5 posts shown.
swiftcobra15 said:1. Of course it’s possible, though certainly not in the way a "typical" member of modern society would expect. That distinction matters.
2. And what connection could organized religions—especially the Church—possibly have with true spirituality? 😕
I actually do have an answer to that question:
Organized religion (the church) acts as a graveyard, or perhaps even a landfill, for spirituality.
3. What defines material prosperity (wealth) versus poverty?
I would argue that prosperity is simply having what you need.
And you can achieve that with very little money.
I honestly feel wealthier than several acquaintances of mine who possess three or four times my net worth.
I’m not saying I lack everything; I just mean that what I *do* lack is something money simply cannot buy.
4. Poverty (or scarcity) is a state of consciousness.
The poor person isn't the one who has nothing, but rather the one who feels they are constantly lacking something.
A person with very little can be far richer than someone with abundance who remains perpetually unsatisfied.
5. To be "poor" means to be unburdened by material possessions.
Every object we own ends up capturing us and weighing us down. The more things a person accumulates, the less freedom they truly have.
In our modern capitalist system, scarcity—specifically the creation of new, artificial needs—is systematically manufactured to drive profit. People are trapped in a relentless cycle, a kind of perpetual motion machine, that we really need to escape if we want to live in true freedom. 😉
I look at poverty and wealth through a different lens. In my view, there is
spiritual and material wealth, as well as spiritual and material poverty. It’s a total deception when preachers claim you can't be both spiritual and wealthy... they live in marble mansions and drive luxury cars 🤔 while others struggle just to survive. I don't know about everyone else, but if I'm not materially secure—meaning I have enough for a decent, comfortable life, no debt, a roof over my head, healthcare, utilities, and good food (I'm not talking about yachts or luxury vacations)—how am I supposed to focus on spiritual growth? On the subway, I see people who look so miserable and defeated... they're just staring blankly out the window, oblivious to the world passing them by, unable to connect with loved ones or stuck in soul-crushing jobs. All of that strips away a person's dignity and makes spiritual progress nearly impossible. My goal is to reach the peak of both spiritual and material abundance... and find a way to balance them perfectly.
Sometimes you just need a bit of luck on your side... I know people with incredible voices who never made it as singers because the timing was never right, while someone like Avril Lavigne makes a fortune. It’s the same with science or innovation. Success in any field really comes down to that mix of hard work and pure chance...
Since we're talking about Tesla, he was someone who dedicated his entire existence solely to science. It makes you wonder how much one would sacrifice—family, fun, luxury, or social life—just to move humanity forward? He had an extraordinary intellect and knew exactly how to channel all that energy into his work without letting it scatter. While Tesla was a genius, Einstein was born at just the right moment, and his success was heavily influenced by Mileva Marić, who lived constantly in his shadow back then, given how limited opportunities were for women in science. They met when he was 17 and she was 21. I've read several articles suggesting he might not have been nearly as successful without her help with his ideas and research... Then you look at guys like Gates or Zuckerberg, who essentially took existing ideas and turned them into empires, yet they're hailed as geniuses. It's all so relative...
Everyone holds their own beliefs... some swear by reincarnation, others think we only get one shot at this life, but nobody truly knows the ultimate truth. All I know is that we’re all here for a reason. Personally, I feel like the soul has to work through certain lessons to truly evolve. You’re still young, and you're clearly in that searching phase—which is never an easy road to walk. You definitely have a purpose; you just need to look a little deeper within yourself. If there weren't a purpose, you wouldn't even be here (maybe your mom would've just had a surprise pregnancy, who knows)... I see life as a massive gift. You mentioned that if a soul chooses its path before birth, it should have the right to end it. But I don't believe there's a right to end it. We're born with a total amnesia regarding any pacts our souls made with a Higher Power, and we didn't just pick this path at random; there's always a reason. No matter how painful the journey gets, it's part of us and we have to see it through. Suicide doesn't solve anything... it just brings you back to zero. I've navigated my own share of crises, but eventually, I realized everything happens for a reason. I've made mistakes and stumbled too, but I always found a way to stand back up... sometimes on my own, sometimes with help from others. You haven't quite shared what you're struggling with—is it family, a relationship, work, or just an internal battle? What used to bring you joy?
electrictinker26 said:I find the concept of loving oneself a bit strange. It feels selfish at times, even if it’s the truth. I've noticed that when you genuinely accept who you are, people notice that confidence and gravitate toward you. It's less about ego and more about self-acceptance.
There are really two ways to look at self-love. There’s the selfish kind—purely ego-driven—which eventually leads to self-destruction. Then there’s the healthy kind, which sustains both the body and the soul. That’s what I mean. The first type is already a disorder. Trust me, everything starts within us 😉... I've convinced myself of that a million times over. If you aren't happy being alone with yourself, you can't be happy with anyone else. It’s why people who wake up hating themselves end up hating the whole world by lunchtime. And that's just the truth.
Nicole Booth25 said:I’m not going to post a photo, because for me, actually embracing someone is incredibly difficult
Why is that?
I just don't know.
You have to learn how to embrace yourself first—to truly love who you are—before you can really hold someone else. That relationship you have with yourself is the most important one of all.
To me, a hug is the ultimate sign of closeness. Sometimes, it speaks much louder than any words ever could...🙂