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Author Archive for Matt Welsh

6 Ways To Make Life Better

Posted by Matt Welsh

· June 22, 2018

Life isn’t always kind. It can take its toll and make us feel down and tired, and when that happens,we need to step back for a moment and reassess, and then work out how to make things better again. Sometimes all that is needed is to change one thing in our lives, and everything else will fall into place after that. Here are some ideas that can help you when life is starting to get on top of you; any one of these tips could be the ideal one for you, andthey could change everything for the better.

Make A Done List

Making a to-do list can be a good idea, as it means you will know exactly what is required of you and – ideally – what needs to be done first. However, a to-do list can also be somewhat overwhelming, and if you are already feeling down, just looking at all the things that need doing can make you feel even worse. A done list, on the other hand, can give you a much more positive outlook on the day. You will be able to see everything that you have achieved that day or week if you prefer and instead of feeling daunted by what is ahead, you’ll feel proud of all that you have done. This will spur you on to do more.

The tasks can be anything at all, big or small, as long as they make you feel as though you have achieved. Anything from walking the dog to completing a project to paying a bill or changing your sheets can and should be included on the list.

Stay In

When the outside world is just too much due to a low mood, and the idea of seeing anyone or doing anything feels like the last thing you want to do, stay at home. Making yourself leave the house can be worse for you, causing a negative effect on your health and upping your anxiety levels. It’s true that your well-meaning friends and family might keep asking you to go out with them and do something fun, but you need to listen to how you are feeling and understand whether doing that would make you feel better or worse. Knowing that will help you to make the decision. You should never feel pressured into leaving the house if you would prefer to stay there to recover and think things through.

Just because you’re at home it doesn’t mean you won’t be doing anything; thanks to the internet, you can still work and interact with people. You can work on boosting your health at home, be that your mental or physical health. Look into resources online and find a diet plan that might work for you such as a hard boiled egg diet and research the best ways to exercise, and then start to get healthy. You can look at ways to redecorate your home and find out more about Feng Shui and whether it would help you. You can watch movies or do coloring or read a good book and relax. If you want to stay in and do nothing, however, that’s perfectly fine too – everyone recovers differently. Of course, if your symptoms persist then seeing a therapist or doctor can really help.

Create A Happy Box

When you’re feeling more like yourself, why not make yourself a happy box? All you need to do is find a box (cardboard or plastic is fine) or a bag, perhaps even a spare drawer in your home. Then you fill it with anything, and everything you can think of that makes you feel happy and encourages you to smile. It could be candies and chocolates, a favorite book, a new movie, soft pajamas, an old stuffed toy, bath salts, or perhaps a happiness journal filled with memories.

Hide the box away and don’t look at it until you really need it when you’re feeling down or unwell. When you see all the lovely things you tucked away for yourself, your mood should begin to brighten.

Give And Receive Compliments

Many people find it difficult to receive a compliment without then being self-derogatory, or completely disbelieving the person who is giving it. However, if you can train yourself to be able to accept a compliment when it is given, you will soon start to feel good about yourself and your life. You might even want to write down these kind words and keep them in a jar or box (perhaps even the happy box mentioned above) so that when you are feeling anxious, or you have lost some of your confidence, you can read them and remember.

It’s just as important to give compliments as it is to receive them. Other people may also be collecting these words for when they have a bad day, and even if they aren’t, kindness costs nothing and will make you feel better just for saying something nice.

Have A Good Cry

Crying is not a sign of weakness, and if you need to let your emotions out through your tears, then you should just go ahead and do it. Keeping all of your feelings bottled up inside you can adversely affect your health, keeping your blood pressure chronically high, or even causing you to lose or put on too much weight. So allowing yourself to cry and to really feel your emotions rather than keeping them all inside will make you feel much better afterward.

You don’t even have to cry in front of anyone if you don’t want to; the point is that you should let everything go and then start fresh feeling relieved and ready to deal with whatever problems happen to be facing you.

Get The Right Amount Of Good Sleep

There is a lot of scientific evidence that shows that when you get enough sleep on a regular basis, you will be healthier and more able to deal with the challenges that life throws at you. A chronic lack of sleep can lead to many different conditions including high blood pressure (which can cause strokes), obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart problems amongst others. If you get between seven and eight hours of sleep a night, you will awake feeling good. You’ll have more energy, and you will be able to focus more clearly on what needs to be done. Life will feel much better.

