By Julian Young

In both style and content, Friedrich Nietzsche's works mark the end of the 19th century. His short, punchy aphorisms What doesn't kill me makes me stronger, Man does not pursue pleasure, only the Englishman does signal a departure from the florid, German prose of the Victorian era. His recognition of the death of God and of the will to power as a dominant human motive, as well as his anticipation of World War I, of the rise of dictatorships, and even of global warming, speak to the troubled realism of the 20th century. Apart from this, however, there is little agreement as to the character of Nietzsche's significance or indeed about his primary message.

Everyone democrats, fascists, feminists, antifeminists, Christians, atheists, analytic philosophers, anti-analytic deconstructionist philosophers has found Nietzsches work to contain precisely their message.

For some he is an authoritarian antidemocrat who believes that only the wellbeing of the superman, that exceptional individual such as Goethe, Shakespeare or Socrates, is of any value. Many who read him this way find it unsurprising that (notwithstanding his vociferous anti-anti-Semitism) the Nazis adopted him as their intellectual forerunner. For other readers, however, he is the father of postmodernism who discovered that there are no truths, only interpretations (except, perhaps, this truth), a believer in playfulness, dance, and individual free-spiritedness.

Largely unknown during his life, Nietzsche was a world star at the time of his death.

EARLY YEARS

Nietzsche was born in 1844 in the village of Rcken, near Leipzig, in Prussian Saxony. His father was a Lutheran pastor, as were both his grandfathers. Following the death of his father in 1849, the family he, his mother and his sister Elizabeth, two years younger than himself moved to nearby Naumburg. In 1858 he won a scholarship to Pforta, the best boarding school in Germany, about a two-hour walk from his home. At Pforta, he received a superb training in Greek and Latin. As a graduate student in Leipzig, he was regarded as the most gifted classicist of his generation, which resulted, in 1869, in his becoming a professor of Greek literature at the University of Basel in Switzerland at age 24. During Nietzsche's first three years in Basel, he paid 23 visits on the German composer, Richard Wagner, and his wife, Cosima (ne Liszt), who lived in Tribschen, Lucerne, three hours away by train. (Wagner was in political exile from Germany, having played a leading role in the failed socialist revolution of 1848.)

NIETZSCHES WORKS

At Tribschen, Nietzsche wrote his first book, The Birth of Tragedy (1872), as his contribution to Wagner's project of building his own opera house in Bayreuth. In the book, he argued that Greek culture, the highest point of Western civilization, survived and thrived on account of the community-gathering effect of the Greek tragic festival. Wagner's music-dramas are a rebirth of Greek tragedy. Increasingly, though, Nietzsche became disillusioned by what he considered Wagners jingoistic anti-Semitism and cheap showmanship. In 1876, his objections to Wagner led him to walk out of the first of the Bayreuth Festivals, an annual event devoted to Wagners operas. Simultaneously his philosophy took a dramatic turn towards the positivist spirit of the age. The Birth of Tragedy had been based on a romantic idealism which Nietzsche inherited from the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer: since the natural world is ultimately merely a dream, science is superficial and the only route to reality is through art. Two years later, however, in Human, All-too-Human, Nietzsche asserted that only matter is real so that science alone can deliver knowledge of reality.

Human, All-too-Human was written in close collaboration with Nietzsche's then best friend, Paul Re, with whom he developed the practice of psychological observation based on the idea that human beings habitually deceive themselves as to the true motives of their actions, and that their real motives typically fall far short of what their morality says they should be. One prefers, Nietzsche observes, to save a drowning man when there is someone on hand to applaud the action. People give money to beggars because they enjoy displaying their superior status and power the first glimmering of the 'will to power' thesis.

In 1879 Nietzsche resigned his position at the University of Basel. For years he had struggled with deteriorating eyesight and bouts of headaches and vomiting that often lasted for days. In addition he had become ever more alienated from the life of a classics professor and wanted to devote himself entirely to the philosophical work he considered his life task. The university granted him a small pension from which he was (just) able to live for the rest of his life. For the next decade he led a nomadic existence. Believing that his health required permanent, mild winter he would spend the summers in the Swiss Alps Sils Maria, a village above St. Moritz, became his spiritual homeland and the winters on the Mediterranean, mainly in Genoa and later Nice.

It was in Sils Maria that what he considered his greatest thought came to him: the idea that if one were in perfect mental health and were to be told that one's exact life, down to the very last detail no matter how painful or shameful, was destined to return again and again throughout endless time, one would embrace this fact with ecstatic joy. He published this thought of the eternal return of the same in The Gay Science (probably his single most brilliant, comprehensive and delightful work) in 1882.

NIETZSCHE AND WOMEN

In April 1882, in Rome, Nietzsche met Lou Salom, an emancipated, beautiful and brilliant 20-year-old Russian. (She would later become the lover and friend of the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, qualify as a psychoanalyst, and become a member of Freud's inner circle.) Lou was profoundly impressed by, and had a precocious grasp of, Nietzsche's philosophy. He, not surprisingly, fell in love. Unfortunately so, too, did Re, his best friend. The whole affair turned into a poisonous custard with both men seeking to undermine the other, while Nietzsches sister, Elizabeth, pathologically jealous of any women who threatened to become closer to her brother than herself, stirred the pot with lies and half-truths. Lou had no sexual interest in either man but in the end she went off to live (unbeknownst to Nietzsche, platonically) with Re, leaving Nietzsche to realize by the end of the year that he had been dumped. Traumatized, he retreated to Rapallo, a town near Genoa, to lick his wounds. Nietzsches romantic pursuits ended after the Salom affair. He became absorbed in his writing. It was in Rapallo that he completed Part I of Thus Spoke Zarathustra which was published in 1883. (In the course of the next two years it would acquire three further Parts. As a totality it is an exposition of his entire philosophy in poetic, allegorical form, the language often imitating that of the Bible.)

The first Part of Zarathustra is notable for its infamous remarks about women: A man should be brought up for war, a woman for the recreation of the warrior, Are you going to women? Then don't forget the whip,, and so on. Since prior to the Salom affair Nietzsche had been something of a supporter of the women's emancipation movement that was gathering strength around him - as dean of Humanities at the University of Basel in 1874 he had fought (unsuccessfully) for the admission of women - it is likely that his antifeminism, indeed misogyny, can be traced to the Salom trauma. Later on he more or less admits that his views on women, though an indelible part of his personality, are pathological and are not to be regarded as an intrinsic part of his philosophy. In Beyond Good and Evil (1886) he calls his views on women a great stupidity..

REVALUATION OF ALL VALUES

Though all of his books are polemical, Beyond Good and Evil is Nietzsche's most deliberately shocking. In it he postulates that the world is will to power - and nothing besides a proposition he took to be an improved version of Darwinism: creatures, he claims, often risk life for the sake of an increase in power, so the drive to power, rather than the drive to survive, must be the fundamental one. The point of the work's deliberately lurid language life itself is essentially a process of appropriating, injuring, overpowering the alien and the weaker, oppressing exploiting is to force his age to wake up to the desperate need for a revaluation of all values.

The Genealogy of Morals, which appeared in 1887, provides a clue as to how one is to revalue values, what alternative morality should be adopted. The first moralities were 'master moralities': feeling good about themselves, the successful warrior bands, the Vikings for instance, elevated to the status of virtues those qualities which facilitated their success: self-confidence, lust for war, courage, resoluteness, intelligence, strength, and so on. Graeco-Roman antiquity valued these same qualities, primarily, however, not in their crude expression but in a 'spiritualised', sublimated, form. The greatness of Greece was based on agon, the sublimation of warfare into 'competition'. No less than the Olympic Games, the great Greek tragedies were the product of intense competition between playwrights. But then, during the Roman Empire, a new form of morality grew up, the morality of the underclass, slave morality. Experiencing intense ressentiment against their oppressive masters, the slaves invented the new morality of Christian (so-called) love. This was the product of 'spin', a transformation of the virtues of the masters into vices: self-confidence became 'arrogance', resoluteness 'cruelty', courage 'aggression' and so on. And the characteristics which the slaves, as slaves, had to exhibit--timidity, fawning friendliness, self-effacement became, under new names, virtues: peacefulness, love and humility. And so one arrived at the morality of the present, the morality which leads inexorably to self-hatred and nihilism. The solution to the problem, the way to bring morality into line with what is known to be the nature of reality, is to return to a master morality, to the sublimated master morality of the Greeks, updated, of course, so as to make sense in the current context.

