Posts by neongardener2

I’m not really big on comedies, and honestly, the first one was just okay, so I wasn't expecting much from the sequel either. But I gotta admit, I laughed way more this time around. It's actually a pretty good movie.👍

I mean, sure, you’d probably feel great right this second, but long-term? Not really. Where is this massive craving for cash even coming from? I get it, everyone wants to be loaded, but money itself doesn't actually buy happiness. Plus, if you're stuck in that mindset—thinking you're just destined to lose—you're probably not gonna win anything.

Here's a little spiritual nugget for you:

If living with optimism and trust is your main goal, your desires will manifest. Just decide to find salvation—and happiness—in the here and now.

electrictinker26 said:You're on a genuine spiritual path right now. Just keep gambling—you'll lose everything, and in that emptiness, you might actually find God. It’s quite the opportunity, really. But the trouble is, you're already halfway there because you've become aware of it all... or maybe you haven't yet.

Anyway, this kind of reminds me of some old show I saw way back when... it was mostly about suicides, and there was this confession from a guy who tried to end it all by shooting himself in the head and somehow actually survived. I don't even need to describe what he looked like afterward, since the wound was from the front, but he said he’s actually happier now and appreciates life more. So, yeah...

Most people just don't appreciate life enough until something hits them hard or they do something incredibly stupid, only to realize later that they had everything they needed all along. I'm not talking about people dealing with abuse or literal starvation, obviously. It feels like the OP is just bored with life and doesn't have any actual, real problems. At least based on that first post.

You're healthy, you've got a job... You really think winning the Powerball would make you happy?? I highly doubt it. Instead of obsessing over hitting a jackpot, maybe try putting that energy into something else.

Can we change it over to neongardener2? 🙂

Hmm, I don't know, it’s not exactly the same thing, though there are some similarities I guess. Sure, maybe just reach out to rustydrifter10.

I’m with you on that. Totally sign my name to what was said above.

I honestly don't get how those big-box stores can just sell parrots, turtles, lizards, and all that stuff to basically anyone walking through the door😲. If I were in charge, I'd shut the whole thing down—it's just wrong. I don't see why wild animals even belong in a retail store being sold like candy, but if they *are* going to do it, there should at least be some kind of background check on the people trying to buy them.🙂

Like, turtles look tiny and cute in a Petco, but they grow pretty fast and end up getting over 8 inches long, needing actual space and proper food. When they're small, people just grab some cheap little plastic tub that isn't even enough room for a tiny turtle, let alone a grown one. It's gross. Honestly. Then people end up releasing them into our local ponds where they multiply and take over because they're more aggressive than the native species...
I guess anything goes around here, though I suppose it's the same everywhere... It's all just about the money, I guess.🙄🙂 Total disaster.

And don't even get me started on the parrots. Every time I see them stuck in those cages, I feel like crying. Especially the big ones, like the macaws. Man, I'd love to just adopt one, give it the best habitat ever, and then tell the store to stop ordering them altogether.😢

Maybe this is a bit off-topic, but I just had to say it.

Gerald Scott4 said:Look, I’m a huge animal lover. I’ve got two dogs living in my apartment, I’ve been a vegetarian for 13 years, and I spend my free time volunteering at the local animal shelter... But is it okay if someone just doesn't care for animals? Yeah, absolutely.
I think those weird judgments people make (referring back to the OP's first post) come from this mindset where, the moment someone says they aren't an animal person, everyone immediately jumps to conclusions about them being abusive or just totally cold-hearted.

If someone doesn't want a pet in their house and feels indifferent toward them, so what? Nothing. It's fine.

A lot of people also can't wrap their heads around the fact that, at 32 years old, I don't feel any particular emotional connection to children. Does that make me "weird"? I don't know, and honestly, I don't really care.

Personally, I don't think it's strange when people don't love animals, as long as they aren't hurting them—but obviously, that's a different conversation entirely.

I’m also cool with people not liking animals, provided they respect them and leave them alone. But what bugs me—and honestly, it happens way too often here in the States—is when people own pets but don't actually take care of them. Like, they just leave them tied up or stuck in a crate constantly without any attention or love, besides maybe some food. If you're just going to ignore them, why even have them? 🙂 Plus, the laws aren't exactly on the side of these animals as long as they're vaccinated and have a place to stay. I see it happen all the time around here, and unfortunately, there's not much you can do about it.😢

edit: One more thing for you, hope you catch this... I noticed you're a vegetarian and an animal lover too. How do you feel about not eating meat while your pets (I assume) definitely do?

wiredangler71 said:Look, back in the day, a dog always had a bigger purpose than just being a pet; they earned their meal. Cats? They just figured it out themselves and were useful while they were at it. Now, if you think your dog deserves a little bit of raw meat, you either have to forget how things work or someone else has to go out and produce it for you—which means another living creature is involved, just like your dog. But hey, you can always just choose to ignore that reality.

