In a relentless storm of external distractions, it’s easy to lose yourself in a maze of illusions, false hopes, and misleading perceptions that steer you away from your true destiny and purpose.
The messaging from the world out there is primarily that happiness is created by „having“ rather than „being“.
Abundance and prosperity, if used mindfully, are useful tools to make an impact, but if they are the primary motive of all your efforts you will never have enough, falling into the trap of postponing the good life to some distant future.
Here is the hard truth: That moment will never come if you fail to live fully in the present moment, and practice gratitude for all the blessings that you already have.
Accepting Responsibility
Victimhood is one of the biggest obstacles to growth and personal fulfillment. By blaming your partner, your parents, your boss and the government for all that has gone wrong in your life you stay at a low vibrational energy where you will miss all the opportunities offered by the universe.
When the language you speak to yourself and others is mainly one of anger, retribution and hate you will attract much of the same dark energy around you. What you emanate to the world you will receive. You will remain trapped in an endless cycle of unhappiness.
We are all victims to some degree. The storms of life can unsettle in countless unpredictable ways. External events, accidents, personal loss and natural catastrophes are not under your control. But how you deal with these unexpected events make all the difference.
Like the seasons in nature nothing is permanent. The natural cycle dictates a time of spring and summer for birth, growth, and harvesting before we enter again a season of autumn and winter. The dark cold seasons of life are a time for introspection, recalibration and renewal. It means letting go of people that keep you at a low frequency, changing a job, a location or even a country. Fear of the unknown often leads to procrastination in the comfort zone but moving ahead also presents the greatest opportunity for growth and personal fulfillment.
Follow your aspirations and dreams
Never give up on your values, purpose and your why. You will intuitively sense that you are on the right path if everything falls into place. You meet the right people at the right time at the place at the right time. You feel a surge of energy and passion when you are doing the things that are in sync with your values and dreams.
Societal norms and expectations
There will always be other people who are seemingly happier, healthier and wealthier than you are. What you see on social media is not the reality. Sometimes those people who seemingly have everything in terms of fame and fortune are deeply unhappy because happiness is a state of mind.
Taking time for solitude
In a noisy and hurried world it has become more essential than ever to take time out for solitude and contemplation. When you take time for a quiet walk in nature the noise of the world recedes into the background. You will sense an innate harmony beyond the seemingly chaotic. In the natural world everything is interconnected and has its place and purpose within the totality of wholeness.
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker
P.S. If you enjoyed this article you will be interested in my books available where all good books are sold.
Check out also the recent episode on the Living to BE podcast and Youtube with our special guest Matt O’Neill. The topic: Happiness is a Choice.
A few months after Nelson Mandela was released from 27 years of imprisonment by South Africa’s apartheid regime, I had the extraordinary privilege of meeting him at his home with a small group of journalists.
As I stood in his presence, I couldn’t help but wonder how a man who had endured such immense suffering could radiate such profound kindness and show no desire for retribution toward those who had wronged him.
The answer became clear when he shared a powerful insight: “Forgiveness liberates the soul, it removes fear. That’s why it’s such a powerful weapon.”
A powerful message of leadership
Mandela’s wisdom and unwavering commitment to forgiveness set him apart as a leader of unparalleled stature, guiding his nation from the brink of civil war to the dawn of a modern democracy. His example is a powerful reminder of the qualities of leadership that are so desperately needed in our world today.
Seeking retribution for wrongs committed by others is at the heart of the Middle East conflict and peace will not be found unless Israelis and Palestinians learn to forgive each other. It is difficult enough on a personal level to forgive but wise leaders of a country can make all the difference.
Are you struggling to forgive yourself and others? The biblical story of Joseph is one of the most powerful teachings of how the ways of the universe or God can be very different from the plans we often make in life.
Joseph was slandered, beaten, and sold into slavery by his own brothers because of jealousy. Joseph could have easily succumbed to his fate but he never lost faith that everything in life had purpose and meaning.
The trap of the blame game
Only from such a perspective could he forgive his brothers and move out of the trap of the blame game. He made the best out of his situation to such an extent that Potiphar, the man who bought him on the slave market in Egypt, soon promoted him to a higher position. Later he was put in charge of managing Potiphar’s huge estate.
Potiphar had taken a liking to Joseph and must have been impressed by his kindness, wisdom, and humility. For all intents and purposes, Joseph had made it. But Potiphar’s bored wife had taken just as much a liking to the handsome young Joseph.
Realizing that he would betray his master who had done so much for him, Joseph avoided the advances of Potiphar’s wife who became so upset that she accused him of rape. Joseph was thrown into prison losing everything. He could again have succumbed to despondency.
