life experience

Jun

2023

What is the 7-Year Itch?

Reading Time: 3 minutes

What is the 7-year itch? Most of us have heard of the term when referring to couples having relationship problems. There are many stories of couples experiencing issues or even breaking up around the 7th year of their relationship.

Of course, this situation between couples also happens in the 4th or 5th years or even beyond 7 years. So 7 is not an exact number in these situations. Is there a reason why 7 is an important number in these major life points? Apparently, there is.

The Magic of Number 7

In astrology and numerology, all numbers have a specific kind of effect in our lives. The use of the number 7 is also prevalent in nature and culture, religion and art.

Astrologists believe there are major shifts in the cosmos every 7 years.
Biology states that human cells replace themselves every 7 to 10 years.
The Bible tells us that the world was built in 7 days, there are 7 deadly sins, and 7 seals of God.
Mystics and sages in ancients texts identify 7 main chakras in the body and talk about the 7 laws of life.
There are 7 colors in a rainbow, 7 visible planets in the heavens, and the 4 distinct phases of the moon are approximately 7 days apart.
Art has 7 elements and Shakespeare wrote about the 7 stages of man.
There are 7 continents and 7 seas, 7 days of the week, 7 unique notes on the common musical scale, and 7 directions.

The 7-Year Cycle

The number 7 is also represents different cycles in our life. The 7-year life cycle is divided every 7 years from the day you were born. Most of us have heard of the mid-life crisis which usually happens around 21-41 years. Think about your life as cycles instead of a linear journey. Notice that there are major transition points in your life that happens around every 7 years. These are the times that we tend to transform our identities and/or add on to the roles we play for the people around us.

Think of how we usually go through life. We usually start school at around 7 years old. We transition to highschool around 14 years old and graduate college around 21 years old. Somewhere in between these 7-year cycles, we go into employment and develop relationships. Finally, we retire from employment around 55 years old, which is the 6th stage or cycle.

We usually think of the 7-year itch as just referring to romantic relationships. We can actually use it to refer to our own life’s 7-year cycles. This means, that whether you are in a relationship or not; you will experience the 7-year itch.

The 7-Year Itch

The 7-year itch is that urge to undergo a change in your life. Ideally, this is a natural part of life, just as how we expect the seasons to change each year. However, most of us are pursuing our goals without this 7-year cycle in mind.

This is why we hear a lot of people often suddenly quitting their successful careers. They choose to do something new and very different from their expertise. Some people even downgrade their luxurious lifestyles. They suddenly switch to living a less hectic life in the province, near nature instead.

These people have experienced the 7-year itch and answered that calling, whether they are aware of it are not. Meanwhile, the rest of us are surprised at what prompted them to make such a major life decision. Each 7-year cycle is basically when you experience a crossroad in life. This applies to relationships too. This does not mean an ending to the relationship. Instead, each person in the relationship should grow and evolve for the relationship to also evolve further.

This 7-year itch is an itch that you need to scratch; a calling that you need to answer to. Otherwise, you will feel stuck and frustrated if you remain in the same situation even after the 7-year cycle. Some may even fall into depression. For example, people who stay in their jobs for more than 7 years usually feel this kind of frustration. People who hang on to their relationships even if they are already unhappy, and end up ruining their relationship and/or themselves.

The only remedy to this is to have a major change in your own life. Think of it as having a clean slate to reset your life. You need to have something else that excites you, in the other dimensions of your life. This reduces the impact of the feeling of being stuck and unsatisfied in one area of your life.

The 7-year cycles in your life is a guide on how you should flow in your life journey. Each time you are nearing the end of a cycle; take the time to review your journey so far and be grateful for where it has taken you. Then, prepare yourself to welcome something new, whichever dimension of life it is coming from.

Feature Image: Original Photo by Todd Diemer on Unsplash.

May

2023

Manage Your Energy Instead of Your Time

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Most of us are always feeling like we don’t have the time for everything that needs to be done and the things that we want to do. When we do get the “free time” to do the things we want; we find that we don’t have the energy to do them anymore. We end up trying to get some rest instead.

Time vs Energy

Time and energy are both resources that we utilize in our daily lives. Most of us are not aware that they are different. Time is a finite source. We all have the same 24 hours to spend per day. It’s up to us how we spend it. Energy is not fixed. It comes and goes and how it fluctuates throughout the day is different for each individual.

For example, some people are more active in the morning while others prefer to do deep work in the afternoon or even deep into the night. How many of us have categorized ourselves as “morning persons” or “night owls”?

Your Energy Factors

Understanding the different energies that we have at our disposal will also help us get clearer on how our energy works and how we can manage them.

We have different energy centers. For our daily needs, our main energy factors can be categorized as follows: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.

PHYSICAL

This is the most fundamental energy resource that we have. It is affected by our sleep, what we eat, our water intake and what we do for exercise. If you don’t feel like getting up from bed when you wake up; then your day is already starting out really bad.

A basic factor in our physical health is our breath. If we don’t know how to breath properly, then we won’t be able to use our physical energy efficiently. So take the time to slow down and breath deeply to allow your body to relax. Regular exercise also helps us to breath deeper and increase our physical energy.

Make sure to drink lots of water and eat properly throughout the day. Eating properly means avoiding junkfood and instead focusing on foods that can provide you with optimum nutrition. Don’t let yourself go hungry but don’t get too full from eating either so you don’t end up sleepy.

EMOTIONAL

How we feel throughout the day can greatly affect our productivity and the quality of our work. Our emotional energy can affect our own personal forecast for our whole day or our whole week. Just like with our physical body, we also need to regulate our emotional energy and take time to refuel it.

