You are not a Body... but you have one.

Are we alive? If your brain is destroyed, does your existence come to an end, with all memories and experiences along with it? Our memories, make us who we are. We are shaped by our experiences, and if we ever loose our memories, we would loose who we are.

The big question then becomes: Do we only exist as long as our brain functions? What is the point of a soul, if everything we are, is imprinted into a brain? What is the purpose of a soul, if we loose who we were with the death of our human bodies.... The conclusion drawn from this, is that we do not have souls. Thus:

If the above statements are all true and a body is all that we are, then everything we are experiencing now is meaningless. It's also possible that the reality we experience, isn't real at all. Just like a movie with fictional characters set in a world your brain weaves together.

How can we exist without a purpose, and why is our brief existence followed by a return to nothingness? Yet, here we are... looking out of a body; experiencing a reality that your brain puts together second by second.

I keep asking myself - "Why am I, looking out of this body... why me? What need is there for me to experience this body, if there is only death in my reality after this. Why couldn't this body just move around without me 'being inside of it',  like all the other people I see around me". I ask the same question on behalf of everyone else. What is the point in having anyone 'see out of a body' to experience the sweetness and sorrows of life, only to fade back into nothingness?

The answer: there is no point. There is no reason for us to be here.  If you follow a logical thought pattern, no matter how you interpret reality, it's impossible for us to exist. If Earth did not exist, we would not be able to evolve and be here. We can argue, that if the universe didn't exist, there could not have been a big bang for the Earth to exist within. This only proves that something had to exist before something else could exist. By example: for the Universe to exist you need another 'Universe', and on top of that, perhaps a higher being or power, to set that universe in place. After which, an even higher power or being is needed, to create the power before it. For anything to exist, something had to be there before it; thus, how can God exist, how can the universe exist, and how can we exist.

Simply put, we cannot exist.... Yet, here we are, looking out of these bodies, experiencing life. We are not bodies, but we have one. We use our bodies to live in this world and this universe, the same way we use our computers to live on the internet.

So much in our universe cannot be explained. A soul could function in ways far beyond our imagination, in a reality much more amazing than the one we are experiencing now. Our bodies are amazing pieces of technology, which we control, just like a computer.

When we loose brain function, we loose our memories and we cannot recall them. Does that mean we have lost who we are? If all the wires inside of your computer, are burned down, does that mean that your data is lost? Or does it only mean that your data is unreachable? We've built computers, we are able to extract the data from a broken hard drive, in some cases even after amazing damage. Perhaps, our souls are imprinted with our data. When our bodies break, and brain function fails, it can no longer access who we are.

Perhaps our brain exists only as a set of instructions, to guide us through reality. This works the same way a desktop of a computer would guide us through a system, by using a desktop interface and by not showing us the complex machine code hiding behind the scenes.

When our computers crash and break... do we loose who we are? We don't, because we were not part of it, we were only using it.

We are souls, but we have a body. We undeniably need a purpose to exist - or we simply wouldn't be here. Yet, here we are.

Building a Brave Heart: How we do it

Did you know: Courage is not bravery? Although similar, they are distinctly different if you take a closer look.

We’re not at war, or at least most of us aren’t. Day to day, we live our lives without someone trying to destroy what we’ve built or worse. For those who are in those positions, it takes courage to fight back, especially in fearful odds and real danger. Fighting a winning battle doesn’t require a lot courage; Fighting a losing battle, does.

Bravery however, is the ability to step out of your comfort zone to do something that might not succeed, or be risky without grave danger being involved. Compared to the real wars and problems of the world, these risks should really be irrelevant – yet we still fear them. Why? Fear of failure? Not exactly.

We’ve all met and some of us are, people who are scared of trying new or challenging things… things that we in our hearts know we want to do or could be fun and yet we don’t try when the time comes. Swimming in the sea? Jumping into the pool from the wall? Making a move on your crush? Going to a party alone? Pathetic? Well, that depends how you look at the following statement:

Bravery is not something you are born with, it’s something we have to build and grow. Furthermore, we don’t stay brave forever, just because we were brave once. You might notice not only in yourself, but also other people who used to brave in a way that they would just try anything and have fun doing so, but just aren’t like that anymore? This is where I can hear an echo of people replying with an “It’s because we’re getting old”… well then I guess Banana George was not human, because we was doing barefoot water-skiing up until he was 80 years old… not exactly a gentile sport - barefoot water-skiing packs a punch when you make a mistake due to the speeds (google it). So unless you are 60-70 years old, or suffer from something restricting you of trying new things, OR you are in fact dead(which by the way, you aren’t if you are reading this), you have nothing close to an excuse for not doing things you know in your heart you want to.

