Big Book Step Study

<p>The thing to do with sin is to do what Nicodemus did: go and search out someone with whom we can talk privately and frankly. Tell them of these things and, with them as witness, give these sins and our old selves with them, to God. You say that you can do this alone with God; and I ask you, Have you succeeded in doing so? I said I was going to do that for years, but it never happened until I let a human witness come in on my decision.Samuel Shoemaker, National Awakening. Oxford Group</p>

Big Book Step Study

The thing to do with sin is to do what Nicodemus did: go and search out someone with whom we can talk privately and frankly. Tell them of th...

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How to Overcome Arrogance in Recovery

<h2>There are things that the individual can to do to overcome their arrogant attitude:</h2><ul><li>If people value themselves highly, there will be no need to convince other people of their worth. They will just feel comfortable in their own skin. Anything that helps the individual increase their own self-esteem will also help them eradicate arrogance.</li><li>Learning to be humble in sobriety can bring many great benefits including the eradication of arrogance. Humility is not about becoming subservient or weak. It means just owning up to weaknesses and human fallibility. Nobody is perfect, and the humble person is honest about this. It takes a great deal of courage for a usually arrogant person to show humility, but the rewards of doing so are well worth it. In order to get the most out of recovery the individual will need to have at least some degree of humility. They need to be teachable.</li><li>Most people who are arrogant do not even realize it. This means that it is only when the individual pays closer attention to their own behavior and other people’s reactions that they observe this trait. If people are worried that they might sometimes come across as arrogant they can ask a trusted friend for their opinion.</li><li>Sometimes people do get accused of arrogance unfairly. It is a highly subjective term. If an individual is accused of being arrogant they do not have to automatically assume that this is the true. Instead they can reflect on their behavior to see if there is any veracity in such a claim.</li><li>Mindfulness meditation is a technique that allows people to have a deeper understanding of their mental processes. This means that they will become better at spotting their own negative behaviors, such as arrogance.</li><li>Spending more time thinking about other people is another good way to overcome arrogance. This prevents the individual becoming too focused on their own life.</li></ul><div class="galactic_social_buttons" style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 10px 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: #ebe6e0; color: #64574c; font-family: Georgia; line-height: 1em; height: 20px;"></div>

How to Overcome Arrogance in Recovery

There are things that the individual can to do to overcome their arrogant attitude: If people value themselves highly, there will be no need...

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How to Increase Self Efficacy in Recovery

<blockquote><h2></h2><p>If the individual hopes to avoid negative self fulfilling prophecies they will need to increase their self efficacy. They can achieve this by:</p><ul><li>Spending time with inspiration people in recovery – particularly those who have already been successful at building a life away from addiction.</li><li>Self efficacy can be increased by observing peers achieving the desired goal. It leads to the idea that if they can do it then so can I.</li><li>An addiction therapist is skilled at increasing self efficacy by persuasion. They encourage the individual to believe in their own power to change.</li><li>Those people who join a recovery fellowship may find that this increases their self efficacy. They will be surrounded by people who are on the same path, and the sense of camaraderie can be motivating.</li><li>Self efficacy can be increased by small successes. If the individual achieves something small it increases their confidence to try for something a bit bigger next time.</li></ul></blockquote>

How to Increase Self Efficacy in Recovery

If the individual hopes to avoid negative self fulfilling prophecies they will need to increase their self efficacy. They can achieve this b...

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Negative Self Fulfilling Prophecy and Addiction

<p>The theory of self fulfilling prophecies can have important implications for people who are struggling with and addiction. It may mean that: If the people who interact with the addict hold negative views about them it may further push that individual into misery and despair. If people believe the addict is a hopeless case they might be influenced to adapt this role. If the individual decides that recovery is not an option for them they will not be willing to take the steps necessary to escape their misery. They remain trapped in addiction, and this just reinforces the idea that they are a hopeless case. It may even be that by predicting their descent into addiction the individual is helping to make it reality. They might increase their intake of alcohol or drugs in order to deal with the knowledge of their deteriorating conditions thus promoting further deterioration.</p>

Negative Self Fulfilling Prophecy and Addiction

The theory of self fulfilling prophecies can have important implications for people who are struggling with and addiction. It may mean that:...

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Thousands of yoga fans take over Times Square

<p>Several thousand New Yorkers calmly invaded Times Square Wednesday, transforming it into an immense outdoor yoga class to salute the arrival of summer. Some 1,500 yoga mats were distributed free for the occasion, and pedestrian spaces in New York's most frenetic crossroads were completely covered. All day, thousands of yogis, beginners and veterans alike, dutifully sweated in the heat, following directions broadcast over loudspeakers. The first of the free short courses began at 7:30 am, and the last was scheduled for 8:30 pm, to the delight of tourists. And those who wanted to could follow the annual event live, on the Times Square website, http://www.timessquarenyc.org.</p>

Thousands of yoga fans take over Times Square

Several thousand New Yorkers calmly invaded Times Square Wednesday, transforming it into an immense outdoor yoga class to salute the arrival...

