The Power of Play and Adventure

Play is a word unfortunately synonymous with only children.  Einstein states that:

“Play is the highest form of research.”

During my time as a child therapist over at Kidango, I would closely observe the pre-school children playing with their toys.  You see, what I’ve learned is that play for children is not just play. It’s actually work. It’s how they learn to create, adapt and imagine situations in their minds which allows them to gather deeper concepts of thinking and analysis.  And along with play, adventure is synonymous. With play comes adventure. As Carl Jung stated, each of us humans has archetypes within us all that are connected to the greater unconscious. Within all of us there is a hero, a magician, a king, a lover, and many more archetypes that we can figuratively imagine.  Play and adventure allows us to experience a realm in this reality that feels like a dream within a dream. It is a liminal space that allows us to feel our highest self experiencing the power of synchronicity, depth and a universal feeling of awe. When we follow our passions in life, we are able to tap into more of this space which in turn makes us feel alive and super present. Which is why I do many of my client sessions in nature as it creates within us a feeling of awe and wonder which an office can never replicate.  Us humans are hardwired for adventure and play. If we don’t play then we become depressed. 

Children usually are at their peak imagination before high school.  The high school system in America is unfortunately is designed to suppress the imagination of children and provide them a cookie cutter approach to education which tends to be bland, boring and just regurgitation of unapplied theoretical information.  A funny story to share, I remember when I first went inside a kindergarten classroom on my first day at Kidango and what I saw was indeed peculiar.  On one end of the room I saw 2 girls sitting together at the table and talking with their dolls, having a make-believe conversation which went along the lines of “hey Jessica, here’s your cup of tea, I hope you like it :)”.  Then I turned my head to look to the other side of the room and I saw two boys from across the room run towards each other and they just collided in a neanderthalic fashion by screaming “ahhhhhhhh”. This display of behavior between the boys and girls was in stark contrast.  To me it meant that girls generally tend to develop their soft skills at a very early age whereas boys are generally more kinesthetic in their learning through touch and body movement. Simply put, the divine feminine is more fluent in communication and connection whereas the divine masculine is more action-oriented competitive.  

For children in particular, play allows them to use their imagination, play different roles and step into a make believe world which inspires them with creativity and joy.  You see, the reason why over 53% of Americans are unhappy at work is because Corporate America is usually a place where people trade in their time and energy in exchange for financial stability aka a “steady paycheck”.  For many people, this tradeoff is something that over time starts eating at their soul and they begin to become depressed. One word of advice to you; “don’t settle”.  If you have a dream and I know most people do, then “go after it!”. We only have one life and we must follow our heart’s calling like it’s the only thing that truly matters.  It’s because those 53% of working Americans are not playing anymore with their imagination and have taken mundane jobs to anchor their daily lives. Think it this way, if you force a child to listen to a boring lecture what is he/ she going to do? Most likely suffer and start crying in pain and agony.  Well imagine a corporate worker who hates their job and they have to do it daily 8 hours a day, plus traffic and having to report to their tool of a boss and toxic coworkers. Yes, that person would indeed fall into the 53%. It’s unfortunate that the school system doesn’t teach about entrepreneurship because living in a country that rewards capitalism, to be an employee rather than a business owner is an unappealing tradeoff.  Granted, not everyone is built to be an entrepreneur, but for those who are, it’s about being creative, providing solutions to people and making the world a better place. Us humans are designed to create, to be creative and always think in big picture about how we can help the planet become a better place to live in for all of us through environmental sustainability, abundant agriculture, cultural acceptance of all and global compassion.  

Now when it comes to taking action, let’s look at this theory:

Forrest Gump Theory:

This theory basically states that people who are action-oriented will prosper in life as opposed to people who only contemplate and take little to no action.  Even if a person is not a genius (aka Forrest Gump) their actions will create a ripple effect in the universe which will allow more doors and opportunities to open for them, thus providing them success in the long term.  Action trumps extreme contemplation. There are a lot of dumb millionaires out there who have excelled in

their business and life because they simply got an idea and did it, rather than many geniuses out there who kept questioning themselves and going into an “analysis-paralysis” type of stagnant pattern.

Our millennials and young kids like you are an untapped resource in our planet and global consciousness.  The Baby Boomers are getting old and the way they’ve handled things is nothing short of catastrophic through the merciless politics of our corrupt congressional government, uncapped wars of torture and demolition of innocent civilians and pure degradation of the resources of our planet.  Now it is upto us take charge and change the way things that have been done. It is time to change the status quo from “me” to “we”.  

We are One.

5 Qualities That Will Lead to A Happier Life

Let’s face it. Living in this day and age is stressful.

Our phones are buzzing constantly, we’re getting notifications from Facebook every minute and it seems like our uncles are on a diabolical plan to send us the most random videos on Whatsapp.

Enduring this onslaught of information can make us feel overwhelmed, burnt out and even depressed. All it leaves us begging for is true genuine connection in the end.

So I’ve devised 5 qualities that will help you in cultivating a happy & fulfilled life:

#1) Gratitude

Practicing gratitude helps us see the good in any situation and allows to overcome any challenges in life. If you’re not feeling “successful enough, pretty enough or smart enough” then start counting your blessings and you’ll see that life isn’t so bad. By also training our mind to see the good in everything we begin to experience the goodness in everything!

#2) Kindness

Practicing kindness allows us to develop our empathetic abilites and to be able to develop a sense of altruism in the world. Just smiling at someone can make their day!