But it so happens that he meets in prison two of the Pharaoh’s ministers who had lost favor with the ruler. One of them was eventually released from prison and restored to his old position. Only when the Pharaoh had a strange dream did the minister remember the time in prison with Joseph who had impressed him as an interpreter of dreams.
Long story short: Joseph gets released from prison to interpret the Pharaoh’s dream. The essence of the dream was that the ruler had to prepare the country for seven years of drought. Amazingly Joseph’s fortune changed in an instant when the Pharaoh recognized the wisdom of the man he was dealing with. Joseph is promoted to viceroy of all of Egypt as the righthand man of the most powerful ruler of the world at the time.
Life comes in strange twists and turns
True to the dream interpretation the drought did come and only by wise management of the food and grain resources could countless lives be saved including those of Joseph’s brother and aging father Jacob.
Life comes often in strange twists and turns. Fortunes can be earned and lost overnight. High positions of political power and influence may be gone tomorrow. The amazing story of Joseph is that he never lost trust and faith. By forgiving his brothers and Potiphar’s wife for falsely accusing him, he made peace with himself and could go into trust and humility. From that energy grew his wisdom and incredible foresight to prevent a catastrophe.
Forgiving does not mean approval of wrongdoing
Forgiving does not mean that you are approving of wrongdoing, of abuse, and all the terrible things that humans do to each other. It is making peace with the past in the knowledge that you are the person today because of all of that which you have experienced.
The famous Austrian psychiatrist Victor Frankl only survived the Nazi death camps by telling himself that “everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s one way.”
Forgiveness is self-care at the highest level
Forgiveness requires a conscious decision to release feelings of resentment and vengeance toward someone who has harmed you. It is self-care at the highest level.
Forgiveness allows you to release negative emotions and to move on in life. Remaining locked in hate and retribution keeps you at a low vibrational energy that prevents you from spotting the new opportunities the universe is presenting to you.
By choosing to forgive, you are paving the way to a healthier, happier, and more fulfilling life. You are creating room for positive feelings to flourish.
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker
P.S. If you enjoyed this article you might be interested in my books available where all good books are sold.
With temperatures soaring well over 40 degrees Celcius here on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca, local authorities have imposed water restrictions and warned people to avoid heat stroke by staying indoors for most of the day.
As climate change warms the planet, heat waves are becoming more common and lasting longer. Vulnerable population groups, especially the elderly, are exposed to life-threatening temperatures. Nature is affected by drying soils and vegetation, posing higher fire risks, according to a recent study.
Climate change is shifting entire populations
Mallorca is Europe’s main holiday destination with tourism generating most of the island’s income. The problem is that the island’s limited water resources can no longer cope with an estimated 18 million visitors this year. In the long-term tourists will be choosing cooler places to go in the northern hemisphere such as Scandinavia.
For most of us these are only the beginnings of rapid climate change. We have not been forced to leave our homes, like the millions of people in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America who are bearing the brunt of climate change. Repeated flash floods or extreme dry seasons have destroyed large swathes of agricultural land.
Partisan politicization of climate change has muddied the waters
The warning signs and news reports of extreme weather patterns are getting louder by the day. Unfortunately, the issue of climate change has become extremely politicized and prey to America’s culture wars. The climate scientists, who in most cases have studied this field for decades, are getting increasingly alarmed that sound scientific data is being ignored or lambasted as fake.
When I attended the summit of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in Bonn in 1999, scientists got only one thing wrong. The climate scenarios of extreme weather patterns they had predicted by the middle of this century are already a reality in the year 2024.
Based on the annual report from NOAA’s Global Monitoring Lab, global average atmospheric carbon dioxide was 419.3 parts per million (“ppm” for short) in 2023, setting a new record high. In 1999 the rate of ppm was 367 and some of those scientists I interviewed at the time warned that the tipping point of no return was around 420 ppm.
The human mind tends to go into denial when faced with problems that seem too complex, distant, or threatening to the status quo. Climate activists may have erred in choosing the term “global warming” instead of “climate change.”
Reframing the fossil fuel debate to emphasize pollution, such as clean air, clean rivers, and biodiversity, could be more persuasive. Additionally, reliance on fossil fuels finances some of the world’s most oppressive regimes.
Climate scientists have long warned that extreme weather patterns—including hurricanes, severe winters followed by scorching summers, and flash flooding—would become increasingly common.
Mass animal production and climate change
Climate activists have not done their cause any favor by targeting the airline industry and blaming motorists for most of the carbon dioxide emissions. Somehow the animal food-producing industry has managed to dodge the fact that it impacts climate change to a far greater extent than the transportation industry.
Scientists were aware that the methane produced by grazing cattle – around two-thirds of livestock emissions come from cows – was a significant chunk of the anthropogenic greenhouse gases that were heating the planet’s atmosphere. However, there had been no attempt to quantify how large a chunk it might be.
