips.

Wide Angle Binoculars - to track fast-moving action across ample space such as wilderness terrain.

Brands

Binocular markets are segmented into three tiers of price: low, medium, and high-end. Here are some suggestion brands for each segmentation:

Low price: Nikon

Medium price: Vortex and Pentax

High-end: Leica, Zeiss, Swarovski

The Last Words,

Choosing binoculars is not an easy task. It has many numbers that you need to spend lots of time researching and understanding. Once you fully understand what you need and what the numbers are about, then choosing a suitable pair of binoculars should not be a problem for you.

Above are all important binocular numbers you should know before making any purchase decision. Hope what I shared gives you some ideas about what you will need from a pair of binoculars. Goodbye! 

[cummunication]

23 Lessons

Today is my birthday. 24 years of ups, downs and everything in between. 23 was a challenging year full of obstacles but needless to say, I got through it (always do). At the heart of a birthday is an opportunity to tell someone, “I’m glad you were born,” also “I’m happy you’re alive.” Despite the fact I am getting older, aging is a sign I have breath in my lungs and my heart is still beating. I am blessed for the lessons I continually learn the more time I spend on earth and the amazing people I continue to meet. So I will let my story unfold and see what 24 has in store. Every one of our stories is important and that is something worth celebrating. So here are 23 lessons I have learned over time plus 1 bonus for my birthday.

1. There is no such thing as a pain free life. Living life to the fullest requires bad experiences. In order to genuinely enjoy life, you must take the bad with the good and vice versa. “Courage is not the absence of fear.” Meaning, fear and courage co-exist. There are voices in my head that tell me to give up and I let them boss me around. Fear can be crippling and it has prevented me from doing things many years. It can seem as though everybody else is moving forward while I’m left behind. That’s terrifying. Bravery is accepting your fear and doing it anyway. 

2. It’s nearly impossible to accept love until you love yourself. For so long I pushed people away; creating walls between me and people I care about. The thought process behind this was if I did not let love in, they could not hurt me. I know letting people close is uncomfortable for me because when you’re unable to love yourself, any type of love given seems threatening. Human connection can feel repulsive and foreign when you push it away for so long. But if you don’t love yourself, how do you expect others to? 

3. I am not a label. Just because you’re diagnosed with something does not mean it is your identity. Having bipolar disorder does not mean I am bipolar. We are so much more than the boxes society puts us in. You need not be ashamed of your illness, mental or physical. If you wouldn’t be ashamed to tell somebody you had cancer, you shouldn’t feel embarrassed of your mental illness. 

4. All emotions are valid. Sometimes we can feel depressed and we don’t have to justify it. No matter how insignificant our feelings may seem, they are important. You are entitled to your emotions because your experiences are real. Don’t let someone tell you it’s “all in your head.” Being continuously invalidated is one of the most damaging things you can do to the psyche. However, don’t fool yourself into thinking your entitlement to emotions is entitlement to unacceptable behavior. If you hurt someone, you are accountable. We should always take responsibility for our decisions.

5. Emotions do not own me. I am guilty of letting emotions overpower me at times. It’s easy to let them take control and get flustered. Sometimes we choose our battles and sometimes, our battles choose us. There’s a quote that says “God only gives us battles he knows we can handle.” Or something to that extent. I’ve been dealt some hands in this game of life I did not want. And yet, we are much stronger than we give ourselves credit for. Someone once said the hardest battles are given to the best warriors. Instead of asking why me? I’m learning to ask why not me?

6. There are wars we must face to uncover our full potential. And sometimes we must win without support. Meaning, it sucks when we feel misunderstood by people closest to us. We need to be “saved” because we feel we won’t make it. While guidance is always appreciated, at times, there is no hand to save us from drowning. I have learned that I can walk this road alone if I must. 

7. Everyone everywhere is going through something. Everybody is fighting their own version of hell. You never know what the person next to you is going through so try not to be an asshole. You probably have a lot more in common than you realize.

8. Quality over quantity. What good is a lot of something if the quality is shit? This especially applies to relationships. Having thousands of Facebook friend’s left me feeling empty when I had zero friends in real life. Nurture your close relationships to create strong support systems. 

9. Try to embrace the present and live less in the past/future. Basically, stop and smell the roses. When you remember to, practice mindfulness. Practice gratitude. It’s super helpful and important to appreciate all we have in our lives, good and bad. Each day I try and reflect on something I’m thankful for. It can be easy to take things for granted and focus on what we don’t have; comparing our negative to everyone else’s positive, resulting in feeling inadequate. Studies show practicing gratitude daily results in increased life satisfaction. 

10. Treat everyone you meet with respect. This is a simple rule that can be hard to implement. When people are mean spirited, it can be tempting to spew it right back. But the way we treat others says more about us than it does them. 

11. Don't sweat the small stuff. Not everything is a tragedy. I’ve spent so much time and energy on things I later realized I stressed over for no reason. I understand having anxiety can be relentless & debilitating however, we can train ourselves to prioritize what consumes the majority of our attention.

12. People are quick to judge. That doesn’t necessarily mean they are bad people, only human. People will jump to conclusions about what you’re doing wrong & how you could be better but I’ve learned this is to take the focus off of them. I’ve come to realize it’s less important what we say and more important what we understand. That’s why we have two ears and one mouth. 

13. There’s more to being beautiful than our looks. There’s more to a person than their clothes, their car, the size of their waist, and their inherent value can never come from the outside. I’ve hated myself because of what I look like, basing my worth on my weight, if my skin is breaking out etc. Throughout my life my appearance will change but at the end of the day I am still me no matter what. Instead of aiming to be “perfect”, I now dedicate most of my awareness to how I can better myself as an intellectual. A boob job or whiting my teeth doesn’t make me more lovable. Real confidence can only come from knowing who you are. 

14. Just because I believe something is true, doesn’t mean that it is. A famous quote says “we see things not as they are, but as we are” or something like that. Thoughts are extremely powerful in affecting our beliefs and morals etc. and these are shaped by our experiences growing up/what we were taught. Nonetheless, it is helpful to question our perception of reality. I’ve been forced to challenge what I tell myself in therapy since for a long time all I told myself was that I’m fat, ugly, and useless. We do not see ourselves as others do. Something may feel true in the moment and we are entitled to our feelings but remember, we can not see it from an objective lens. Being in therapy has been especially useful in distinguishing my mental illness and me. It can be tempting to give into my ANTS when things don’t go my way, yet the older I get the better able I am to take a step back. 

15. This too shall pass. Everything is temporary. Cliche but true. I enjoy learning Buddhism since it teaches that ultimately, nothing is ours. We own nothing and have control of very little. At first glance this can seem overwhelming and depressing but it gives us a chance to live life to the fullest because, well, in 100 years we’re all going to be dead anyway so why not?! It can be nearly impossible to believe the worst moment of our lives will be a thing of the past when we are entrenched in them, but life is full of ups and downs. It helps to recall the last time I was feeling that way and remind myself I got through it, even though I doubted I would. At times I am scared of happiness in fear of it slipping away, afraid of love because I know all good things end, but living like this will prevent me from seizing opportunities and experiencing joy. Pain passes and so does happiness but when we are willing to let things go with the knowledge they return, they do infact, come back. 

16. Nobody thinks about us as much as we do. It is human nature to be all up in our head about ourselves. Humans have a tendency to be self focused and narcissistic. But when I’m feeling particularly self conscious, I tell myself nobody judges me as much as me. Basically, we are our own worst critic. We worry what others think when most likely nobody is worried about us in the first place, they are too busy worrying about themselves. Free yourself of your self scrutiny and let people think what they want. It’s more important what you think of yourself. 17. You can’t change people. I had trouble accepting I could not change my ex. We make excuses for people as to why they are like they are and remain in denial, letting love blind us and keep us in harmful situations. But sometimes love isn’t enough. You can love someone from a distance and let them go. People have to want to change themselves, you can’t do it for them. And you can’t help someone unless they are willing to help themselves. 

18. Healing is a journey that comes in many forms. Recovery is not linear and is about progress, not perfection. Self care is vital: don’t let anybody make you think taking care of yourself is selfish. You should always be your number one priority. There’s a different between self love and selfishness. 

19. Being single is nothing to frown upon. Never depend upon another to be the source of your joy. You have to get comfortable with yourself before you can ever be in a healthy, interdependent relationship. It’s totally normal to want to be in a relationship but it’s another to need to be in one. I would so much rather be alone than in a relationship out of desperation or loneliness. Celebrate your single-hood and take it as a time to enjoy your independence and self discovery. After all, love comes when you least expect it. 

20. Boundaries are necessary. We can’t be truly vulnerable and deeply intimate with someone without clear communication and setting boundaries. I was and still am to an extent, very bad at this. I tend to be an enabler, a doormat, a people pleaser. I want to avoid conflict and not rock the boat so I just say yes to everything. But something I’ve learned is to never destroy yourself in aims to make others happy. It is never worth sacrificing your own peace of mind to try and appease somebody else. At the end of the day, you have to live with yourself and your sanity is what’s most important. Trust your intuition; your gut instinct is almost always right and can never lead you wrong. If you don’t want to do something say no! If you want to do something, say yes! Speak up! Setting boundaries and speaking your truth is hard but imperative if you want to have genuine, equal relationships. If not, you will be full of resentment, take it from me. I’ve learned the truth always comes out one way or another anyway, and people respect those who respect themselves enough to be honest. Besides, the most kind people are those who are in touch with themselves and can be assertive in a caring way.

21. Forgiveness is one of the hardest but most crucial steps to happiness. I’m not saying it is necessary to automatically forgive every person who wronged you, trust me I know how shitty it is. But at least have the intent to, at least be open to it. It’s hard to be free until you release the chains of hate from your heart. We may have to continuously address this searing emotional pain and continually work on it but be aware that holding on to past traumas does not prevent them from occurring in the future. While experiences makes us grow, holding things against people only makes us weak and bitter. It’s something I’m still working on, but I know the more I try to forgive people who have scarred me, the less power I give them. 

22. That being said, even though certain events may make us feel powerless, our power can never be taken from us. I have dealt with many tragedies in my 24 years. I have felt hopeless, out of control, victimized, helpless and everywhere in between. People may have broken my heart and crushed my spirit, but they can never destroy my soul. They can never touch me at the core of who I am. And the same goes for you. 