Hmm, that’s not really much of an explanation, is it?🤔 I can't exactly ignore it, I can only sort of live with it. My question was more about whether I'm being a speciesist if I feed my pets meat?? Personally, I'd say no, but then again, what's the difference if I'm eating the exact same meat I'm giving them?? I guess the only difference is there'd be fewer animals killed if I didn't eat it... Even for dogs, there's vegetarian food out there, but cats pretty much can't survive without meat... And I'm definitely not letting them fend for themselves outside. I did read a book on speciesism once, but as far as I remember, it didn't really touch on this specific thing.

Anyway, I'm asking for myself because I'm one of those people who loves animals and doesn't want to eat them, but I also know that one day I'll have my own dogs and cats at home... (I have them now, but since my mom buys their food and she's a meat-eater anyway...).

wiredangler71 said:What’s the word I’m looking for? A specialty, maybe?

I get where you're coming from, I guess, but what about this: you don't eat meat because you love animals and respect them, right? But then you've got cats and dogs at home—pets, basically—that have to eat chicken just to survive. And if you want them to actually eat high-quality stuff, wouldn't they need raw meat that you're basically hand-feeding them? Since they're carnivores, am I supposed to just deal with that contradiction or something? Like, if I'm eating that same chicken at the same time they are, does that suddenly make me a hypocrite??? Honestly, I'm just trying to wrap my head around it...

Nicholas Gonzalez8 said:How is it not? They accept it, and you don't. In this whole situation, the only real issue is that you're getting unnecessarily worked up about it. Nobody is forcing you to maintain these relationships until the problems are resolved—not even with family. Just explain clearly how things stand and tell them you aren't interested in glossing over arguments by just forgetting them. If they won't sit down and have a serious conversation to resolve things with words, then don't talk to them. Eventually, one of you two will probably cave. You make a choice, you live by it, and you're ready to deal with the consequences. To me, it's pretty straightforward.

I mean, maybe it is simple if you just didn't give a damn what anyone thought of you. That's my big struggle, I guess—getting super annoyed when I can't convince someone that what I think is right is actually right🙂. And then I end up looking like some rude weirdo to everyone else... I just don't get how people can gossip and talk trash about someone, thinking the worst of them, while acting totally normal to their face just because that person is close to some relative or friend. It drives me crazy, I can't help it...
The people who don't deserve it hear all kinds of crap and get blamed for everything, while the ones who actually do deserve it get given the silent treatment and basically live life completely unbothered, in most cases🙂

And then you somehow end up being the bad guy to people you don't even have an issue with and who were perfectly fine with you😢.

Nicholas Gonzalez8 said:Look, controlling your thoughts and feelings isn't actually the hard part. The problem is that most people think exactly like you do. They convince themselves that this requires some massive, Herculean effort and endless "self-help" labor, so they overcomplicate it, and then—surprise, surprise—it feels even harder than it actually is.

Thoughts drive emotions. Period. Think of your emotions as a GPS indicator showing you which direction your thoughts are heading. If you generate five positive thoughts and three negative ones, you're going to feel good. It works the exact same way in reverse. There are basically two main directions—two core emotions—that everything else stems from: love and fear. Everything else is just a subset of those. Get a grip on your thoughts, and you'll have a grip on your emotions too.

So, how do you actually control your mind? For starters, stop living on autopilot. People spend half their lives daydreaming about the past or stressing about the future while simultaneously stumbling through the present like zombies. You have to stay conscious of every single thought, feeling, and action.

If a thought pops up that you don't like—don't fight it. Don't wrestle with it. For example, you might think, "Everything is going wrong," and then the internal monologue kicks in: "But I don't want this, I can do better. But how? I don't know, I'm lost and miserable. If only I could just move past this state, and..." And it just keeps spiraling until someone snaps you out of it.

On the flip side, try this: "Everything is going wrong, but I..." Just stop right there in the middle of the sentence and let that internal chatter die out. Once it's quiet, start a different story: "Okay, things haven't been great, but starting today, the script changes. Every day, I'm going to take a few steps toward a better life. Life might knock me down ten times, but I'm getting back up every single time, and on the eleventh attempt, I'll win. Nothing and nobody can stop me except my own decision to quit, and I'm not doing that. Every setback is just making me smarter and tougher—success and happiness are inevitable 🙂 "

Don't go around judging others for what they do. Respect their free will, regardless of the choices they make. We all want to be happy, but let's face it—most of us are just wandering aimlessly trying to find the path. Sometimes we even end up hurting ourselves and the people around us in the process.

Look, nobody can actually hurt you—not really. The only thing that causes real pain is your own set of unmet expectations. We all do it, right? We walk around expecting people to give back what we give, expecting them to act a certain way, or waiting for some kind of "thank you." But why? It’s such a trap. If you just decide to give your love and attention unconditionally, without looking for a receipt, then you become bulletproof. You won't deal with that bitterness, jealousy, or anger because you aren't tied to the outcome. Sure, some people won't reciprocate—that's just life—but others will. Just embrace the ones who fit in your world and let the rest drift away. It’s honestly that simple. There’s zero point in mourning people who exit your life; it's much better to be grateful for the good times you had and stay excited about the new, interesting people you haven't even met yet.