The report estimated that livestock were responsible for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions – including nine percent of anthropogenic CO2 emissions, mostly due to deforestation for (pasture and) feed crops, 37% of anthropogenic methane emissions, largely from cow burps, 65% of anthropogenic nitrous oxides, overwhelmingly from manure and 64% of anthropogenic ammonia emissions, according to a study by Henning Steinfeld, head of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s livestock policy branch.
And then there is the issue of food waste. According to a WWF report about 6%-8% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced if we stop wasting food. In the US alone, the production of lost or wasted food generates the equivalent of 32.6 million cars’ worth of greenhouse gas emissions.
There is still hope. Our species has survived for so many thousands of generations because we have the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. By making conscious choices on what you buy in the grocery store and what you eat, you will not only be turning things around on your own health but also that of the planet.
There are numerous health benefits by focusing on foods that are nutrient-dense, minimally processed, and sustainably produced:
Opt for locally produced and seasonal products such as leafy greens, berries, carrots, tomatoes, apples, and citrus fruits.
Production of lentils, chickpeas, black beans, and peas have lower greenhouse gas emissions and improve soil health through nitrogen fixation.
Poultry generally has a lower carbon footprint than red meat. Choose organic and free-range options.
Steer clear of seafoods that don’t have sustainable eco-labelling. Species like sardines, anchovies, and herring are lower on the food chain and reproduce quickly, making them more sustainable options.
Processed foods often have added sugars, additives, unhealthy fats, and preservatives. Their production is resource-intensive, resulting in high transportation costs and greenhouse gas emissions. By better planning your meals, storing food properly, and using leftovers you can minimize waste.
Starting with these small changes, you can contribute to a more livable planet while enjoying a healthier life with more energy, better sleep, and mental resilience.
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker
P.S. If you enjoyed this article you might be interested in my books available where all good books are sold.
A 20-year-old individual with mental health issues narrowly missed assassinating former President Donald Trump, with the bullet missing him by just an inch. While the media highlights the apparent security lapses, the deeper concern lies in the alarming pattern of another troubled, angry young person resorting to gun violence.
Minutes after the incident, both sides of the political spectrum devolved into outlandish conspiracy theories, blaming each other for inciting political extremism with their rhetoric. However, the incident reflects a broader issue: a troubled young man who could have directed his violence at any other prominent person or innocent people in a school or shopping mall.
Young men responsible for mass shootings
Nearly all mass shootings in the United States have been committed by young men. A 2019 report titled “Mass Murder with Firearms: Incidents and Victims, 1999-2013” provides detailed demographic breakdowns, showing that most mass shooters are male and often in their 20s and 30s.
For most people outside the United States, the gun culture and the ease with which deeply disturbed human beings can get access to highly dangerous weapons is incomprehensible.
The man who fired at Trump, Thomas Mathew Crooks, fits the profile of most other shooters such as social isolation, mental health challenges, and access to a firearm. His political views seem ambiguous. We will never know his motives after he was killed by a secret service agent sniper.
Regression into macho-culture
A breakdown of recent European elections and the MAGA culture in the United States reveals that a large swathe of young men are regressing into an unhealthy demagogic macho culture headed by male figureheads, tapping into their grievances, anger, and lack of self-esteem.
Recent studies and statistics show us that young women in their early twenties are crushing it on nearly all levels from education to job performance while men in the same age group are falling behind with a devastating impact on their mental health.
According to the U.S. National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), in 2020, about 59 percent of all undergraduate students were women, while 41 percent were men. In the 2019-2020 academic year women earned 60 percent of all Masters degrees and 54 percent of all doctoral degrees.
Higher education levels mean higher earnings with women in their early twenties increasingly entering high-paying fields in traditionally male-dominated industries like tech and engineering.
Young men in their early twenties typically report higher rates of substance abuse across various categories. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), in 2020, some 53.4 percent of young men aged 18-25 reported binge drinking in the past month, compared to 40.3 percent of women in the same age group.
Young men typically far outnumber women when it comes to violent crime and the number of prison inmates. While over 1.1 million men serve time in prison in the United States the number of women is only 80,000.
A poll by the Institute of Politics (IOP) at Harvard Kennedy School revealed striking differences between how young Democrats, Republicans, and independents view the role of men and women in society. Young men are increasingly turning away from the Democrats and adopting more conservative Republican ideology.
In a culture where young men have the feeling they are losing out, macho male political extremists are telling them that the system is rigged against them, that immigrants and minorities are responsible for their misery, and that science is a hoax.
Overly rigid “woke” and “cancel culture” sidelines individuals for perceived transgressions contributing to societal divisiveness.
