QUINOA-HEALTHY FOOD WE ARE NOT EATING

There are plenty of reasons why this ancient and once-ignored staple is suddenly getting so much more attention: it has fewer calories than traditional grains, plus more nutrients and protein. It’s a great choice for people on a low-fat diet, a gluten-free diet, or a vegetarian diet, as well as for those who just want to eat a little more healthfully. Quinoa may have been considered the “gold of the Incas,” but it’s just as at home on our twenty-first-century plates.

DOKKODO

The Dokkodo (独行道 Dokkōdō; "The Path of Aloneness" or "The Way to be Followed Alone" or "The Way of Walking Alone") was a work written by Miyamoto Musashi (宮本 武蔵) a week before he died in 1645. It is a short work, consisting of either nineteen or twenty-one precepts.

The precepts

1. Accept everything just the way it is.
2. Do not seek pleasure for its own sake.
3. Do not, under any circumstances, depend on a partial feeling.
4. Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.
5. Be detached from desire your whole life long.
6. Do not regret what you have done.
7. Never be jealous.
8. Never let yourself be saddened by a separation.
9. Resentment and complaint are appropriate neither for oneself nor others.
10. Do not let yourself be guided by the feeling of lust or love.
11. In all things have no preferences.
12. Be indifferent to where you live.
13. Do not pursue the taste of good food.
14. Do not hold on to possessions you no longer need.
15. Do not act following customary beliefs.
16. Do not collect weapons or practice with weapons beyond what is useful.
17. Do not fear death.
18. Do not seek to possess either goods or fiefs for your old age.
19. Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help.
20. You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honour.
21. Never stray from the way.

RECIPE FOR HIGHER HEALTH

• Be passionate about your life and the experiences you fill it with.
• Remain open to as much input as possible.
• Don't shut down the feedback loop with judgment, rigid beliefs, and prejudices.
• Don't censor incoming data through denial.
• Examine other points of view as if they were your own.
• Take possession of everything in your life. Be self-sufficient.
• Work on psychological blocks like shame and guilt -- they falsely color your reality.
• Free yourself emotionally -- to be emotionally resilient is the best defense against growing rigid.
• Harbor no secrets -- they create dark places in the psyche.
• Be willing to redefine yourself every day.
• Don't regret the past or fear the future. Both bring misery through self-doubt.
• The mind and body are connected in a feedback loop, and it will operate automatically without any awareness, much less self-awareness. Someone in a coma is an extreme example of the automatic nature of the body's feedback loop being monitored by the brain's automatic mechanisms. The feedback changes when you add awareness, which is why it is better to be awake than in a coma. The best way to participate in the feedback loop, however, is through self-awareness. In that state you tune into your body and lead your brain's responses in a positive way.

DIVISIONS

DIVISIONS

The natural order mandates that certain creatures form groups (packs, colonies, herds, etc.); and man is one such creature. Normally this system functions as a method of ensuring the success of a species, allowing for more efficient predation and/or defense, as well as reproduction. Animals that form groups are generally territorial, particularly predators, and will chase away, fight, or even kill, members from a different pack (naturally, exceptions are often made for fertile females). Checks and balances present in nature guarantee that these species are just successful enough. Group size is governed by both available resources and overcrowding; a crowd may simply be two equally dominant individuals: a bee hive will only have one queen, a chimpanzee troop will only contain one dominant male.

Man has taken his pack mentality to an extreme, and has created a seemingly infinite number of divisions within humanity; with the added complication of grouping people into numerous overlapping categories. We will set aside aspects of the two ends of the spectrum for now, and look at general clan classifications.

Family units are basic, and natural; providing for the safety of animals that are born with undeveloped survival skills. Human infants require years of care before they gain the ability to fend for themselves. To ensure this care, pair bonds are established using a reward system: sexual reward for the male, and security for the female. [human sexuality as applied to behavior, is a lengthy topic, and will be expanded upon in a later section]. Extended family units are the typical primate groups; these are generally patriarchal, and genetic diversity is accomplished through capturing or enticing non-related females into the group. In nature, this is as far as it goes for primates; but one primate, man, has taken it considerably further.

Mankind groups by religion, political affiliation, geographical region, race, gender, class, recreational pursuit, age, and by any other detectable difference. The most damaging to harmony within the human race is nationalism. Grouping people together because of imaginary lines drawn on a map is based on territorial instinct. Protecting or enlarging one's territory is typical animal behavior; however, the scale of confrontation is considerably less in nature. The entire political system that drives nationalism is in place because the vast majority of people have no interest in managing the infrastructure necessary to make our technological world function. A relatively small number of individuals manage society as proxies for the masses, and direct world events from a perspective that is quite alien to most people. A large portion of humanity now lives a parasitic existence; they are incapable of existing without the "host" society. In a totally natural environment, these people could not provide for the basic needs of shelter and sustenance, nor could they provide themselves with clothing, nor successfully give birth to and raise infants without outside intervention. Much of their knowledge is restricted to what they are told by politicians and the media, and their opinions are carefully molded to serve whatever is in the best interests of the elite.

