“Not all lucid dreams are useful but they all have a sense of wonder about them. If you must sleep through a third of your life, why should you sleep through your dreams, too?” – Stephen LaBerge

(disclaimer: before taking any new supplements please consult your doctor)

Toto, I’ve a Feeling We’re Not In Kansas Anymore

“Dreams are today’s answers to tomorrow’s questions.” - Edgar Cayce

As many of you know, I am a big fan of lucid dreaming. Lucid dreaming truly is one of the most amazing experiences that one can have. They literally have the power to change your perspective on life and yourself. It truly is something that everyone should experience and you wont understand the significance of it unless you experience it for your self.

Lucid dreaming is the experience of becoming self aware in the dream state, and then being able to maneuver and manipulate the dream-scape consciously. The movie “Inception” introduced the masses to lucid dreaming.

If you are new to lucid dreaming check out my introductory post which will teach you some of the main ways of inducing and navigating this fascinating world: How To Lucid Dream Easy

Recently I have begun taking several natural supplements to increase the frequency and vividness of my dreams. At first I was quite skeptical as to whether they would really be effective or not. I am now happy to report that they have indeed worked beyond my wildest dreams .

I have been lucid dreaming for many years now and believed I had experienced what it was to have an extremely vivid dream. With the aid of these supplements the intensity, length, and vividness has been ten fold. My ability to think in the dream has dramatically improved as well. Just the other night I had a dream which lasted nearly two hours and maintained clarity of thought throughout the whole dream. I consciously went directly into the dream and consciously brought myself out of it.

Several of the following supplements I will recommend will:

• Even if you are not successful in inducing a lucid dream they will dramatically enhance your dream recall.
• Increase the intensity and length of your dreams beyond anything you may have ever experienced.
• Help you become more self-aware while dreaming therefore allow you to explore your dream world in a meaningful way.

Please keep in mind that these supplements are meant to be just an aid to lucid dreaming. If you are serious about lucid dreaming you should learn as much as you can about inducing them all on your own.

Powerful Lucid Dreaming Supplements:

1. Galantamine:  It is an alkaloid that is obtained synthetically or from the bulbs and flowers of Galanthus Caucasicus (Caucasian snowdrop, Voronov’s snowdrop) and Lycoris radiata (Red Spider Lily). It  is commonly used for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease and various other memory impairments.

Galantamine is a cholinesterase inhibitor that increases the levels of active acetylcholine levels in the brain. Decreased levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine have been correlated with memory deficits. Galantamine effectively utilizes acetylcholine in the brain to maintain healthy levels critical to memory and normal cognitive functioning.

It was suggested by Duvoisin in 1983 that the mysterious magical herb moly that appears in Homer’s Odyssey is actually snowdrop.

Galantamine has a half life of 48 hours, so you should not take it more than a few times a week as you will develop a tolerance and reduce it’s effectiveness in inducing lucid dreams.

2. Choline: is a water-soluble essential nutrient. It is usually grouped within the B-complex vitamins. Choline must be consumed through the diet in order for the body to remain healthy. It is used in the synthesis of the constructional components in the body’s cell membranes.

How do I use it? Not without Galantamine. Alone, Choline does nothing in terms of dream recall and vividness. All it does is the same thing it does everyday: help make acetylcholine. But when combined with Galantamine, it intensifies the actions of Galantamine.

3. Alpha GPC: Alpha-GPC is a chemical released when a fatty acid found in soy and other plants breaks down. It is used as medicine. Alpha-GPC is also used for improving memory, thinking skills, and learning. I have found that the main benefit has been in increasing the time that I remain self aware while in my dreams.

The Tri-fecta combination: Galantamine used with choline bitartrate and Alpha-GPC can dramatically increase one’s odds of becoming lucid and increase memory consolidation during dreaming. I have had my most vivid and longest dreams using this combination.

How I use them to induce a high level lucid dream: I mainly use 4-8 mg of galantamine and 500 mg of choline as the main trigger supplement and then will alternate on each lucid dream attempt by adding ALPA GPC (300 mg), Yohimbine (0.50 mg), or Mucuna pruriens (100 mg) to the mix. By always trying a different combination it keeps my body guessing and reduces the chances of building tolerance.

My preferred method: I set my alarm 4-5 hours into my normal 7 hour sleep cycle. When my alarm goes off I take the supplements and then get up to use the bathroom. I will then read in bed for 20-30 minutes or read a script several times on the type of dream that I want to have.  Then I will do a progressive relaxation excerice and attempt to do the “WILD”  technique. Wild stands for  Wake Induced Lucid Dreams. These techniques are unique in that they involve entering the dream state directly from waking consciousness while still maintaining consciousness and stepping directly into the dream world.

