Category: Chillin

Just chillin

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Chillin Interconnectivity Life Is Yours

The Door is Within

The Door is within.

What the heck does that mean?

I feel like, whatever it is I’m looking for, asking for, wanting…, the access is inside.

It’s not like I need to search and find the door, the “thing”, somewhere out there. Maybe something specific, sure it is physically outside of your body. But as if it does not arrive in your path unless you have opened the door inside you. And that door is arrived as a vibration of your mind, your emotion, your being.

Imagine if you vibrate at certain levels, you actually see different things that exist on those levels. In this case, your own vibration is the door you are looking for to bring that which you want to you.

Now whether or not that thing is a good thing, is a different story, and one I might as well get to here : )

I say, shoot for health. Or meaning.

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Chillin Interconnectivity

The Way of Water

Beautiful quote from Avatar 2. As I was hearing it in the movie, I was thinking the quote could also be used to describe air / breathing. Here is the original quote:

“The way of water has no beginning and no end. The sea is around you and in you. The sea is your home — before your birth, and after your death. Our hearts beat in the womb of the world, our breath burns in the shadow of the deep. The sea gives, and the sea takes. Water connects all things, life to death, darkness to light.”

-Avatar 2

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Chillin Inserts

Allowing the Flow of Sadness to Allow the Flow of Happiness

“If you never let yourself feel sad, how do you ever feel happy?”

-Punky Brewster (episode 1)

I have found this to be true: You cannot selectively numb emotions. You cant just say “I’m going to avoid feeling pain so I can always feel happy” – they come hand-in-hand. Like a flow, flowing through you.

I think the healthiest is when we can allow that flow, even the flow of pain. It is said that suffering is resistance to pain.

So the point here being: perhaps pain is inevitable, and that flow which allows pain is required to also allow happiness. When you restrict the flow, to avoid pain, you cause suffering. Allowing pain is healthy; a pure pain is a cleansing pain, and even may incorporate pure beauty. A stifled, blocked pain can lead to the blocking of other healthy emotions, including happiness.

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Chillin Relationships

The Eyes Have It

Ever looked into someone’s eyes and seen complete understanding? A short talk on the experience of the eyes:

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Chillin Exponential Potential Inserts Quotes Using The Brain

Luck is the Residue of Design

“Luck is the residue of design”

– Predestination (movie)

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Chillin Quotes

Noticing Self-Growth

“The word ‘meaning’ doesn’t have quite the same bite for me as it once did, not quite the same ability to make me unhappy and dissatisfied and restless and searching still. I believe perhaps I am being more compassionate with myself. More gentle with life, with what it is to be human. Part of the move toward wisdom that I was talking to Ken about. But sometimes when I talk to others about changes I believe are happening within I’m not quite certain if it’s true; am I bragging, am I only hoping this is true, am I affirming something I want to be true but which is not yet so? The ring of truth, the feeling that I am actually not pretending, comes more when I begin to write or talk about things that used to bother me as if they still do, but the complaint, the edge, the bitterness simply isn’t there with its old force. I’m not trying to convince anyone of my progress, I’m simply being my old cantankerous self, complaining, self-pitying, going over the same old territory, and yet the complaints are weak, my heart isn’t in them anymore, I feel a bit bored with what I’m saying. That’s when I feel confident that I am indeed moving on, leaving that particular thing behind after so many months or years I’ve lived with it.”

-Treya, Grace and Grit

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Chillin Exponential Potential Spark the Flame - Short Vlog Using The Brain

I do not Seek. I Find.

Referring to Pablo Picasso’s quote “I do not seek. I find” – and how the concept helps me perceive and appreciate the beauty of what is already here, and trying to reduce the ‘chase’.

When I chase certain things, they can be like forms and shapes in a cloud far away – as I get nearer the form disappears and what I thought was there turns out to be an illusion. Instead of chasing / seeking, we can ‘find’ what is here right in front of us, or beside us and around us. Instead of pursuing far away, we can open our senses and experience what we have been brought together with that exist with us right here.

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Chillin Exponential Potential Life Is Yours Relationships

Loss and Connection

My uncle is about to pass away. He battled many things, one of which is addiction. I love him dearly.