You clearly understand the Law of Attraction, you just haven't mastered how to steer it yet. When you live in fear, you basically act as a magnet for everything you're afraid of. If you doubt yourself, those doubts become self-fulfilling prophecies. If you're convinced nothing is going your way, guess what? Nothing will go your way. Luckily, the whole thing works in reverse, too. 🙂

Your thoughts set the direction, but your emotions? They're the fuel. I want, so I attract more wanting. I am, I have, I become—those are the building blocks for the reality you're trying to build. If you spend all your mental energy obsessing over what you *don't* want, that's exactly what you'll end up with. Keep your eyes on the prize. And once you finally pull an opportunity toward you, don't just sit there—get out there and grab it! 🙂

By the way, you should definitely check out the Transfuring book series. It'll help clear up a lot of this fog.

Just let the past go. You aren't the first person to mess up a college major, and you certainly won't be the last. Back when I was at my university, nearly 60% of the students dropped out before their sophomore year. I was one of them, but honestly, it doesn't bother me one bit. If I hadn't tried, I'd still be sitting around wondering "what if" and feeling like I was missing out. If you hate what you're studying, quit. Why grind away for a degree just to land a career you'll despise anyway?

First things first: figure out what you actually want to achieve, possess, and be. Life doesn't have to follow a perfect blueprint, but you'll just wander aim in circles without some basic North Star. I'd recommend reading "Success DNA"—it'll help you find your footing. Once you have that clarity, then you can decide whether to switch majors, take a trade course, hunt for a job, start a small business, or even decide what kind of partner you're actually looking for.

I mean, what would even be the point of living if we weren't meant to experience things? Can you even imagine souls spending eternity doing absolutely nothing? Your purpose is definitely out there. 🙂

Regarding that bold part... I've noticed that most people (especially in my family) suffer for others—all the fighting, the gossip, all that relationship drama—and then everyone acts like nothing ever happened! Nothing actually gets fixed; they just do it all under the guise of "love." And it happens constantly! It drives me crazy because when someone bugs me or their behavior gets on my nerves, I don't want them around, even if they're my brother, dad, cousin, or aunt. Those kinds of relationships just drain me. I lose energy, I get frustrated... I might go back to old ways if I see things have actually changed, if we actually settled things and aren't just repeating the same mistakes over and over.
Those types of connections are exhausting and irritating, and I've realized that since I distanced myself from those people—meaning I don't see them often, only when I absolutely have to—life is easier and I feel better.

So, here's the thing...! I'm fine with how I am because I'm not going to tolerate other people's stupidity or rudeness. I just step away from that person or group, and then suddenly *I'm* the rude one! People throw it in my face constantly, while all the reasons why I distanced myself from that person in the first place are totally forgotten... Like, I'm supposed to act like everyone else, swallow all the crap, pretend nothing happened, keep my thoughts to myself, and just smile in everyone's faces like they're great, all because "it's family." Well, I'm not built like that. I'm not a hypocrite, and I refuse to hang out in circles that bother me, yet I still get blamed for being incredibly rude or having an attitude.😲... 🙂

So yeah, it's not quite that simple!

Hey, can I switch from Annmarie to Annari or maybe Annarie? I’d definitely prefer the first one.

Yeah, sure. If you could make sure the first letter is capitalized, that'd be great. Just reach out to Tyndall.

goldenbadger2 said:So, what exactly is it that "THEY" actually need?

Well, look at diet, for starters. Everyone just wants to shovel pills down their throats. They get told by their doctor they have high cholesterol or blood pressure and they walk out with a bag full of meds, but they won't touch the actual root cause. I've got enough doctors in my own family to know that's how it goes.

Basically, for pretty much any illness, people just want to fix it with drugs or by masking the symptoms, instead of fixing whatever is happening on the inside causing the mess in the first place.
Like, if someone has a headache, one person grabs an Advil, while another might try meditation. Sure, the pill works for a second, but long-term? Not really. Clear enough?

I'm not out here trying to force my way of doing things on anyone, but there are plenty of ways to improve your mental and physical health without just popping pills like candy.

Susan Price30 said:But what about the mind?😁 In the whole body-mind-spirit connection, how can the body—or even the mind—be unwell if in spirit everything is perfectly fine? Well... those self-proclaimed spiritualists haven't been able to wrap their heads around that for the last two millennia.🙏

I want to help the people around me, but you just can't help someone who doesn't want it.

How can you be sure they don't want it? Maybe the way they're being "helped" just isn't the right approach for them...