Building bravery: How do we do it? Where does it start? Simply put – you need to break your comfort zone, frequently. Start small: things that you know deep in your heart you want to do, but feel too lazy or tired to do… SHOULD BE DONE. Talking to the girl or guy you have a crush on, should be done. Going for a run or doing pushups you wanted to do after work, but feel too tired to do when you get home, should be done. It’s not always comfortable, but takes bravery (even if just a little). There is no real danger involved. Getting your feelings hurt is nothing compared to fighting off an attack on your life. Failing at anything will only make you better at it… but most importantly, just stepping out of your comfort zone in any situation, will build bravery. You always win.

Even more amazing: as soon as you start stepping out of your comfort zone frequently, you’ll be able to more easily do so in the future for things that require more bravery. And so the snowball goes… never thought bravery would work downhill – easy.

Life is today, not tomorrow. Brave? Your heart could be. 

Selfdestruction

Out drifting in the water, waiting to catch some waves, an man probably in his 50s, started freaking out on another surfer in the water. He told him to piss off, and that this water wasn’t meant for him to learn in.

Laughing at the situation, I find it ridiculous, because he’s doing more harm to his own wellbeing, than to person who’s day he probably ruined….The older "Gentleman" keeps expecting the world to move just for him, expecting everything to go perfectly – when the world doesn't, anger is used to re-enforces his expectations - talk about setting yourself up to fail.

As for learning, the best way to learn is to make mistakes. If you can’t at some point move up to ‘the bigger waves’, to learn, grow and understand, how will you ever get to ride them? He’s trying to reach his own goals or chase down a dream. Maybe, he’s terminally ill and had one more day to spend, which he decided to spend trying to surf. Your Mamma always told you not to judge a book by its cover, so why judge people by the first thing you see? Scratch a little deeper and you might find out the “why” of people actions. You should listen to your Mamma, she is wise!

Why is this Old man on such a mission to destroy his livelihood? Frustration gets the best of humanity on some days, especially to those who don’t realize what is going on in their hearts/minds. We’re so busy chasing the future, that we forget to live and enjoy today. We compare our lives to others and wonder why we can’t have more. Frustrated by ridiculous expectations we’ve set to the world around us, which keep disappointing us obviously, we take out our problems on others.

Whatever we do in live, will echo in eternity with no way of changing what happened yesterday. Forever and ever, our actions remain… I don’t want to be remembered like this, I don’t want to look back and even remember myself like this. I am sure no one truly does.

How to die well

Every story has an beginning... but all roads lead to an end.

We might not all have the same beginning, but we all end up at the same place.

None of us know when the road we are walking on will come to end, but some paths will last longer than others. Some roads will be beautiful, simple and straightforward; while others are desolate, empty and dry.

Which road is ours?

Do we choose comfort and simplicity? Or the shortest route towards our destination perhaps?

Most likely, the path with the least thorns?

None of our hearts, lead to darkness... yet so many get lost in nightmares of resentment, hate and regret.

We've all chosen our paths and yes, some of us had fewer paths to choose from than others when we were dealt a hand of cards at birth... The point is that ALL paths lead to opportunity. All we need to ask is WHY:

* Why do we opt for complexity, when most of our problems, don't matter in life?
* Why do we play life safely, instead of standing up in risk to fight for what our hearts truly desire?
* Why don't we face the enemies of our hearts?

The enemy - we're all targets, most of us, victims. The world, doesn't bow nor serve us. Life isn't a destination; death is. To live, you have to listen to your heart and take up the challenge of life. "You can't win, if you don't play". That being said, it's also true that even great stories come to an end.

Death WILL come. Even if humanity is ever able to find a cure for aging, our planet might grow tired and weary. Even when we turn to renewable resources and convince the mighty, yet greedy corporations to change their ways for the preservation of our planet, you'll only be here for a while. Should you live to see 100,000 years, a day will come when you are no longer part of this life - we will all meet death one way or another.

Although there are many out there who teach us how to live well... none can share their experience of dying, because they are dead - yet, it's our greatest challenge... the greatest of all: How to die well.