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There are many ways how to calm yourself down

<p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;">There are many ways how to calm yourself down when in the grip of fear. Depending on whether it’s acute panic or ongoing lingering anxiety, read through the tools available and<strong>pick only one that seems right for that particular moment</strong>.</p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;">Don’t read the suggestions as a to-do list. Try each one at different occasions and settle for what works best for you.</p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;"><strong>1. Touch</strong></p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;">Babies want to be held when they are in distress. When that’s not possible, they stick their thumb in their mouth. It’s called self-soothing.</p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;">Touch is healing. If no one is around who can provide a hug or hold your hand, be still and put your hands over your eyes. Or on your heart. Or your temples. Whatever feels right. Stay there for a little while and notice the tension going away.</p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;"><strong>2. Breathe</strong></p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;">Focus on your breath. Notice any small occurrences, like the cool air going into your nostrils and warmer air coming back out. Feel your belly rise and fall. Try to make a subtle whispering sound in your throat when you inhale and exhale. It will draw the attention away from your thoughts and into your body.</p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;"><strong>3. Nature</strong></p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;">If you have chronic anxiety, be in nature regularly. Take a walk in the woods. Sit by a brook. Feed the ducks in the park. There is nothing as soothing as getting in touch with the larger world out there.</p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;"><strong>4. Meditation</strong></p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;">When trying to calm the mind, don’t attempt to force your thoughts out. Focus on your body. Let the thoughts arise, acknowledge them and let them go. Refocus on the center of your body. Flex the muscles in your belly or make a whispering sound in your throat (see 1). If the same thought arises, gently bring the attention back to the breath or the center. Don’t judge yourself. There is nothing to achieve.</p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;"><strong>5. Environment change</strong></p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;">An anxious mind craves stillness, not stimulation. Turn off all electronic devices. Just be in the quiet. Look out the window. Sit in a church pew for a few minutes on your way to work. Step outside for a few minutes. If you are at work, go to the bathroom and open the window. Do nothing.</p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;"><strong>6. Humming</strong></p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;">Hum to yourself. Put your hand on your chest and feel the vibrations of your voice. Hum a melody or just a simple note. Hear yourself.</p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;"><strong>7. Sound</strong></p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;">Focus on the sounds around you. Birds chirping. Cars going by. The fans of computers. Some people like to download calming Apps if they have panic attacks in enclosed spaces. Use nature sounds: ocean waves, soothing melodies, singing bowls. Avoid energetic music.</p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;"><strong>8. Scent</strong></p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;">The fainting ladies of the old days were brought back to consciousness by strong smells. It works the other way around too. Notice what scents calm you down: flowers, oils, fruits. Camomile and lavender have soothing qualities.</p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;"><strong>9. Movement</strong></p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;">Move, but move slowly. Use your hands: knit, sew, build a birdhouse. Anything that slows you down and draws attention away from the thoughts and into the body. If you have chronic anxiety, cultivate a regular practice of yoga or chi gong.</p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;"><strong>10. Rest</strong></p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;">Put a cloth over your eyes, drip some aromatic oil on it and rest.<br /><small style="color: #888888; font-size: 9px;"></small></p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;"> </p></p>

There are many ways how to calm yourself down

There are many ways how to calm yourself down when in the grip of fear. Depending on whether it’s acute panic or ongoing lingering anxiety, ...

Read more »

madrid artist, eduardo zamarro is a specialist in large scale artworks. he has completed the world's biggest stop-motion entirely made with post-it notes

<p><img alt="" height="548" src="http://www.designboom.com/cms/images/user_submit/2012/06/e_zam818_03.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 818px; width: auto !important; height: auto; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" width="818" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: xx-small;">'the world's biggest stop-motion with post-it art' by eduardo zamarro<br />all images courtesy of eduardo zamarro</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" />madrid artist, eduardo zamarro is a specialist in large scale artworks. he has completed the world's biggest stop-motion entirely made with post-it notes <br />for the presentation of the II international congress of happiness 'wall of happiness'. over 1,000,000 tabs were used for the mural, <br />all of them PEFC certified. a total of 20 people, counting professionals and students of fine arts and architecture at the universidad francisco de vitoria in madrid,<br />were involved in the creation of the installation. the team developed 135 pieces of artwork in just 15 days, with five days of pre-production and ten for production.<br /><br />the 'wall of happiness' is an 8 x 10m with 27,000 notes on each mural, which consists of a picture per frame.<br />the notes are custom made, totaling 560,000 which have been recycled for filing beanbags. prior to the implementation of the wall art,<br />post-its were collected with messages of happiness in all major cities of spain like zaragoza, barcelona and valencia which was part of the animation.<br />during the action, locals were also invited to record memos of meaning. <br /><br /><br /><img alt="" height="1222" src="http://www.designboom.com/cms/images/user_submit/2012/06/e_zam818_04.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 818px; width: auto !important; height: auto; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" width="818" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: xx-small;">process</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><img alt="" height="548" src="http://www.designboom.com/cms/images/user_submit/2012/06/e_zam818_05.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 818px; width: auto !important; height: auto; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" width="818" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: xx-small;">students creating the artwork</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><object data="http://www.youtube.com/v/KfVXiznRvwg&rel=0&fs=1" height="416" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="818"></object><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: xx-small;">video of the installation</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><img alt="" height="548" src="http://www.designboom.com/cms/images/user_submit/2012/06/e_zam818_13.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 818px; width: auto !important; height: auto; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" width="818" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><img alt="" height="548" src="http://www.designboom.com/cms/images/user_submit/2012/06/e_zam818_14.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 818px; width: auto !important; height: auto; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" width="818" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><img alt="" height="548" src="http://www.designboom.com/cms/images/user_submit/2012/06/e_zam818_15.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 818px; width: auto !important; height: auto; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" width="818" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><img alt="" height="548" src="http://www.designboom.com/cms/images/user_submit/2012/06/e_zam818_16.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 818px; width: auto !important; height: auto; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" width="818" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><img alt="" height="548" src="http://www.designboom.com/cms/images/user_submit/2012/06/e_zam818_17.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 818px; width: auto !important; height: auto; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" width="818" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><img alt="" height="548" src="http://www.designboom.com/cms/images/user_submit/2012/06/e_zam818_18.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 818px; width: auto !important; height: auto; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" width="818" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><img alt="" height="548" src="http://www.designboom.com/cms/images/user_submit/2012/06/e_zam818_12.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 818px; width: auto !important; height: auto; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" width="818" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: xx-small;">messages of happiness</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><img alt="" height="548" src="http://www.designboom.com/cms/images/user_submit/2012/06/e_zam818_07.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 818px; width: auto !important; height: auto; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" width="818" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><img alt="" height="548" src="http://www.designboom.com/cms/images/user_submit/2012/06/e_zam818_11.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 818px; width: auto !important; height: auto; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" width="818" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;" /><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;">designboom has received this project from our <a href="http://www.designboom.com/weblog/user_submit.php" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000;" target="_blank">'DIY submissions'</a>  feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication.</em><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff;"><br />see more project submissions from our readers <a href="http://www.designboom.com/readers.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000;" target="_blank">here</a>. </em></p>