Honestly, this whole thing feels pointless to me...😁

Hmm, well, if by "wanting help" you mean sticking to their own specific ways that don't actually fix anything long-term, then sure. But the stuff that would ACTUALLY make a difference? They won't touch it. They just shut it down. I deal with plenty of people like that in my neck of the woods.

silverfalcon952 said:Hey everyone! Just wondering—how many of you are actually ready to roll up your sleeves and put in the work to heal your soul? Also, can you even tell when the people around you are struggling with their own internal mess, and if so, how are you stepping up to help them out?🙂

I’m ready to wake up. I mean, soul-wise? Souls don't get sick. It’s just the body that breaks down, I guess. I’d love to step up and help the people around me, but you can't really do much for someone who isn't looking for a hand. Not that I'm judging, but yeah.
So, someone above was saying you gotta find your own peace first before you can even think about helping anyone else. Honestly? They're right. It’s true. I mean, if you don't actually like yourself, how are you supposed to love anyone else? It’s not being selfish to prioritize your own mental health and get your own act together before trying to save the world. When you're stuck in that headspace where you hate your own skin, everything just grates on you. Everyone becomes an annoyance, you’ve got zero energy, and you're basically just drifting through life feeling burnt out and aimless. But once you actually accept who you are—once you finally make peace with yourself—you actually have something to offer. You end up giving way more to the people around you because you aren't running on empty. I guess that's just how it works.

Peter Phillips32 said:If you aren't reading that stuff, then you clearly don't get what we're talking about here.
The whole thing is just tabloid trash; basically an anthem to stupidity and shallow thinking.

but honestly, the best way to wrap your head around this is to talk to people who actually took a sport seriously. You can't get anywhere with absolutely NOTHING if you don't have that drive and some kind of deep-seated belief. It doesn't mean that alone is enough, obviously, but without it, you're just spinning your wheels.

Belief isn't a requirement; desire might work, or it might not serve as motivation at all; look, I've played all sorts of sports and I'm working out right now, so I know how it goes.

Maybe this will give you something to chew on regarding an explanation...

(part one) Alternative medicine survives by feeding on fear; fear of pain, fear of getting sick, fear of death. It plays on basic human experiences that (for most of us) are impossible to fully articulate—like that feeling of walking out of a therapist's office feeling better. There’s no denying that people generally feel improved after visiting an acupuncturist, a herbalist, a chiropractor, or a homeopath. In many cases, they've dropped a serious amount of cash on that visit or those "treatments," which is especially true in a place like the US where conventional medical costs are often handled by insurance. The theory of "cognitive dissonance" explains why this matters—anyone who shells out fifty bucks for an ineffective treatment is going to deal with cognitive dissonance because they're faced with the idea that they were either totally foolish or just threw money down the drain. They soothe that dissonance by convincing themselves they actually feel better (and the more expensive the bill, the harder they have to convince themselves). That "illusion of control" also lowers stress levels and some symptoms, simply because you feel like you're doing *something* about your health. Then there's social pressure; when your practitioner asks if last week's session worked, you feel obligated to say yes, or at least say something encouraging. Once you give that affirmative answer, the desire for consistency drives you to actually believe it yourself. We all know how powerful the placebo effect is, and it's even stronger when the practitioner carries themselves with authority, uses impressive-sounding techniques, and gives you these deep, incomprehensible explanations.

(part two) The visual world is so incredibly complex that trying to store even tiny fragments of a changing image would overwhelm a storage system as massive as the human brain. That’s why the brain tosses out most data and instead relies on our ability to just take another look.

(part three) Probably the hardest thing to deal with is dealing with desires, hopes, and inclinations—stuff like "hopefully it arrives on time," "I have to pass this exam," "I hope I live a long life and get rich and famous," or "I want that strawberry one." All these hopes and cravings are built on the notion of an "inner self" that has to stay happy, and their emergence just feeds the ego complex. The trick is to simply refuse to participate in any of them. If there is no "self," there is no point in hoping or wanting things for someone who doesn't exist. All those things belong to some other moment, not this one. They don't matter when there is nobody there to care about them. Life is perfectly possible even without hope.
It feels kind of backwards when you think about it, right? Like, you’d expect this way of living to make people more indecisive, but actually, they end up being way more decisive than before. But if you really sit down and chew on it, it’s not even that weird. From a meme perspective, the ego complex isn't some tool designed to help you make choices, or make you happy, or make life easier; its whole damn purpose is just to spread the memes it’s built from. By breaking that thing down, you finally get the space to act spontaneously and actually fit the situation. A smart brain—one packed with all those various memes—is perfectly capable of making moves without that messy ego complex constantly tripping it up.

Which leads us straight into some pretty terrifying territory. I mean, if I’m living by this truth—if there isn't some "inner me" pulling the strings and taking responsibility for everything I do—then what happens to morality? Some people would argue that living like this is basically a fast track to being selfish, cruel, immoral, or just a total disaster. But is it, though? Honestly, when you live this way, one of the biggest side effects is that you stop forcing your own little whims onto the world around you or onto the people you run into. And honestly, that alone is enough to change everything.

Susan Blackmore - The Meme Machine (give this a read and maybe things will start clicking for you)

p.s.
We should be reading stuff like this instead of wasting our time on junk like The Secret.