BRILLIANCE AND MADNESS

For much of 1888, Nietzsche struggled to complete The Will to Power: a Revaluation of all Values, the vast and systematic masterwork designed to gain him entry into the pantheon of truly great German philosophers. But eventually he gave up, realizing the implausibility of claiming the will to power as the only human motive and the even greater implausibility of extending the idea to non-human nature. Much of the material, however, he was able to recycle in a final flourish of creative genius: in the closing months of the year he completed Twilight of the Idols (a distillation of his philosophy into his most sublime aphorisms), The Wagner Case (an assassination of Wagner as man and artist, The Antichrist (subtitled A Curse on Christianity) and Ecce Homo, his spiritual autobiography.

These final months of 1888 were spent in Turin in a state of almost constant euphoria. By December, however, he was exhibiting unmistakable sighs of mental derangement. In a series of crazy letters he expressed the belief he had deposed both the German Emperor and the Pope, had arranged for all anti-Semites to be shot, and that he was, in fact, 'God'. At the beginning of January 1889 he flung his arms around a horse being beaten by a coachman in a Turin piazza, collapsed into tears, and was taken to an asylum, first in Basel then in Jena. Though he did not die until 1900 his final years were spent in a vegetative state. Among doctors who have taken an interest in the question of why, at age 44, Nietzsche went mad, the traditional diagnosis of syphilis is now largely discredited. Though there is speculation that he had a slow-developing brain-tumor, it is more likely he suffered from a bi-polar disorder that eventually developed schizophrenia-like symptoms. ( He saw rifles pointing at him through windows in Jena.)

For most of his life, Nietzsche's work was largely unknown. In 1888, however, lectures in Copenhagen by Georg Brandes, the Danish literary critic, brought Nietzsches work to a wider public. By the mid-1890s the comatose Nietzsche was a world star. His sister moved him and his huge collection of unpublished notebooks and letters to Weimar which, as Goethe's city and the home of the Goethe-Schiller Archive, was the seat of German Kultur. People came from far and wide, among them Richard Strauss, Rudolf Steiner, and Isadora Duncan, to pay homage to the silent philosopher who, many felt, was not mad but rather ascended. Elizabeth's shrewd commercial sense encouraged Nietzsche's transformation into guru and saint. Her control and manipulation often involving outright forgery of his writings, both published and unpublished, enabled her to present him as sympathetic to her own nationalistic and anti-Semitic outlook, to turn him into a forerunner of Nazism. Hitler was one of those who visited the shrine in Weimar and when Elizabeth died in 1935 he attended her funeral. It has taken 60 years of patient work by scholars to overcome the perverted image of Nietzsche that she presented to the world.

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Friedrich Nietzsche - The New York Times

The older I get, the more Im hearing people complain of a lack of joy and fulfillment in their lives. Personally, I think this is often caused by an imbalance in physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual needs. In other words, people are not allowing themselves the right amount of sleep, nutrition, exercise, work, security, intellectual stimulation, attention, sense of achievement, socialization, fun, time alone and so on.

While exploring ways to increase happiness, many people identify a lack of spiritual satisfaction which often leads them on a journey of gratitude.

Robert Emmons is recognized as the worlds leading scientific expert on gratitude. He describes gratitude as a felt sense of wonder, thankfulness, and appreciation for life and explains it as an acknowledgement and an appreciation of things that are given to or done for someone. He goes on to say that the good feelings associated with gratitude inspire people to create the same feelings for others.

Most people learn basic gratitude as children when theyre taught to say thank you, show respect and help others. But in this busy and disposable world, it seems many have developed a sense of entitlement, feeling its their right to live their lives a particular way, instantly have the best instead of working and saving for itand taking so much of their lives for granted.

Positive psychology research proves that gratitude is strongly associated with the emotions that help people enjoy greater health and happiness. It can also play an important role in nurturing relationships and can even inspire people to take better care of themselves.

A study conducted by scientists Ken Sheldon, David Schkade and Sonja Lyubomirsky discovered that the components affecting happiness can be divided into three sections:

1) A natural Set Point that you are born with (50%),2) Life Circumstances (10%), and3) Intentional Activity (40%).

In simple terms, its our behaviour thats most likely to increase our level of happiness.

People who incorporate gratitude into their daily lives have a more optimistic outlook and are more appreciative of everyday things. As they are less likely to take things for granted, they are more inclined to be moved by the little things that can seem quite mundane to others. And because their attitude towards life may be more easy going, feeling that whatever comes their way is a blessing, disappointment may not be a factor that greatly affects their mood. Being able to see the bright side of life rather than focusing on a lack, is a major factor in improving happiness.

Grateful people tend to be less materialistic and more hopeful. Theyre also likely to be more resilient and less likely to feel theyre a victim when things dont go their way. Being better able to cope with tragedies and crisis, helps improve the quality and experiences they have in life.

Its proven that people who live with gratitude are less likely to suffer from anxiety or depression. Its been shown that grateful people are more optimistic and apart from an increase in energy, optimism has a number of health benefits. And its not just mental health thats positively impacted, but physical health too. Gratitude has a positive effect on immunity, blood pressure, heart disease, cancer outcomes, pain tolerance and even pregnancy.

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.William Arthur Ward

People experiencing heartfelt gratitude and high levels of happiness have far greater self-esteem and confidence than those with an attitude of doom and gloom. Being grateful focuses our attention on happier, more positive thoughts which helps them feel better about themselves and banishes negative self-talk. Being appreciative of the things people have done for them can help them see just how much theyre cherished and valued, hence increasing their self-worth in their own mind.

Its been shown that people with a grateful disposition are more likely to reach their goals faster. Those in managerial positions report that thanking their colleagues and showing genuine appreciation for their efforts, improves productivity and motivates enthusiasm and loyalty.

A study conducted by Psychologist Jeffrey Froh showed students who regularly practised gratitude were more optimistic, more satisfied in life and more positive about school.

Another study suggested that grateful adolescents form stronger friendships, are more satisfied at home and less materialistic. Theyre also likely to have greater self-esteem, give more emotional support to others, be more engaged in schoolwork and achieve higher grades.

People with an attitude of gratitude are more likely to recover faster from a setback. Seeing the brighter side of negative situations allows them to find the lesson and move on to count their blessings in other aspects of life.

People who express their gratitude for their friends, partner or loved ones are rewarded with more positive feelings and given more trust and respect. One study showed that expressing gratitude to a partner allowed a couple to feel more comfortable talking about relationship concerns and made them more forgiving and responsive to each others needs.

Being grateful isnt always easy. Attitude towards life can greatly depend on the environment in which people live, the people they associate with and the experiences theyve had. Stress also plays a major part in people feeling ungrateful for what they have or the situation theyre in.

But as Robert Emmons explains, Without gratitude, life can be lonely, depressing and impoverished. Gratitude enriches human life. It elevates, energizes, inspires and transforms. People are moved, opened and humbled through expressions of gratitude.

As gratitude is a chosen attitude, lets explore the ways in which it can most successfully incorporate into daily life.

Our expert on gratitude, Robert Emmons strongly believes that keeping a gratitude journal is one of the best ways of changing attitudes. He shares some research-based tips to help people benefit the most from their journal.

No need to get a fancy journal. Something as simple as an exercise book is fine, but if purchasing one specifically designed for gratitude, there are a number of great options below (affiliate links):

Jack Canfields Gratitude Journal: The Companion to Jack Canfields Key to Living the Law of AttractionGratitude Journal: Positive Thoughts & Vibration by You Daily Gratitude JournalGratitude Journal: 100 Days of Gratitude Will Change Your Life

Martin Seligman, the founding father of positive psychology, developed a simple, but highly effective exercise known as the gratitude visit. This exercise, found in his highly acclaimed book Flourish (affiliate link), promises to enhance well-being and reduce depression.

Martin Seligmans exercise:

Close your eyes. Call up the face of someone still alive who years ago did something or said something that changed your life for the better. Someone who you never properly thanked; someone you could meet face-to-face next week. Got a face?