We have seen a dangerous precedent where fascist movements in Germany, Spain, and Italy during the early 1930s were led by charismatic leaders such as Hitler, Mussolini, and Franco. Fascist movements are male-dominated macho cults, emphasizing traditional gender roles. Project 2025, a plan crafted by the Heritage Foundation and various conservative groups emphasizes the role of men as providers and protectors while advocating for women primarily as caretakers and nurturers within the traditional nuclear family context.
Young men turning to the right, women to the left
A strong gender gap in political affiliation can also be detected in countries such as Germany where young men are increasingly turning to more conservative views while women in the same age group tend to vote for progressive parties. Based on recent data, it can be estimated that around 30-35 percent of young men in their early twenties in France support right-wing parties, particularly the National Rally and similar far-right parties.
In the recent European elections, the upsurge in support for right-wing parties was fueled by young voters, especially young men, embracing hardline anti-immigration views. According to pollsters political allegiances forged in young adulthood tend to last for a lifetime with the trend toward radicalism unlikely to ebb anytime soon.
While political parties on the extreme fringes are propagating the message to young men that external circumstances are responsible, the real issue of their pain is not addressed. A multi-faced approach is needed:
We urgently need to promote healthy, non-toxic models of masculinity that allow for emotional expression and vulnerability.
Peer support groups and mentoring programs can assist young men in sharing their experiences
Community-based programs that offer team sports, skill-building workshops, and social support can help reduce social isolation.
We cannot allow demagogues and political cults to poison the minds of young men with a false sense of meaning and purpose with a regression into a macho-culture, glorifying gun culture and confusing self-empowerment with the use of force.
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker
P.S. If you enjoyed this article you might be interested in my books available where all good books are sold.
Many Americans in rural Georgia, Kansas, or Texas may not realize that people in Europe and around the world are closely watching events in the United States with growing concern as political divisions deepen.
The assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump seems likely to intensify extremism and further entrench these divisions.
People like me, living on an island in the Mediterranean, are perplexed. I talk to many friends and family in the United States and have noticed in recent times families breaking up and lifelong friendships being terminated over political differences.
The perception has always been that the United States is a creatively free, dynamic, tolerant, multi-cultural nation of boundless opportunity and human endeavor. You have gifted the world with some of the best music, art, and technological tools.
How is it possible that the world’s arguably most powerful and successful nation in economic and military terms can so lose the plot over issues such as basic democratic norms, women’s rights, and religious freedom?
The United States remains the only superpower
Events in the United States have vast geopolitical consequences considering the military and political power wielded by the person sitting in the White House. With a GDP of 26 trillion dollars in 2023 the U.S. economy far surpassed the world’s second-largest economy China with a GDP of 19 trillion dollars followed by the economies of Germany, Japan, and India.
The U.S. defense budget of about 813 billion dollars is the largest in the world. For fiscal year 2023, it was approximately $813 billion. Compared to Russia, China, and India the U.S. military is by far the most powerful, and technologically advanced.
As an outsider looking at events in the United States from afar, here are some thoughts:
Despite a booming economy, it appears that a significant portion of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. There is a perception that they will never live the American dream and that the system is rigged against them by elites in Washington and New York. These people are particularly prone to nostalgia rhetoric that promotes the idea that America was once a great country that has degenerated into chaos.
American media, especially local and regional newspapers, were once prime examples of good journalism and fact-checking. There was a clear distinction between news and editorial comment or opinion. The digital revolution has basically killed-off professional journalism. Mass media in America earns its revenues with entertainment and drama, rather than educating and informing. News channels from the left and the right are propagandistic and serve two different perceptions of reality.
The tribal bubbles are served by algorithms on social media, emphasizing confirmation bias and grievance culture. Beliefs are cemented, and other viewpoints and even solid science are rejected as fake news.
Russian and Chinese bot factories have played significant roles in fanning divisions, fears, hate, and anxieties, through social media as part of their broad information warfare. Russian bots were particularly successful in promoting the Russian narrative on the war in Ukraine with U.S. congressmen on the right.
Devastating consequences for an inward-looking America
When America turns ever more inward with an “America First” philosophy and withdraws from such established institutions as NATO, the consequences are too ghastly to contemplate. The globalized economy has become increasingly intertwined. Disruptions of markets elsewhere will inevitably have a major impact on the man in the street in Detroit or Phoenix. The power void will be filled by other forces such as China and Russia, gaining control of major natural resources and trade routes.
Of particular concern in Europe is a possible withdrawal of U.S. military support for Ukraine. Retired U.S. commanding officer of U.S. forces in Europe, Ben Hodges, paints a devastating scenario if Ukraine should lose the war against Russia or be forced into an unacceptable peace agreement. Millions of Ukrainian refugees would massively disrupt the social order in Western Europe.
