Thursday, February 9, 2017

The End To Suffering Is In-sight


A friend of mine said to me the other day, "the end to suffering is in sight", and I asked him to clarify what he meant.  He told me that the end of suffering was coming in the future and that he knew it was coming.  I then asked how he knew?  I was told that he was not quite sure but he had a very strong sense within him that something was changing in the world and that he could feel a new beginning coming.

So of course, me being a counselor, I had to dig deeper because the original statement had more than one meaning, and I wanted him to fully understand it.  I asked if he could explain the feeling to me so I could better understand exactly how he 'knows' that the end of suffering is in sight.  He told me that he had a strong feeling during a meditation session that made him believe fully that there was an end to all of the suffering in the world.

I replied with an 'ah, so you found the answer within'.  He agreed that was the only place the answer could have come from at that time because he was sitting quietly with no outside distractions.  I asked him who came up with the answer and the original statement; he replied that he did because it could have come from nowhere else.

I explained to him that if he found the answer within then he must be very insightful.  It took a couple of minutes for the realization of this statement to hit home.  Once I saw this answer was realized by my friend, I explained that he had found something very profound within himself, and he had not quite connected the dots yet.

That is where much of my collected insight comes from, I have learned to ask the right questions while helping clients and friends critically think their way through their own thought processes.  He had discovered that 'The End Of Suffering Is Insight'.  This is already well known in much of the philosophical world, but he had discovered it for himself, which tells us there are more answers within than we truly know.

Do you want to end your suffering?  I know I do, and I get closer each day.  The more I look within, the more I remind myself that we cause all of our own suffering, and therefore we must look within ourselves to find the answers we seek.  Yes, outside forces can cause pain and discontent, but the suffering is something we create for ourselves, and our ego loves to blame everything outside of our being so that we cannot see the true answers, that we cause it for ourselves.

End your suffering through self-reflection and insight, it is the only way.  Nobody else can do it for you!  

If you are looking for strategies and tools to help you look within yourself, don't hesitate to message me.  I created New Age Learning Solutions to teach people how to get to know themselves better, and how to build upon your inner strengths, rather than trying to put 'bandaids' on your symptoms.  Want to know what is causing your unhappiness and anxiety?  The answers are within you and you just may need some help to find them.

Once your 'true self' or 'spirit' has suffered enough, it will start screaming to be released.  Learn how to answer yourself and become who you truly are.  "The End To Suffering Is Insight", so take a good look within yourself, and if you find anything but peace, dig deeper!  Keep looking until you find the answers you seek!

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Be Careful What You Learn


I will continually revert back to discussing mental health issues because this is the biggest area of mis-information and bad advice in society right now.  If you want to learn about your own mental health issues, then do the research and decipher the difference between good and bad information.

Anyone can learn ways to improve their state of being, but one must want to first.  I am just asking that you be careful of the information you find, and use your critical thinking skills to ensure that the words you find, carry the message that you need.

What set me off today was reading replies on Facebook to a question someone had asked about depression.  The question was "how do we deal with depression?", and it was posted in an Eckhart Tolle group that I am a member of.  The question was posed to the large group and within an hour there were over 30 comments on it, each one of them trying to impose their wisdom on the poser of the question.

As I read through them I could feel my frustration growing.  Most of the answers quite obviously come from people who have never suffered depression in their lives, but they certainly think that because they have read Eckhart's books, that they are now experts in that area.  I can tell you as someone has dealt with long term depression, but also has a degree in mental health studies, that many of the comments I read from seemingly knowledgeable people were actually the opposite of helpful.

Be careful who you take advice from in regards to mental health issues, and use your own wisdom and experience to ensure the advice you are receiving is worth processing.  I could simply have told the person to use coping mechanisms and to get help, but anyone who has actually lived with depression will tell you that if it were as easy as some helpful words, they would have crawled out of the pit of desolation a long time ago.

True learning does not really begin until we start reflecting on the information we receive and own it.  I would first ask the person why they feel depressed.  Often the answer from clients is 'I don't know', but I will continue to ask that question until it is answered.  This forces the person to self reflect upon their own problems with their own critical thinking skills and logical processors.

How do you deal with depression?; Find out why you are depressed first, and this answer can only be found within ourselves.  Once the problem has been identified, explore the reasons why you are feeling this way and which thoughts are coming to the surface when you are feeling this way. You won't get answers until you start asking questions.

If you want to learn anything at all, you truly have to want to first.  If you have determined that you really do want to learn something, then follow the trail of questions that arise, and answer them.  Some will be able to be answered by asking your true and inner self, while others you may need help for.  You may need a therapist or counselor to help you find the right questions, or if you are already good at searching information on the internet, then start searching.

Don't wait for someone else to teach you what you need to know, or wait for someone to come along to save you.  Take control of your own life and mind and start teaching yourself the things you want to know.

I am happy to provide sites and information that I have already found to be credible, especially for mental health issues.  If you are researching along your path and need a little help to make sure you are going the right way, or if the information is something that applies to you, send me and email or pose a question in the comments below.

Learning is a process that gives us the ability to learn anything we put our minds to.  You can begin repairing your own issues or take on something new and exciting, all you have to do is get started.

Use the image at the top to better understand what critical thinking is and to use the correct skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation to look deeper and find the words that work for you and your learning abilities.

Monday, January 30, 2017

"Teach a man to fish...." Learning To Learn


"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime".
This is a well known quote that explains exactly what my vision is for New Age Learning Solutions.  Teach someone how to learn and the there is not much than cannot be done.