Gratitude can make your life happier and more satisfying. When we feel gratitude, we benefit from the pleasant memory of a positive event in our life. Also, when we express our gratitude to others, we strengthen our relationship with them. But sometimes our thank you is said so casually or quickly that it is nearly meaningless. In this exercise you will have the opportunity to experience what it is like to express your gratitude in a thoughtful, purposeful manner.

Your task is to write a letter of gratitude to this individual and deliver it in person. The letter should be concrete and about three hundred words: be specific about what she did for you and how it affected your life. Let her know what you are doing now, and mention how you often remember what she did. Make it sing! Once you have written the testimonial, call the person and tell her youd like to visit her, but be vague about the purpose of the meeting; this exercise is much more fun when it is a surprise. When you meet her, take your time reading your letter.

You can read more about this exercise here.

Complaining seems to be a natural part of most peoples character, something many do several times a day without really noticing. Though it enables them to get things off their chest, complaining usually causes more harm than good and rarely yields a positive result. When people complain, theyre reinforcing negative emotions, re-living stress and frustration, and impacting their mood and self-esteem.

People can practice mindfulness and STOP when a negative thought presents or spiteful words start tumbling out their mouth and replace the negative dialogue with positive thoughts or words about the good things that have happened and things theyre (or should be) grateful for.

Visual reminders are great when first starting out. Magnets, posters and notes around the house are great ways to lose the negative attitude and refocus on the positives.

Giving or doing for others creates feelings of gratitude for the recipient and a sense of pride and happiness for the giver. Apart from the good feelings that are created when volunteering time or giving a gift, its also a way of seeing how fortunate we are compared to those being helping. People who experience someone elses misfortune often come away with strong feelings of gratitude for the things and people in their own lives.

Most people are conditioned to react negatively or question why me when something bad happens. But, people who practice gratitude are more likely to find the positives in a negative situation. Just because its not something that was planned or it causes unhappiness doesnt mean theres nothing good to be taken from it.

So, as you can see, a little time savouring the good things in life can lead us all to a much more positive state of mind with very powerful and life-changing outcomes.

Whats your favourite way to practise gratitude?

Author: Lisa Currie, Ripple Kindness ProjectLisa is the founder of Ripple Kindness Project, a community program andschool curriculum that aims to improve social, emotional and mental health, and reduce bullying by teaching and inspiring kindness.The ongoing, whole school primary curriculum teaches children about their emotions and the impact their words and actions have on others. It provides opportunities for children to be part of kindness activities, allowing them to experience the feel-good emotions kindness produces.

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An Attitude of Gratitude for Positive Mental Health and ...

Why does organic cost more?

While organic food is sometimes more expensive than non-organic, there are ways to keep costs down. In an ideal world, organic wouldnt need to be more expensive. A big part of the problem is that the true cost of our food isnt reflected in the price, both the positives and the negatives. So food that is produced in ways that may contaminate our water, or lead to antibiotic resistance in people, may seem cheap in the store, but the real cost can be very high indeed.

Where there is a price difference, you are paying for the special care organic farmers place on protecting the environment andimproving animal welfare.As the costs of farming with oil-based fertilisers and chemicals increase, the price gap between organic and non-organic is closing.

Going organic is easier than youd think. Food, health, beauty and textile products that hold the Soil Association organic symbol have been produced to the highest possible animal welfare and environmental standards. Look for the logo!

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organic food - Soil Association

Get Off The Scale!

You are beautiful. Your beauty, just like your capacity for life, happiness, and success, is immeasurable. Day after day, countless people across the globe get on a scale in search of validation of beauty and social acceptance.

Get off the scale! I have yet to see a scale that can tell you how enchanting your eyes are. I have yet to see a scale that can show you how wonderful your hair looks when the sun shines its glorious rays on it. I have yet to see a scale that can thank you for your compassion, sense of humor, and contagious smile. Get off the scale because I have yet to see one that can admire you for your perseverance when challenged in life.

Its true, the scale can only give you a numerical reflection of your relationship with gravity. Thats it. It cannot measure beauty, talent, purpose, life force, possibility, strength, or love. Dont give the scale more power than it has earned. Take note of the number, then get off the scale and live your life. You are beautiful! Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

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Quotes About Self Empowerment (245 quotes) - Goodreads

164

My favorite sushi place in Monterey Park. It's a good value for California style rolls. I like the decor, it's clean and simple. Not too crowded. I like the beef ribs too.

Wasn't a fan . The sushi just didn't taste Japanese . It was just different . I personally felt that for the price, the rolls were small. The shrimp tempura was different. The crispier on the outside were not something I liked as much as the other tempura batters I've had at other restaurants.Service is very good though.

My secret hiding place. I love this place. The service rocks! Food is great.

Bomb ass food and reasonable prices. They have great customer service as well. I always opt for the bento boxes because it has everything in them- meat, sushi, rice, soup, and salad. I recommend getting the baked salmon roll and spider roll. The portion size is pretty big too. I go here at least twice a month to satisfy my sushi cravings.

Under new management so give them a tryReasonable prices Foods was fresh and tastyServices good and niceDefinitely come back soon

520 in the warm side of the day, oysters are fresh, eel roll my favorite, one by one very good to eat, so delicious.

I was hesitant to try this place because of the mixed reviews and a couple of claims of food poisoning. BUT, the husband has been craving katsudon and this was like the only option in the area open on Sunday afternoon with katsudon on their menu. We figured we were safe from any food poisoning red flags since we weren't planning on ordering any sushi, only deep-fried items. Husband ordered katsudon when the very nice and well-meaning server informed us that the chef doesn't put egg in the katsudon. So I asked, "No egg? What's the difference between your katsudon and your katsu bowl then besides the $2 price difference?"She said she would check with the chef if he could try making katsudon with egg. I don't understand how you have an item on your menu that is missing a key ingredient... if you don't make katsudon with egg, don't call it katsudon. Seems simple enough, right?Server returns and said the chef was willing to try to make it with the egg. Apparently he asked another chef how to make it with egg and was going to give it the old college try. I not being as adventurous as my husband, ordered the chicken katsu bowl. After a 20+ minute wait, our food arrived. The egg was a little under on the katsudon but safe enough to consume. I took a bite of my chicken katsu and immediately noticed it wasn't a tender piece of chicken, but chewier like pork. I examined the grain on the meat, which looked like pork and not chicken. I asked the server if she was sure they gave me chicken katsu and not pork.She wasn't sure so she said she'd go check with the chef. She returned a few minutes later and assured me that it was chicken and that they use white meat, so if it were pork, it would be a little pink. Not wanting to argue with her further, since at this point it's my word against the chef's, I just said fine and ate the side order of chicken karaage we also ordered.The chicken karaage didn't come with lemon wedges, which was super necessary since the karaage was on the salty side. We were able to get lemon from the very nice sushi chef however. All in all, the staff is nice and I'm sure they mean well, but this place is unauthentic. I won't be returning. If my husband wants katsudon next time, I'll just cook it myself.

I just had a great dinner here! When entering, I was greeted with a warm, welcoming smile by a very friendly hostess. I loved the Japanese artwork on the walls and the entire restaurant made me feel like I was in Okinawa. I ordered a few sushi rolls and all of them were excellent and large for the price! Tip: There are two separate private dining rooms in the back which would be ideal for hosting a small dinner party. All in all, I really enjoyed the food, ambiance and the very friendly service. I will definitely return!

They are finally open with new managers after a year off. My first time here and the food was pretty good. Delicious slices of sushi with an exceptional staff. Everyone is super friendly and the food will not disappoint. They are still remodeling the place and getting settled in. It is located in a small plaza nicely facing the street. I will be coming back soon. The prices are decent but worth it for the quality you are getting.

The servers are wonderful and attentive. They're quick and are communicative. It's such a hole in the wall, hidden gem! Also 30 percent off sushi rolls. They have ice cream and japanese style mont blanc. The food is delicious and the service is awesome!

Osho Sushi you have redeemed my business. The new team has been doing a great job, and I really enjoyed my food on my last visit. Everything was fresh and tasty. Almost everything is 30% off right now so it's more budget friendly. I recommend if you haven't been here yet please do so and give new management another try.