#3) Humility

When we practice humility we create a space of curiosity in our heart and mind which allows us to develop more meaningful interactions with others. Practicing humility means to look within ourselves and see that we are not the center of the universe. Arrogance has been the downfall of many great people and we need to be humble once again.

As Jesse Jackson once said famously about humility:

“Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up.”

#4) Purpose

Finding your anchor. Ask yourself “what is something in this world that I stand for and will go to the ends of the earth for?”. That is your anchor. It can be your family, friends, values. Things which you are passionate about.

#5) Service

Service is how you serve the world. Finding ways in which you help your community or those around you. When you serve the world is when you are truly fulfilled. As Muhammad Ali said “Our service to humanity is our price for rent on this earth.”

Call To Action

Start your day out with these in your awareness and see how big of an impact it makes in your life.

Have an awesome week!

Trust The Process

This life is short.  Our pleasures are fleeting and each breath we take brings us closer to our grave.  So let’s approach each day wisely & live with purpose.  Our greatest success lies in our pure reliance of God.  When you feel like you have nothing, start counting your breaths, you will realize just how lucky you are being full of life.  When you feel lonely just remember that God is always with you.  In fact, yesterday night I said something which surprised me. It was that “God is more present with us than we are with ourselves.” God is always with us.  It’s just us who become numb & ignore all the signs around us.  There’s a saying “people ask God for cake, but when He gives them eggs, flour & milk they still complain.” Remember, our blessings may not come exactly the way we envisioned them.  We’re praying to God for a tall tree but we become fixated on the tree.  Only God knows what’s best for us.  And if our prayers are aligned with purpose then God will gift us with the seeds today that will become that tree tomorrow.  Being grateful when we have nothing is what makes us rich.  Being kind when we’re out of patience is what makes us compassionate.  Muhammad Ali said that he only started counting his pushups when it started hurting.  Our true journey begins when we become uncomfortable.  If you’re comfortable right now then ask yourself, am I truly awake? Am I truly following my purpose or am I just walking aimlessly in life.  Life is short, but very long for those who consider it aimless.  Aim high, know that even the poorest man today may become a King tomorrow.  Even the loneliest woman may find the love of her life tomorrow.  Our pleasures in life are fleeting, but our divine connection to God is permanent and the most powerful.  It all starts with a simple “Thank You God for Everything” ❤️

5 ways to treat anxiety & depression

Life is indeed an interesting journey. One day you may be on top of the world and the next you may be scraping by at the bottom of your emotional ladder. This week alone for me has brought with it a flurry of emotions and I’ve discovered many truths about myself.

1. I’m not alone in this — My friends have also shared similar feelings of anxiety and feeling heavy.

Learning to appreciate the dark — I’ve always been a pusher of positive psychology and visualizing positive things all the time but yesterday I was reading Osho’s views on it and he called it straight BS. He mentioned the appropriateness of having both light and darkness in our lives because focusing on only one spectrum of life is limiting and downright delusional. A perfect balance is reached when we are able to sit with both the good and the bad.

Which takes me to this revelation:

2. There are no binaries.

From a mindfulness perspective, we are simply observers of our thoughts and it is not the event but our perception of an event that creates “chaos or harmony” in our lives.

Once we begin to see life as a journey filled with nuances of light and dark do we begin to see things differently.

I’m learning that life doesn’t always have to be about “good this…good that..” It’s as if I’m training my mind to focus on only the positive experiences and ignore the dark ones.

If that were the case then I would be elated and filled with ecstatic joy but I’m not and that’s because I haven’t been sitting with my pain.

Rather than sitting with the pain, I’ve been ignoring it with pleasure.

Call it distractions by eating delicious food, hanging out with friends or watching Netflix, I haven’t been very mindful lately and that’s why I’ve been feeling so blue inside. And here’s the third revelation:

3. It’s okay to feel blue — you may think that you shouldn’t feel sad or society may tell you that there’s something wrong with you to feel that way but it’s okay.

It’s okay to feel sadness and we should allow ourselves the courage and freedom to dig deep and discover why we feel that way.

Just like a child who is acting out, they’re not doing it for not reason. They’re either hungry, sleepy or agitated by something. There’s always a reason. Just like that, us humans always have a reason for our depression.

We just need to take a few deep breaths and take ourselves out of our mind.

Mindfulness is key.

What’s helped me the most in this journey is that it helps to know that we are not our thoughts but simply observers. And the most liberating thing in the world is to know that our feelings are telling us something.

Who knows, perhaps it is this very same feeling of depression which may be the catalyst for you to achieve something great.

As the saying goes: “One must follow the shit to find the pony”…

Call to Action

So here are a few steps I’ve taken that have helped me in this time of reflection.

1. Reflecting — just sitting quietly and thinking on a meta level has helped greatly. Sometimes just seeing yourself in third person helps you to make wiser decisions. We often give such great advice to our friends but fall short on ourselves. Reflecting breaks this barrier that we create.
2. Listening to spiritual teachers — I’ve been listening to Sadghuru talks on YouTube lately and the man has some serious wisdom!
3. Practicing Mindfulness — I’ve been practicing mindfulness and it’s helped me in many ways. Just having the reminder that “we are not our thoughts but merely the observer of our thoughts” has helped me ten fold in my internal process.
4. Writing — just writing my thoughts out the first thing in the morning has been such a calming experience. It really helps to get your thoughts out on paper.
5. Practicing gratitude & being in the moment — just knowing that tomorrow isn’t promised and today may be my last day allows me to appreciate my immediate surroundings and my friends & family more.