Where to get the supplements: I am currently living in South Korea, so I have been ordering my supplements through iherb.com. The prices are some of the best I have seen and their international service has been awesome. I have received my packages in about 8 days without any problems.

** Use this discount code:  PUZ602 to receive $5 dollars off on your first purchase.

Other Supplements To Experiment With

Yohimbine: is an alkaloid with stimulant and aphrodisiac effects found naturally in Pausinystalia yohimbe.  Yohimbine has been used as both an over-the-counter dietary supplement in herbal extract form and prescription medicine in pure form for the treatment of sexual dysfunction. Take less than 1mg with Galantamine just before entering REM sleep.

5-HTP : is a naturally occurring amino acid and chemical precursor as well as metabolic intermediate in the bio-synthesis of the neurotransmitters serotonin and melatonin from tryptophan. As a dietary supplement it has been used as an antidepressant, appetite suppressant, and sleep aid.

5-HTP is a valuable aid in lucid dreaming because it suppresses REM sleep in the first half of the night helping you get quality deep sleep. Due to the REM-rebound effect, you will experience vivid dreams after 5-6 hours of sleep when used in conjunction with the supplements I mention above.

Featured Lucid Dreaming Book

This is the book that introduced me to many of the supplements that will assist you in lucid dreaming. The book is very well written and gives you in scientific detail why and how these supplements are effective in producing vivid dreams. I suggest reading this book by Thomas Yuschak called Advanced Lucid Dreaming: The Power of Supplements.

Hope you enjoyed my post, happy dreams

If you have any personal insights you would like to add, please join the conversation below and leave your comments.

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“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” - Mother Teresa

Its Time To Spread A Little Love

Let me ask you a question, how do you feel when a stranger stares at you? Are you at ease or do you feel uncomfortable?

Currently I am living in Busan, South Korea, where I can run around all day and not see another foreigner. I stick out like a sore thumb. Being in an environment where everyone is constantly staring at you as if you are an exotic species, you quickly learn to not let it bother you.

I meditate a lot so I am always trying to live my day to day life from a very meditative and mindful state. This is to try and live from the deepest part of my inner being, the part that remains totally unfazed with the outside world. I can be in a totally crammed subway, yet feel completely at ease, even If I have someone breathing down my neck, inside I am 100 feet away.

“Our task must be to free ourselves…by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.” - Albert Einstein

Its like being in the world, but not of it, just a witness to the miracle that is our planet. Living from this space one feels an overwhelming sense of love, of oneness, and consequently you feel it overflow and exit through your eyes.

Spread Love: It’s All In The Eyes

Next time you find your self on the subway or any other public place, try and find that place inside you that is utterly still, and from that place look out into the world. Feel the love inside, don’t think, just feel, feel the boundaries between you and the world melt.

Look at someone simply, which is to not let your thoughts come between that which you are observing, otherwise you are only seeing an image your mind constructed and not the thing you are seeing. You are seeing something conceptually, not actually. You are not making contact with it, when you are seeing something simply you are making a direct connection with it.

This is seeing in a loving way, you can observe this within yourself. Anytime you see a beautiful flower, a bird dancing on a branch, or a beautiful sunset, you are doing it in a loving way. The energy and quality of your look is different.

Today when I was sitting on the subway I caught an older gentleman starring at me, I starred back because I welcomed it. I looked at him simply and just smiled, he smiled back…we kept looking and right when he felt my look was penetrating him, he blushed then looked away and broke contact.

The Doorways To Our Souls

Our eyes are really doorways to our souls, this is why its rude to stare at people, they feel like you are invading their space, their privacy, that you are trying to take a peek at their deepest darkest secrets. But since I am trying to be open to the world, I welcome it. When you make a connection with someone through the eyes it’s as if you merge into each other, but it happens so quick that many of us just brush it off.

This also doesn’t have to turn into an awkward experience, just look out into the world in a loving way. You can make a tiny connection with a random stranger on the street in a split second. Just spreading a little love. You will immediately know the people who where open and receptive to it. You can tell right away when someone is getting uncomfortable, so just look away. If they welcome it, send your silent love and intention through your eyes, all this can happen in less than a second. If you don’t do this already, just try it, I would love to hear about your experience in the comments.

Just learn to constantly be In a state of observation. You will see that if you know how to look, a persons eyes can tell you a lot about them and the way they are feeling.

Just want to thank you for taking the time to read my post. I hope you found it insightful and that it inspires you to spread a little love.