The people who are in control: politicians, the rich and powerful; are primarily motivated by animal drives. The quest for material gain, power, and prestige, is simply the way human males subconsciously manifest sexual competition: to demonstrate that they are the dominant, and therefore most suitable, of mates. It is no different from primitive man dragging home the largest animal carcass. This behavioral trait applies to all men, and is deemed competitive spirit. The emergence of women, in the normally male dominated arena, is a socioeconomic phenomenon, and is not instinctive: females compete in nature, but not to this extreme.

Fundamentally, there are no significant differences between forms of government. It doesn't matter whether a system is Capitalist, Communist, Monarchist, or any other type; all have a ruling class which manages the masses. It is advantageous for aggressive nations to cultivate a fear in the general population of governments that are dissimilar, for this enables the elite to manipulate the people into supporting actions, detrimental to those other nations, that they would otherwise perceive as immoral. In theory, politicians are supposed to act in response to the wishes of the citizens; but in reality, the leaders act in their own interests, and then create a favourable response from the people through media manipulation.

Leaders of nations frequently provoke warfare for purely economic or political reasons. A war between countries requires that a significant number of citizens are easily brainwashed: from the soldiers who must be willing to kill strangers, and be killed themselves, for something they do not understand; to the general public, which must support the ideal of murdering others for gain. In reality, all the standard excuses countries use to defend acts of aggression do not justify slaughtering people who have done you no wrong. War against another nation is perceived as a war against that state, as an entity unto itself; but a state is composed of the individuals inhabiting that area: women, children, the elderly, the poor, the handicapped; people you would normally treat with compassion.

Countries assume the identity of the majority of citizens: they are a representation of the type of people living in that region. Theocratic governments function as religious entities, and tend to enforce laws and enact policies according to sectarian doctrine (example: Iran). A theocracy in conflict with another nation risks having the religion, rather than the state, seen as the enemy; this situation can easily escalate, as other nations that share the same religion feel obligated to defend/support their beliefs.

Countries that are predominantly of one race tend to develop a cultural identity, and often view other races with distrust. Humans, like other animals, are suspicious of any creature different from themselves; this is based on instinctive fear, and fear frequently breeds aggression. Obviously, there are other factors involved in racism. There are also exceptions to the rule, where a racial minority governs; but these situations are the result of conquering forces maintaining control, and are temporary: the masses will eventually supplant the rulers.

Bias due to race, culture, or status, is not logical for a species that wishes to rise above animal instinct. Fear or mistrust of the unfamiliar serves to protect animals from danger; but man is an intelligent creature, and can determine the level of risk through reasoning. There is no compelling reason to assume that a member of a different group would pose more of a danger than any other individual; but man is a victim, of not only instinct, but the sum of millions of years of conditioning. The attitudes held by society shape each and every individual within it. Most information a person acquires is filtered through others; everything taught in school is not necessarily the truth, but is what society perceives as the truth. Centuries ago, science held that the universe revolved around the Earth; this was truth because all knowledge at the time established this to be so. Human knowledge evolves slowly, with the influences of each member affecting the flow of change; each person altering society to varying degrees, for better or worse. An apparent sudden alteration of human culture by an individual is not as it seems; for the actions of that person are the culmination of two million years of genetic and behavioral events, all leading to that one point in time. Humanity, as a whole, is the result of the actions of every person that has ever lived; and is in a state of constant, gradual transition: but transition that is confined by limits set by instinct. The animal drives are a major reason why new knowledge does not necessarily lead to widespread change. The realization that followers of Animistic religions did not have magical powers may have stopped witch burning, but religious persecution continues. Science has shown that the differences between races are superficial, but racism continues. Man is a creature of habit; enlightenment will take time.

AGGRASIVE vs VICTIM

Our childhood experiences, coupled with our genetic makeup, significantly influence the type of emotional personality we acquire as adults. Our sense of self-esteem, temperament, perceptiveness, relationship skills, and ability to give and receive love are directly impacted with these factors.

Based on different combinations of these attributes, there are surely a large number of distinct personality types possible (please also see my earlier post on Being Myself). However, there are two types namely, the aggressor and the victim, that are prominently displayed in our relationships. Unfortunately, living either of these archetypes limits us from enjoying deeper and more loving relationships.

The Victim

As the title suggests, people with a Victim personality believe that they are the victims of the world – that the others do not care for their emotions and that they are routinely left alone to fend for themselves. They tend to be inward looking and are easily given to self-blame. Experiencing any setback, they are quick to judge and blame themselves for their situation. These aspects are partly a reflection of their low self-esteem.

They also have a propensity to be reserved, introverted and uncomfortable with any form of confrontation. Operating from a strong fear of rejection, they would rather conform than confront, to avoid the risk of being in the wrong and not being loved. Consequently, instead of sharing freely, they are prone to instinctively suppressing their true emotions.

