WHAT'S SPIRITUALITY ALL ABOUT?

It's strange what people say about "spirituality" they have their own potted views and thoughts on it yet very few indeed know what it's all about. If you ask someone straight off, "What's Spirituality"?  99% of replies would start with "errrr" instantly trawling their minds for an explanation or something smart to say. And even after some time don't come up with a succinct answer it's usually some kind of waffle even if they get the gist of it right. It's really not however that important that one knows what "spirituality" is all about as it's not going to further your cause in life, but at the same time if one is going to use the word to describe some aspect of life you feel has a degree of importance then one should at least know what it really does infer and that one is on the right lines. The following is a relatively comprehensive dictionary explanation of "Spirituality".

"Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or immaterial reality an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of their being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop an individuals inner life; such practices often lead to an experience of connectedness with a larger reality, yielding a more comprehensive self; with other individuals or the human community; with nature or the cosmos; or with the divine realm. Spirituality is often experienced as a source of inspiration or orientation in life. It can encompass belief in immaterial realities or experiences of the immanent or transcendent nature of the world".

Whilst the above may resonate with many people the bottom line with it all is that they "think" spirituality but literally do nothing whatsoever to be spiritual, it just sounds good to mention and an applaudable state to be in. People even talk in soft "spiritual tones" talking about the Universe and Mother Earth and psychic enchantments, they wax lyrical about incantations and a whole load of stuff of past mystical cultures which were so good they've all vanished, and yet these self same so called 'spiritual' people always seem ill and lost in life, never really connecting with anything and are often lonely. It's almost as if many have turned to a "spiritual" route (whatever that is) as a last resort to find a missing piece or fill that eternal void within the pit of their stomach. Whilst there are endless books written on religion, the only books written on "spirituality" and "laws of spirituality" and anything else in the genre are written by current day authors and delving into their past doesn't really bring up the true goods of credibility. And if being on a "spiritual" pathway was that good why aren't millions flocking in sincerity to join and make the world a better place because they aren't. The trouble with "spirituality" is that it's anything you want it to be, it's a great cop out for most people to have the "best of both worlds" do as you want yet when needed spout the rhetoric of the next best thing to God. It's all sad and debased and pathetic really, in fact the irony is that most so called "spiritual" people need more help with their own life stability than those that don't go anywhere near it. People who tend to wax lyrical about "spiritual" stuff are often not the most stable, creative nor fun to be with and many lack any degree of humour, all the stuff than one needs to commune ably with others and life.

Mental health is the biggest problem within the Western World, fortunately it's not the clinical variety but that which has been brought about by the self, it's self inflicted, and the plethora of coaches and psycho-babblers apart from enjoying a good living are really not much better themselves, in fact many are seeking therapy also which is evident from the way they talk and their facial or tonal expressions - (is nothing scared)! We get fat if we over eat, (no one gets fat on fresh air - no excuses), if we feed our minds detritus we get the residual rubbish that's subliminally left, and then we start to be part of the rubbish we have had as a constant diet. Like cholesterol if not treated or dietary controlled it builds up on our arteries, similarly mental rubbish also builds up until at some point we tend to lose the plot, often it's almost too late when that realisation takes place. But back to "spirituality" (it's all linked) if we feign being spiritual because we think it's good, we fool ourselves and indeed let ourselves down. The biggest value we can ever have that keeps us under the best control against everything is "love" for that's the largest common bond on planet earth - and I've been around this planet dozens of times and seen dozens and dozens of cultures and it works in every one. Without love we become drones, with love we become humans, there is a big difference and that's life itself, be a part of it and not dwell on being an alien in your own world (even if you think it sounds good and gives you an instant self created credential).

There are "spiritual" groups all over the place and predominantly filled by single people (usually 30+) or "older couples" all with time on their hands and all seeking "words of wisdom" as if there are "gurus" who hold the key to life and will impart such to them and then "all will be well". There are gurus but not at these meetings, and "no" all will not be well, you have to put something into the equation too, which you are not at the moment hence your own plight. Even more ironic is the "spiritual cloud" which people almost always hide behind and that's the fact that they are unhappy, unfulfilled and need purpose, and their erroneous belief that in wading down the spiritual route it will give them all that is missing in an instant, again it just goes to show how wrong one can be or misinformed. One "becomes" spiritual in the way of thought and conduct, then by default one is automatically enrolled in to the "spiritual pathway". Like everything in life there is an "entrance fee" whatever that is, it's not financial at all it's a deep inner credential and honest and sincere thought with dedication, not the fastidious dedication that leads to dull boring people and fanatics but an overall concept of understanding. Communing with others and life is a good start, if some others don't get on with you fine, just do your bit and it will take shape.

For more : www.thelifedoctor.info
FREE "E" Book : www.the-alachemy-of-life.com
John Rushton / The Life Doctor 2011

CATCHING THE JOY OF LIFE

Within our lives we have a multitude of circumstances and events that help shape who we are and how we think. There is a reality situation which is all about how it really is and a philosophical thought process based upon conjecture and how we deem it is via our own contrived thoughts. The latter may in fact not be too far from the truth but the bottom line is that it won't change a solitary thing unless we either make change happen itself or come to terms more succinctly with whom we are. The future is always open to what we have in mind even if it doesn't quite turn out like we had intended, which is often the case, but that doesn't for one minute mean it can't be better. One of the biggest problems that most people suffer from is acute narrow mindedness, we get an incling of what's available in life and what we can possibly manage then make a 'bee' line for it negating potential and possibilities that come before us, which then leaves us forever short and frustrated. What is 'out there' is amazingly enormous, there lies ahead of us a massive array of possible and fabulous options that we don't know exists, that we are not privy to in our insular world of "I know what I want" or even "I don't know what I want". Failure for many is allowing their own narrowness to negate the good and the great because initially it seems alien and doesn't fall within the self defined, narrow, dull and boring divisive pathway that's been created to whizz us through to success, which it probably won't. Life holds no prisoners nor has any favourites, it has bigger and better things to do than to tamper with whom we are and our minuscule emotional stance on it all. Even those around us who love us have their own pathway to tread so it really is down to us to "go for it" no matter how small the initial step may happen to be. It takes a small pin to burst a big balloon, and "boy" do you know it when it goes off bang.