23. One of the best things we can do for ourselves is to eliminate anybody or anything from our lives that makes us feel less than, or less powerful than we really are. Cutting out toxic, unhealthy and dysfunctional people is the biggest favor you can do for yourself and you will see immediate change. 

BONUS - We are never alone, no matter how isolated we may feel. There are people out there who feel the same as you. Find your tribe. Reach out for help. Speak up. You are worth it. 

Each time a birthday passes we can take it as an opportunity to reflect and celebrate. It’s a chance to celebrate your story and to give those struggling a chance to find hope in that we can survive all that questions our strength. No matter where life has taken me or what I come across this year, I know for the most part, my worst days are behind me. I have the tools and insight to survive almost anything that crosses my path and with that, I can make light out of the darkest nights. I am a survivor, and so are you.

[goabrakadoodle]

Artistic Skills Help Develop Creativity

A creative environment is among the best things that can happen to children. It not only helps lay the basic foundation for developing thinking skills required to engage in abstract and analytical thinking, but also helps sharpen visual-spatial understanding, and become familiar with out-of-the-box thinking.

Children also develop early in their lives, the ability to suspend making snap judgments about people and situations, and the advantages of seeing clearly without any preconceived ideas. Art activities  will also help children acquire a high degree of autonomy and demonstrate self-discipline in matters regarding school work. Delay gratification, tolerate ambiguity, and demonstrate high levels of self-control are traits that assist children in their social interactions.

By acquiring artistic skills early in life,  children learn to understand the benefits of seeing the big picture, make connections to real life experiences leading to a lifetime of creative thinking that helps them face and be able to solve complex problems in the future.

Build on their inherent imagination

Play is a child’s way of learning to think freely and understanding the world around her. It is their way of applying their inherent imagination and flow and to come up with unusual ideas. Building on their original thinking abilities, children are able to develop clarity and a deep enough understanding of concepts. Nurturing their urge to experiment, explore a novel thought, and develop problem solving abilities.

Exposure to artistic skills in an environment which promotes art, playing and learning experiences, allows children to create, design, generate, and spawn new ideas, further developing the creative thinking inherent in young children.

Their idea of learning is through play. For instance, when your child is pretending to be a lion and paints a tiger. Then quickly changing gears, saying she is Captain Hook and now pretending to be Peter Pan. This kind of role playing demonstrates that there are no barriers in a child’s mind. She can imagine whatever she wants to imagine. The biggest benefit of art is it helps make learning easy, fun and engaging.

Helping keep young minds open

Participating in art programs and practicing artistic skills helps rewire and build neural networks in the brain in a way that will take a child’s thinking capabilities to a higher level. Become more intuitive about how she will approach problems later at school and in life.

Art programs help children retain their flexibility in finding different ways of looking at things. Making learning much more playful, effective and helps children understand how an open mind goes about making things happen. It is a big win-win for both the brain and the mind of a child.

Artistic skills help loosen a child’s mind, let go of assumptions, get comfortable with ambiguity and be able to connect the dots freely and playfully. As a matter of fact, the principles learnt and followed and challenges faced when making a painting are exactly the same as those involved in planning and building a career path for a bright future.

Colour is a life-long teacher

When a child is focused on developing her artistic skills through an art program, she will learn about colours and understand them in a more meaningful way.

Art classes also help your child to develop vocabulary and build on her communication skills, and increase her already developed sense of observation.

Parents can use a variety of practical experiences to help their preschooler gain confidence, a keen understanding of the gradations of colour that may be missed if left to a computer program or flashcards to do the teaching. Remember, asking open-ended questions will teach a child to explore the colours she sees around her and not just imagine them. After visiting a grocery section in a supermarket for instance, ask your child about all the fruits and veggies she can think of that are in the green family? Pose a question, “What if all animals, houses, streets, and buildings were green, too?”

Take a walk in the park:

During a nature walk, help the child collect different kinds of leaves in various shades of green. Talk about how colours also have names and like humans, belong to a family. Point out to your child about the variations of colour in leaves when they are in the shade and in the sunlight. Be practical as well, by accurately describing the many hues of green by showing an emerald, moss, mint, fern, and avocado.

Experiment with colour:

Discovering new shades and tints is exciting when you are a child. It will be like magic for children to watch an altogether new colour emerge when you mix yellow and red. To change the shade of a new colour, add a little white paint, slowly. See the colour soften and then add drops of black and see how different shades of orange emerge.

For a fun wet-weather activity, fill one plastic sprayer with a yellow food colouring and fill another one with red food colouring and water. Let your child play and mix the two by spraying on a paper napkin or a piece of cloth to see the colours blend and create a shade of orange.

Watch a sunset

Share the wonderful experience of watching the sun go down with your child. The sky is filled with changing hues and bursting into different colours of varying intensities. Engage in a conversation. Talking about colours in a wide range of situations increases a child’s awareness of the environment and the ability to make connections.

These conversations with your child will help her learn new words and make new connections to real things. Internalizing a deeper understanding of a concept that even adults may understand only superficially. As the child learns to think deeper about colour and experiences it in real-time, she will gain new perspectives about her rapidly expanding world.

Developing artistic skills

Long before your child learns to read and write, exposure to the art programs will enable her to express her thoughts clearly and learn to share her experiences vividly. First through images she creates and then she learns once again, when she is sharing and explaining what she has created.

Another transforming experience takes place in a child’s mind when she is involved in creating a variety of artwork, including abstract art. Your child learns to see things through a lens that is uniquely her own. She also learns that there is no right or wrong way to create. And will soon become conscious of the fact that people are individuals and can express their ideas and emotions in their own ways.

Nurture these qualities

You, as a parent, can accelerate the development of creative ability by exercising it in the same way they learn to master memorising names or learning a language. Through collaboration, practice and involving your child in art activities earnestly.

Drawing & painting together While children may not be in a position to recreate realistic drawings or painting, there is nothing to stop them from enjoying and delighting in creating them. Naming their doodles and paintings, narrating stories to express what they mean. You as a parent need to encourage this in your child by participating in these activities. In fact, enjoy doing this as much as your child does.

Develop critical thinking skills When you are outdoors and walking around the park, help your child gather dried grass, leaves, and twigs. Tell her why you are doing it, build up her curiosity and excitement. While you are at it, collect some earth in a bag as well.

Once home, mix them all up and shape it into a bird’s nest. Set the mixture in the sun to bake. Get your child to roll tiny bird eggs out of some dough and colour the eggs. Lay them out for display in the nest. Don’t bother about getting the science right just as yet. All that matters is setting up the stage to pose questions that require critical thinking.

Show off your child’s work Create an art gallery at home. Display your child’s own artwork at the eye level of the child, so that she gets to see them. Talk about her art the way you might do if you were at an art museum. Your child will pick up new words, construct short sentences and very soon, your child would have learnt to do the same, the next time her friends come to visit.

Variety is the spice of art Like stated earlier, when you collaborate and also work together with your child, you will be bonding in a new way. It will not be just her who is involved in learning, but you as well.  So think of changing the materials you use to paint. For instance, instead of using a paint brush, you can think of a toothbrush or a sponge, or just your fingers. Instead of paper, why not use your old T-shirt and get your child to paint on her old one!

While you articulate about your own process as you create, be sure to also point out the features of your child’s process. It will not sound like you are making judgments when you point out but sharing what you notice: “ I see you like a spiral in your clouds. Is there a storm brewing?”

Creative Problem Solving

At abrakadoodle, children learn the fundamental process of discovering and imagining, problem solving and thinking, and develop their own unique creative expressions. We believe developing artistic skills is important and as critical as fresh air and sunshine is to a child’s health, growth and well-being. As a parent, you are your child’s most important teacher. The conversations you have will help your child develop thinking skills that will last an entire lifetime.

[kalico-to-the-letter]

REVIEW: RWBY – Vol. 5, Ch. 9: “A PERFECT STORM”

Perfect in some ways, perhaps. Not so much others.

Welcome to my review of the 9th Chapter of the 5th Volume, titled, “A Perfect Storm”.

This week gave us: The negotiation mask, ulterior motives, and the promise of a showdown.

This is a good method for dealing with spoilers:

In “A Perfect Storm”, RWBY decides to continue drawing out two of its biggest conflicts, rather than looking to provide meaningful climax or catharsis. It is an episode devoted purely to set up, and, as an episode of average quality, thus slots appropriately into the season’s pattern of odd-numbered episodes being okay or good and even-numbered episodes being very good or better.

Get it out of the way – I was surprised at how Cinder’s meeting with Raven transpired. Not because I was expecting a fight and got a handshake – that was fine. Having a deal between the two parties is something that makes sense, although Cinder surely wouldn’t be dumb enough to think that a few shared grudges puts Raven on the same page as her crew. No, Raven and her tribe still represents a wildcard party that could have an interesting effect on events down the line. The curiosity in both sides offering something to each other is that right now it is difficult to tell who is playing who. I guess we won’t know until those birds come home to roost at season’s end. No pun intended.

We get the continuation of the Menagerie storyline here, but that aside, this is an episode which puts Raven at its focus, much like last week’s attempted – and succeeded – in positioning Blake as the common thread. But the reason why it worked so well with Blake is the same reasons that this week’s reliance on Raven falls flat.

Simply, we don’t have a connection to her. I personally find it difficult to care about her, which is the downside of her previous interactions with Yang, where she remained enigmatic – and understandably so, but it did nothing to establish her as someone who could carry a story. I’ve written about this before, but after Yang, there was an opportunity missed to properly humanise Raven and make her sympathetic in some shape or form, by giving us insight into her relationship with Vernal, someone who is much closer to her than Yang (one would assume).

After the show’s intentions with Raven became clear in this episode, I realised that it had regained the opportunity I thought it had lost. After Raven made this deal, I was hoping to see some moments between her and Vernal – given that she was privy to it.

And, I don’t know. We kinda got that. This second scene between them is hinged on three things. First is that Raven has a strong sense of leadership and understanding the position of her people, but we knew that already, and thus her revelation that she would swoop on the relic before Cinder’s crew to try and buy their safety wasn’t exactly earth-shattering. Second is that their place in the eventual battle is likely to be awkwardly positioned between the heroes and the villains, and I question just how significant their presence will end up being.

Third is that, on the evidence given, Raven and Vernal don’t seem to have much of a relationship beyond commander and subordinate. Vernal has a brief and probably rare moment of vulnerability, but the potential for some character building is shut down immediately by Raven, who maintains her same colourless tone despite offering what are ostensibly words of reassurance.