We all know that negative energy can make us feel down and stressed out so we end up unproductive. However, avoiding negative experiences and hiding from toxic people is not a good long-term strategy. Instead, acknowledging these situations is the first step to finding a solution.

How do you refuel from emotionally draining situations? Just go back to doing the things that you enjoy or the things that are deeply relaxing for you. For example, put on some upbeat music and just move your body if you love dancing. Or take the time to read a few pages of your favorite book to relax.

MENTAL

Our mental energy can deeply affect our concentration during work. If we don’t have enough mental energy; it will be hard for us to focus on the details of our work. It will also be hard to see how our work can contribute to the big picture; because we might not even be able to imagine the significance of it.

With low mental energy, our inner dialogue can also turn negative instead of optimistic. We will find it hard to focus on a conversation with a friend in the din of a cafeteria for example, when at other times, this response is almost automatic.

To refuel mentally, we need to manage what we consume mentally as well. Your choices will depend on the type of innate intelligence you have. What type of music and books do you consume? What topics do you browse on social media? What topics do you and your friends mostly talk about? Hopefully, they are all topics that help you motivate yourself to do better and give you a more optimistic view of the world. If you end up with more frustration and self-doubt from these experiences; then it’s time to rethink your choices.

SPIRITUAL

Our spiritual energy has a lot to do with fulfilling our sense of purpose and our values. If our actions don’t align with our deepest core values and don’t align with our personal interest or life purpose; then we will find ourselves lacking the energy to do our work.

Just like all the other factors, we also need to replenish our spiritual energy. We can do this by setting aside “alone time” for some reflection where we can further explore our values and purpose. This can be done through meditation, yoga, reading a good book, sound therapy and other things that can help you calm down and find your inner peace.

We can also replenish our spiritual energy by reaching to others and offering our time or assistance in some way. Spending time with our loved ones is also a fulfilling spiritual experience.

Managing Your Energy

It is important to learn your own energy patterns on a daily basis. This will allow you to identify what time of day you are most energetic and when you are in low battery mode. Keep track of your energy fluctuations in a journal. This way, you can finally figure out if you truly are a morning person or a night owl.

Once you do this, you can also schedule your activities according to your patterns. This might not be easy to do in an office setting but you can start to make small tweaks to your schedule first. Your goal is to be more productive than ever so that you won’t have any issues with your own work schedule.

As you may have noticed, each factor is interconnected, and external experiences impact our overall well-being. Nurturing relationships, social interactions, work-life balance, and financial stability are essential aspects to consider in maintaining optimal energy levels. By managing our energy effectively, we can enhance productivity, pursue our passions, and lead more fulfilling lives.

Feature Image: Original Photo by Yingchih on Unsplash.

May

2023

5 Spiritual Practices to Redesign and Transform Your Life

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Do you follow a spiritual practice? Spirituality is a journey, not a destination. It is a lifelong process of learning and growing, of connecting with something larger than ourselves. Spiritual practices can help us to align with our design and purpose, and live more fulfilling and meaningful lives.

Here are 5 spiritual practices that you can do every day to redesign and transform your life:

Meditation

Meditation is a spiritual practice of focusing your attention on the present moment. It can help to reduce stress, improve focus, and increase self-awareness. It can help you get to know yourself better and develop mindfulness that allows you to gain a deeper understanding of those around you. Practicing meditation can also help you on your journey to find your inner peace. There are many different types of meditation, so find one that works for you and make time for it every day.

Prayer

Prayer is a way of communicating with a higher power. It can be a way to communicate with your inner child or inner self. You can look at it as “self talk” that allows you to practice self love. It can be a way to express gratitude, ask for help, or simply connect with something larger than yourself. You can pray for guidance or a blessing for your goals; for the health of you and your family, and for forgiveness for yourself as well as for others. There is no right or wrong way to pray, so find a way that feels comfortable for you and do it every day.

Gratitude

Gratitude is the spiritual practice of focusing on the good things in your life and sharing it too. It can help to improve your mood, increase your happiness, and make you more resilient. It can be as simple as giving back through tithing. Having a positive attitude and being grateful for the lesson is also a helpful way to manage your emotions especially during tough times. There are many different ways to practice gratitude, such as keeping a gratitude journal or simply taking a few moments each day to think about the things you are grateful for.

Service

Service is the act of helping others. It can be a way to connect with your community, make a difference in the world, and feel good about yourself. You can help your loved ones feel better just by learning their love language and expressing your care for them that way. Helping in times of crisis is one way to be of service to others and to deepen your relationships too. Many people will need our service in different ways just as we need different people in our lives to help us with our own journey. There are many different ways to serve, so find something that you are passionate about and do it every day.

Nature

Nature has a way of grounding us and helping us feel more stable and secure about ourselves. Spending time in nature can help to reduce stress, improve mood, and increase creativity. Make time for nature every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Wake up early and go out to enjoy the sunshine. At night, you can take a walk after your meal to gaze at the moon and stars or just to enjoy the cooler air.

These are just a few of the many spiritual practices that you can do every day. Find what works best for you and make it a part of your routine. Spiritual practices can help you to live a more fulfilling and meaningful life and has many benefits:

Reduce stress and anxiety
Improve sleep
Increase self-awareness
Boost creativity
Improve relationships
Increase overall happiness and well-being

These spiritual practices are simple, easy to do, and can have a profound impact on your overall wellness.

Redesign and Transform Your Life One Step at a Time

Redesigning and transforming your life takes time and effort, but it is possible. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

Start small. Don’t try to change everything all at once. Start with one small change and build from there.

Be consistent. The key to success is consistency. Make a commitment to do your spiritual practices every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

Be patient. Change takes time. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results immediately. Just keep at it and you will eventually see the changes you want.