(editors note: originally posted on 07/14/2010)

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Happy friday everyone, hope it’s been a good week for you so far. Things are great on my end, been staying really busy with improving my Korean and just started to study Portuguese and Italian as well. I also have a Salsa dance performance coming up at the end of the month, so I haven’t had much time for blogging lately.

January and February should be quiet months for me, so I plan on posting more frequently for you guys.

Without further ado, here is the next installment of “this week in pictures”.

“Please don’t take a turn to negative town.” – Jeremy Grey in Wedding Crashers

The Art of Seduction

Back when I was in high school I was the friendly guy who could get along with almost everyone. Making friends wasn’t a problem, but being more than friends when it came to the opposite sex was an intimidating endeavor for me.

I have always been fascinated by human behavior and as I was getting ready to go to college I was determined to learn as much as I could about social dynamics. Once in college I immersed myself in learning everything I could about psychology and influence. By my junior year, I had built quite a large social circle that enabled me to have a very fulfilling college experience. What I learned outside the classroom would prove to be more valuable to me than what I learned inside it.

Recently I watched “Wedding Crashers” an old favorite movie of mine. While I was watching it I couldn’t help but recognize many of the things I learned from interacting with so many people.

While my attitude towards seduction and influence has changed dramatically since then, I still feel that there’s many valuable lessons for anyone who would like to become more influential.

Now a days I ultimately feel that being an attractive person is not something you do but something you “are”. This deals with mainly learning to be in the moment, because when you are in the moment you are closer to who you intrinsically are. In the moment you are free of many of the persona’s which we all carry within us. Having the persona of a “pick up” artist, or any persona for that matter, can become physically, mentally, and emotionally draining and can cause much inner conflict as you begin to derive your sense of self from it.

Living and staying in the moment your attractive qualities are able to shine through allowing you to have much more enjoyable and natural interactions.

In the remainder of the post I will point out many of the lessons from “Wedding Crashers” that we can apply to achieve a fulfilling social life. While this post is geared mainly towards men wanting to attract a woman, the principles apply to anyone. Master many of these qualities, become aware of them in your interactions, then gradually learn to let them go, don’t become obsessed and identified to your own self image as a Casanova.  Just live in the moment.

When you internalize many of these qualities through repeated interactions you can gradually forget about them. Then in new situations whatever you need you will be able to spontaneously respond, because it’s somewhere already stored in your subconscious mind. Let your intuition guide you.

I also suggest you watch the movie once you read this post as it’s lessons will become more vivid in your mind.  It’s also a hilarious movie. I know many of you may say it’s just a movie, that this stuff doesn’t work in real life…In my experience much of  it does.

Seduction and influence is all about learning to do hundreds of little things, doing them well, that when executed properly will give you a greater chance of achieving your desired outcome. You also can’t attract everyone, you have to know when to fold your hand. We all have different strengths, find what works for you.

The Main Lessons From Wedding Crashers:

1. Storytelling: One of the greatest qualities that Vince Vaughn’s character Jeremy showcases in the movie, is the ability of story telling. Woman aren’t interested in facts or for you to just simply state things in a generic manner. You need to be able to paint a picture in a woman’s mind, you need to speak in a way that arouses her emotions. You need to learn to become awareof your voice and how to use it properly. You may find taking  improv lessons, learning about hypnosis, or NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) to be really useful.
   