It’s quite an achievement, if you think about it, to resist any guise of human emotion in such a human moment – and without the self-awareness that could make it endearing. Or at least it would be an achievement if your aim was to make a boring character.

This, in a one-on-one scene with Vernal, who we’ve been led to believe is very important to Raven – I’ll even go as far as to say adopted by Raven. It should really be more than this, shouldn’t it?

I get that Raven is difficult. If she wasn’t, then maybe Yang and Qrow wouldn’t have so much beef with her. But so far, every opportunity to make her interesting or somewhat personable has led to the opposite result, through questionable execution and direction. And here, when I thought that we would finally get something new from her, it’s just more of the same.

And how much should I really talk about Menagerie this week? I really want the show to blow off this storyline and end it already. It is far past its due date, and dragging out this final stage doesn’t help anything. I like Ilia, and her fight with Blake is probably going to be the star of the next episode or whenever it ends up happening. And I suppose it will be interesting to see how she figures into the conclusion of this story – and if there will be any catharsis between her and Blake. I don’t think she and Blake can be on the same side anymore, but I’m still here hoping that she ends up reconciling with her.

No, I don’t just mean a romantic thing … though I wouldn’t mind if they went that way.

In any case, that right there is the difference between how I feel about Ilia and how I feel about Raven. The show has gotten me to care about one of these characters by giving her depth and meaningful characterisation over the course of the season. The other used to be exciting, but has morphed into a decisively bland character with incredibly limited range, and yet she was tasked with carrying the main thread of this episode. Well then.

Additional Observations:

- I didn’t notice the post-Beacon huskiness in Cinder’s voice until now … I like it. Cinder’s idea of herself is very evident when you see her through the lens of her current motivation i.e. vengeance against Ruby. It makes her a bit transparent as a character, but it actually doesn’t feel like much of an issue.

- I like Sun in two scenarios: when he is given the chance to fight, and when he can be Blake’s “lieutenant”, supporting her moves. I basically see his best form as a mirror of Legend of Korra’s Mako from the final season.

- I question Raven’s logic of using the relic to buy freedom/safety for her people, when the person she’s trying to bluff is essentially the queen of all darkness.

- I got absolutely nothing from the brief Qrow scene. Was that Raven flying in the foreground of the establishing shot? Does it matter?

Grade: C

Final Thoughts: “A Perfect Storm” is not an outright bad offering from RWBY. It’s just not particularly good. It does what it has to in order to progress its featured storylines, but there is nothing memorable about it. It focuses overly on Raven and attempts to build on her relationship with Vernal, but the narrow characterisation of Raven undermines Vernal’s moments of vulnerability, and leaves the whole episode feeling thin. Brief glimpses of the Belladonna coup do little for a storyline which would benefit greatly from a focused resolution right about now. – Kallie

[spacelionrobothell]

Overthinking Meta: Alien Vision

Okay, so I think the odds are pretty high that there’s some pretty drastic differences in vision between different races, and have spent way too much time pondering the biology behind some of the odd eye structure implied.

First off, with the Altaeans, there’s that thing with what looks like a regular black pupil, then the funny glowing-looking slit-pupil inside that.  On rewatch with close-ups on Allura, the size/shape of that inner pupil actually changes appropriately in different light levels (Larger/rounder in low or dim light, thinner in brightly lit areas), while what looks like the regular dark “pupil” doesn’t really seem to move.  

So basically that dark part is stationary, the iris area probably serves a different purpose or is some kind of evolutionary leftover, and the actual area that’s taking in light and showing receptors is that inner part.  Now with terrestrial animals the funny shiny colors in the eye in dark spaces is a coating that lines the back of the eye and reflects light to improve vision in the dark, but the Altaeans have that sort of shimmer effect all the time, even in brightly lit environments where the reflection wouldn’t be visible, which means whatever is coating the back of the eye or covering the lens is something Different.  

The fact that they do use a lot of clearly intentionally chosen color means they can definitely see the visual color spectrum we’re used to, but I’d be willing to bet that whatever causes that funny pinkish-purple shimmer means there’s some other receptors or internal structure, and God Only Knows What it works for; better low-light vision is a likely side effect (and that pupil shape - the one that actually alters - IS a structural adaptation for dealing with drastic changes in light levels and adjusting quickly), but it’s entirely likely they have a range of color vision that’s way wider than humans, or ability to visually process things that we wouldn’t think of as working that way.

There are probably things in the Altaean clothing and around that ship that none of the humans are even aware are there, and considering how flowers tend to adapt using ultraviolet coloration to add to their ability to attract pollinators etc., odds are good that the Juniberries Allura’s so fond of probably have markings beyond being monocolor red.  

Galra are another bizarre one since there are no visible pupils or other structures and yes I know I’m probably overthinking something that’s partly aesthetics, but.  There’s a thing that humans only have vestigial remains of that some other mammals have, and birds have and use the Hell out of called a nictating membrane; it’s basically a translucent extra eyelid that covers the eye for protection against dust, particles, and other things that could damage the delicate thing used to see with, and if you look at pictures of a bird with the nictating membrane closed, everything’s kind of milky and faded.  

So my guess is that the “featureless eyes” effect is basically some kind of permanent membrane over the eye, instead of an internal eyelid.  If we also go with the theory that the world the Black Lion showed Shiro might have been their homeworld, that kind of looks like probably a pretty harsh environment and one with a larger risk of ambient Small Damaging Things; it’d be a good adaptation.  There probably are structures for controlling intake of light and all (iris, pupil, etc.) under it, they’re just hidden by an external membrane.  

There’s also the fact that everything we’ve seen that Galra built for themselves is REALLY dimly lit by human standards, and I’d lay good money that they’re either nocturnal or that they had to deal with unpredictable and often low light levels on their homeworld for that - making what seems dim and dark to humans “a comfortable light level” for them.  They’re obviously not hindered by bright light, or Haxus and Sendak wouldn’t have taken so easily to Arus in broad daylight, which might be another function of an external membrane that would make it hard to see features through - an extra filter to adjust to drastic changes in light levels or bright light without damaging the ability to see.  

And one thing that’s common in creatures adapted to be nocturnal and deal with lower light levels iiisss...... more ability to see one end of the light spectrum than humans and different receptors.  The usual go-to people think of are dogs and the partial colorblindness thing, where the receptors are weighted away from some kinds of visual-spectrum light and focused on colors that show up well in the dark, but there’s actually a pretty weird range of evolutionary chains leading to night-adapted vision.  In particular, there’s some aquatic life that sees all of the visual spectrum plus a large chunk, and nocturnal lizards that adapted to maintain full “visual spectrum” ability to see color but wedged in receptors for more of the ultraviolet spectrum.  

And the Galra definitely don’t have any problem with identifying the lions by color, which means they can probably see the color range visible to humans just fine, which puts it more towards being similar to either some of the aquatic life, or the lizards.  The evolutionary history on the geckoes is interesting b/c they’re an offshoot of a diurnal species that adapted to being nocturnal, and maintained a lot of diurnal-activity visual traits as a result, which raises questions about changes in their native environment or changes in their patterns somewhere way back in their history.  (I have an entirely different meta rant about Galra for being just plain damn weird as a species but that’s for another post.)  

So the end result is, that both species that were the major dominant populations working on the Lions and the Castle probably see a lot of colors that the humans just...don’t, with Altaeans probably having the wider/crazier visual range thanks to whatever the HELL that internal lining or structure is.  

For all we know, there’s actually directory markings on the walls and signs/labels on things everywhere like you’d see around current institutions or military bases that expect to have a lot of traffic and visitors, on both the Castle and the various Galra ships and installations we’ve seen, it’s just not in any color the Paladins can see, because it’s in colors that are easier for Galra/Altaeans to see IN THE DARK, when human-visible colors wash out and get harder to make sense of.

(Outtakes I would love to see:  “Oh just follow the signs.”  *Paladins stare at Allura/Coran*  “...The signs right here?”  *Stare at wall, stare at Allura/Coran, and someone finally pipes up “there’s nothing there”*.  Or Hunk/Pidge helping with repairs and using what they thought was some kind of clearcoat only to have Coran wail about one of the walls being haphazardly painted something weird, or finding out Coran has tattoos from his younger days that just aren’t visible to any of them.)

(And Keith possibly pretending not to notice anything like that because of remembering the occasional childhood arguments with teachers/etc. over what color flowers were and things like that and having made a lifelong habit of “If nobody else seems to see it just pretend there’s nothing there”.)  

[setemheb]

Xeper: Mindful Evolution

By James Fitzsimmons V°

Released on the 6th Anniversarty of its Reception

 The Æon Inaugurating Utterance of Dr. Michael A. Aquino of Xeper as the Magus Ra-En-Set, recorded in the Book of Coming Forth by Night, is

It is the root from which all Words in the Æon of Set arise. Each is a means of the individual Magus/Maga of Remanifesting what they gained from this Primary Utterance, or modifying it, in a manner which constitutes an entire Xeper-derived philosophy in a single Word.

 I am an Æon Enhancing Magus of the Word

 While in English Xeper has only one way of being spoken or written, Egyptian allows for something more nuanced. The core meaning of this Word is "Evolution," with the specific implication of "Evolution by Force of Mind" or “Mindful Evolution.” It implies that Xeper is not a one-time event, but something requiring repeated engagement with the biological and psychological orderings as an active designer so that your Isolate Consciousness might come to its full unfolding. It is the active redesigning of the Self and the World via the Gift of Set.

 My Utterance, as all Æon Enhancing Utterances, finds its empowerment through the Primary Utterance of Ra-En-Set. Without that, it could not exist in any meaningful manner. This is reflected in the hieroglyphics of my Word. Remove the XPR-root, and it is nothing but a gapping maw and a meaningless scroll. Where Ra-En-Set's Utterance is the Omnidirectional empowerment of the Æon of Set, mine is a more specific, focused, lens by which his Utterance can be explored and Understood.

 Don Webb’s Utterance of Xeper as the Magus informs and holds some similarities to mine. His Utterance came from an alternate reading of Ra-En-Set's Utterance emphasizing the root’s stative-tense aspects, "I have come into Being." This was implicit in the Primary Utterance, but had gone unexplored. It was his Word that showed me my way, and it was from working for years to Understand his Word and its relationship to Ra-En-Set's Word that my own Utterance took shape. I had been a close student of the tale of how he came to his Word, and knew of the importance of integrating hunches with seeking out linguistic and cultural information about Egypt

 Ra-En-Set’s Utterance gave me access to the Fire. Setnakt’s Utterance showed me the process by which I could be transformed by what I had Seen, and provided me with the clues in order to unravel my Word’s implications.