Redesigning and transforming your life is a gradual, and sometimes painful, process. It is a process of learning and growing, of finding out your purpose and even dreaming of accomplishing things that are larger than yourself. Spiritual practices can help you on this journey and make the experience a more fulfilling and meaningful one. All you need to do is to do the best you can, one step at a time.

Featured Image: Original Photo by Warren Wong on Unsplash.

May

2023

Redesign Your Life with Human Design

Reading Time: 5 minutes

We are all interested in self-discovery and personal transformation. That is why we often look to astrology and personality profiling tools. They help us learn more about ourselves and how we should act and behave in this world. Human Design is one such tool. Human Design can help you understand your unique energetic blueprint and guide you towards a more fulfilling life. This spiritual modality helps you gain insights into your strengths, challenges, and potential. With human design, you can learn to make decisions that align with your authentic self.

The Human Design System

Similar to astrology, determining your human design is based on your exact time, date and place of birth. This producers your personal Human Design Body Graph. This provides specific information about your personality, emotions, and energy centers among others.

Unlike astrology and other modalities however, it goes further. Your body graph is not just based on the placement of the planets at the time and place of your birth. The Human Design system is a mix of various other bodies of knowledge such as the Kabbalah, I’Ching, astrology, biochemistry, genetics, Myers-Briggs personality profiles and the different chakras. In this way, it is able to provide a more comprehensive and more specific information on how you can thrive and function well in the world.

Types and Strategies

Your human design body graph can look super complicated. A professionally-trained specialist will be able to give you so much information about your personal human design based on the graph. The two most important aspects of your chart is your human design type and strategy. Starting with these two aspects; you can already gain a lot of insights on understanding or your own personality and design.

The different types and strategies define how each individual is designed to interact with the world around them. There are four main types in Human Design base your energy type: Manifestors, Generators, Projectors, Reflectors, and Manifesting Generators which is a subtype of Generators. Each type has a specific strategy that helps them navigate through life with greater ease and fulfillment.

Manifestors

Manifestors are the initiators of action, with a powerful drive to create and shape their reality. As a Manifestor, you don’t really like being told what to do. You’re the type who can easily see the big picture. You usually start things but you don’t necessarily have to finish them. This is where the other types can come in and help you complete your goals. Your energy comes in powerful bursts. So it is important to rest in between doing your work. This is a time for you to enjoy some space and time alone to refresh yourself.

Your strategy is to inform others before taking action, so you avoid resistance and conflict as you move forward. You know your aligned with your design if you feel peace with what you are doing. On the other had, you will feel anger when you are doing things not aligned with your design.

Generators

Generators are the life force of the world, with a natural ability to create energy and abundance. As a Generator, you shine the brightest when you do things that excite you. So you need to learn to say “No” to things that don’t light you up. You have a regular energy cycle. This means you need to use up your energy throughout the day. You will have renewed energy from sleep for the next day. You are considered the “hustlers” of the world; designed to work on the things that excite you which you choose from the opportunities presented to you.

Unlike a Manifestor, you don’t initiate things. Instead, your strategy is to wait for a clear response from your gut before taking action. This ensures that you are using your energy in alignment with your true desires. You will feel satisfaction if you are acting based on your design. If you feel frustration, then you are not aligned with your design.

Manifesting Generators

Manifesting Generators are a hybrid of Manifestors and Generators, with the ability to both initiate action and respond to opportunities. With a blend of these two types, you can multitask more than others. This may be mistaken as a lack of focus but this is just the opposite. You are designed to expend your energy to your fullest each day following what you are passionate about. Your productivity and motivation may vary on a daily basis but a good night’s sleep will provide you the energy you need for the next day.

Your strategy is to follow your gut instinct and respond quickly to what feels right. This allows you to use your energy in the most efficient and effective way possible. As you move quite fast; part of your strategy is to inform the people around you of your next plan after you have responded to an opportunity presented to you. You will feel satisfaction when you live according to your design and frustration and/or anger when you are not aligned.

Projectors

Projectors are the guides and advisors of society, with a talent for seeing the potential in others. Similar to Manifestors, Projectors also experience an ebb and flow of energy. However, you are designed to work much fewer hours because you derive your energy from other people and don’t have much energy on your own. This means that you need resting times more often than the other types. This may often be mistaken as laziness or passivity but this is not true at all.

As a “non-energy being”, you don’t necessarily need to hustle but you get recognized for your efficiency at what you do. Your strategy is to wait for recognition and invitation before offering your guidance. This allows you to share your unique gifts and wisdom in a way that is valued and respected. This is how you can enjoy success. On the other hand, you may feel bitterness towards people and situations when you are not recognized.

Reflectors

Reflectors are the rarest energy type and are also “non-energy beings”. They serve as the mirrors of society, with a unique ability to reflect back the energy of the world around them. Your energy varies on a daily basis so you need to learn to rebalance your energy more than the other types. As a Reflector, you should focus on understanding your self and honing your own unique gifts. It is recommended that you wait a full lunar cycle (about 28 days) before making any major decisions. This allows you to gain clarity and avoid being influenced by outside energies.

When aligned with your design, you should feel delighted and appreciative of how unique each day of your life is. If you feel disappointment because you think you can’t keep up with the rest of the world; then you are out of alignment with your design. Remember that you are not supposed to keep up with other people.

By understanding your type and strategy in Human Design, your taking the first step to transform your life and redesign it in a way that honors your unique gifts and talents. You can learn to make decisions that are aligned with your true self and follow a path that leads to greater fulfillment and purpose. Whether you’re seeking personal growth, career success, or deeper relationships, Human Design can offer you a powerful roadmap for living an authentic and fulfilling life.

