" Don't Stop Believin' ..."

“Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard

Their shadows searching in the night

Streetlights people, living just to find emotion

Hiding, somewhere in the night.

Don't stop believin'

Hold on to the feelin'

Streetlights people”

~ Journey ~ Don’t Stop Believing ~

***

What does your spiritual journey consist of?  Do you think of it as a quick journey?  Are you all about speed so that you can avoid potential dangers that await you on your path?  Sometimes trying to feel your way in the dark and moving slowly on our spiritual journey may bring us to those very dangers we are trying to avoid.  A sage once said “Our spiritual journey may be a tightrope stretched low across the ground, designed more for tripping over than walking on.”

Outer circle of humanity ... where every one speaks their own language with the possibility of miscommunication and suffering ... characterized as acting as a machine in an action-reaction pattern with little awareness or control.  

Inner circle of humanity ... where all hearts are as one and true community and love exist ... some associate with saints, enlightened beings and prophets, all arrayed in degrees of closeness to the center ~ the ultimate truth. 

Travelling from one to the other is your spiritual journey.  From culture, media, entertainment and the hunt for wealth and security to religion, myths, legends, and heart of enlightenment.

So where are you on your spiritual journey?  A good indicator is the type of influences you are dealing with.  For example, if it is a group of people in your life, are they selfish or unselfish?  Do they invite you you to lose yourself or to awareness of yourself?  

The reality is that there is a mix of both in our lives all the time.  Therefore, trying to maintain the state of awareness from your inner circle influences as long as possible when shifting to the outer circle influences, may be a good way to balance the two.  You see, this awareness will make your experience of outer circle influences more enjoyable, as they will have a spark of vividness and life to them.

Just trust this process will happen with its own speed, but the secret key is adding the light of your understanding and awareness to it.   Imagine the pull of your core on your spiritual journey is like a current in a river, it will take you with or without your awareness.  So stand guard at the gates of your heart, and observe the impressions that pass through them.  If you believe, you will see your path brightly lit in front of you, and your core will act like a compass and always point you in the right direction.  

"To get through the hardest journey we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping ..."

" Cup Of Coffee ... "

" I really love 

To hate this

Love hate

Hate love relationships

Are over-rated 

Leave it all behind me

You'll see it 

When you finally find me

Comatose or pretty close

Cup of coffee 

And an overdose

~ Katy Perry ~ Cup Of Coffee ~

***

I’m closing in on a year now since I had an actual cup of coffee ... yep, this former “Venti Non-Fat X-tra No-Foam Chai Latte” princess has been caffeine free.  Well, that doesn’t include of course the coffee enemas, which is an integral part of the Gerson Therapy, and if you have visited me before you are aware of this.  Those that are new, yes you read that right ... coffee enema AKA coffee break AKA upside down coffee.  

So why is coffee forbidden on GT?  Well caffeine by mouth causes undesirable stimualtion of the digestive system.  Orally taken caffeine overly excites the central nervous system (read below), while the essential oils disturb digestion.  In contrast, when you take a coffee enema, it offers an entirely advantageous effect on the liver where, aside from detoxification, it increases the production of gluthathione S-transferase (a desirable enzyme) ... stimulating the liver to remove toxins from our bodies.  

Now do you really get that positive pep from your morning cuppa joe? ... from the research I’ve done, it seems that many of the positive effects of this “drug” become negative when the amount of caffeine consumed is increased, starting with a physical dependence.  You see too much caffeine is associated with reduced coordination, insomnia, headaches, nervousness and dizziness.  And when you go “cold turkey”, from my experience, you will experience withdrawal symptoms such as headache, fatigue and muscle pain.

And here some more beans for thought ... caffeine works by competing with adenosine, a chemical produced by the brain.  Normall adenosine binds receptors to slow down nerve cell activity, but caffeine takes it’s place ~ preventing it from doing its job at these locations in the brain.  And the result?  the activity of these nerve cells increase affecting our central nervous system, kidneys, muscles and cardiovascular system.

Oh and if you think “decaf” is better, think again ... there is still residual caffeine in the coffee and it starts working as soon as 15 minutes after consumption ... taking ~ 6 hours for half of the total caffeine consumed to be eliminated from the body.

So my choice of drug ... my upside down coffees.  And if you are interested in finding out more, check out The Wellness Warrior’s how to do a coffee enema here ... Bottoms Up!!

" I Love Myself Today ... "

I’ll stand right up

Spit shine my soul

I’m gonna be proud

And loud and outta control

I love myself today

Not like yesterday

I’m cool, I’m calm

I’m gonna be ok, uh huh

~ Bif Naked ~ I Love Myself Today ~

***

I have always loved this song and artist, very cool lyrics and vibe.  And I thought it was appropriate for this blog ... Narcissists ... (triggered after witnessing an interaction at our community coffee shop this am) ...

So what is a narcissist?  Well the term “narcissism” comes from the Greek mytology character called “Narcissus” who fell in love with his own reflection while gazing into a pool of water.  Narcissists are people who have an obsessive interest in well, themselves ... consumed with their physical appearance and have a very grandiose opinion of their own abilities, craving attention and admiration as highly self-centered people ... 
* Le sigh, yes we all have known someone ...

And dealing with people who have narcissist personalities is challenging as they may appear charming, they make other be dependent on their approval.  If boundaries are not set and reinforced, a narcissist can be extremely draining.

But a person can be selfish or argumentative, but that doesn’t make them a narcissist.  To have a narcissistic-personality disorder means a person has a chronic pattern of irregular thinking and behaviours in various situations.