 My own Utterance shares an implicate element with Setnakt's Utterance. It can be seen as the Verbal Noun form of the Root Xeper, or Evolution as an abstract process. It was this sense, articulated by Dr. Aquino in the August, 1990 issue of the Scroll of Set:

 What distinguishes Xeper from preceding Magus- Words is the principle that the telos of humanity - at least initiated humanity - lies beyond the capacities of humanity as it presently defines itself. Xeper presupposes the evolution of consciousness into what humanity now holds to be divine levels of being. The telos of Xeper, therefore, is unique in that it is dynamic. It holds up no fixed ideal, as do its predecessors; rather it identifies the evolutionary process itself as telos.

 It was this sense of Xeper that had early on empowered me as a Setian. At the time I was pursuing a B.A. in Anthropology focusing on Human Origins and Uniqueness. This work involved learning in detail the science behind the evolutionary synthesis, biological evolution, and cultural evolution. Ra-En-Set’s Utterance and Setnakt’s Utterance entered my life at the same time, providing a way that I could pursue this Work not simply as a secular anthropologist but as an Initiate. It would be during a period of still deeper study of these same topics that I would recognize my Word, having been prepared across 12 years as a Setian to finally See what had always been there waiting for me. In this sense, my Utterance is embedded in the Primary Utterance, but has only found its full articulation in my own. It was always there, but it needed someone to modify and focus upon it.

 The wave of Utterances of Xeper have been tied to the Working Years of the Temple of Set, and form a hierarchy of explaining what to do as an Initiate. On the fundamental, and most important, level we have Xeper as "Become!" Do not worry about the specifics, do not worry that you are going into unknown territories. Become and you will find what you need. Setnakt's Utterance as "I have come into Being" marks the initial response to having Become. Now that it has happened the individual can look upon the past patterns that transformed them so that they might be able to see the next set of patterns that will transform them still more. My Utterance is what to do when you have come to see those patterns, to actively reiterate and select from them in order to re-design the total of your life and being by the application of the Gift of Set to this process.

 What was Seen could not be unseen, but it could and will be Uttered. It will be through this Task that I will be transformed, and which will transform others in turn. I could not find a better, more challenging, insightful people with which to engage in this Work than those I have found within the Temple of Set.

 One of the common translations that I have used is the term "Mindful Evolution." in the course of my usage, however, I have not revealed why it is I have used this construction. It brings together two of the great turning points in human understanding of itself, namely the core insight of the Axial Age, and the core insight of the Modern Age.  To better understand this, let us look at Mindfulness and Evolution.

 Mindfulness

 A recognition of the Force of Mind as a unique power in human existence have been known since at least 500 BCE in the Hindu concept of smrti “that which is remembered.” It would be in the Work of the first Buddha, who used the Pali word sati to describe it, that the concept would find its most important early articulation. Since the Buddha’s recognition of this capacity, Mindfulness has been a central topic in World Religions though the goal of its practice has been towards the denigration of that which makes humanity unique and in the seeking out of the extinguishing of independent existence.

 With the development of minimally invasive and non-invasive technologies for studying the brain and its relation to the mind, the field of Mindfulness has expanded greatly. Beginning with the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn in the late 1970s, the scientific study of Mindfulness practices demonstrated the ways in which these practices could effect the objective aspects of an individual.  The most startling breakthrough in this field came with the discovery of Neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to re-wire itself as a result of activities, including purely mental activities.

 This capacity for Mindfulness is something unique to humanity. This capacity must be cultivated by willed action, though the methods of cultivation are many. Key to Mindfulness is a heightened awareness of the present moment and its relation to all that is unfolding in that moment. It acts as a meta-cognitive skill towards controlled concentration and cognition with awareness. It is the transformation of the Gift of Set from being a latent capacity into a primary tool for focusing and directing consciousness.

 Evolution

 Philosopher of Consciousness and Evolution, Daniel Dennett, has offered an approach towards modeling evolution that can be applied across any medium of evolution.  He refers to this as the Evolutionary Algorithm.  The Evolutionary Algorithm posits that any system that has a code, which is replicated, and whose replication can occur with variation on the original code, which is subject to a field of differential fitness (some things work in the selection environment, some don't) will experience evolution.

 The first ordering in the cosmos that features a medium capable of this algorithmic process was that of Life through genetics.  First through some form of proto-RNA and then through DNA Life began a process of evolution where the core code of nucleic acid was subject to replication with the possibility of variation and the fields of selections in the natural environment, which it found itself in. This process would lead to the development of proto-organisms, single-celled organisms, multi-celled organisms and eventually the entire panoply of organisms across the Plant, Fungus and Animal Kingdoms upon the earth.

 The second ordering in which this process took place was in a smaller subset of Life through Epigenetics.  As means of Genetic evolution tend to take prolonged periods of time for beneficial adaptations to the selection space to occur, a somewhat more rapid means of adaptation evolved.  By altering the functioning of cells to determine which parts of the DNA code would, and which parts would not, be used in the function of life organisms created a secondary means of adaptation, more rapid than genetic level evolution. Those cellular setting which proved adaptive within the selection space would be passed to the next generation, providing them with established advantages over those organisms which had not tailored their DNA usage.

 The third ordering in which this evolutionary algorithm takes place occurred within a smaller subset of Life. Those organisms capable of more complex behavior aimed at adapting to their environment show a third ordering evolutionary process.  Those behaviors which benefit the organism within their selection space, such as beavers building of dams or the pack organization of wolfs, become part of a system of inheritance.  The success of these behavioral adaptations in the selection space drives their inheritance to the next generation through a process of imprinting and conditioned learning.

 The fourth ordering in which this evolutionary algorithm takes place occurs within an even smaller subset of Life. In fact, to the best of our knowledge, this fourth evolutionary ordering has only occurred in members of genus Homo, and the extent to which it was a common feature to all of genus Homo is uncertain. This fourth ordering of evolution relies upon the relative ease of which humans are capable of imitative behavior, allowing new innovations in behavior, whether beneficial, detrimental or neutral, to pass almost instantaneously from one human to another. This level of evolutionary activity, known as Memetic inheritance, allows for rapid replication, and thus rapid movement through the selection space. With the appearance of this unique fourth ordering in genus Homo we see a sudden exponential growth of brain-size and behavioral variability at odds with purely genetic level evolutionary processes.  In fact, this fourth ordering has powerful enough adaptive advantages due to the speed of replication that it arguably hijacked genus Homo's lower ordering evolution towards its own end. If is from this Memetic system of inheritance that all of those unique human behaviors which we consider to be emblematic of being human, art, culture, language, evolved and it is through this ordering that humanity has come to dominate the earth.

 It is the direction of Mindfulness towards Evolution that defines Xeper.

[anniversary-magazine]

Q+A with Iringó Demeter — An Ode to Bodily Expression

Born and raised in Transylvania, Romania, the photographer Iringó Demeter’s childhood was characterized by the surrounding picturesque nature. Her fascination for nature defines her work, with her interest navigating towards the human body in all its beauty. Informed by texture and shape, intimacy is a pivotal factor in her photography as she continues to explore the human body. And though it’s up close and intimate, it’s always with a profoundly empathetic eye that she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance. We recently took the time to ask Demeter about her life as a photographer and delved into her passion for investigating bodily expressions.

We recently took the time to ask Iringó Demeter about her life as a photographer and her passion for investigating the bodily expression.

Magnus Høst (MH), Iringó Demeter (ID)

MH: Could you please take us back in time and tell us how and when you first became fascinated with photography?

ID: There is no big story about this. It happened quite organically, and it felt incredibly comfortable, so I just rolled with it. Never questioned it once since. I studied it for a few years, BA and MA, it was good to have a platform to explore and see where was my place within this field. I had some tough times along the way, but it never came to my mind that I will do anything else in life.

Then I started to find more meaning to it, I needed it to be something more than an activity which made me feel good. That’s wen the real connection happened.

MH: Does growing up in Transylvania, Romania, play any role, or has it had an impact on how you create and tell stories?

ID: Where and how you grow up will always play a role in how you approach things as you evolve in life, I think. My home was and still is in a small village of 200-something people, surrounded by hills and forests; my parents (mother Romanian, father Hungarian) moved there with work from 2 of the bigger cities in Romania.

Transylvania holds counties in which Hungarians form a vast majority of the population. Close to 90% of the people in my county are Hungarian, and only three people are Romanian, one of whom is my mother. The same people still keep the same numbers. In 1918 Hungary lost Transylvania to Romania, and the aversion towards Romanians even passed down to new generations. I mention all these because I grew up being isolated because lots of people around me didn’t like that I spoke two languages. Add to that that I was tall and heavy, so having insults thrown at me every day was nothing out of the ordinary back then. I grew up watching how the community never really accepted my mother, and how that affected her, how that affected my parents’ relationship with the district. People will talk badly about them in front of me, it was just bizarre, and I didn’t really understand back then.

The positive side of all this is that I made the best out of my time alone, observing everything happening around me - mostly nature. I would look at ants marching in straight lines for hours, I would poke their hill to see what was in there; it was fascinating. My father would let me use a medical microscope to look at whatever I could fit under it - oh, the number of leaves and dead bugs I took apart just to have a very close look! I’d collect snails after a rainy period, and watch their slow movements, look for sorrel in the fields, spend time in sunflower fields, dig out clay from streams and make very awful looking pots.

My personal work references my childhood a lot, so yes, it definitely has a significant impact on how I “speak” now through my photography. I naturally look for “silent movements.” Lines and shapes flowing with and into each other, performing a calm dance. A finger pushed into the flesh would likely be the translation of the wooden rod I watched snails move across in the most beautiful, elegant way. Nature continues itself in the human body, I like exploring this flow. I like honesty, openness, and to create a calm environment and tend to take my time to edit my personal work, to sit with it for as long as I like.

MH: What are you inspired by, and where do you get your inspiration from?

ID: Plants, concrete, water, sounds, weather, the sky.

MH: How do you balance artistic creativity and commercial pressure?