There are many places online where you can learn more about Human Design. You can always consult an expert to get more details about your own profile. In the meantime, you can start learning more about yourself by going to the Jovian Archive to get your body graph chart.

Featured Image: Original Photo by Jared Erondu on Unsplash.

Apr

2023

3 Signs That You Have Truly Forgiven Someone

Reading Time: 3 minutes

What are the signs that you have truly forgiven someone? Sometimes, we are not really sure. But we go ahead and we think and act like we have moved on. We will always remember the hurt and the pain. Forgiveness is truly hard.

After all, forgiveness is a choice but it is also a process. Making the choice does not come easily. The process is even more difficult. Here are some signs to help you determine whether you have truly forgiven and are truly moving on.

Forgive the Sinner, Forget the Sin

Can can think about the person in a neutral perspective instead of the hurt and pain they caused you? If yes, it is one sign that you have truly forgiven them.

We usually think of how someone has hurt us and made us suffer. Anger at that person is a normal initial reaction. Can you forgive the sinner and forget their sin against you? Then you are on your way to moving on.

It is said that the Master does not need to forgive because the Master understands. So the toughest test is if you can think positive thoughts about this person again. You may even gain a deeper understanding of why they acted that way towards you at that time.

No Grudge, No Need to Get Even

We usually want to retaliate and get our revenge on the person who hurt us. It may not be through our hands but through some other means. We just want to get even with them by wishing harm upon them.

However, if you have truly forgiven, then you will have the desire to take revenge anymore. You realize that harming them will also have consequences and may negatively affect the people around them. If you also hurt other people because of revenge; then you cannot call it forgiveness.

If you have truly forgiven them, then you will not wish them harm. You are no longer holding a grudge against them although you are not obligated to continue interacting with them. Instead, you will wish for them to succeed. You wish for them to become a better person. This way, they don’t end up hurting others like they hurt you.

Speak Without Judgment

As we all know, forgiveness is a process. It is a healing process that may sometimes require you to keep your distance from the person who hurt you. Avoiding them is your way to gather yourself together. You want to face the person and the hurtful situation in a less emotional state.

Time can fade old wounds. You come to a point where you can tell your painful story without blame, or anger. Most importantly, without judgment of the other person’s actions.

People who have truly forgiven can tell their painful stories without blame or shame. Instead, they highlight the valuable lesson they have learned from it. They show an acceptance of things as they are and not as somebody’s fault. They realize that they may also have had a fault in how the whole situation turned out as it did. Forgiveness also requires self-acceptance and taking responsibility for one’s action or inaction. It is a choice to let go so you can start to heal.

When you have truly forgiven, you not only let go of the hurt, blame and shame you felt for yourself. You do the same for the other person as well. You have expanded your understanding of how things unfolded and how the other person may have felt at the time. You realize that the other person had their struggles too. You accept that everyone contributed to the situation in one way or another but not intentionally.

Finally, you have truly forgiven someone, when you can also feel free to talk to them without judgment. You may even be capable of joking about the past experience. You are able to look at the goodness of the person and want to help them succeed in their goals.

Feature Image: Original Photo by Lina Trochez on Unsplash.

Mar

2023

“Rich Dad, Poor Dad” and Your Money Mindset

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Have you read the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money — That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! written by Robert T. Kiyosaki? This should definitely be on your list of books to read and learn from to improve your money mindset.

This book shows us a solution to getting out of the Rat Race, which Kiyosaki defines as a situation where people “work for the owners of their company, for the government paying taxes, and for the bank paying off mortgage and credit cards.” This scenario sums up most of our parents’ and our lifestyle in our 9-5 jobs. Kiyosaki proposes that we learn and practice investing as a solution to get out of this trap, retire early and live wealthier lives.

The book is full of great advise and real-life examples from the author’s own experience on how to go about investing. I will not be providing a summary of the lessons here. I think you should read the book yourself to get the full learning experience.

However, I will share some of the concepts in the book that had a great effect on me as it challenged a lot of my ideas about money and how to get rich. This book will definitely help you in transforming your money mindset into a wealth mindset.

Assets First, Luxuries Last

Most of us think that our homes are our greatest assets. Kiyosaki points out that this is the wrong way to think about assets. Assets are the things that generate income for you. If it doesn’t generate income for you, then it is a liability.

Assets include a business that generates income, an apartment that you have for rental or a car that you also lease out.

When you acquire a house or a car, unless you have them rented, these do not generate income for you. Instead, you spend more on them because you have to pay the mortgage and taxes that come with your purchase of the house or car. Thus, both of these items can be considered luxuries and you should only acquire luxuries when you have generated enough income from your assets to cover the expense of owning these items.

Pay Yourself First

Kiyosaki also stresses the concept of paying yourself first. This is an important aspects of having a good money mindset. You should have a budget for Financial Freedom and Savings. These are the portions of your budget that you should prioritize. Of course you should aim to be able to pay all your bills on time, but if money is short, you should prioritize paying yourself first.

He states that you are your greatest asset, especially your brain and body. So you should take care of your health and continue to educate yourself in order to maximize your knowledge and skills to pursue your goals. I could not agree more.

Most of us focus on working hard to gain wealth forgetting to take care of our health. In the end, we may succeed in acquiring wealth but we end up spending that on hospital bills to recover from our health issues instead of being able to enjoy our wealth for our goals such as buying a house, travel, running our own business, etc.

Always Look for Opportunities and Act on Them

Kiyosaki also advises that even when things look bad, you should always look for opportunities to turn around the situation. The way to do this is to use your creativity to think of solutions on the best way to handle the situation. This is how someone with a good money mindset will approach a seemingly negative financial situation.