   Woman: So what do you do?
   Me:I’m a writer. What do you do?
   Not very interesting right?…Wouldn’t this be a better response….
   Woman: So what do you do?
   Me: I’m a vagabond who loves to go on adventures and then through my writing inspire and motivate others to live epic lives. It’s what makes me feel alive. How about you?….What makes you come alive? Tell me about it…..(incorporating the right energy and body language for a congruent message)
2. Good at asking interesting questions: Everyone asks the same questions. Don’t be like most people….you can ask the same things but just learn to ask them or pose them in an interesting way. Your goal is to become memorable in people minds. Learn to be observant of all the small things. If you can observe all the subtle things about a persons appearance and behavior you can imagine being in there shoes, and then be able to ask interesting relevant questions.
3. Good at motivating and encouraging others: People of influence have the ability to motivate and make you feel good about yourself. They are able to elicit your values – the things that are important in your life- and help you get excited about them.
4. Exaggerated body language – enthusiasm is contagious: Vince Vaughn, is great with expressing his energy and body language. In a group setting you never want to be the one who lowers the groups energy. Be the one who comes in and raises it. Use common sense, don’t be over the top with it. If the groups energy is at a 5, come in at 6 or 7. Essentially we are energy, so anyone who is overflowing with energy, we are naturally drawn to them. These people are seen as charismatic individuals. Also learning to be more mindful, more meditative, you will radiate a very subtle energy to those around you. I prefer this as it requires less physical energy or feeling that your “putting” on a show. Just learn to be aware of your body and the message it’s conveying to others.
5. Perception is reality- creating authority at venues with your social circle: Being professional wedding crashers, they know that perception is reality. Just by using some fake US Military “Purple Hearts” they create the reality they wish. By having deep convictions in their behaviors they establish the frame that others will see them through. If you go to a local pub regularly, learn to be friendly with the whole staff. Leave good tips, learn a little bit about them, take genuine interest in them. Everyone has something to share and you can learn quite a bit by having the right attitude of being open and willing to connect. Then when you have a date, take her to several of the places you frequent. You will be viewed as a highly likable person. This was huge for me in college. I had many friends from a diverse set of backgrounds and interests. I knew many of the bartenders and staff of all the popular hang out spots in my college town. People would always mention to me, that it seemed like I knew everyone. You just need to take interest in other people everywhere you go. One time I was going through the drive-thru at a Wendy’s restaurant I frequented, the employee inside recognized my voice and we started to chat it up. When I pulled up, he gave me a bag of extra food, a nice little perk when you treat others well. So from the woman’s perspective, all these little things that she observes, creates the perception that everyone likes me. And on some level they do, because I like them. I don’t mean to sound like I am bragging, just wanted to share examples from my own life.
6. Approach woman in high energy/emotional environments (weddings): Obviously your chances will always be better if the woman you want to approach is already in a heightened and receptive state of being.
7. Eye contact is huge: The eyes are doorways to our souls. If you know how to see, someones eyes will tell you so much about them. This is why it’s rude to stare, people feel as if you are invading their privacy, as if your trying to uncover their secrets. Learn to maintain a good level of eye contact. Don’t be creepy and stare. Just a soft natural gaze, as soon as you feel a little tension building break it for a second. I usually pick the right eye to focus my attention on, as it is connected to the right (creative) hemisphere of the brain.
8. Being able to adapt to any group of people and environment: One of their greatest strengths in wedding crashing was being able to adapt to any environment no matter how different it was. If you are comfortable in your own skin, you can be anywhere and appear in your element. A daily practice of meditation can help you remain centered in your day to day life or at a high energy party venue.
9. Magic with kids: Vince Vaughn uses magic with the kids as a way to draw attention to himself in a positive way. I never got into magic, but I knew several friends who used it to great effect to get in the front door with the ladies.
10. Good dancers: You don’t need to be a great dancer, but it surely won’t hurt. Just make sure you have fun. Enjoying yourself and the dance is whats important, don’t focus so much on the girl, as you will project too much interest. Dancing’s greatest strength is getting a woman used to your touch. Getting a woman used to your touch early on is pretty important if you don’t want to get caught up in the dreaded friend zone. I have been there many times, this was my biggest sticking point, it’s not a fun place to be. When they are comfortable with your light playful touching it will be much easier to escalate it without seeming unnatural.
11. Sharp Dressers: If you don’t have a good sense of style, just ask several of your girl friends who you trust to help you find a new wardrobe. People are constantly comparing and judging, so always be aware of your appearance and the body language your exhibiting. This is an easy thing to fix, so don’t worry about it. Just take a little interest in fashion and you will find your own style. Sign up for a subscription at GQ, be observant when your on the street and see someone with an item you like.
12. Focus on helping others enjoy themselves: Remember it’s not about you it’s about other people. If you focus on giving and making sure others are enjoying themselves, as a by product your needs will also be taken care of. People want to show their appreciation to the people who take genuine interest in them. In college my friends and I would throw many party’s, we focused on showing others a good time, in return they showed there appreciation in any way they could.
13. Able to play different roles effortlessly:As Shakespeare said life’s a stage and all the men merely players. When you step back and observe society you can see how we all play different roles throughout our lives. Most people do it unconsciously, they have become too identified to these different roles. They believe it’s who they are. When you understand yourself at a deep level, you can jump in and out of different roles as needed. This can be an attractive quality because you can appear as exciting and unpredictable.