ID: The commercial environment is different in the sense that it’s not only just about you and your subject anymore. You’re working for a client, with a group of people. It’s an honor to be chosen to reflect a vision, a process, and I love learning about a brand and how do I fall into how they would like to portray that vision. I think that if you consider it to be pressure, then that’s what you’re going to get out of it but, if you believe that it’s another way to approach what you love to do, then you’re going to allow yourself to enjoy the process and be happy with the outcome. My “commercial struggles” are not unique, and most of the people know these ones.

MH: Through exploring beauty, life, and stills, the human form seems to inspire your recent works. Experiencing your captivating images and distinctive visual language, it often leaves the viewer resonating with abstraction from the familiar. Can you enlighten us on your creative approach to image-making, and what stories you intend to tell?

ID: I make images because that’s where I feel at home. There is nowhere else I can get that feeling from. This is one way I take care of my body.

Our bodies are our first home. Just looking at them from the outside, they are so unique and deserving of all the kindness. We see bodies every day, and many times maybe we lose their meaning. I think we need to see them in many different ways, so we can be reminded of their significance and to accept, between ourselves, how they function, and how they look like. My approach focuses on the details. With the naked eye, we see the whole picture. With the camera, I can break this down and focus more. It’s a way of slowing down, bringing it emotionally closer, and questioning the familiar.

MH: Intimacy is undoubtedly a pivotal factor in your photography, but what is "intimacy" to you when captured through a lens? And what are you studying when exploring bodily expressions?

ID: Through a lens or not, it’s when I can be with someone in a real way, and that is what I am looking for.

MH: Book or newspaper?

ID: Books. Always. I particularly don’t enjoy newspapers, they have an awkward size, and mostly all of them have the same characteristics.

Books come in so many different weights, textures, and smells. Even if I’m not interested in the subject, I’ll often interact with books just for the sake of how they feel against my fingers, how they feel when I pick them up, how does the paper reflect the light, how is the binding done, how is the content laid out. I am a very tactile person, and I believe that lots of feelings hide in textures.

MH: Movie or tv-series?

ID: Tv-series, because I find them to be more flexible. I can have one on while I edit and don’t feel that I am missing out if I don’t keep my eyes on it all the time. Being freelance will sometimes get very lonely, having a show on in the background can help.

I love to go to the cinema for a good movie with someone who I can discuss it with after.

And, you know what, I’m gonna say it - I love game shows! There is just something about seeing people in social experiments strategize in their own groups and their own heads while keeping aware that millions of people are watching. I’d never put myself up for anything of the sort, so I am utterly fascinated with people who do that. People will roll their eyes now, but the US versions of Survivor and Big Brother are great. :)

MH: Breakfast or dinner?

ID: Oh, don’t think I ever spoke about this to anyone before - I LOVE breakfast! Eating early in the morning, between 5:30am - 7am, is probably my hobby. Preparing it, eating it while watching the sunrise, cleaning up after… Always looking forward to it while, many times, I am not in the mood for dinner or just completely miss the right timing for it. Preferably will have eggs and will end with a tea, or a banana, freshly squeezed juice - I can really extend this meal if I get the chance.

All images by Iringó Demeter

[paullassiterca]

Top 12 Tips to Strengthen Gratitude

30 Tips in 30 Days Designed to Help You Take Control of Your Health

This article is included in Dr. Mercola’s All-Time Top 30 Health Tips series. Every day during the month of January, a new tip will be added that will help you take control of your health. Want to see the full list? Click here.

Keeping a written record of the things you’re thankful for is good for your health. That’s the conclusion reached by an ever-growing number of published studies showing a wide range of physical benefits. According to Laurie Santos, a psychologist who teaches a science of well-being and happiness course at Yale, focusing on gratitude has become a growing trend in recent years,1 and for good reason.

There’s an awful lot of stress and unhappiness in the world, and gratitude is an effective remedy that costs nothing. According to the Harris Poll Happiness Index, just 1 in 3 Americans reports being “very happy.”2 Other research suggests nearly 1 in 4 experiences no life enjoyment at all.3

If your joy quotient could use a boost, commit to cultivating gratitude this year. A simple and proven way of doing this is to keep a gratitude journal, in which you document the things you’re grateful for each day.

One 2015 study4 found participants who kept a gratitude diary and reflected on what they were grateful for four times a week for three weeks improved their depression, stress and happiness scores. In a more recent study,5 high school students asked to keep gratitude journals over the course of a month also exhibited healthier eating patterns.

Definition of Gratitude

According to Robert Emmons, one of the leading scientific experts on gratitude6 featured in the video above, gratitude has two key components.7 First of all, it’s an “affirmation of goodness.”

When you feel gratitude, you affirm that you live in a benevolent world. Second, it’s a recognition that the source of benevolence comes from outside of yourself; that other people (or higher powers, if you so like) have provided you with “gifts.” In Emmons’ view, gratitude is “a relationship-strengthening emotion, because it requires us to see how we’ve been supported and affirmed by other people.” If you’ve decided to keep a gratitude journal, keep the following guidelines in mind:

Focus on the benevolence of other people — Doing so will increase your sense of being supported by life and decrease unnecessary anxiety

Focus on what you have received rather than what’s been withheld

Avoid comparing yourself to people you perceive to have more advantages, more things or “better luck,” as doing so will erode your sense of security. If you’re going to slip into comparisons, contemplate what your life would be like if you didn’t have something you currently enjoy

Health Benefits of Gratitude

As noted by Dr. P. Murali Doraiswamy,8 an expert in brain and mind health, gratitude has “a health maintenance indication for every major organ system” in your body.9 For example, research shows that gratitude:10,11

Alters your brain in a number of beneficial ways — Examples include triggering release of mood-regulating neurotransmitters12 such as dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine and oxytocin; inhibiting the stress hormone cortisol; and stimulating your hypothalamus (a brain area involved in the regulation of stress) and your ventral tegmental area (part of your brain’s reward circuitry that produces pleasurable feelings)13

Increases happiness and life satisfaction14,15

Lowers stress and emotional distress

Improves emotional resiliency16

Reduces symptoms of depression17 — According to one study,18 “Correlation analysis showed that gratitude, depression, peace of mind and rumination were interrelated … Results … suggested that gratitude may … counteract the symptoms of depression by enhancing a state of peace of mind and reducing ruminative thinking”

Reduces pain

Lowers inflammation by inhibiting inflammatory cytokines

Lowers blood sugar

Improves immune function19

Lowers blood pressure

Improves heart health,20 reducing the likelihood of sudden death in patients with congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease

Lowers risk for heart disease21,22 — According to the authors, “Efforts to increase gratitude may be a treatment for improving well-being in heart failure patients’ lives and may be of potential clinical value”

Improves general health by encouraging self-care — In one study,23,24 people who kept a gratitude journal reported exercising more and had fewer visits to the doctor

Improves sleep25

Improves interpersonal relationships

Boosts productivity — In one study,26 managers who expressed gratitude saw a 50 percent increase in the employees’ performance

Reduces materialism27

Increases generosity28

Science and Practice of Gratitude

In 2011, the Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) at the University of California, in collaboration with Emmons, launched a project called Expanding the Science and Practice of Gratitude. This project aims to:29

Expand the scientific database of gratitude, particularly in the key areas of human health, personal and relational well-being, and developmental science

Raise awareness and engage the public in a larger cultural conversation about the meaning and significance of gratitude

Promote evidence-based practices of gratitude in educational, medical and organizational settings

The organization has a number of resources you can peruse at your leisure, including The Science of Happiness blog and newsletter,30 and Thnx4, a digital gratitude journal31 where you can record and share the things you’re grateful for year-round. There are also many other gratitude journal apps you can download. Last year, Positive Routines rated 11 of the best apps to track your happiness.32 Remember Emmons words:

“Neuroscientist Rick Hanson has said that the brain takes the shape the mind rests upon. Rest your mind upon worry, sadness, annoyance and irritability and it will begin to take the shape neurally of anxiety, depression and anger. Ask your brain to give thanks and it will get better at finding things to be grateful for, and begin to take the shape of gratitude.

Everything we do creates connections within networks of the brain, and the more you repeat something, the stronger those connections get. The mind can change the brain in lasting ways. In other words, what flows through the mind sculpts the brain.”

Blocks to Gratitude

Depending on circumstances, gratitude can sometimes be a struggle. However, according to Emmons and the GGSC, materialism is frequently the greatest stumbling block, and it really need not be. As noted in one of the GGSC’s newsletters:33

“Seen through the lens of buying and selling, relationships as well as things are viewed as disposable, and gratitude cannot survive this materialistic onslaught … Research has proven that gratitude is essential for happiness, but modern times have regressed gratitude into a mere feeling instead of retaining its historic value, a virtue that leads to action …

[G]ratitude is an action of returning a favor and is not just a sentiment. By the same token, ingratitude is the failure to both acknowledge receiving a favor and refusing to return or repay the favor. Just as gratitude is the queen of the virtues, ingratitude is the king of the vices …

If we fail to choose [gratitude], by default we choose ingratitude. Millions make this choice every day. Why? Provision, whether supernatural or natural, becomes so commonplace that it is easily accepted for granted.

We believe the universe owes us a living. We do not want to be beholden. Losing sight of protection, favors, benefits and blessings renders a person spiritually and morally bankrupt … People who are ungrateful tend to be characterized by an excessive sense of self-importance, arrogance, vanity and an unquenchable need for admiration and approval.

Narcissists reject the ties that bind people into relationships of reciprocity. They expect special favors and feel no need to pay back or pay forward … Without empathy, they cannot appreciate an altruistic gift because they cannot identify with the mental state of the gift-giver.”

If entitlement is the hallmark of narcissism, then humility is the antidote and the answer when you struggle with gratitude. As noted by Emmons, “The humble person says that life is a gift to be grateful for, not a right to be claimed. Humility ushers in a grateful response to life.”34

So, gratitude isn’t a response to receiving “your due,” but rather the recognition that life owes you nothing, yet provided you with everything you have anyway — a place to live, family, friends, work, your eyesight, your breath, indeed your very life. When you start seeing everything as a gift, opposed to things you’ve deserved (for better or worse), your sense of gratitude will begin to swell.

Another way to flex your gratitude muscle when life events leave you uninspired is to identify and express gratitude for seemingly “useless” or insignificant things. It could be a certain smell in the air, the color of a flower, your child’s freckles or the curvature of a stone. Over time, you’ll find that doing this will really home your ability to identify “good” things in your life.