madrid artist, eduardo zamarro is a specialist in large scale artworks. he has completed the world's biggest stop-motion entirely made with post-it notes

'the world's biggest stop-motion with post-it art' by eduardo zamarro all images courtesy of eduardo zamarro madrid artist, edua...

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On Pity and Compassion

<p><div><br />On Pity and Compassion</div><div> </div><div>Long ago the word pity and compassion had the same meaning,but today the meaning has changed.<br />Now while both words are related to having sympathy forothers, they now come from a completely different perspective. </div><div> <br />Starting with Pity:</div><div>When we pity somebody, we feel sorry for them, but we alsofeel glad not only that we don't have their problems, but that we are not likethem.</div><div>Having pity for somebody creates a separation, a feeling of'otherness'.</div><div> </div><div>We try to convince ourselves that we could never be likethem, that we could never have their problems, and that all their problemsarise because of the person they are.</div><div> </div><div>Having pity for somebody also implies a sense that they areless than us, and thus by implication, we are more than them.</div><div>Maybe we look at some people and envy them for what theyhave, thinking that we could never have what they do, and secretly hoping that they lose it all and are brought down  to our level.</div><div> </div><div>However, we tell ourselves, there are those who are below usin the pecking order, and we establish a base line and try to convinceourselves that we cannot pass below it. And in order to justify our position,we tell ourselves that those below us, who have less than us, must haveinherent defects that we do not have ourselves, and therefore that we couldnever be like them.</div><div> </div><div>The truth however is that we know in our hearts that wecould end up with exactly the same problems as those less fortunate than ourselves,but our fear of loss is so great that it often seems impossible to give up thedelusion that these people are different than us.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Now let’s look at Compassion:</div><div> </div><div>When we have compassion for somebody, we come from aposition of empathy and understanding, and want to truly identify with them.</div><div>Having compassion for somebody creates unity, a feeling of ‘connectedness’.</div><div> </div><div>We know in our hearts that we share many things, and thatthe same problems that befall them could befall us, and we are glad that we canoffer people help and support, and hope that others will be there for us when wehave problems as we know we will.</div><div> </div><div>Having compassion implies that we know that we are all in the same boat and that no person is any more or any less than anybody else, we all have something to offer.</div><div> </div><div>Looking at others in a compassionate way we understand thatwe all have our own problems whatever external appearances might indicate, and we know that each person is on their own path, and wish them well.</div><div> </div><div>We know in our hearts that we could end up with exactly thesame problems as those less fortunate than ourselves and we admit that we arepowerless over people places and things. We understand that but for the graceof God, we could be in the same place as they.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>When I Pity myself:</div><div> </div><div>I feel sorry for myself, and that I am a pitiful creature whois, defective, broken and beyond redemption, I feel that others should see that I can’t help being such a pitiful creature and take solace in the fact that it is not my fault because I was born to fail.</div><div> </div><div>Having pity for myself creates a separation from myself and the universe and I despise myself.</div><div> </div><div>I try to convince the world and myself that I am not who Iam, that I don’t have the problems that I do, and that only other people could suffer from these problems.</div><div> </div><div>Having pity for myself makes me feel less than others, and I try to convince myself that I am better than some.</div><div> </div><div>In desperation, I tell myself, that there are those who are below me in the pecking order, and I establish a base line and try to convince myself that I cannot pass below it. And in order to justify my position, I tell myself that those below me, who have less than me, must have inherent defects that I do not have myself, and therefore that I could never be like them.</div><div> </div><div>The truth however is that I know in my heart that I couldend up with exactly the same problems as those less fortunate than myself, but my fear of loss is so great that it often seems impossible to give up the delusion that these people are different than me.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>When I have Compassion for myself:</div><div> </div><div>I feel good about myself, and that I am a precious creation whois exactly the way I should be, I want others to see my inner light, that I can take responsibility for my life and revel in the fact that I am free to create my own destiny, that I was born to succeed.</div><div> </div><div>Having compassion for myself creates a connectedness with myself and the universe and I love myself.</div><div> </div><div>I want to show myself and the world who I am, and share myself with others.</div><div> </div><div>Having compassion for myself lets me know that I am equal too thers, no more and no less.</div><div> </div><div>I know in my heart that I could end up with exactly the same problems as those less fortunate than me and I admit that I am powerless over people places and things. I understand that but for the grace of God, I could be in the same place as they.</div><div> </div><div>When I pity myself, I pity others,</div><div>and when I pity others, I pity myself.</div><div> </div><div>When I have compassion for myself, I have compassion for others,</div><div>and when I have compassion for others, I have compassion for myself.</div><div> </div><div>Pity = Despite</div><div>Compassion = Love</div><div> </div><div>For many years I cursed life and my higher power for all I had to go through, but now very slowly I am learning that all my hardships were blessings.</div><div> </div><div>Being pitying or compassionate is a choice which has the power to completely change the way I see myself and my life, for good or ill.</div><div> </div><div>When I choose to be compassionate, I see that my hardships only serve to increase the depth of my compassion, and hence my capacity to be loving, and for that I am grateful.</div></p>