    “You know how they say we only use 10% of our brains I think we only use 10% of our hearts” – John Beckwith

14. Show you can be vulnerable: Sure many woman love a strong manly man, but also show that you have a softer side and can connect with them on an emotional level.
15. Embracing the moment: Carpe diem “seize the day” ….what can be more sexier than that.
16. Center of attention: If you have big social circle, and you focus on others having a good time, at any party or event you will be a focal point of attention. Don’t become egotistical about it, just enjoy your self, have fun with others and the woman will take notice. Don’t take yourself seriously.
17. Get everyone laughing:You don’t need to be a comedian, just be observant, in time you can develop your own style of wit.

    “One day you will look back at this and laugh and say we where young and stupid” - Jeremy Grey

18. It’s not quantity but quality: Once you get comfortable in meeting and going out with many woman, you may go over board. At one point in the movie John begins to question whether their behavior of seducing woman at weddings is sleazy. Just remember that your goal shouldn’t be to sleep with dozens of woman, but to find an amazing companion. We are all amazingly unique and complex, and the reality is that for many of us we will need to date dozen’s of people before we truly find someone we can connect with on a deep level.
19. Do not sulk: it draws attention in a negative way. Draw attention to yourself but on your own terms.
20. Speak to them in their own language: One way to get someone comfortable is to speak using their own language. In the movie, the father of the girl John was pursuing loved sailing. So John uses this to his advantage by speaking and embedding his stories with sailing terms.
21. What’s our back story = make what you do interesting: For every wedding that they crashed, they made sure they had an interesting back story. Whats your story? Make it an interesting one. Look back on your life, I am sure you have done some amazing things.
22. Cold Reading:John displays this skill in a playful way when trying to guess the contents of the weddings presents. Cold reading is a series of techniques used by mentalists, psychics, fortune-tellers, illusionists, and con artists to determine or express details about another person, often in order to convince them that the reader knows much more about a subject than they actually do. Cold readers commonly employ high probability guesses about the subject, quickly picking up on signals from their subjects as to whether their guesses are in the right direction or not, and then emphasizing and reinforcing any chance connections the subjects acknowledge while quickly moving on from missed guesses.

    “People helping people it’s powerful stuff”- Jeremy Grey

23. Important to build rapport with family and friends: Girls greatly value the opinion of their friends and family. If their friends and family like you, you have won half the battle.
24. Move through various locations don’t stay in one spot: If you go on a date try to hit up several venues or activities. If you meet a girl for coffee and chat for 3 hours, when she thinks of your time together it might not be too memorable. Instead go for coffee for one hour, then window shopping for another hour, then finally go to your friends art show. When she replays the evening in her mind it will feel like shes actually had three mini dates with you. Do this for several dates and she will feel that she knows you longer than she actually does.
25. Be a sincere empathetic listener: There’s a big difference between hearing someone talk and attentively listening to someone speak. Many people are caught up in there minds noise, so many people are very poor listeners. The more mindful you become the more your attention will be free and available for the act of listening. If you are listening attentively you will never run out of things to say, they will give you everything you need to keep the conversation going.
26. Metaphysical awareness:Woman being highly emotional and intuitive beings will naturally like to speak about topics that evoke these good feelings. Many will be very interested in conversating about spiritual and esoteric topics.

    “Your a big hit at this wedding”…..“everyone is so nice it’s easy”

27. Don’t bad mouth others: I know this is very difficult, as this is many peoples favorite past time. Try your best not do it, it will get easier the more you refrain from participating in it.
28. Be playful..know how to tease: This creates the attractive push pull dynamic in an interaction.
29. Logistics (plan ahead):Know where you will be, and if possible have all the logistics figured out. What are some possible challenges? Will it be too noisy to talk? Is there any good restaurants in the area to go after the show?

    “Get off your high horse – quit judging people”- John Beckwith

30. Don’t judge others: I know how difficult this can be, our minds are hard wired for it. All our minds can do is compare and judge based on all our memories and experiences. This is what thinking essentially is. What you can learn to do though, is to not become identified to your judgments, not give them any power. If you can “see” how your judgments separate you and keep you from understanding that which you are observing, you will see how silly it is to have these superficial judgments. Learn so suspend your beliefs. This requires that you come to understand at a deep level that who you actually are is beyond your thoughts, emotions, and body. You are not your thoughts, but the awareness who is aware of having those thoughts. Ultimately, everyone wants someone to love them as they are. If you can see others with a simple innocence free of judgment, they will feel connected to you. They will feel really comfortable because they can sense that you accept them as they are, they will then open up to you even more.
31. Participate in events: Find out what is happening in your town. First find events centered around your interests or just try out random and wacky events. It’s a great way to get out of your comfort zone and meet new interesting people. Use meetup.com.
32. Wing-man is important: It’s just a lot easier to work a room with a good friend that’s on the same page as you.
33. Being playful: Show that you are able to not take your self so serious. Thumb wrestling and high fives can go a long way when used correctly.
34. Don’t lie about who you really are: This was probably the biggest lesson in the movie. Any lie will come back to haunt you. If you want to have a long term and meaningful relationship honesty is best policy, because in the end what really matters is love.