We are destined to perish... no matter what we do. Wealthy or poor, we ALL face the exact same challenge at the finish line, regardless of what cards we've been dealt, nor what life we were brought into. We all have to face the challenge of death and when we do, we leave this life with nothing in our pockets. We leave behind everything... our fancy clothes, our money, our loved ones and more importantly, the memory of us. Yet all of these things stay with the living and our challenge remains the same as that of any other person... quite ironic? We're all more equal than we think... happiness can be found in simple places, where money, stature or titles aren't involved.

Due to the lack of understanding afterlife, I am lead to believe that Angels look down and envy us in some ways... for we have only one chance at greatness. Much like a flower has only one chance to bloom and be so very beautiful, before it wilts... no wonder we find them so beautiful.

We don't recognize it openly, but we're part of a much greater story. Today, we have so many, MANY choices... it's sad to think that we so easily make choices, before giving them enough thought. We choose easy paths, instead of taking on the more difficult ones our hearts desire.

You might tell yourself: "Bullshit! I've put thought into each of my choices today, and I am sure they are the right ones". GREAT! If so, you should be living the life you want and happiness WILL be in your heart. If not, you're a fool to believe you've made all the right ones. Being aware, is half the battle, and when we aren't, most of our days are filled with choices of routine, safety and comfort... choices we've been groomed to make; to me, that's the enemy of our hearts, dreams and unique character.

If your heart is set on living easily and safely, adventure will never find you. Avoiding challenges in your life, is loosing. It's not your fault - Yet, it IS! How you start your day is more important than the world you live in... we don't realize, but how we live our lives is how we shape everything and everyone around us. I imagine my eyes to be my personal TV screen... only I have the remote to change the channel.

I've seen many boring movies, haven't you? You only get one movie, why are you paying to see this one? YES YOU ARE PAYING TO WATCH THIS. Time is our only real currency. You won't possess a dime the day run out of time. Yet we work so cleverly with money, but spend our time so carelessly. What have you spent it on? What do you plan on spending it on tomorrow? Something we should all ask ourselves and answer.

Death, and Life are a beautiful couple. They complement each other so well. Without death, life would not be so beautiful; like a real flower compared to a plastic one. Without Life, Death would have no meaning - it would be lonely, and empty.

So how do we die well? You should already know! By spending your time well, by making the choices you know in your heart are the choices you WILL NOT REGRET. It could be something small like eating a cupcake, all the way through to marrying someone because you might not get another chance, or have deep second doubts you hide from yourself. Choosing someone to spend your life with is easy, waiting and taking the challenge to become the person you need to be, in order to find the person you really want to be with, is a much more difficult and enduring choice.

Dying well, ultimately means being happy with your choices, happy with what you have decided to spend your life's time on. Although we all make mistakes, learning from our mistakes is a choice - mistakes to not define who we are. Making the choice to break free from the chains of regret, to live and grow into who you want to be as a person, is the challenge you face, the battle you fight. TEAR DOWN the enemies of your heart and you'll be at peace... you'll be ready to die well, because you've spent your time well.

LIVE today, and keep living tomorrow onward. Like any exercise, you'll get better every-time you do it. The longer your stop working out, the weaker you get. Although actions speak louder than words, you are the only one watching your full movie, you are the only person one who can hear the narrator speak, aware of the thoughts and feelings of the main star actor... even when the hero never got to do the things he wanted to do within his heart before dying. "Actions speak louder than words...." but the choice to do so, is the first step into anything.

Die like a hero, you can.

How to get 'Amazing' into your life

Lost in this world... who are we? Sometimes we find ourselves waking up in the middle of the night wondering if we're the people we need to be in life. Our passions, ideals, dreams and livelyhood - are we happy with the person in the mirror? Many of us have no idea who we are at one point or another. Struggling a long time to understand or find something within ourselves, yet some of us, never find the "rabbit hole" to our hearts; time to change that.

Lets face it: people are afraid of people who are different. Groomed from early age, we've been taught to 'fit into society and a system' to get by. We hold the world in our hands, but we shape it in the way we've been told too. Brainwashed? Maybe... although pointing fingers won't change the past nor future. 

While some have made a decision to control their lives, many followed the herd, went with the flow and fell into the trap of security and conformity. Well done! You are: Normal. You can't be Normal and expect Amazing. 

We are all dealt a hand of cards in life, but that only determines our beginnings. There are many ways to live your life... who we chose to be in our story, is not left up to the world, it's left up to You. No one has written your life for you and nothing or no one will. Nothing can control your happiness, unless you let them.