I haven't actually read The Secret, I just watched a documentary on it recently. And way before that, I've gone through plenty of non-commercialized books on these topics.
I don't really vibe with your response... maybe I *should* pick up a book, though.

Here are some actual science-based, deep dives: Divine Matrix by Gregg Braden and belief biology by Bruce H. Lipton.

I guess they're worth a read.

I guess I'm just gonna post this here. Might be useful, might not. Who knows? kaže:
So, look, if we’re actually talking about a serious back-and-forth between me and the system I live in... I don't know. It's a weird thought. Maybe I have more pull over the system, or maybe the system just keeps me on a leash. I guess it depends on how you look at it. Honestly, it's probably both, which kind of makes the whole thing pointless, right? Just a big loop. Who knows.

Actually, my bad. That would’ve just been a trick question anyway. Not really worth it, I guess.

How do I even put this into words? I don't know. It's kind of hard to explain, I guess.
How should I know?
You know what I mean, right?

Oh, I'm sure Rhonda knows. I mean, who else would? She's basically the expert on this stuff.

It’s not like people haven't already spent way more time digging into this stuff than we ever will, I guess. People have been obsessing over this exact same thing forever.
So, they actually went and jumped to all sorts of weird conclusions. I guess.

I mean, obviously, the most logical thing is that if you think about the color blue, you just picture some blue car. I guess. Maybe.

So, what exactly is that supposed to mean? I guess.

Look, I’m not saying you’re talking nonsense. I mean, I can't really know that, I guess.
If this keeps happening to you that often, I guess you should probably find a way to actually look into it. Maybe do some digging or something.
Just experiment, document the whole thing, write a book, and boom—millions in the bank. Or something like that. I guess.

And of course, they’re gonna go on about how you can just manifest every single thing you ever wanted. Like that actually works. I guess.
Because that's really the only thing that matters, I guess.

They teach you how to want things, I guess. But then you spend all your time trying to make them happen, and honestly? You’re just running in circles until you eventually burn out. Maybe.

So there's this guy I know, right? He’s dealing with this total mess involving a wall. Some contractor went rogue and built it about an inch and a half higher than the balcony level. Now he’s stuck with this "new" pantry space that he definitely didn't ask for. I mean, I guess it exists, but he certainly wasn't looking for a pantry. Probably just a massive headache, really.

Maybe he actually wants that wall to come down. Or, I don't know, maybe he just wants someone to crack a window in it. I guess.

But what if the other guy actually wants the wall to stay up?

So, whose side is actually gonna win this one? I don't know. It’s probably just gonna be a mess either way, I guess.

Man, you really went off the deep end there, didn't you?🤣.

Just kidding.😉.

Look, you clearly don't have the answer to my question, and honestly, neither do I. But I guess that’s just how it works—everything we conjure up in our heads is technically possible. Especially the stuff we want without even breaking a sweat. I mean, maybe that's why some things never actually happen? Like, either fear just takes over, or we want something so badly we end up clutching it so tight that we basically choke the life out of it before it can even manifest. It’s like we're subconsciously blocking ourselves. I've been reading a ton about manifestation and positive thinking lately, and it's pretty addicting. I didn't buy into all that stuff immediately after reading it, obviously, but eventually, I just started feeling it for myself. Realized it was actually legit.

So, here's another thing that actually worked out. I’ve always wanted a cat, but obviously, my parents wouldn't let me have one. They had some bad experiences in the past—not that it really matters now—so getting one was basically off the table. My only real shot at getting a kitten was if I found some poor little thing abandoned somewhere outside, just so my mom might feel bad enough to let it stay. That was pretty much the whole plan, I guess.
So, I finally swing by my boyfriend's place, right? And he’s living in one of those high-rise apartments downtown. I'm sitting there and suddenly this sound starts coming through the window—this meowing and growling that sounded like nothing I've ever heard before. Honestly, pretty sure the whole damn building heard it too. I guess I should've known things were about to get weird.🙂So I ran outside pretty quick and spotted this tiny little kitten just chilling out there. Poor little guy was hiding under a car, basically crying for help. No clue where he even came from, honestly. He was super spooked at first—wouldn't even let me grab him because he was shaking so much—but once I finally managed to scoop him up and give him some pets, he was basically glued to my side. My mom actually gave me the green light to keep him, so I guess my wish finally came true.🙂.

placidwolf27 said:What exactly constitutes the pinnacle of this concept? The "power of intention" has been dissected by countless thinkers—far more than most people realize—long before Rhonda Byrne ever brought it into the mainstream spotlight...
Some did it through methods that were seriously subversive, intense—even outright illegal...

It’s actually quite fascinating how Rhonda Byrne’s philosophy manages to align itself so perfectly with the status quo—how it presents itself as this seemingly benign, shallow, and ultimately quite limited way of thinking...

