My religion is love and kindness

In a world where beliefs divide,

I found solace in a different stride.

For I, a wanderer in this vast expanse,

Dared to question the gods' eternal dance.

Religion's chains no longer bind,

Yet kindness and compassion I still find.

In the depths of my skeptical soul,

A spirit of benevolence takes its toll.

No rituals or doctrines to guide my way,

But empathy remains, come what may.

For in the absence of divine decree,

Love's essence still resides in me.

I cast away the dogmas and creeds,

Embracing the plight of those in need.

With open arms, I lend a listening ear,

To stories untold, to hearts that fear.

No prayers or hymns adorn my lips,

But words of solace, like gentle ships,

Sail through troubled waters, seeking peace,

Bringing comfort and granting release.

I reject the notion of a higher throne,

Yet kindness in my heart has grown.

For in the absence of heavenly might,

I choose to be a beacon of light.

In every action, a testament I weave,

That one can care without belief.

My purpose forged in the love I give,

A testament to the way I live.

Though faith may falter, my spirit's pure,

A testament to love that shall endure.

No religion binds, no creed to tether,

For kindness is my bond, now and forever.

Definition of God

This is perhaps the best definition of God that I have come across. It’s so true......Read on........👇🏻

*”Did you know that when Einstein attended some conferences in the numerous universities of the USA, the recurring question that the students asked him was:*

*Do you believe in God?*

*And he always answered: I believe in the God of Spinoza.*

*For the ones who haven't read Spinoza, I hope this will give them an idea.*

*Baruch De Spinoza was a Dutch philosopher, of Portuguese Jewish origin, considered one of the great rationalists of his time along with the French philosopher, Rene Descartes. Spinoza was born in Amsterdam in the 17th century of a businessman father who was successful but not wealthy.*

*This is the nature of the God of Spinoza:*

*God would have said:*

*"Stop praying and giving yourselves blows on your chests, what I want you to do is to go out into the world to enjoy your life.*

*I want you to enjoy, to sing, to have fun and enjoy everything I've done for you.*

*Stop going to those gloomy, dark and cold temples that you built yourself and that you call my house.*

*My home is in the mountains, in the forests, the rivers, the lakes, the beaches. That's where I live and express all my love for you.*

*Stop blaming me for your miserable life; I never told you that you were a sinner.*

*Stop being so scared. I do not judge you, nor criticize you, nor am I ever angry with you, nothing bothers me, nor do I devise punishment. I am pure love.*

*Stop asking me forgiveness, there's nothing to forgive. If I made you... I filled you with passions, pleasures, feelings, needs, limitations, inconsistencies... of free will, how can I blame you if you do or say something out of that what I put in you? How can I punish you for being as you are, if I'm the one who made you? Do you think I could create a place to burn all my children who misbehave, for the rest of eternity?*

*What kind of God can do that?*

*Forget about any kind of commandments, of any kind of laws; those are wiles to manipulate you, to control you and only to create guilt in you.*

*Respect your peers and don't do to others what you don't want for you. The only thing I ask is that you pay attention in your life, that your alert status is your guide. This life is the only thing there is, here and now, and the only thing you need.*

*I have made you absolutely free, there are no prizes or punishments, there are no sins or virtues, no one carries a marker, no one carries a record.*

*You are absolutely free to create in your life a heaven or hell.*

*I couldn't tell you if there's anything after this life, but I can give you a tip. Live as if there wasn't.*

*As if this was your only chance to enjoy, to love, to exist.*

*So, if there is nothing, then you will have enjoyed the opportunity I gave you. And if there is, be sure that I will not ask you if you behaved well or not. I will ask you - Did you like it?... Did you have fun?... What did you enjoy the most? What did you learn?...*

*Stop believing in me; believe is to assume, guess, imagine. I don't want you to believe in me; I want you to feel me when you kiss your beloved, when you play with your little girl, when you love your dog, when you bathe in the sea.*

*Stop praising me. What kind of egotistical God do you think I am?*

*I'm bored of your praise, I'm fed up with thanks. Do you feel grateful? Prove it by taking care of yourself, your health, your relationships, the world around you. Do you feel  overwhelmed?... Express your joy! That's the way to praise me.*

*The only thing sure is that you are here, that you are alive, that this world is full of wonders.*

*What do you need more miracles for? Why so many explanations?*

*Don't look for me outside, you won't find me. Find me inside... I'm beating in there for you."*

*Baruch De Spinoza.”*

Now it is time to de-normalise yourself!

Have you every wondered why explorers and discoverers are a special type of hero in our history?

Columbus, Magellan, J C Bose, Marco Polo... they were the pioneers that expanded their existing world. They broke through the existing boundaries to bring in new knowledge and opportunities. Their discoveries were turning points that completely reshaped the world and the horizons of everyone in it.

I bring this up, because just like the idea of independence, this idea also has very personal applications to each one of us.

If independence is about the privilege of choice, what if you don't even know you have better choices than the ones at present?

