All posts by Jeff Wilson

Inspirational, Spirituality, Thoughts

10 Inspiring Quotes From The Tao Te Ching

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The Tao Te Ching, was written by Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu in the 6th century BC. It is a collection of thoughts, guidelines and perceptions following the religion of Tao. A precursor to many Eastern religions this text continues to stay relevant to modern times. Heavily concentrated on perceptions of self, ways to attain peace and stop others from negatively effecting you. If you haven’t read it, I’d strongly recommend it. It is easy to read and written in a way that is accessible to everyone. These selected quotes may be enough to tempt you into picking up a copy. If you’ve already read it here are some choice reminders.

The Great Tao flows everywhere, to the left and to the right, all things depend on it to exist, and it does not abandon them. To its accomplishments it lays no claims. It loves and nourished all things, but does not lord it over them.

Tao is a form of philosophy with many similarities to Buddhism. In this quote Tzu is saying that following this code of living shouldn’t be a burden or pedestal to lord over others. The understanding gained from the Tao are inherent in all things.

Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.

Intelligence and wisdom are frequently confused for one another. Intelligence is understanding a process or idea. Wisdom is knowing how and when to apply certain ideas and processes.

Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.

We are all one entity, we are just distinctive expressions of the infinite. If you want to understand others and their truths and motives, you need to understand your own first. You are best equipped to access the infinite through your personal connection. Explore it.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Probably one of his more famous quotes, he is saying that to go anywhere or doing anything dreaming and visualizing aren’t enough. You need to start somewhere. Even if your not sure its the ‘perfect’ step, you need to just start doing it.

A man with outward courage dares to die. A man with inward courage dares to live.

Taking a strong stance on what you believe in and expressing it in the form of grand expressions is one thing. To consistently stand for what you believe in and always be working towards that expression is another. There is more power in many smaller actions than in one grand one.

The mark of a moderate man
is freedom from his own ideas.
Tolerant like the sky,
all-pervading like sunlight,
firm like a mountain,
supple like a tree in the wind,
he has no destination in view
and makes use of anything life happens to bring his way.

To seek balance and moderation in all things is the best way to maximize your resources and time. Don’t waste your energy chasing after extremes. Let your life and external forces take their own route and path.

Be content with what you have;
rejoice in the way things are.

Everything is as it is supposed to be, and everything is always changing. Be happy that you have the awareness to see things as they are and posses the knowledge of impermanence. While something may seem to be not as you would like, re-evaluate how you are observing the aspect. Have faith in the knowledge that everything is due to change.

When you realize there is nothing lacking,
the whole world belongs to you.

The contentment that comes with thorough perceptions of the world around is one of the most powerful attributes of mindfulness.

Great acts are made up of small deeds.

Same as a great adventure starts with the step outside of your house, the greatest accomplishments were made in steps. Trying to accomplish great change in a single act is not feasible, and the attempt is unproductive.

To attain knowledge, add things everyday.
To attain wisdom, remove things every day.

Knowledge is knowing facts, wisdom is knowing when to use that knowledge. Knowledge is a tool, wisdom is a way of life.

I let go of who I am, I become what I might be.

Don’t try to be what you aren’t. You have within you every possible combination of personalities and solutions. As soon as you start acknowledging and expressing your true self, greatness will come your way.

Check this out!, Discoveries, Inspirational, Science

These Bees Were Taught How To Make Honey Out Off Marijuana

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A 39 year old Frenchman beekeeper has made a break through in bee training. He has been training his bees for the last 20 years, to make  honey out of anything.

“I have trained bees to do several things, such as collect sugar from fruits, instead of using flowers,” he explains.

Not just fruits and flowers though, medical grade cannabis as well! He calls himself, Nicolas Trainerbees, and he has gotten a lot publicity on the web since figuring how to get the bees to collect this ‘canna-honey’. His passion for nature and and her remedies is fairly impressive. He trains the bees to collect the resin of the plant, since their enzymes turn nectar of sugar into honey.

The result is a unique honey with properties of wild honey, and cannabis. The cannahoney is very floral in scent, and doesn’t need to be smoked. The bees will copy the results to any strain, the process will look the same.

The bees sadly don’t get high as they lack the endocannabinoid system to process the cannabis. They see it as another food source.

Inspirational, Spirituality

9 Subjects Our Teachers Should Teach In Schools

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The amount of information and general news of the ongoing activities of humanity are growing exponentially. Schools are under more and more pressure to keep up with the intellectual volume. As we focus on teaching our children facts and statistics, we neglect methodologies that encourage common sense. While wisdom can’t be taught, it can be encouraged. There are general facts that every student should learn about the value of time and interpersonal connections. Here are some suggestions for new lines of study.