We ordered seafood hot pot. No fresh seafood at all. Those are all hot pot leftover food : Fish ball, fake crab meat and other frozen seafood! Can't compare with the picture they shown on the menu at all !! Cancel the whole item and left this restaurant !! So disappointed !

Cleanliness... I saw a cobb web dangling near our booth. The table is sticky.Food was mediocre. The sushi was huge but not chilled. Chicken teriyaki was ordinary. Customer service was decent, they mentioned the weather was hot, so they offered watermelon.Generally when I go to as Japanese restaurant, I feel happy afterwards. Today, after eating Japanese, I'm left feeling disappointed.

Maybe it was the expectations, but Osho is not one of the better sushi restaurants in the Los Angeles area.I came here on a weekday for lunch, and the place was empty. Between 2 people, we ordered a chirashi bowl and a beef teriyaki and sashimi combo. We were utterly disappointed.The chirashi bowl is practically a scam. The bowl looked delicious and replete with delicious sashimi; however, I was deceived by the fat layer of seaweed underneath the sashimi. Not only was the variety scant, the fish was cut by someone who clearly did not know how to slice sashimi. many of the pieces came out trangular and oddly-shaped, which detracted from the texture of the fish. Even if the fish were fresh, I really could not tell past all of the other deficiencies. One saving grace for the chirashi bowl is the rice, which was delicious. However, that is simply not enough to justify the prices when Sushi Gen and Akasaka are not too far away.The beef teriyaki and sashimi combo was also underwhelming. It is hard to screw up beef teriyaki, and I can't say Osho sushi made it terribly. However, I have never felt so unsatisfied with an order of beef teriyaki combo before.If I were you, would steer clear of this place. After eating, I understood why the restaurant was empty.

Just heard they change new owner, so come to try. The food are so so so fresh and delicious. We sit at sushi bar, the sushi chefs are very friendly. We ordered sashimi, sushi, roll and some BBQ. Highly recommend the chicken cartilage. We ordered twice 🙂 If you like Japanese good, come here. You will be satisfied

Very bad quality of food. The food was very dehydrated and old. I used to love this place but the one in Rosemead. I thought this one will be the same but it wasn't good for the price. I don't care to pay for good food but this one was so horrible. My friends and i were very disappointed with the place and service. We never go back to that place. I don't recommend it to anybody! Is not worth it..

My husband took me here and it's our first time. The restaurant has just changed new owner. We ordered Yellowtail, Tuna Sashimi. Uni Sushi. They are super fresh! I had a Salmon skin handroll, I love it! We also had BBQ chicken cartilage, it's my favorite! The service is great!

This is a bad place for Japanese food... the sashimi is not fresh.. service is bad. I will never eat at this place again

Food is mediocre, and waitresses need to check their attitudes. Why does the review need to be long to be posted.. We'll.. I'll just increase the number of words then.

I was there with my family. It was totally disaster experience. My wife and I still felt like to throw up two hour after dinner. The sushi rice is horrible with no flavor at all. The grill salmon was not fully cooked. I don't know how they fry the tempura. Still felt the oil from my mouth. It was not the Osho I knew. Keep away from that restaurant.

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Osho - 425 Photos & 163 Reviews - Sushi Bars - 112 N Chandler ...

Transsexual Women's Successes

Transsexual Women's Successes:

Links and Photos

Approximately 30,000 to 40,000 postoperative transsexual women live in the United States, and many thousands more are now in the process of gender transition here. These numbers are much larger than commonly assumed by the public because a veil of invisibility hides the true nature and extent of the transsexual condition. Especially hidden are large numbers of highly successful women who have fully transitioned. The reason is that most successful women live in "stealth mode" or are "woodworked". They leave their pasts behind and hide in plain sight in order to avoid social stigmatization and get on with their new lives. Their personal successes insure that they assimilate and blend right into society.

The invisibility of these successes supports notions that gender transitions often have rather sad outcomes. At present, the media only spotlights transsexual people on two occasions, namely when "someone well-known changes sex" and when someone is a victim of discrimination, harassment or attack. Media stories about someone's "sex change" are never followed-up to find out what happened years later. Instead stories always focus on pre-transition life and struggles during transition and never on their life afterwards. This lack of balance in exposure shapes society's notion that transition leads to social marginalization or worse, because we "never hear about them again". Only stories of occasional social failures and victims of harassment and attacks remain visible longer term.

Lacking successful role models, and confronted with deliberately staged, stereotypically-prurient images of "transsexuals" from media like the Jerry Springer Show, young trans girls are often terrified to tell anyone about their condition. Constantly reminded of the violence and discrimination that trans people face, but unaware that large numbers of successful women get beyond such difficulties, many young transsexual girls can't see any way out of their awful predicament. Social stigmatization of transsexualism leads many young people to internalize a lot of undeserved shame, embarrassment and guilt about their condition. As a result, young transsexual girls often waste precious years before they seek help, and many never find a way to correct their gender condition.

Recently the veil of invisibility has been lifting, as many post-operative women all around the world have begun creating websites to help others. Some of these women are quietly "out" within the TS community. Others share their stories by being "virtually out" (VO) only via the web (while otherwise remaining woodworked or in stealth). We are very fortunate to finally be able to learn about their lives, as they become listed on webpages such as this one. Lynn hopes that more and more successful women will quietly come out, and feel comfortable sharing their stories this way via the web.

The women listed on these pages are a very diverse group. They are of many different nationalities, races and ethnicities. They come from a wide range of social classes and family backgrounds. They transitioned at many different ages. Some have been postop a long time, others transitioned more recently. Some have been "out" for many years, others are still living stealthily.

Many of these women had to suffer terrible trials in order to transition, especially those who did so years ago. Some rose from extremely humble beginnings, including living on the streets, and yet succeeded anyways. Others had easier transitions in more recent times in the more enlightened western countries. A few were even fortunate enough to have had the support of their parents when they were young. As you'll see, this webpage isn't meant to be an "honor roll" or whatever. Instead it is meant to be place where these many diverse yet representative role models can come forward and become more visible - role models who are mostly accessible via the internet for interactions and help.

The thing that makes these women "successes" isn't how far they've gone in their careers, or how much money they've made, or how pretty some of them are, or how well known some are as entertainers. Those accomplishments are very meaningful, and show that transitioning doesn't have to hold a woman back from achieving traditional social measures of success. However, the real successes we find here are ones of the heart. They are successes in living "life in the large". We see it in the happy faces, and sense it in between the lines of their stories. These are the successes of women who have survived and corrected their earlier transsexualism, and gone on to find joy and comfort and peace in their lives.

Taken together, our stories will gradually help change people's views of the transsexual condition. After all, we are happy and productive contributors in all walks of life: as doctors and lawyers, as scientists, engineers and programmers, as airline pilots, as entrepreneurs, managers and office workers, as university professors and students, in politics, in education, in law enforcement, in the skilled trades, in modeling and in entertainment. The realities and completeness of our physical gender transformations cannot be denied. Many of us are wives, lovers or partners in long-term loving relationships. You can put a compelling human face on the transsexual condition by browsing the websites linked from these pages, which contain information about the experiences of these successful women.

Lynn hopes that these women's stories provide hope, encouragement and role models to others, especially to those young transsexual girls-to-be who are facing gender transition. As teenagers they (and their parents and loved ones) need to learn that a complete correction of their gender condition is now possible by applying the knowledge gained by the pathfinders who have gone before, and by exploiting the miracles of modern medicine. They also need to learn of the profound advantages of undergoing gender correction while young, as opposed to living in angst in the wrong gender for decades and then finally transitioning, in desperation, late in life. If parents can just learn to see that their transsexual child is really a "girl with a physical problem" rather than a "boy with a mental problem", then that child's future is especially hopeful. With parental love and support, a young transsexual girl can now reach for her dreams, and go on to live a full and joyous life as a woman.

[See also note below: "These pages pass into history"]

Some Ways to Use these Pages:

The main purpose of these pages is to provide role models for individuals who are facing gender transition, especially young TS girls who are often desperately fearful of what the future might hold for them. This page is aimed at providing them with hope and with a wide range of diverse role models to help show them the way.

Through these pages, young transitioners may also be able to help their parents, relatives, friends and others important in their lives to understand that undergoing a gender correction does not mean living a marginalized life, and that they will be fine afterwards. In spite of the difficulties involved in such transitions, the stories on this page show that many postop women go on to live very full and happy lives.

