By: Maria Benardis / Source: Mind Body Green

The ancient Greeks have much to teach us about life and how to live it in a conscious, joyous and peaceful way. Below are 10 philosophies I learned from the ancient Greeks that have provided me with the courage and strength to live my best authentic life.

They’ve also provided me with the tools to live a joyous and peaceful life.

1. Do everything with “agapi” (unconditional love).

Do in life what you are passionate about and what you truly love. Be authentic and strive to be your true self.

“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” — Aristotle

“Love is the cause of unity of all things.” — Aristotle

“Love that shines from within cannot be darkened by obstacles of the world of consequences!” — Pythagoras

2. Embrace and learn from your challenges.

Find peace with your challenges; be present and open to new opportunities and ideas. Interpret a NO as a new opportunity to knock on another door or to move you in a new direction. The biggest obstacle in our lives is ourselves.

“Live today, forget the past.” — Ancient Greek Proverb.

“Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.” — Demosthenes

3. Believe in yourself, listen to yourself and not to take too seriously what others say.

No one knows you better than you. You will encounter many people who won’t share your ideas, views and vision. There will be many who will provide you with free advice on how you should run your life. Listen without judgment and follow your heart’s direction.

“Know how to listen, and you will profit even from those who talk badly.” — Plutarch

“Learn to be silent, let your quiet mind listen and absorb.” — Pythagoras

“Only when your mind is silent and listens, and your heart is full of love — only then God talks with you.” — Pythagoras

4. Dream about what you want not what you do not want.

It is important to dream, dream big and to never stop dreaming.

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” — Epicurus

5. Never give up and never lose faith.

Replace fear with faith. Humility, love and faith attract miracles. All will happen at the right time and the right season.

“No greater thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen.” — Epictetus

6. Always strive to think and feel positive.

“Think good thoughts” the ancient Greeks would preach. When negative thoughts enter your mind, wave them goodbye and replace them with happy thoughts.

Focus on the present and things for which you’re grateful. Eliminate negative people around you and always surround yourself with positive and happy people.

“Medicine is woven into the stuff of the mind.” — Hippocrates

“Happiness is an expression of the soul in considered actions.” — Aristotle.

“Happiness depends upon ourselves.” — Aristotle

7. Search within for answers and direction.

It’s important in tough times and in times when we need guidance to pray, meditate and to increase self-knowledge.

“What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.” — Plutarch

“You have in yourself something similar to God, and therefore use yourself as the temple of God, on account of that which in you resembles God.Honor God above all things that he may rule over YOU. Before you do anything think of God, that his light may precede your energies. The reason which is in you, is the light of your life. Ask those things of God, which you cannot receive from man.” — Sextus the Pythagorean

8. Find courage from within during challenging times.

Tough times never last, but tough people do.

“You don’t develop courage by being happy in your relationships every day. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.” — Epicurus

“You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.” — Aristotle

9. Follow your flow.

Fate has all to do with it.

“Fate leads him who follows it, and drags him who resists.” — Plutarch

10. Look at your mistakes positively as experiences that will move you in the direction of your dreams.

Forgive yourself and others. You will make many mistakes along the way.

“To make no mistakes is not in the power of man; but from their errors and mistakes the wise and good learn wisdom for the future.” — Plutarch

By Lizette Borreli / Source: Medical Daily

We have all heard the touted benefits of “smart” foods that can boost our brain power by increasing alertness, memory, and even brain cell production.

While we try to eat our way to good physical and mental health, we often ingest willingly, and unknowingly, foods that can have an impact on our brain development.

These “dumb” foods (and food additives), ranging from monosodium glutamate (MSG) to tofu, can be toxic to our brain cells even in small doses, affecting our alertness, memory, mood, and nervous system.

1. Caffeine

Many of us rely on this stimulant to get us through the day, whether we have one cup or three cups of coffee a day. When we drink caffeine, the body absorbs it quickly and passes it to the brain, according to Medline Plus, and then gets excreted through urine hours later.

Although it is not associated with brain damage, psychologists like Dr. Lauren Napolitano at Bryn Mawr Hospital in Pennsylvania believe in order to get a clear picture of someone’s baseline mental health, you must eliminate coffee.

“The number one thing people with mental health issues should avoid is caffeine,” Napolitano told Medical Daily in an email.