I’ll leave you with a poem by Rumi that is always a treasure trove in times of despair.

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.

Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

How to have a blissfull morning

Most mornings when I wake up my mind heads straight for the phone, ready to digest all the information to fill my mind’s blank state.

But today is going to different.

Today I’m going to first take a few deep breaths and just appreciate the sounds of the birds chirping outside.

While I listen to the chirps I also notice the beautiful sunlight radiating its' splendor across the trees.

So many shades of green I see…what a delight to my eyes.

So today was indeed a great morning.

Instead of turning on my phone and heading straight for the Trump infested news, my mind is in a state of gratitude.

Now that is mornings done right ❤

Hope you have an amazing day

5 Signs You’re Dealing with an Energy Vampire

Ever heard of the term “energy vampire” before? It’s sounds like something that’s right out of an R.L. Stine novel. The term has been used again and again in pseudo-scientific references and is a widely accepted concept in the realm of energy healing. I remember long discussions with one of my energy healing mentors Diane who would tell me about people that would latch on to the energies of other people in rooms. From my derived research in the paranormal, energy vampires are not mythical creatures but people who function at a very low vibrational energy. These are people who thrive off of drama and make it their purpose in life to bring down all those whom they come across. Simply put, these are immature, self-centered individuals who use other people for their manipulative ways.

From an ontological perspective, EV’s (Energy Vampires) are simply people who have not psychologically matured. They are like a hurt child on the inside and lack the mental tools of resilience required to function as a healthy emotionally intelligent human being. Science still hasn’t figured out why some people exhibit these low vibrational energy patterns but if you study some psychological personality disorders, you will see that many illustrate a genetic predisposition to these EV-like symptoms but there are other possible reasons how one’s environment can predispose a person to becoming an EV. Be it sexual abuse or any forms of extreme abuse in childhood, bad parenting, or having horrible role models, all these can be triggering factors.

In my experience training as a Therapist, I encountered many energy vampires. They’re easy to pick out as they lack empathy, are self-centered, exhibit jealousy, envy and a plethora of volatile emotions. Simply put, these people scream drama and there’s never a dull moment with them. Here are 5 signs that you’re dealing with one:

1. They Lack Empathy — These people will just say outright mean things to you! They have a way with words and their tongue can be a sharp ax, cutting through your soul with their harsh words. Don’t even think about fighting with this person because they are always ready to pounce on an opportunity for an argument. You’re usually always available for them emotionally but once you start divulging your sad stories, they don’t show as much interest. No matter how hard you try, you just cannot force them to show you as much love as you show them.
2. They’re Childish — No matter how old they get, these people are always going to act like they’re little children. You’ll think you’re in front of a 40 year old but take away the physical appearance and you’re left with the persona of a 5 year old child. In my humble opinion, EV’s are people who have not psychological grown and are emotionally immature. They’ll argue over little petty things and hold grudges. Don’t even think about taking that last pizza slice that they’ve been eyeing because if you do, you’ll be on their shit list!
3. They’re Inauthentic — EV’s have a remarkable pattern of not being genuine. They simply follow what others are always up to and value themselves through more materialistic ways. They will judge a person by their looks, background, money or status. They will suck up to and try to impress any person who has money but if they’re in the same room with someone of lower privilege then forget about it! They won’t initiate in any relationship with a person whom they do not see a gain with.
4. They Gossip — This is their bread and butter folks! An EV symptom list cannot be complete without this one. They have a knack for picking up small details about a person and are more than happy to share those opinions with the rest of the world. Rather than focus on 1 good thing about a person, they would much rather pick up 99 blemishes in a person’s character and even create lies about them. Gossip is just something they enjoy to occupy their time with. Remember the saying: “Small minds discuss people, medium minds discuss events & great minds discuss ideas”? These guys love to discuss people and rarely anything else so beware!
5. They’re Overly Dramatic — According to EV’s, since the world revolves around them, if you cause discomfort to them in the smallest of ways you’re going to hear about it! They have an air of narcissism and for some reason there’s always something bad happening in their life. It’s like they only choose to focus on the negative and play a story on their mind that everyone is bad and out for them. They love drama because they feed off of it. They don’t like to see people in harmony so they like to stir the pot and create chaos in any good situation. Because they’re so unhappy with themselves, they just want to make others around just as much miserable.

So there you have it. I know, it’s not a very uplifting topic but give yourself some self-care and avoid these kinds of people. They really have nothing of value to offer you and fake smiles hide their envy towards you. So that’s a wrap but because I have such a passion for this topic, I’m going to write out 5 more traits for you!

6. They will bring your energy down — Ever leave a conversation with a person feeling like you just watched a depressing video? Yep, this person just sucked all the positive energy right out of you. A friend of mine always told me, “Shayan, there are 2 types of people, those who offer us life-giving conversations and those that offer us life-taking conversations.” If you feel just negative energy oozing around a person then this person will offer you life-taking conversations! Nothing inspiring about them but simple misery….And as they say “misery loves company” so watch out!

7. They love bringing others down — According to them, if they’re not happy with their lives then why should you be? They’re fragile people and they want to break you down till you’re just as weak as them on the inside. If they see you happy, they’re not going to like that. It’s like a child who sees you with a shiny new toy and wants to take it away from you because it doesn’t have one itself so why should you. Just don’t ever share your happiness with them because they’ll envy you and never be genuinely happy for your blessings.

