Butterfly thoughts...

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Every butterfly starts off as a worm..
Every peacock starts off as a yolk..
The difference between the start and the end is the transformation that takes place.

Wormy thoughts...

The Bible teaches that we should be "transformed by our thinking".

Naturally, unless trained to move towards the positive, our minds will tend to gravitate towards the negative.
This is especially so because life ever has its boxing gloves on - there is never a day without a challenge no matter how positive we are about it.
What determines the end result is how we handle the challenges that come our way. 

It was never meant to be easy...
That is why we are encouraged to train our minds, so to speak. 

Unless we decide to dwell on positive thoughts, life can beat us down even in our achievem

ents. Discontentment will follow us everywhere we go no matter how high we rise.

Butterfly mentality...
Instead of living with a "barely-get-by" mentality, always fill your head with positive thoughts.
When you are tempted to feel like a worm, always remember that..

You are blessed
You are talented
You are valuable
You are confident
You have been hand-picked by the Creator of the universe.

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※ Reprograming of the mind..
This is not just a way to overcome one challenge.
When you think positively, you are reprogramming your mind - opening doors you never thought existed.

When you gain confidence on yourself, you get the confidence to turn things around...

Like...
※ walking out of a bad situation.
※ Saying no when you know you are being exploited.
※ Chasing a business deal that seems out of your league.
※ Approach a very respected person and ask for advice without feeling like a failure..
The list is endless..

As long as you are stuck in the "worm" mentality, your mind will only think on how to get by...not how to get there.

A worm is stuck on the ground.. It can only see as far as it is..the ground. Some cannot even see...so they just get by., so to speak.
A butterfly is in the air and will get to see something that is far from it, spread its wings and get there.

**Perhaps the butterfly is proof that you can go through immense darkness and emerge immensely beautiful**

 

That is what transformation does for us.. You see something that seemed so far off, but you are not scared to reach for it. You believe thay you have it in you to fly there and get there.

This does not happen overnight, its a day-to-day process. And it all starts in the mind.

You may find yourself asking about a particular subject...say about getting someone to finance a project..and the person tells you how you can expand your business without even borrowing!!
Had you not had the courage and confidence to speak up, you would never have landed on that secret.

*Confidence is never about being better than everyone else... Its the secret knowledge that you have the capacity to outdo yourself.*

Confidence can help you think farther than you can see.

They say you always get what you look for...so when you set your mind on a certain goal you will find ways of getting there.
But as long as you believe you can never achieve it, you will not have even a single clue come your way.

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Start each day knowing that...
You are blessed
You are talented
You are valuable
You are confident
You have been hand-picked by the Creator of the universe.

Then go through the day believing that.
Five months down the line, you will be amazed by the result of such a simple exercise.
One year down the line you will be on the lips of all and sundry, and everyone will look to you for inspiration.

It all starts today...

Transform your mind. 

 This is Serenity...

More reads..  

※  You are loved
※  Effective force versus Brutal force
※  The power of Purpose!!
※  Self promotion is not self glorification
※  Sexual violence: A disgrace to society claiming to be civilized
※   For my family and friends; From a crazy animal lover

You are not alone..

When the shadows are closing in
And your spirit diminishing
Just remember You're not alone
And love will be there To guide you home ~ Mariah Carrey

Through this journey of life, I have discovered that the only thing worse than going through an adversity, is going through it ALONE..

Thankfully (or not) I have learned that there is someone who has experienced what you may be struggling with.I have discovered numerous support groups both online and offline and they consist of individuals who are going through it, have gone through it or have helped someone go through it.

Like I said, the mind is a really dark place,especially when you feel all alone..in a world where everyone else seems to have it together. 

I know how it feels like to envy the dead; at least they dont have a lonesome world to deal with... Or so I thought.

It is by interacting with other people that I discovered that we all go through our fifteen minutes of turbulence. Even my role models have confessed to experiencing some really dark times I wondered how they made it through...