“Many people drink caffeine in order to combat symptoms of depression (lethargy, anhedonia) but unintentionally throw themselves into a manic episode or a panic attack.”

Although caffeine withdrawal may hurt for a day or two — you may find yourself accompanied by a headache — people tend to feel much calmer without it.

2. MSG

It is common to get a headache, a tightness in the chest, or even have vivid and bizarre dreams after eating Chinese food. A popular additive in Asian cuisine — MSG — is used by chefs to enhance the flavor, but it can wreak havoc on your brain health, attacking the brain stem.

As an excitotoxin, MSG overstimulates neuron receptors, causing a firing of impulses that they become extremely exhausted, and die hours later.

Dr. Chad Laurence, a corrective chiropractic in Delaware, warns any MSG derivative is negatively impactful on the brain.

“MSG is hidden in various sources, including: natural flavors, spices, hydrolyzed protein, autolyzed yeast extract, sodium caseinate, bouillons, soy protein isolate,” among many others, Laurence told Medical Daily in an email.

3. Precooked and Processed Foods

These types of foods overstimulate the production of dopamine, also known as the “pleasure” neurotransmitter that leads to excessive cravings.

Precooked and processed foods contain preservatives, additives, dyes, and artificial flavors that have the ability to affect our behavior and our cognitive functioning.

“Processed foods and any foods that are hyper-allergenic can take a toll on brain health,” said Brandon Mentore, sports nutritionist, and functional medicine practitioner, to Medical Daily in an email.

“The more chemical and synthetic the compounds in food are the harder they are to digest and detoxify.”

A 2012 study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation found high-fat processed food consumption can cause damage to the hypothalamus part of the brain. This area is responsible for regulating hunger and thirst levels, and the body’s natural rhythms and cycles.

4. Salt

It comes as no surprise a high salt intake can take a negative toll on our health, including our mental health. Salt helps with the transmission of nerve impulses and water migration in and out of cells.

“A high salt intake particularly table salt can cause cellular activation to be hypertonic, which can be a good thing but in excess over time your body’s ability to relax and have proper fluid balance and nerve transmission will be down regulated as a protective measure in the body,” Mentore said.

A 2011 study published in Neurobiology of Aging found poor vascular health — associated with high-sodium diets, and a lack of exercise — may be related to a faster cognitive decline in old age.

Participants with the highest daily sodium intake — defined as 3,091 milligrams a day or more and a sedentary lifestyle — were more likely to show declining scores on tests of cognitive function over a three-year period compared to their counterparts.

Consuming processed foods can increase the risk of dementia, since they are typically high in sodium.

5. Sugar

If you’re constantly seeking a sugar rush, you could be putting your mental health in danger. Consuming high amounts of sugar over a period of time can cause neurological problems ranging from memory to the ability to learn.

Too much sugar in the blood can slow down your brain cells’ use of insulin to break down sugar to help process thoughts and emotions.

“The body’s ability to monitor this is usually handled by insulin but if consumption of sugar is too high inflammation encroaching on the brain will happen at some point,” Mentore said.

A 2012 study published in the Journal of Physiology found fructose slows down the brain and memory functions in rats. High fructose corn syrup is widely used in the U.S. and alters the brain’s ability to learn and remember information.

Americans should try to limit their sugar intake, which includes high-fructose corn syrup, and high-carb foods.

6. Tofu

This may come as a surprise to many, but the “healthy food” can be harmful if consumed in large quantities. A 2008 study published in Dementias and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders found evidence that a high consumption of tofu is associated with worse memory, especially for those over 68.

Although it is not entirely clear what effect soy products high in phytoestrogens have in the aging brain, they can heighten the risk of dementia and lower memory function.

7. Trans Fat

Trans fat is known to raise our “bad” (LDL) cholesterol levels and lower our “good” (HDL) cholesterol levels. A high consumption of trans fat can even lead to brain shrinkage.

The synthetic trans fats increase the amount of oxidation in our body and create an arterial stiffness, Mentore explained. “All of this plays into the vascularity and the plasticity of your brain and nerve transmission.

This can increase inflammation and plaguing in the brain.”