8. They’re genuinely unhappy people — This is a trait for more intuitively advanced people to dissect about a person’s demeanor on the inside but EV’s just aren’t happy on the inside. They’re unhappy with their lives and their constant negative thoughts aren’t a big help either.

9. They’re copy catters — They’re not original and they love to follow the crowd. There’s just not a whole lot of originality to their bone.

10. They love giving you the evil eye ;) — In many Middle Eastern traditions, the evil eye is something that people give to others whom they envy. EV’s have an unusual way of always noticing something about a person and with their envious eyes, can strike invisible arrows of damage to the other person they are noticing. Always create a protective psychic shield around yourself when you’re with them. Wearing protective amulets of gemstones also help greatly.

I hope after reading this list, you’re reconsidering many of your friends in your circle. Chances are that you know quite a few of them. Like attracts like and if you notice yourself attracting many people who display qualities like these then you may be functioning at a low level yourself. Raise your vibration through positive thinking along with practicing gratitude and really begin to reflect upon yourself if you tend to fall into negative patterns.

5 Reasons Why it’s Going to be Alright

Life has a pretentious way of throwing curve balls at us. Some days we’re elated & feeling on top of the world and other days it feels like we’ve hit rock bottom. But don’t let that get you feeling down on yourself because you’ve been through this before. In fact you’ve been through a lot worse! So here are 5 reasons why everything’s going be alright.

1. You’ve got a great support system — Be it your mother, brother, sister, dad or your quarky best friend from childhood, you have people in your life who are always there to lend a shoulder to cry on. Whenever the going gets tough you’re fortunate enough to have someone who’s going to encourage you and share that large tub of Haagen Daz with you over a night of Netflix binging. It’s going to be alright ;)
2. You are a tough S.O.B. — You might not realize this but you’re alot stronger than you think you are. You’ve also been an anchor for others during their times of distress at times! If others tried to be in your shoes they may be returning them back within 5 minutes after realizing that you have a pretty hard life. So don’t even second guess yourself for a moment because your resilience is going to help you get past any hardship that you encounter.
3. You have a good internal compass — You’re a pretty intuitive person. You may have those moments of doubt and even have a nervous break down or two, but deep down inside you know it’s going to be alright. You’re not one who “hopes” that everything’s going to be alright but has faith that it will all be play out. Call it God or the Universe, you firmly believe that there’s a divine power orchestrating all these affairs and you’ll be taken care of. As you know, in the end it always works out so why worry so much?
4. Karma is your friend — As a believer in karma, you’ve helped others, gave charity, smiled at a stranger for no reason and even gave up your seat to allow the old uncle to sit on the bus. Karma is one of those forces which never forgets, in fact some traditions say that everything you put out comes back at you times 3! So all those little nuggets of humanity you contributed towards to your fellow man are going to come in handy for this time of upheaval. You’re a good person and karma’s definitely looking out for you.
5. Life is helping you grow — This one’s a little more philosophical one but ancient philosophies teach us that our experience on this earth is a test. The more hardships we face the more opportunities for us to evolve spiritually. Ask Dr.MLK, Joan of Ark or Malcolm X if they became who they became without ever having to facing any adversity. 10 times of 10 they will tell you that all of the hardships they faced in life were the catalyst for helping them become genuine and great leaders. You may not be leading a pack of activists on the footsteps of the Washington Monument to protest civil rights but the mere fact that you are more emotionally supportive today of your loved ones than you may have been in the past shows that you’re growing as a person. Everyday you allow life to throw curve balls at you and you take them with stride. It’s you’re very own internal growth that’s helping you make sure that everything’s going to be just fine.

After reading this I’m sure you don’t think you’re situation’s so bad anymore. You’re a pretty strong person and your resilience is off the charts. You should really owe it to yourself and tap yourself on the back. You may not know it but many people look up to you. With this in mind, go out there into the world with the awareness that everyday is a blessing for you to experience and that you are a bad ass who’s not only going to get through any situation but thrive within it.

5 Reasons Why You’re Awesome!

Life has it’s ups and downs, but there’s no reason why we shouldn’t celebrate the majestic existence that is called LIFE. Here are 5 reasons why you’re is awesome ☺

1. You allow others to shine! You have an amazing innate ability to help others go through their tough times and you’re always there to offer emotional support. You’re their anchor and without you, they wouldn’t have anyone else genuine to turn to.
2. You’re living or trying to live a life of purpose! You sometimes may regret thinking if you made the right choice taking that really odd general ed class or your first job in sales but keep on hustling. You never know how later on in life you’re very odd interests and experiences may come in handy for your future endeavors. Steve Jobs mentioned that it was the calligraphy classes he took in college that shaped the quintessential Macintosh keyboard characters which have Apple it’s dynamic look on computer screens.
3. You genuinely care for others. When someone’s feeling down or needs just that extra little push of support you’re there for them. Your words of encouragement mean the world and that’s what makes you awesome!
4. You’re not petty about things. Humans are funny creatures who make a lot of mistakes so in the future when your friends make a silly joke or drop the ball, you forgive them. Because you know that life is short and you don’t have time to be petty about those little things. Ain’t nobody got time for that!
5. You’re the type of person who’s willing to take out that change from your pocket so you can give to your friend who’s a few cents shorts for that snack. Believe it or not, some people are really cheap when it comes to money. Even some very rich and powerful people have been reported to tip very little and aren’t willing to give a single quarter to the needy. But that isn’t you because you know that money isn’t the most important thing in life and you value your connections with people over material possessions.