On Pity and Compassion

On Pity and Compassion   Long ago the word pity and compassion had the same meaning,but today the meaning has changed. Now while both words ...

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Emotions are emotional! Part of our emotional makeup includes anger

<p>Emotions are emotional! Part of our emotional makeup includes anger! For many of us living with “mental health issues,” anger might seem to be the only emotion we truly understand.</p><p>We may be short-tempered due to circumstances that seem out of our control. Our anger could be deep-seated from emotional trauma or could be from a host of other different sources that have frustrated us to a point that we are furious over something or someone that has irked us in some specific way.</p><h3><a href="http://blogs.psychcentral.com/humor/files/2012/06/2012-Mental-Health-Humor-Breaking-through-anger-requires-knocking-down-walls-by-Chato-Stewart.jpg"><img alt="2012 Mental Health Humor - Breaking through anger requires knocking down walls - by Chato Stewart" height="482" src="http://blogs.psychcentral.com/humor/files/2012/06/2012-Mental-Health-Humor-Breaking-through-anger-requires-knocking-down-walls-by-Chato-Stewart.jpg" title="2012 Mental Health Humor - Breaking through anger requires knocking down walls - by Chato Stewart" width="455" /></a></h3><blockquote><h5>Caption: Breaking through anger requires knocking down walls!</h5></blockquote><h3>Is anger healthy?</h3><p>Irritation is a fact of life.  For example, you may get a skin irritation and your body immediately attacks it.  You have a biological response to the skin irritation shown by the outbreak of rash or redness of that particular area. Noticeably, your skin may seem hot at the point of irritation.</p><p>So biologically speaking, your body is angry at what has caused the irritation and it immediately takes action to resolve the situation with antibodies to fight off the infection/irritation.</p><p>Emotionally speaking, we may have deep-seated anger for ourselves because of circumstances that are out of our control. And in many cases, we turn that rage into hatred towards ourselves and our own self-esteem. We become wrathful!</p><p>Is there any type of justification for anger? Of course, you can justify anything – that’s human nature. Still, there comes a point where the anger can take on a life of its own. It eats you up from inside out.  It becomes wrath and hatred. It becomes unhealthy.</p><p>There is a Bible verse that says: “Be wrathful, and yet do not sin; let the sun not set with YOU in a provoked state.” And, “Be agitated, but do not sin.” If we can stop our anger from building into wrath, we will be able to have more clarity and handle/manage things that provoke us in a way that doesn’t damage or hurt others or ourselves.</p><h3>Angry Birds Philosophy</h3><p>The philosophy of the Angry Birds is to knock down and destroy whatever stands in their way, but this philosophy can do more harm than good. There is no closure in revenge; there is no healing in uncontrolled anger. Healing only comes when we can let go of the anger for ourselves or others and find peace within our hearts and minds.</p><p>Learning to freely forgive and somehow forget (or not constantly dwell on) something, stretching forward beyond the irritation/pain and trying hard not to be paralyzed by it is the goal. Of course, self-control is not easy to learn, but it brings long-term, positive results to difficult situations.</p>

Emotions are emotional! Part of our emotional makeup includes anger

Emotions are emotional! Part of our emotional makeup includes anger! For many of us living with “mental health issues,” anger might seem to ...

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Belief in hell, according to international data, is associated with reduced crime