In between our ailments, our financial circumstances, our work or home environment, our friends or lack of them, what we wear and eat, what we watch on television, any recreation we take part in and anything else that's apt, we need to live, and "LIVE" in capitals, not the live which equates to "survive" and have an instant dialogue at the ready to say why that is to confirm our stance. It's just so easy to be experts on our life situation, but deep down others see through it all, not that we are telling lies or even making up stories, it just doesn't ring a bell with most people as they like to be stimulated even a little by others self determination. Of course within our communing with life and others there are many levels of thought consciousness and intelligence and to some degree there can be a compatibility problem especially if one thinks in an entirely different way, but that's OK too, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. But if we think in a different way, and assuming that way is perhaps a little more "out of the box" or even "extraordinarily zany" then we should be both happy about that fact, and be able to cope with those who don't, can't or won't understand. We DON'T need permission from anyone to be who we are, NOR do we need permission to please others OR aquiess to say things in a way that they will understand or make it more palatable for, unless we feel there is a real need at times to do so. We DON'T need people around us who DON'T understand, unless they are perhaps our parents - but they love us anyway regardless etc, otherwise what are we doing mixing with "undesirable aliens" then complaining that "nobody understands" that really sucks and undermines who you are as a person. It also stands out that there is something wrong in the communication department when it comes to the bigger picture. We have "friends / acquaintances" at different levels and that's all OK too, none of it should need explanation nor credential, our friends for whatever reason are our friends and if we don't like our 'friends friends' it's because there isn't a bond with between us and them as there is with our intermediary friend.

Living each day we should find some "joy" and not revert to "Oh how can I enjoy life like this", "when things get better", or make up any other such statement as an admonishment of how we are as that will become our backdrop for life and we will then find that 'nothing' is the operative word and deed in our world and we will then attract "nothing". If we can't see any goodness no matter what it is even the "spring  shoots" or the "autumn colours" or whatever it denotes that our minds are more than insular they are selfishly switched to "poor old me" which isolates us in an instant, and that really hardens our minds, our thoughts, our spirit, our soul, our thought process and we seek constantly for negativity as that's become our "buzz" word as opposed to hope, potential, love, fun, harmony, friendship, helping, giving, life, etc, etc. If we keep accounts on who does what for whom then that's also a litmus tests as to how we think, and it's not to say that we need to be a sponge to everyone, but the difference between the two scenarios is very great. If one has to think about giving and receiving in life then it already shows that there is a mean streak within, although many would not like to admit it and in fact mean people always think they are the most generous on the planet - in their dreams. It's also strange that those who constantly talk about the "evilness of wealth" are always those who never have any money, everyone else gets on with life, it does get boring with this narrowness of thought.

For more : www.thelifedoctor.info
FREE "E" Book : www.the-alchemy-of-life.com
John Rushton / The Life Doctor 2011

WHO IS PEDDLING WHAT?

There's no doubt about it that the age of the blog has arrived and it's so easy via YouTube to get your voice posted to possibly billions of people in just a matter of minutes together with your own face speaking your words of wisdom, or whatever it happens to be. There's nothing wrong with the written word in itself but the Pic n' text stance actually goes one step beyond. What seems to be in all the social sites and they are springing up like weeds in the garden all claiming to help your love life, the people you like, the business you need and all the rest, which of course is a load of old toddle. It's not that any of these things won't happen, it's just highly unlikely even the world's top dating site states that 3% is tops for success, on business sites, at least the one's I've been on it's almost like a "prostitutes convention" everyone offering everything you need at a price for "that" success and sending it to you unsolicited, getting emails every day on webinars, seminars, on line courses and the rest all leading to success, and when you see who is putting them out one wonders what went wrong with them?  If they were that good it would have been another "Facebook" / "Google"  story, but those two scenarios are just fantasy in respect to these "let's make as much money from the social Internet punters" as possible. Even on my scant Facebook list, and it is scant I'm more than ever reducing the list of contacts on my Facebook account as I'm getting people posting clips from a whole range of places such as "inspirational speakers", "hints and tips on this n that", videos on outward thinking, quotes from this person and that person, but it still appears that all the people posting this stuff do nothing themselves they seem so impotent when it comes to original content of their own, and after a while I quietly "unfriend" them, they are no wiser and I move on. The last thing I want is a "holding page" for other people's lack and their second hand inspired stories, if they can't do it themselves then what do I want it all for. There are a lot of bubbly dull people out there peddling continually other people's stuff because it excites them and not because it will do someone else a good turn, even if it at times perhaps does. It's almost as others get a "buzz or high" from other people's works yet fall down on themselves, which not what it should be like.

The age of "I've got the answer" - at a price - (fair enough) is genuinely here, even if the pundits don't have a real answer, they have some sort of an answer but it's like looking into a bowl of MandM's, lots there, lots of colours but basically they are all the same, all sorted to look and taste in a uniform way which is not how life should be nor what we crave for to enjoy life anyway. Such Internet offers predominately appeal to the "wannabes" those that don't have a clue but aspire to fame and fortune, the real entrepreneurs left a long time ago or more likely never even joined. Even the Evangelical websites which I occasionally trawl through are all versions of McDonald's carefully manicured, laid out, shop at the ready, credit card friendly, nicely presented and yes the "Miracle" is yours just for $24 for the DVD boxed set and another one at $14 (on special) and another $30 (with special gift) and another $15 ( bargain price) and so it goes on. It's again not that they are wrong but after a while they develop a "religious" context which is what they were originally against, bit like writing the 10 commandment's their own way, like Catholicism adding bits as they go along, which is dangerous stuff.  Of course the bottom line is that we need to make money, and there's nothing wrong with that, after all if we can't it won't just fly into our bank accounts - unfortunately. But our discernment is our only guide to being prudent and proper with our funds and also not waste our time and get frustrated and cross at the same time by being perpetually disappointed. If we don't have a degree of self charisma then we are forever going to be at a loss. And if you go around thinking that there is a "secret" or a "special trick" to doing something then you must be mad. There are tried and tested ways in every profession and area of life which are worthy of knowing, they don't always work but do in many cases improve your chances of making the grade, but they are not secrets. However if you are trying to run your business in your profession and don't have this understanding then there is something wrong with you, most good business people have an inherent "feel" for or natural aptitude or something similar.