The secret is quite unassuming—and surprisingly optimistic...
Anyone can attract wealth—it’s really that simple, though most people spend their entire lives looking for a complicated shortcut that doesn't exist...
Well... I suppose that's one way to start a conversation. Just a single, enthusiastic outburst—no context, no substance, just pure, unadulterated energy... I can only assume there's a reason for such exuberance, though I won't be holding my breath for an explanation...
Anyone can indulge in positive thinking... if they have the stomach for it. It’s easy enough to sit around and visualize success—it's practically the modern American pastime—but there is a vast, yawning chasm between merely "thinking positive" and actually navigating the grit of reality...
Well... that was certainly enthusiastic... if somewhat brief...
It seems to me that when things inevitably go sideways for someone—when life decides to throw a wrench in the works—it’s rarely just bad luck... It’s usually because they haven't quite mastered the art of directing their own thoughts. They aren't channeling those positive intentions in the right way, or perhaps not at all... It’s a subtle distinction, but a vital one.
Well... that’s certainly one way to start a conversation—if we can even call it that...
Anyone can engineer a happy life simply by mastering their own mindset—it really is that straightforward if you have the discipline... there’s absolutely no excuse to dwell on negativity regarding the world around us. All that ugliness people complain about? It isn't some grand conspiracy of broken systems or sweeping societal shifts—it's nothing more than a direct reflection of our own pessimism and those dark, ugly thoughts we refuse to let go of...
Well... I suppose that's one way to express enthusiasm... even if it lacks any real substance or context...
If you find yourself facing a layoff or getting canned... honestly, all you really need is the right mindset to keep moving forward...
Well... that was certainly something...
When disaster starts looming on the horizon—and let’s be honest, it always does—you really have to cling to the delusion that you’ll somehow remain untouched by the fallout...

Is that really how it goes?...

I find myself thinking that it’s hardly a coincidence—not by a long shot—that the secret from Rhonda Byrne surfaced right on the precipice of the crisis...

I don't mean to suggest there was some sort of direct causal link...
In reality, both are just different facets of the exact same ideology...

Just imagine if someone actually decided to get serious today and start telling this exact same story... only with this particular version of events;

The link provided leads to a video that seems to touch upon certain psychological or motivational themes—perhaps something akin to the principles found in the works of Rhonda Byrne... though even those can feel a bit overly optimistic if you've been around the block a few times. It’s one of those digital rabbit holes where you start looking for answers and end up questioning the fundamental mechanics of how we perceive reality. I find myself staring at these things more often than I should—it’s a bit of a distraction from the grind, I suppose... regardless of whether the content actually holds water or is just another polished attempt at selling a dream.

I find myself thinking of them every single time someone starts babbling about "The Secret," the power of manifestation, the supposed influence of thought, or any other brand of that mystical, New Age nonsense...

It’s actually quite fascinating—even if they’re essentially preaching the same gospel, there is such a radical difference in their fundamental approach... the emphasis shifts toward entirely different priorities altogether...

After running a bit of an analysis through my head—digging past the surface-level noise—it becomes increasingly clear that these individuals were actually walking the exact same ideological path all along... despite how different they might have appeared on paper.
Radical individualism—the absolute imperative to become self-reliant—the way our mental projections warp the reality we think we inhabit... It’s all part of this modern obsession with self-transformation through sheer willpower and thought alone. We prioritize our own whims above everything else, treating objective truth as if it were entirely relative... There are so many different flavors of self-indulgence surfacing lately—this relentless insistence on finding some sort of "authentic self" that supposedly exists beneath the surface...

The fundamental issue—if we can even call it that anymore—is simply that people took things too far... they pushed until there was nothing left to push.
But until the very end...
So, how does one actually discern which desire is worth pursuing in the first place?... It’s a question that haunts most people, I suppose—this endless, restless searching through a fog of fleeting impulses and societal expectations. We spend our lives chasing shadows, thinking we want the promotion, the bigger house in the suburbs, or the approval of strangers, only to realize later that we were merely running on a treadmill designed by someone else... The truth is, distinguishing a genuine soul-deep longing from a passing whim is an exhausting exercise in self-reflection. You have to strip away the noise—the constant chatter of social media, the pressure from your peers, the relentless drive of American consumerism—and sit in that uncomfortable silence until you can hear your own pulse again. A real desire doesn't scream at you; it doesn't demand immediate gratification like some cheap dopamine hit. It’s quieter... more persistent... a steady hum in the background of your life that refuses to be ignored, no matter how much you try to drown it out with distractions...
On what specific criteria are you basing your desires...?
Do you ever stop to consider that this entire society—this relentless, grinding machine we call modern life—is actually designed to train you into a state of constant, unquenchable wanting? It’s all very calculated... the way everything around us is engineered to ensure we never feel quite satisfied with what we already hold...
So, how does one actually arrive at their own true desire—that single, authentic North Star... if such a thing even exists?
Their ultimate conclusion was nothing short of a radical act of self-revelation—the kind that only follows an equally radical emancipation of both the mind and the culture... It required intense, grueling deprogramming before they could even begin the process of such a sweeping, transformative self-reinvention.
It involved a process of self-interrogation—a deep, visceral dive into one's own most depraved and repressed desires, those darkest, most unpalatable fears, and particularly the sexual fantasies we usually bury under layers of social decorum... It was about actively engaging with, and even vicariously living out, everything that seemed impossible to manifest in reality. The whole point was to serve a collective purpose by fundamentally restructuring one’s existence—modifying their lifestyle, their behavior, their beliefs, their very thoughts, and their physical selves. It was a systematic stripping away of anything that wasn't entirely congruent with the truth, peeling back the layers one by one until nothing remained but that singular, core way of being... that one ultimate desire which a human being craves above all else...

