Today's Lesson

What we think about ourselves becomes the truth for us. I believe that everyone myself, included, is responsible for everything in our lives, the best and the worst. Every thought we think is creating our future. Each one of us creates our experiences by our feelings. The thoughts we think and the words we speak create our experience.

We create the situation, and then we give our power away be blaming the other person for our frustration. No person, no place, and no thing has any power over us, for "we" are only thinkers in it. When we create peace and harmony and balance in our minds, we will find it in our lives.

Resentment, Criticism, and Guilt

We are each responsible for all of our experiences.
Every thought we think is creating our future.
Everyone suffers from self-hatred and guilt.
We create every so called illness in our body.
Resentment, Criticism, and Guilt ... the most damaging.
We must release the past.
We must be willing to learn to love.
Self approval and self acceptance leads to positive changes.

10 Positive Psychology Studies to Change Your View of Happiness

10 Positive Psychology Studies to Change Your View of Happiness

1. From Wealth to Well-being? Harvard Business School, 2009. While there does appear to be some correlation between happiness and income when basic needs are not yet met, people tend to overestimate the influence of wealth on happiness by 100%. Money does not lead to nearly as much happiness as people think it will.

2. Buying Experiences, not Possessions, Leads to Greater Happiness: San Francisco State University, 2009. The study demonstrates that experiential purchases, such as a meal out or theater tickets, result in increased greater well-being than material possessions. These experiences tend to satisfy higher order needs, specifically the need for social connectedness and vitality—a feeling of being alive.

3. The Science of Gratitude: University of Pennsylvania, 2005. One of the greatest contributing factors to overall happiness in life is how much gratitude we show. And a noticeable difference can be experienced with as little as three expressions each day (“Thank you for…”).

4. Trust, Morality, and Oxytocin. Claremont Graduate University, 2011. Based on research findings, psychologists believe humanity’s trust, empathy, and morality increase as their levels of oxytocin increase. Neuroeconomist Paul Zak explains the simple act of eight hugs a day can increase internal oxytocin levels and result in a happier you and a better world.

5. For a Better Day, Smile: Michigan State University, 2011. People who smile as a result of cultivating positive thoughts can significantly and immediately improve their mood. Simply put, one easy way to improve your mood right now is to recall pleasant memories—and smile because of it.

6. The Dynamic Spread of Happiness: University of California, San Diego, 2008. In this significant study, people who were surrounded by happy people were more likely to become happy in the future. So if you want to discover more happiness in your life, make a point to surround yourself with joyful people.

7. Kindness Counts: University of British Columbia, 2012. In this study conducted at an elementary school, students who performed kind acts experienced significantly higher increases in peer acceptance. In other words, people who are kind to others are more well-liked. This contributes to their own personal popularity as they help other people.

8. People who Exercise on Work Days are Happier: University of Bristol, 2008. People’s moods significantly improve after exercising. They are also more productive and equipped to manage stress in their workday.

9. Is Volunteering a Public Health Intervention: University of Exeter Medical School, 2013. Evidence suggests volunteering benefits mental health and even, survival. Donating time to causes you believe in not only improves well-being and overall life satisfaction, it is also linked to decreased depression and a lower risk of dying early.

10. Spending Money on Others Promotes Happiness: University of California Berkeley, 2008. This study suggests that how people spend their money may be at least as important as how much money they earn. Specifically, spending more of one’s income on others results in greater happiness. So go ahead, be generous. You’ll be glad you did.

Rumi

My heart is so small it's almost invisible. How can you place such big sorrows in it? Look, he answered, your eyes are even smaller yet they behold the world. 

Empty Soul

The emptiness of my soul is one of the hardest things to face. 

There are moments during the day where the silence of my emotions come alive. They awaken the most painful feelings. 

The sound of the wind hitting on the edges of my window create a universe of thoughts and wonders, of doubts and fears creating an uncertain and inaudible echo.

It is the nothingness of my soul, the emptiness and silence that dive into my heart, trying to rescue the left overs of time. 

You will never understand The amount of pain that can stay hidden away in the deepest of a lonely damaged soul unless it's inside you 

A shared pain, is a healed pain.