But what is our forte in life, what are we (am I) good at, what do we do that is of interest in that others may find what we have to say interesting? Of course we can't please everyone all the time and what we have to say is to some great and others nothing in particular, we can't be a "one size fits all", we as individuals have our own likes and dislikes. We have our own point of view and for some they are permanently entrenched in a degree of narrowness that no matter what you say they will argue the toss. If they haven't money they will moan and if they come into funds they will moan just as much as their ego and arrogance is that they have a "chip" on their shoulders which they carry through life and thus everything is always an uphill struggle, but we don't bother with them we have something better to deal with - our life. It's important to commune with as many "like minded souls" in life as possible and just associate with the rest on a general level, otherwise we will never quench that inner feeling of being part of the human race and that eternal "I'm not understood" aspect, which is our own fault if that's the case. But communing with a "like minded soul" isn't just the answer, it's selecting those that think, feel and laugh on our wavelength more than just understand that is going to meld the inner turmoil and allow you to be who you are, whatever that is.

Everyone has a story, most are boring sadly even if true and worthy in content, what most people do resonate to is diligence, fight, determination, striving, having a genuine go at something, positivity, lightness, upliftment, easily laughs, no excuses, etc. All too often the story one hears is about "what I've had to go through", "my fight", etc, which again is all very well and good but it can be depressing for others who are fighting their own battle and literally trying their best to make hay way in getting it all done no matter how small that may be. Even one step is commendable, the history lessons are for later when they can be appreciated at length. It's one thing to 'empathise' with others in a similar position but it doesn't move you forward, you still have that to do yourself, and the trouble with 'empathising' with similar souls is that it can produce a smugness deep down that arrests further development based on the thinking "I'm not alone", well you are in what you do for no one else can do it for you.

For more : www.thelifedoctor.info
FREE "E" Book : www.the-alchemy-of-life.com
John Rushton / The Life Doctor 2011

THE LAUGHTER MACHINE

When did you last laugh? When did you either share a joke or just smile at your partner or best friend or work colleague for no other reason than to smile and enjoy the moment with them. Do you smile all by yourself? Do you often find yourself thinking about virtually nothing in particular then smiling? Do you look at people in the street and smile and keep a pleasant face even if they look gruff or deep in morbid thought? Are you put off indeed by others dull faces and ignore them, which many do? Are you willing to keep a smile going when the road gets a bit ruff or are you one of those who wears their emotions in the open for all and sundry to see? When talking to people do you ask how they are and tell them that they look good even if they perhaps don't? Or are you one of those people who dwells on the negativity and says "Are you sure" when a positive answer is given? All these and more are signs of who you are, they are a reflection of you, they speak volumes about how you think and feel and see life. If asked most people like to think they smile and put out positive vibes, but in reality they don't do any such thing, in fact smiling is often a reserved gesture and then it's dished out only in metered amounts and for short bursts of time often instantly reverting to the "poor old me" look which they drag around with them. It's not that those who don't smile are bad or not worthy people but they are not usually the life and soul of any gathering even if they contribute when in such a meeting. Attitude is our biggest friend or foe, our attitude is what makes us communicable and engaging in life, that in itself by and large is an elevating experience, it lifts our soul and our thoughts and our feelings so that we think on a higher level and as such see the 'bigger picture' for what it is, as opposed to feeling threatened by it all.

Laughter is really good medicine, for one thing it supports our immune system as negativity lowers it, it also makes us far more approachable from strangers or even those who know of us and want to say something or ask of us, in short it allows us to commune with life which is what life is all about. Lonely people aren't lonely for nothing there is always a reason other than disability or age related situations. Being precious of the self, selfish of manner and harbouring perspectives of a negative nature leads us to feel glum and indulge in 'mind talk', once we start to cultivate that 'mind talk' strategy we lose the plot and then everything we do has a motive or possibility structure based on our thinking and not allowing the greater and good to take effect. Smiles are not just the visual aspect like we see in glossy brochures they can be translated into our voice and into our messages, smiles come through in our delivery of whatever we do and we tend to find that people herd towards similar types as they feel more comfortable, or in their mind think they do. Our attitude can be at fault if we put alien concepts to work in our though process, if we think that there are "secrets" to getting on in life, or that "mysteries" of certain cultures hold the answer then we will be forever flawed. If we feel we are disadvantaged for whatever reason (we will make one up something if there isn't anything to mind) then we will be disadvantaged and so it goes on. The more we clobber ourselves the less we will have to laugh about or smile about and the more we will even resist either thinking that 'it's not funny, how can I laugh in this situation', and then no one wants to know you anymore.

We are naturally not all gregarious people, and some have a real flair for just talking to anyone anywhere and do so with amazing ease, whilst others look like wilting wallflowers standing alone muttering to themselves to try and keep themselves calm. A smile however is something we all can do from near or afar, it costs nothing, it takes no time out of our lives and it holds a real magic all of its own in uplifting ourselves and making those important connections with others. It also means quite a lot to strangers for someone to share a smile with them even if they don't know who you are. Smiles can open doors where glum faces can shut them right in front of you. A smile like most of the body language we put out communicates instantly that we are friends not the foe, and everything is taken into context, it's not intrusive and it's not demanding, it's a truism of whom we are and helps us on our life path. Laughter for the main part is infectious, sadness and glumness isn't it's got an almost invisible negative shield around it and keeps people away even other glum people as they want the limelight with their sadness they don't want to share it with other sad people. Everyone notices those that smile and those that don't like the surly waiter or waitress, the shop assistant who couldn't care less, the abrupt help line assistant, etc, it all hits home. Even the "gatekeepers" in life that are full of their own self importance, they are usually miserable people although would shout you down to say otherwise, but they can't see it themselves. Whether smiling is natural or not, it needs to be cultivated and not that "they didn't smile at me so I'm not smiling at them" because that only smacks of your own deep rooted problems in your own attitude. Give it a go, you can only win with a smiling attitude as you've nothing to lose from where you are right now.