What if we've grown so accustomed to living and accepting what this present situation has to offer... the same loop, same problems, same opportunities day in and day out that it's become normal to you? That's your world.

It's too easy to fall into the everyday loop, where your habits and routines become so normal that you accept them, or when everyone around you is going through the same routine, that you accept this reality...

But, the truth is, the world is much much bigger than that!

If this resonates with you, it might be time to "de-normalize" yourself. It's time to find your inner explorer.

There are many options and opportunities out there that can change your circumstances... that can give you new life to your stagnant or unhappy situation.

It's just that your perception and habits have made it an invisible prison, blinding you from seeing past it.

How aware are you right now of the breakthroughs you can be making?

If you recognise that you might be feeling this way, here is a quick 2 minute self assessment that you can take to discover your strengths and weaknesses so you’re more ready for change in the right direction.

10 Life Skills from Public Speaking

1. Increase in self-confidence

Public speaking will help you increase your self-confidence. By public speaking you are increasing your skill at communicating with others, making you more confident around people.

2. Makes you more comfortable around other people

Public speaking increases your comfort level around people. Whether it’s a small or large group you will learn to be more comfortable around people despite of group size.

3. One of the best ways to generate sales (or get a better job)

If you own a business or do some form of work on the side public speaking is one of the best ways to generate sales. Understanding how to effectively get your message across to another person can help you generate more sales for your company.

Public speaking skills are also important in securing a better job. It is how you present yourself at a job interview that will be the ultimate decider as to whether or not you land that higher paying job and whether or not you get paid in the higher bracket or lower bracket of pay rates.

4. At some point in your life you will need to do it

Almost every single person will need to speak in public at some point in their lives. Every public speaking opportunity is an opportunity to grow your leadership, your influence and your career.

By becoming a confident and capable public speaker you instantly put yourself above many other people who refuse to stand up and speak.

5. It will allow you to make a difference in your life, business, community, career

Every speaking opportunity is an opportunity to grow in leadership and influence. Having the opportunity to influence people’s thoughts put you in a position to create real positive change in people’s lives.

6. Skills learned can boost performance in other areas of life

Public speaking will improve your communication skills, your leadership skills, your confidence and your ability to read and understand people. There are multiple other skills you will learn when public speaking that can actually boost your performance and fulfilment in other areas of your life.

7. Public speaking allows you to demonstrate your knowledge

90% of people will avoid getting up in front of people to give a speech. By standing up and speaking to a crowd you are positioning yourself as an expert in your field and you have a great opportunity to share your knowledge.

8. Public speaking allows you to improve upon your knowledge

One of the best ways to learn is to teach, and public speaking is exactly that…an opportunity to teach. Public speaking is important because it helps you to improve your knowledge. The preparation that goes into a speech and the fact that you have to work out how to communicate to others effectively makes you understand your content that much better.

9. Public speaking differentiates you in the workforce

By having the confidence and ability to speak in public you can differentiate yourself in the workforce. This could put you in line for the next promotion or keep your head off the chopping block when the next redundancy rolls around.

10. Public speaking will help you form a tribe of supporters around you

By standing up in front of people and delivering a talk you can attract like-minded people around you. Seth Godin calls this a tribe and I think it is a great concept.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF EATING

These life hacks can make your weight loss journey easy.

1. EAT IN A SMALLER PLATE 
The quantity of food in both the plates is same. However, when we eat in a smaller plate our eyes trick our brain into thinking that we are having more food. While eating in a larger plate, we tend to pile up more food to fill the plate.

2. CONTRAST THE COLOR OF YOUR PLATE AND FOOD  

You may end up eating 25 percent more if you choose the red plate below. So, if you want to eat less, the trick is to choose a plate which has high contrast to the food served on the plate.

3. DRINK IN TALL SKINNY GLASSES 
Visually the tall skinny glass appears to hold more liquid than the short glass. So, you can limit cold drinks and alcoholic drinks by serving them in tall skinny glasses. This way, you will be drinking 20 percent less.

4. AVOID EATING WHEN DISTRACTED 
Research shows that people end up eating 30 percent more while watching TV, working on laptop or when distracted by something. Instead, practice mindful eating and lose weight.

5. KEEP SNACKS OUT OF SIGHT 

If you are a snacker then this psychological hack is for you. When we see yummy treats like chocolates, our brain sends the signal to eat it even when we are not hungry. It is always better to keep them out of sight by storing in a non transparent container etc.

6. BRUSH YOUR TEETH AFTER DINNER 
Brush your teeth 1 hour after dinner. This way it is less likely that you will indulge in late night munching.

7. BUY SMALL PACKS INSTEAD OF ONE LARGE PACK 

When a snack is in front of you, no matter what is the size of it, you will tend to finish it in one sitting. Therefore, opt for smaller packs and eat less.

8. LEAVE EVIDENCE BEHIND 

This trick works in a party. Give yourself visual clues of how much you have eaten. Experiments have shown that we tend to eat 25 percent more when we leave behind no evidence of the food eaten.