<p>Religions are thought to serve as bulwarks against unethical behaviors. However, when it comes to predicting criminal behavior, the specific religious beliefs one holds is the determining factor, says a University of Oregon psychologist. See Also: Mind & Brain Spirituality Behavior Psychology Science & Society Justice Religion Ethics Strange Science Reference Belief Delusion Cognitive dissonance Paranoia The study, appearing in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS ONE, found that criminal activity is higher in societies where people's religious beliefs contain a strong punitive component than in places where religious beliefs are more benevolent. A country where many more people believe in heaven than in hell, for example, is likely to have a much higher crime rate than one where these beliefs are about equal. The finding surfaced from a comprehensive analysis of 26 years of data involving 143,197 people in 67 countries. "The key finding is that, controlling for each other, a nation's rate of belief in hell predicts lower crime rates, but the nation's rate of belief in heaven predicts higher crime rates, and these are strong effects," said Azim F. Shariff, professor of psychology and director of the Culture and Morality Lab at the UO. "I think it's an important clue about the differential effects of supernatural punishment and supernatural benevolence. The finding is consistent with controlled research we've done in the lab, but here shows a powerful 'real world' effect on something that really affects people -- crime." Last year, in the International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, Shariff reported that undergraduate students were more likely to cheat when they believe in a forgiving God than a punishing God. Religious belief generally has been viewed as "a monolithic construct," Shariff said. "Once you split religion into different constructs, you begin to see different relationships. In this study, we found two differences that go in opposite directions. If you look at overall religious belief, these separate directions are washed out and you don't see anything. There's no hint of a relationship." The new findings, he added, fit into a growing body of evidence that supernatural punishment had emerged as a very effective cultural innovation to get people to act more ethically with each other. In 2003, he said, Harvard University researchers Robert J. Barro and Rachel M. McCleary had found that gross domestic product was higher in developed countries when people believed in hell more than they did in heaven. "Supernatural punishment across nations seems to predict lower crime rates," Shariff said. "At this stage, we can only speculate about mechanisms, but it's possible that people who don't believe in the possibility of punishment in the afterlife feel like they can get away with unethical behavior. There is less of a divine deterrent." He added, however, that these are correlational data, and so caution should be taken with the conclusions. Though Shariff and study co-author Mijke Rhemtulla of the Center for Research Methods and Data Analysis at the University of Kansas tried to account for obvious alternative explanations, more research is needed to explore other interpretations for the findings. "This research provides new insights into the potential influences of cultural and religious beliefs on key outcomes at a societal level," said Kimberly Andrews Espy, vice president for research and innovation. "Although these findings may be controversial, dissecting the associations between specific belief systems and epidemiologic behaviors is an important first step for social scientists to disentangle the complex web of factors that motivate human behavior."</p>

Belief in hell, according to international data, is associated with reduced crime

Religions are thought to serve as bulwarks against unethical behaviors. However, when it comes to predicting criminal behavior, the specific...

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I photograph what I do not wish to paint and I paint what I cannot photograph.

<p> </p><blockquote>I photograph what I do not wish to paint and I paint what I cannot photograph. --Man Ray</blockquote>

I photograph what I do not wish to paint and I paint what I cannot photograph.

  I photograph what I do not wish to paint and I paint what I cannot photograph. --Man Ray

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Russian camera can see human soul

<h2><iframe width="100" height="20" src="http://on.rt.com/s/iframe2.html" frameborder="no"></iframe></h2><div><div><div id="MainImageVideo"><img alt="" height="277" src="http://www.rt.com/files/news/soul-aura-kirlian-device/hand.n.jpg" width="370" /></div></div><p id="VideoDescription"> </p></div><p>A wonder device can see the soul of a dead man pass away… or at least that’s what the inventor claims.</p><div><p>A publication of the popular Russian tabloid Life.ru gives a dramatic account of the experiments of an inventor from St Petersburg, who has created a device able to see human aura.</p><p>Accompanied by pictures suspiciously reminiscent of a series of thermal images of a woman at different temperatures, the report claims they are made with a special “gas discharge camera” built by Konstantin Korotkov, a professor at the Research Institute of Physical Culture and State University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics.</p><p> </p><div><div><p>The paper goes on to say that the device can register the circumstances of death, differentiating between a victim of a violent crime and a person who died quietly in bed. It also registers the changes in aura presumably made by a strong psychic working on somebody.</p><p>Disregarding the glib comparison of the religious term “soul” with the new age “aura”, the claims – they can hardly even be expected to get support in peer-reviewed scientific papers in our opinion – prompted RT to take a little investigation into the wonder device.</p><h3>Kirlian camera</h3><p>The instrument, which was presented to us as something involved in the study of death, turned out to have been designed as a medical diagnosis tool. With about 15 years of development behind it, its inventor claims that it’s an affordable early-diagnosis tool, capable of identifying any disease, from an ulcer to a brain tumor, by scanning irregularities in an aura. Sort of a spiritual healer in metal and plastic, available to everyone for a small fee. No mystical stuff here – a patient can see his own aura on the computer screen, all thanks to the “gas discharge visualization” or GDV.</p><p><img alt="" height="225" src="http://www.rt.com/files/news/soul-aura-kirlian-device/list73.jpg" width="300" /></p><p>The spiffy name is actually modern application of a well-known phenomenon called Kirlian effect, named after Semyon and Valentina Kirlians, a Russian couple who greatly contributed to popularizing it back in 1960s. Kirlian experimented with photographing objects with high voltage applied to them.</p><p>The strong electric field causes faint corona discharges around the edges, which can even be seen with the naked eye. The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nze9I3L4vrE&feature=PlayList&p=4E685E8650FEB3A2&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=16" target="_blank">visual appeal</a> of the effect won the hearts of mystic-oriented people.</p><p>Starting with Kirlians themselves, many people claimed that the electrical phenomena was actually a way to visualize otherwise invisible auras of objects. Korotkov is one of these claimants. According to him, corona discharges around fingertips, which his GDV cameras cause, have information about one’s physical condition and this information can be used for diagnosis. The claim was never confirmed by clinical tests, but it didn’t prevent the device from becoming the cornerstone of a widespread business. With different models costing from $4,500 to $13,000, and official dealers all across Russia and abroad, the invention seems to generate enough cash for Korotkov to travel the world and promote his product.</p><h3>Not for diagnosis</h3><p>Meanwhile, critics openly call the GDV “quackery”. Back in 2002, when the device drew the attention of the Russian media, RTR TV channel (now called Rossiya) did an investigation of their own, producing a 20-minute-long report. They revealed that, in the testing of a GDV scanner done in the Military Medical Academy, one of the strong-points trumpeted by the producer was actually its ability to kill bacteria on hands, which it successfully did. It was never used for diagnosis of any kind.</p><p>Another selling point – the testing of the device on Russian sportsmen – showed that readings of the device may vary slightly with the state of mind of the subjects. As it does with variations in the environment, like a change of air temperature or humidity.</p><p>In an interview given to a newspaper two years ago Korotkov said his invention was like a knife: it could be used for good or for bad purposes. Indeed, the beautiful Kirlian effect can be used for dubious intentions, or for inspiring works of art like those of photographer Robert Buelteman <a href="http://www.buelteman.com/home.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>As far as public science goes, there is no other application for it.</p></div></div></div>