For more : www.thelifedoctor.info
FREE "E" Book : www.the-alchemy-of-life.com
John Rushton / The Life Doctor 2011

DISENGAGING FROM LIFE

Our minds can be very complex if we allow them free reign, we should at all times be in control of who we are and not allow it to take control and us to follow in a sheep like manner and suffer all the negative consequences that will come upon us. Our differences and thoughts and perceptions on life make us at times see things from an alien perspective, yet, the base credentials are almost always the same for everyone. We all want to live a good and honest and enjoyable life free from as many upsets and pressures as we can be and want to be able to commune with friends, family, loved ones and anyone else who we come into contact with. Unfortunately man being what he is and the evilness of religion (which is nothing to do with God - religion is man made) stops us from ever achieving such goals, and en-route we have divisive people such as Hitler, Saddam Hussein, the despot rulers in Africa and so on that will try anything to achieve their dream even with the suppression and killing of others for their goals. Two countries(although not exclusively) one can never ever trust are Russia and China, their goal posts are on casters and they move them whilst they speak, they too will stop at nothing be it killing and the use of brutal armed force to achieve what they want, they have no hesitation in doing so ever. All Islamic countries uphold killing for their own ideology, people are expendable as one can see daily in the press.The television stations are full of staid old commentators (guests or in house) who they wheel out time and time again to regurgitate the same comments on the same subjects, such is their armchair expertise and mostly they get much of it wrong. But that's not important to the media it's the programmes interest rate at the time and nothing more such is the transient nature of what is becoming "ZOO Television", especially in the afternoons where the brain dead watch the brain dead. It rekindles one's belief almost in a new zombie culture where couch potatoes develop diabetes, mental health problems, laziness, muscle failure and lose sight of life itself.

On a more personal note those who literally do their best in life, put on a brave face and try as hard as they can, never giving up and smiling in the face of adversity are wanting more. Governments can't help and neither can religious leaders as they are the worst planners and forward thinkers on the planet, in fact if we had to rely on them we would all be dead, most of them contributing nothing to life but hardship and emptiness.What's to do, and how do we know what to do, and if we know how, how do we literally enact it all from the framework in which we currently live. We live and die within our minds, our whole life lives in our minds everything we do is in our minds, our loves, likes, dislikes, upsets, laughter, sadness, our abilities, our strengths our weaknesses and our successes and our failures. It's not our material possessions that make us who we are although in a material world they certainly do play a part in how we see ourselves and there's no way of getting away from that.We can't hide ever behind smart rhetoric unless we are politicians because it never works, we just kid ourselves. Even when we are in doubt or perplexed thought, the deed of doing nothing is tantamount to failure and giving up because it allows life to take us where it wants to go and in the process thwarts whatever resolve we have for ourselves. Doing something when all around is doing it's own things makes for us to commune with life and avail ourselves of possibilities most of which we would never ever consider or have thought about, such is the smugness of doing nothing.

Today more than ever people are disengaging from life, they feel almost helpless in their abilities in trying to either resolve their situation or make headway to some better place. Of course it's all back to square one again, we live in our minds, life is as it is, if we need to make headway we have to move, it's that simple, engaging in self thought is facile and useless, engaging with others at no matter what level allows us to leave the place of staid and negative thought and break free from the torpid calm which we have allowed to happen. Facing the future with a happy outlook no matter how bad it is, making light of disasters and elevating our experience as just that is what makes those who do, do, and those who don't don't. Whatever besets and befalls us lives only in our mind, nowhere else, we only make of it what we do no one else does. The future is in our mind, happiness is within and all that's good lies within, and if we choose to share the goodness then so much better but the negativity no one wants, they have their own course and need as much light as possible, not that input of impending gloom generated by others.

Of course we may need help, we may need encouragement not everyone is entrepreneurial and can generate the impetus themselves, but life and advancement is open to all, not just a few, singling out successful people in the public gaze is nothing compared to the hundreds of millions of individuals who have carved a niche out for themselves from seemingly improbably areas of life. The beauty of evolution is that it's always opening up new avenues and doesn't have favourites, it doesn't hinder some at the expense of others, and whilst life and progress is not linear it's still an open pathway to venture forth and enjoy the fruits of creative labour. We are the product of ourselves, the future starts today not yesterday, what happens tomorrow starts today, and what lies in store is open for ongoing negotiation. What ever happened is the past, what can happen lies in tomorrows vision of endless possibilities, it's all back down to how we think and feel and present ourselves and how positive we are. All the great successes have libraries of failure experiences and can all laugh in hindsight at what they had to endure, go through, put up with and everything else, but paying your entrance fee to success is but 'par for the course'. Of course you can procrastinate and make assumptions that you are worse off than everyone else and that every one else has better opportunities than you, but if that's the case it's purely mind talk taking over, and until you take control of your own mind then nothing will happen except by default. The ball is in your court, where it always has been.

FOR MORE : www.thelifedoctor.info
FREE "E" Book : www.the-alchemy-of-life.com
John Rushton / The Life Doctor 2011
     

SOCIAL DEPRESSION

Everyone goes through ups and downs in life, it's the way it is, some fair better than others, but that's the way it is also. However at times in life we go through bouts where life seems to drag, and although things may not necessarily go wrong they don't go right either, and that causes us to at times to fall into a mild depressed mode whereby the lustre of life forever seems tarnished and we just can't get any resolution as to what we are seeking. It's almost as we are treading water yet at the same time we are mindful that time is ticking by and we feel we need to either accomplish more than we have or be further forward than we are and that prospect seems daunting. It's at these times when the mind delves into a "Social Depression" that we become more aware ironically of others traits and habits and what's around us, although we may at times also appear a little distant too. The constant churning of our 'lack' takes us into a place where essential elements of thought and mind topics fade somewhat and we can lose our sense of humour, become a little irritable with others, lose interest, become bored very easily, lose spontaneity, go off food (or eat more) or even stop going out, become tired all the time, and start to feel grumpy about friends and family and how they think of us, thinking we need to be respected better than we are, and so it goes on. It varies from person to person and situation to situation, but the elements are all quite the same. We all have a number of faces and a number of appearances in life, we have one for our family, one for one group of friends and another for another group of friends and maybe another for those we work with and perhaps another for those we play sports with or our hobby, etc, and we share often different types of information with them all knowing that what we have said will stay within each respective circle. It's nothing new it's how life is and it's how we literally keep our cool and how we are live in many cases especially in areas where society can be narrow minded, religiously backward and intolerant old, pathetic and closed in staid traditional  thought.