So how can you tell the difference?  Well narcissists lack empathy for others.  They have an exaggerated sense of entitlement and expect people to do favours for them rather than them being concerned about others.  Also, envy is a common sign ... they are jealous of the achievements of others, dominate conversations and exaggerate their own accomplishments and importance.  To a narcissist, appearance is more important than inner qualities such as integrity.  Plus bragging about power and wealth helps to boost their low self-esteem, regardless of whether the narcissist is actually wealthy or is lying about their economic status. 

So where does all this come from?  In reality, narcissists feel inferior so they develop a superiority complex to combat feeling less than others. This usually involves an exaggeration of the narcissist’s own accomplishments, while putting down others viewed as threats.  Narcissism occurs as a result of a gap between one’s ideal self and real self ... leading to a person developing defense devices for defending their ego.

So how do you deal with a narcissists?  

• Set boundaries and decide the amount of approval to give a narcissist ... for example, how long to listen to them talk about themselves.  If it goes on too long, politely change the subject or make an excuse to leave the conversation.

• Avoid arguments. Forget trying to win an argument with a narcissist. Instead, steer a conversation in an peaceful direction.

• End the relationship. When involved in a relationship with a narcissist, it’s important to know when to leave. It is vital to care of yourself, realizing the narcissistic has a mental illness and what they say should not be taken personally.

“When science finally locates the center of the universe, 

some people will be surprised to learn they’re not it” ~ B. Bailey

" Respect ... "

I ain't gonna do you wrong while you're gone

Ain't gonna do you wrong (oo) 'cause I don't wanna (oo)

All I'm askin' (oo)

Is for a little respect when you come home (just a little bit)

Baby (just a little bit) when you get home (just a little bit)

Yeah (just a little bit)

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Find out what it means to me

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Take care, TCB

~ Aretha Franklin ~ Respect ~

***

Lately the topic of respect seems to be surfacing in conversations around me ... mutual respect, lack of respect, and disrespect within relationships.  All types of relationships too.  And yes It is true that all relationships are different, yet despite their differences, one essential element makes all relationships work in a healthy way for both paties ... RESPECT.  Putting up with disrespectful behaviour for fear of losing someone as a partner or friend is destructive to self-worth, but people often let this happen.  Why?  well they don’t know how to identify signs of disrespect.  And without respect, no true friendship can take root.  

Here are some signs that will red flag if you are in the midst of an unhealthy situation:

• Trust - A perfectly normal emotion felt by people in relationships is jealousy, but the issue is how the person reacts or deals with these feelings.  When one person doesnt’ trust the other to enjoy other friendships, trust is lacking.  Healthy connections allow everyone to maintain their own identities and do things independently of the other person, free of suspicion.   

• Honesty - This is fundamental to respectful, trusting relationships.  Being honest and openly communicating thoughts and feelings make your relationship stronger.  Being nonjudgemental, accepting and valuing each other’s opinions, beliefs and feelings.  Signs that respect is lacking include lying and situations in which one party belittles or is intolerant of the other for feeling or thinking a certain way.

• Fairness and Equality - This involves balance, and requires give and take from both sides ... this can be lacking when one person consistently excludes the other from decision making.  Also when one person is forced to compromise to satisfy the other, respect is lacking.

• Mutual Support - Being present when times are good AND bad.  A respectful relationship is a partnership in which people work together to achieve common goals as well as support each other when things get tough.  If you can’t count on them during these challenging times, these are signs of respect deficienty in the relationship.

We all have experiences we can share with each other when it comes to relationships.  We live and learn.  Remember to choose your relationships wisely and be the kind of person you want in return.  Lead by example.  And as hard as it may be, confront those who show you disrespect.  If you have someone whose level of respect does not meet your expectations and they refuse to consider your feelings, you must be willing to distance yourself from them.  

Seek those whom are more likely to pull you up then push you down ...

" Focus ... "

“ Not concerned about

What nobody else gotta say

Just do what you do

Cuz they gonna talk anyway ...

Yea, Do it just for you

So dont even waste ya time ...

I'm focus now, I'm focus now “

~ Ashanti ~ Focus ~

The power of focus ... our ability to focus wholeheartedly on on our goals can determine the likelihood of achieving the success we desire.  Daydreams are often seeds of ideas taking root.  They can provide a roadmap towards dedicating all efforts on our ambitions.  A level of dedication ... using the entirety of our brainpower ... centering and focusing on an opportunity.

It may sound simple yet so many of us struggle with bringing our dreams to fruition.  Our minds are incredibly strong and influential ... if we focus on our goals, we can truly see and feel the power of the mind.  But sometimes it’s not just good enough to just keep our goals in mind.  Writing down our goals and putting all our power and energy into the list can help.  We can start this process by the following according to “Power of Focus” by Jack Canfield:

• Make It Yours - keep in mind that your goals have to be right for you, not someone else - don’t be tempted by media, peers, or culture - ask yourself if this is really what you want or are you being pressured by others.
• Be Specific - accurately specify what it is that you really want - don’t be vague as that won’t get you far - get as specific and detailed as you can - if you can measure it, it will be easier to follow through
• Dream Big - it is not useless to set high goals - ask yourself if you are afraid to set a big goal - ask yourself are you afraid of failure as to some extent, we all are, but the key to becoming successful is to look fear in the eye and go for your dreams in spite of any obstacles that may come your way.
• Be A Realist - don’t let your imagination go too wild and create dreams that are physically impossible - dream big but be realistic.
• Give Yourself A Timeframe - give yourself reasonable time to develop what you need and practice it well before you become - don’t be hard on yourself yet be fair.

When we visualize our objectives, we begin to understand that the success we wish to attain is within our grasp.  We can make the most of this optimism by channeling our imprecise devotion into our ability to focus on the next steps ... to build our life desires.  Our dreams that once seemed beyond our realm of possibility can become concrete goals.  The power of focus ... 

Choose to live your dreams, not your fears ...