Russian camera can see human soul

  A wonder device can see the soul of a dead man pass away… or at least that’s what the inventor claims. A publication of the popular Russia...

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Whoever loves and understands a garden will find contentment within.

<p>There really is an old Chinese proverb that says, "Whoever loves and understands a garden will find contentment within." Anyone can read that, but to practice it requires effort. Robert Buelteman enters his yard with an 8x10 frame, seeking inspiration from the perfect plant: Conium Maculatum, better known as hemlock of Socrates Buelteman is a professional photographer, whose landscapes are world-renowned. But a few years ago, vistas like these began to feel like a dead-end. "I could see that my future would look just like my past if I continued to practice black and white landscape work," he said. Now, he confines his work to plants. But Buelteman doesn't confine himself to standard photography technique because in his darkroom, there is no camera to be found. Instead, he lays the subject on a piece of photo paper, hooks it up to an electrical charge and zaps it with 40,000 volts. "It discharges down the grounding cable and when it does so, the air surrounding the plant is ionized, and gives off ultra-violet light in the form of the energy field of the plant," Buelteman said. The results are completely unique. The process took one year to perfect and it even caught his wife off-guard. "I didn't know what he was talking about for a very long time," Julie Buelteman said. "My wife is a saint. She put up with this for 11 months and 28 days. She told me to stop experimenting and figure out what I was going to do with it," said Buelteman. Buelteman's work has generated a buzz in more than the literal sense. The pictures are like ink blots and open to interpretations. "Old man in the clouds, gnome in the trees, the fact of God, illuminati, you name it, people have found it," Buelteman said. "All that I have to say is bounded by the four sides of my prints. Art that is powerful poses more questions than it answers." For Buelteman, it answered the question of what to do when a guy tires of shooting landscapes and he makes a pretty good living by shooting them in the macro. The prints now sell around the world, though Buelteman's inspiration is right outside his front door. "I have a big yard, and a big garden," he said.</p>

Whoever loves and understands a garden will find contentment within.

There really is an old Chinese proverb that says, "Whoever loves and understands a garden will find contentment within." Anyone ca...

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NOBODY DIED FROM LACK OF SLEEP, AA MYTHs