Relationships can suffer with "Social Depression" and so can personal development even if in between there are bouts of excitement they soon dissipate and reset themselves as they were before. It's only until resolution of our current thinking can be accomplished that we can make headway and return to how we should be. The irony of this is that because we are feeling low it's even more difficult to see and feel our way forward as the overwhelming thought prevailing hinders our progress, almost a Catch22 situation.  Many people experience Social Depression for years and not really know it, they constantly feel "under par" or develop very mild "flu like" symptoms, sniffing, little coughs, rashes, itching, twitching, mild stomach problems, etc, that are all psychosomatic and it has a negative effect on the immune system. Anything negative reduces the immune system, anything of a goodly nature strengthens it. Mild depression is of our own doing, nothing to do with clinical depression, it's how we 'see life' and if we find no resolution or everything appears beyond our ability to rectify or overcome or change we go into a regressive mode and then just about all around us is out of kilter and small things loom large and large things we try and shrug off. Our ability to reason is lowered, our ability to think coherently is reduced and we constantly look forward to holidays or weekends or something to kid ourselves that a long rest will help, it may make us feel better but it doesn't change our mind set to the degree that we can now face life with a brighter outlook, our inner mind workings need to be changed for that to happen.

Our environment has something to do with "Social Depression" especially if we are not the most imaginative person on the planet when it comes to enjoying life. Religions are usually the "kiss of death" in that God may provide self support in our personal belief, but in changing our environment it's down to us God will not do that for us as we have "free will" hence some societies are always backward waiting for God to make his move, well he won't, it's down to you. Families should be supportive but if they are narrow and frightened and insular they just make matters worse, even if they are of a kindly nature. Friends should help after all if they don't "what the hell" are you doing with those people around you. If you are living a double life just to fit in (because you have another side to you) which it not uncommon especially in religious countries where God should help you but ironically it's the opposite, then life is a different ball game altogether. We are entitled to a free life, who has the right to tell us what to do or be, no one is an expert in life even if some are better at it than others, what we create for ourselves is precious as we only walk this pathway once and so should not be put off by the insularity or more aptly stupidity of others. It's easy for some to stand and be counted and for others it's almost a step too far as they get tied up in the world of "what others think", and for 99% of those who ever come into contact with us they have no bearing upon our life whatsoever, even if they are fun to be with. If you can't stand for yourself then no one else can.

The good news is that "Social Depression" is totally curable, it doesn't require therapy and all the stuff you didn't know existed or hadn't thought of or was suggested to you being brought up because some book or other says so, nor does it require tablets or any other medication. We are our own cure, except for those who admonish personal responsibility and would rather have a tablet or a placebo to give them that extra help they so sadly lack themselves. But for the majority of people who go through a "down spell" they come out of it even stronger smelling of roses or perhaps Chanel No5 if you prefer. Life as always is what you make it, there are no "secrets" nor "talking to the Universe" nor anything cranky nor  anything else, if you decide to change it's almost 'job done'. Our attitude is just so important in life, keeping it positive is like maintaining your car, frequent maintenance means it's less chance of breaking down. How we run our lives is totally down to us, even if we have considerations of others on our minds, the bottom line however is do we run our lives or follow others and moan about it. Love should set us free, families should be happy that we are happy even if we do things that they don't like or understand, but many don't because love isn't that strong, and if religious then it's all going too far, God doesn't help anyone who doesn't have a love conduit. "Social Depression" is but a state of mind, who runs your mind you or others, there lies the answer to much of life's problems and answers.

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John Rushton / The Life Doctor 2011

THE "WALLPAPER" EFFECT

We are a product of who we are, regardless of our environment, our circumstances our upbringing and anything else how we interact with all that is down to us, it has to be it can't be anyone else, no one else lives our lives. It's easy to blame or put credentials as to why we are like we are but that is a big let down and a lie, for if we know why we are like we are then there's a conscious understanding as to why we act and talk like we do and can't be bothered to change it all. In short it smacks of narrow mindedness, stupidity and divisive selfishness, expecting everyone else to accept you as a less than total person because of your own smug attitude. Would you even want to trust someone like this if they can't respect themselves and try to improve their lot it then holds that the chances that their verve towards you isn't that great either, even if the talk sounds good, but then that's always the easy part. We are all different and talk differently, it's what makes us as individuals the people we are, and whilst we don't expect perfection we do like to see in others something that resonates with our way of thinking and degrees of compatible understanding or something even better, perhaps even admire or aspire to. When we meet others we immediately look for "how compatible" are they with us, as nice as they may be it takes only a few negative notions or traits to allow that initial excitement to cool off fairly rapidly, and then shortly thereafter that person loses their sparkle in our eyes as we think we can 'see through them', whatever that is or means. Our friends and family vary too, and what once was good and great can stretch the relationship from close to arms length because either party has evolved or changed stance which now reflects different views or possibly at times even regressed somewhat and thus has less of a pull when it comes to excitement of life itself or general conversation.

Our environment and how others perceive it or us is a direct relationship for most people on how they present themselves and what they say. Those that are positive by nature get on better in life than those who aren't, those who aren't see dullness and lack as a stumbling block whilst others see failure as a prelude to something that yet hasn't happened but an intermediate learning curve to enjoying better fruits all around. If we talk in a certain way, experience life in a certain way, have narrow views on aspects of life, have narrow experience on aspects of life have narrow thoughts on aspects of life and cosset ourselves in a world of "all about us" then that is a recipe for the "Wallpaper Effect" it's how you show yourself to others, It's a backdrop you carry around with you, it's a staid view of life no matter how life hits you it all seems to come back to the self same thing and revolves around the dullness of negativity and oobtuseness and often out of calibre with the rest of life and that manifests itself as a stain on your already detailed wallpaper. Even if others like what you say or even look like, if there is a discord in how you perceive or understand or "come to terms" with certain aspects they will move away as some areas of progress are just so crucial to moving forward, and others have a life of their own which doesn't have to include putting up with your ineptitude or stubbornness. And whilst as individuals we may have some grand philanthropic mind set that we think is just and great, it won't by and large get you anywhere other than landing on the snakes in life's 'snakes and ladders' existence. Grand mind sets are best kept to oneself until such times as they can be put to the test with adequate backup as one could end up being even more isolated and receive no respect for their ideas, which is deep down what they are seeking.

