Download: https://www.consciousevolution.tv/videos/Leo-Gura-Building-a-Passionate-Life.mp4

Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UTml_isM6c

Leo Gura, founder of Actualized.org, shows what is necessary to get the most out of life. Through discipline, self mastery, and a compelling vision, you can unleash your full potential through your life purpose.

The full speech can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey3x1...

Edited by Focus Shift Media: https://www.facebook.com/TheFocusShift

Music by PBO: https://soundcloud.com/pbo25

Produced by Conscious Evolution: http://www.consciousevolution.tv/

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Download: https://www.consciousevolution.tv/videos/Is-Spirituality-Worthwhile-XVmFwbOlCYU.mp4

Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVmFwbOlCYU

Today we examine quantum mechanics, the existence of god, and near death experiences to see the truth of spirituality.

We invited a chorus of artists, writers, musicians, broadcasters, sports stars, and more to contribute to Now Were Talking, a mental health campaign, run in partnership with Lyons Tea and Pieta House.

As the late great writer Toni Morrison said, "Definitions belong to the definers, not the defined." So how do you define 'Mental Health'? Is it a spectrum so broad that there can be a multitude of interpretations and reactions to it? Is it just a buzz phrase we see everywhere now? That a magazine can build an issue around?! (I jest).

While this era is known for its individualism, I also believe mental health is an individual thing. So for me, I'll define it as kindness. You can and obviously should be kind to yourself. I know this can be easier said than done, sometimes. Also, the beauty in being kind to ourselves is, we'll learn to help others. Kindness requires empathy, patience and forgiveness. I'm learning to forgive myself all the time (not that I do awful things all the time!). I know now I've learnt the most in my aloneness: in a sense, facing into my darkness has allowed me to be more empathetic towards others.

However I must admit, I fail at this all the time! I need to relearn, re-remember - it can be one step forward, two steps back. So maybe you shouldn't listen to my faux-sage counsel... While I'm a great guru for others, sometimes practising what you preach can be the hardest. I've been tested a few times along the way: 2007 and 2015 were particularly hard years for me. I had to relearn how to be kind to myself again; there is a vulnerability in even having to admit to yourself in the first place, to know you are being untrue to yourself, that fucked me up a bit.

Firstly what I needed to do was to take more control over my life, So I gave up alcohol and meat, and I started to do some simple yoga/meditation each day. After a month, I'd lost weight, was in less debt and felt much healthier. I then set myself a goal to run the Dublin marathon in 2016, which I did just about (so now I'll boast about it! I should also have learnt to temper my ego a bit more as you can see). I've learnt if I don't have a goal, I lack focus and I'll go inwards. Now, however, one of the struggles I find is getting balance right - sometimes I might have too much on and I can be overwhelmed. If something doesn't make you feel alive, it's too small for you - the irony being that the smallest things are often the most worthwhile.

I've learnt how to be OK with feelings of disappointment, hurt and anger, to hold it and to know it'll pass. I say this safe in the knowledge I'll fail with these feelings again, then I'll remind myself about needing to forgive myself. Knowing feelings pass is so apparent, yet it certainly can be a comforting realisation. The transience of life is humbling.

Yet all this learning requires patience - not a virtue I'm blessed with in truth. But I'm far more self-reflexive and happier with who I am now than I was three years ago. There are probably a lot of musicians/creatives reading this issue, and something I see amongst my peers is an inadequate feeling artists can have. We can be pitted against each other in our own minds and we strive for 'success', but as the saying goes "comparison is the thief of joy." Nobody truly knows what anyone has gone through to create what they have. I wish we could all be less quick to judge. Don't define others by an action without knowing the context, then hopefully that kindness can be extended to you. We have all made mistakes, and will again. Don't be the crab in the bucket, focus on amplifying art you like instead of bitching about what you don't. It can be easy to get lost in paranoia, but you're only hurting yourself.

Then there are the cliches; it's OK not to be OK, don't be afraid to ask for help, talk to someone, find solace in friendship, etc... And you know what? Most cliches are fuckin' true! Bowie said that, so I'm not going to argue with him!

Go and create, it's cathartic. For me personally, it helps me to find meaning in this 'crazy' world of ours. If you don't feel like being creative, volunteer your time with a cause you believe in. I've been volunteering with First Fortnight for almost 10 years now. This gives me a sense of meaning and helps me to feel part of a caring community. Ask courageous questions of yourself, wait, listen to your heart's answer - and know these truths are how you connect to the deepest you. In finding your deepest self a healing can begin.

