Category Archives: personal choice and happiness

Leaving the comfort zone

A few days into the New Year it appears that we are on the threshold of some major economic and political changes.  A downturn is long overdue given a cycle of uninterrupted growth for almost a decade. A continued trajectory upward defies the law of nature but most of us continue to believe that there are exceptions.

In making contingency plans, you won’t be caught by surprise. Those who choose the path of safety and comfort will fail to see the thunder storms of change on the horizon and take action only when its too late. It is the unwritten code of all life form.

An organism has the flexibility to adapt to changes in its habitat, changing its response or moving to a different environment. The species that fails to adapt to the continuous changes of the wheel of life will inevitably be doomed.

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Photo by Maik Fischer on Unsplash

The natural response of most humans in an economic environment of major change is to go into blaming mode: Its always the fault of the management, the government, foreigners or other external factors, surrendering themselves to a life of misery of what was and could have been.

But it’s the fear of the unknown that prevents most people from taking action when the writing is all over the wall.

Life appears easy in the comfort zone but a comfort zone can get very uncomfortable. Expectations are in line with what is expected. You are on automatic mode. You have the skill set on what needs to be done. But there is no magic left in the air. Staying in the treadmill of the routine is the reason why so many people lose their drive and enthusiasm.

We humans are creatures of habit and we need to train ourselves to remain adaptable to the cues of change that the universe is constantly sending us. We learn when we encounter new experience and that’s part of the magic in becoming our true self.

Be brave and adventurous. Try some New Year resolutions:

Take a path you’ve never walked before or go to places you’ve never been to. Learn a new craft, language or hobby. Meet new people that help move you out of the comfort zone. Try a different restaurant and a different dish. Wear clothing and colors that are different from your standard repertoire.

In becoming more flexible you will have less difficulty adapting to external changes that are out of your control.

Reino Gevers – Author, Mentor and Consultant

https://www.reinogevers.com

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Filed under happiness, lifestyle management, meditation, personal choice and happiness, Uncategorized, work environment, work purpose

On the treshold of a Renaissance

Despite the general despondency over the rise of nationalism, xenophobia and fundamentalism in many countries, we are on the threshold of another Renaissance in raised human consciousness.

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A new chapter in the evolution of mankind is often preceded by an era where the shadow side of humanity comes to the fore. We saw this in the dark ages of religious intolerance and suspension of Greco-Roman classical culture of the Middle Ages prior to the Renaissance of the 14th century.

Evolution happens with pauses and setbacks. It is in the tension and confrontation with the opposite that change occurs – the law of yin and yang. The silver lining we see is that science and technology is giving us many more clues into the functioning of the human mind and why we are who we are.

Currently we see two extremes: A rigid belief system and fundamentalism on the one hand versus a Bohemian, free-for-all nihilism on the other. Without the grounding in a personal philosophy and value system, people easily fall prey to demagogues. In a fast-changing world the instinctive impulse is to protect the world we know with inner and outer walls.

In order to move forward into the era of our new Renaissance there are several challenges:

  • We need a real reconciliation between the races and the sexes.
  • Religious dogmatism and intolerance needs to be transmuted by the spirituality of choice, inner growth and tolerance.
  • A new spirituality comes with the realization of a deep inter-connection with the universe and the world we live in.

How far are we down the road and when will we have our Renaissance? Will we see the change during our lifetime or that of our children?  Such a change cannot be measured in years or decades. It could however, come faster than we realize. On average human knowledge is currently doubling every 13 months and the pace is increasing rapidly.

It is phenomenal when we put it into context. In 1900 human knowledge doubled approximately every 100 years. By the end of 1945, the rate was every 25 years.

The digital age is changing our world very fast – technologically, economically and on a mind-thought level – whether we like it or not.

Reino Gevers – Author, Mentor and Consultant 
http://www.reinogevers.space

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Filed under happiness, humanity, lifestyle management, personal choice and happiness, raised consciousness, spirituality, Uncategorized

When the shadow takes over

The ancient teachers of Jewish mysticism and self-development warned their students to be very watchful of the shadow side of character taking hold the further they walked the spiritual path.

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The universe has a way of rewarding the “enlightened spirit” with power, wealth and influence. Whether these tools are used for the betterment of all living things and the raising of collective consciousness depends on character.

True character shows itself when man or woman is entrusted with influence and power over others. Some film, sports and rock stars have realized that with fame comes responsibility. Too many others have succumbed to substance and alcohol abuse.

Current world leaders appear to be driven by narcissism and self-aggrandizement, taking humanity many steps backwards at a time when vision and sense of purpose are required to address the challenges of our time.

But it is too easy to blame these leaders for “our misery”. They merely reflect what is happening with human consciousness at a deeper level. These leaders did not just happen. Democracy is a fragile plant that needs to be nurtured and protected.

We are living in an age where the shadow side of humanity such as narcissism and xenophobia are fueled by social media. Sound science, research and historical facts are buried in an avalanche of fake news.  Don’t get me wrong. Social media also has many positives with the ordinary person able to access information to an extent, unimaginable two decades ago and connecting people over continents.

But we need to be guardians at the gateway of our soul just as much as we need to be watchful of what our leader are doing to our world. We are living in an interesting and dangerous time.