We see celebrities taking drugs, getting drunk, having brawls, going to rehab, some even become synonymous with such as their "Wallpaper" is a motley shade of disharmony, unrest, plight, ego, fear, sadness, longing, unquenched love, desire, arrogance, sadness, tears, neediness, and a whole lot more, it's all got a lifespan, unfortunately many individuals never get to see the end of it. For other mortals the self same thing exists in different formats but never the less it's very real, what we all experience whether it's more or less than others it's very real to us and we feel the pain or happiness like only we can. It may be comforting to know that we are not alone in what we are feeling but it doesn't stop it. The "wallpaper effect" can be our very downfall not even knowing that we have such a thing, but others will definitely know, even those who don't know us so well if described to them will say "Oh yes that's so and so" not realising just how much information they have subliminally picked up on that person. Communing with life is a great way to expand the mind, the opposite of that is a way to narrow the mind and both show the results of either situation. Our character is one thing, it's often difficult to modify just how we are, although our self input into life can be what we want it to be, we have to market ourselves even if we haven't got a natural disposition towards life nothing heavy or contrived but enough to make people think we aren't the first "zombie" that they've come into contact with, or that the reason they are lonely is because they are really boring.

Individuals and companies have a persona of their own, it's sometimes the charismatic chairman sometimes the quality or innovative nature of the products they produce and sometimes it's because they sell expensive goods cheaply, it all conforms to a 'wallpaper' backdrop which is usually upheld by PR and brand advertising until at such time a re-brand is needed to re-position and smarten up and update the brand into a more modern and acceptable form. Humans are no different if we don't update our mind software from time to time we will be left behind and no amount of rhetoric will shift the stance as by that time everyone else will have moved on.

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John Rushton / The Life Doctor 2011
     

EASING THE PAIN OF REALITY

It's difficult at times to come to terms with aspects of life, what we are personally going through has nothing to do with what others are experiencing whether it be to a greater or lesser degree, one thing doesn't not enhance or reduce our own plight. Talk is what it is, it can be cheap or meaningful, it can be that of cold callous afternoon television rhetoric the "Zoo TV slots" of making fun of unfortunate people for cheap programmes or it can be saged words that hit home and almost give an instant remedy to what we need to hear, as opposed to what we want to hear. Finding the right information or help can be a task in itself, there are books written on a whole manner of "Self Help" situations often containing excellent content, but they rarely work otherwise they would be up on sales equivalent to the Bible hitting No1 position year in year out. Many 'self help' authors have been in therapy themselves and their writing reflects at times past questions and ideas from their counsellors, some of whom aren't that stable either. The complexity of the human mind is as simple as it is literally complex, stability is one of the key factors of modern society and it shouldn't be as the way forward for each and every one of us is different even if we encounter similar or parallel situations. Trying to conform to stereotype "complaints" which psychiatrists and the like have put a name to makes matters even worse, where once we coped, now we have an official complaint and rarely a cure, just a smart word for it, 'stress' being the over used name and often culprit of  nothing more than being busy or having a lot to do.

It can be a lonely pathway for any individual trying to reconcile who they are, what they are, where they are going and what's going to happen over and above the obvious. For the majority of the population all these areas are either transient aspects of personal growth or limited 'time lines' in between areas of life which throws the mind into a semi-quandary to soon dissipate as life takes a turn for the better and the mundanity of our past thoughts pale into the background of life and soon become a distant memory. For some however or those going through a "challenging" phase of life it is a very real world of mayhem, bleak reality, lack, misunderstanding, trying to find an inner home of contentment, isolation and a feeling of being the "only one" but that is just a feeling nothing more, it's also allowing selfishness to take a hold too, which is not good. How we react to anything is governed to some extent as to how we are "hard wired" and some make a bigger meal out of things than others, some can smile at adversity whilst others just cower down and cause life to be worse than it is, everything in life is a perception from within. It goes without saying that the more positively minded we are the better life will always be and we will see more opportunities than those who constantly dwell on the negativity and miss out on the opportunities that pass them by.

Of course resolution is the name of the game and this has no set time frame, so it could be an overnight success that hits home or it could last a number of years as could be the case, either way we have to live proficiently at the same time or we will lose respect for ourselves and the ability to see life from a good position, always experiencing steep highs and deep lows. This also isn't any good and fosters again selfishness and pathetic insularity towards being smug and opting out at times veering on the side of cossetting the inner self. If this happens then we even lose track of what our plight is and it becomes a  way of life more than a temporary situation regardless of how long temporary is. Our plight can be exacerbated by financial lack, illness, family, friends, let down and all the other things that everyone else on the planet experiences at some time in their lives, so piling these things on to what we have already have is just another smugness of our own making to try and find even more excuses as to why we can't go forward, it's at times easy to hide behind excuses than not, but doing so lowers the pit of darkness even further. We build our reality, it's nothing to do with circumstances or situations they are as they are, they have not singled us out as they have no concern towards us, we have all the ability we need to progress and find the elevator at the bottom of the pit, the one that all the others have similarly found when they looked and exited on to higher brighter Terra firma to smell and feel and taste life as it should be.

The "darkness" is an overwhelming feeling of "temporal nothingness" it has to be experienced to feel the void within and has nothing to do at times with a lack of anything in particular, although it usually is, it's the feeling that there is a piece of the jigsaw missing and where to find it if ever is forever illusive. That illusive aspect of "will it ever", "can it ever" and worse "what if it doesn't" is self induced selfishness, life only needs to supply the smallest of attributes for all these feelings to evaporate, like the satisfaction of finding your car keys. Your big expensive car with all it's advanced servo-electrical systems just stays on  the drive until you find your keys, and that's the self same thing with life, it's the keys that elevate and propel life forward. The big steel safety doors are opened in a flash with your six digit code, but without such a code it's you and an in penetrative barrier. The codes, the keys are all out there, there's no conspiracy to stop you or anyone else from seeking and finding them, they exist in abundance. At times though we prefer our own take on "luck" or "chance" to intervene and then all will be well, it won't forget that, you have to do it, full stop. And as best we can, no matter how we are "hard wired" we have to be positive and stop dwelling on hypothetical and intellectual mind conversations because they lead nowhere to the outside world, and end up being an endless loop of internal dimension. How we exist is crucial and whether we are mono-minded or able to multi-task it matters not, we need to break free from our own self delusions that the jigsaw piece is the key it's not, we are not inanimate, we are fluid and what one sees today could be different tomorrow and therefor the pieces themselves mutate to reflect our surroundings. It's at the end of the day down to us, comparisons of others are futile, it's us, us, us, us, us and what others do or happens is towards them, not us. Let's take ownership right now and walk our pathway, that way we will at least have every opportunity when it happens, and the will to take full advantage of it and not have ethereal strings tied to imponderable areas of life that we created out of self pity. When we can take ownership we can then proficiently look after all else, but until that time we are almost useless to everyone especially ourselves.