Overall, I think you’re a pretty awesome person. You tip well, you smile when you greet others and you say thank you when someone does you good. And I get it, sometimes you may feel a little down but hey don’t ever forget, people look up to you! The world is a much better place with you in it ☺.

5 Signs That You’re An Old Soul

If you’re reading this article, chances are that you feel like you don’t really belong in this era and would rather be kicking it with Earnest Hemingway in one of those Great Gatsby themed parties or skinny dipping in the Nile after your long 10 hour shift building the Pyramids. Here are 5 signs that you indeed are an old soul:

1. You feel out of place wherever you are — There’s never a moment where you feel like you finally belong. You feel like everyone’s operating at a certain wavelength and you’re no where near their level on the spectrum. It almost feels like it’s you and an army of others in the room. Point blank, you just don’t fit in and would rather not play into those meaningless mind games that people usually play.
2. You think at a very high level — While there are people out there who are solely concerned about major football players being traded in the off-season, you’re out here concerned about a child in Uganda who’s supposed to be getting the same level of human rights as you. Your intelligence supersedes superficial matters and you have decided to put your minds attention to larger and more meaningful causes in life.
3. You can tell genuine people apart from the fakes — At this point in your spiritual journey you’ve met alot of souls and you can tell who’s being real with you and who’s not. Old souls generally are very reflective and through their karmic cycle have accumulated a wealthy treasure of experiences where they have evolved spiritually. Young souls on the other hand, are still learning and may fall under the trap of our matrix to “fit in” society and as a result lose their individual uniqueness. Old souls on the other hand are unapologetically themselves. We ain’t got no time to fit in.
4. You can “feel” people’s energy — This is an interesting one. By just being around a person for a certain time and in only a brief interaction, you can feel their energy unconsciously. Call it auras, vibes or chakras, you can feel the energy in a room and in a person. If you like their energy then your channels of communication are open and jolly, but if you’re not digging their vibe then you close yourself off. Because ain’t nobody got time for energy vampires!
5. You know that you have a purpose in this life — You have an innate awareness that you were sent on this earth with a purpose. Although you may have moments of doubt and question yourself in all your silly life decisions, each mistake was crucial to help you get to where you are supposed to be. At the end of the day, no matter how heavy or hard it is, you’ll still keep your head up knowing that you have a purpose in this life. And that keeps giving you the fuel and the fire you need to keep on functioning in this young yet ancient life.

So here’s to another lifetime of experiences. I’ll probably be coming out with 5 more qualities in the future but keep doing You! You have a purpose and you’ll get there ☺

The Pains of a Wounded Warrior

Funny ain't it... Life just has a funny sense of humor... In my previous post I seem like I know everything there is about the mundane existence of the Universe but in this post I'll be talking about the exact opposite...I know nothing at all...and on top of that I am not the happiest person in the world...
Life has its perils and nuances of mediocrity.. at times the feeling of living seems difficult and death seems to be the easier decision to cope with life's troubles. Oh the irony of that statement.  Now I have no desire to speak of suicide or killing myself but a true introspective person would understand that the pain we carry throughout our lives can be very intense and debilitating to our fragile psyche.
I feel vulnerable..weak and timid.  I thought I would never see the day where I would say those words and let alone have them describe my current state of being.  But I must say I feel like a worn out punching bag and life is Muhammad Ali running on high testosterone.  I just need a break man... Life can you hear me?  I'm doing the best I can and I'm just a human.  I've been let down by so many people that I have trust issues now.  I was never a cynic but now I get those thoughts before I have to make the extra effort to minimize them.  I feel more comfortable around troubled, broken souls than I ever did before. Maybe its a transformation, maybe its my metamorphosis into becoming the complicated soul I always knew I was.
Is it no coincidence that I have such a huge affinity with James Dean? Many see him as the transcendental rebel archetype but I see him as the troubled little boy who's innocence was taken away by the world.  When I look at myself I see the look of a troubled young man who can't see the face of the innocent child anymore.  I feel like I'm losing a part of myself which is so dear to me.  I feel like the betrayal, the backstabbing and the gossiping has taken away my naivete to believe in the good in people.  
I just don't know who I am anymore... I see the name, I see the face and I hear my voice but It's like it's all completely alien to me.

I hope I can find myself...

Reconnecting with our Higher Selves

Life has proven to me time and time again that miracles do happen! Our greatest moments of turmoil can verily become our silver lining moments which can impart so much wisdom and blessings upon us.  I have become the happiest I can be and I plan to become a happier person.  When I say happy I mean to be able to live to the fullest through experiencing the most of what I achieve to learn in this life.
I have started to practice the art of mindfulness which is to be living fully in the present moment and not to be slowed down by thoughts of the past nor worrying about the future.  To be able to live fully in the present moment is where we can make the biggest miracles happen!
My previous post was a cry for help to the Universe... It's amazing to see that its been over a year now and my life has changed so much. I've gone back to school in JFK University where I am pursuing my dreams of becoming a holistic therapist.  My life has taken such a drastic turn from working at an IT company (which I dreaded!) to going back to the student life.  I love it!!!
My greatest lesson to impart onto the coming generation in regards to our lives is to follow your passion, hear those inner voices which we call intuition and do what makes you happy.  Life is too short to deprive yourself of doing things in the world which are redundant, boring and non-engaging.
Once I started listening to that intuitive voice in my head which some may refer to as spirit guides my life path became clear.  Everything I once imagined to be difficult became easy.  Doors unexpectedly started opening up for me and I started doing things which were both fruitful for my soul and my physical health.
I began to gauge my interest in essential oils (aromatherapy), fung shui practices (salt lamp in my room, light blue color painted in my wall, crystals, positive images in my room) and buying such mystical items as sage, Tibetan crystal bowls.  After I started to 'just do it' instead of pondering....and pondering everything started to become serendipitous for me.  I began to attract meeting wondering, authentic people because I began to acknowledge my true, authentic self.  As I began to listen to those voices in my head my actions began to attract the very things I was looking for in the universe.
My wonderment of travel became crystallized as I started to go everywhere from beaches, forests, mountains to any place which seemed magical to me.  My life started becoming magical.  It's funny how everything can become so amazing once we start doing things which we love.

