What negativity does to you life

Negative thinking and subsequent emotions are probably two of our worst enemies, and not just because we are feeling down, frustrated or overwhelmed with negativity… What impact can these thoughts have? Here’s a rundown of their terrible effect on our lives. They:

 

Also read How and why to meditate. Simple techniques to start your mindful journey, and Being an Empath. Top 10 Traits

  • Kill productivity

first things first (coffee laptop)

Can you fully concentrate on the present moment when you’re overwhelmed by worry, fear, emotional pain or other negative emotions? I didn’t think so! You can’t be productive without completely focusing on what you do. You are ‘doing your thing’ but at the same time you’re not really there; your brain is gummed up with negativity. You could be stuck in this rut for hours, days or even months. In some extreme cases, people can’t escape this damaging cycle for years. It is well-established that we, as human beings, are incapable of engaging our full concentration on more than one thing at a time; if you are doing more than one thing at once, you’re already not 100% focused. Your attention is diluted. Very often, negative thoughts completely dominate us. What happens next? We lose our connection with reality, and as a result, experience a drop in productivity.

  • Supress creativity

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When we do this it is impossible to be fully creative, and we carry out tasks on auto-pilot. We become remote, detached and mentally disconnected from our surroundings. What could we make without creativity? You’ve got it – nothing of real value. I haven’t even touched the topics of inspiration or motivation, which vanish instantly when ‘bad’ thoughts emerge. Passions are supressed, and the fire of life is doused by a flood of painful memories and negative thoughts.

  • Activate fears

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As we dwell on those negative things in our lives we increasingly fear the uncertainties of the future, and consequently our levels of anxiety rise. Negativity has regenerative characteristics: We think it’s conquered, but it can quickly take root again with only the slightest of triggers. It can also grow with astonishing rapidity, overwhelming us almost without warning. Memories of old grievances, lost opportunities, frustrating and anger-inducing situations and people who have, in some way, abused us, may all form part of the dismal mental fog in which we find ourselves, and which distorts our perception of ourselves and the world around us.

Our brain becomes locked into a sort of confirmation bias, in which we only see the negative things which happen around us and use those selective events to reinforce our world-view. It is a self-perpetuating cycle which can turn our world into a personal hell full of imaginary monsters and personal demons. Always try to remember that the ‘reality’ we perceive at these times is a fiction, created by our mind when drugged with negativity.

  • Affect your vibrations

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How do you feel when constantly surrounded by abusive people, unfairness and cruelty?  I imagine that the answer is “miserable”. Always keep in mind that your feelings determine the energy (vibrations) you radiate. As soon as you start feeling dejected and apathetic, other people will sense your vibrations and treat you accordingly. I knew one talented young man who was always unfairly treated by his colleagues and peers. Their behaviour toward other people was completely different, however; something he was constantly aware of. Finally, he was fired with no explanation and a few days later his girlfriend left him. When I asked him why it happened his answer was simply, “Those people are stupid”. It was difficult to believe his argument that absolutely everybody around him was both foolish and blind, and didn’t see his amazing qualities and personality. That young man was, in fact, vibrating on a very aggressive and arrogant frequency, which people picked up on. It was for that reason that they distanced themselves from him, partly as a protective mechanism. Why was he aggressive? Probably because of his past fears and anxieties. He tried to hide his internal insecurities behind scorn and criticism, adopting a position of ‘attack is the best form of defence’.

The moral? You get exactly what you give.

  • Affect communicative skills

bad vibes

You cannot interact with others productively when vibrating, let’s say, on a frequency of fear or anger. Even if you mask your true feelings with a friendly smile and polite demeanour, people will sense your vibration anyway. Moreover, sugar-coated negativity always tastes even worse. Can you imagine a piece of rotten fish coated with the finest Swiss chocolate? Both start smelling awful, don’t they?

  • Hold you from achieving your goals

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Summarising all of the above points, negativity holds you back from achieving your goals, rendering you unable to fully concentrate, express creativity, and properly interact with other people in a truly friendly and collaborative way. Negativity generates ever more negativity, leading to a vicious circle which can have a devastating impact on our quality of life.