A 2012 study published in Neurology found a high intake of trans fat is linked to brain shrinkage. Scientists scanned the brains of the participants to ensure the brain volume would be measured accurately.

It was those who had high vitamin levels who had larger brains, and vice versa. Those with high trans fat diets were found to experience brain shrinkage similar to people with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Avoid or limit the consumption of these foods to age-proof your brain at any age.

 

 

What I’m about to share with you took me YEARS to figure out. Several agonizing, grueling years that I’ll never get back!

What I discovered has changed my life (and hundreds of others’ lives) around.

Here’s my story:

Just 3 years ago, I owed over 50k in debt after my business venture failed. I was in a VERYdark place.

I was absolute miserable. I had no money, no friends to turn to for support.

I’m not kidding when I say suicidal thoughts were crossing my mind.

Fast forward to today, I made over 500k in the last 2 years but I don’t even have a job (and it all began with a seed I planted in my mind!)

So, how did I finally do it?

My formula is simple, I call it the Miracle Mind Method.

First, I tapped into the power of my subconscious for an idea to make money.

Let me explain. You see, I struggled for years trying to make money in my business. Nothing seemed to work but I was working 12, sometimes 14 hours a day! I wasn’t looking to get rich quick… I was willing to work and do whatever it took.

Yet I failed miserably.

Why? Because I did not have the right idea!

So I gave my subconscious mind a crystal clear target to hit by constantly repeating a “secret word” out loud and silently to myself.

This is the absolute truth: I cannot account for any other thing that I may have done to change that I thought except for one thing: I constantly repeated the “secret word” day and night, silently and out loud for several days.

On or about the 3^rd day after repeating the “secret word” non-stop, I had an idea that catapulted my business from doing $1,000 a month or less to $10,000 the first month I put the idea into action!

Since then I have never made less them $10,000 a month in my business and I have had many months in which I’ve made $40,000, $50,000 even $70,000 – in one month!

Now even though this course is not about making money, I cannot attribute the change that occurred INSIDE ME to anything else except the constant repetition of the “secret word”

I had plenty of desire to succeed before I started using this technique, and I had more than enough motivation – I was heavily in debt and had a family to care for!

I didn’t change my diet… I didn’t do anything different for those 3 days than I normally did.

But what I did not have was any idea how I was going to make more money…

… until I used the “secret word”.

Now, if you’re skeptical let me say this:

I think that the key to why this worked was because it focused my mind on what I wanted so intensely that it forced me to come up with an innovative idea. It really worked like nothing else I have ever tried.

And even if you don’t believe my explanation why it worked, it will still work for you! That’s the great thing – you don’t even have to believe it will work!

Why? Because it’s just like turning on the engine in a car – you don’t need to see or understand the miracle of automotive engineering or know how it works in order to drive it! You just put the key in, turn it and start moving!

It’s the same thing with the Miracle Mind Method – there’s a lot under the hood going on but you don’t need to know how it works to take it for a test drive and experience the benefits and results!

If you’re still even a little skeptical The Mind Method is going to help you succeed in ways you never thought possible I want you to think about my story for a minute again.

I was $50,000 in debt, about to lose my home and my family and I turned it around using the Miracle Mind Method.

In a few days I went from $1,000 a month in income to $9,876 the first month I used it.

It has made a tremendous difference in my life, and I hope it does the same for you.

Are you ready to make a change in your life?

Are you ready to get that right idea?

If you have NOT read my program “Miracle Mind Method” – The One Secret Method to Living a Good Life that School, Friends and Everyone Else… Failed To Tell You About! Then you need to go and watch this FREE video training now

 

 

By: Charlene Barry / Source: Addicted 2 Success

There is a direct link between spirituality and health. According to medical studies spiritual people have less chance of getting addicted to smoking, drugs, alcohol or any other self destructive habit.

A spiritually enlightened individual even has less chance of getting depressed and committing suicide. This is mainly because spiritual learning can help people find a greater purpose in life and help them look at everyday challenges from a different point of view.

This greatly reduces their stress levels and improves their quality of life.

From Confucius to Osho the world has seen a long list of spiritual leaders. Their teaching and writings have helped many people discover themselves and understand the world around them.