Hello and welcome to a new segment on my site- photo fridays. This past year I have really enjoyed taking pictures, so I would now like to start sharing with you some of my photos and make it a regular part of my site.

Photography is an amazing medium to express creativity and our human story, hope you enjoy.

Here is the first week in in pictures, taken in and around Jeju, South Korea:

If you find my site valuable please pass it along to your friends and family.

“We are always the same age inside.” Gertrude Stein

Do You Remember What It Was To Be a Kid?

As you take a look at your daily planner, do you see a day full of meetings, presentations, conference calls, lunch dates, and getting your oil changed? Play time is no where to be seen, where did all the fun go?

Do you remember the days of never ending games of hide and go seek? The whole day was basically play time. We also had the luxury of being fully present in whatever we where doing. We where little people who where free from society’s expectations. We where not lost in the past or thinking of the future, just deeply immersed in the now.

If you really take a look at kids playing in a park you will see that they are moving with divine energy. They will run and jump endlessly after a butterfly just for the sheer joy of it.

“Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional.” Tom Wargo

How To Be A Kid Again

Children don’t try to control or suppress their energy; they simply let it express itself in the most natural way in the moment. They don’t think “hey look at the beautiful butterfly, I wonder where it’s going? Should I chase after it? Will I look stupid?” No, they just feel the energy bubble up inside and spontaneously allow it to happen, no thinking just feeling. By not suppressing their energies and allowing it to flow, they are constantly tapping into that inner source of infinite energy. Once they stop moving they let their energies settle and gradually go into a state of peaceful sleep. The reason they sleep so peacefully and naturally is that they don’t suppress anything so things don’t carryover into their sleep.

Take the time to think about the last time you really let loose and played like a child. A time when you let all your physical movements dance with joy. Not worrying about how your actions would be perceived by others. A body free of tension and stiff mechanical movements. When you allow your body to be completely loose and fluid you will begin to notice your subtle energy body. You will walk gracefully and feel weightlessness inside you.

When you carry unnecessary tension, anxiousness, and stress within you, you feel heavy and stiff. Your energies are constricted and not allowed to flow.

Activities To Let Loose

Below are just a few suggestions that you can plug into your daily planner. When participating in these activities try to move your focus to less thinking and more feeling. Really put your attention on how the experience is making you feel, don’t verbalize it.

How to be a kid again is all about learning to feel, as we get older we become mainly mind oriented, you just need to learn to bring your awareness back to your body.

1. Salsa Dancing (dancing in general): This is a great stye of dance because it’s very fluid and the music is very lively. Learn to feel the music, let it dictate how your body moves. Take lessons to learn the basics but just really try and move to how the music is making you feel.
2. Soccer, basketball, baseball, etc.
3. Music festivals: Get out there, meet some new people and just let loose.
4. Painting: Tap into the way your feeling and put it down on a canvas.
5. Playing with your kids as if you are one of them.
6. Plan a field day.
7. Water balloon or water gun fights.
8. Climb a tree or rock. Be safe of course
9. Take acting lessons.
10. Pick up an instrument. Who cares if you suck have fun and you just might get good.
11. Sing a song, go to a karaoke bar.
12. Let yourself laugh with out censoring it.
13. Practice some Yoga.
14. Go to an amusement park: Forget everything and just enjoy all the feelings you experience.

Becoming More Childlike: Quick Tips On How To Be Kid Again

1. Suspend your beliefs and feel the experience.
2. Don’t hesitate: If you feel like doing something just do it and stop once you are no longer getting enjoyment from it. If you get the urge to ride your bike, what’s stopping you?
3. Be Open: Kids step out into the world and declare “Here I am world, show me what you got”.
4. Be direct: When kids are discussing what to do, they simply say “wouldn’t it be fun if we….” and then proceed to do it.
5. Put your ego aside: Before you where conditioned by your parents and society, you where in constant bliss by always exploring the unknown without thinking of  how it might affect your ego.
6. Reclaim your child like creativity. If you learn how to be a kid again, your creativity will naturally explode.

Hope you enjoyed this article on remember how to be a kid again, this life is a game so get out there and have some fun. If you find my site valuable please pass it along to your friends and family. I really appreciate you helping me in my personal mission to empower as many people as I can.

