Nathan Barinstein – An Incredible Channel of Inspiration

Hi everyone,

I have found the most incredible, inspiring channel on youtube, called Nathan Barinstein (you can click on the name in blue to check it out, or just look up “Nathan Barinstein on youtube). This is a super interesting and entertaining channel and all of the videos that have been uploaded to it are FASCINATING. To anyone who reads this blog, please go check it out, you won’t regret it.

This is a youtube channel for anyone interested in travel, in self-discovery, and beautiful cinematography.

Here are the links to some of the videos (click on the titles below):

What is Happiness?

Meeting a President

Flying In An Old American Plane 

I really do think they’re worth checking out, and you can subscribe to the channel to get notifications whenever a new video goes up.

You can thank me later!

-mrprose

Block One Emotion, And The Rest Suffer

I talk about emotion a lot. It could be because I’m exploring what exactly it is. I think people as a whole are beginning to explore emotion more too. And the exploration of something like that, something as powerful as the feelings that we feel, is enormous. It’s massive. It’s scary, for sure, but that’s because it’s still hidden in uncharted waters that are just waiting to be charted.

Emotion plays a central role in our lives, whether we choose to express it or compress it. I realize that much of my inspiration derives from my feelings. It’s just a major part of being human, of feeling and seeing life.

It seems like sometimes nobody wants to hear you. They just want the pretty little, docile you. Well that’s not really you, and honestly, you shouldn’t listen to them. (Photo credit: nathangibbs)

As I’ve written about before, a lot of emotion is tabooed in modern society, because it isn’t safe and it certainly isn’t comfortable. How many of us are okay with open displays of grief or anger? Not many. But both anger and grief are a part of each and every one of us. When we deny that to ourselves, we deny ourselves from expression.

So as a result, we try to hide the feelings we don’t like within ourselves, and discourage displays of those feelings from others. If we can smile and laugh all the time, why ever not? Unfortunately, nobody can laugh and smile all the time. Not legitimately, at least.

The thing is, we don’t realize that all of our emotions are interconnected, and when one suffers, when one is plugged away rather than allowed the freedom to be released, the rest are affected. Somebody once told me that every part of the body is connected. It makes perfect sense, really – the muscles rely on the brain, the brain relies on the blood, the blood relies on the heart, etc. When you’re sick, the stability of your entire body is impacted. And I found it particularly interesting that oftentimes cancer for a certain part of the body ends up spreading to other parts and damages them as well. Being that I find so much interest in balances, it intrigues me that when even just one part of the system falls out of place, the rest are influenced negatively.

Emotion (Photo credit: Helen_Huynh)

It’s exactly the same way for emotion. You cannot express in one way if you suppress in another. Acceptance comes into play here – can you accept your feelings, even the uncomfortable/painful/difficult ones? If you can, the equilibrium is allowed a chance to survive. If you can’t, the equilibrium cannot be. It’s that simple.

And as I’ve said before, emotion can be everything sometimes. It’s what makes life so sweet, so exciting, so unpredictable. For the most part, it’s of our control. Emotion to me is a teacher on how to live moving with the flow rather than against it.

All emotion is equal, important, and felt for a reason. Emotion has it’s time and place, certainly, but it should never be pushed too far aside, because when even one emotion is suppressed, all of the rest suffer.

–mrprose

Related articles

• No Reasoning Required (deepthinkings.wordpress.com)

The Art of Letting Go

Learn to let go of things in life, even the things you love.

My first impression to that statement is fear and refusal. It doesn’t make any sense. At least, it doesn’t feel like a natural thing to do, as if you almost have to learn the skill. We’re even encouraged in a way, to hold onto the things we have, and that shows me how backwards things are. Material things say nothing about a person. I could be brilliant and poor as a peasant (Mozart for example, didn’t know how to handle his money).