The 80/20 Rule

This rule states that eighty percent of the ‘value’ you get out of life will come from a mere twenty percent of your activities. This is known as the Pareto Principle.  This makes sense, as most of the day to day activities we preform are mundane and fulfilling.

If you start to dissect your time and diagnose what is the twenty percent that gives you happiness and fulfillment, you can start to re arrange how you spend your time. Re prioritizing the activities of your life will help you get more fulfillment out of your day to day.

Parkinson’s Law

This law talks about how the difficulty of your tasks increases depending on how long we have to find a solution. So if you are made aware of a problem and give yourself to find a week to find a solution, it will be harder to find an answer than if you gave yourself a day. So cut down the amount of time you give yourself to make a decision. this will also give you more time to implement the answer.

First Give Value, And You’ll Get Value

Today many want something for nothing. This isn’t how life works. You more you put into a relationship, your job, or your workout routine, the more gratifying the results of your labors.  With this in mind your should always try to do your best in every situation  and be genuine in your actions. This will provide the maximum yield of ‘results’.

Be Proactive, Not Reactive

If you spend your life reacting to life’s baseballs and obstacles you will never ‘move forward’ in your life. Simply reacting to life ensures that you will never progress with your growth. You will never learn to keep an eye on the events in your life. Because you are waiting for life to prompt responses, you will be waiting around a lot.

A reactive life style also means that you will be continually dependent on external forces for everything. Life is about cultivating internal resources. While it is wise to take advantage of events as they unfold, you should not rely on them.

Mistakes and Failures Are A Good Thing

If you never make mistakes this means that you are not trying anything new or pushing the limits. Mistakes are only mistakes because we frame the scenario’s success in with our intended goals. While we weren’t able to achieve that specific end, we did successfully reach many unintended goals that we weren’t aware of.

We choose to focus on what wasn’t attained. Even in this perspective, our failures reveal more about us and our abilities than success will. When we ‘fail’ at something we are more inclined to look at the scenario as a whole. We can use this experience this learn much about ourselves and grow for the better.

Don’t Beat Yourself Up

We not only choose the baggage we carry with us but we are the only ones who can torment ourselves. We frequently project onto institutions and people around us. We say that this person makes us feel bad, but in reality we hand people the power to influence us in this way.

You deserve forgiveness and love, no matter what. If a choice or scenario is or has caused you discomfort and pain, how is you prostrating yourself helping your current happiness? Forgive yourself, learn and move forward. It’s one of the two choices you have in dealing with the past. This is the only productive one.

Assume Rapport

Meeting new people can be difficult and awkward, but only if you make it so. Don’t let your fears or insecurities project onto this new character in your life. While using common sense, treat everyone the same as you would an old friend.

There is common ground between everyone, and every one wants genuine encounters with others. Small talk can be stressful so avoid it, talk about real elements in one another’s lives. Assume this desire to enjoy new and sincere personalities in everyone you meet. This will speed up the ‘getting to know you’ phase and avoid embarrassing and awkward moments.

Comparative Thought Is A Trap

Comparative thought is a natural line of thought. How ever there are different ways to understand and appreciate differences in ideas and people with out comparing. If you use comparative thought to bring you happiness then you will always depend on external forces to dictate your mood. Most ‘understandings’ of other people are projections on our parts or lies that person is using to hide aspects of themselves.

While a person may explain their feelings and desires, but no matter how thorough the dissection of personal formations, it will always be incomplete.

Expectations Are Never Helpful

Expectations can provide feelings of security against the chilling unknown.  These feelings are always followed by that of disappointment  and sadness. Events never unfold exactly as we plan or hope. Even if you try to create expectations that are entirely objective, you create form these formations off limited information. We can only comprehend a limited slice of the infinite possibilities.

The inherent limitations of our imaginations and knowledge make it so we can (thankfully) not predict the future. In fact the attempt to do so closes our minds and spirits to the wild  inclinations of the known. Often the path we walk is limited only by our own perceptions. Don’t give you ego or insecurities the power of limiting the potential of your future.

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9 Great Lessons Modern Humanity Has Forgotten

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As technology and society grow in scope, we as a species become more disenchanted and dependent on these aspects we create. We as a race have forgotten more than we currently know. What was important to know two hundred years ago, is still important today, even if only to track our progress.

Forgot Our Place In Nature

As humans we are a part of nature. Striving to move away from our ‘baser’ instincts and beastly nature, we have disconnected from nature.  We haven’t just disconnected, we have brought serious disbalance to our natural environment. Our cooperation with nature is no longer tied to our survival, so we no longer pay attention to the effects of our actions.

We Forgot Our Connection To Life And The Cosmos

In modern times, we have gotten tied up in plastic pursuits and concerned only with our placement in societal hierarchies. We don’t treat the miracles of life the same as we with the same awe and reverence we used to. This lack of respect has back fired in the form of us no longer being naturally in tune with the cosmos.