Lastly, I am convinced that reading David Whyte's book Consolations and listening to Alan Watts saved my life in 2015, so they might be worth checking out. Also, all of what I've said above can be summed up far more eloquently in Mary Oliver's poem 'Wild Geese' - go and read it immediately!

Now We're Talking 2019A partnership between Lyons Tea, Pieta House & Hot Press.Lets break the stigma and take the dialogue about mental health issues onto a new level#NowWe'reTalkinghotpress.com/now-we're-talking

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Voices for Mental Health: Stephen James Smith, on being kind to yourself - hotpress.com

WeWork logos are seen at a WeWork office in San Francisco, California, U.S. September 30, 2019. REUTERS/Kate Munsch

NEW YORK (Reuters Breakingviews) - The We Companys prospectus for its flotation said its mission was to elevate the worlds consciousness. Having now abandoned its stock offering and its shamanic leader, the parent of shared-office provider WeWork has at least understood that self-realization is integral to that calling. But it needs more than greater awareness to ensure its survival.

The New York-based outfits investors, including Japans SoftBank and its Saudi Arabia-funded Vision Fund, have also cut loose the once revered chief executive, Adam Neumann. His barefoot, weed- and tequila-fueled charisma made him the kind of figure venture-capital investors love to back until they dont. In private funding rounds, WeWorks value ballooned to $47 billion.

Some investment banks involved in the initial public offering pitched possible valuations that were much higher. It wasnt to be: Investors balked at the companys private-market worth, half of that figure, and half again, before the operation was formally aborted just this week.

Aside from the increasing frequency of reports about Neumanns weird behavior and self-dealing, they may have taken the unimaginative but realistic view that WeWork was a heavily money-losing real-estate company a trendier version of IWG, the profitable but mundane Regus operator rather than a consciousness-elevating technology play.

Newly named Co-CEOs Artie Minson, the former finance chief, and Sebastian Gunningham, previously vice-chairman, have already decided to offload some sideline businesses, dramatically slow WeWorks previously headlong growth, and get rid of Neumanns top acolytes. Their challenge will be to show that the company can, in time, turn a profit.

Thats more than a nice-to-have. A Breakingviews calculator showed that even using generous assumptions, WeWork could burn through another $15 billion within a few years. The IPO was supposed to raise at least $3 billion, and that would have unlocked another $6 billion in debt. Minson and Gunningham will still need to raise billions, even on a less aggressive trajectory.

A new Breakingviews e-book recaps how they got here and some of the consequences. Only future chapters will conclude whether The We Company really managed to change the future of work or became the poster child for the private-market boom and bust.

Reuters Breakingviews is the world's leading source of agenda-setting financial insight. As the Reuters brand for financial commentary, we dissect the big business and economic stories as they break around the world every day. A global team of about 30 correspondents in New York, London, Hong Kong and other major cities provides expert analysis in real time.

Sign up for a free trial of our full service at https://www.breakingviews.com/trial and follow us on Twitter @Breakingviews and at http://www.breakingviews.com. All opinions expressed are those of the authors.

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Breakingviews - All The We Company needs now is enlightenment - Reuters

Looking for answers? In need of advice from a Taurus-sun, Virgo-moon, Gemini-rising? Think you can stump me? Email Simone at simone.a.levy@lawrence.edu with your own questions and you just might be featured in next weeks column.

Dear Simone,

I have been with my partner for four and a half years, and we are, for all intents and purposes, very happy together. I recently revealed to her my interest in cuckolding, and to my surprise, she was extremely respectful and even eager to fulfill my needs. I worry that she may be too eager. Within an hour of telling her, she posted a Craigslist ad seeking out men for the whole scheme. So long story short, some guy named Brandon is coming over to our apartment later today, and Ill watch him fornicate with my partner. And I will obviously have a good time, because that is what I am into, but I am worried that this is all leading up to her leaving me. What should I do?

Signed, Scaredy Cuck

Dear Scaredy,

The situation that you are in definitely is a tough one and one that many people in relationships have to suffer through. I definitely think you should confront her, but not in a way that at all goes back on your initial conversation with her. Just tell her your expectations and ask her for her own expectations. Hopefully, the initial thrill of this for her is what led to her enthusiasm, but if not, be honest. And if this one encounter with Brandon is what leads her spiraling into an adulterous spree, then its better you know now than later on down the road, perhaps when you are married and with kids. The truth is, this is kind of what you signed up for. Is this not the life of a cuck? And if your partner does not get it, then that is a shame. All of that being said, I wish you luck with your relationship, and I hope you figure things out.