The best part about life is that there is always someone who is willing to offer a shoulder to lean on - I believe everyone has that fibre to help someone cope with something.
Problem is that some few individuals have learned to take advantage of our humanity. This has made many of us sceptical to every sorry case we encounter, but it doesnt mean that the fibre to help is not there.

Another thing, everyone hates ~ leeches even people who leech on others hate leeches!!

But I need help... Without looking like a leech...
You will get help.God opens doors. Most of these doors involve meeting someone who will help you at your point of need.

I have read of many people struggling with depression that is so crippling but they put on a mask; not even their closest friends know they are suffering... It is sad. 
We are wired to need each other.When we help someone heal, we also heal.

Highways to healing...Are so many. 

In my initial recluse phase, i was big on facebook...and I came across numerous groups that offer support both for medical and emotional health.

Through the facebook grapevine I found about lots of books and blogs that address these issues, both from personal and professional perspectives.

The main point of this article is...

*You are not alone. 
*No matter what you are going through someone has been there and is VERY WILLING to hold your hand. 
*It is VERY OK to grieve for some time.*No matter how bleak it looks there is always a dawn for every dark cold night. *Most importantly, God knows what you are going through. You only need to reach out.
*You don't need a perfect eloquent prayer...even tears alone suffice for a real prayer for help.
*No matter how you feel... Always tell God that you trust Him to take care of you...even if you have no clue of what to expect.
*ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL FOR THE LITTLE ANSWERS AND HELP that God favours you with. 

￠Never go through life's difficulties thinking you are alone. 
￠Never go through life being against yourself. 
￠Always thank God for what you have survived; as far as God is concerned, you are a WINNER in His book.

(I have some videos by Joel Osteen ministries that can further help you understand that your best days are ahead of you, no matter what. You can stream or download them from here...)

Related articles:  
※  Visions and destiny 
※  Effective force versus Brutal force
※  Stuff that rule us
※  Love and faith
※  Learn to let go
※  Recovery of the body: Mind and Spirit

Stay updated by signing up for more posts or bookmarking us and visit our Facebook page
Image credit: watpad.comhttp://serenityonlinestore.blogspot.com/2015/04/visions-and-destiny.html

Rise up...

Rise up....
Don't falling down again...
I tried to fly, a while, So high... Direction sky!! ~ Yves Larock

Walk by faith - not by sight!

So the world shook, rumbled and finally split into two... And there was nothing I could do about it.. Not one thing!!
And thus when the dust has settled, its time to raise my ashen self and rise.

I say this because it took a while before 100% of the reality would sink in.
We can only handle so much, so we take it in one piece at a time.
Sadly, each piece is no less painfull than the other, nor easier to handle.

Unmerited favour..
This is where GRACE comes in.
Favour that you have not earned, nothing like a harvest... Just immense kindness from Heaven.
It is unmerited because no works on this earth can earn anyone grace. You don't need a certain qualification or history... It is yours to receive; and it is often revealed when we need it the most but don't expect it.

Grace gives us strength one instance at a time. When strange doors open and opportunities spring up from nowhere... And you cannot explain it..
When you are hit hard by a certain realization, but are able to accept it and despite the pain, you have the strength to move forward.. I call that grace.

When does grace really set in?

Honestly, I have no idea.
All I know, I just had faith. Like yeah... Just faith!!
Those moments you cannot even sleep because you are so weary, too weary to work, too weary to even eat... they were many.
Since I was not dead (yet) I grasped at the last thing left... intense belief that everything will be alright.

Nothing like it seems...
No... I was not smiling while picking daisies when all I had was faith...

It was hard.
So hard, my whole body hurt. My soul hurt. My spirit wept.. And I wished I was dead.
But since I was not dead, and did not really want to die yet, I had to find something to live for.. A hope for some goodness yet to be experienced. A hope for sunshine..

That is when I experienced grace...

Where kindness was shown to me by those around me.
My immediate needs were met, thankfully.
Even though some people close to me would say unkind things, more would listen and encourage me.
Those I did not expect to see my pain went out of their way to help me without labelling me...
... In short, prayers I had not even made were being answered. I was being met at my point of need.