Does a house, even one as gorgeous as this one, really say that much about a person. Does it say anything at all?(Photo credit: blmiers2)

The whole concept of letting go, in fact, is scary. It is to me, at least. When you work hard for something, or you rely on something for support or comfort, you ordinarily wouldn’t want to get rid of it quickly. When that something goes away, you have to break out of your routine, and step out of bubble you were living in. You have to adjust. We center our lives around certain things, and when you hate your life, the few things you hold onto become so much more vital, so much more crucial to stay grounded. They go so far as to remind you of who you are. Or so you think.

Maybe holding on to those things, things in general really, is what holds one back. Maybe the attachments actually get in the way of living. You can’t stop worrying about that muffin top you recently developed. Perhaps your new shirt can never be worn because it looks so nice. Maybe those things take away from the experience of life. Is that a ridiculous thing to think? I know that when I have forced things to happen in the past, the natural flow is shoved aside, and everything turns sour. Part of acceptance is letting things be. Part of living in the moment is letting things happen.

I think the biggest thing about holding onto things that holds one back is that it keeps one attached to material things, earthly objects. If I become too attached to my computer, my clothes, my phone, my books, my furniture, even things like my reputation, I remain living at a shallow level, a level that is held in place by my wants for material pleasure. One may find comfort in objects, but it’s not true comfort. Furthermore, one’s true self really is so much more than a collection of ‘things.’

Everything Must Go – Movie Cover (Photo credit: Brian Sahagun)

As was rather nicely shown in the movie Everything Must Go, the protagonist had to let go of all of his things to move forward in life, to move beyond on all the problems that plagued his life. I think Will Farrell does a fantastic job in that movie in showing that there is so much more out there if you can move beyond the sentimental attachments that we create. If you want to change your life, one of the first steps is to let go of the things you have, which change’s one’s view on objects in general.

Nobody said letting go was easy, and I’m certain not about to say otherwise. I haven’t let go of many things yet myself. I think more than anything, I hold onto my image. It really isn’t anything at all, just an idea I have of myself, but I value it highly and find that I struggle in just shrugging it off. It matters to me, but I must learn to let it go, because image really shouldn’t be where all my attention is put, and let’s not forget that the human body is really only a vehicle for my true self, my soul.

Letting go is an art, something we must discover, something that does not come from a

Let go (Photo credit: Brandon Doran)

thinking, heady place, but rather a feeling place. Feeling life and going with the flow of the energies around you doesn’t mean giving up investing your enthusiasm and love into living, nor does it mean giving up the things you love in life. Because when you let go, you don’t have to forget and move on, and I believe that when you make a strong connection with something, it doesn’t ever truly die away or leave you. It becomes a part of you. Remember, those things (people, aspects of yourself, experiences) do not solely exist at the material plane. They transcend that level.

And it should be said that you don’t have to hold onto something to have it be a part of your life. The things you love won’t just leave. You may think they will, but they won’t.

Letting go requires a certain level of acceptance and openness towards life. I truly believe we must learn to let go of the many things in life, even things we think we love. If that aspect of your life is meant to be in your life, it’ll stay.

A great question of life is how to live. Must you always do, perform and accomplish, or are you content simply to be?

–mrprose

Related articles

• The Process of Letting Go (openheartedshaman.wordpress.com)
• The Art of Letting Go & The Roots of Courage (abundantwildlife.typepad.com)
• The “Art” of Letting Go (elfinfun.wordpress.com)

Accepting Weakness

Hello again,

Acceptance has been a major theme in my blog. Not coincidentally, I am facing challenges with acceptance in my life. I feel as though there is still so much about it that we have to learn about. I see the gaps in my acceptance for others that I’m jealous or angry at, at myself when I think I’ve made a mistake. At the world when things get rough. We all face similar issues all the time, and it’s honest to say that we all have quite a bit to learn.

Something I haven’t yet explicitly spoken about is accepting weakness. It’s something that naturally is frowned upon or avoided, but is as important as accepting anything else, sometimes even more so. And weakness doesn’t have to be looked at with negativity.