A classic example is, if you feel you are not earning enough and you want to have your own business. You shouldn’t wait until you have saved enough to quit your job and start your business. Instead, keep your job, keep saving for your business and start it on the side while you are earning from your day job. This can be done more easily now with the rise of online platforms to start your online business.

The goal is to look for opportunities to earn more income without incurring major risks. If you quit your job to start your business, you will not have another source of income if the business venture fails or if it needs to be funded with more money. Most of us would commonly try to get a loan to fund a business but Kiyosaki discourages this.

Start Early, Learn Along the Way

One of the best advise in the book which I wished I had learned when I was young was to start early. Most of us already know that we should start saving for our retirement early. But we often do not think of investing early. Instead, what most of us do is start acquiring credit card debt or loans early on in our careers.

By starting early, he suggests not only learning to save early but investing in yourself early as well by taking classes that may not be useful in your main profession but will be useful to you when you start investing and start your own business.

By learning, he doesn’t only mean thru books but also seminars, classes as well as actually taking jobs and from mentors that would help you learn business skills such as in sales or marketing or how to work with and manage other people. These are all skills that you will need in order to work smarter, not harder and they will be useful when you finally start your own business.

Don’t Forget to Give

Kiyosaki encourages us to be greedy in our pursuit of building wealth but he does not mean doing so without taking into consideration our relationships with people in the process. That’s why he encourages that employers should get the best people to help them run their business and pay them what they deserve instead of focusing on how to cut costs. He shares that when his staff get a big paycheck, he feels happy because it means that his business is going to get big profits too.

He also encourages giving without the thought of getting something back. That’s why so many rich people make it a habit to contribute to their favorite charities or have created charitable institutions of their own. Being able to help others is a big part of having a good money mindset.

A simple form of this is to share your knowledge with other people. It is a great feeling when someone you shared your knowledge with comes back to you and tells you how it improved their life. In the process, you also gain new friends and expand your network for future opportunities.

It’s Never Too Late

This being said, it is not too late to start learning and investing and looking for opportunities to build your wealth. Kiyosaki provides several examples of people who started building their success after they have retired or after losing much of what assets they previously had.

As long as you have an open-mind, are willing to keep learning and are bold enough to go after opportunities as they come, then you will always spot opportunities to build your wealth. In the process you will keep honing your money mindset until you acquire a wealth mindset. The key word here is to build gradually instead of indulging in get-rich-overnight schemes. It may happen to a lucky few but it may not happen to you, so its better to do it slowly but surely as long as you keep on doing it.

Learn, earn, learn some more, earn some more. That’s how Kiyosaki did it since his younger years. He was lucky to have a rich dad and a poor dad who showed him contrasting beliefs and attitudes about money and wealth and he was able to learn from them. Now, we are lucky that he has provided us the chance to learn what he has learned and it is a great opportunity that we should not pass up.

Go and get the book yourself and start reading. I will be reading it again to see what nuggets I can learn that I missed before.

Updated. First published on Pinoy Smart Living as “Thoughts After Reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad” on 2018.07.31.

Feature Image: Original Photo by Joshua Mayo on Unsplash.

Feb

2023

5 Ways to Get Closer to Your Authentic Self

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Being true to ourselves is the foundation for getting closer to living as our authentic self. By knowing who we are; we can understand and connect more deeply with the people around us. However, in a world where perfection is seen as the ideal; this is a hard process to do. But if you want to live your best life; then the transformation is worth it. Here are 5 things you can do to get closer to being your authentic self.

1. Observe Your Self

This may sound a bit awkward or creepy even but this is one little step that will truly help you learn more about yourself. You have to allocate time to observe yourself. Who are you when you are alone and who are you when in the presence of others? You need to be able to differentiate the ‘you’ when you’re alone and your persona; the ‘you’ when you’re around others. You may even have different personas to interact with different groups of people in your social circle.

The only way to find out is to observe your own thoughts, actions and behavior in these different interactions. Of course, in order to get the best data so to speak; you need to be present in the moment. By being mindful of each moment and experiencing them to the fullest; you can gain the utmost satisfaction from each interaction and recall these experiences better too. That’s what will make you a better observe of your own actions.

2. Explore Your Strengths and Weaknesses

One thing you can do to get to know yourself better is to find out your own strengths and weaknesses. Do a SWOT analysis so you can better figure out these things about your self. This is an opportunity for self-reflection. Be honest in writing down your list. Take your time to contemplate on these aspects of your self.

Aside from just you, get the opinion of people around you. Other people will surely have different thoughts on this matter. So go around and ask everyone what they think of your strengths and weaknesses. If you have many different social circles; then you may get different answers or maybe consistent ones. Welcome all their feedback as it is a chance to see if there is a gap between your opinion of your self and other people’s impressions of you. Then you can better understand how far or close you are to your authentic self.

3. Name Your Emotions

Most of us are trained and have perfected the persona of looking and acting like we are strong in the face of challenges even when we really just want to cry. But because of this reaction, we often forget to fully feel our own emotions before we move on to damage control mode. So this time around, don’t just rush out of it.

Instead, take the time to feel your emotions in your body as they come until they pass or fade away. In the meantime, you may or may not need to cry. But as you are in this state of being, try to put a name to your emotions. Are you sad or frustrated, angry or just agitated? Don’t act on your emotions as they come, just feel them. This is best done when you are alone of course, but this process also helps you to calm down and gain better clarity on what action you need to take or not take, towards the situation.

4. Evaluate Your Values

Sometimes, we put ourselves in uncomfortable situations because we want to please the people around us, our loved ones included. Maybe you wanted to become a writer but your parents are pushing you to be an engineer instead. So now, you are trying your best to not get a failing grade in a course that you didn’t really want for your self. Maybe your passion lies in one of your hobbies and not in your job.