10 Other Practical Strategies to Build and Strengthen Gratitude

Aside from keeping a daily gratitude journal and being grateful for the simple, insignificant things around you, there are many other ways to practice gratitude. I’ve compiled 10 additional suggestions from various experts below. The key is to stay consistent. Find a way to incorporate your chosen method into each week, ideally each day, and stick with it. Place a reminder note on your bathroom mirror if you need to, or schedule it into your calendar along with all of your other important to-do’s.

1. Write thank-you notes35 — When thanking someone, be specific and acknowledge the effort and/or cost involved.

This year, make it a point to write thank-you notes or letters in response to each gift or kind act — or simply as a show of gratitude for someone being in your life. To get you started, consider practicing mindful thank yous for seven days straight.

2. Say grace at each meal — Adopting the ritual of saying grace at each meal is a great way to flex your gratitude muscle on a daily basis,36 and will also foster a deeper connection to your food.

While this can be a perfect opportunity to honor a spiritual connection with the divine, you don’t have to turn it into a religious speech if you don’t want to. You could simply say, “I am grateful for this food, and appreciate all the time and hard work that went into its production, transportation and preparation.”

3. Let go of negativity by changing your perception — Disappointment can be a major source of stress, which is known to have far-reaching effects on your health and longevity. In fact, centenarians overwhelmingly cite stress as the most important thing to avoid if you want to live a long and healthy life. Since stress is virtually unavoidable, the key is to develop and strengthen your ability to manage your stress so that it doesn’t wear you down over time.

Rather than dwelling on negative events, most centenarians figured out how to let things go, and you can do that too. It takes practice, though. It’s a skill that must be honed daily, or however often you’re triggered.

A foundational principle to let go of negativity is the realization that the way you feel has little to do with the event itself, and everything to do with your perception of it. Wisdom of the ancients dictate that events are neither good nor bad in and of themselves. It is your belief about the event that upsets you, not the fact that it happened.

As noted by Ryan Holiday, author of “The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living,”37 “The Stoics are saying, ‘This happened to me,’ is not the same as, 'This happened to me and that’s bad.’ They’re saying if you stop at the first part, you will be much more resilient and much more able to make some good out of anything that happens.” And, once you can see the good, you’re more apt to feel gratitude.

4. Be mindful of your nonverbal actions — Smiling and hugging are both ways of expressing gratitude, encouragement, excitement, empathy and support. These physical actions also help strengthen your inner experience of positive emotions of all kinds.

5. Give praise — Research38 shows using “other-praising” phrases are far more effective than “self-beneficial” phrases. For example, praising a partner saying, “thank you for going out of your way to do this,” is more powerful than a compliment framed in terms of how you benefited, such as “it makes me happy when you do that.”

The former resulted in the partner feeling happier and more loving toward the person giving the praise. Also, be mindful of your delivery — say it like you mean it. Establishing eye contact is another tactic that helps you show your sincerity. 

6. Prayer and/or mindfulness meditation — Expressing thanks during prayer or meditation is another way to cultivate gratitude. Practicing “mindfulness” means that you’re actively paying attention to the moment you’re in right now. A mantra is sometimes used to help maintain focus, but you can also focus on something that you’re grateful for, such as a pleasant smell, a cool breeze or a lovely memory.

7. Create a nightly gratitude ritual — One suggestion is to create a gratitude jar,39 into which the entire family can add notes of gratitude on a daily basis. Any jar or container will do. Simply write a quick note on a small slip of paper and put it into the jar.

Some make an annual (or biannual or even monthly) event out of going through the whole jar, reading each slip out loud. If you have young children, a lovely ritual suggested by Dr. Alison Chen in a Huffington Post article40 is to create a bedtime routine that involves stating what you’re grateful for out loud.

8. Spend money on activities instead of things — According to recent research,41 spending money on experiences not only generates more gratitude than material consumption, it also motivates greater generosity. As noted by co-author Amit Kumar, postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Chicago, “People feel fortunate, and because it’s a diffuse, untargeted type of gratitude, they’re motivated to give back to people in general.”42

9. Embrace the idea of having “enough” — According to many who have embraced a more minimalist lifestyle, the key to happiness is learning to appreciate and be grateful for having “enough.”

Financial hardship and work stress are two significant contributors to depression and anxiety. The answer is to buy less and appreciate more. Instead of trying to keep up with the Joneses, practice being grateful for the things you already have, and release yourself from the iron grip of advertising, which tells you there’s lack in your life.

Many who have adopted the minimalist lifestyle claim they’ve been able to reduce the amount of time they have to work to pay their bills, freeing up time for volunteer work, creative pursuits and taking care of their personal health, thereby dramatically raising their happiness and life satisfaction. The key here is deciding what “enough” is. Consumption itself is not the problem; unchecked and unnecessary shopping is.

Many times, accumulation of material goods is a symptom that you may be trying to fill a void in your life, yet that void can never be filled by material things. More often than not, the void is silently asking for more love, personal connection, or experiences that bring purpose and passionate engagement. So, make an effort to identify your real, authentic emotional and spiritual needs, and then focus on fulfilling them in ways that does not involve shopping. 

10. Try tapping — The Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is a helpful tool for a number of emotional challenges, including lack of gratitude. EFT is a form of psychological acupressure based on the energy meridians used in acupuncture that can quickly restore inner balance and healing, and helps rid your mind of negative thoughts and emotions. In the video below, EFT practitioner Julie Schiffman demonstrates how to tap for gratitude.

from Articles http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/17/gratitude-essential-key-to-health-happiness.aspx source https://niapurenaturecom.tumblr.com/post/182077750846

[jerrytackettca]

Top 12 Tips to Strengthen Gratitude

30 Tips in 30 Days Designed to Help You Take Control of Your Health

This article is included in Dr. Mercola's All-Time Top 30 Health Tips series. Every day during the month of January, a new tip will be added that will help you take control of your health. Want to see the full list? Click here.

Keeping a written record of the things you're thankful for is good for your health. That's the conclusion reached by an ever-growing number of published studies showing a wide range of physical benefits. According to Laurie Santos, a psychologist who teaches a science of well-being and happiness course at Yale, focusing on gratitude has become a growing trend in recent years,1 and for good reason.

There's an awful lot of stress and unhappiness in the world, and gratitude is an effective remedy that costs nothing. According to the Harris Poll Happiness Index, just 1 in 3 Americans reports being "very happy."2 Other research suggests nearly 1 in 4 experiences no life enjoyment at all.3

If your joy quotient could use a boost, commit to cultivating gratitude this year. A simple and proven way of doing this is to keep a gratitude journal, in which you document the things you're grateful for each day.

One 2015 study4 found participants who kept a gratitude diary and reflected on what they were grateful for four times a week for three weeks improved their depression, stress and happiness scores. In a more recent study,5 high school students asked to keep gratitude journals over the course of a month also exhibited healthier eating patterns.

Definition of Gratitude

According to Robert Emmons, one of the leading scientific experts on gratitude6 featured in the video above, gratitude has two key components.7 First of all, it's an "affirmation of goodness."

When you feel gratitude, you affirm that you live in a benevolent world. Second, it's a recognition that the source of benevolence comes from outside of yourself; that other people (or higher powers, if you so like) have provided you with "gifts." In Emmons' view, gratitude is "a relationship-strengthening emotion, because it requires us to see how we've been supported and affirmed by other people." If you've decided to keep a gratitude journal, keep the following guidelines in mind:

Focus on the benevolence of other people — Doing so will increase your sense of being supported by life and decrease unnecessary anxiety

Focus on what you have received rather than what's been withheld

Avoid comparing yourself to people you perceive to have more advantages, more things or "better luck," as doing so will erode your sense of security. If you're going to slip into comparisons, contemplate what your life would be like if you didn't have something you currently enjoy

Health Benefits of Gratitude

As noted by Dr. P. Murali Doraiswamy,8 an expert in brain and mind health, gratitude has "a health maintenance indication for every major organ system" in your body.9 For example, research shows that gratitude:10,11

Alters your brain in a number of beneficial ways — Examples include triggering release of mood-regulating neurotransmitters12 such as dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine and oxytocin; inhibiting the stress hormone cortisol; and stimulating your hypothalamus (a brain area involved in the regulation of stress) and your ventral tegmental area (part of your brain's reward circuitry that produces pleasurable feelings)13

Increases happiness and life satisfaction14,15

Lowers stress and emotional distress

Improves emotional resiliency16

Reduces symptoms of depression17 — According to one study,18 "Correlation analysis showed that gratitude, depression, peace of mind and rumination were interrelated … Results … suggested that gratitude may … counteract the symptoms of depression by enhancing a state of peace of mind and reducing ruminative thinking"

Reduces pain

Lowers inflammation by inhibiting inflammatory cytokines

Lowers blood sugar

Improves immune function19

Lowers blood pressure

Improves heart health,20 reducing the likelihood of sudden death in patients with congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease

Lowers risk for heart disease21,22 — According to the authors, "Efforts to increase gratitude may be a treatment for improving well-being in heart failure patients' lives and may be of potential clinical value"

Improves general health by encouraging self-care — In one study,23,24 people who kept a gratitude journal reported exercising more and had fewer visits to the doctor

Improves sleep25

Improves interpersonal relationships

Boosts productivity — In one study,26 managers who expressed gratitude saw a 50 percent increase in the employees' performance

Reduces materialism27

Increases generosity28

Science and Practice of Gratitude

In 2011, the Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) at the University of California, in collaboration with Emmons, launched a project called Expanding the Science and Practice of Gratitude. This project aims to:29

Expand the scientific database of gratitude, particularly in the key areas of human health, personal and relational well-being, and developmental science

Raise awareness and engage the public in a larger cultural conversation about the meaning and significance of gratitude

Promote evidence-based practices of gratitude in educational, medical and organizational settings

The organization has a number of resources you can peruse at your leisure, including The Science of Happiness blog and newsletter,30 and Thnx4, a digital gratitude journal31 where you can record and share the things you're grateful for year-round. There are also many other gratitude journal apps you can download. Last year, Positive Routines rated 11 of the best apps to track your happiness.32 Remember Emmons words:

"Neuroscientist Rick Hanson has said that the brain takes the shape the mind rests upon. Rest your mind upon worry, sadness, annoyance and irritability and it will begin to take the shape neurally of anxiety, depression and anger. Ask your brain to give thanks and it will get better at finding things to be grateful for, and begin to take the shape of gratitude.