I think it’s safe to say that your ego doesn’t like your weakness (Photo credit: celine nadeau)

Not many of us like admitting or even acknowledging our weaknesses. They’re nothing to be proud about (ego), make us appear/feel like we are less than we imagine ourselves to be, or wish we are (ego), and possibly worst of all, they are a huge challenge in the road to ‘success’. But they exist, as a part of each and every one of us.

Weakness is a very subjective term and is interpreted completely differently by each person. A weakness is much of what I just described – a part of yourself that you feel is underdeveloped (your ability to play tennis, your ability to do well in math), or lower than standards. Those standards could be society’s (certain traits that are encouraged, etc.), your family’s/friends’ (your grades, your income), or your very own, imposed by only yourself (your skill in impressing others, being able to meditate, etc.). So with individual variety like that, a weakness for one could be considered to be a strength for another – the perspectives we all have vary quite a bit.

It’s hard to look at yourself and say, “Okay, I’m not perfect, I can be wrong, I do make mistakes, many mistakes, and I have weaknesses.” It’s not that we lie to ourselves per say, but rather just avoid the truth of it, never shine it under a bright light. I know for myself that I struggle to admit to myself when I’m not ‘good’ at something, and try to move on/change that part of myself.

When that is done, which it is, and quite often, you can never look at what a weakness really is and truly understand it. It doesn’t have to be a bad thing at all. In fact, I try to view ‘weakness’ like I view mistakes – room to improve. Obviously, it’s easier said than done, especially for someone like myself that gets stuck on pride. But there is a positive way to view everything, and eventually I hope view weakness that way.

Admitting you’re not good at something, or even really bad at it, does not mean at all that you are giving up. This is a very common misconception. Rather, you’re building the habit of honestly communicating with yourself (sounds silly, but it’s actually really important).

I believe that you’re born with a few talents, yes, but for the most part, you have to earn/work for the skills that you end up living with. If you openly admit your weaknesses to yourself, you are more capable of looking at them and understanding them for what they are – one of the best ways to grow. In fact, it’s healthier to live that way. Nothing to hide from yourself or anyone.

Think on that,

–mrprose

Related articles

• Accepting Weaknesses (ravendelana.wordpress.com)
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Don’t Let Society Decide Who You Are

Hello to you,

So what are my thoughts today? There’s always a lot I could say, and only a little that I’m really connecting with at any single moment in time. Today, though, I’ve got it.

A huge part of being human has always been about social status. Who’s worth more, who’s worth less? (That’s how we view quite a few things actually.) There are a few powerful people, the “elite,” and then there’s the rest.

We worry about what others think of us. We go so far as to base our worth on the opinions of people we may not even know. Getting approval and being accepted feels good, and society has taught many of us that that is the only way to do so. It’s such a huge mistake, but it still happens all the time.

Imagine if they were all looking up to you with amazement and love? It’s that kind of fantasy that leads many of us to live our lives focusing on making that happen. It’s a waste of time – there are more important things to strive for. (Photo credit: ThisParticularGreg)

It makes sense why we let that kind of thing occur. Many, many people are desperate for the love and attention that they lack in their lives, and getting the material approval from someone else, anybody else, counts. In reality, all that does is puff one’s ego and false sense of confidence up, and that won’t last. But a huge portion of our population does not realize that they’re trying to make themselves feel better based on some image that in no way reflects themselves.

Who has the coolest hair style? Newest clothes? Best car? Most lavishly designed house? How about an old fashioned, who has the most money? These are the things that seem to draw attention, and naturally they’re sought after. In the process, one is likely to leave behind “who they really are,” as “who one is” probably won’t correspond with the image they’re striving to create as a part of themselves. Thus, these material things dictate who you’ll be… which is completely backwards and leads to inevitable disaster.

The more you conceal who you are, the unhappier you’ll be. Not only is it constantly demanding your energy and attention, to adopt a facade at all times, but you’re not really showing your true brilliance, the brilliance of you. When you live life as yourself, you will find your true priceless friends, the people who accept you for yourself. Not the money, or style, or status that you have. Just who you are.