The pages are also aimed at countering public stereotypes of women who have undergone gender corrections. No one who reads these pages and studies the many stories here can help but have a very different image of such women than those traditionally presented by the media or written about by "experts".

Readers of these pages are strongly encouraged to proactively use this material to help counter negative media stereotypes. Whenever you read a media report that misrepresents transsexual women, SEND the writer and publisher the URL for this page, and ask them if they've ever seen this website. If they answer "no", then ask them "Why not?" Ask them "Why are you publishing things that so misrepresent TS women, when there is so much counter-evidence to your views?"

Readers should also CHALLENGE any and all "experts" and "authority figures" in organized religion, in medicine, in psychiatry, in bureaucracies, in corporate personnel departments, in the legal system and in the political system in the same way. Whenever you hear "experts" say erroneous things about transsexual women, challenge those "experts" by insisting that they learn about and study these pages.

In every case, such "experts" have known only a tiny, totally non-representative sample of "trans" women, if indeed they have known any at all. Few of these "experts" have ever known a successful postop woman. Yet they always feel free to speak "for us". They tell people how to think about us, and spin endless bizarre theories about us.

How have they gotten away with this misrepresentation? The reason is simple: Our very successes have meant that we've been almost "invisible" in the past. We've also failed by not having the courage to challenge the abusive stereotyping and misrepresentation of who we really are.

Well folks, that era is over. We're no longer going to be invisible, and we are increasingly going to "speak for ourselves".

As it turns out, the most effective way we can "speak" is by living very full, productive and happy lives. Our life stories will then speak volumes, and will help publicly shatter the old stereotypes posed by all those "experts". In the end, who we are isn't a matter of "theory" or "opinion" or "who dominates thought by shouting loudest". Instead it is simply an empirical matter of observing our real lives in the real world.

You can greatly help in this process by making these "successes" as publicly visible as you possibly can, especially among physicians, psychiatrists, religious leaders, lawyers, politicians, gender counselors, etc., and yes - also among gays, lesbians and feminists. All these outsiders who've been speaking for us need a good lesson in who we really are, and they especially need to know about the now visible, undeniable reality of our successes.

It is very important for young people who are feeling some degree of gender angst to realize that there are many options available for resolving their condition. Depending upon the intensity of their gender condition they may find really good solutions in P/T crossdressing, or by transitioning hormonally and socially into an androgynous condition while retaining a male identity, or by undergoing a hormonal and social (TG) transition and taking on a female identity without undergoing SRS.

On the other hand, those who suffer from the intense TS condition almost always know with certainty, even as teenagers, that they need to be girls and that a TS transition is the only solution that will work for them. It is for these girls that this page is especially designed. The women in the page above are a testament to the fact that complete TS transitions can now be very successful for intensely TS girls who are highly motivated, who plan things very carefully, who work hard to transition, and who move on with a strong sense of self-acceptance into their lives as women afterwards.

Summary of links to websites and stories of

women in the galleries of TS successes:

You cannot help but feel the joy and happiness of all these wonderful, successful women.

Reflections on V-Day in L.A, by Calpernia Addams and Andrea James

Link to Performers' Bios and Photos / Transsexual Road Map

The V-Day documentary "Beautiful Daughters" is airing on theLOGO Channel (schedule).

Overview /About The Show /Cast and Bios /Videos /Photos

** "Beautiful Daughters" can now be viewed for free on LOGOonline! **

It is also availablefor downloading from Apple iTunes

Deep Stealth Productions presented the V-Day 2004 Worldwide Campaign event for Los Angeles on Saturday, February 21st. In cooperation with the author, internationally-known playwright Eve Ensler, and under the auspices of Jane Fonda, this benefit performance featured the first ever transgender cast of "The Vagina Monologues," and included a new monologue written by Eve especially for this event.

This large-scale, mainstream event was a historic opportunity for the trans community to present ourselves in a positive, contributing light. The performance showcased notable trans women reading Eve's beautiful monologues about the experiences of womanhood and the reclaiming of self through loving and respecting our bodies. The event also featured artistic, literary and musical contributions from trans women from around the country. Among the many women participating were: Calpernia Addams, Becky Allison,Marci Bowers, Lynn Conway, Andrea James, Donna Rose, Gwen Smith, Leslie Townsend, and many, many more...The V-Day Los Angeles event was held in Hollywood on Saturday evening, February 21, 2004 in the Silver Screen Theater at the beautiful Pacific Design Center.

A special keepsake publication for V-Day LA 2004 was produced as a remembrance of this wonderful event, and a documentary of the event, entitled "Beautiful Daughters", can now be seen on LOGOonline..

See also Calpernia's and Andrea's new reality-TV show, premiering on LOGO in February 2008:

"Transamerican Love Story" (more)

Logo Channel website: "Transamerican Love Story" (photos,videos)

Acknowledgements:

Lynn gives her special thanks to "David",Carla Antonelli and Lorna Root for inspiring her to create these TS Successes pages. David is the author of the orignal "Gallery of Goddesses" website (now offline), which conveyed a wonderfully positive image of transgendered and transsexual women from all around the world. Lynn first learned about the stories of a number of the successful postop women listed here from David's site. That site has been down lately (and links to it from Lynn's site don't work right now). Hopefully David's site will be on-line again someday. Lynn then metCarla Antonelli on-line and learned of her LGBT support activities and herSpanish language support site featuring positive images of many trans women. Lynn was also very moved by Lorna Root's website "A Midsummer Night's Dream", which features the stories and photos of many trans women. A number of the entries here in the TS Successes pages are linked to stories posted in Lorna's wonderful website.

There are a number of other important websites that feature TG/TS women from all across the transgender community, and these too have been sources of ideas and inspiration for this page. Among these are Vicki Rene's "Prettiest of the Pretty", "Fiona's Fantasyland", Susana Marque's Directory, and URNotAlone.

We're also seeing development of new sites that compile TG/TS women's stories, with each site having its own special theme. For example, my friendKaren Serenity's site includes newly compiled information about almost-forgotten trans pioneers, along with the stories of friends in her extensive network (Gallery 1, 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10).Many of the larger transgender societies, such as theChicago Gender Society, have websites that list photos and sometimes bios of key members (who are often very approachable for help and mentoring). Circles of trans women in various career fields are also now building sites where their stories can be shared for mutual support and benefit. Agood example of a career-field support-site is "T-Cops" (Transgendered community of police and sheriffs) . It would be wonderful if more sites like T-Cops could be created for many other career fields and for affiliation-groups in many other countries too. That way many more success stories could be shared via all these sites and more widespread mentoring could be done by women who have completed their transitions. Our thanks and encouragement go out to everyone involved in building and maintaining these new sites.

Finally, we all owe a great debt to the many women who've volunteered to be listed here in these pages. We hope that all readers will treat them with the kindness, respect and honor they truly deserve. These women have earned their places in the world the hard way. Only by reading their stories can you begin to understand the trials, sacrifices and pain that most of them endured on the way to their successful new lives. Please join Lynn in thanking all these wonderful, courageous women for coming forward, telling their stories, and illuminating the pathways for others to follow.

In Memoriam:

Sofa Iglesias (Mexico)

Read more:
Transsexual Women's Successes

If you love a flower, dont pick it up. Because if you pick it up it dies and it ceases to be what you love. So if you love a flower, let it be. Love is not about possession. Love is about appreciation.

Whenever were looking for motivational quotes about life or love, we tend to find them among the teachings of great spiritual leaders. Rumi is usually a reliable source, along with Buddha, and others like them.

One of those leaders is Osho. He has gone by Rajneesh and several other names, but Osho was an indian teacher, spirtual advisor and mystic, who preached about finding peace and truth by looking inwards into ones self. This was a very different approach as the more popular mono-theistic religions focused on a single god who remains in control of the world we know religions Osho studied himself.

Rajneesh was perhaps the firstof the great teacherswho had carefully examinedtenets of other faiths;he could rightly claimto be the only teacherwho was a scholarof comparative religions.

Although his life was short, he was prolific in his output, releasing 600 books and several thousand lectures over the course of his 58-year life.