Everything we do creates connections within networks of the brain, and the more you repeat something, the stronger those connections get. The mind can change the brain in lasting ways. In other words, what flows through the mind sculpts the brain."

Blocks to Gratitude

Depending on circumstances, gratitude can sometimes be a struggle. However, according to Emmons and the GGSC, materialism is frequently the greatest stumbling block, and it really need not be. As noted in one of the GGSC's newsletters:33

"Seen through the lens of buying and selling, relationships as well as things are viewed as disposable, and gratitude cannot survive this materialistic onslaught … Research has proven that gratitude is essential for happiness, but modern times have regressed gratitude into a mere feeling instead of retaining its historic value, a virtue that leads to action …

[G]ratitude is an action of returning a favor and is not just a sentiment. By the same token, ingratitude is the failure to both acknowledge receiving a favor and refusing to return or repay the favor. Just as gratitude is the queen of the virtues, ingratitude is the king of the vices …

If we fail to choose [gratitude], by default we choose ingratitude. Millions make this choice every day. Why? Provision, whether supernatural or natural, becomes so commonplace that it is easily accepted for granted.

We believe the universe owes us a living. We do not want to be beholden. Losing sight of protection, favors, benefits and blessings renders a person spiritually and morally bankrupt … People who are ungrateful tend to be characterized by an excessive sense of self-importance, arrogance, vanity and an unquenchable need for admiration and approval.

Narcissists reject the ties that bind people into relationships of reciprocity. They expect special favors and feel no need to pay back or pay forward … Without empathy, they cannot appreciate an altruistic gift because they cannot identify with the mental state of the gift-giver."

If entitlement is the hallmark of narcissism, then humility is the antidote and the answer when you struggle with gratitude. As noted by Emmons, "The humble person says that life is a gift to be grateful for, not a right to be claimed. Humility ushers in a grateful response to life."34

So, gratitude isn't a response to receiving "your due," but rather the recognition that life owes you nothing, yet provided you with everything you have anyway — a place to live, family, friends, work, your eyesight, your breath, indeed your very life. When you start seeing everything as a gift, opposed to things you've deserved (for better or worse), your sense of gratitude will begin to swell.

Another way to flex your gratitude muscle when life events leave you uninspired is to identify and express gratitude for seemingly "useless" or insignificant things. It could be a certain smell in the air, the color of a flower, your child's freckles or the curvature of a stone. Over time, you'll find that doing this will really home your ability to identify "good" things in your life.

10 Other Practical Strategies to Build and Strengthen Gratitude

Aside from keeping a daily gratitude journal and being grateful for the simple, insignificant things around you, there are many other ways to practice gratitude. I've compiled 10 additional suggestions from various experts below. The key is to stay consistent. Find a way to incorporate your chosen method into each week, ideally each day, and stick with it. Place a reminder note on your bathroom mirror if you need to, or schedule it into your calendar along with all of your other important to-do's.

1. Write thank-you notes35 — When thanking someone, be specific and acknowledge the effort and/or cost involved.

This year, make it a point to write thank-you notes or letters in response to each gift or kind act — or simply as a show of gratitude for someone being in your life. To get you started, consider practicing mindful thank yous for seven days straight.

2. Say grace at each meal — Adopting the ritual of saying grace at each meal is a great way to flex your gratitude muscle on a daily basis,36 and will also foster a deeper connection to your food.

While this can be a perfect opportunity to honor a spiritual connection with the divine, you don't have to turn it into a religious speech if you don't want to. You could simply say, "I am grateful for this food, and appreciate all the time and hard work that went into its production, transportation and preparation."

3. Let go of negativity by changing your perception — Disappointment can be a major source of stress, which is known to have far-reaching effects on your health and longevity. In fact, centenarians overwhelmingly cite stress as the most important thing to avoid if you want to live a long and healthy life. Since stress is virtually unavoidable, the key is to develop and strengthen your ability to manage your stress so that it doesn't wear you down over time.

Rather than dwelling on negative events, most centenarians figured out how to let things go, and you can do that too. It takes practice, though. It's a skill that must be honed daily, or however often you're triggered.

A foundational principle to let go of negativity is the realization that the way you feel has little to do with the event itself, and everything to do with your perception of it. Wisdom of the ancients dictate that events are neither good nor bad in and of themselves. It is your belief about the event that upsets you, not the fact that it happened.

As noted by Ryan Holiday, author of "The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living,"37 "The Stoics are saying, 'This happened to me,' is not the same as, 'This happened to me and that's bad.' They're saying if you stop at the first part, you will be much more resilient and much more able to make some good out of anything that happens." And, once you can see the good, you're more apt to feel gratitude.

4. Be mindful of your nonverbal actions — Smiling and hugging are both ways of expressing gratitude, encouragement, excitement, empathy and support. These physical actions also help strengthen your inner experience of positive emotions of all kinds.

5. Give praise — Research38 shows using "other-praising" phrases are far more effective than "self-beneficial" phrases. For example, praising a partner saying, "thank you for going out of your way to do this," is more powerful than a compliment framed in terms of how you benefited, such as "it makes me happy when you do that."

The former resulted in the partner feeling happier and more loving toward the person giving the praise. Also, be mindful of your delivery — say it like you mean it. Establishing eye contact is another tactic that helps you show your sincerity. 

6. Prayer and/or mindfulness meditation — Expressing thanks during prayer or meditation is another way to cultivate gratitude. Practicing "mindfulness" means that you're actively paying attention to the moment you're in right now. A mantra is sometimes used to help maintain focus, but you can also focus on something that you're grateful for, such as a pleasant smell, a cool breeze or a lovely memory.

7. Create a nightly gratitude ritual — One suggestion is to create a gratitude jar,39 into which the entire family can add notes of gratitude on a daily basis. Any jar or container will do. Simply write a quick note on a small slip of paper and put it into the jar.

Some make an annual (or biannual or even monthly) event out of going through the whole jar, reading each slip out loud. If you have young children, a lovely ritual suggested by Dr. Alison Chen in a Huffington Post article40 is to create a bedtime routine that involves stating what you're grateful for out loud.

8. Spend money on activities instead of things — According to recent research,41 spending money on experiences not only generates more gratitude than material consumption, it also motivates greater generosity. As noted by co-author Amit Kumar, postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Chicago, "People feel fortunate, and because it's a diffuse, untargeted type of gratitude, they're motivated to give back to people in general."42

9. Embrace the idea of having "enough" — According to many who have embraced a more minimalist lifestyle, the key to happiness is learning to appreciate and be grateful for having "enough."

Financial hardship and work stress are two significant contributors to depression and anxiety. The answer is to buy less and appreciate more. Instead of trying to keep up with the Joneses, practice being grateful for the things you already have, and release yourself from the iron grip of advertising, which tells you there's lack in your life.

Many who have adopted the minimalist lifestyle claim they've been able to reduce the amount of time they have to work to pay their bills, freeing up time for volunteer work, creative pursuits and taking care of their personal health, thereby dramatically raising their happiness and life satisfaction. The key here is deciding what "enough" is. Consumption itself is not the problem; unchecked and unnecessary shopping is.

Many times, accumulation of material goods is a symptom that you may be trying to fill a void in your life, yet that void can never be filled by material things. More often than not, the void is silently asking for more love, personal connection, or experiences that bring purpose and passionate engagement. So, make an effort to identify your real, authentic emotional and spiritual needs, and then focus on fulfilling them in ways that does not involve shopping. 

10. Try tapping — The Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is a helpful tool for a number of emotional challenges, including lack of gratitude. EFT is a form of psychological acupressure based on the energy meridians used in acupuncture that can quickly restore inner balance and healing, and helps rid your mind of negative thoughts and emotions. In the video below, EFT practitioner Julie Schiffman demonstrates how to tap for gratitude.

  from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/17/gratitude-essential-key-to-health-happiness.aspx

source http://niapurenaturecom.weebly.com/blog/top-12-tips-to-strengthen-gratitude

[jakehglover]

Top 12 Tips to Strengthen Gratitude

30 Tips in 30 Days Designed to Help You Take Control of Your Health

This article is included in Dr. Mercola's All-Time Top 30 Health Tips series. Every day during the month of January, a new tip will be added that will help you take control of your health. Want to see the full list? Click here.

Keeping a written record of the things you're thankful for is good for your health. That's the conclusion reached by an ever-growing number of published studies showing a wide range of physical benefits. According to Laurie Santos, a psychologist who teaches a science of well-being and happiness course at Yale, focusing on gratitude has become a growing trend in recent years,1 and for good reason.

There's an awful lot of stress and unhappiness in the world, and gratitude is an effective remedy that costs nothing. According to the Harris Poll Happiness Index, just 1 in 3 Americans reports being "very happy."2 Other research suggests nearly 1 in 4 experiences no life enjoyment at all.3

If your joy quotient could use a boost, commit to cultivating gratitude this year. A simple and proven way of doing this is to keep a gratitude journal, in which you document the things you're grateful for each day.

One 2015 study4 found participants who kept a gratitude diary and reflected on what they were grateful for four times a week for three weeks improved their depression, stress and happiness scores. In a more recent study,5 high school students asked to keep gratitude journals over the course of a month also exhibited healthier eating patterns.

Definition of Gratitude

According to Robert Emmons, one of the leading scientific experts on gratitude6 featured in the video above, gratitude has two key components.7 First of all, it's an "affirmation of goodness."