And slowly, the restoration was revealed. As the dust settled, opportunitied became visible..
And stumbling blocks lay covered in dust. Those things that would have deviated me from my destiny were revealed as covered in dust.
Portraits of people I no longer needed were cracked and covered in ash. I could not understand why, but I did not question it either.

Deep tranquility took over.
I no longer had the need to prove a point. What had happened could not be undone. I accepted that.

There was a lot that could be done the right way... I accepted that too.

The best part was to know that I am not alone, and that He walks with me.

No rituals, just life and His love manifests. That I could go to Him in tears and end up hopeful, serene and optimistic despite having no clue of what to do next.

I do not mean blind faith... just faith where you know something is bound to happen but you just don't know how its going to happen .... but its going to happen..

I still cannot explain it.. it still gives me joy to know that I can relax and let life be.

We plant the seeds, but God makes the plants grow..

We can have the plans but it is He who grows them to the point of bearing fruits. I guess that explains where faith comes in.

Let the creator take care of you, allow Him to flourish you... For the plans He has for you are good; plans to prosper you and make you bountiful. To build you and not to destroy you.

I guess sometimes we have to be shaken a little to know where to look in the future.

This is Serenity..

Life is beautiful 

***

From strength to strength...
Temporary Unlikely Diamonds.
Of anchors and tugboats..
Say no to...

***

Image credit; homespashop.com

Marching on..

From strength to strength...

￠Keep your victories subtle, lest they find out the depth of your despair. Shout not from the peak: or it will be known you rose from a low altitude.
No. Not me..
Like a volcano.. I rise Only higher and higher, and I don't care who sees what..