“Failure of Ukraine will have devastating consequences for Europe and for the United States. If Ukraine fails, Russia will absorb tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops into their ranks. They’ll be forced into the service and then they’ll be used as cannon fodder on the next phase of what Russia attempts. This will most likely be against Moldova, or against Lithuania or maybe even Poland,” according to Hodges.
To my American friends, I say: Your decision in November will have a major impact on lives all over the world. Who ultimately benefits from the hatred and division? Will you serve as a beacon for the rule of law, tolerance, and democratic norms or serve as a template for the dictatorships of Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea on why democracy does not work?
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker
P.S. If you enjoyed this article you might be interested in my books available where all good books are sold.
Just having completed the Camino Aragonese pilgrimage route in northwestern Spain, I was deeply inspired by the diverse landscapes, rich vegetation, and the symphony of nature that emerges when human noise recedes.
Immersing oneself in nature reveals the interconnectedness of all living beings. Nature is an expression of the divine, with diversity as a fundamental principle of creation.
In times when external voices grow increasingly loud with hate-filled tribalism and ethnocentricity, the truth of the heart becomes paramount.
Monoculture is lifeless
Compare a lifeless monoculture with a meadow buzzing with the sound of birds, insects and the aroma of wild herbs and a multitude of flowers.
Thoughts and beliefs – religious, philosophical or political – have become so much part of tribalist identity that some people would rather die than admit that they have all along placed the ladder against the wrong wall.
Attachment to fanaticism in all shape and form hardens mind and body, and is one of the biggest obstacles to personal growth and elevation of consciousness.
One humanity or chaotic tribalism
Currently humanity is at the cusp of an elevation of consciousness of a one humanity or regressing into another chaotic age of divisive tribalism, nationalism, and intolerance.
There have been brief periods of enlightenment in the past when faith was more experiential in nature, with individuals gaining higher insight through contemplation, art and music.
Beautifully restored Romanesque cathedrals, especially in Jaca and Sanguesa, on the Aragonese route provided sanctuary in medieval times for quiet contemplation and inspiration from sculpture at a time when most people were illiterate.
Divinely inspired music and art
Later construction of the grand cathedrals such as Notre-Dame in Paris and Chartres, with their stunning stained glass windows inspired awe and devotion.
During the Renaissance era religious art with masterpieces by artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael communicated complex theological ideas through visual means.
Sacred music by composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, and Beethoven created elaborate musical compositions elevating the liturgical experience and deepening the spiritual experience, connecting with the divine in profound sensory-rich ways.
When a religion degenerates into claiming the ultimate truth, subjugating its members into what to believe and how to behave, there is empty ritual and stagnation. The head-mind closes the door to the heart-mind and the whispers to the soul.
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker
P.S. I’m excited to announce the release of my latest book, “The Turning of the Circle: Embracing Nature’s Wisdom for Purposeful Living.” If you enjoy it, you might also be interested in my previous works, “Deep Walking for Body, Mind and Soul” and “Walking on Edge: A Pilgrimage to Santiago.” You can find all of these titles at reputable bookstores near you.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has inflicted devastation upon millions of lives and dramatically altered geopolitical realities. Analysts speculate that Putin’s actions may be rooted in a traumatic childhood, a common denominator of some of the world’s most brutal dictators.
Adverse childhood experiences and trauma are sometimes passed on for generations, and if not transmuted can create particularly destructive adults who are incapable of showing compassion, empathy, or love.
Putin himself is probably unaware that his behavior is driven by unresolved “inner childhood” trauma but his convoluted argument on national television that the invasion of Ukraine was justified to fight “Nazis” offer some clues to his actions.
Ukraine is led by a Jewish leader and Putin’s argument that the country’s government is led by Nazis is absurd. Lately, the argument of fighting “Nazis” in Ukraine has been changed into a fight against the West as a whole “intent on destroying Russia.”
Putin, judging from his many unhinged statements in state-controlled media, obviously feels threatened and considers himself the victim seemingly oblivious to the suffering he has unleashed.
A former profiler from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Dr. Jerrold Post, who later became a professor of psychiatry has suggested that Putin’s anxieties possibly stemmed from his early experiences in life.
Putin grew up as a street kid in a rough neighborhood of Leningrad, a city devastated by the Nazis during World War II. Most of the population died in the war and Putin’s father was badly injured, inheriting from his parents their wartime trauma. Growing up without any loving adults around him, Putin was forced to fend for himself on the streets and was badly bullied by other children.
It produced a macho personality, deep distrust of others, unpredictability, and a man willing to advance his own power agenda walking over killing fields in the process. Putin has had his most vocal opponents assassinated or imprisoned, started wars in several neighboring countries, and is sowing division and hate with an information war of fake news on a global level. We are seeing evil at play on multiple levels.