We live in a world where information is readily available at our very fingertips, but taking advantage of it is not always as easy as it seems.  Although we as humans have an awesome ability and gift to learn complex things, learning in itself is a process and when steps are not followed, we often set ourselves up for failure.

I have decided to take my education and experience, and create an environment where anyone can go to learn about learning.  It does not matter what you are looking to learn, I can help point you in the right direction, and help you to find the tools you need to add new skills to your repertoire.

I will do my best to keep my blog posts short and informative so you can spend your time researching and implementing the new knowledge you will find.  Whether you want to learn an instrument, how to fix your car, math and english skills, philosophy, or any other topic, the information is out there, and I will help you to find it.

I will start you off with my favourite learning site, GCF|LearnFree.  If you are looking for step by step tutorials in math, english, resume writing, Microsoft Office classes (free certification), or how to use your android tablet/ipad, then this site has exactly what you need to start gaining the skills you want.

I am driven to help people who are suffering with mental health issues and chronic pain disorders mostly.  There is an abundance of information on the internet that can help sufferers lessen their symptoms while offering coping mechanisms as well.  It is my goal to connect people with information which will reduce suffering and give them the ability to build their inner self back up.


Look forward to more solution based and strength building information here, and learn to take control of your happiness and well-being.

Learning To Learn


The intent of my blog is not to teach, it is to help you learn.  Although I have some education in this field and a good amount of experience in the things I write about, I do not consider myself an expert in any of these things.  I simply want to share what I do know and help you onto the path of learning for yourself.  I don't expect anyone to take my words as law, I hope that you will question everything you read along the way and form your own opinions.

I have worked through many issues on my own over the years and have found a lot of good knowledge that helped me get onto the positive path I have taken, but I will continue to learn as long as I am able to.  If you are reading this post then you already have the ability to read, or at least have a way to receive the information.  The information I am providing is my own insight into mental health issues, and its purpose is to make you think and to start your own learning path.

I have  no intent to give advice since that is not my purpose.  I will share information and make some suggestions, but what you do with the information is totally up to you.  I know that you can learn the information to help you move forward onto a more positive path in life no matter where you are at in your life.  I do hope that you will ask questions along your journey and find the best possible information which will help you to improve your quality of life.

I simply have an inner calling to help others where I can and this is my way of doing so.  After working with many young adults and youth over the past few years, I learned that the best way to help them was to help them learn for themselves.  There is an old say that 'you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink'.  I am going to do my best to lead people to learning but you will need to teach yourself.

I will say again, question everything, because this is what provides the passion to keep moving forward in your learning.  I hope that the words I write are helping you find your way to better mental health, and as long as people keep reading, I will keep writing.  My hope is that others will eventually want to share parts of their journey here on the blog and that more helpers will emerge.  We all have experience and knowledge of things that others need to improve their lives.

Inspire others to inspire others is a big part of my premise.  We are living in a time where mental health issues are rising to epidemic levels and we all need to play our part if we want to stop this growth.  This is what I am doing to play my part and I am hoping to inspire you to either do the same, or at least improve your own quality of life.

Have a peaceful day and be well

Great Need For Mental Health Literacy


There is a great need for better mental health in almost every family on the planet.  Better mental health begins with awareness of the issues, and with what we have learned about these issues.  There is an abundance of good information based on research and experience which can help each and every one of us on our path to a better life. 

I hope you will bear with me as I put all of the information into perspective here on this blog.  I hope that you will click the follow button so that you can continue to move forward with us on this journey to better mental health.  I will write in a conversational tone and do my best not to use words that all can easily understand.

  I also hope you will comment and share the things you would like to see us focus on in regards to mental health issues.  I will simply be using my education and experiences to help anyone that needs it.
My belief is that by educating and sharing solid information about your issues, or that of a family member/friend, you will begin to recognize symptoms and learn how to ease some of the suffering that those issues are causing.  

We will also be building a database where you will be able to find good, well researched information which will help you to improve your quality of life and that of those around you.  My writings will be unedited for the most part since the words come out faster than I can type sometimes.  I will do my best to provide well written materials that you will find useful and helpful.
  
The first step I will deal with today is about removing stigma and bad feelings about mental health disorders.  I am not afraid to tell others what my issues are and you should not be afraid either. Others cannot truly understand us if they don't know what ails us.

  I have had anxiety issues since I was quite young, and decades later they are still there, I just know how to control them better now.  When others understand that I have these issues, they create different and more understanding opinions of my outward behaviours.  If I seem fidgety or am sweating profusely, they will more likely attribute that to my anxiety issues and not that I am hiding something from them.  This a big difference in perception and a more positive outlook which was created through understanding.

We will hear someone say something like "that person is just crazy!", and most of us will just assume that they are.  If we take away the stigma attached, we may see a person who is suffering from a bout of mania which they cannot control and we should help them rather than stigmatize them.  Maybe the person has a schizophrenic disorder and they have spent most of their lives trying to find balance and order for themselves.  The person is not simply 'crazy', they are suffering from something and we as human beings should be more understanding, instead of being judgmental. 


I realize this is just the beginning of the journey to better mental health, and that we have a lot of work yet to do, but I am willing to put in the work if you are.  I hope what I am writing makes sense and that it speaks to you on an inner level.  It is my hope to get you thinking critically so you can start to fix your own mind and find some inner peace.  I have much left to learn myself but in the mean time I will share what I do know.  If there are other things you want or need to learn, please let me know and we will learn it together right here.

Be well and choose to have a good day.  Believe it or not, it is our choice!