Sadly, though, we’re living in a world where the most materially appealing have the spotlight at all times. Change starts with yourself.

I recognize that it’s tough to forgo all forms of ego-driven objects. With them comes not only material pleasure, but often times also material approval/acceptance. It’s a part of who we are in this stage of our spiritual journey. Eventually, I believe we will have to move beyond the materially binding and essentially worthless desires, but they’re not something to be suppressed. It all takes time, and for now, just gradually increasing awareness of where your ego is taking you and what your wants are based off of society is what needs to be done. Keep it simple.

Wanting approval is a part of life, and let’s face it, it’ll take time to make the switch out of material dependence and trust in one’s self more and more. In the mean time, though, a slight change will go a long way:

“I much prefer the sharpest criticism of a single intelligent man to the thoughtless approval of the masses.”

–Johann Kepler

At the end of the day, what’s really worth more? I personally would say that the “approval of the masses” is a hugely tempting prospect, but a single intelligent man that I respect and want to impress will have more important opinions, and his values will be similar to the things that are important to me (or else I probably won’t be trying to impress him). Of course, eventually I won’t even need his approval. I’ll have my own.

–mrprose

Related articles

• If It’s For Your Ego, It’s Not For Your Soul (deepthinkings.wordpress.com)
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You’re The Hero of Your Own Life

Hello again, welcome to a rather fine Tuesday afternoon.

I suppose there’s no point dawdling – what are my thinkings of the day?

You’re The Hero of Your Own Life (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Someone suggested to me something several weeks ago that at first I thought was silly, but now realize how powerful a thing it is. As conveniently said in the title: you are the hero of your own life. Simple as that.

Now the first thing I thought when I saw that was how egotistical a view that is. Self-centered. Selfish. Something someone that never thinks about anyone else would say. And I realized that it’s all down to the context, because that statement doesn’t have to mean that at all.

Like I’ve written about before, society seems to stress selfless-ness as an attribute, even though behind the scenes there are horrible amounts of corruption and selfishness. I’m suppose all that matters is if you’re caught or not.

But this isn’t a selfish thing – it’s a necessary thing. Recognizing who you are and what you’ve done is crucial in remembering what the important things in life are for you. I can’t express how many times I’ve lost myself because I’ve ignored who I was and what I valued, and instead focused all my energy on others. The best way I’ve can think to describe the it is that it feels like your a rag doll that being tossed and thrown around helplessly.

I always say that life is about growing yourself. Becoming a better person. Working on the things you’re not good at. None of that requires butting into other people’s business. I speak about humility and humbleness and not letting your ego or your pride lead you to do things you’d later regret. But looking at yourself as being the “hero” of your own life is hugely important because I believe you honor who you are and who’s life you’re living (your  own). Modesty is overrated in that way. Seeing and accepting something like that grounds you as a person. You’ll feel more stability.

This is not something meant to swell one’s ego and enforce arrogance. I see it as something that you can remember to appreciate yourself and guide you when things get tough. You can help guide others, but not until you’ve helped yourself.

You’re the hero of your own life… don’t shy away from that!

–mrprose

You Know Your Way Home

Hello everyone,

It’s Sunday, will another week soon to commence. My thinkings are directed towards the value of “finding your life”. That’s my way of saying how momentous it is to know who you are. If you know yourself, your life will have so much more direction.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to find your footing in life and lead it the way you want to. It’s your life after all, and despite all the pressure society places on focusing on others, you’re the most important person to yourself, and you have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others.

I read a book recently that is perhaps the perfect example of this. When you don’t know where you are, and you’re doing things you don’t want to/don’t understand, life can be a confusing and hard place. Like I always say, you have to be brave and honest, and look within to see what you’re doing that’s not working. Step into the unknown, explore what hurts and what’s holding you back.