Evaluate your own values. You and your parents are from different generations and there maybe some values that you will both cherish and some in which you will differ. If you can identify what these are and why they are important to you, you will have an easier time making your loved ones understand why you need to follow the path you want to take. Everyone has their own journey to take. If we can honor our own path; then it will be easier for others to honor that part of ourselves as well. This will take us closer to living our authentic self.

5. Be Kind to Yourself

We are often told to be kind to others as everyone is going through their own struggles. So don’t forget to be kind to yourself as well. Don’t beat yourself up if you think you are going too slow. Sometimes, it takes a step back to see the road ahead with greater clarity. Just focus on taking each step consistently and love yourself each step of the way.

Being kind to yourself also means being able to accept your own shortcomings and weaknesses. It also means accepting your unique quirks and embracing all parts of you, even your shadow self. Although we are all striving for perfection; remember that we are all a work in progress and it is our imperfections that make us the interesting souls that we are. So pat yourself on the bag for the small victories and soothe yourself with hopeful thoughts whenever you fail at a challenge. Then, take a rest and try again.

Feature Image: Original Photo by Caroline Veronez on Unsplash.

Jan

2023

How to Stop Our Fast Fashion Addiction

Reading Time: 5 minutes

How to stop our fast fashion addiction? We all dream of having the wardrobe of our dreams. We want it filled with clothes that we want and need to suit our mood and for different occasions. However, we actually end up only using 20% of the clothes in our closet.

We only wear our clothes only 7 times in a year on average. Then, we forget them in the darkest corner of our closet or we discard them. The only exception to this are the clothes which we consider our favorites. Those ones we wear often and usually until they are all worn out.

Fast Fashion and Its Negative Effects

We may not realize it, but we’ve probably bought and dressed in a lot of fast fashion items. We see them on high-end runway shows. They then become available for purchase a few weeks later.

This is what fast fashion is all about. Its producing clothes faster than most people need to wear them. Its producing clothes in lesser quality, but more quantity. Cheaper imitations are also available for those who want an even lower price range.

Clothes are discarded at an alarming rate due to fast fashion. These go out of fashion really fast. New styles and designs are being displayed on the runways each week. This means people also have a new trend to follow. The environmental impact of this phenomenon is staggering.

The fashion industry generates 5% of the global greenhouse emissions through the materials used, manufacturing processes and freight operations.
Toxic chemicals are used to dye garments for faster and cheaper production.
Garment workers are forced to work in an unhealthy environment.
Clothes don’t last long so you constantly need to buy clothes; which is terrible for your budget.
It takes 20,000 liters of water to produce 1 kilogram of cotton.
4 trillion gallons of water are wasted on producing textiles and clothes. This is enough to fill 550 million Olympic-sized swimming pools.
57.1% of fashion waste end up in landfills; an average of 92 million tons of textiles waste produced every year.
Polyester, the most commonly used clothing fiber is made from plastic and will never fully decompose. It will break down into microplastics which can harm wildlife and emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere for many years to come.
16 million tons of CO₂ emissions was generated by online returns of clothing in the US alone in 2020. This is equivalent to the emissions of 3.5 million cars on the road for a year.
Almost 10% of microplastics dispered in the ocean each year come from textiles.

Even with these statistics; it is estimated that fast fashion brands will be producing twice the amount of clothes today than they did in the past.

Tips to Reduce the Effects of Fast Fashion

Being aware of the negative impact of fast fashion enables us to do something about how we consume fashion. Fast fashion does not only mean clothes; it also includes the stuff that goes with it such as bags, shoes and other style accessories. Here are 5 things you can start doing to help reduce the negative effects of fast fashion.

Buy Less, Buy 2nd Hand, Shop Your Closet

We have more clothes in our closet than we actually need so the first step is to buy less. Instead, shop your closet for what you can wear. Then shop for the items you need from 2nd hand shops or thrift shops where you may even spot classic styles and great vintage finds. You can even swap clothes with your friends or rent them for when the occasion calls for it. Yes, you may have to stay out of being on trend but there is no need to follow fashion trends anyway. At least you’re now taking the right path to a better environment.

Buy Sustainable, Buy Quality Over Quantity

Buy your clothing items from brands who focus on sustainability and quality rather than what’s on trend. Sustainable brands are not always expensive. Better still, buy from local brands to lessen transportation costs and emissions. If you can afford luxury brands then go for them as they ensure quality, which means your clothes will last longer. More importantly, make sure you buy classic styles so you never have to worry about going out of style. A little black dress is always fashionable for most occasions. It also comes in a unique variety of styles so you can choose your very own unique style or have it altered to suit your taste.

Don’t Throw Away: Repair, Recycle, Donate or Sell

Instead of contributing to the number of clothes in the landfill, use your sewing kit or sewing machine to repair torn or damaged clothes. Or give other people an income by having a professional repair it for you or alter it to update or “upcycle” it to suit your needs. You can donate your clothes to your family, friends or charitable institutions who need them. You can also sell them on 2nd hand shops in your area or online. Start decluttering your closet and see which clothes you can repair, recycle, donate or sell. Audit your wardrobe and see if you have the must-have closet staples which you can use for many, different occasions. Remember, there are ways to look expensive even on a budget.

Follow Washing Instructions and Use Sustainable Products

If you use a washing machine, pay attention to the washing instructions for different types of clothing. Different clothing materials need different settings for washing so they will maintain their quality longer. Also, look for organic or natural products to use in your washing so you are sure that they are biodegradable and won’t add even more chemicals to your clothes or the environment. If you have laundry shops do the washing for you; look for ones that use sustainable washing products as well.