Here weve narrowed down this huge collection of material to the 25 best quotes on topics like love, experience, life and much more. We hope they provide the same inspiration

1. Osho On Madness:

Life repeats itself mindlessly unless you become mindful, it will go on repeating like a wheel. Osho

2. Osho On Experience:

Experience life in all possible ways good-bad, bitter-sweet, dark-light, summer-winter. Experience all the dualities. Dont be afraid of experience, because the more experience you have, the more mature you become. Osho

via: pinterest

3. Osho On Love:

When your love is not just a desire for the other, when your love is not only a need, when your love is a sharing, when your love is not that of a beggar but an emperor, when your love is not asking for something in return but is ready only to give to give for the sheer joy of giving then add meditation to it and the pure fragrance is released. That is compassion; compassion is the highest phenomenon. OSHO

4. Osho On Pain:

This pain is not to make you sad, remember. Thats where people go on missing. This pain is just to make you more alertbecause people become alert only when the arrow goes deep into their heart and wounds them. OSHO

5. Osho On Living In The Moment:

The past is no more and the future is not yet: both are unnecessarily moving in directions which dont exist. One used to exist, but no longer exists, and one has not even started to exist. The only right person is one who lives moment to moment. OSHO

6. Osho On Beauty:

Once you have started seeing the beauty of life, ugliness starts disappearing. If you start looking at life with joy, sadness starts disappearing. You cannot have heaven and hell together, you can have only one. It is your choice. OSHO

7. Osho On Grabbing Hold Of Life:

Take hold of your own life. See that the whole existence is celebrating. These trees are not serious, these birds are not serious. The rivers and the oceans are wild, and everywhere there is fun, everywhere there is joy and delight. Watch existence, listen to the existence and become part of it. OSHO

Read:Motivational Quotes 46 Sayings That Will Help You Conquer Everything

Falling in love you remain a child; rising in love you mature. By and by love becomes not a relationship, it becomes a state of your being. Not that you are in love now you are love. OSHO

9. Osho On Becoming Someone:

Drop the idea of becoming someone, because you are already a masterpiece. You cannot be improved. You have only to come to it, to know it, to realize it.

10. Osho on Taking One Step At A Time:

Nobody has the power to take two steps together; you can take only one step at a time. OSHO

Read:Motivational: Tyrese Gibson on Change, Excuses, & Negativity (Video)

11. Osho On Ignorance:

The less people know, the more stubbornly they know it. OSHO

12. Osho On Meditation:

My meditation is simple. It does not require any complex practices. It is simple. It is singing. It is dancing. It is sitting silently OSHO

13. Osho On Creativity:

Creativity is the greatest rebellion in existence. OSHO

14. Osho on Parenting:

If you are a parent, open doors to unknown directions to the child so he can explore. Dont make him afraid of the unknown, give him support. OSHO

15. Osho On Learning:

Its not a question of learning much. On the contrary. Its a question of UNLEARNING much. OSHO

16. Osho On Suffering:

Millions of people are suffering: they want to be loved but they dont know how to love. And love cannot exist as a monologue; it is a dialogue, a very harmonious dialogue. OSHO

17. Osho On Truth:

Truth is not something outside to be discovered, it is something inside to be realized. OSHO

18. Osho On Destiny:

Each person comes into this world with a specific destiny he or she has something to fulfill, some message that has to be delivered, some work that has to be completed. You are not here accidentally you are here meaningfully. There is a purpose behind you. The whole intends to do something through you. OSHO

19. Osho On Courage:

Courage Is a Love Affair with the Unknown. OSHO

20. Osho On Competition:

There is no need of any competition with anybody. U R yourself, and as U R, U R perfectly good. Accept urself. OSHO

21. Osho On God:

There exists no God. What exists is godliness, and that godliness surrounds you. We are all in the same ocean. OSHO

22. Osho On Fame:

Fame is foolish, it is pointless, meaningless. Even if the whole world knows you, how does it make you richer? How does it make your life more blissful? How does it help you to be more understanding, to be more aware? To be more alert, to be more alive? OSHO

23. Osho On Enlightenment:

Enlightenment will be now the beginning, not the end. Beginning of a non-ending process in all dimensions of richness. OSHO

24. Osho On Judgement:

Always remember to judge everything by your inner feeling of bliss. OSHO

25: Osho On Balance In Life:

Life is a balance between rest and movement. OSHO

images via: wikimedia commons

View post:
Osho Quotes: The 25 Best Sayings On Truth, Life & Love

Todays fast-paced and high-stress culture has spawned thousands of self-help books, each promising to be the key to living a happier and more successful life. With so much choice, it is easy for quality titles to get lost among the shelves. The following 50 books are some of the most influential self-help books of all time.

This book, published in 1980, is responsible for bringing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to the forefront of psychoanalytic theory. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a treatment strategy for depression that involves conscious restructuring of harmful thought and behavior patterns under the care of a trained psychotherapist. Burns best-seller is responsible for bringing this theory out of academia and to the average reader.

Over the last 35 years, Feeling Good has become one of the most recommended books by psychologists to help depression patients understand their destructive thought patterns. It was one of the cornerstones in popularizing bibliotherapy, as research has shown depression patients who read Feeling Good as a supplement to regular check-ins with a mental health professional see sustained improvements in mood.

Burns theories in Feeling Good have revolutionized the field of Psychology, which has solidified its place among the most significant self-help books ever published.

Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy

Outliers, the third book from Malcolm Gladwell, discusses the collection of factors that go into high levels of success. Gladwell uses his training in Psychology and experience as a journalist to analyze complex social theories and present them in a way that is easy to digest.

Gladwell uses real-world examples like Bill Gates and The Beatles to illustrate the journey from obscurity to mainstream success and how it is possible for anyone who executes the right strategies. One example of such strategy is the 10,000 hour rule, which states any skill can be acquired by anybody willing to put in 10,000 hours worth of practice.

Gladwells ability to break down some of the greatest success stories of modern pop culture into actionable steps for the regular reader makes Outliers a motivational read.

Outliers: The Story of Success

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective people has been helping people become more efficient for over 25 years. Originally published in 1989, Covey boils down the common habits of the most successful people into 7 easy to implement habits for the reader to incorporate into his or her everyday life.

The 7 habits outlined in the book are:

-Be Proactive-Begin with the end in mind-Put first things first-Think win-win-Seek first to understand, then to be understood-Synergize-Sharpen the Saw

These 7 habits give readers the skills needed to achieve self-mastery, and then use those skills to become highly efficient in working well with others. Coveys classic is a must-read for those on the journey of personal development.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

The Last Lecture is a lengthened version of the Final lecture professor Randy Pausch gave before he lost his battle with pancreatic cancer, entitled Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams. The book focuses on core principles for his children to embody as part of their everyday lives. It highlights the importance of a mentor, as well as paying it forward by being a mentor towards others.

The content is broken down into 3 subjects. The first is the importance of having dreams. Giving oneself the permission to dream is essential in turning abstract dreams into concrete goals. The second subject is enabling the dreams of others. This focuses on Pauschs idea that the best way to learn something is to think you are learning something else. The final subject is Pausch summarizing the various life-lessons he learned throughout his life.

The Last Lecture is an emotional and motivational read that highlights the role of student-professor relationship in personal development.

The Last Lecture

This book is the culmination of years of research by Stanford professor Carol Dweck on the theory of mindsets. Her basic theory is that our mindsets towards our skills and behaviors are the determining factors in achieving our goals.

Dweck breaks down her theory into fixed mindsets and growth mindsets. Someone with a fixed mindset towards their skills and intelligence believes these traits are inherited and cannot be improved. Those with a growth mindset towards these traits believe that anything can be improved with hard work and dedication. The book focuses on teaching the reader how to progress from the prison of fixed mindsets to the freedom offered by growth mindsets.

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

The Purpose-Driven Life has sold over 30 million copies and has been translated into more languages than any other book except the Bible. Warren has called his book the anti self-help book because it focuses not on improving the self but instead focuses on discovering and following Gods plan for a fulfilled life.

The book is structured around 5 core purposes for following ones life purpose, which are worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and mission. It is divided into 40 chapters with the authors intention of the reader reading 1 chapter each day. Each chapter is filled with timeless nuggets of wisdom from the Bible, which provide readers with guidelines on how to live the ideal Christian life.

