THE VISIONARIUM PODCAST

Cliques can be snarky. It's all about social acceptance and being in with the in-crowd. It's no different than in high school, except the stakes are higher.

Feeling invisible in our own lives is frustrating and painful. We must become advocates for ourselves and take responsibility for our emotions.

We teach people how to treat us. When we treat ourselves with respect and love, others will follow suit, and our feelings of invisibility will diminish. 

We sabotage our happiness and well-being whenever we break a sacred promise we've made to ourselves. Keep your promises and you'll keep your bliss!

So, how do you know if someone is “toxic”? And how can you cope? Here are some tips on recognizing toxic behaviors and how to cope with them.

Self-compassion involves treating yourself the same way, when you are having a difficult time, as you would treat someone else. Instead of ignoring your pain and barreling through, stop and acknowledge that you are not OK. Then ask yourself, "How can I comfort and care for myself in this moment?"

In our dynamic, evolving world, the only constant that we can rely upon is change. Embracing change requires the ability to break comfortable habits, overcome the need for security, risk what we have, defy inertia and laziness, and master our fear of the unknown. Fear of change, also known as metathesiophobia is a type of anxiety disorder characterized by dread of any type of life adjustment.

“The fool who knows his foolishness, is wise at least so far. But a fool who thinks himself wise, he is called a fool indeed.” 

Dhammapada

We all have secrets – parts of ourselves or our past that we keep hidden. At first, a secret may feel like a form of protection, but ultimately the anxiety, fear, shame, regret and guilt take a toll on our mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. We are only as sick as our secrets.

Niksen means performing an action without a clear purpose or a deadline. Engaging in niksen helps us reach a state of calmness and tranquillity.  The relaxing benefits that are derived from niksen can help us accomplish our goals, with little effort on our part.

The ancient Taoists teach us about the concept of Wu Wei, the principle of non-action as a means of gaining access to universal knowledge.  It is in that eternal truth that we gain everything, including freedom from the struggle for respect and material possessions.