Find Your Personal Style, Declutter and Try A Capsule Wardrobe

One of the major reasons why people buy fast fashion is because you get a sense of belonging to a group of people who share the same style preferences as you. However, we must never forget that each of us has our unique sense of taste and style which makes us attractive to others even if we are not wearing the latest trend in fashion. We can only highlight our own unique, personal sense of style by getting to know ourselves better. If we know ourselves better; we can be confident to express ourselves in many ways, including our fashion choices. Once you know your own style, it will be easier for you to declutter your closet and shop for your new wardrobe. You can even create your own capsule wardrobe. This will still allow you to express your style in whatever season or occasion.

Once you start thinking differently about how your style choices affect the environment; you will naturally dress differently. You become mindful of the things you do and the choices you make. As you start to dress different; you also start to think differently. With each better choice, you can grow closer to living a life that serves your overall wellness as well as that of your larger environment.

Feature Image: Original Photo by The Nix Company on Unsplash.

Jan

2023

Sound Healing Frequencies for Overall Wellness

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Did you know that you can use sound healing frequencies to enhance your overall wellness? We all love different kinds of music but there’s more to music than the genre and the instruments used to create a piece of musical art. One of the most important characteristic is sound frequency which helps in how we interpret sounds.

Sound Frequency Measure and Applications

Sound frequency is measured by the way in which sound waves oscillate. All sound waves travel at the same speed in the same medium. While they travel to our ears, they compress and stretch the medium (such as air) alternatively. The total number of waves produced per second is called the frequency of sound wave. The frequency is the number of vibrations per second. So 7 hertz (Hz) means 7 waves completed in one second or 7 cycles per second.

The lower limit of audibility is about 20 Hz. Low frequency sound or infrasound are all sounds around 500 Hz and below. These include the sound of waves, avalanches, earthquakes and sounds made by whales and elephants.

High frequency sounds are about 2000 Hz and above. These includes whistles, computer devices, glass breaking, nails on a chalkboard and mosquitoes.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), healing sounds are used in “toning” to help bring back balance of the mind and body. The method uses the voice to create different healing sounds for different body organs.

Sound healing also works with the Chakras, such as the Third Eye. Each energy center or chakra has its own mantra to help it go back to a balanced or active state.

Medical practices now include therapies such as music therapy, vibration therapy and brainwave entrainment to treat various health conditions and improve mental, physical and emotional health. This treatment option is slowly becoming popular as it is non-invasive, not expensive and easy to do.

In other healing modalities, it is used with crystals, plant medicine and other energy clearing practices to encourage healing in different areas of life.

Sound Healing Frequencies and Their Benefits

In sound healing modalities, different frequencies have different benefits and promote different kinds of healing. Most of these frequencies fall under the Solfeggio Frequencies* introduced in the 11th century by Guido D’Arezzo, a Benedictine monk. However, these frequencies were likely used in ancient times (in Egypt, in Sanskrit and in Medieval Gregorian chants, etc.) but records of their uses had been lost. The concept was reintroduced again by physician Joseph Puleo in the 1970s.

174 Hz* – relieves pain, migraines and stress, reduces inflammation, evokes feelings of love, courage, safety and reassurance
285 Hz* – heals, cuts, burns, tissues and organs, promotes cellular regeneration
396 Hz* – liberates the listener from fear and guilt, helps to balance the root chakra to make you feel more grounded
417 Hz – facilitates change, helps dissolve feelings of trauma and emotional blockages
432 Hz – targets the heart chakra, helps soothe the soul, encourages mental and emotional clarity and openness
440 Hz – also known as “cerebral music”, helps massage the brain for cognitive growth and helps awaken the third eye
528 Hz* – for transformation and DNA repair (known as the “miracle frequency” as well as the “love frequency”), promotes clarity, peace, ushers in love and confidence and balances the heart and solar plexus chakras
639 Hz* – reconnects and heals relationships, produces positive feelings, harmony and clear communication, self-reflection
741 Hz* – helps provide solutions and self-expression, improves emotional stability, encourages feelings of safety to reconnect to your intuition
852 Hz* – brings the listener back to a “spiritual order”, helps improve sense of self and inner strength
963 Hz* – encourages a sense of oneness and unity, helps wake up the intuition and awaken the crown chakra, raises positive energy and vibrations, helps you connect to your inner self

Sound Healing Instruments

We all have the capability to heal ourselves so the voice is one of the instruments used in sound frequency healing. Other instruments used for meditation and sound therapies are Tibetan singing bowls, crystal singing bowls, gongs, drums, tuning forks, chimes, didgeridoo, monochord, handpan or tongue drum, flute, rainstick, crystal harp, crystal singing pyramids, kalimba, cymbals, djembe, mouth harp and many more.

Binaural beats are also a popular way to elicit different brainwaves for better sleep (Delta), for meditation (Theta), reduced anxiety, (Alpha) better focus and learning (Beta), among others.

OM Chanting and Meditation

How do we start using sound frequencies to heal ourselves? We can start with using our voice to chant as preparation for meditation or as the meditation itself. The easiest way is to use OM to chant or meditate.

We often associate the sound OM as a chant used to start and end yoga sessions. It consists of four syllables: A, U, M, and the silent syllable. When pronounced correctly, it sounds more like AUM. One of the most well known and universal mantras, it vibrates at the frequency of 432 Hz but it can also be used at higher frequencies such as at 528 Hz. It is the sound of creation, causing energy to gather and flow upward and outward. Everything in the universe vibrates; nothing is standing still. Chanting OM helps us to physically tune in to that frequency and energy.

Listen to the vibration it creates as it flows throughout your body. Chanting OM is a calming and soothing mindfulness practice that helps to slow down your breathing and prolong your exhalation. It is a breathing exercise in itself that helps you to relax and tune in to your inner self. Don’t chant too loudly. Use the natural volume of your own voice and feel the sound vibrate throughout your body.