You Know Your Way Home by Suzanne Jauchius (photo credit: goodreads.com)

You Know Your Way Home, by Suzanne Jauchius is a book that retells the true story of a psychic woman (Jauchius herself) that is lost and unhappy. Over the course of her fascinating life, though, she discovers what really matters to her, and she sheds the things in her life that are holding her back – including five husbands.

The thing about this book that hits the chord within me is how Jauchius describes and faces her issues about being alone and misunderstood. I’m not alone in saying that I sometimes feel the same way. Being psychic, Suzanne often struggled with a lack of acceptance for who she was. Her journey is incredible from start to finish.

Not only is the story itself absolutely enthralling, but the entire book is written with inspiration. Suzanne displays immense courage in reiterating painful and private moments in her life. The struggles that she faced, we all eventually have to face. Challenges and obstacles can be overcome if don’t let fear stop you.

I highly recommend the read! You can look into it a bit more here: http://www.youknowyourwayhome.com/

–mrprose

Perfection is Imperfection

Hello! 

I’m back, and very much rejuvenated. I’m actually working on a piece about why I felt so imbalanced, and if you know anything about me from reading this blog, you know that I’ll find some sort of deeper meaning to the situation. And I have.

So for today, I was thinking about how the universe as a a whole has so delicately set up every human beings‘ life (and every other life in existence for that matter). It really is just a hugely intricate, multi-dimensional web of interconnectedness. Although at the moment, I’m not trying to talk about how connected we all are, but rather how brilliantly placed we are within that web to face things that make up who we are. That’s quite a statement, so allow me to explain:

The simplest form of an obstacle. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A very common phrase that I hear people talking about things in their lives say is, “unnecessary inconveniences” or, “avoidable obstacles”. These things are said as if events could have happened in a better way if these “inconveniences” had been avoided. This is a comment I’m sure I’ve said many times, but through reflection, I realize that that is a very close-minded way to look at things.

The point in me saying that is to show two things. One, it reveals how easily we become negative about things that do not fit our fantasy of how things should happen, which is very much like the ego being a false image of one’s self. When something doesn’t go our way, no matter what, it’s a bad thing, until one opens their mind for flexibility. This could be dated back to the days when if anything would go wrong, one’s survival truly was at stake. If you accidentally put mayonnaise in your sandwich, I doubt anything serious like survival is at stake (unless you’re mortally allergic, but then why do you have mayonnaise?).

You won’t die from this (probably) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

But more importantly, it shows how little acceptance and open-mindedness we have for many things in life. That negativity gives obstacles a bad connotation, when in fact it’s those obstacles that make us grow as people. If everything in one’s life worked out perfectly, they wouldn’t learn a thing – no adaptation would be needed or called upon. And that most likely won’t ever happen in our lifetime.

Who’s to know that that obstacle gave one the valuable life skill they would need to be more successful or take in a richer experience from what going on around them. Who’s to say that the obstacle didn’t just save one’s life. Have you ever been late leaving for a meeting or appointment, and as you’re cruising on the free-way, you see a very recent car crash? Could that have been you?

But that kind of open-mindedness goes deeper. If one spends their life pointing out/focusing on the flaws of everything happening around them, (obstacles, as in flaws blocking the perfection of one’s life, and imperfections of any kind anywhere else) their attention is taken away from the beauty of that thing, and thus taking away from their quality of living.

Now of course no one can stay positive all the time. I sure have plenty of room to work on that. Although it is sometimes impossible to appreciate the things around you, it is something that can be improved upon by almost anyone. And I’ve learned that by taking time on the things that I do, that sort of snappy negativity that leaves me fixating on what I think are things bringing me down doesn’t come out as often.

It is that acceptance of things that I keep coming back to, because I think that that is one of the keys to finding inner-peace within one’s self. And to be able to love life how it is and not be a control freak that ends up only hurting themselves. That acceptance will free the soul, and find that perfection. Without that acceptance, one could spot weaknesses in anything.

Perfection is imperfection. It’s up to you to find it.

–mrprose

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