“Walking on Edge – A Pilgrimage to Santiago” available both in Kindle and paperback.

http://www.reinogevers.space

Start your day by adding turmeric to your meals – one of the best ways to boost your immune system.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed under happiness, mass media, meditation, mental-health, personal choice and happiness, raised consciousness, social media, spirituality, Uncategorized

Feeling stressed out?

Mankind is living in its best era yet, experiencing better health, peace and higher standard of living than all generations before. So why do so many people suffer from stress and chronic fatigue?  Has the “comfortable” life made us less resilient? Other generations experienced war, famine, disease and all sorts of challenges that we do not have to deal with.

Businessman pushing hard against falling deck of domino tilesMy take on this is that stress is not really the problem but that a host of factors come into play, especially the lack of recuperation in today’s fast track world. Here are some tips to make you more resilient in riding the storm during those tough times. We cannot avoid stress. It is part of life, but we can learn to deal with stressful situations differently.

 

  • Body movement: When you are under stress your body is flooded with a stress hormone called cortisol. The more cortisol in your system, the more your adrenal glands on the kidneys become fatigued. Try body arts that relax you both mentally and physically and bring your entire body metabolism into balance. Yoga, taiji, qi gong, pilates and meditation are ancient proven methods that work. But even a gentle walk in nature and jogging at a gentle pace will help bring down your stress level.
  • Eating good foods:  Too much sugar and salts in processed foods is wreaking havoc in your body. White sugars rob the body of phosphates which are vitally important in almost every intra-cellular reaction. Too much salt interferes with the natural absorption of water in the body, causing constipation, accumulation of toxins and higher blood pressure. You can’t go wrong with a good mixture of fresh seasonal vegetables and fruit. The supplement spirulina is loaded with beta carotene, iron, magnesium and other trace materials which your body really needs during times of stress.
  • Healing rituals: When everything around us appears to be in disarray or collapse a ritual can restore balance and sense of belonging and connection. It could be a religious prayer, the lighting of a candle, a meditation or any other regularly performed daily action at a certain time or place of the day. Rituals have been part of human life and social interaction since the dawn of mankind but we seem to have forgotten the significance of them in the rat-race of modern times.
  • Friends and family: A typical symptom of burnout caused by stress is the withdrawal from social interaction. We are social animals and need to talk and interact with our fellow human beings, who give us important feedback, empathy, sense of meaning and comfort. Sharing and volunteering your help for a non-profit organisation, church, neighborhood initiative or any other group that serves a higher purpose often brings you “back to earth”.

If you can learn to ride the storm, change can positively enrich your life in many ways. The challenge lies in dealing with those defining moments of transition from a position of strength and power. During tough times we more than ever need time for recuperation, a time out and activities or hobbies that take the mind away from obsessive worry.

Reino Gevers – Mentor for Leaders and Achievers – Your Health Matters

Awakening the Fire Within – key principles of health and success. Enrolling now will give you a 25 per cent discount.

NEW RELEASE: “Walking on Edge – A Pilgrimage to Santiago” available both in Kindle and paperback.

http://www.reinogevers.com

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Filed under body arts, cortisol, cortisol effects, exercise mental health, happiness research, longevity, meditation, personal choice and happiness

The choices we make

By Reino Gevers
trump__clintonIts official: Donald Trump has been chosen as the 45th U.S. president, like it or not. Here in Europe and elsewhere in the world most people woke up to the news with absolute disbelief and shock.  Only about five per cent of Germans would have voted for him, according to one opinion poll.

A lot of sincere, honest and good people I know in the U.S. have voted for Trump. I see a lot of similarity to the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom. Defying all the pollsters and predictions from political analysts, a lot of people out there are very angry and frustrated with the political establishment. It appears that a large percentage of the Trump and the Brexit voters can be found  among blue collar workers, people who have lost their jobs in once booming manufacturing industries and who are not getting by financially in new badly paid services jobs or dont have a job at all.

When societies undergo tumultuous changes, where all the old values certainties start crumbling, toxic emotions are triggered. Where fear reigns, the demagogue appealing to basic survival instincts, has easy play.

Trump is promising to make America great again and to double economic growth. Disappointment is inevitable. I remember very well the euphoria after Barack Obama was chosen as the first black American president. Did it change the lives of the ordinary working family in the U.S. or the rest of the world? And a Trump presidency won’t be working miracles either. Nor would a Hillary Clinton have worked wonders for that matter.

Its an illusion that a government,  a president, an employer, a parent or anyone else out there can make you a happier, healthier and a more contented person. Unfortunately politics is massively fuelling this deception and creating a culture of entitlement.  My take on this is that the world has become far too complex for any one government or leader to make a difference. We need a major cultural change of attitude.

Whether you become a happier, more successful, healthier and contented person is a result of the personal choices you make. And  the first step is taking over responsibility for everything that happens in your life:

  • We cannot control external events but we do control our reaction to them.
  • We do have a choice of what people we surround ourselves with. Who are your friends? Are they upbeat, positive or have a preominantly negative outlook on life? We become the sum of the five people we surround ourselves most with.
  • What do you feed your mind and body with?
  • What are your five most cherished values and who is the person you know who emanates them the most?

Life is a learning curve and we cannot delegate resonsibility to others.  I love that famous quote from John F. Kennedy at his inaugural speech on January 20th 1961: “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

Reino Gevers – Mentoring for Leaders and Achievers

http://www.reinogevers.com

 

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Filed under demagogues, john f. kennedy, personal choice and happiness, trump and hillary, trump presidency, Uncategorized