Signed, Simone

Dear Simone,

I am looking for advice regarding my relationship. I have been in a polyamorous relationship with two men for about three months now. For background, I, myself, am a woman. The first two months with the boys was great, but the last month has brought many new problems. I found myself not getting enough attention. Both guys initially identified as straight, but were willing to try a poly relationship. And now, our thruple looks a lot more like a gay couple and their surrogate or something. They go out to dinner together without inviting me, they are constantly touching each other and they have even relegated me to the living room couch from time to time when they want to get sexy in the bedroom. I have no problem with homosexuality, do not get me wrong. But I am wondering what I can do to get them to be more interested in me.

Signed, Thruple Third Wheel

Dear Thruple,

Oh honey. Take a deep breath. I hate to tell you, but the verdict is exactly what you think it is: your two guys fell in love with each other and are no longer invested in the polyamorous lifestyle, meaning you. There is no way to get them to be more interested in you if they have already decided for themselves that they go together. I suggest you break things off with them before things get too dicey. It is also important to keep in mind that, from my understanding, polyamorous relationships should not be like moons orbiting a planet: you are not the center of the relationship. It should be a fully fleshed out love triangle with the two others loving each other as much as they love you. But it does seem like they love each other more than they love you, so in this case, I would just call it quits. Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

Signed, Simone

Read more:
On the Cusp of Enlightenment - Lawrentian

By Adam Owens, WRAL anchor/reporter

Raleigh, N.C. For 50, years, Project Enlightenment has prepared young kids to learn, guided parents on how to raise them and instructed teachers on how to guide them.

Saturday was a celebration of the impact the organization has made on generations in Wake County.

Phoebe and Effie Fitzgerald have great memories of this place.

I remember we had a class pet, Phoebe said.

If it is your birthday, you get to sit in a birthday chair, Effie recalled.

Amy Fitzgerald cant say enough good things about it.

It is just a treasure in the community, she said.

All three are even featured on a brochure, letting other families know all Project Enlightenment has to offer.

Such a great start to their educational journey and just a warm, loving, therapeutic environment, Amy Fitzgerald said.

Louise Taff has worked with the program for 48 of its 50 years. Children she worked with decades ago are now grown and bringing their own kids.

It is very rewarding, but it makes me feel kind of old, she said.

Taff is assistant director of Project Enlightenment, which is a Wake County School district program that provides early childhood education.

Helping a child learn to regulate their emotions, learn to regulate their behaviors, learn to cooperate, learn to share helps them be ready for school, Taff said.

The program also offers support to parents and teachers.

Fifty years is a long time. Project Enlightenment has moved locations, fought for funding in economically tough times and changed as families have changed particularly with new technologies.

Its these kids that keep Taff coming back.

It still warms my heart to get up every morning and come to work in a place that values young children and families, she said.

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Project Enlightenment celebrates 50 years of helping kids, parents, teachers - WRAL.com

Edible enlightenment from our eatery experts and colleagues Richard Nalley, Monie Begley and Randall Lane, as well as brothers Bob, Kip and Tim.

Le Jardinier

610 Lexington Ave., at 53rd St. (Tel.: 212-451-9211)

Chef Alain Verzeroli is steeped in the luxury-food traditions of both France and Japan. His ground-floor restaurant's leafy plants and its marble walls and tabletops shot through with veins of green create an ultra-stylish and tranquil garden-like oasis. The menu's centerpiece is its use of seasonal fruits and vegetables. A prime example is the sensational watermelon, heirloom tomato, ginger and mint appetizer. But Verzeroli doesn't stint on his fish selections, such as the perfect king salmon with mushroom bouillon, or in his meat offerings, like the smoky, rich and toothsome bavette au jus. Desserts are superb. You may never taste a more mango-y mango than in his mangocrmeux with coconut sorbet.

Agern

Grand Central Terminal, 89 East 42nd St. (Tel.: 646-568-4018)

This Danish contemporary spot serves up seasonal fare with a Scandinavian flourish. (It also makes a great Cosmopolitan!) The beef tartare is as tasty as it is beautifully presented, and the succulent pork shoulder is particularly noteworthy. The chef even makes fava beans exciting. Desserts are good but are perhaps the weakest link in an otherwise perfect meal. One caught for a restaurant in a rail station: Service is surprisingly slow.

MomofukuSsm Bar

207 Second Ave., at 13th St.

Arguably the most influential restaurant from New York's most important restaurant group of the past decade,Ssm has a new chef and a new menu focused on Singapore street food, such as skate roasted in banana leaf. While you can still furtively order a pork bun, the culinary theatrics are largely gone. Diners have noticed: It's never been easier to score a table.