For more : www.thelifedoctor.info
FREE "E" Book : www.the-alchemy-of-life.com
John Rushton / The Life Doctor 2011

EVERY END HAS A NEW BEGINING

Everything in life has a life of its own, it has a duration that somewhere it is stamped with a 'best before' or 'expiry date', expiry dates are somewhat final but 'best before' dates indicate that after that date the product is going to go into a state of possible deterioration and then it's of no use to anyone. Friends, jobs, life circumstances, etc, are all finite, they can range from the very short lived to almost a lifetime (whatever a lifetime is), and when they come to a conclusion either via a natural ending or through some circumstantial ending we need to be mindful of the next phase that our life will bring to us and not dwell on the past, for the past is spent time, the future is still full of vast potential no matter what that is. We have that eternal understanding or not of whether God exists and if so which religion depicts Him as many of the current religions are far from loving and caring and seem to drum up hatred, killing and the like all in the name of it. However if your religion upholds killing then what is the Devil supposed to do, as he is supposed to do all these things. But taking all that aside, we have the endles theories of how the universe was formed and how it came about, but the most important question of all, is what was there before the big bang. In sciptures it talks about "world without end" and "infinite" but for the mere human being what does it mean , for mortal minds to comprehend there must have been a start and if so how? Quite imponderrable, we can have good guestimates after the big bang but before it it's all lost science, who, what started the before?

Our own lives comprise a series of starts and stops, we get older and in our earthly form we evolve at a rather fast rate, baby, child, teenager, adult, old person, die, next. During this incredibly short life span we have to make the best of what we can with what we have and where we are otherwise we will miss out and not enjoy to the full what's on offer to us nor give to society too, no matter how small that giving is. As sentient humans we have a rather sophisticated thought process which incorporates lots of etherial aspects inherent in whom we are such as love and hate and fun and terror and all the pairing opposites that we come across on an almost daily basis. The human condition is very real and what we have devised for ourselves at least in the West is basically wondrous, the other world areas haven't done so well at all, the West have grasped evolution to make life better for themselves, even if in the process we have been possibly recklessly negligent in how we have treated our planet. But there again all of human involvement has come at a price and evolution of the whole universe is happening whilst we speak, nothing stays the same even if it appears so, decay is a natural phenominan. All areas of life are put under the test of time even more so religions and the evil minded priests/imams/rabbis of such who can't come to terms with today thus hold on to the past and cause mayhem to try and find a useful position within it all especially for themselves, but time is having the last laugh and leaving more dissolusioned people suffering because of it, it's at this time that uprisings and changes start to form.

The world is speeding up, the planet itself is growing and changing at a rate of knotts, the universe in which we exist is changing, the sun is changing, our weather is changing, and even with man's own influences the planet is evolving although to a large extent will compensate for extremes but in the process it will affect the way we live and what we buy and what we eat and who produces what where. And whilst for years certain countries produced certain products the reverse is happening and such products are declining in some areas and increasing in others, even if this is temporary in the grand order of things. Much of the science that's broadcast is dubious as one camp thinks one way and another thinks another way and then six months down the line they all discover that there was more to the original equation than they thought and it changes yet again, meanwhile we all keep on living and doing the best we can whilst the many scienties play at their hobby of trying to prove their theories yet again. The expert chain especially on television is the most dubious way of receiving correct and properly informative information there currently is, hype sells better than reality, because many don't actually know what reality is. Most news rooms in the media broadcast from another planet.

Even in science computer driven proceedures are not only cutting down costs dramatically it's making accessability to vast areas of the population become a reality. Legal documents can be scanned in minutes as opposed to lawyers reading such over weeks and still missing out on vital areas, medical scans being more accurate than those of human sight, and whilst the need for human intervention will always be there the way in which we interact with life will radically change. That change will affect how we think and our perceptions and also mean in many cases that Universities will have to alter what they teach as the balance of what was available will become more limited and what is becoming more available needs to be nurtured. Unfortunately both educationalists and governments are always slow on the uptake, and whilst politicians may announce the understanding of needed change the deed of physically enacting it remains usually almost dormant. The large multi-national companies will in effect have to teach employees themselves on defined areas of science and technology that are of core value to them as new technology is already pushing boundaries to limits we have yet to experience.

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YOUR LIFE - YOUR CHOICE - YOUR FUTURE

With upheavals in the Middle East and millions of Arabs seeking freedom, whatever that is for them, so used to being governed and working and moaning within staid infrastructures that they are not quite sure what they do want, although many are sure what they don't want. Years of oppressive religious bias governed by just a few and so it goes on, freedom is more of a concept than a way of life. But for those who feel oppressed for no other reason than than life isn't treating them well or that they are stuck in a time warp of situational fixation it's a totally different ball game. We can all at times when things "apparently" seem to be going well get stuck in a rut of "what now" and "everything's all right but there is something missing" and it's more often than not caused by our own actions and doings. Situations and circumstances are what they are, they can be changed in a flash or be almost etched in stone for the foreseeable future, either way we have the ability to work around them, alter them, change where we are , change what we do or any number of other permutations. Many of us however don't like this route or this idea as it quite often means drastic action that we are not prepared to take preferring to intellectualise or throw endless amounts of conjecture into the foray, but never the less it's us that has to move and shake to make effective headway. We are in charge of our lives regardless of circumstances and responsibilities, it's just us that we have to come to terms with, no one else, we are the biggest problem that we will ever have to face, all of our reasoning is within our minds.