The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?

With over 100 million copies sold in over 40 languages since its 1923 publication, The Prophet is one of the best selling personal development books of all time. The plot is structured around a prophet named Almustafa who has conversations with townspeople on a variety of topics while waiting to board a ship. The information is delivered in 26 separate prose poetry essays, blending the world of poetry and self-help.

The topics covered in The Prophet include good and evil, religion, love, marriage, crime and punishment, laws and pain. These are only a few of the wide spectrum of topics that are covered. The Prophet has served as a handbook of life for readers for 90 years and shows no signs of slowing down.

The Prophet (A Borzoi Book)

Pema Chodron dispenses ancient Tibetan philosophies on life in Getting Unstuck. This book serves as a great introduction into the core Eastern philosophy of mindfulness. Chodron discusses how most of our anxiety and procrastination comes from living in our heads.

Getting Unstuck helps readers get rid of their vices and bad habits by discussing how attachment to these behaviors is a mental prison. It gives readers tips on how to address these behaviors by being comfortable with ones uneasiness. It is being uncomfortable in ones skin that fuels all addictive behaviors and Chodron provides essential actions for remaining grounded in the present.

Getting Unstuck: Breaking Your Habitual Patterns and Encountering Naked Reality

The Power of Habit looks at the psychological processes behind the habits that form our daily routines. It discusses how our daily habits become unconsciously engrained by our brains to free up processing power for more important tasks. This is why it is so hard to break habits like smoking. Duhigg breaks down each habit we form into three steps, which is called the habit loop. The three steps are the cue, the routine, and the reward.

The Power of Habit gives the reader a road map to put the habit loop theory into practice and start consciously observing which routines are triggered by which cues, and the rewards for these routines. Establishing new habits is just a matter of consciously assigning a cue and reward to each routine you wish to establish.

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

The Power of Now has been assisting readers on their journey to spiritual enlightenment since its publication in 1997. This book blends psychology and spirituality in a quest to teach the reader how to see through the illusions created by the false self.

The false self, or ego, is the main subject of the Power of Now. The ego is a collection of everything we think we know about ourselves. The Power of Now shows the reader how the ego is the source of all fear and anxiety, and that releasing attachment to the ego relieves these tensions. Critics have dubbed the Power of Now as traditional Zen philosophy with a New-Age spin.

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

Daniel Kahneman, winner of the 2011 Nobel prize in economics, wrote Thinking, Fast and Slow as a culmination of a lifetime of research in areas such as cognitive bias and happiness.

The main theme of the book revolves around the different systems of thought. System 1 is instinctive and reactive, or fast. System 2 is more deliberate and logical, or slow. The book progresses through the benefits and pitfalls of each system. It takes an academic approach to the self-help genre and backs up every claim with numerous academic theories. Thinking, Fast and Slow is a great read for those looking to dive into communication and psychological theory while simultaneously improving their lives.

Thinking, Fast and Slow

This self-help book focuses on the characteristics that take a business from mediocrity to high levels of success. It has sold 4 million copies and has principles that apply to everyday life as well as the business world.

The core of Collins bestseller centers around 7 common characteristics that took average companies and made them outstanding. These characteristics are:

-Level 5 Leadership-First Who, Then What-Confront the Brutal Facts: The Stockdale Paradox-Hedgehog Concept: The Three Overlapping Circles-Culture of Discipline-The Flywheel

These 7 concepts cover everything from the importance of leadership to assembling the right team members. It also covers setting lofty goals and working as a team to develop a disciplined approach to sustain success.

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the LeapAnd Others Dont

The Art of Happiness embodies the foundational concepts of Tibetan Buddhist philosophy towards life. The main focus is on the idea of happiness as a state of mind. Tibetan Buddhism teaches how to surrender the feeling of attachment towards ideas and objects.

This attachment permits external objects or situations to dictate our internal emotional state.

The Art of Happiness teaches readers how to achieve inner happiness, which is happiness not attached to any external forces. It is a mind state that can be achieved to eliminate stress and anxiety in any situation. This timeless advice from a spiritual guru has cemented the Art of Happiness place among the best self-help books of all time.

The Art of Happiness, 10th Anniversary Edition: A Handbook for Living

This book differs from most self-help books on the market in that it does not promote any quick-fix formula for growth. Instead, Peck promotes self-discipline as the foundation of sustainable personal and spiritual development.

The Road Less Traveled preaches acceptance of the tribulations of life, and focuses on how to exist peacefully with these realities. The main strategies Peck employs are delayed gratification and acceptance of responsibility. By accepting responsibility for every action of our daily lives, no matter how mundane, we eliminate the bad habits and limiting beliefs holding us back from unlocking our potential.

The Road Less Traveled, Timeless Edition: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth

Predictably Irrational dives into the factors that make up our decision-making process. Ariely begins by defining rational thought and how what we think of as rational thoughts are often irrational. The first chapter sets up the rest of the theories by discussing how humans use relatively to make their decisions. The negative side of this thought process causes us to feel inferior because we constantly compare our lives to others.Ariely continues to illustrate how we as consumers assign value to objects based on desirability, availability, and quality; and how all three of these qualities are completely arbitrary.

Ariely teaches readers how to be conscious of this predictably irrational thought in order to make the changes needed to live a more efficient life. The values of self-control and self-awareness are what makes Predictably Irrational a self-help classic.

Predictably Irrational, Revised and Expanded Edition: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

The Power of Positive Thinking paved the way for the self-help book centered on the theory of positive thinking as the sole determining factor in what we get out of life. It set the groundwork for books such as The Secret, which deals with the Law of Attraction.

The Power of Positive Thinking teaches readers how to break the habit of worrying about things outside of their control. It gives practical exercises designed to get the reader to focus their negative energy into positive energy directed towards achieving their goals. These exercises show readers how to embrace their inner power and realize they deserve to receive even their wildest dreams if only they align themselves with the energy of positive thought.

The Power of Positive Thinking

This 1984 self-help classic has sold over 35 million copies worldwide in over 30 languages. You Can Heal Your Life teaches readers how to re-think their view of disease. She teaches her readers that most physical disease is a manifestation of emotional and spiritual unwellness.

Disease is a dis-ease caused by our reactions to external forces. Hay shows how to heal disease by healing the mind and spirit. The primary strategy for healing our thoughts is through affirmations. These are positive messages that the reader writes down or reads aloud every day to reinforce mental and spiritual strength. This simple strategy is why Hays You Can Heal Your Life is still among the top selling self-help books after 30 years.

You Can Heal Your Life

This 1994 book from Deepak Chopra embodies core Hindu beliefs and gives readers the tools to apply these spiritual laws to their daily lives. There are seven laws that structure the book, and they are:

-The Law of Pure Potentiality-The Law of Giving-The Law of Karma-The Law of Least Effort-The Law of Intention and Desire-The Law of Detachment-The Law of Dharma

Each law is coupled with several strategies and anecdotes to help readers incorporate these laws into their attitude towards life. A reoccurring theme throughout each law is the idea that the world is like a boomerang; whatever you throw out into the world will come back to you. This book is a great compliment for those who live the fast-paced western lifestyle.

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams

How to Stop Worrying and Start Living has stood the test of time as one of the most popular self-help books on the market over 60 years after its first publication. Carnegies book defined how a generation of readers faced the worry controlling every aspect of their lives.

The book is divided into the following 8 sections:-Fundamental Facts You Should Know About Worry-Basic Techniques in Analyzing Worry-How to Break the Worry Habit Before it Breaks You-Seven Ways to Cultivate A Mental Attitude That Will Bring You Peace and Happiness-The Perfect Way to Conquer Worry-How to Keep from Worrying About Criticism-Six Ways to Prevent Fatigue and Worry and Keep Your Energies and Spirits High-How I Conquered Worry

The first 7 sections outline Carnegies simple philosophies on how to handle worry in various aspects of our lives, such as decision-making and how we are perceived by others. The 8th section provides various stories, from all types of people, which show how they used these strategies to conquer worry and live a fulfilled life.

How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

This book highlights the role storytelling plays in the development of the human psyche. It is a companion to the 1988, six-part documentary series on PBS, in which Campbell discusses the role of myth throughout human history.