Often, a tale of victory is accompanied with a harrowing tale of the rise from the ashes. Rarely does victory come on its own; it has a predecessor.. Tribulation.
If you wish to hide your tribulation, then you have not known victory... The constant battle rages; shame of the ashes or pride of the conquest..

~~~~

I believe that a majority of us have known anguish, and the subsequent victory. I have. I don't have a medal yet, but I have a smile to show.

The weird part is that, the entire war was against myself, beliefs and fears. And deep pain that felt numb.

Ego versus ego!
The hardest battles are for the self, against the self; Ego versus ego!

We can fight another person without much effort because we are wired to love ourselves first.

But, there are times we are our own worst enemies... Especially when the Esteem is so low, it just smoulders like spent charcoal. This is when we let others define who we are and thus the battle starts.. You versus You.

Everyone is here for a unique and divine purpose.

Whatever we think of others can never over-ride their purpose here.

But then, there are those who have gone through so much pain in their lives, they learn to switch off all feelings and thus exist as robots, and strive to dominate, as a server would dominate a network.

The problem is that they write down a program for those they seem fit for it, then fight and knock them into a pulp then mould them as they want..just like a child playing with clay..

And it is only natural to resist this.
Even in submission, we still resist. We fight the part of us that has submitted., and because it fears, it fights back. Therein starts the constant storm inside, it dampens even the liveliest of spirits and paralyzes with sheer force.

So, how do you win?
By dealing with the most powerful but most overlooked enemy; fear!

We are manipulated because we fear.
We are dejected because we wish for different circimstances while fearing things can get worse.

Fear is how we fall; confusing what is real.

You only get over something by going through it; instead of wiping away the memory, face it, accept it and you will find what you fear most about that episode.. Is it rejection, poverty,loneliness, malice.?

If we do not deal with these fears, they will cripple us and we will start this cycle in the lives of others just to gratify ourselves; when you make others suffer just to forget your own pain..

Or we will have a withered existence; frail and vulnerable to even the most basic forces of life..

Or, we can rise from strength to strength. 

Life is a cryptic puzzle. Nothing is ever direct. 

Learn to focus on the top-most peak you wish to rise, but also, appreciate the rise by realizing you were in a valley, and you can only go higher.. From strength to strength..

This is Serenity.
Life is Beautiful 

****

※   Learn to let go..
※  The power of Purpose!!
※  YOU ARE IMPORTANT
※  Self appreciation; The journey towards self reconstruction
※  Recovery of the body: Mind and Spirit
※ Firework (song by Katy Perry)
****

Sleep deprivation

Sleep deprivation (Part 1): Causes and Effects

Sleep deprivation is the condition of not having enough sleep ; it can be
either chronic or acute . A chronic sleep-restricted state can cause fatigue, daytime sleepiness, clumsiness and weight loss or weight gain. 

Sleep deprivation may result in the following conditions:

wikimedia.org

aching muscles

confusion, memory lapses or loss

depression

development of false memory

hallucinations

hand tremor

headaches

malaise

stye

periorbital puffiness , commonly known as. "bags under eyes" or eye bags

increased blood pressure

increased stress hormone levels

increased risk of diabetes

increased risk of +fibromyalgia

irritability

nystagmus (rapid involuntary rhythmic eye movement)

obesity

seizures

temper tantrums in children

yawning

mania

May cause symptoms similar to:
attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
psychosis 

In a study at UCSD school of Medicine, sleep deprivation was seen to cause the brain to compensate when the individuals were asked to perform simple tasks. This means that the brain was working twice as hard in order to process simple daily tasks. 

Extended sleep deprivation will inevitably result in microsleep.

Microsleeps occur when the brain automatically shuts down, falling into a sleep state for a period that can last from a fraction of a second up to half a minute.

The person falls asleep no matter what activity he or she is engaged in.

Microsleeps are similar to blackouts and a person experiencing them is not consciously aware that they are occurring.

Weight gain/ weight loss

In rats, prolonged, complete sleep deprivation increased both food intake and energy expenditure with a net effect of weight loss and ultimately death.

This study hypothesizes that the moderate chronic sleep debt associated with habitual short sleep is associated with increased appetite and energy expenditure with the equation tipped towards food intake rather than expenditure.

The findings suggest that this might be happening because sleep deprivation could be disrupting hormones that regulate glucose metabolism and appetite.

Causes of sleep deprivation:

♣ Insomnia

Many of its symptoms are easily recognizable, including

※ excessive daytime sleepiness ;
※ frustration or worry about sleep;
※ problems with attention, concentration, or memory;
※ extreme mood changes or irritability; 

※ lack of energy or motivation; 

※ poor performance at school or work;
※ tension headaches or stomach aches.

♣ Voluntary sleep deprivation.

Sleep deprivation can sometimes be self-imposed due to a lack of desire to sleep or the habitual use of stimulant drugs.

Sleep deprivation is also self-imposed to achieve personal fame in the context of record-breaking stunts. 

♣ Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea (obstructive sleep apnea) is a collapse of the upper airway during sleep, which reduces airflow to the lungs.