When you feel gratitude, you affirm that you live in a benevolent world. Second, it's a recognition that the source of benevolence comes from outside of yourself; that other people (or higher powers, if you so like) have provided you with "gifts." In Emmons' view, gratitude is "a relationship-strengthening emotion, because it requires us to see how we've been supported and affirmed by other people." If you've decided to keep a gratitude journal, keep the following guidelines in mind:

Focus on the benevolence of other people — Doing so will increase your sense of being supported by life and decrease unnecessary anxiety

Focus on what you have received rather than what's been withheld

Avoid comparing yourself to people you perceive to have more advantages, more things or "better luck," as doing so will erode your sense of security. If you're going to slip into comparisons, contemplate what your life would be like if you didn't have something you currently enjoy

Health Benefits of Gratitude

As noted by Dr. P. Murali Doraiswamy,8 an expert in brain and mind health, gratitude has "a health maintenance indication for every major organ system" in your body.9 For example, research shows that gratitude:10,11

Alters your brain in a number of beneficial ways — Examples include triggering release of mood-regulating neurotransmitters12 such as dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine and oxytocin; inhibiting the stress hormone cortisol; and stimulating your hypothalamus (a brain area involved in the regulation of stress) and your ventral tegmental area (part of your brain's reward circuitry that produces pleasurable feelings)13

Increases happiness and life satisfaction14,15

Lowers stress and emotional distress

Improves emotional resiliency16

Reduces symptoms of depression17 — According to one study,18 "Correlation analysis showed that gratitude, depression, peace of mind and rumination were interrelated … Results … suggested that gratitude may … counteract the symptoms of depression by enhancing a state of peace of mind and reducing ruminative thinking"

Reduces pain

Lowers inflammation by inhibiting inflammatory cytokines

Lowers blood sugar

Improves immune function19

Lowers blood pressure

Improves heart health,20 reducing the likelihood of sudden death in patients with congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease

Lowers risk for heart disease21,22 — According to the authors, "Efforts to increase gratitude may be a treatment for improving well-being in heart failure patients' lives and may be of potential clinical value"

Improves general health by encouraging self-care — In one study,23,24 people who kept a gratitude journal reported exercising more and had fewer visits to the doctor

Improves sleep25

Improves interpersonal relationships

Boosts productivity — In one study,26 managers who expressed gratitude saw a 50 percent increase in the employees' performance

Reduces materialism27

Increases generosity28

Science and Practice of Gratitude

In 2011, the Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) at the University of California, in collaboration with Emmons, launched a project called Expanding the Science and Practice of Gratitude. This project aims to:29

Expand the scientific database of gratitude, particularly in the key areas of human health, personal and relational well-being, and developmental science

Raise awareness and engage the public in a larger cultural conversation about the meaning and significance of gratitude

Promote evidence-based practices of gratitude in educational, medical and organizational settings

The organization has a number of resources you can peruse at your leisure, including The Science of Happiness blog and newsletter,30 and Thnx4, a digital gratitude journal31 where you can record and share the things you're grateful for year-round. There are also many other gratitude journal apps you can download. Last year, Positive Routines rated 11 of the best apps to track your happiness.32 Remember Emmons words:

"Neuroscientist Rick Hanson has said that the brain takes the shape the mind rests upon. Rest your mind upon worry, sadness, annoyance and irritability and it will begin to take the shape neurally of anxiety, depression and anger. Ask your brain to give thanks and it will get better at finding things to be grateful for, and begin to take the shape of gratitude.

Everything we do creates connections within networks of the brain, and the more you repeat something, the stronger those connections get. The mind can change the brain in lasting ways. In other words, what flows through the mind sculpts the brain."

Blocks to Gratitude

Depending on circumstances, gratitude can sometimes be a struggle. However, according to Emmons and the GGSC, materialism is frequently the greatest stumbling block, and it really need not be. As noted in one of the GGSC's newsletters:33

"Seen through the lens of buying and selling, relationships as well as things are viewed as disposable, and gratitude cannot survive this materialistic onslaught … Research has proven that gratitude is essential for happiness, but modern times have regressed gratitude into a mere feeling instead of retaining its historic value, a virtue that leads to action …

[G]ratitude is an action of returning a favor and is not just a sentiment. By the same token, ingratitude is the failure to both acknowledge receiving a favor and refusing to return or repay the favor. Just as gratitude is the queen of the virtues, ingratitude is the king of the vices …

If we fail to choose [gratitude], by default we choose ingratitude. Millions make this choice every day. Why? Provision, whether supernatural or natural, becomes so commonplace that it is easily accepted for granted.

We believe the universe owes us a living. We do not want to be beholden. Losing sight of protection, favors, benefits and blessings renders a person spiritually and morally bankrupt … People who are ungrateful tend to be characterized by an excessive sense of self-importance, arrogance, vanity and an unquenchable need for admiration and approval.

Narcissists reject the ties that bind people into relationships of reciprocity. They expect special favors and feel no need to pay back or pay forward … Without empathy, they cannot appreciate an altruistic gift because they cannot identify with the mental state of the gift-giver."

If entitlement is the hallmark of narcissism, then humility is the antidote and the answer when you struggle with gratitude. As noted by Emmons, "The humble person says that life is a gift to be grateful for, not a right to be claimed. Humility ushers in a grateful response to life."34

So, gratitude isn't a response to receiving "your due," but rather the recognition that life owes you nothing, yet provided you with everything you have anyway — a place to live, family, friends, work, your eyesight, your breath, indeed your very life. When you start seeing everything as a gift, opposed to things you've deserved (for better or worse), your sense of gratitude will begin to swell.

Another way to flex your gratitude muscle when life events leave you uninspired is to identify and express gratitude for seemingly "useless" or insignificant things. It could be a certain smell in the air, the color of a flower, your child's freckles or the curvature of a stone. Over time, you'll find that doing this will really home your ability to identify "good" things in your life.

10 Other Practical Strategies to Build and Strengthen Gratitude

Aside from keeping a daily gratitude journal and being grateful for the simple, insignificant things around you, there are many other ways to practice gratitude. I've compiled 10 additional suggestions from various experts below. The key is to stay consistent. Find a way to incorporate your chosen method into each week, ideally each day, and stick with it. Place a reminder note on your bathroom mirror if you need to, or schedule it into your calendar along with all of your other important to-do's.

1. Write thank-you notes35 — When thanking someone, be specific and acknowledge the effort and/or cost involved.

This year, make it a point to write thank-you notes or letters in response to each gift or kind act — or simply as a show of gratitude for someone being in your life. To get you started, consider practicing mindful thank yous for seven days straight.

2. Say grace at each meal — Adopting the ritual of saying grace at each meal is a great way to flex your gratitude muscle on a daily basis,36 and will also foster a deeper connection to your food.

While this can be a perfect opportunity to honor a spiritual connection with the divine, you don't have to turn it into a religious speech if you don't want to. You could simply say, "I am grateful for this food, and appreciate all the time and hard work that went into its production, transportation and preparation."

3. Let go of negativity by changing your perception — Disappointment can be a major source of stress, which is known to have far-reaching effects on your health and longevity. In fact, centenarians overwhelmingly cite stress as the most important thing to avoid if you want to live a long and healthy life. Since stress is virtually unavoidable, the key is to develop and strengthen your ability to manage your stress so that it doesn't wear you down over time.

Rather than dwelling on negative events, most centenarians figured out how to let things go, and you can do that too. It takes practice, though. It's a skill that must be honed daily, or however often you're triggered.

A foundational principle to let go of negativity is the realization that the way you feel has little to do with the event itself, and everything to do with your perception of it. Wisdom of the ancients dictate that events are neither good nor bad in and of themselves. It is your belief about the event that upsets you, not the fact that it happened.

As noted by Ryan Holiday, author of "The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living,"37 "The Stoics are saying, 'This happened to me,' is not the same as, 'This happened to me and that's bad.' They're saying if you stop at the first part, you will be much more resilient and much more able to make some good out of anything that happens." And, once you can see the good, you're more apt to feel gratitude.

4. Be mindful of your nonverbal actions — Smiling and hugging are both ways of expressing gratitude, encouragement, excitement, empathy and support. These physical actions also help strengthen your inner experience of positive emotions of all kinds.

5. Give praise — Research38 shows using "other-praising" phrases are far more effective than "self-beneficial" phrases. For example, praising a partner saying, "thank you for going out of your way to do this," is more powerful than a compliment framed in terms of how you benefited, such as "it makes me happy when you do that."

The former resulted in the partner feeling happier and more loving toward the person giving the praise. Also, be mindful of your delivery — say it like you mean it. Establishing eye contact is another tactic that helps you show your sincerity. 

6. Prayer and/or mindfulness meditation — Expressing thanks during prayer or meditation is another way to cultivate gratitude. Practicing "mindfulness" means that you're actively paying attention to the moment you're in right now. A mantra is sometimes used to help maintain focus, but you can also focus on something that you're grateful for, such as a pleasant smell, a cool breeze or a lovely memory.

7. Create a nightly gratitude ritual — One suggestion is to create a gratitude jar,39 into which the entire family can add notes of gratitude on a daily basis. Any jar or container will do. Simply write a quick note on a small slip of paper and put it into the jar.

Some make an annual (or biannual or even monthly) event out of going through the whole jar, reading each slip out loud. If you have young children, a lovely ritual suggested by Dr. Alison Chen in a Huffington Post article40 is to create a bedtime routine that involves stating what you're grateful for out loud.

8. Spend money on activities instead of things — According to recent research,41 spending money on experiences not only generates more gratitude than material consumption, it also motivates greater generosity. As noted by co-author Amit Kumar, postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Chicago, "People feel fortunate, and because it's a diffuse, untargeted type of gratitude, they're motivated to give back to people in general."42

9. Embrace the idea of having "enough" — According to many who have embraced a more minimalist lifestyle, the key to happiness is learning to appreciate and be grateful for having "enough."

Financial hardship and work stress are two significant contributors to depression and anxiety. The answer is to buy less and appreciate more. Instead of trying to keep up with the Joneses, practice being grateful for the things you already have, and release yourself from the iron grip of advertising, which tells you there's lack in your life.

Many who have adopted the minimalist lifestyle claim they've been able to reduce the amount of time they have to work to pay their bills, freeing up time for volunteer work, creative pursuits and taking care of their personal health, thereby dramatically raising their happiness and life satisfaction. The key here is deciding what "enough" is. Consumption itself is not the problem; unchecked and unnecessary shopping is.

Many times, accumulation of material goods is a symptom that you may be trying to fill a void in your life, yet that void can never be filled by material things. More often than not, the void is silently asking for more love, personal connection, or experiences that bring purpose and passionate engagement. So, make an effort to identify your real, authentic emotional and spiritual needs, and then focus on fulfilling them in ways that does not involve shopping. 

10. Try tapping — The Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is a helpful tool for a number of emotional challenges, including lack of gratitude. EFT is a form of psychological acupressure based on the energy meridians used in acupuncture that can quickly restore inner balance and healing, and helps rid your mind of negative thoughts and emotions. In the video below, EFT practitioner Julie Schiffman demonstrates how to tap for gratitude.

  from HealthyLife via Jake Glover on Inoreader http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/17/gratitude-essential-key-to-health-happiness.aspx