We Forgot Our Wisdom

Through the ventures of acquiring and categorizing as much information as we can, we’ve lost the common sense to use that information well. Wisdom is not as publicly sought out after as it was in past times. We’ve mistaken the ability to do something with the right to do it.

We Forgot Our Purpose

Through the mechanations of this century we have lost track of voices that are supposed to guide us. We try harder to fit our lives into grand blanket theories rather than try to  find theories that apply to us as individuals. The increase in population has increased the noise and changed the statistics of what once worked.

We Forgot To Love And Forgive

It is not natural for people to be friendly and love another. We forgot that everything is energy and love is the most powerful energy known. Without love there can’t be forgiveness.  With out forgiveness, mistakes and trespasses are give rise to more anger and resentment. We are stuck in this cycle of war because of a lack of love and forgiveness.

We Forgot To Be Free

Everyday and every moment you have the right and ability to be free. We forget this often. We are bound by our fears, desires, and material possessions. We are made to believe that the sliver of control the governments and religions allows us, are worth the time and freedom we give them. Any person or institution that has power over us, only has that power because we gave it to them.

We Forget The Lessons From History

The past is a scary and haunting concept in today’s society. The mistakes of our past are never truly reconciled or clearly examined. We rush from one mistake to the next, and with each mistake we become more reckless.

We Forgot Simplicity

Society gets more and more complicated, in answer to the growing number of humanities issues, and we have started to think everything has to be complicated. Life grows more complicated if we don’t take strides to simplify it. We have to actively simplify the aspects of our life to combat how complicated our minds naturally make things.

We Forgot To Trust And Have Faith

This is the era of ‘prove it’ mentality. We won’t trust anything that isn’t proven in a laboratory. We trust facts over our own intuitions. Facts can be framed to support any idea or theory. Here is lies the problem, without faith we are unrepentant skeptics with cynical views. Nothing can get better with out faith or some form of positivity.

 

Check this out!, Inspirational, Science

10 Simple Life Hacks That Cut Plastic Out Of Our Lives

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Minimizing your carbon foot, is a tall order. It’s not only good for the environment, but a lot of the steps in cutting out clutter, also improve your health and grade of life. One of the major contributors in everyone’s carbon footprint is plastic. It’s cheap and easy to manufacture, making it a prime ingredient for many packaging solutions. While most plastics are recyclable, reclaiming the substance is not cheap and has an impact on the environment.

The most consistent way to lower plastic’s presence in the planet is to use less of it. While people are recycling more now than ever the sum of recycled plastic comes to a sad nine percent.

Make Your Own Daily Hygiene Products

Deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo’s, conditioners, and lotions are used every day, sometimes multiple times a day. Think about all those containers we blow through! Also many of the ingredients in products are just terrible for you (aluminum chlorohydrate, parabens, propylene glycol, fluoride and triclosan to name a few). You can get essential oils to spice up and personalize your smell. It’s great for the environment, your health and your pocketbook!

Replace The Common, Go-To Cleaning Products With One Simple Solution

If you look at under your sink spaces, how many different cleaners and bottles are there? Don’t you think that’s a little crazy, seeing how they all simply clean? I break necessary cleaners into two categories: everyday and heavy duty. For everyday cleaning you’ll want to play around with different ratios of water, any vinegar, rubbing alcohol (70% or higher) and an essential oil to spruce it all up. You’ll want to change the ratios for a ‘deeper’ clean. Throw it in a spray bottle and go crazy!

If Given A Choice Choose Glass

Try to buy as much glass and cardboard containers as you can. If something you drink often comes in a glass bottle, spring the extra buck to get the glass. Super easy to re purpose. You can use the glass container for storage at home or a water bottle you won’t have to cry about if you miss place it. I get a kambucha bottle to use as my water bottles. I’m always losing my water bottles, and I hope who ever finds them recycles it!

Use Alternatives To Commercial Air Fresheners

There are many alternatives to Febreeze or Glade or other air fresheners. The commercial variety are full of toxins that can cause lung cancer or other respiratory diseases. Many people enjoy the convenience of candles but please my article on the dangers of certain candles. Some of them can be just as bad or worse than the commercial alternatives! Essential oil diffusers are a pretty safe bet, and depending on the kind of oil you use the aroma can have therapeutic properties.

Use Reusable Containers To Replace Plastic Wrap And Ziploc Bags

This solution involves you preparing and cooking your food with the future in mind. Try to cook only what is going to be consumed immediately. Plan ahead so that if you do have left overs, they aren’t just little scraps, but a meal.  This way what you have saved is nutritionally, and economically it’s worth saving. There are plastic wrap alternatives that are pretty cool, they are made of bees wax or cotton. These materials break down much easier.