*My Words, My Canvas*

Bittersweet Mornings

These days, mornings for me often start before dawn. I used to groan as I glanced out the window into the semi-darkness, lately I have found a way to make waking up a more joyful experience, even when it happens at 5 am. As soon as I open my eyes, I say a prayer: Lord, although I am tired this morning, You will give me all the strength I need to meet the challenges of the day. Your Words sustains me when I am weary. You awaken me morning by morning. I am ready, Lord, to liste...n to Your voice. Teach me what You would have me learn today. May everything I do today be pleasing in Your sight. Many of us today are not in the habit of prayer. I have heard many people note that they do not find it meaningful to mumble a bunch of words. The more we pray, the stronger the habit becomes; the less we pray, the weaker the habit becomes.
*My Words, My Canvas*

Loneliness

I know that reaching out to others comes back to me tenfold. Therefore, I get out of bed, get dressed, and join humanity in any way possible. Every word I speak to others, no matter how small, manifests in bigger ways. I am already creating the presence of more people in my life by my own positive and loving actions. I choose to find one living thing today to hold. As I hold a flower or a puppy or hug someone, I know I participate in the process of giving and receiving love which fills my soul. I am part of a living divine equation, and my emptiness is only a temporary illusion. I recognize, at a soul level, those who are already giving me love.

Social Change

The social change movement

The social change movement is defined a group of individuals acting together to address a particular social or community issue.  Any action to promote the worth, dignity, and development of individuals, communities, and cultures is also considered as social change. The overall goal of social change is to improve human and social conditions.

Social change impact on myself, my family, or my community.

September 11, 2001 was a tragic event for social change. Just like any other day, people attended work, school, lived their normal lives, just as any other day. The fear was not present as we believed that our country was safe, unbreakable. However on this day, things changed. Three hijacked airplanes were hijacked and the events would change America forever.

The Muslim-American continue to struggle with finding a way to reconcile American and Islamic identities. Muslims, one an overlooked minority were transformed in the eyes of the American public into something to be feared. Muslims became the newest, and most immediately threatening minority. Americans’ fear Muslims as they label every Muslim as a jihadist. However, they do not understand that the jihadist act due to a deeper misconstrued social, political and cultural force. The way society react to Muslims has been significantly altered.

Cowen (1991) discusses the importance of psychological wellness, wellness for different groups and across life spans. One threat to wellness is resilience which increases stress due to life events and circumstances. Competence can also be seen as a threat to wellness as over a life span competences change. System change and empowerment are also threats to wellness as the pursuit of wellness depends on an individual’s strengths and also the interaction they have within their social system. When individuals lack these four, wellness can become threatened. Merton (1936) discussed purposive action and isolated purposive acts as one kind of action is done without awareness of reasons; another kind of action is done because the agent is aware of reasons for that action. Anticipated and or unanticipated consequences are terms Merton (1936) uses frequently and describes is as an event that occurs after the action.

References

Cowen, E. L. (1991). In pursuit of wellness. American Psychologist, 46(4), 404-408.

Merton, R. K (1936) The unanticipated consequences of purposive social action. American Sociological Review. 1(6), 894-104

Man hoe

What is wrong with the world today. Grown ass men acting like immature teenagers. Sending picture of their penis like we females should be shocked and or reply with an "oh wow!" Man first of all you're not the only one in this world with a dick so stop showing it off. Have some self respect and second stop complaining about how you do the same thing every night and how you're bored with life ...stop being a man whore. It's not cute, it is disgusting. Again you show no self respect. Why do you think women are becoming powerful leaders in this world, well it's because you men have stopped chasing success and now chase us. Powerful, independent, beautiful women. Little do you know ..,we don't need you... You men who are doing the same thing you did when you were 19/20 are a dime a dozen. 

Thoughts after midnight...

There’s a huge difference between having the money to buy something and being able to afford something.

Three Solutions

Three solutions to every problem: Accept it, change it or leave it. If you can't accept it, change it. If you can't change it, leave it.

Fake vs. Real

Is my smile fake or real... No one will ever know

Depression kills

True Feelings...

Harsh

Your harsh words pierce my heart

Your loud scream deepen my wounds 

You make a dead soul want to kill itself 

Please leave I can't take it anymore 

Forever numb 

Forever cold

Hate in my heart 

Death in my soul 

*my words, my canvas"