However, these suppressed emotions of frustration and disappointment eventually do get released, in the form of sudden bursts of anger. To the others, these bursts are usually unexplainable, as the immediate trigger is generally somewhat insignificant. Some of these factors make it challenging for such individuals to have deep and honest relationships – in fact, many of them have difficulty with intimacy, lest their true selves be discovered.  

The Aggressor

The Aggressors are almost the opposite. They have high self-esteem – their high self-confidence arguably higher than their actual abilities. This sometimes even spills into a sense of entitlement – the belief that the world owes it to them. They generally believe that they are in the right and are comfortable expressing their point of view.

While they have a high respect for themselves, they tend to have lesser respect and empathy for others. For them, the problems are always outside of them. Not given to looking within, they operate from the instinct that it’s generally someone else who’s at fault and not them.

They tend to be more vocal, louder and pushy in their approach. They like to get their way and can be dominating in a relationship. While the victims are comfortable sacrificing and giving (so they would be loved), the aggressors are better at receiving (as they deserve it)!

Relationship Challenges

Operating from either of these conditioned psychological patterns, we have challenges in building deeper relationships. The victims restrain themselves from sharing their true feelings and subliminally keep their partner at a distance. The aggressors can be intimidating, making their partner uncomfortable in getting close to them.

Nature perhaps plays a cruel joke in bringing these two opposites together in many of our closest relationships – if one spouse is the aggressor, the other is predisposed to being the victim; if a parent is the victim personality, the child turns out to be the aggressor; if a boss is the aggressor type, the employee they attract happens to be the victim profile and so forth.

While that maybe nature's way of ensuring that the relationship survives (two aggressors or two victims together would perhaps be even more dysfunctional), it does perpetuate our individual personality limitations. What’s more, unless we make a deliberate choice to alter this, we are always subconsciously drawn towards people (spouse, boss, colleague and friends) with the opposite traits – so we can have a symbiotic relationship and sustain living in our comfort zone.

The Third Possibility

It is possible for us to break free from these conditioned mindsets. We do not have to be either the victim or the aggressor. Instead, we have to learn to be assertive.

Being assertive in our interactions suggests that we have high respect for both, others and ourselves. In this state, we are self-confident but not arrogant; we are firm but polite and respectful; we are open to other’s views but fearless about expressing our own; honest about sharing our feelings but empathetic of others’ feelings.

It’s that optimal spot in the relationship where neither do we take the other for granted nor let the others take us for granted; we are equally comfortable in both, loving others and receiving their love. Besides, our conversations then are far more authentic; devoid of any emotional drama (of either anger and aggression or sadness and withdrawal).

Getting there

Making this shift requires working on ourselves with the belief that the change is within us; recognizing that rather than blame others (our partner, parent or colleague), we have to change ourselves; and that when we change, our relationships and the world around us change automatically.

Only when we chose to reflect on our habitual patterns, bring them into our active awareness and focus on dealing with them, do we start the process of real change. Observe your self and establish which of these is your dominant style, particularly within your relationships? What would your spouse, boss or friends describe you as?

You can then determine the steps you need to take to be more assertive, authentic and loving in your relationships. What emotional blocks do you need to overcome inside you to be more assertive? Do you need to build greater love and respect for yourself or learn to be more respectful of others’ views and feelings?

Once we practice being assertive and authentic in our interactions, not only do we feel lighter and complete but also our relationships deepen and are filled with love.

LIVING FULLY

Have you ever felt like the present moment is passing you by while you’re caught up worrying, analyzing, planning, and trying to protect yourself from pain and loss?

It’s one the pitfalls of the human condition: we often paralyze ourselves in the pursuit of happiness and abundance, and in the process, miss out on the joy right in front of us.Well change that to live fully ur life. We may not have the power to change whole world but we all have the power to change ourselves. So stop worrying and start living.

HAVE I ARRIVED

Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.” ~Matsuo Basho

“Everything is quite all right; our worth secure and true. Everything’s not quite all right; we’ve worthy work to do…”

Part of the longing and neediness I tend to feel comes from a rift between who or where I am, and where I believe I should be to be “successful.”

I’ve struggled endlessly with the concept of my “potential” and the frustrating feeling that potential will always add itself on to the top of any ceiling I break through, creating only more upward space in which to aim, aspire, and yearn.

And yet, any spiritual practice will allow us to see that we are whole, complete, and perfect just as we are in the very moment.

Spritulism encourages one to be grounded, to deepen, to see and experience one wholeness,accept for all my facets—just as one is. It allows one to be a work in progress, allows ones life to be a journey, and ones emotions a process.

I have utilized higherself as a tool of self-love, one that then immediately opens into compassion for others, and an expansive sense of self. I live my day with more love, more serenity, and more grace, when I actively dedicate time and energy to tapping into a calmer sense of being.