Mimi

185 Sullivan St., between Bleecker and West Houston streets (Tel.: 212-418-1260)

You can't go wrong with anything at this tiny Village eatery. The menu is French with an updated take on many classics. For a tasty surprise try the veal brain appetizer. The softshell crab is among the best you'll have had all season, and Goldilocks would declare the hanger steak "just right." If you choose the baba au rhum for dessert, you won't need an after-dinner drink.

More:
New York Eateries October 2019: Where To Go -- And Not - Forbes

The work of the School of Educations Felipe Gacharn and his brother, Carlos Eduardo Gacharn, is being showcased in the Academic Staff Art Gallery in Bascom Hall through January.

Their photography series is titled, Flow: The Art of Felipe and Carlos Eduardo Gacharn. An opening reception is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 14, from 2:45 to 3:30 p.m. The Academic Staff Art Gallery is housed in room 270 of Bascom Hall. The exhibit runs until January 2020.

The Office of the Secretary of the Academic Staff launched The Academic Staff Art Gallery in the 2010 to showcase talented artists from within the academic staff. Exhibits change on a semester by semester basis.

Describing the exhibit, Felipe explains that artists and scientists now share similar positions on the edge of human understanding.

While scientists aim to enlighten by deciphering quantitative data, artists delve into the ephemera of the human conscience in the hopes of inspiring others, says Felipe. But what if enlightenment and inspiration share more than it appears?

The Gacharn brothers, who were born in Colombia and are both UW-Madison alumni, explore this very question through their photography. They use high-powered black lights and special fluorescent dyes in an effort to capture the material nature of energy itself.

That eternal, ever-changing force that controls and composes the universe might have something to teach us about the fundamental human experience, says Felipe. What if society learned to embrace change and transformation, even in times of loss? 'Flow' poses the hypothesis that if we accept the transient nature of life, like energy itself, we might be better able to appreciate the beauty of a single moment. We hope you enjoy these works as opportunities for quiet reflection - on the universe, and yourselves.

Originally posted here:
'Flow: The Art of Felipe and Carlos Eduardo Gacharn' on display at Academic Staff Art Gallery - University of Wisconsin-Madison

Catherine the Great is a new mini-series exploring the life of the Russian ruler (played by Helen Mirren). Available to stream in full on Now TV, the show follows the life of the monarch, as well as her long-lasting love affair with Grigory Potemkin (Jason Clarke). Another interesting moment of her life is how she found herself as a pen-pal to French philosopher Voltaire - heres everything you need to know about that.

HBO and Sky mini-series Catherine the Great is currently airing on Sky Atlantic on Thursday evenings at 9pm.

The series is also available to stream on Now TV in full for subscribers to the platform.

The Helen Mirren-fronted show follows the later years of her rule, including the love she shared with Potemkin.

Based on the real story of the Russian monarch who ruled from 1762 until 1796, the series chronicles a number of events in her life.

READ MORE:Catherine the Great location: Where is series filmed?

However, one thing that was not really explored in the series was her intellectual friendship with French philosopher Voltaire.

Voltaire is best known as a French enlightenment writer and philosopher who was famous for his wit and advocacy for freedom of speech.

Across his life he wrote more than 20,000 letters to various people of note, including Catherine.

The pair had a long-lasting correspondence over her rule, which showed echoes of the friendship they had.

READ MORE:Catherine The Great: How queen had affairs despite Potemkin romance

They wrote to each other for 15 years before Voltaires death in 1778, with mutual admiration for their respective fields.

Voltaire in particular approved of Catherines secular policies, given his advocation for a separation between church and state.

Alongside this were a great deal of references to the classic wit of the philosopher who called her an enlightened despot in one of their exchanges.

He also wrote to her of his wish to have been part of the Russia that she created, according to the New York Times.

In a letter to the ruler, he reportedly one said to her "If I were younger I would make myself Russian.

READ MORE:Catherine The Great: Who was her husband? How did he really die?

Much of the show has been based on historical research, with many of the cast and creators studying her letters.

However, it is only in recent times that this correspondence has been made available for wider use.

For years it was kept in a private collection before it was sold by a Moscow art dealer who retuned it to Russia in 2006.

The mini-series also covers a number of real events that happened during her rule, including how her lover Potemkin lost his eye, as well as her liberal reforms.

Part of the purpose of the series is to portray an accurate representation of her life, aside from the rumours that plagued her legacy.

READ MORE:Catherine The Great: How did she die? Are horse sex rumours true?

She was often criticised for her sexual liberation, which was constantly used as a tool to tarnish her reputation by her rivals.

