Religion, Culture and Fish & Chips
I was finding it quite difficult to bring some new material to my blog and a few friends have suggested for some time that I write something a lil more personal and seeing as I have gone on such a journey already regarding this topic, I think it's worth a post. I believe everyone has some form of spirituality, religion or culture as they all come as package, whether it's going to Sunday mass, attending a football match or grabbing you and the family a quick take away on a Saturday night. It's something that you do 'religiously', you feel empty without it. You feel it's part of you. Society is so hectic with technology on the rise many people in this day age find it hard to commit to just one traditional religion solely and tend to mix and match activities and beliefs to suit their lifestyle, it's also a great way to integrate with other cultures and find new friends who share similar interests. As I have said before in the introduction to my previous post My Top Favourite YouTubers & Channels life is too complicated and diverse to have just one religion ruling them all so everyone is out to find their own truth. My truth is a Holistic one, in the traditional sense it is an individual who focuses on the mind, body and soul of ones self and whatever they personally find important and sacred to them enhances or heal those qualities.
Education
I think Education is a major fundamental of not just a holistic lifestyle but in life in general, from the first few steps you take as a child to the prison cell or that sticky situation you regrettably find yourself in. I believe education is almost the solution to most problems, social sciences involve opening your mind to new thinkings, understanding and applying that knowledge to discussions and problems which could also in turn help you in life lessons. Subjects like maths and science can help you think more rationally and calculated. But sometimes education isn't enough and people lack the social skills like empathy to understand other peoples situations and why they do things. Some individuals are ignorant and stubborn and refuse to listen or learn but empathy is a an emotion stronger than you think and can lead to great things but I will talk a little bit more on enhancing those qualities later. I am very grateful to have experience immediately both sides of the white and black Caribbean culture. My Mother wasn't traditionally religious but had her beliefs and my Dad was a strict Catholic. At one point in my life I was praying every night before bed, reading the Bible, going to Mass and Sunday school, and I have completed the 3 main 'initiations' into the Catholic community - Baptism, Communion and Confirmation. I can't say that there was an actual point in my life where I was a Catholic because I was a natural rebel and I had made my mind up from the start. But going through that stage gave me a strong insight into Catholicism and even though I was attending a Catholic school we weren't just learning about Catholicism and Christianity but Islam, Buddhism, Judaism etc which enlightened me even more about other cultures. Understanding through education I believe is a quality everyone should have, they are the first stepping stones to a happy life but for people who don't have those natural qualities of empathy and can be quite judgemental may find help in something I've been learning about in the past 5 months now which leads onto my next point regarding my interests and hobbies.
Identifying & Enhancing Your Qualities
Hobbies & Interests
Self-awareness is another fundamental to Spirituality, knowing what type of person you are, what makes you happy, knowing how to behave and deal with situations appropriately will lead to a happier life. Self-awareness is probably one of the most difficult traits to harvest and understand. One of the most basic stages of learning self awareness was probably when someone told you how you were behaving, be it bad or good and it's up to us as human beings whether to sit and reflect on recognising these qualities....are they good or are they bad? If so, do I need to change or should I enhance these qualities and carry on being this way? From a young age and having an older sister of course it's natural for younger siblings to look up to their older siblings. I had stumbled across a white thick paperback book, simply with the word Astrology written across at the top and of course to my curiosity I picked it up and asked my sister what Astrology was. From then I had acquired the leads to my personality, behavioural and social traits. After learning much about myself I sat back and tried to identify with some of the qualities I had gathered and I either accepted that this is the way I was and I tried not to let the negative qualities cause me any more trouble. May I stress that a lot of people mistake that Star Signs define people perfectly when in fact they are generalisations, external factors such as socialisation have a strong influence on rearing an individuals personality. EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT.
It's also good to bear in mind that with age self-awareness becomes much stronger and I have still got a LONG way to go. Who says you have to be either one end of the spectrum, happy or unhappy. How about, I still haven't lived life, I still have so much to see and learn? I believe life is about balance and there are many other ways to creating that balance, one of them being enhancing or healing your personal traits. I'm going to keep this short and sweet as I am still learning about this subject and I would also like to make a separate post solely around this. I have been reading about and using crystals for the past 5 months. In some cultures people believe that certain crystals have healing capabilities, this could be in health, yourself personality wise or for others and there are hundreds to choose from. I'm not going to go into too much detail because as I said I would like to write a more detailed post but if you can't wait go ahead and Google it, there's so much to know. Over those 5 months I have made a collection of 6 crystals, each bearing their own healing qualities which I personally sought out and found that those are the qualities I needed healing. I meditate with these crystals, some of them I wear as they have been made into a necklaces and as well as this I do Yoga a couple times a week and I can confidently say that I feel healthier within myself. I snack less or not at all, I want to eat healthier and therefore my stomach feels lighter. I also feel more grounded within myself, I don't get annoyed as easily and I'm involved in less conflict, I'm more mature, responsible and think more rationally about situations and just generally more happy, not saying that I was a total train wreck before! My mind is clearer, I can see my goals and what makes me happy. Guys, I could go on forever but I'm going to have to leave it there!!