It’s an interesting comparison... if you look closely enough.
Honestly, they’re discussing the exact same subject—but the ways they approach it are so wildly divergent that you’d almost think they weren't even talking about the same thing... It’s as if they have no common ground at all, let alone any shared purpose or function...

I find that this serves as a perfect illustration of just how much of a superficial, consumerist farce the secret is—a sort of final, desperate gasp of optimism... a frantic belief in a paradigm of cheerful alienation and self-satisfaction, where one simply ignores the surrounding decay after the collapse of history has already taken its toll...

And in the end, it’s all just rotting postmodernism...

So, I was just sitting here wondering... what would actually happen if someone—someone with even a modicum of sense—actually started writing about the necessity of critical thinking? It’s a curious thought, isn't it? In an era where everyone seems to be reacting purely on instinct or following the latest digital mob, the idea of deep, analytical reasoning feels almost like a lost art... almost subversive, even.
That concept is... well, it’s fairly old-school at this point—certainly nothing new under the sun...
Simple...
Critical thinking... or rather, the lack thereof in our modern discourse—it’s becoming a lost art, isn't it? We seem to have traded deep analysis for the quick dopamine hit of a headline or a trending soundbite. It’s all surface-level noise now... everyone has an opinion, but very few people actually bother to peel back the layers to see what’s actually driving the sentiment. True critical thinking requires a certain level of intellectual stamina—something that feels increasingly rare in an era designed to shorten our attention spans. You have to be willing to question your own biases, to sit with the discomfort of being wrong, and to look past the obvious narrative... which, let’s face it, is rarely the whole truth. It’s exhausting work, staying skeptical when the world is practically begging you to just pick a side and stop thinking. But then again, maybe that’s just the price we pay for living in such a loud, cluttered society...

Would they actually be as successful as Rhonda Byrne... or is that just wishful thinking?

But I'm wondering, if this is all just total nonsense like people say, how do you explain people's actual experiences that seem to back up what's in The Secret and stuff? Like, people who actually got what they wanted?

For example, my own experience when I was terrified of a specific situation and then it happened in real life exactly word-for-word how I imagined it. Or even a wish I had that came true perfectly, which I don't really want to get into here either.

They say the more specific the wish, the faster it happens. Like, I pictured someone saying a specific sentence, and then it actually happened just like that.

So, how would you explain that?

p.s. Ever since I stopped believing in coincidences and started noticing little signs and patterns, I see numbers like 111 or 222 almost every single day (your post was kind of symbolic too, maybe, since it was 1111). Or I'll be thinking about some random topic and then suddenly see an article about it in the news or on TV that same day. There was also this one time during an interview process. There was this show on, doesn't matter what, and my mom tells me, "Hey, that might be a question they ask you" (just general knowledge stuff). Then I get to the interview and the very first question is exactly what she predicted. Even with my boyfriend, we'll call each other at the exact same time or think the same thing.

So, what is all that? How do you make sense of it?

wirednomad42 said:🤔

Yeah, fair point... I guess you're right, I'm the one asking these stupid questions ☕

Stupid or not, I honestly don't have an answer for you. And seriously, drop the attitude—like I said before, I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything, I'm just sharing what happened to me.

wirednomad42 said:cool ☕
so why then don't those guys in the psych ward—the ones who swear they're washing machines—actually manage to spin white laundry at 190 degrees?
do you think they actually doubt they're appliances or something?

Did you even read my actual post before you quoted it?
I have zero interest in commenting on that kind of nonsense, so I don't know why they aren't washing machines🤣, and honestly, I don't care. Maybe they see themselves as appliances in the mirror and just lack the drive to become what they already are🤣

Peter Phillips32 said:

I honestly don't even know where to start with this whole situation because it feels like everyone is just talking in circles and nobody is actually listening to a damn word anyone else says, you know? It’s like watching a slow-motion train wreck where the conductor is asleep at the wheel and the passengers are too busy arguing about the snack menu to realize we're heading straight for a ditch. I was sitting there thinking about how much energy we waste on these petty little disagreements when, at the end of the day, most of it doesn't even matter, but then again, maybe it does, and I'm probably just being cynical again—which, let's be honest, is kind of my brand at this point. Anyway, I’ve been staring at this screen for an hour trying to figure out if I should even bother weighing in, but since I'm already here and clearly have nothing better to do than overthink things, I might as well just lay it all out there. It's exhausting, really, dealing with the constant noise, but I guess that's just life in the States, isn't it? Just endless chatter and zero substance. kaže:
Our thoughts are just as damn real as our own hands.