However, getting past some of these salacious tales to the real truth of her story was a big part of the new mini-series, according to fellow actor Gina McKee who played Countess Bruce.

She spoke to Express.co.uk and other media about this in an interview before the launch of the show.

McKee said: I think weve got to move away from that b*** s*** havent we?

The way powerful women were treated historically and even now - its got to be changed.

Catherine the Great is airing on Thursdays at 9pm on Sky Atlantic and is also all available to stream on NOW TV.

Read this article:
Catherine the Great: Did the Queen really know Voltaire? - Express

On the border between China and Pakistan exists the worlds second highest peak: K2. While Mt. Everest is higher, K2 is a far more deadly mountain. One in four people who attempt to summit K2 perish. One man attempted to summit the mountain twice, and found himself on a journey of adventure and self discovery.

Adrian Hayes was born in the New Forest National Park in the United Kingdom and is 60 years old, although he doesnt look it. The former British military special forces soldier has spent most of his life traveling abroad, and is an author, adventurer, and business coach.

Hayes started mountaineering at age 16, and learned early on by climbing in Scotland and the European Alps.

I had this dream as a young kid of being a mountaineer, Hayes told The Epoch Times.

After serving as a Gurkha officer for the British Army in Nepal, Hayes began climbing in the Himalayas. In 2006, he summited Mt. Everest.

While enduring the beginning of a personal crisis involving contact with his children and a battle with his ex-wife, Hayes decided to attempt K2.

I suppose the reasons that I went for it [were] born out of that need to avoid pain, Hayes explained.

Hayes was determined, and was convinced he would succeed in summiting K2. He admits, however, that he may have been a bit complacent going into the expedition.

The moment Hayes arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan in 2013 everything started to go wrong. First, he had to spend a week procuring the proper visa. The weather was terrible, and lots of climbers had recently been killed. Moreover, the Taliban had murdered 11 climbers at the base camp of the ninth highest peak in the world.

Despite the dangers, Hayes and 19 other climbers attempted to summit K2. The weather was too severe and 18 of the climbers including Hayes decided to turn around.

However, father and son Marty and Denali Schmidt, who Hayes had befriended, attempted to continue. Tragically, they were killed by an avalanche at camp three.

I literally sat on a rock two days before in tears that it was all over, probably because I knew I was going back to absolute chaos. When we heard that they had been killed, I sat on that rock again thinking My goodness, that was a reason [we came down],' Hayes recalled.

When Hayes returned home, he sank into a deep depression. He had failed to summit K2, two of his friends had been killed, and his family strife continued. However, in 2014 Hayes was determined to try again. This time he was completely focused, and complacency didnt enter his mind.

Fortunately, on this second trip the weather was favorable. After acclimating to the altitude for four weeks, Hayes and the other climbers set out to summit K2 after they had waited for optimal weather conditions. The final push took seven days.

After reaching camp four on day four, they trekked through the night to reach the summit on day five before trekking down the last two days.

That fifth day is the biggie. Thats the one. Thats where youre going to make it, or youre going to get killed, Hayes explained.

When Hayes reached the summit of K2, there was a quick celebration of fists in the air and hugs. After about five minutes of taking pictures and congratulations, they had to descend as they were running out of oxygen and the weather was deteriorating.

On July 26, 2014 Hayes had successfully summited K2. Hayes was exhausted and starved of oxygen, but maintained his focus and made it down alive.

Throughout his experience attempting to summit K2 twice, Hayes learned a lot about life and himself. Firstly, Hayes learned that he and others climb mountains for themselves, the challenge, respect, and recognition. The expedition is not to raise money for charity or raise awareness for a cause, which is okay.

The second lesson Hayes took away was that we live in a world of information overload and social media.

When you go on these expeditions your mind goes on a different frequency. Your connection with nature. Your connection with the earth. Your awareness muscles. Your observation. Your problem solving muscles. Gut instinct. All these skills are being swamped by social media and screen time, and its a real struggle coming back, Hayes said.

Hayes also learned about the fundamental importance of teamwork and relationships, which helps him a lot with his work in team and leadership coaching. Hes also become more humble, and become better at gauging people and their intentions.

Two years after summiting K2, Marty Schmidts daughter encouraged Hayes to write One Mans Climb: A Journey of Trauma, Tragedy and Triumph on K2. Hayes discusses not just the climb itself, but his personal struggles and the lessons he learned from his two attempts to summit K2. The climb, his personal struggles, and writing the book taught Hayes a lot.

Through the depths of despair comes our greatest learning, Hayes said.

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Finding Enlightenment on the Summit of K2 - The Epoch Times