To help you find your inner self, here’s our top 10 list of spiritual books for real spiritual and personal growth.\

1. The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

This book by Deepak Chopra talks about achieving success with ease. Most of us believe that success only comes through unrelenting hard work and thus we devote our lives in the pursuit of achieving our personal goals.

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success gives a different take on success and how it can be achieved with ease and grace.

This book let’s you in on the 7 basic principle and how it can help you achieve all your goals without getting stressed out or working like a maniac.

The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success is practically oriented and the guidance provided can easily be understood and applied to real life.

2. The Book of Secrets

The word ‘Tantra‘ often gives rise to the feeling of mystery and is often misinterpreted by many people. However, this book by Osho demystifies this ancient science and presents in a manner that it can be applied to modern life.

The Book of Secrets talks in detail about meditation and how it can help improve self awareness and improve the daily functions of life. Each meditation and exercise is explained in detail discussing its history and effects on the mind and body.

The instructions provided in the book are practical and are easy to follow and implement.

3. The Celestine Prophecy

This book by James Redfield has the power to change lives. Presented in the form of an adventure which starts in the rain forest of Peru, this book is both riveting and eyeopening.

An ancient manuscript discovered in the forest reveals 9 ancient insights of life. The story also helps you connect these insights to your everyday life.

The Celestine Prophecy can help you make a sense of what’s happening around you and help you understand what’s in store for you in the future.

Published in 1992, The Celestine Prophecy went on to become one of the most successful self published book in the history.

4. The Road Less Traveled

Written by Psychiatrist M. Scott Peck, the book explores different ideas that’s drawn in from his experience in Psychiatry and his Christian ideology.

This book is divided into three parts. The first part is about discipline and how it can help in human spiritual evolution, the second part is about love and its role in spiritual growth, and finally the last part talks about grace.

Even though some of the ideas are a bit dated, the overall book is a certainly a great spiritual read.

5. The Places That Scare You

This is a no holds barred guide to not only face every difficulties in life but also to overcome them.

Author Perma Chodron is known for her direct approach towards life and thus her books are practical and uncomplicated.

This book talks about fear and how it inhibits us to achieve greatness in life even though we posses everything we need to succeed.

6. The Four Agreements

Featured in Oprah Magazine, The Four Agreement teaches ancient Toltec principles.

This is Don Miguel Ruiz masterpiece!

The Four Agreements talks in details about the belief and inhibitions that hold us back and can prevent us from achieving the goals we set.

These negative believes are also the source of depression and self loathing. Acting as light in a dark tunnel, the book sheds light on the basic codes of conduct that can help eradicate these feelings forever.

This book possesses the power to open your heart towards new experiences, love, freedom and overall happiness.

7. The Power of Now

Eckhart Tolle is certainly one of the top spiritual writers of the modern times and his book, The Power of Now has featured in the bestseller list in almost every book store spanning all across the country.

The Power of Now talks about transcending into the ‘Now’, leaving inhibitions, doubt, ego, and fear forever.

In a typical Eckhart Tolle style, the book guides readers through this difficult spiritual journey using simple words and uncomplicated instructions.

This book contains all the stuff required to radically alter lives of the readers and help them step into a world of happiness, peace, and enlightened perception.

8. My Spiritual Journey

The Dalai Lama is undoubtedly one of the biggest spiritual leaders of our time.

Written by Dalai Lama himself, My Spiritual Journey is his life’s story and his understanding of the world around him.

Even though this book is not a typical spiritual guide book and contains no direct instructions, it provides an insight into eastern philosophy and spirituality.

9. The Ultimate Happiness Prescription

Happiness is the ultimate goal of human life. Most people toil for happiness for their entire lives yet has no clue on where to find.

This is exactly why, this Deepak Chopra masterpiece is such a good read.

The Ultimate Happiness Prescription prescribes 7 secret tips that can help you find joy even in the most difficult times.

Aiming at changing helping his readers, Deepak Chopra talks about happiness being the source of success and wealth and not the other way around.

10. A New Earth

Eckhart Tolle makes it twice in our list with his book A New Earth.

Eckhart talks about ending our inner conflicts, and goes into details about ego holds us back and keeps us from achieving mental peace and happiness.

A New Earth encourages and guides the readers to transcend to a higher state of mind. It also guides them on how to dispose their ego based consciousness which result in jealousy, anger, and overall unhappiness.