“He (Putin) took up martial arts so as not to be pushed around by other kids. We are seeing the same behavior in his leadership,” Post wrote.
The psychologist Alice Miller writes that there “is no confirmation of the widespread assertion that there are people who are born evil. On the contrary. The deciding factor is the reception they were given when they came into the world and the way they were treated later.”
Her summary of how evil is created and what she learned from the common denominator of childhoods from dictators is particularly poignant:
“These children will tend to glorify the violence inflicted upon them and later take advantage of every possible opportunity to exercise such violence, possibly on a gigantic scale. Hitler, Stalin, and Mao all had particularly traumatic childhoods during which they were repeatedly beaten and shamed by adults.
“Children learn by imitation. Their bodies do not learn what we try to instill in them through words but what they have experienced physically. Battered, injured children will learn to batter and injure others; sheltered, respected children will learn to respect and protect those weaker than themselves. Children have nothing else to go on but their own experiences.”
Our responsibility as a society therefore is to instill in children from an early childhood love, respect, understanding, kindness, and warmth.
The healthier a child’s relationships are at a later stage in life, the higher the possibility of recovery and resilience from trauma.
When a childhood trauma can be resolved at an early stage, there is a greater chance of healing and less risk that a destructive behavior pattern is repeated in adult life.
P.S. I’m excited to announce the release of my latest book, “The Turning of the Circle: Embracing Nature’s Wisdom for Purposeful Living.” If you enjoy it, you might also be interested in my previous works, “Deep Walking for Body, Mind and Soul” and “Walking on Edge: A Pilgrimage to Santiago.” You can find all of these titles at reputable bookstores near you.
Happiness is a state of mind, often based on those small joys of life that wield immense power to our sense of bliss.
Recently, I engaged in an exercise with course participants, probing into what fueled their energy reserves versus what drained them. Surprisingly, the resounding echoes leaned towards moments spent with loved ones, the companionship of pets, or the peace of mind found in nature as profound sources of rejuvenation.
Notably absent from their reflections was any mention of shopping or the accumulation of material possessions. Yet, society incessantly indoctrinates us that such acquisitions are the keys to happiness. The allure of novelty quickly dims, leaving behind a feeling of regret and shame from overspending.
Humans are tribal by nature
We humans are tribal by nature. Positive interaction with our fellow human beings where we feel seen, supported, and heard is key to perceiving a sense of safety and well-being. A supportive community has for eons been part of the survival mechanism of the human species.
In his research on the Five Blue Zones, Dan Buettner explored the lifestyles and diets in regions of the world where people lived the longest and were healthiest.
It is a fact that aging and death are part of life but living a healthy lifestyle can add decades to your life and happiness. Some key pillars of the research of the Five Blue Zones:
Physical Activity. People who live long lives do regular moderate exercise such as walking
All the Five Blue Zones came from strong communities with a healthy mixture of young and old people
They had a sense of purpose and joy
Their intake of calories and alcohol was minimal and most had Mediterranean or whole food plant-based diet.
Genetics play a relatively insignificant part of between 20-25 per cent when it comes to longevity.
With stress related physical and mental disorders becoming a growing threat to the very fabric of society, a supportive network of family, friends, or broader social circles, helps fortify your ability to weather life’s storms.
Belonging to a community fosters a sense of connection and belonging, which is fundamental to human well-being.
Healthy communities can serve as platforms for shared knowledge, emotional support and coping strategies. By exchanging insights and learning from one another’s experiences, individuals within a community can develop adaptive skills for managing stress more effectively.
The bonds of community are often strengthened by shared religious rituals, festivals, music and dancing.
In essence, community acts as both a shield and a sanctuary, offering protection from the onslaught of negativity from the external world while nurturing the resilience needed to bounce back after going through the loss of a loved one or any other challenge that life throws at you.
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker
P.S. I’m excited to announce the release of my latest book, “The Turning of the Circle: Embracing Nature’s Wisdom for Purposeful Living.” If you enjoy it, you might also be interested in my previous works, “Deep Walking for Body, Mind and Soul” and “Walking on Edge: A Pilgrimage to Santiago.” You can find all of these titles at reputable bookstores near you.
The average person spends a large portion of their life daydreaming, problem-solving, planning, worrying, and mulling over the past and the future, caught in the maelstrom of between 50,000 and 70,000 thoughts per day.
A large part of these thoughts would be influenced by a spectrum of emotions that have a major impact on your physical and mental well-being.
Numerous studies reveal that positive emotions such as happiness, gratitude, and love have been associated with a stronger immune system, while negative emotions like sadness or loneliness may weaken it, making you more susceptible to infections and illnesses.