The main premise throughout the six interviews is the stories we tell are a mirror of the human psyche and are humanitys way of interpreting the world around them. He discusses how we can use these myths to interpret our own internal struggles.

He surmises that we are all on the heros journey of our own life and our lives take the general trajectory of the heros journey in the worlds myths.

The Power of Myth

The Magic of Thinking Big was first published in 1959 and its philosophies on setting goals still hold true. The books most important philosophy is thinking highly of oneself. It preaches the importance of setting lofty goals and embracing the power of positive thought to achieve these goals.

Another core concept is the power of visualization. Schwartz provides strategies for visualizing yourself achieving your goals and channeling that feeling for motivation. As these visualizations start manifesting themselves, the next step is to spread the good news. Broadcasting good news sends out gratitude to the universe and keeps the positive cycle flowing.

The Magic of Thinking Big

The Seat of the Soul provides a unique take on life that blends science, philosophy, and spirituality. The main message Zukav stresses is the idea of humans going through a psychological and spiritual evolution.

This evolution involves a shift from external power to internal power. Zukav defines external power as power acquired and defined by our 5 senses. This power is false power since it can be taken away by external forces. Internal power is authentic power since it is completely generated by the individual.

The purpose of the book is to teach the reader how to cultivate this inner power to deal with lifes hardships.

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This website celebrates his life and work and the continuing development of his teaching by his pupils and successors in London UK from his death in 1947 to the present day.

The Chronology section is the online home of the P D Ouspensky Exhibition & Conference held at Colet House, London, UK, in 2007 the most comprehensive archive of material and images celebrating Ouspenskys life and work currently available online.

The Library section covers the continuing development of his teaching, with the Record of Audiences & Correspondence with His Holiness Shantananda Saraswati, Shankaracharya of Jyotish Peeth 19601993, together with a new, fully comprehensive and easily used series of Indexes. The collected papers and meeting reports of Dr F.C. Roles from 19601982 comprise nearly 800 previously unpublished entries that illuminate every aspect of the Fourth Way. In addition, there is a continually growing collection of material by Ouspenskys direct successors up to the current day.

Even without touching upon the purpose of mankinds existence, within the limits of what we can know, we must admit that all the creative activity of mankind is the outcome of love. Our whole world turns around love as its centre.P.D. Ouspensky.

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Ouspensky Today P D Ouspensky's Fourth Way in Practice

Once upon a time I regarded self-awareness as something that was of little value to me. It seemed too touchy-feely. When people told me I had to find myself, I thought, How can I find myself when Ive never been lost?

The self-assuredness of my early 20s was quickly shattered when I got laid off at the age of 26. Suddenly, I started feeling lost. I was starting to realize I had been directing all of my energies toward proving that I was an adult (whatever that meant!).

In reality I had no clue who I was. Yikes!

Obviously I missed school the day they taught us about self-awareness. Oh wait, thats right, they never taught any of us about it!

I believe the practice of self-awareness is one of the greatest skills in life because it enables you to learn about yourself in a way no one else can ever teach you. It shows you how to design your lifestyle on your terms.

Before we dive into defining self-awareness, lets break it down and focus on the meaning of awareness first.

I like to think of awareness as what you notice in life. Its about paying attention.

Its the details you pick up from your perception of the world. Its your consciousness actively gathering and processing information from your environment. Its how you experience life.

Theres lots of stuff to notice each day, each hour, and even each minute. Look up from this blog post for a moment and slowly scan the area around you. What did you notice? Which details can you describe?

My wife and I notice very different things about the world. I often tell her she could have been a CIA agent because she can recall an astonishing amount of detail from any given scene of life.

Im more oblivious. Well, not really oblivious so much as hyper-focused on one particular part of the same scene my wife and I are experiencing.

I tend to be very aware of people. I easily remember peoples names. I feel their vibe. I notice how people interact with each other in a group. I catalog their stories in my brain. I can pick up conversations exactly where we left off even if months have passed.

My wife, on the other hand, will notice the physical details and movements of all people, even strangers. I tend to be more aware of people I know or spark my curiosity.

Neither form of awareness is right or wrong. Theyre just different. Its our natural tendency.

If awareness is about noticing stuff in the world, self-awareness is about focusing your awareness on yourself.

Its your ability to notice your feelings, your physical sensations, your reactions, your habits, your behaviors, and your thoughts. You are aware of all those different aspects as if you were another person outside yourself observing them.

Another way to think of it is paying attention to your intuition.

Or as someone I once interviewed told me, self-awareness is about being honest with yourself.

We all have a self-image of how we want others to perceive us. You might view yourself as punctual, but in reality you are often late to appointments. Self-awareness is about focusing on the reality of your behavior and not on the story you tell yourself about yourself.

Many of the people I interviewed about feeling stuck in their lives often described a feeling they could no longer ignore.

On the surface of their lives, everything seemed fine. In fact, they were able to ignore and even repress this feeling because they didnt have the self-awareness to explore it.

Some felt a physical sensation in the pit of their stomach or a tingling in their chest. Others felt more and more distracted. People also told me they felt unsatisfied or unhappy, but had no idea why because they could see no immediate reason for it in their lives.

Those that started to investigate the source of these unexplained feelings and sensations were those that began a deeper practice of self-awareness.

They started observing even more subtle sensations and the nuanced circumstances of their behaviors. They gave their feelings a voice and hushed the monkey chatter of their conscious thoughts.

Those that chose not to investigate these feelings increasingly felt more anxious. More stressed out.

Exploring the unknown can be scary. We believe we have to have everything figured out by the time we are 30. Becoming self-aware about unresolved feelings threatens everything we thought we were supposed to be working toward.

I strongly encourage you to stop ignoring those feelings because theyll never truly go away. Instead, start exploring them through a practice of self-awareness.

At the very least you will learn more about yourself and how you can live in closer alignment with who you really are.

In the context of lifestyle design, self-awareness is the first step toward designing your lifestyle around the work youve always wanted to do.

It is the mechanism for acquiring self-knowledge, the path to learning which habits you need to alter to start working on your terms.

The first step for practicing self-awareness is gaining a greater awareness of your emotions.

We have been taught to shut our feelings out of our decision-making process and to rely solely on our rational thoughts.

I believe this puts our decision-making process out of balance. When we rely solely on our rational thoughts, we often make decisions to try to live up to someone elses ideals.

Our feelings are the internal advocate for our own ideals. To make effective decisions, we need both rational thought and our feelings. We need to pay attention to our gut as much as our brain.

I didnt become actively self-aware of my feelings until my early 30s. I suffered from chronic anxiety throughout much of my career, and I owe that to my deficient awareness of my feelings.

Bring greater awareness to your feelings by including them in your decisions. Listen to your gut and explore why your feelings might object to the decision of one of your rational thoughts.

Ask yourself, Where is that feeling coming from? Make a habit of recognizing your feelings.

The second step to practicing self-awareness is making a habit of tracking your feelings

Very simply, start writing down your most positive feelings and your most negative feelings. Keep a journal or note on your phone. Try it for at least 30 days.

Begin to notice patterns and trends. This simple practice will help you better define your purpose, your values, your motivations, and anything holding you back from the work youve always wanted to do.

I like to think of monitoring your feelings as communicating with your subconscious mind. Its your true inner voice. It often knows what you want in life before you are able to put it into words.

The third step for practicing self-awareness is expanding your practice to areas of your life beyond your feelings.

There are countless areas of your life you can monitor, but you should focus on areas you believe will have the greatest impact on designing your ideal lifestyle.

Once youve gotten experience with tracking your feelings, I recommend tracking your energy next. This will help you identify your peak performance period each day. These are the period(s) of the day when you are most energized, focused, and able to create your highest quality work. Tracking your energy will also provide insights into what motivates you and what drains you.

I know starting a self-awareness practice for the first time can be difficult, so thats why I created a 12-week self-assessment challenge to help begin your self-awareness practice. Its completely free.

Sign Up Now

Each week youll be emailed a new self-assessment challenge that prompts you to explore a specific aspect of your life like how you spend your money or identifying your values.

Developing a self-awareness practice is the foundation of lifestyle design. It is the primary method for learning about yourself and your needs.

It will also do wonders for reducing your anxiety and preventing you from getting stuck in the future.

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What Is Self-Awareness? - Life Skills That Matter