Dont blindly follow anyone. Not diets, not on religion, not on politics, not on (ESPECIALLY) not on what is advertised to you, not on nutrition labels. Read, study- use your own intuition- your own ability to reason. Check it out for yourself- Dont be lazy- RESEARCH. All of the great spiritual leaders through out history have said the same thing- before their teachings were hijacked by various institutions- discover the truth for yourself if it reaches the rational side of you and resonates with you- by all means try it out. But dont turn anything into your guru. If you have to defend something so ardently against naysayers that you would actually get violent about it- chances are somewhere deep down you know that what you believe isnt real- and what youre really getting defensive about is the terror that reason will break down the barriers youve built up.
This goes for anything- question your opinions and beliefs. How much of what you believe you know is enculturation?
How much of who you believe you are is what someone told you? What have you allowed others to make you believe about yourself and reality?
That your genes make you fat? Unless you have a real medical condition- then no, thats not a fact- thats an excuse to eat whatever and create profits for corporations that are making a killing (literally) off of you and your family's health. Do you really think genes have changed that much in the last thirty years? Haha.... C'mon.
Maybe you were told you were bad at math-
Maybe you were told you were stupid
That youre too old
Too crazy, bad genes, too poor-
Too whatever- forget it all.
Maybe you were told that whatever you want to do with your life is impossible
By who? Why would you let yourself believe any of that? Dont let it become a self fulfilling prophesy.
Some examples-
Im not attacking religion here- but show a fossil to a creationist and listen to the arguments
Talk to a left or right wing individual about opposing views
Global warming- it's a fact- but tell that to certain people and youre going to encounter a lot of resistance (by which I mean- spittle flying, name calling...) Even if you dont believe in global warming all you have to do is a take a look at your own local ecosystem- the trash in the water. the oil slicks, watch the weather channel- they usual give you a measure on how high the pollution is and whether or not it's safe to do outdoor activities that day.
The level of toxins in the ocean- I remember some friends and I went to Costa rica and just about every other beach had a red skull and crossbones- The locals werent swimming because either sewage or other toxic waste was being dumped straight into the ocean.
Scuba diving off the great barrier reef and seeing very few living creatures- I was told that a few years ago it was completely overrun by gorgeous fish. Most of what I saw were jelly fish- and those scare the hell out of me.
In South America I saw first hand the destruction of the Amazon. It took quite a bit of travel to find the primary rainforests that Id dreamed of seeing every since I was a kid. Once those are decimated- they dont come back. You look at the hills and you see barren fields where it looks like someone took a shaver and just wiped it clean.
The lesson here- i dont believe in global warming because of what some politician or even scientist has said- but because of what Ive seen first hand.
China- because of irresponsible agricultural practices is becoming a giant desert. Check out the lethal dust storms.
This evidence is irrefutable.
What we do to our planet is an exact reflection of what we're doing to our own bodies. We are sick and getting sicker. Our planet is sick and we are responsible. We are responsible for our own health- as Hippocrates said ' If youre not your own doctor youre a fool'.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1206_041206_global_warming.html
I dont know about you- but it makes me think about the people who were put to death for challenging the de facto views in the past- the earth is round (you will not fall off the edge into oblivion, turns out), we live in a heliocentric solar system, women are not evil, evolution is real (it is called a theory- but so is gravity), and yes- we are trashing our own ecosystem beyond belief for profit.
Show someone with strong racial views evidence that there are no anthropological differences between different ethnicities
Tell someone whos on the twelve step program that they are not powerless over their addictions and they dont have to become devoted to something that at it's core forces you to follow a religious manifesto.
Following any of these things and believing them make them true for you. If you allow yourself to be told who you are- then thats who you will be.
Or as Terrance McKenna said- NOBODY IS SMARTER THAN YOU ARE.
Give thanks for what you are now, and keep fighting for what you want to be tomorrow. ~Fernanda Miramontes-Landeros
Laziness will cause you pain. ~Slogan on T-shirt worn at the Vee Arnis Jitsu School of Self-Defense
It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it. ~Albert Einstein
"We have been taught lies. Reality is not at all what we perceive it to be. We cannot survive any longer by hanging onto the falsehoods of the past. Reality must be discerned at all costs if we are to be part of the future. Truth must prevail in all instances, no matter who it hurts or helps, if we are the continue to live upon this earth. At this point, what we want may no longer matter. It is what we must do to ensure our survival that counts. The old way is the certain process of destruction and a New World Order is beating down the door. To cling to the past is guaranteed suicide. To remain apathetic is assured enslavement. To learn the truth and then act upon it is the only means of survival at this moment. - - - Like it or not, this is it, stark reality. You can no longer turn your head, ignore it, pretend it's not true, say "it can't happen to me," run, or hide. The wolf is at the door. "