<p><div id="leadItem"><p>Beyond leaving you drowsy and irritable, sleepless nights can take aserious toll on your physical and mental health.</p><p>"We know sleep is a critical biological function that influences a wide variety of physiological process," said Dr. Susan Redline, a sleep specialist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. "Sleep deficiency can affect mood and the ability to make memories and learn, but it also affects metabolism, appetite, blood pressure, levels of inflammation in the body and perhaps even the immune response."</p><p>Lack of sleep has been linked to stroke, obesity, diabetes, anxiety, depression, and the country's No. 1 killers: heart disease and cancer. Read on to learn the health hazards of sleep deficiency and how you can sleep better.</p></div><div id="item_0"><h2>HEALTH HAZARDS LINKED TO LACK OF SLEEP</h2></div></p><table><tbody><tr><td>Stroke</td></tr></tbody></table><p><div id="item_0"><p>A new study of more than 5,600 people found those who slept fewer than six hours a night were more likely to suffer a stroke than their well-rested counterparts.</p><p>"We speculate that short sleep duration is a precursor to other traditional stroke risk factors, and once these traditional stroke risk factors are present, then perhaps they become stronger risk factors than sleep duration alone," Megan Ruiter of the University of Alabama at Birmingham said in a statement.</p><p>The study was presented today at the 26th annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Boston, Mass.</p><p>Stroke risk is also higher in people who are overweight, diabetic or hypertensive -- all conditions linked to poor sleep.</p></div><div id="item_1"><h2>HEALTH HAZARDS LINKED TO LACK OF SLEEP</h2></div></p><table><tbody><tr><td>Obesity and Diabetes</td></tr></tbody></table><p><div id="item_1"><p>Sporadic and irregular sleep can raise blood sugar levels and slow the body's metabolism,increasing the risk of obesity and diabetes, according to an April 2012 study published in Science Translational Medicine.</p><p>"The evidence is clear that getting enough sleep is important for health," said study author Orfeu Buxton, a neuroscientist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.</p><p>Sleep deficiency can also lead to bad food choices, according to a study that found the sight of unhealthy food activated reward centers in the brains of sleep-deprived people.</p><p>"The results suggest that, under restricted sleep, individuals will find unhealthy foods highly salient and rewarding, which may lead to greater consumption of those foods," said Marie-Pierre St-Onge from St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center and Columbia University in New York, and lead author of the study presented today at the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Boston. "Indeed, food intake data from this same study showed that participants ate more overall and consumed more fat after a period of sleep restriction compared to regular sleep."</p></div><div id="item_2"><h2>HEALTH HAZARDS LINKED TO LACK OF SLEEP</h2></div></p><table><tbody><tr><td>Anxiety and Depression</td></tr></tbody></table><p><div id="item_2"><p>Sure, sleepless nights make for miserable mornings. But chronic sleep deficiency can lead to anxiety and depression -- both serious mood disorders.</p><p>"People feel more anxious, restless, irritable, less satisfied," said Dr. Mark Dyken, director of the University of Iowa's Sleep Disorders Center in Iowa City, adding sleep deficiency can impact careers and relationships. "They have difficulty focusing and sometimes feel like they just don't care anymore."</p><p>Brain imaging suggests sleep deprivation can boost activity in the brain's emotional centers, according to a study presented today at the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Boston.</p><p>"Our results suggest that just one night of sleep loss significantly alters the optimal functioning of this essential brain process, especially among anxious individuals," study author Andrea Goldstein from the Sleep and Neuroimaging Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, said in a statement. "This is perhaps never more relevant considering the continued erosion of sleep time that continues to occur across society."</p></div><div id="item_3"><h2>HEALTH HAZARDS LINKED TO LACK OF SLEEP</h2></div></p><table><tbody><tr><td>Cancer</td></tr></tbody></table><p><div id="item_3"><p>Sleep deficiency has also been linked to an increased risk of cancer.</p><p>A 2008 study published in the British Journal of Cancer found women who slept fewer than six hours a night were more likely develop breast cancer, and a 2010 study published in the journal Cancer found those who slept fewer than six hours a night were more likely to have colorectal polyps, which can lead to colon cancer.</p><p>The biological mechanisms are unclear, but lack of sleep has been shown to boost levels of inflammation in the body and interfere with the immune response, both of which have been implicated in cancer.</p><p>"Sleep is restorative," said Dyken. "And if you don't get it, your health will suffer."</p></div><div id="item_4"><h2>HEALTH HAZARDS LINKED TO LACK OF SLEEP</h2></div></p><table><tbody><tr><td>Heart Disease</td></tr></tbody></table><p><div id="item_4"><p>Short and sporadic sleep may also raise the risk of heart disease.</p><p>A 2011 study published in the European Heart Journal found people who slept fewer than six hours a night were 48 percent more likely to develop or die from heart disease.</p><p>The link could have something to do with levels of inflammation in the body, but the researchers also found higher blood pressure and cholesterol in people with sleep deficiency.</p></div><div id="item_5"><h2>HEALTH HAZARDS LINKED TO LACK OF SLEEP</h2></div></p><table><tbody><tr><td>Get Your Sleep</td></tr></tbody></table><p><div id="item_5"><p>With hectic work and family schedules, getting a good night's sleep is no easy feat. But experts say a little planning can go a long way, helping you feel refreshed the next morning and for many to come.</p><p>"Make sure your bedroom is dark and quiet, and avoid reading anything that's going to make you excited or worried," said Dyken. "Try not to exercise or eat a big meal within three hours of your bedtime, but don't go to bed hungry, either."</p><p>Caffeine and alcohol can also interfere with sleep, according to Redline.</p><p>"Much of sleep deficiency is self-inflicted," she said. "But adults should do their best to get to bed at regular times and aim to have 7.5 hours on average of sleep. Set your schedule such that you honor and respect your sleep needs."</p></div></p>

NOBODY DIED FROM LACK OF SLEEP, AA MYTHs

Beyond leaving you drowsy and irritable, sleepless nights can take aserious toll on your physical and mental health. "We know sleep is ...

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They have just escaped a possible death sentence and can now look forward to another chance in life.

<p>Those who manage to give up any type of substance abuse will usually have a great deal to be grateful for. They have just escaped a possible death sentence and can now look forward to another chance in life. It is possible for people in recovery to completely turn their life around and live their dreams. Those who manage to remain grateful are likely to be the most successful.</p>

They have just escaped a possible death sentence and can now look forward to another chance in life.

Those who manage to give up any type of substance abuse will usually have a great deal to be grateful for. They have just escaped a possible...

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If people can change their attitude towards problems it can help them enormously.

