mandyjw

I've been really interested in this topic lately. I gave up coffee during my pregnancy and during that time began consciousness work and meditation. Caffeine allows me to get a lot more done but I felt stressed and like my mind activity really sped up after drinking coffee. When productivity was all I cared about that was great but that is not the state of mind I want now. I've even heard people say that too much caffeine gave them anger issues. If feeling at peace is our main goal should we really drink coffee? Just some thoughts, I'm still undecided about it... mainly because yeah, I love coffee.

If you can't make yourself care about her feelings, can you at least make yourself care about your own? He isn't making you feel used, he is using you. A long term friendship like that is way stronger and deeper of a connection than a short romance, after all romantic feelings are usually pretty fleeting in all relationships. It's not just the sex that's the problem here, it's the entire relationship. He isn't treating you or his girlfriend fairly and for that he probably deserves to lose both of those relationships. Then maybe he can have the opportunity to self-actualize and learn how to treat people with respect.

You can't have "casual" sex with someone you live with, or have any sort of connection with. You can have sex but it's never just casual. I think you need to become conscious of how much pain that relationship is causing yourself. You cannot say that you have "no feelings" for your roommate, but at the same time be hurt by his being oblivious or inconsiderate.

I make a living off my art but I am a glass artist, so my art is also a product in a way. I also spend most of my time making what sells, not necessarily what I am inspired to make. Just make sure you are ok with that before going forward. Otherwise just make art and say "screw it" and forget who sees it or what people think. Every now an then I indulge in one of those projects myself. The best advice I was ever given on selling art was "Don't expect to sell something if you don't have it up for sale." Don't expect people to come to you for commissions, ask for your prices, go out of their way and ask if something is available. Create an online shop even if it's just Etsy or make a website and have your art there for sale clearly. Of course this takes a a huge amount of work up front. I think you might find this video really helpful. I really did and I think it pertains a lot more to what your vision is than my own.

Don't think too much, just create! I definitely understand having trouble achieving a flow-state. I'm a full time glass artist and the biggest threat to my creativity is asking myself necessary questions like "will this sell or not?" When you make a living off your art you sell your creative soul like that though. If you are just creating for yourself you should not have to think so much. Creativity comes from a deeper place than thought. Give yourself time to create a project completely free of judgement and when you find yourself thinking just stop. The end result is probably going to be awesome.

Eckhart Tolle actually addresses this in The Power Of Now. When I first read it I thought it was so strange that he would talk about women's cycles but now I can see that it is something that should be addressed. As for diet I found that cutting out dairy and cutting back on meat made a big difference for me, but mostly just in reducing pain. I do think that no amount of diet chance and supplements can change the fact that it's a challenging time. Every time you are sick, don't get enough sleep etc, it's going to be much harder to stay present. Hormones do affect the way your brain works. It's a challenge but challenges make you stronger. At the moment I'm 9 months pregnant and sick with a cold so it's super challenging to stay present and not identify with the ego or my current situation. I find that accepting it and being aware of the fact that I need to spend extra effort taking care of myself and watching my emotions and reactions, and realizing that's all they are... BEFORE they result in unconscious behavior is all I can do.

It causes problems for some people with weight gain and digestion. But if you have a fast metabolism or have dinner really early you may need to eat eat right before bed in order to sleep well. I'd say as long as you aren't getting acid reflux from eating too late it's probably a good idea.

I'd recommend reading Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now. I love Leo's videos on enlightenment but they are a lot easier to watch if you've had an introduction to the subject, and The Power of Now is a really gentle yet incredibly powerful one.

Unexpectedly I've found that trying to move beyond ego and recognizing ego for what is is has made me more assertive. The only reason I wasn't more assertive before was because I was concerned about how I would be perceived.

Start with the thing that bothers you the most, causes you the most pain or what you feel holds you back the most.