"Do what makes you happy so others can benefit from your happiness...the World needs this contagious condition"
-Shayan 

The forgotten scent of a smile..

Sometimes in life you forget to smile, sometimes the feelings inside of you are so strong and magnanimously depressing that you think you'll never be happy.  Sometimes you become sad for so long that you forget what it feels like to even be happy.  You try thinking to yourself "no It'll get better, I'll be okay" but another part of you which only sees the glass half empty sucks the life out of your positivity and shadows over it with grief stricken thoughts.  So does this make me a hypocrite? Me? A person who is known for his positive enthusiasm and charm who can succumb to a state like this?..That's your call but who knows in this day and age what the other person is growing through, its as if we've lost our compassion, we no longer care about each others' lives because we've become too entangled into this cyber world of the internet and the facebook era where our sense of happiness triggers on how many 'likes' we get on our status updates.
Sometimes in life your problems become great.  Not just financially necessarily but also in other areas, perhaps even if your financially well off you may be facing a crisis in your love life and so on.
The perils we face in the 21st century are far too great to ignore and far too wide to fix easily.  If only there was a time machine, or if only there was a way we could make all our wishes come true. Well sorry to burst your imaginary bubble there but we live in a dense spectrum of a place we call Earth and unfortunately our superhuman abilities are only a thing of fantasy.  But back to my point...
Sometimes we go through a really phase in our lives. At first everything may seem perfect, like it was meant to be but then its as if everything turned upside down.  Like your wedding turned into a funeral, that kind of analogy so to speak. Then the trials and tribulations you face become almost overbearingly painful at one point and eventually you enter a state of utter sadness and torment which wakes you up in the morning and gets you to sleep at night.  For some people this state may cause them to crack and enter depression, maybe even insanity or thoughts of suicide.  For others they may face their problem like it is a test, and this is where faith comes in.  The only thing a person has in this world is truly 'himself and his connection with God'.  I mean where else can you turn to If the whole world shuns you and gives you no other option but God.  But I believe God is the answer to all our prayers, He is All Knowing, All Wise, the Ultimate Caregiver and loves us unconditionally like a mother does to her child.
In times of tribulations all we can do is be patient and pray to God.  For if we do not discover our spiritual dimensions then we will suffer greatly and then we have no one to answer our prayers.  Pray, pray and pray! God-willing someday your sadness will eventually subside and turn into that great feeling of joy and utter happiness which you were ultimately meant to experience all over again.

The Certainty of Uncertainty

As the old adage goes "we never know what tomorrow brings", this statement will always stay true till the end of times.  Sometimes things may seem so perfect, as if they were meant to be by the higher heavens while other times fate proves us otherwise.  Life takes us many places and brings into our lives many experiences which teach us these valuable lessons.  If there was one lesson I would be certain of, it would be that nothing is certain, no matter the certainty of it.
Now I don't mean to say that things that are certain will fall through, not at all but all I say is that we must be prepared for things to not go our way if they don't go as planned.  Sometimes this is the greatest lesson of life, that life has a life of its own and that maybe we're just placed on this Earth to see how we react to those uncalled-for circumstances.
One saying goes "never be upset that things didn't go as you planned because God had greater plans".  If you keep this close to your heart then you'll never be disappointed because if we leave it up to the Creator to decide for us what is best then we relinquish from ourselves the guilt, pain and failures which we might have blamed ourselves for.  Sometimes its not about the destination but the journey itself which is the greatest lesson in life in our humble experiences.
"Is it better to love and lost it or to not have love at all" is what comes to my mind.  To me love is the most beautiful thing on this God-given Earth.  It's what dreams are made of and from.  It's what gives humans our charm in this Universe and lights up the darkest corners of the abyss.  And with love comes pain that is unimaginable which comes from the uncertainty of love.  Love between 2 lovers is certain, but the uncertainty of the future from those 2 lovers may create such a fear or cognitive torture that love can become the cause of pain in one's mind and heart.
Love is beautiful, pain is temporary and uncertainty is certain in this game of love.  You wish to spend every waking second with your lover, but how can that be achieved when we live in such a dense World where everyday priorities can relinquish that desire.  The only way is to keep that lover in your heart, her memories cherished in your mind and the fragrance of her essence close to your soul.
Sometimes things happen in this World where we might lose that person we so much cherish and desire.  This is the eternal pain of life.  Maybe God has better plans, imagine if the girl of your dreams passes away very young.  Perhaps she was needed in heaven for something greater.  Our lives in this earth are very short-lived and pass by like the blink of an eye.  Don't worry, after you pass away in your short-lived life she'll be waiting for you in heaven with keys to the palace she so lovingly decorated for your arrival.
Your angel awaits..