Where exactly is the actual proof for this kind of sensationalist garbage? Seriously, where is it?

I don't even know where to start with this one, honestly. I was sitting there just thinking about how much everything seems to be shifting lately, you know? Like, you think you have a handle on things, and then suddenly the ground moves under your feet. It’s like that feeling when you're driving down a backroad in the middle of nowhere and realize you took a wrong turn miles ago—you can't exactly undo it, so you just have to sit there with your own bad decisions. Anyway, I was reading through some of the stuff being said online, and man, people really love to hear themselves talk. It's constant. Every single day it's someone shouting into the void, expecting the world to stop spinning just because they have an opinion on something they barely understand. It gets exhausting, truly. I find myself staring at the screen sometimes just wondering if anyone is actually listening or if we're all just performing for an audience of ghosts. It’s a lot to process, and I’m probably just overthinking it, which is my specialty, I guess. I'll probably regret even bringing this up because I know how much I love to ramble, but there's just something about the way things are moving right now that feels... off. Just off. I can't even begin to wrap my head around what this guy is actually trying to say here, honestly. It’s like he’s speaking a completely different language or just throwing words at a wall to see what sticks, which—let’s be real—is basically all he does. I was sitting here, probably wasting my own time too much, just staring at this mess and thinking, "Is there a point buried in here somewhere?" But no, it's just more of the same rambling nonsense that makes you want to throw your phone across the room. It’s exhausting, really, dealing with this kind of logic, or lack thereof, especially when you're just trying to have a normal conversation without feeling like your brain is being slowly sanded down by sheer stupidity.
I mean, hey, some people actually pull it off, I guess!

Which one?

Look, I don't really have any hard evidence to throw around here, just my own experiences and some stuff I've heard from people—assuming they're actually worth listening to, I guess. But honestly, my own lived experience is enough for me.

Peter Phillips32 said:

I honestly don't even know where to start with this whole situation because it feels like everyone is just talking in circles and nobody is actually listening to a damn word anyone else says, you know? It’s like watching a slow-motion train wreck where the conductor is asleep at the wheel and the passengers are too busy arguing about the snack menu to realize we're heading straight for a ditch. I was sitting there thinking about how much energy we waste on these petty little disagreements when, at the end of the day, most of it doesn't even matter, but then again, maybe it does, and I'm probably just being cynical again—which, let's be honest, is kind of my brand at this point. Anyway, I’ve been staring at this screen for an hour trying to figure out if I should even bother weighing in, but since I'm already here and clearly have nothing better to do than overthink things, I might as well just lay it all out there. It's exhausting, really, dealing with the constant noise, but I guess that's just life in the States, isn't it? Just endless chatter and zero substance. kaže:
Our thoughts are just as damn real as our own hands.

Where exactly is the actual proof for this kind of sensationalist garbage? Seriously, where is it?

I don't even know where to start with this one, honestly. I was sitting there just thinking about how much everything seems to be shifting lately, you know? Like, you think you have a handle on things, and then suddenly the ground moves under your feet. It’s like that feeling when you're driving down a backroad in the middle of nowhere and realize you took a wrong turn miles ago—you can't exactly undo it, so you just have to sit there with your own bad decisions. Anyway, I was reading through some of the stuff being said online, and man, people really love to hear themselves talk. It's constant. Every single day it's someone shouting into the void, expecting the world to stop spinning just because they have an opinion on something they barely understand. It gets exhausting, truly. I find myself staring at the screen sometimes just wondering if anyone is actually listening or if we're all just performing for an audience of ghosts. It’s a lot to process, and I’m probably just overthinking it, which is my specialty, I guess. I'll probably regret even bringing this up because I know how much I love to ramble, but there's just something about the way things are moving right now that feels... off. Just off. I can't even begin to wrap my head around what this guy is actually trying to say here, honestly. It’s like he’s speaking a completely different language or just throwing words at a wall to see what sticks, which—let’s be real—is basically all he does. I was sitting here, probably wasting my own time too much, just staring at this mess and thinking, "Is there a point buried in here somewhere?" But no, it's just more of the same rambling nonsense that makes you want to throw your phone across the room. It’s exhausting, really, dealing with this kind of logic, or lack thereof, especially when you're just trying to have a normal conversation without feeling like your brain is being slowly sanded down by sheer stupidity.
I mean, hey, some people actually pull it off, I guess!

Which one?

I mean, I know someone, but whatever, it doesn't really matter since I don't have any proof anyway. I’m not trying to convince anyone or claim I'm 100% sure about what I'm saying, and I definitely don't have the energy to get into an argument with anyone. It’s just my own thoughts and what I believe, you know? Since I can't prove anything, I'm not out here preaching to the choir or trying to force anyone's hand. If you want to believe it, go for it. You probably won't lose anything by just visualizing what you want to happen and keeping things positive, I guess.