OM is the basic sound of the Universe. When we chant, it vibrates as the same vibrational frequency found throughout nature. Chanting it means that you are symbolically and physically connecting to nature and all living beings in the Universe. It is one of the best ways to help you find your inner peace.

Feature Image: Original Photo by Magic Bowls on Unsplash.

Dec

2022

The Third Eye and Its Benefits

Reading Time: 5 minutes

The concept of the third eye can be scary but it actually has its benefits. Have you ever heard the idea that awakening the third eye can give you a sixth sense or psychic powers? We have seen many different strange and psychic abilities in films and television including mind-reading. Most of them are related to opening or having an open third eye. It is a fascinating concept that is also scary to contemplate for some people. But what is it?

The Third Eye

There are many explanations on what the third eye is and what it actually does. It is an esoteric concept that first appeared in the spiritual traditions of India and later also mentioned in Buddhism and Hinduism.

The eye through which I see God is the same eye through which God sees me; my eye and god’s eye are one eye, one seeing, one knowing, one love.
– Meister Eckhart

The third eye is one of the energy centers or chakras in our body. It is located in the middle of the forehead in between our eyebrows. The actual eye though is not on the forehead but is said to be linked to the pineal gland which is in the middle of our brain. A cross section image of the brain shows the pineal gland looking like an actual eye. It looks similar to the Eye of Horus in Egyptian mythology.

Seeing with The Third Eye

The third eye is believed to be a window to higher consciousness and the spiritual world. Because of this, having an open third eye allows you to gain deeper insight into your experiences in life. This is why it is often linked to having or developing psychic abilities such as telepathy, clairvoyance, clairaudience, aura perception and astral projection among others.

Everyone has a third eye but the general concept is that, not everyone has it open to the same degree and some people have it closed or blocked. The mind-body connection that we experience and our gut feel or intuition is also related to our third eye and all our other energy centers or chakras working together.

Whether partially open or fully open, or even when blocked; we are able to activate our third eye. An active or awakened third eye has many benefits, not necessarily psychic abilities. These include mental clarity, improved concentration, strengthened intuition and clearer self-expression.

With a developed third eye, you can experience deeper insights into every day things and become more decisive especially in stressful situations. More importantly, you are able to live a more mindful life and experience a sense of bliss more often.

We have two eyes to see two sides of things, but there must be a third eye which will see everything at the same time and yet not see anything. That is to understand Zen.
– D. T. Suzuki

If you’ve seen the first Avatar movie; there’s a scene where Jake and Neytiri say, “I see you.” to each other. That is the kind of deep insight and understanding or “seeing” that we mean when we say seeing with the third eye. You “see” the person for who they are and not just for how they look or for what they say or do. This means getting to have a deeper connection and understanding of each other even without verbal communication.

Signs of It’s Opening

Opening the third eye happens gradually for most people. It is a process that happens naturally when the person is ready for it. But for those who have sever energy blockages, there are energy healers who are able to help other individuals unblock not just their third eye but other energy centers or chakras.

Some of the signs that your third eye is opening include a feeling of slight pressure in between the eyebrows, frequent headaches, increased intuition, more sensitive sense/s such as to light and sound and more frequent lucid or vivid dreams. You also become more sensitive to the energy of people around you. Even with a less developed third eye, we sometimes get “good vibes” or “bad vibes” about a situation or person. With a more developed third eye, this intuitive ability becomes more active and stronger.

Another sign of your third eye opening is that you become more mindful and conscious of your normal activities such as what you eat (e.g., you decide to eat less meat, become a vegetarian or vegan). You start noticing synchronicities in your life experience more and you may even start contemplating on pursuing a higher life purpose than your previous life goals.

Awakening The Third Eye

For most people, the third eye is usually more active in childhood. That is why it is quite common for children to have “imaginary friends”. An active third eye also means a more active imagination. You will notice that even when kids fight with each other ofter; they still end up playing with each other the next day. It is as if they understand each other on a deeper level even without words so they don’t even need to say sorry.

We slowly lose this deeper insight as adults because our third eye gets blocked; our pineal gland becomes calcified due to our lifestyle and the environment we live in. As an example, fluoride added to tap water contributes to the calcification of the pineal gland which results in blockage.

The only way to decalcify our pineal gland is to make better lifestyle choices. These include opting for detoxifying foods such as raw cacao, lemon, coconut oil, etc. and supplementing with vitamin D3. Other helpful tips include the use of certain essential oils, gentle sun gazing, the use of crystals and meditation. Physical activities such as chanting, yoga and dancing are also beneficial to its healing and development.

Spiritual Practices for Better Health

Everyone has a third eye and some people have a more developed third eye and may not even be aware of it. This leaves them confused and maybe even fearful of their special gifts or abilities because other people don’t understand them and end up being scared of them too. Thus, a lot of “sensitive people” end up with mental health issues and emotional disorders because of a lack of understanding about their own gifts.

Fortunately, there are energy workers who have made it their life’s work to help other people in their journey of understanding and accepting their special gifts. If you are someone struggling in such a situation; then it is important that you find someone who you can understand you and guide you in the process. There is a community of healers around the world who are ready to lend a helping hand using their personal experiences, as well as their own special gifts and insights.

This is also why spiritual practices such as mindfulness and meditation as well as prayer and gratitude habits are important. It helps you to clear your mind clutter and become more aware of what you do and what is happening to you each moment. This allows you to get to know yourself deeper and become more attuned to your authentic self. With self-acceptance, you become more open to receiving more positive energy and deeper insights that can benefit you and those around you.

Feature Image: Photo by Harry Quan on Unsplash.