Social Stigma

Whenever we see a person walking by in the street we will judge them based on their appearance, what they wear, how they talk and how they walk.  The most striking judgement we make is on physical looks and attractiveness.  Suppose that person has a lobsided eye then automatically we'll label them as lobsided.  Suppose that person has a deformed hand then we'll automatically come up with thoughts only about that hand, ignoring the rest of their healthy body.  I don't find this fair, or even acceptable but unfortunately that is the way our minds work.  Our brain always looks for patterns and when something stands out we only tend to focus on that logical ambiguity.
I believe that for people with disabilities, they must be given the opposite treatment in society.  What is a defect in society's standards, should society be held in charge for labeling people according to their physical extremities? Because the way fashion models look these days, society in no shape or form has any validity to make a statement on what is considered beautiful and vice versa.  In essence I believe that people with "disabilities" are more special, for they stand out from the general population.  And put yourself in their shoes, they're aware of that and you staring downright at them in a public place doesn't make their life easier.  Instead you should be more courteous, smile and be extra polite.  Because all they need is approval from the public to put a bright ounce of optimism in their delicate lives.  

The Future of Education

Our current education system is faltered.  Students are assigned particular readings and are tested on specific dates on those on topics.  Everyone learns at the same time at the same pace.  What is wrong here is that everyone learns at their own pace.  Some learn better with visuals, other learn better with experience.  One thing is for certain, schools have become boring and outdated in this aspect.  In the present technological renaissance in which we live in, our iphones and android phones have literally raised our standards for entertainment.  No longer can we sit down for 45 minutes and read black text written on whitepaper in our school textbooks.  This is a major crime for the cognitive development of our future generations.  They deserve better than to be forced down to regurgitate outdated facts and memorize texts which they will all soon pass from their short term memory.
The problem here is that students today need to be focused on the task at hand and if that task fails to please them they will most assuredly not be motivated to accomplish that task, hence playing the role of procrastination.  What education needs to do is to become involving and engage its students to become active participants of learning.
Students today are bombarded with visuals and audio which grabs their attention within full spectrum of colors and sounds.  So why hasn't education not caught on entertainment's advice? Be engaging!
We should implement our education system to actively engage our students to become active learners and become "their own teachers" by garnering intrinsic motives within their psyche and fulfilling the mission of creating a curious learner who actively seeks the answers for his questions. Creativity stems from our subconscious processes which are overlooked by our current schooling system and that is where the insanity lies.  Students must be encouraged to "express themselves" by having a creative atmosphere in schools.  In the end of the day, the best teachers are those who inspire their students to make a change in this World for the better.  Or else mediocre teachers will only create frustrated working class people who may never "amount to anything".  The choice is yours education, make the right one!
A great starting book for the future of education would be to read "Democracy and Education" by John Dewey (1910).    

If only Money wasn't a commodity...

As the title says, If only it were true..Where would humanity be right now? Where would our priorities shift towards? Who would be the richest? Who would be the poorest?
Throughout time, money has been used as a trading chip for goods and services.  Now with so much scarcity and poverty running throughout the World it gives no indication that this source of commodity is doing any good for the poor and unprivileged. It's sad to say but the top 10% of the World own 90% of the Wealth.  Where is the justice in that? I see none, only anarchy and slavery at the hands of the rich and privileged.  It's no surprise that poor nations like Africa suffer while other parts of the World invest billions in luxury resorts.  It's a humane tragedy that no one does anything about it and would instead prefer to intoxicate themselves in the weekend to remain ignorant about issues that should matter the most.
"Treat others the way you would want to be treated"..What happened to this universal law? Is this not a rule which everyone should generally agree on? Yes but very little people actually practice what they preach.  Giving gives receiving..yet people prefer to snatch from the lot of others just to increase their own wealth and tend to forget that God is the greatest provider of all sustenance.
It's a tragedy to realize that over 18,000 children die of starvation each day...not a month or year but a day...its unfathomable that we face global poverty even today when we have become a defined Global Village.
What happened to another beautiful saying "Love thy neighbor"...in today's society a neighbor does not mean anymore 'he who lives beside your house' but the total populace of the World.  Our neighbors are now widespread throughout the Global regions of Earth.  It's sad to say that we become so concerned about out financial matters that we forget about those who have no money at all to account for..imagine what they are going through..
The fact that you are able to read this in your computer/phone comfortably shows that you are indeed privileged and lucky enough to gain the bountiful blessings of God...cherish your rewards, but appreciate them more by giving back to those who are under you in that regard...giving is the best form of charity, and happiness of others is happiness for your self

Soulmates...

We all long for that everlasting 'love' in our lives...Some go searching for it in the farthest regions of the Earth, while others find it without even thinking about it.  It is this exotic love which we all seek and its the epidemy of our humane existence, "to love and be loved" but as well "to find our true love"...
I believe that our soul mates exist, just like we do, they do as well..somewhere on Earth waiting for us to find them..Some don't believe, but maybe that's why they'll never find one, because they never gave it a chance, or they might get lucky and chance will prove them wrong by helping them accidently find theirs.
How do you know if he/she's the one?
Pretty easy. The very first time you meet her your heart will tell you "she's the one, she's the one..." you will never be more sure of something in your whole life, because from that moment on your heart will completely take over your thoughts and she becomes your World, forever and ever.  It's the greatest feeling in the Universe, nothing is better, nothing! Because everytime you think of her you get such a euphoric feeling of amazement that your existence on this Earth becomes meaningful with an ultimate purpose, "to win her heart over...once and for all"...She will be the first thought in your head when you wake up from your slumber and she will be the last thought in your head before you go back to sleep. That is the power of her attractive pull, her energy which rejuvenates yours and fills you with utter joy and spiritual radiance.  Seeing her and just being with her fulfills your life's existence..for there can be nothing more beautiful than her, she is the definition of love and your soul's existence.  She is the answer to all your questions, she is your weakness, but also your greatest strength.  She is the divine light which lights up your shadows of uncertainty, she is the joy, the happiness and the suffering which you will endure, but not alone, with her.  Not everyone finds their soulmate, but the ones that do, are the luckiest people on this God-given Earth.  For when they do find them, they will know that they're 'the one' and my greatest advice to all is, to fight for her, because if you don't fight for the women of your dreams, then prepare for a lifetime of regret and nightmares.  