“There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly.” R. Buckminster Fuller

(editors note: originally published on Jul 27, 2009)

Enthusiasm: A Key Ingredient to a Passionate Life

Last weekend I went on a trip to a unique place named Tortuguero, in Costa Rica. Tortuguero is home to the largest leather back turtle conservation project in the world. With only 2000 inhabitants, Tortuguero is very remote. While a guest in Tortuguero, I could not help but make some observations on the type of lifestyle the natives lead.

Back in The States I would say the majority of people live to work; America is a society of workaholics. There is nothing wrong with working hard, but I feel that many people, after a while, forget why they are working so hard. Here in Tortuguero the people definitely work to live, and make sure they make time to enjoy the little things which make life so precious.

The people in Tortuguero derive their income directly from tourism. Even though Tortugeuro is remote, internet access is available and many basic consumer goods can be purchased. There are also several shops and restaurants, and many residents make their living by selling souvenirs, handmade crafts, and providing boat tours of the amazing canals. Other people make a living by helping tourists find the leather back turtles when they come on shore to lay their eggs at night.

The people of Tortuguero take great pride in their work because their survival depends on it. When they are not working for money, which is a great part of the day, they really know how to relax. You see people everywhere laying in their hammocks reading, listening to music, and sleeping. I also observed painters painting, musicians playing, and people catching about all the latest news.

My encounters with the locals were very positive, and my favorite person who I met was Ernesto, our Turtle Guide. I have been on many guided tours in my travels, but Ernesto had to be the most passionate, enthusiastic, caring guide I have ever met. He truly cared about giving us a great experience, and it seemed he received great pleasure in seeing us happy as well.

(Some Video Highlights of my trip to Tortuguero)

To me, Ernesto’s greatest quality was his enthusiasm. It’s his enthusiasm which allows him to enjoy making his living as a turtle guide. I asked Ernesto if he would ever move to the city. He said he didn’t like the city life, and that he has everything he needs in Tortuguero, and enjoys his simple lifestyle.

It was clear to me that Ernesto’s enthusiasm was not for what he did for a living, but simply for life. He really made it a point to tell me life is truly a gift, that he respects his natural environment, and is passionate about conserving the Turtles as they provide his daily necessities.

The Meaning of Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm first appeared in the English language in 1603 with the meaning “possession by a God.” The source of the word is the Greek “enthousiasmos,” which ultimately comes from the adjective entheos, “having the God within.” My encounter with Ernesto revealed that he was definitely possessed by some type of divine energy.

When you possess enthusiasm, you possess power. Consider the benefits of enthusiasm:

Enthusiasm indicates the degree of faith you possess. If you ever have an idea you want to pursue, enthusiasm is of paramount importance if it is ever going to reach its potential. No one in this world can accomplish everything all on their own. If you are not enthusiastic about what you are doing, how will you ever get others to support, trust, and have faith in you?

Enthusiasm produces energy, both physical and emotional. When you are enthusiastic you produce an internal energy that will help you take the necessary actions to accomplish your goals.

Enthusiasm is contagious. When you genuinely become enthusiastic others will also follow. When you are truly enthusiastic you radiate an amazing energy which makes others want to find out how they can feel the same way.

Enthusiasm offers a “slight edge.” If two candidates for a position have the same qualifications, the enthusiastic person will come on top. Enthusiasm instills faith in people, confirming that you will approach obstacles in a positive way.

Enthusiasm helps you to overcome obstacles. Obstacles simply mean that you need a new way of thinking to overcome them, this should be a signal that this was as far as your old way of thinking could get you. Enthusiasm gives you the right energy to contemplate new ways of thinking to come up with creative solutions to your problems.

How To Be Enthusiastic In Your Life

Don’t listen to the naysayers. Enthusiasm has the potential to change you and your situation. Many people hate to change. Those people will not be fond of your new found enthusiasm, because you may make them feel bad if they don’t change as well. People may become jealous when they see someone else take an idea and move with it.

Get out of a negative mindset. Enthusiasm is a dynamic energy which should be used for worthwhile positive objectives, and should be cultivated with a proper mindset. Enthusiasm for the wrong reasons will only produce negative outcomes.

Take inspiration from children. Children are masters of knowing how to live. Their enthusiasm for exploring the unknown gives them immense amounts of energy. It’s as if an enthusiastic young child has a natural energy drink flowing through their veins. It’s enthusiasm, not Red Bull, which “gives them wings”.