Use Soap Nuts and Baking Soda Instead of Laundry Detergent

Soap nuts are all natural alternatives that work the same as store bought detergents. Ancient peoples in Asia and Native Americans were big supporters of Sapindus (tree soap). For even more whitening power and freshness you can toss in a half cup of baking soda.

I’m a big fan of making your own laundry soap. Its super easy to make and store, saves so much money and works better than store bought toxin filled concoctions. The three ingredients necessary to make the detergent can be found in ANY grocery store. Take bar soap (we recommend Fels Naptha bar soap) washing soda, borax and a 5 gallon bucket to begin. This recipe for laundry detergent has been thoroughly tested by Spirit Science employees and found to be the best on the internet!!

  1. Boil half a gallon of water
  2. Grate half a 5.5 oz bar of Fels Naptha soap and add to boiling water
  3. After it reaches boiling, reduce heat
  4. Fill the bucket with 4 1/2 gallons of hot water
  5. Stir in 1 cup of borax and 1 cup of washing soda
  6. Once the mixture in the bucket is one homogeneous solution, pour in the soap water solution
  7. Stir periodically for eight hours

Buy In Bulk, At Establishments That Let You Bring Your Own Containers

The best way to ensure a smaller carbon foot print is to simply eliminate anything that isn’t necessary. A lot in our consumer driven lives aren’t necessary but convenient. If you are buying is bulk write down the base weight of the container (its weight without contents). It’ll make it easier during check out.

Make Your Own Juices And Other Beverages

All store bought juices have been pasteurized which means the contents were heated up to kill and bacteria. This heating process destroys a lot of those great vitamins and enzymes your always hearing about. There are also so many preservatives and artificial nonsense that serves no good purpose for you. A juicer is one of the best kitchen appliances you can purchase but the flavor and benefits are unmatched. Keep in mind that anything freshly juiced will have to be drank immediately. The nutritional contents break down quickly (hence all the preservatives).  If your drinking soda’s….. Just stop it.

Prepare And Freeze Your Own Veggies, Legumes And Meats

All of those frozen preserved food options can be replicated by yourself with out the plastics or preservatives. Cook the veggies or meat most of the way through then freeze. If you can avoid cooking it all the way through, do so. This way you don’t over cook the food and thus breakdown the nutrients.

Check this out!, Discoveries, Science, Spirituality

Documents Leaked By Edward Snowden Reveal An Incredible Secret Buried Below Our Feet

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For those who don’t know who Edward Snowden is, it’s crucial we get you caught up to understand the gravity of what has unfolded. Snowden is a former employee of the CIA, computer professional, and former contractor for the US Government. In 2013, Snowden copied a number of classified documents from the US National Security Information. The information contained multiple global surveillance programs. These programs are the result of the combined efforts of the NSA and Five Eyes with cooperation of telecommunication companies and European governments.

Snowden’s disclosure was massive: including 15,000 or more Australian files,over 58,000 files of Britain and over 1.7 million files of the NSA. Some of the information was instant message conversations and general talking points. The manner in which he took the information make it nearly impossible to tell what exactly he copied, until he releases it. Naturally he was brought up on charges of espionage, treason and theft. For more information see his website.

He fled to Russia where he was granted asylum for a year. This turned into three years, and now he has been granted asylum in Venezuela. Now that his future is looking a little more secure, he has released more information about our government’s hidden agendas.

He claims that there is not only a humanoid, sentient species living in hydro thermal vents, underground and under the polar caps, but that our governments have known about them since the 90’s.

“Because ballistic missile tracking systems and deep-sea sonar are kept as state secrets, scientists don’t have access to data about these objects. However, most of the contractors at DARPA are sure that there is a species more intelligent than homo sapiens living in the mantle of the Earth. It makes sense, if you think about it, because that is the only place where conditions have been more or less stable for billions of years. Extremophiles may live at different temperatures than us, but they have been able to thrive and develop intelligence at a seemingly accelerated rate. That’s not true, because they’ve simply evolved at the same rate, but without many of the vicissitudes which set back surface life . . .
“The president receives daily briefings about their activities. Analysts believe their technology to be so far advanced that we stand little chance of survival in any potential war. The general sentiment is that we are but ants from their perspective, so there is little chance they would empathize or attempt to communicate with us, and the current contingency plan is to detonate nuclear weapons in deep caverns to ‘sting’ the foe we have no hope of destroying in hopes it would discourage further attacks.”

 

This affirmation of the government keeping such dangerous secrets from the public are deeply unsettling. The fact that we have plans to attack this unknown group of sentients with out informing the public or seeking out communication with the other species is even more unsettling.