''To love others you must first love yourself''
Education
I think Education is a major fundamental of not just a holistic lifestyle but in life in general, from the first few steps you take as a child to the prison cell or that sticky situation you regrettably find yourself in. I believe education is almost the solution to most problems, social sciences involve opening your mind to new thinkings, understanding and applying that knowledge to discussions and problems which could also in turn help you in life lessons. Subjects like maths and science can help you think more rationally and calculated. But sometimes education isn't enough and people lack the social skills like empathy to understand other peoples situations and why they do things. Some individuals are ignorant and stubborn and refuse to listen or learn but empathy is a an emotion stronger than you think and can lead to great things but I will talk a little bit more on enhancing those qualities later. I am very grateful to have experience immediately both sides of the white and black Caribbean culture. My Mother wasn't traditionally religious but had her beliefs and my Dad was a strict Catholic. At one point in my life I was praying every night before bed, reading the Bible, going to Mass and Sunday school, and I have completed the 3 main 'initiations' into the Catholic community - Baptism, Communion and Confirmation. I can't say that there was an actual point in my life where I was a Catholic because I was a natural rebel and I had made my mind up from the start. But going through that stage gave me a strong insight into Catholicism and even though I was attending a Catholic school we weren't just learning about Catholicism and Christianity but Islam, Buddhism, Judaism etc which enlightened me even more about other cultures. Understanding through education I believe is a quality everyone should have, they are the first stepping stones to a happy life but for people who don't have those natural qualities of empathy and can be quite judgemental may find help in something I've been learning about in the past 5 months now which leads onto my next point regarding my interests and hobbies.
Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter, one of the most influential interracial couples of the 50s
Identifying & Enhancing Your Qualities
Hobbies & Interests
Self-awareness is another fundamental to Spirituality, knowing what type of person you are, what makes you happy, knowing how to behave and deal with situations appropriately will lead to a happier life. Self-awareness is probably one of the most difficult traits to harvest and understand. One of the most basic stages of learning self awareness was probably when someone told you how you were behaving, be it bad or good and it's up to us as human beings whether to sit and reflect on recognising these qualities....are they good or are they bad? If so, do I need to change or should I enhance these qualities and carry on being this way? From a young age and having an older sister of course it's natural for younger siblings to look up to their older siblings. I had stumbled across a white thick paperback book, simply with the word Astrology written across at the top and of course to my curiosity I picked it up and asked my sister what Astrology was. From then I had acquired the leads to my personality, behavioural and social traits. After learning much about myself I sat back and tried to identify with some of the qualities I had gathered and I either accepted that this is the way I was and I tried not to let the negative qualities cause me any more trouble. May I stress that a lot of people mistake that Star Signs define people perfectly when in fact they are generalisations, external factors such as socialisation have a strong influence on rearing an individuals personality. EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT.
 |
| Crystals From Bottom to Top - Blue Agate, Turquoise, Aventurine, Amethyst and Rose Quartz Crystal in hand (top of post) - Lapis Lazuli |
It's also good to bear in mind that with age self-awareness becomes much stronger and I have still got a LONG way to go. Who says you have to be either one end of the spectrum, happy or unhappy. How about, I still haven't lived life, I still have so much to see and learn? I believe life is about balance and there are many other ways to creating that balance, one of them being enhancing or healing your personal traits. I'm going to keep this short and sweet as I am still learning about this subject and I would also like to make a separate post solely around this. I have been reading about and using crystals for the past 5 months. In some cultures people believe that certain crystals have healing capabilities, this could be in health, yourself personality wise or for others and there are hundreds to choose from. I'm not going to go into too much detail because as I said I would like to write a more detailed post but if you can't wait go ahead and Google it, there's so much to know. Over those 5 months I have made a collection of 6 crystals, each bearing their own healing qualities which I personally sought out and found that those are the qualities I needed healing. I meditate with these crystals, some of them I wear as they have been made into a necklaces and as well as this I do Yoga a couple times a week and I can confidently say that I feel healthier within myself. I snack less or not at all, I want to eat healthier and therefore my stomach feels lighter. I also feel more grounded within myself, I don't get annoyed as easily and I'm involved in less conflict, I'm more mature, responsible and think more rationally about situations and just generally more happy, not saying that I was a total train wreck before! My mind is clearer, I can see my goals and what makes me happy. Guys, I could go on forever but I'm going to have to leave it there!!
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