It has many serious health outcomes if untreated, but can very often be effectively treated with positive air pressure therapy.

Central sleep apnea is repeated stops in breathing during sleep when the brain temporarily stops sending signals to the muscles that control breathing.

♣ Mental illness/ bi-polar disorder

Shifts into mania in bipolar patients are often preceded by periods of insomnia, and sleep deprivation has been shown to induce a manic state in susceptible individuals.

Sleep deprivation may represent a
final common pathway in the genesis of mania, and sleep loss is both a precipitating and reinforcing factor for the manic state.

♣ School life:

Sleep deprivation is common in first year college students as they adjust to the stress and social activities of college life.

School schedules are often incompatible with a corresponding delay in sleep offset, leading to a less than optimal amount of sleep for the majority of adolescents. 

♣ Work:

people who do shift work disrupt their sleep-wake cycles on a regular basis. Frequent travellers (for example, airline crew) also tend to have erratic sleeping patterns.

Suggestions on how to get more sleep include:

 

※ Purposefully go to bed earlier each night.

※ Don’t smoke or drink alcoholic or caffeinated beverages in the hours before bedtime.

※ Improve your sleeping environment in any way you can – for example, keep it dark and sound-proof, turn off lights and wear earplugs if you have noisy neighbours.

※ Don’t have any distractions in the bedroom such as TV or a computer.

※ Use relaxation techniques to help you fall asleep quickly.

※ Seek professional assistance for sleep disorders such as snoring.

※ Find ways to improve sleeping habits for you and your baby or child.

※ Sleeping Pills & Natural Sleep Aids: 

source:
en.www.wikipedia.org
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/
http://www.helpguide.org

 Related articles:  

※  Prescription drugs, OTC drugs and those in between

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※  HEADACHES: migraines, cluster headaches and what they are about.

※  About Fibromyalgia

※   Enzyme depletion and food storage; what we miss from seed to plate

           

Little joys in life...

The mighty sea cannot sink a ship unless its waters get inside the ship; likewise, all the negativity around you has no power to sink you, unless you let it seep into your spirit - Anon

One thing life has taught me is that, happiness comes from the heart.
Joy is a first-party accessory and you can never acquire it from someone else.

Another is that little bundles of joy cannot be enjoyed unless there is a pre-existing component for of joy. Much like making yogurt - you need some bacteria to produce more bacteria to create your yogurt!!

You cannot find happiness where there is none, you have to be willing to be happy before something else makes you happy.
You cannot enjoy life if you cannot recognize bundles of joy for what they are; JOY!!

A newborn baby is often reffered as a bundle of joy, not because they brought joy to the household, but because they ADDED to the list of joys in that home. For a baby to be a delight, the parents must first be delighted already.

If you hook up with someone, hoping that THEY will make you happy, you will only suck out the joy in them and you end up as one miserable pair.

On the other hand, if you meet someone and develop a relationship, being happy with yourself, you will inevitably spread that joy into that person's life and they will glow like a light bulb - this applies to all relationships- why we marry, why we have children, why we adopt pets - all relationships we form should not be motivated for the SELF.

It is more pleasurable when a relationship is developed for anything but the self - when the only true reason you hang out with this other entity is just joy.

Life and its wake-up calls...
Life is funny - things that are best for us are given subtly; most often they do not seem important, until they are taken away from us..

I call them wake-up calls. They are the rude reminders of the things we take for granted, or we think are useless.

When they go, we imagine that its good riddance.. Hardly mourn.. Until something goes wrong and we begin to understand the important role they played..

But we are talking about joys..

So, live life to the fullest.
Do what makes you happy.
Walk away from what robs you of your joy.
Appreciate those who are loyal to you, and reciprocate the loyalty.

This is Serenity.
Life is Beautiful

****

※  Recovery of the body: Mind and Spirit
※  Love and faith....
※  (STOLEN) you don't owe ANYONE an explanation
※  Marching on..
※  Learn to let go..
※ Of anchors and tugboats..

****

Say no to...

SAY NO TO...

All forms of bullsh※t!!!

We tell victims to speak out...
That their silence will just fan the fire...
What about those the victims run TO for help??
They just stare, keep mum and wait for your drama to end...
And we wonder why victims never speak out....
If i told you that I loved you,
Then stood and watched as you burned..
All in the name of DECORUM...
Then I have wasted your precious time..
Because you are much better off with your worst enemy!!!

True friends don't watch as their friends burn..
Then try to salvage the situation when it's safe!!
Even shrewd businessmen warn their competitors,
If you are better off in the hands of a greedy gold-digger...
Then I am a waste of time as a friend, parent or sibling!!
May God show mercy when my turn comes around...
Because I will need someone to help me..
and all I have are friends just like me!!!

This is Serenity!!!

Related articles:

※ Reaching Out
※ Memoirs of an imperfect beauty: Cuts and Blisters
※ IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO YOU ARE; YOU ARE IMPORTANT
※ Gratitude: The ingredient in faith that does move mountains
※ About Fibromyalgia: What on earth is FIBROMYALGIA?
※ Security in Nothern Kenya

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