How do we get amazing? Life is amazing, constantly providing us with opportunities. One day in our lives could change everything. Small opportunities that seem insignificant show up all the time, with a choice of taking it on, or missing out - ultimately, shaping our future significantly. You could meet a best friend for life, who might save your life in time to come, or possibly introduce you to the love of your life. Maybe just someone who would change your story forever by offering you an opportunity.

Your story is unwritten, and since your reading this, it's not over yet! What will you write? Will you... try? Will you give up? Will you go with the flow or follow your heart? Will you believe in yourself and face the problems in your life? Will you make the difficult yet best decision to become who you want to be, or will you take the easy way out and reap the 'Normal' that you sow? 

It's in your hands... your hands alone. Look into your heart and ask yourself, what story you want to write... then make every page count, you know you can - I do.

"You'll know you've made the right decision, when there is peace in your heart"

State of Mind

It's only natural for any of us to feel important in some way, we need it to move forward and feel good about ourselves in everyday life. A feeling of importance can be anything from being important to people, being loved by many or simply being good at something.

I find myself wondering from time to time, if I am where I should be... truly happy? I believe that looking up, not caring about the bad, staying positive and persevering through everything life throws at us, is the best way to live. Although I still feel this is true, we should definitely not let this be at the cost of who we are. Having a great state of mind should walk hand in hand with who you are.

In some dire cases, people will need to force themselves to act happy. In the beginning, it will feel fake, annoying and silly. Here you might want to skrew the act and go back to being a sad sucker, although I will gladly smack you in the face if so. If you want change, you better have the balls to put in the effort. Anything worthwhile requires effort and Happiness is not an exception.

"Whaaaat???? You mean the World doesn't owe me happiness?" /facepalm.

Now, we have to ask... how do we balance a great state of mind along with being truly happy and sincere to our feelings? How do we obtain a sound state of mind, shut out and fight off these bullshit feelings of inadequacy? ... Goals.

Don't bullshit me by saying you have no dreams and 'going with the flow is the way to go' - get off the crackpipe Jack, you're lying to yourself. Focus on your goals and make a sincere effort towards achieving them. Look to yourself and not onto others as a judge of whom and where you should be. Waiting around will only make you weaker; instead, grow and be ready for the world to take you upon a journey of a lifetime.

Follow your heart, focus on your goals. Trying is free and perseverance a necessity.

"I'll leave you with this motivational poster... maybe you should put it on your wall ;)"

If it's wrong, move on.

I guess we all cling to things in life, especially when it comes to other people. We tend to overlook the logic staring at us, clinging to some hope and possible improvement without action. Sometimes we cling to these things to such an extent, we completely loose ourselves during this ridiculous quest to make things better... or rather, into something they aren't meant to be.

Why do we do this? Do we fear being alone? I struggle to believe that... well, at least I don't hope so! Many people are quite well off being alone, probably not forever, but long enough to wait for the right person to swing into their lives. This is mostly true for people whom aren't in relationships I guess; they have nothing to loose and can focus on improving their lives as it is.

Next up, we have the crazy desperate types whom will do anything to have someone 'of their own', as they believe this is the only way to improve their lives. I find this quite strange, as meeting your life partner is very coincidental, don't you think? It's not like you can force it. It happens, when it happens and it's completely out of our control. "Fucking universe", you might say... but you are largely to blame for this.

Just because you meet the person of your dreams, doesn't mean the timing of it all is great. The two of you might be in two different parts of your lives, making it impossible to have a healthy relationship. A simple example of this would be meeting this person while he/she is seeing someone else... don't fool yourself idiot, it's a no go! Let it be until the time is right. If this never happens, it was never meant to be for you. Stop filling your head with bullshit and move on. He/she, wasn't the one, but the person you are looking for is still out there! Being free of hang-ups and being available, is the key.

I met a friend in London a few years ago whom gave me some of the best relationship advice I would ever come to find: "If it's wrong, move on". The longer we stay hung-up about something which we know isn't working, regardless of our effort to make it work; the less time we spend ready to meet someone new. You could meet someone at anytime, anywhere - and you know this. You'll miss lots of opportunities if you are stuck as a hung-up sour-face.

As for forcing something to work, not good at all... in fact - it's horrible. Stop it you control freak. Let go! Move on... believe it or not, by doing this, you might even salvage the situation. Relationships are tough enough as it is, especially when two people don't know each other well. Trying to make something into what it isn't just puts more strain on the relationship. You'll loose yourself whilst forcing your partner to change, all because you are afraid... afraid to accept that this isn't working, this isn't the person for you; afraid to go back to the drawing board to try again. Loosing yourself, isn't a way to be in a relationship - you have to be stronger and uplift a relationship instead of wearing it down.