<blockquote>Rather than viewing challenges as some type of punishment they can instead see it as an opportunity to grow. It is unfortunate, but humans tend to learn very little when times are good. It is only through experiencing pain that they can really reach their potential. If people view challenges more positively it will increase their ability to deal with them. It is vital that the individual makes an effort to face life and does not try to hide from discomfort. Even when people become sober they can continue their attempts to escape reality. They may substitute addictions by becoming obsessed with work or even exercise. Serenity can only be achieved if people are committed fully to sobriety. This means facing life on life’s terms. The main reason for why people experience long-term unhappiness in recovery is that they become stuck. They are faced with a challenge and for some reason they feel unable to get past it. They then try to ignore the problem, but this only leads to further pain. Things can become so bad that the individual returns to their alcohol or drug addiction. If people are experiencing too much discomfort in recovery they need to establish the cause and rectify the situation. Many people find that the 12 Step program is an effective path to serenity. It does provide a framework for sobriety and many people do claim to have achieved serenity by following this path. The 12 Steps is not a program that appeals to everyone; many object to the religious undertones. It is certainly something that is worth considering. Travelling the road to serenity as part of a fellowship can be a highly rewarding experience. Dogmatism can hinder people from achieving serenity. This occurs when people become so caught up in a set of beliefs that they hinder their personal development. It is vital that people keep an open mind if they want to escape the tyranny of their emotions. Sometimes the most helpful advice and guidance will come from the most unlikely sources; people will miss this if they are too dogmatic. Having realistic expectations is another key element of achieving sobriety. When people first become sober they will experience significant changes in their life. After a few months the pace of change slows down, and there can be long periods where there seems to be no improvement at all. It can take many years before the individual develops a high degree of serenity. If they expect too much too soon they will only end up feeling disappointed. It can be helpful if people keep a spiritual journal. This is where they can chart their progress and record any new discoveries along the way. Putting things on paper (or on a computer screen) makes them clearer. It also makes it easier to spot changes that would have otherwise been missed.</blockquote>

If people can change their attitude towards problems it can help them enormously.

Rather than viewing challenges as some type of punishment they can instead see it as an opportunity to grow. It is unfortunate, but humans t...

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What a life full of serenity will actually be like

<p>What a life full of serenity will actually be like and includes:</p><ul><li>The individual will intuitively know how to handle any situation that arises</li><li>An end to financial worries</li><li>No more self-pity</li><li>A feeling of usefulness and the ability to help others</li><li>No more regrets about what happened in the past</li><li>Less selfishness</li><li>An end of fear about people, places, and things</li><li>A much improved outlook on life</li></ul>

What a life full of serenity will actually be like

What a life full of serenity will actually be like and includes: The individual will intuitively know how to handle any situation that arise...

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When people experience equanimity they are able to keep their composure no matter what is happening externally.

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3KZwx-Dm6FFwEVdVCbayUl_9SfSvlbh_4ZCGB0SJ0tv3Yl5a46dQOjJIXqlR8XNvT6v1pbqGPwb9nSymnUHqYi4a9xVSdE7BKB2HumDqeYTfhY17sgMrkYkVngZEhDBgWJQQinO-zvGY/s1600/12651132_2050928721797923_6760208289959448993_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3KZwx-Dm6FFwEVdVCbayUl_9SfSvlbh_4ZCGB0SJ0tv3Yl5a46dQOjJIXqlR8XNvT6v1pbqGPwb9nSymnUHqYi4a9xVSdE7BKB2HumDqeYTfhY17sgMrkYkVngZEhDBgWJQQinO-zvGY/s320/12651132_2050928721797923_6760208289959448993_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Serenity always involves a high degree of equanimity. This is an emotional state where the individual is fully accepting of what is going on at that moment. </span><div> <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div> <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">When people experience equanimity they are able to keep their composure no matter what is happening externally. If life does become rough they are able to manage things calmly and without experiencing a too much suffering. </span></div> <div> <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div> <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">This does not mean that the individual no longer feels anything; it just means that the individual is no longer a slave to their emotions.</span></div>

When people experience equanimity they are able to keep their composure no matter what is happening externally.

Serenity always involves a high degree of equanimity. This is an emotional state where the individual is fully accepting of what is going...

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Sobriety as the path and serenity as the final goal.

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEbMBMRVGdHon97f1zKJo3CwtL1DLwBImhzZbakRgUNT9zSVKtgLmyz_is_bDP4aUzObkQEL_06W82HAwRjnrphbRpLPFu5rR6f-pJUNvgneC5fiDQZv5mNe1k0HOVtKWEwym7gLIjzehk/s1600/12696907_563683613798693_1138828631851146441_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEbMBMRVGdHon97f1zKJo3CwtL1DLwBImhzZbakRgUNT9zSVKtgLmyz_is_bDP4aUzObkQEL_06W82HAwRjnrphbRpLPFu5rR6f-pJUNvgneC5fiDQZv5mNe1k0HOVtKWEwym7gLIjzehk/s320/12696907_563683613798693_1138828631851146441_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>  <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">The words serenity and sobriety are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference between the two. It can be helpful to think of sobriety as the path and serenity as the final goal. It is not possible for people in recovery to achieve serenity without sobriety. This is also more to it than just being sober. Sobriety means that the individual is doing all the right things to achieve good mental health. In most instances the individual will need to put plenty of time and effort into their sobriety before they achieve serenity – it can take decades. They will likely get glimpses of the final goal long before they arrive.</span>

Sobriety as the path and serenity as the final goal.

  The words serenity and sobriety are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference between the two. It can be helpful to think of...

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a feeling of being calm and tranquil.

<p> </p><blockquote>Serenity can be defined as a feeling of being calm and tranquil. When people feel serene they are untroubled by the normal daily niggles that make life uncomfortable. They feel free of worry and are confident in their ability to face any challenges that will come their way. To be serene does not mean that the individual will be bursting with joy; it just means that they are at peace with themselves. This is a desirable mental state to experience. It is the goal of most humans to achieve such inner peace. Some people will experience episodic period of serenity, but there are other individuals who manage to feel this way most of the time.</blockquote>

a feeling of being calm and tranquil.

  Serenity can be defined as a feeling of being calm and tranquil. When people feel serene they are untroubled by the normal daily niggles t...

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