Utter Madness...

Why has this World become so blind? Why has killing innocent people become such an act of valor? I ask with pure sadness in my heart and sympathy for those unfortunate civilians who die at the tyrannical hands of the opposition.  It is not any more a fight against Satan but the fight against humans themselves.  Recently I read an article on drunk US forces going to a nearby Afghan village and killing 16 people in the middle of the night.  Nine of them were children along with 3 women! What madness I tell you, what madness! Who deserves to die for no apparent cause? Who deserves to live when they're not worthy?
I cry for these children who lose a lifetime of hope in seconds at the hands of these vicious, vile and manipulative US forces.   It's not fair...it gives you the worst feeling in the World when innocent people die and the evil live...it kills you inside...
These are the times we live in, when evil runs rampant and the good suffer for being good.  I ask myself "why?" and I am left with nothing but an awkward silence waiting for the answer but it never comes...

Loneliness...a sad, sad endeavor

Our greatest threat in our existence is one thing, to suffer at the hands of hate.  Religions may call this sensation the 'devil' and athiests may call this 'depression filled with anger and hate'.  When one reaches the peak of their spiritual enlightenment, a great feeling of hope is splendoured all over the grails of beauty and love.  This majestic feeling is only sensed though, when a person lets go of all the negativity they ever had.
The greatest threat for man is not an outside enemy, but their own 'self'.  Many people have this longing for a 'purpose' a certain 'virtue' that they want to conquer but how can one end the problems of the World if they do not first resolve problems within themselves?..As Shakespeare says "Know Thyself", these two words paint an eloquent picture in my mind.  A burlesque feeling enters my spirit with the enlightening thought that to 'know one's ambitions in their heart' will solve the life long question of 'what is my purpose in life?'..Look deep within yourself, introspect your heart and see what makes you the happiest. The greatest tragedy in life is when a person does not listen to their heart and blindly follows the ambitions of the mind, which can lead to a lot of money, but little spiritual reward.  I stand amazed at the person who does not value their spiritual core but puts such an importance on the artificial value of monetary gain.  These people are deceived, to the point at which they will experience the revelation of their wrong doing at the time of their death when they will lay lonely in their beds, on top of piles of money underneath their mattress but with no family or friends to give them comfort.  For it will be too little too late...
Man's worst enemy is blind ambition I say...study my words, because you may be thinking that there are worse things out there to be his worst enemy such as hate, poverty, evil but with a little thought you will see that these connotations are actually the effects of blind ambition and not it's cause.  To be 'blind' in your ambitions means to not be aware of your true gifts and sources of happiness in life.  To be ambitious about the wrong cause leads one to the wrong path, which in turn follows a path of avarice, hardship and loss of hope.  A feeling of loneliness then enters the mind, long after it has already entered the heart.
Be wise to yourself, think with your heart and then use your mind...where man's greatest treasure is his heart, his greatest weakness can be his mind...

LIfes Mission..

Why am I born into this Earth? For what reason, for what cause? Have I been created to follow the latest fashion trends? Buy the latest gadgets? Poke fun at those who have neither?...

Sometimes I wander, my man is such a docile creature..He has the potential to travel to the cosmos, yet he prefers to stay within his 2 by 3 meter room. Indeed man will never cease to amaze me, as he will never gather amazing results for what lies in front of him. Yet I feel as though I am too harsh on man for there are many who have discovered the secret of their true power. The true power my friends lies within you. And don't take this as a new age concept, because if you carefully study the history of the human civilization, one message stands firm..believe in yourself..that will never fail you. Guide yourself to your innermost intentions and act that vision out. Docility breeds no action, the first step is all it takes, the rest is pure inertia. Everywhere I go all I see is untapped potential, the worst of all seeing a person not even realize their greatness..Am I just being idealistic or asking too much from you? The greatest lesson in life is not to learn from mistakes, but to make mistakes so you are one step closer to making the right decisions..Without a wrong answer there would never be a right one. Everywhere I go all I see is people who have become too tired of making mistakes and are now too afraid to make another decision, persistence is all too rare these days. Man ceases to remember that an eternity of failure can be forgotten within a second of success..

But the time has come for you to get off your lazy arse..Get up! Get up! Can you hear me? I said Get up and look at yourself straight in the mirror and tell yourself that things are gonna be different now. You are not going to trap your mind anymore, you are not going to be a slave anymore, You are free now, You are the one that will bring about a change in their life and in all those who seek a change in theirs. You have what it takes, looks, wealth, lineage are all forms of prejudice which try to dissuade you but one thing to beat them all is courage. Have the courage, because that will be your true weapon against the naysayers who will and always have doubted you from the start.

Believe in your “self”, because you're all its got!