Not all plans work out on the first try. We'll never grow without making mistakes. If you really want to make it work, don't make it complicated... tear down your expectations, accept people for whom they are... and you just might find what you are looking for.

The Best Advice to the Right Decision

Decisions, decision... they can be a real bitch to make. You'll find yourself approaching friends, family or even complete strangers for advice on making a decision. Somehow, they always seem to help, even in situations where he/she might not have the full insight or understanding of the situation. wtf?

Deep down inside your gray haven, you know what you really want. Even if it's on a subconscious level, you have that knowledge hidden away. All we really need, is a good reason... justification if you will, some facts behind our fiction; in most cases, clear up the 'love goggles' you've got on. Once you have good reasoning accompanied by another person's opinion, you'll feel like you are making a good decision. This neat little dragon, has two tails:

• It's quite odd... we know just what to say when others come to us for advice; we don't even need a moment to ponder on it - it just comes flowing out. Why? You don't need to carry the consequences of this decision being discussed. You think freely, fluently and logically. You are not inside the box.
  
• Secondly, have you ever wondered why they've approached you? Because you are cool? Lol! It's because they know on some subconscious level, you will give them what they want. Whether if that advice may be good or bad, sincere or untruthful, wise or reckless. If you would like a real and honest opinion on a matter, you'll talk to the people whom will give it to you without the icing on the cake. It all comes down to what you really want in your heart. 

As for great advice - where do we find it? Well, great advice comes from great people. Do you know anyone great? You should... they live in a mirror. That's right Einstein! You have great advice. You won't always be inside the box; it's valuable to write down your own ideas from time to time, it will force your gray matter to think about them and grow them. This will lead to better ideas, better advice - maybe to help others, but mostly for yourself to follow.

People let ideas flow through their minds like fish through a river; if you don't put up a net, you won't catch anything. Reading over your own thoughts will make you rethink everything, possibly change your complete perspective. Sometimes this will lead you into making confident decisions without seeking advice. Sounds like the type of person I'd want to be :)

Ego vs. Ego

Put your pride in your pocket? Hell no! Unless it would resolve in something nasty, you have no reason to hide any of your pride. Are you egotistical? No? You should be. I don't know what you were told growing up, I was taught about the evil of ego and why you shouldn't have one. I guess it's why most people turn out like sheep following the herd. Were you taught that you are special and different from others? If you believe that, why shouldn't your ego reflect that?

In my opinion, not having an ego is a BAD thing! The first things I would want anyone to have is an ego! A positive outlook on yourself and the impact you have on life around you. It will affect everything else you do in a positive way. Whenever you are questioned about yourself, you shouldn't hesitate before replying with a positive answer! If you were asked whether if you are ready to take on a task, whom would like to say "No, I don't think I am ready" or "Um, I don't know..." - does this type on uncertainty attract you? Whom would rather say "I was born ready baby!" or "Bring it on bitch!" with a fat smile and shining confidence? "Not me... I would rather be a looser thanks" is what some people might say in reply to my question, not in those exact words I guess; whatever they do come up with as an excuse, is pretty much the same.

The evil and the good; the big, the HUGE fact people overlook when explaining Ego: There are two sides to the story! Good vs. Bad ego.

Bad ego is where you point out yourself as being better than others. This type of ego is most common in people and also the main reason why people despise it. Unless you can handle having enemies, avoid this ego - you don't need it. Gaining a feeling of importance from breaking down others is a false sense of greatness, leading towards deeper unhappiness and need for more condescension of others. It's a bad loop to be in.

Good ego is where you point out yourself as a great person, which you are! If you are ever questioned about yourself, you should always answer in instant and sincere positivity. There is no reason for anyone to be ashamed of whom they are. You are wasting your life if you do. Being positive in your response to everyone & everything around you will instantly make you feel and be great, it will give others a good opinion of you - some might even earn some respect for you. How you let yourself feel around others is how others will feel about you. The people who care, don't matter; The people who matter, don't care.

Have an ego about yourself, you deserve to have one just as much as everyone else. Carry your pride on your shoulders, regardless of what has happened in the past. Life doesn't wait for you to catchup... it keeps going. Don't get left behind.

"Always remember, no matter how bad you are, you are not totally useless. You can always be used as a bad example"  - Even rock bottom has some light :)

I am awesome. So dear reader, please tell me in the comments below: are you?