Emotions impact your physical and mental well-being
Toxic emotions such as anger, anxiety, and fear are known to trigger stress hormones responsible for the fight, flight, and freeze response in the body. Prolonged stress can cause problems such as cardiovascular issues, a weakened immune system, digestive problems, muscle tension, and metabolic diseases.
Your business success, your relationships, your partnership, and basically your happiness are linked by how well you have your emotions under control, and how well you understand your own emotional response mechanism.
Doing the self-work and understanding your own emotions is key
Developing emotional awareness, and understanding your emotions is therefore key to leading a beautiful life.
This week I interviewed on my podcast Living to BE , a Sensory Perception Analyst and Expert in her field, Kim Korte. I would highly recommend you listen to the valuable advice she gives on finding a good emotional balance. You can also watch it on my youtube channel. Some of the highlights of our conversation:
Finding the right balance in your emotional response
Training your mind for greater emotional resilience
Self-awareness on the different emotional nuances
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker
P.S. I’m excited to announce the release of my latest book, “The Turning of the Circle: Embracing Nature’s Wisdom for Purposeful Living.” If you enjoy it, you might also be interested in my previous works, “Deep Walking for Body, Mind and Soul” and “Walking on Edge: A Pilgrimage to Santiago.” You can find all of these titles at reputable bookstores near you.
“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” – Dietrich Boenhoeffer (German theologian killed by the Nazis)
A couple of days back, a startling headline lit up my screen: Russian dissident Alexei Navalny had been assassinated. The news shook me to my core, leaving me appalled at the apparent depths to which Russian leader Vladimir Putin would stoop, fully aware of the shockwaves it would send worldwide.
Navalny’s murder snuffed out a beacon of hope in the oppressive landscape of Putin’s Russia. When a leader turns to such brutal tactics, it reveals not strength but profound weakness. Navalny epitomized everything the autocrat in the Kremlin was not.
It is the nature of dictatorial regimes that they bring forth the best and the worst extremes in mankind. South Africa’s apartheid regime had shining examples of courage and humanity in Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Steve Biko, and many others. Nazi Germany had Dietrich Boenhoeffer and dissidents such as Sophie Scholl. Czechoslovakia had Vaclav Havel and Poland Lech Walesa.
Navalny’s assassination, probably directly ordered by Putin, is one of many in today’s Russia including opposition politicians, journalists, businessmen, and academics who dared speak out about the corruption, cruelty, and nepotism.
We discover who we are in confronting evil and at the same time the darkness and the light within. The external is a reflection of that which is within. Evil manifests itself where there is a complete absence of what is good and pure.
Failure to engage in self-reflection, transmuting one’s own shadows, and speaking out against evil renders one vulnerable to the influence of evil. This truth was starkly realized by figures such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Winston Churchill during World War II. Attempting to placate, appease, or negotiate with evil proves futile, as it perceives such actions as weaknesses, stemming from a consciousness devoid of moral values.
In Greek mythology, the evil Goddess Eris has the only purpose of sowing discord. She causes a conflict among the Goddesses Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite by throwing a golden apple among them with the words: “to the fairest”.
No other God wanted to be put on the receiving end of the wrath of the three Goddesses by choosing one of them as the fairest. The Goddesses then ask the mortal prince of Troy Paris to do it for them. Each tries to bribe him by pledging great gifts, and Paris then gives the apple to Aphrodite who had promised to make the most beautiful woman on earth fall in love with him.
The woman chosen was Helen, the queen of Sparta and wife to Menelaus. When Paris eloped off with her, Menelaus declared war on Troy, rallying all the Greek kings, and triggering the Trojan War.
Another Greek Goddess, Enyo, delighted in war and destruction, bloodshed, and the ransacking of cities.
The fallen angel and the lure of power
Christianity describes the devil, Satan, as a fallen angel and the very personification of evil. He was expelled from Heaven at the beginning of time after attempting to become equal to God.
The archetypal motif of the fallen angel or Lucifer is found in Summerian folklore, Roman mythology, Germanic tribes, and the Vedas.
In popular culture, we find Darth Vader, a fictional character in the Star Wars series. He is the dark father and the personification of evil in popular culture, serving the empire as its chief enforcer.
The windows to the soul
Eyes are said to be the windows to the soul with the bible quoting several passages in this vein. “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,” (Matthew 6:22). “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” (Matthew 6:23).
I remember very well when my elderly German neighbor, who had experienced the horrors of World War II, remarked on Vladimir Putin’s ascension to power in 1999. “You can’t trust him. His eyes are cold like those of a wolf.”
U.S. President Joe Biden told Putin during a closed-door meeting in 2011: “I looked in your eyes and I don’t think you have a soul,’ and [he] looked back at me, he said, ‘We understand each other.'”