My grandma passed away in late June. She raised me.

There was a challenging, yet beautiful connection between my grandma and my uncle (mom and son). I think they needed each other in some ways.

Love you both. I am glad my heart feels your loss…it will be a way to connect with you.

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Chillin Exponential Potential Life Is Yours

The Best Security We Have

The best security we have is in who we decide to be, who our relationships are, and our faith in the higher power.

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Chillin Using The Brain

A Bit on Nostalgia

This winter I realized that I was craving for some things from my past, like video games from my childhood. And I found a way to start playing some again, and it’s been great 🙂

I noticed once, in my very cold apartment, that thinking fondly of things from the past, from my warm past, actually made me feel warm physically and as if I was not alone. It was a beautiful moment and revelation.

Here is a brief online article about how nostalgia has been found to literally reduce mild pain: https://neurosciencenews.com/nostalgia-pain-20114/

And here is a New York Times piece on many benefits of nostalgia which I personally found very surprising: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/26/briefing/nostalgia-oscars-mardi-gras.html

If you don’t have access to the New York Times article you can look at the Wikipedia entry for nostalgia which mentions a lot of the psychological benefits I found surprising: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nostalgia

Cheers to a warm past reaching out to give us comfort, security and hope in the Present.

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Chillin Life Is Yours Oetics Reality

Be Surprised in Life and Enjoy It

Allowing / Appreciating versus Pulling / Feeding:

If I find myself energetically feeding on someone, whether feeding through their body or some other way, and I tell myself and get myself to stop, I find that it equates to a change from taking to allowing. And inevitably that allowing transforms into or invites my appreciation.

So that got me thinking: if I did more appreciating of how things turn out and allowing instead of pulling, then I’d be more open to how Life wants to turn out, and I think I would be more aligned with the purpose and meaning of Life, which may be to: be surprised and enjoy it.

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Chillin

Consciousness as a non-Option?

Had a thought that consciousness might not even be an option, and that we may never be able to truly turn it off.

If that is the case, it creates the incentive to get more comfortable with it. To get better at appreciating and enjoying what we are conscious of.

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Chillin Interconnectivity Reality

Existential Journey

A short radio excerpt:

Joe Frank – Existential Journey

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Chillin Quotes

Love Has No Rules

A pretty cool interview with Winona Ryder.

At :49 secs she talks about love

At 2:19 she speaks about enjoying the moment – stopping and smelling the roses

At 3:40 she explains her way of using instinct / intuition

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Chillin Interconnectivity New Year

Happy New Year 2022!!!!!!!

As I take a little time to reflect,

I give you all my peace and respect.

I’m feeling pretty good. From this year I think I picked up a better sense of balance. Balance between trying my hardest, and making sure to stick with my greatest values: one of which is to enjoy myself. So, a balance between self-enjoyment, and trying my hardest. While knowing that the well-being of loved ones is top priority, while also keeping in mind well-being of the world.

I also realized that I love teaching. Maybe I will focus on that, instead of trying to get a more high-paying job that requires work which I struggle to enjoy or find meaning with.

When I think of what the world needs, it probably boils down to compassion.

Things just keep ticking, huh?

Keep the faith. Keeping a good mentality makes a huge difference.

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Chillin

I Dream My Dreams, But are My Dreams Dreaming Me?

I dream my dreams, but are my dreams dreaming me?

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Chillin Halloween

Happy Halloween Birthday =D

Happy Halloween Birthday!!!!!

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Chillin Life Is Yours

How About Some Sweetness for that Joy?

Right now, looks like I’m going through another identity shift or movement.

Im wondering whether I need to relax on myself, and my standards of discipline, a little, so that more joy enters my life.

I work really hard and diligently. My life is filled with beauty, love, blessings, and grace. Even with all these blessings, I have been missing a more consistent joy that I want. Even acknowledging that I want this joy, and having an idea of how to allow it (by relaxing more on my requirements and discipline), I feel better and more relaxed. Truly, I want to treat myself sweeter.💘💘

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Chillin Interconnectivity

Knowing We Are All Equal In Value

I need your help for me to grow, get better. I need you to show me the energy of knowing that we are all equal in value.