By increasing your levels of self-awareness, and through perseverance, you can break out of that circle. Try starting today.

Tatiana Dmitrieva

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Classic Boat Week Antigua. Photo reportage.

Enjoy and appreciate every moment of your life. It could be an ordinary day in office with nice and friendly people. Or it could be a beautiful rainy day full of stillness which is so amazing to use for reading an interesting book you were aiming to read for a while and have some time-in. It could be a snowy winter evening when you can finally meet your best friend, have a glass or two chatting about anything with no restrictions and cooking something yummy. Or it could be a sunny day on a boat somewhere in Antigua…. 

Here is a  bit of boat “eye candy” for those who love sailing and those who appreciate sailing from a different era.


Our visit to Antigua to pick up our new North Sails coincided with Classic Yacht Week which meant we had the opportunity to watch old style sailing vessels.  Classic week draws sail boats in a variety of sizes and all of these aged beauties reflect an era of pre-fiberglass boating.

These wooden boats have a lot of teak which makes them look beautiful, but I imagine the TLC required to keep it bright and shiny is tremendous. It was fun to walk the docks and imagine the history of these old timers. It was even more fun to watch them race….

…Unfortunately, winds were very light so the boats didn’t have ideal condition but there was enough wind for them to raise sails and we enjoyed seeing them flying all the canvas they could hoist as they tried valiantly to compete with little wind.

Here is a  bit of boat “eye candy” for those who love sailing and those who appreciate sailing from a different era.

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Antigua was a beautiful back drop for the races.

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Classics in a variety of shapes and sizes.

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“Mini-me” – the sailing variety.

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I thought this helicopter was pretty low…

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Until he decided to get even closer!

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I can’t imagine tacking all these sails to round the buoy.

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A close-up of this pretty girl.

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That is a LOT of sail area on one boat!

Source:

https://helialetitbe.wordpress.com/2016/04/27/kickin-it-old-style-classic-boat-week-antigua/

Reality Photo: Seven Days of Consecutive Sunsets. Food for meditation and tranquility. 

Sunset is the time of the day at which we are most likely to be reflective. That brief transitional period between light and darkness is – together with sunrise – often said by spiritual gurus to be the best time to meditate, and I agree. Sit down, cross your legs, open your eyes and just absorb. Connect with the Universe when the conduit is at its widest. It is a time to gain great insights into life…

This article provides some mind-expanding imagery, which may help you to touch the incredible essence of sundown.



Reality Photo: Seven Days of Consecutive Sunsets. Good, Boring or Fabulous?

In the spirit of Reality TV, I thought I would show you seven consecutive sunsets and share the actual views we see every night…

… And somehow you might believe you are missing these nightly masterpieces…

Well, honestly, we do have the privilege of seeing stunning sets nearly every night and we remain grateful for the opportunity. So grateful that we wanted to share them with you…



Sunset “one”

If not for the deep sapphire water, I think this could be a desert somewhere instead of Ashton, Union Island.

Sunset “two”

Same anchor spot but the very next night and a completely different “painting.”


Sunset “three”

You guessed it, we have not moved our anchor and here is a third and unique sunset.

Sunset “four”

Our first night in Mustique.


Sunset “five”

Our second night in Mustique. The clouds look like smoke accumulated from a smoke stack…

Sunset “six”

Our third and final night in Mustique the silhouette of this sailboat was beautiful. I really wish I knew who owns this boat because I would love to send him this picture.

Sunset “seven”

Safely moored in St. Lucia after a very pretty 70 nautical mile sail with a little help from our friends, volvo one and volvo two, when the wind died…

One last gratuitous sunset photo featuring our sweet dog, Captain.

Sunset “eight”

Captain is in a kennel this week because we were unable to find a rental place that would allow pets. We are really sad to have her in a kennel and can’t wait to “free” her on Thursday!!!

Do you have a favorite sunset from this blog post? I would love to know which one calls to you or speaks to you most. Or does your mood affect which one you like best so your favorite changes? Please leave your answers in the comments!