Find your unique valuable contribution. As soon as you discover your divine abilities, and get clear on what your unique contribution is going to be, you will begin to cultivate your enthusiasm. If you have always felt like painting, but never have, don’t wait; Start immediately! If, early on you begin to feel a new power rise up within you, this is a great sign that this could be your valuable contribution to the whole.

Try new things. Life is all about the experiences you have If you never try anything new, how will you ever find out what makes you enthusiastic? Keep trying new things until you have an experience which makes you enthusiastic. Any experience which makes you feel enthusiastic is worthy of further exploration.

From thinking to feeling. When you feel enthusiastic learn to become aware of how you came to feel that way. Become completely aware and immerse yourself in every sensation you feel. Enthusiasm lives in the heart, not in the mind. The more you live through your heart, the more it’s power will be available to you. Enthusiasm can and will help you get in tune with other aspects of your being.

Hope you enjoyed my post on how to be more enthusiastic, go deep within yourself and find the things that get you enthusiastic. Your enthusiasm will activate your divine abilities, share them with the world.

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“You can observe a lot just by watching.” – Yogi Berra

People Observation: Expand Your Mind Power

“I just want to go through Central Park and watch folks passing by. Spend the whole day watching people. I miss that.” - Barack Obama

One of my favorite things to do is people watching. I love going to my local coffee shop just to observe the environment, but the way In which I observe people is not how other people usually watch others. I make it a meditation and an exercise in self observation.

Ultimately how we process the world is through our senses. Impressions are food for our mind, for our psyche. We constantly receive impressions of the world around us and our senses interpret that information. So basically our view of reality is always just an approximation to it. The image or sensation is not the thing, as Immanuel Kant in his “Critique of Pure Reason” makes quite clear. Without your sense of vision, 80 percent of reality would not exist for you. You are the cause to how you interpret the world, in other words, you “are” the world.

So when I watch people, I do it while I am watching my internal world in a totally passive and detached yet alert manner. As my eyes receive the first impression of someone I sit back and just watch what arises in my inner space. It is so interesting to see all the thoughts and moods that each person triggers. Just watching a baby play makes me feel that simple innocence that exists within all of us and it feels lovely.

People are mirrors to everything that exists within us. They will help you see your anger, jealousy, love, compassion. No one is beautiful, it is you who makes them that. It is very interesting to explore what each person will help you discover within your psyche. They help you see all the associations of your previous memories, they bring your conditioning’s to the surface. By watching others your actually watching yourself, because after all your the cause and source to how you feel. But when your focus is solely focused to the external world, you see the external world as the cause to all your experiences. If someone comes and insults me, it will only affect me if I accept his insult, if I don’t accept it, it remains with him.

Typically how people view the world is one pointed. They look out into the world and become identified to whatever impression their attention goes to. For example, you see a flower (the observed), your attention goes to the flower, you then become Identified to it. Being identified means you forget who is actually watching the flower (the observer). You need to learn to develop a divided two way attention. As you observe the flower half your attention is on the flower and the other half of your attention is on the watcher (your inner subjective consciousness). You learn to observe yourself while remembering yourself. What I am trying to convey is very subtle and a drastically different way of existing and being in the world. You realize that your attention creates your world. Wherever your attention is, is the world.

The more grounded and centered you become in your inner witness (watcher), the more you see your life like a movie. You watch your life play out on the screen of the universal consciousness. Because after all, there really is no “out there” out there. If you are a meditator eventually you realize there is no inner and no outer.

Observing People at The Mall

Next time you are in a public place, bring your attention to your breathing, this grounds you to the moment. Stay with your breathing, allow your self to relax, place your awareness on your whole body, feel yourself from the inside out. Then keeping half your attention on your body look out into the world, just observe everything that arises within you. Don’t judge, don’t compare, don’t entertain any thoughts, just watch. See what other people help you uncover within yourself.

Like I mentioned before, your attention creates your world. Most of our attention has been moving out into the world because we live through our senses, this has caused us to feel separated and that the external world is the ultimate reality. But as soon as you move inward, the outside world begins to feel less real, and your inner world become more of a solid reality. Then eventually when you meditate deep enough to completely quiet your body’s physical senses you transcend your bodily awareness to see that there is no inner or outer, it is one organic whole. Your attention then becomes all encompassing, now this is how you really become open to the world.

People always watch other people, but they never really watch themselves. Do both, but do it right, life has so much to reveal to you, it’s such a beautiful mystery. The more aware and conscious you become the more the boundaries between you and the world melt, then when you look out into the world it is done in a loving way. You slowly start seeing yourself in the other, how could you then hurt the other? If everyone did this, Imagine what kind of world this would be.

If you try this, please share your experience. Much love.

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