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Chillin Quotes Using The Brain

Power Over Your Interpretation

“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.”
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

I love this quote about having power over our mind, but not outside events. How I see it:

It’s obvious, if we are paying attention to our lives and circumstances, that we dont have direct control over everything, (and maybe not full direct control over anything). Simply put: out what we can control, we have a lot of power in creating change. But, there are plenty of times when we will receive surprises, and depending on who we are, we may interpret them in various ways, as in “good” or “bad”, etc. We have influence over our interpretation, over the meaning that we derive. And depending on our chosen and effective interpretation, we contribute or “attract” certain outcomes.

Something interesting here: I distinguish between interpretation and view. View is our perspective. If we were looking at an enormous boulder in the woods, and I was on one side and you were on the other, our view / perspective is different. The interpretation is the meaning we make with our perspective. So, to change meaning, you can try to change viewpoint.

So, while I’m with Marcus Aurelius on this quote, I think we have power and influence over both, our mind and outside events, but we will also get surprises. But we have power over how we interpret those surprises, which impacts the present as well as future events.

Good luck!

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Chillin Interconnectivity Live Events

Pitch to Speak on Humanization at SXSW Edu

I made a short video as part of the application process to speak at SXSW Edu, which is a yearly conference on education in Austin, Texas.

Here is the video. Enjoy!!!

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Chillin Interconnectivity Reality Using The Brain

On Being a Healthy Professional

I am honored to have been asked to give a presentation to a class of working professional master’s students. The theme is: being healthy. These are the general notes I put together for the presentation. 

What are your values?

  • In other words, what are your priorities?
    • We can only maintain a few priorities at the very top
    • Find your values, and stick to that
      • You are being who you want to be
  • Self-discovery takes a lifetime

What happens when you live your values?

  • You feel good about yourself
  • You feel more meaning and fulfillment
  • You forgive yourself and others more
  • You are more willing to do the hard work
  • You channel more positive energy
  • You help the world

A more healthier you is a more healthier world

  • We are all connected; we are all One; we are all part of the same whole
  • When you hurt yourself you hurt others, and vice versa
  • When you are doing the best for yourself, you are doing the best for others
  • Your state of being impacts everyone, everywhere, every single moment, near and far

Stay Present

  • The Present is a gift, that’s why they call it the Present
  • Honor your gift of being here
  • How do you honor it?
    • By living fully. Live the moment as deeply as possible
    • The moment is a miracle

Mindfulness

  • You have to be aware of yourself, of your mind, of your emotions
    • Emotion regulation; equanimity – healthily manage your emotions
    • Being aware of your thoughts allows you to stop negative thinking in the moment
  • Positive thinking leads to healthy life and positive results
  • How do we increase mindfulness?
    • One way is meditation….

Meditation and breathing

  • It’s all about the breath
    • Always focus on your breath
    • Slow breath in 
    • Just as slow, breathe out
    • Breathe into the bottom of your stomach (the diaphragm)
      • Diaphragm breathing is calming
      • Chest breathing is for fight-or-flight
  • Feel the breath fill every part of your body. Be physically present
  • Do not judge your thoughts, let them go
  • Always come back to the breath
  • There are many types of meditation. This is based on the zen way (zazen)

Benefits of meditation

  • Eventually adds pauses between thoughts
  • More present
  • More centered. Accessing answers that are inside of you
  • Observing the thoughts, instead of identifying with them
  • You are not your mind
  • When you can “catch” yourself thinking, you can better direct your thoughts

The practice of meditation

  • Meditation is a practice, not a perfect
  • Commit to 2 minutes every single day!
    • Practicing every day creates geometric growth like compounding interest in a retirement savings
  • Good talk therapy is a fantastic compliment to meditation
    • Meditation and therapy will illuminate each other