Posted by Let It Be

Source:

https://helialetitbe.wordpress.com/2016/03/22/reality-photo-seven-days-of-consecutive-sunsets-good-boring-or-fabulous/

Kiteboarding as a spiritual practice: Zen, mindfulness, universal rules of being

I first tried kiteboarding in May 2016, so I’m actually something of a novice at this sport. But being a beginner has its advantages: When you try something completely new, you’re fully focused on what you’re doing. You could say that you’re 100% present in the moment, and this heightened, intense state is precisely when all profound spiritual moments occur.

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Every second, every breath, every tiny sensation that your body experiences becomes so much more spiritual. It’s not simply a matter of novelty, or the fact that you are locked in a state of deep concentration. Kiteboarding itself is all about life. The guidance for manipulating the kite brought to mind those universal truths and rules for life described in the Bible, Buddhist texts, the Kabbala, and many other spiritual books that I’ve read.

This topic merits a series of articles. While the topic of kiteboarding is in itself interesting, one of the central missions of this portal is to help you, the reader, to explore new things in life. This is not simply a matter of physical experience, but of spiritual development. ‘Being present’, a concept also explored elsewhere on this site, is a key to opening your mind – and soul – to the unknown, the unexpected and the wondrous.


To kick off this series, this brief article sums up a few of my ‘spiritual takeaways’ from my very first kiteboarding lessons.

When we’re confronted with the unexpected, whether a strong blast of wind or stress in life, we instinctively try to increase our level of control over the situation… It’s a completely normal mental reaction. To a degree, we’re all control freaks, but does fanatically trying to assert our authority over a situation actually help?

  1. Kiteboarding taught me to let go: Allow the situation unfold, and observe before trying to change anything. The Universe will help you to accomplish you task, or at least will save you from broken arms, legs, ribs and heart….
  2. No need to rush. You will achieve what you want to if you keep doing it, but do it slowly; one step and one breath at a time.
  3. No matter what you planned, you will reach the right level when it’s meant to be. Not earlier, not later. My advice? Stay calm and keep doing what you’re doing.
  4. Slow down all your movements, and decisions, but always be ahead of the kite in your mind. Substitute ‘kite’ for ‘project’, and you can see my point!
  5. You can choose a direction, but you can’t predict how exactly the movement will be executed. The wind could change any time, and you have to be agile enough to respond to its capriciousness. In kiteboarding you have to be consciously present 100% of the time, and this is hugely important in other areas of life too. Fretting about uncertainty is both wasteful and dangerous. Save your energy for the moves you need to make, and don’t expend it on worrying. Learn to ‘go with the flow’, but gently steer yourself in the right general direction.
  6. I was instructed not to over-tense my hands when steering the kite. Similarly, try not to over-think, worry too much, or micro-manage. These are all a waste of energy, and time.
  7. The kite and wind will do everything for you, if you just stop fighting it. The lesson here is to work with the powerful forces that you encounter in life, rather than against them: Do this successfully, and you will fly.
  8. Finally, when kiteboarding I had to be highly attentive to the other kiters’ around me. Likewise, when interacting with people in life or in business, try to coordinate, collaborate and communicate. Competition could easily kill both parties.

These are just a few life lessons that I drew from my first kiteboarding experience.

What do you think?

Big sky country: photos from Baluran

 

Indonesia seen
Places you have never seen before.

 

Several years ago, while asleep in a bungalow not far from a beach in Lombok, Indonesia, I was rudely awakened by the shrill sound of a mosquito buzzing in my ear. Bama and I eventually killed the thing, but I couldn’t forget what it said to me that night: “Uaaaaaang.” For the mosquito had been […]

http://notesplusultra.com/2016/03/18/big-sky-country-photos-from-baluran/

Havana’s Colorful Streets and “Happy Souls”

havana seen
Placed you have never seen before 

For the avid traveler and photographer, Havana is a wonderland, a source of 24/7 inspiration that goes beyond the brightly colored, decaying facades and a seemingly inexhaustible fleet of vintage automobiles. There is a rich history and warm, inviting locales who welcome travelers with genuine interest, broad smiles and a palpable desire to connect. For […]

http://theinsatiabletraveler.com/2016/02/02/havanas-colorful-streets-and-happy-souls-cuba/

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