Most people strive to do well, some seemingly with little ability forge ahead whereas others with learned  and inherent skills are almost left on the touch line of life just looking on, it's the way it is, although even within the latter sphere there are permutations for elevation and forward passage. The psychology of living isn't that difficult, we do most things with relative ease as it's just a natural act or stance from our part, it's the mental cloudiness that many face and seem to have difficulties in overcoming. The self created "conditions" that until they were given a name people got on with, now even the most subtle of tasks is almost a stress related feat of dexterity, and where once one would say "I'm busy" it's "I'm stressed out because of my work", everything is relative. What we say in life is a reflection of whom we are, if we keep on saying things in a dull tone of voice and it's predominantly negative then we will create a "wallpaper" effect of lowness and then that will be our self designed pattern, it will become our backdrop of life and we will literally incorporate whatever we do or say, good or bad into a stereotyped thought that will mould and shape our way forward within our daily life. We all know people who are forever ebullient and fun regardless and we know the opposite too, the latter we need to be in the right mood to listen to otherwise it becomes a toil and something that isn't conducive to uplifting the soul.

We do have great choices, it's often the motivation that is lacking even though the end result is to be in our favour, but if we don't push ourselves then neither motivation nor breakthroughs nor change will ever take place. We will be dragged on by life itself in the default lane and then at end up in a place where we didn't want to be in which is very common. Everyone has a character of some sort and it manifests itself or highlights itself predominantly in certain areas, conviviality, friendliness, easily communes with others and life, always smiles, helpful, knowledgeable and readily imparts it to others, etc, many have characters that are almost dormant and only shine when the need is there, in other words it's all subjective and controlled, in between they are probably dull, and that has a negative side. We need others in order to move forward, it's how we progress and who we know that is going to help us forge ahead, at the same time those that help us also receive an elevation from what has been imparted en-route, nothing happens ever in isolation. Whatever our aims or objectives are in life, it's down to us, forming a negative cloud to make it seem more palatable and less trying isn't part of the picture. Only by looking at the positive regardless of circumstances can we ever see the glints of blue sky in the grey clouds, sitting under the clouds we miss everything.

For more : www.thelifedoctor.info
FREE "E" Book : www.the-alchemy-of-life.com
John Rushton / The Life Doctor 2011

BE PREPARED TO BE WRONG

Children are in many ways quite virtuous in that they "have a go"at what they do or say, they don't know any other, and we see comical aspects of what they do and say on television via clips sent in by parents of their own children doing somewhat 'silly' things. Children more often than not don't have pre-conceptions nor do they have the amount of amassed stupidity that humans do based on what others think or say, children if they lose the plot just "have a go" the best they can. As they get older parents and the educational system brow beats us into thinking in a certain way, the press and media make fodder of people who have made mistakes or got it wrong forgetting all the right and good things that such people have done in the past. The world unfortunately by and large is made up of lemmings and dull pathetic people, these include parents and educationalists who have in turn been conditioned and who by their own volition think they are just and right, yet what do they really know other than what they have been taught and never challenged, the little imagination that's actually left is so governed by "outside and alien thoughts" that they become almost mentally impotent and facile. Fortunately there are those who do break free, those that do have a mind of their own and despite protestations, veering from others, and struggles feel at least they are worthwhile citizens within the galaxy of numbskull's and can and do make a difference. Scientists often get things wrong every day for years in trying to find a cure or get a breakthrough in a particular field, but they do and it's because of them that many people are still alive today or enjoy a better quality of life no matter how small, it's all grist to the mill of getting better in life.

People who are prepared to be wrong which is not the same as the self opinionated and bombastic folk who feel the need to tell everyone their story who are self created failures by default, are those who walk their own pathway. Those that see life from a different perspective and are genuinely interested in what life is all about and not a potted hysterically inept version depicted by soap television programmes or television chat programmes using the same old fogies time and time again which are for the mentally subnormal and pedestrian flock. The road to ending up being wrong can be very enlightening, it's often far better than being "safe" and literally doing nothing all your life except live within the narrow parameters of insularity, which is what many in the Middle East have been subjected to over many centuries and are now finding that their own voice is as good as anyone else's, even if they haven't a clue as to what to do with it. Being wrong doesn't automatically donate failure or injustice or anything grossly negative, all through our lives we adjust and compensate and learn from our mistakes. Indeed it's those that are successful that have made more mistakes than the "safe" brigade that never do anything and thus never contribute to anything either, always the recipients of what others have done. It's a sad indictment that there are people "out there" who are almost solely seeking those that have made mistakes and to highlight same for their own kudos because they themselves are lacking in their own life and have little or no ability. It says a lot for society that these areas exist and that such areas have followers, but on the grand scale of life it literally does separate the scum from the broth beneath.

For many being wrong is shameful, it's a lack of face in some cultures, but that default assumes that one has to be always right and that credential just does not exist, there is no one on planet earth who is forever correct including the insipid press and media. What lies behind our incorrect actions, predictions, assumptions is key to why we get things wrong, sometimes or in some cases nearly always, even with the best will in the world outside forces dictate our final stance. Those that never do anything can be the culprits of worse negativity than those that do and get it wrong, as those that get it wrong are more likely to be able to effect corrections and modifications far quicker and more effectively than the majority who sit and wait for others to do it for them, and then still haven't a clue.
Corrections, modifications, a change of stance, direction, attitude is how we learn, it's how we evolve, and what might be correct one week may not the next and our ability to understand and adapt is crucial.

Some areas of life are almost changing weekly such as in the food industry where one day we will be living on borrowed time if we eat a certain food, then two weeks later it's the best thing we could take for longevity, and the week following it's all rescinded, and so it goes on. Government and councils make horrific mistakes because they are predominantly run by people who rely on consultants and don't in themselves have any intrinsic knowledge or a feeling for what they do, it's almost always based upon "it was a good idea at the time" but it usually isn't as much of what is implemented it's what has to be drastically changed shortly afterwards. Success is based upon things going wrong, so it eliminates much of the fault lines and leaves what's left as a more true and pure source to work more efficiently. Never be frightened to go for it, make a difference, make an opportunity work, forget that it may be wrong especially if you have done your research. Many a product launch fails one time to work the next, it's just the way it is.

For more : www.thelifedoctor.info
FREE "E" Book : www.the-alchemy-of-life.com
©John Rushton / The Life Doctor 2011