General wellness tips

  • Keep your connections with loved ones strong.
    • This helps to give you meaning
  • Meditate every day, for at least 2 minutes. Every single day
  • If there is something in your life that you know needs a change, make the change.
  • This has a ripple effect on other parts of your life
  • Show Life that you have the courage and commitment for growth and Life will respond to you with rewards and more opportunities
  • Turn off all screens at least 1 hour before going to bed
  • Do NOT look at your cell phone in the middle of the night
  • Do not look at the cell phone when first waking up
  • Use blue-light blocking lenses
    • Reduces eye strain
  • Detach from social media
  • Give yourself breaks from external stimuli
    • Your subconscious needs space and time to process things
  • Balance mind, body and spirit
    • They each affect the other
  • Get out into nature
    • Nature is a fantastic teacher of wisdom
  • Consider allowing things to happen, instead of forcing them happen
  • Don’t burn out! You are no good to anyone if you burn out.
  • Burnout often is permanent. Once you burn out you may be completely done with this industry
  • Maintain health and balance. You cannot continue a sprint indefinitely. You must go at a pace you can keep.
  • Have compassion for yourself and others. This reduces the chance of burnout
  • Sleep
    • Learn your sleep cycles
  • Start the day in calmness
  • Start and end the day by thinking about what you are grateful for.
  • Keep a journal and / or a dream journal
    • Journaling helps you understand your subconscious
  • Replace whatever you are drinking with water
  • Don’t skip meals
  • Eat your last meal early, so there is time to digest before going to bed
    • You will feel lighter in the morning
  • Chew completely. Your stomach doesn’t have teeth
    • Eat in peace. Eating is a spiritual practice.
  • Treat people like humans.

 

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Chillin Quotes In Person

The Confidence to be Humble

The other day I sat in a webinar where I heard LL Cool J say something very close to the following:

Humility is a super power. And I’m not talking about pseudo humility, where you are sitting at the back pew of the church thinking you should be sitting in the front. I’m talking about real humility – having the confidence to be humble; embracing your humanity.

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Chillin Exponential Potential Spark the Flame - Short Vlog

River Flow

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Chillin Quotes In Person

There’s strength, peace & increased faith that comes with being more spiritual. It’s a daily battle.

Trials & struggles often test your faith & spirituality & show aspects of character deficiencies. They are opportunities for deeper spiritual growth. Regardless of how you feel continue to press on.

-Talia Dyce, Nurse & Friend Extraordinaire

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Chillin Exponential Potential Halloween Life Is Yours

Happy Halloween Birthday :)

Halloween Owl Birthday

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Chillin Exponential Potential

If There is Nothing to Do, Then Wait.

If there is nothing to do, then wait.

For all our goals and aspirations, sometimes we just feel or think we have done all we could do. Maybe you have. It doesn’t mean the goal or aspiration won’t crystallize. Maybe it just requires the right timing – a timing you may not be aware of, sort of like celestial gears of a universal clock moving along, till at some point, click! The right thing has clicked into the right place, simply because the time required has finally transpired.

Like a fruit tree, or a cannabis plant. We may want the “fruit” of this plant, but we can’t force it to give fruit right after we plant it. Sometimes you have given all the water and light and nutrients it needs, and all that is left to give, is time.

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Chillin Life Is Yours

How Do You Appreciate Beyond Gratitude? En-joy

How do you appreciate something beyond being grateful? En-joy it. Live it. Liiiiiiiiiiive it.

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Chillin Interconnectivity Quotes In Person

Our Health is Connected to Our Neighbor’s Health

Our health is connected to our neighbor’s health.

I heard this statement somewhere on the radio, some days ago.

It’s a reminder that we are all connected.

“Patience, understanding, and helping each other is the best thing we can do at this time” –Z, the landlord

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Chillin Quotes

As a Person Thinketh – Gluttony and Thought Consistency

Two quotes from “As a Man Thinketh” by James Allen – the gender references were made neutral:

Here is a rich person who is the victim of a painful and persistent disease as the result of gluttony. That person is willing to give large sums of money to get rid of it, but they will not sacrifice their gluttonous desires. That person wants to gratify their taste for rich and unnatural viands and have their health as well. Such a person is totally unfit to have health, because they have not yet learned the first principles of a healthy life.

… whilst aiming at a good end, this person is continually frustrating its accomplishment by encouraging thoughts and desires which cannot possibly harmonize with that end.