For all those millions of people in the West who blindly follow the Russian narrative of lies, deception and fake news, I highly recommend the book: “The Killer in the Kremlin”, an explosive account and exposure of Putin’s tyranny and sinister ambitions by award-winning journalist John Sweeney.
Often evil disguises its real intentions behind a smokescreen of lies, disinformation, and false flag operations. It is the playbook of such Lords of Evil as Adolf Hitler, Slobodan Milosevic, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong. In our lifetime we have to face the truth. We have another Lord of Evil in Vladimir Putin. Over decades he has not only duped western politicians but much of the rest of the world. Let’s connect the dots just to illustrate how much this Lord of Evil has sown destruction and discord.
Under Putin, Soviet-era repression has given way to a marriage between kleptocracy and organized crime, turning Russia into a “Mafia state”.. Organized crime has become an outgrowth of the political machine. Mafia cells have undertaken assassinations, facilitated coercion, and extortion. Outspoken Putin critics such as Garry Kasparov have all the while warned and revealed the true nature of the monster.
During a closed-door meeting in the year 2000, Putin is said to have offered the wealthiest Russian oligarchs a deal: Surrender to my authority, and you can keep your mansions, and multibillion-dollar corporations. Those oligarchs who reneged on this deal and undermined Putin were thrown into prison or died under mysterious circumstances. Putin’s wealth is a secret but it can be safely assumed that he has used the oligarchs as a major source of his hidden assets.
Turning Russia into a Mafia-type state has given Putin huge resources to weaken Western democracies. Putin has repeatedly voiced his disgust for the multi-culturalism, sexual diversity, and free speech which he sees as a direct threat to his authoritarian and 19th-century imperialist dreams. Over the years he has funneled huge resources to rightwing and extremist groups in western countries, spreading lies and disinformation on social media through Russian state-funded bots.
And then the Lord of Evil decides to invade Ukraine, the world’s breadbasket, triggering the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II and possibly the deaths of millions of people in Third World countries due to famine. Meanwhile, we have become almost emotionally immune to the daily bombardment of playgrounds, hospitals, and residential buildings in Ukraine as Putin wages a war against innocent civilians.
What does humanity have to learn from all this?
We need the enemy, and the opposite perspective to gain clarity on our own core values and choices. Often the question is asked: “If there is a God, why does he allow evil?”
But we have been given the power of choice. We cannot blame dysfunctional human actions on the Creator. God has often been seen as a strict father figure punishing his flock for sinful or bad behavior. The Mystics in contrast view God, the universal creator or the divine as “a state of Being” – the connection to pure love, kindness, and compassion. The manifestation of evil would therefore be the opposite condition – the state of complete absence of God.
Napoleon Hill once said that every evil carries within it the flames of self-destruction. It was a warning by the famous mentor to his students, political and business leaders to reflect carefully on their actions and goals. When they are not in sync with the universe and designed for the benefit of all, those flames will come back to burn you.
Sometimes those flames can come in the form of such deep disgust and regret with the “Self” that it manifests in self-destructive behavior such as addiction or serious illness.
The tragedy is that the character once held by the stranglehold of the shadow demons finds himself incapable of self-reflection.
Most suffering that we experience in our personal lives or that we witness in the external world is a result of bad human choices and actions carried out from a low level of spiritual disconnect.
The word “evil” is often used in a confusing context to blame, vilify or distract.
The wisdom of the ancient Mystics can be a good guideline. Basic human nature has not changed much over the centuries. There will always be a segment of people who don’t give any regard to the outcome of their actions. Meister Eckhart, the great Dominican friar of the early fourteenth century, warned against those whose “sole concern is how to gain honors, wealth, and pleasure.”
These people, according to Eckart, are those who lack all sense of humility by “running in front of God.” Inevitably their lives will be haunted by what they call bad luck or a bad hand. They will be blaming God, fate, people different from themselves, and basically everyone for what has gone wrong in their lives. They are filled with hate, resentment, and anger. They are the malignant narcissists of our age who seek only personal validation and glory.
As the Lord of Evil and his followers spin the narrative of hate, division, and destruction some comfort can be taken from the fact that evil ultimately destroys itself because it is out of sync with the laws of the universe. The thoughts, actions, and energy you send out inevitably come back to you.
In the same way, the path of light which is that of kindness, unconditional love, compassion, unity, tolerance, gratitude, and acceptance will bless you in a multitude of ways. You will be living a happy and blissful life if you make yourself an instrument of divine purpose.
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker
P.S. I’m excited to announce the release of my latest book, “The Turning of the Circle: Embracing Nature’s Wisdom for Purposeful Living.” If you enjoy it, you might also be interested in my previous works, “Deep Walking for Body, Mind and Soul” and “Walking on Edge: A Pilgrimage to Santiago.” You can find all of these titles at reputable bookstores near you.
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