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Categories : New Media

Q&A with Mike Murphy, author of The Creation Frequency

Posted by Matt Welsh

· June 21, 2018

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1. What is “The Creation Frequency” about and why did you write it?

The book, The Creation Frequency, goes really deep into the ancient teachings of the Law of Attraction, comparing it with new scientific discoveries recently learned from quantum physics, this new understanding from the world of science is proving why the ancient teachings of the Law of Attraction really work!

Another important ingredient of the Creation Frequency concept is adding the power of sound to manifest our intentions. According to the Creation story found in the Bible, God, the Creator, used sound in bringing the physical world into existence.

And, another powerful teaching in this book is to move from your story in the head (ego), to the truth in your heart, and by making this small but difficult shift, we can then use our mind to manifest our desires as opposed to the mind with its myriad of crazy thoughts running our life, then, the real me, controls the mind from the power of our heart and soul, our true essence.

2. How have you used the tools in your life to see improvements and how have you seen others use it?

Well, I have been using this technique since 1982, I have created tens of millions of dollars in net worth, found and experienced deep meaningful love relationships, raised 4 beautiful children, been blessed with 5 amazing grandchildren, discovered how to find deep fulfillment by serving those less fortunate, lived a life with enormous freedom, freedom to work when I want, to travel the world, and have an incredible amount of fun while always learning and growing. Found the tools to eliminate dis-empowering behaviors and replace them with healthy habits that serve my higher self to assist me in becoming the best version of myself.

I have been teaching this to my employees for over 20 years, every single one that has followed the simple instructions has created a life much better than what they had before.

Since the publication of the online course and the book, which has only been 3 weeks, I have heard from dozens of people who have radically improved the quality of their life by following the simple instructions laid out in the book and the course.

3. What do you mean when you talk about getting our personal vibration in harmony with our desires?

First off, for most of us, the hardest thing is getting clear on what it is that we truly desire. I talk a lot about erasing the prior programming that others placed into us from birth until we wake up. I encourage people to move from their head to their hearts, and then ask the following questions, if money was no object and you could not fail what would you do with your life, what are your dreams, what is your passion, what is that makes it so you cant sleep at night and causes you to jump out of bed in the morning to do it. And these questions only cover 1 or 2 items out of 5 or 6 that we create powerful intentions around.

Next, I talk about writing powerful intentions for each area of our life, writing the intention as if it already exists, which it does in our imagination, which is where everything in the physical world is first birthed. Then we recorded them in our own voice, and the recording is embedded with high frequency theta brain wave music.

And it is important to get our physical body as healthy as possible, vibrating with strong powerful energy. At this point we start to become congruent mentally, emotionally and physically, and can now access the power of the creator of all, and co-create the best life for us!

For example, does that allow for negative emotions too?

We live in an electrical body, which resides in an electrical physical universe. Electricity is created using positive and negative energy, this is what creates the physical world, in my opinion. Thus negative thoughts, which arise from outside us, from the collective consciousness, or our prior programming, or belief system, will always be lurking out there. The power is in knowing what to do with them when they arise, perhaps there is something to be learned in these thoughts, if so, learn the lesson and let the thought go. Once the negative thought is gone, the negative emotion will go with it.

4. You talk about raising our personal vibration, how can we do that when we in the midst life-threatening conditions, such as soldiers who are in combat and constantly face the threat of death?

For me, when in these types of stressful situations, I am at my best, I am vibrating at a very high level, because I am fully present in the now moment, totally alert and aware, constantly looking for solutions to any negative situations. In these moments we are fully alive! I find that it is in the boredom, or activities that don’t serve our higher self, is when our consciousness, our essence can find trouble, and bring our vibration very low, into the lower chakras, as opposed to the higher ones. Too much in the physical world while ignoring the spiritual side of us always leads to problems in both worlds, the seen and the unseen worlds.

5. You talk about the sweet spot of ultimate synchronicity, can you give some examples from your own life or others life when you have seen that present?

It’s that feeling that the universe is working for you, not against you. It’s when acceptance is your mantra as opposed to resistance. The best parking place appears, the right friend calls at the right moment, the right teacher magically appears at just the right time. The right job, or employee shows up at just the right time. Life starts to flow just right, at the right pace, and love, joy and peace permeate most if not all of your day. Athletes know this feeling very well, in fact anyone who creates anything, has experienced this beautiful feeling of flowing with all that is, which can only be found in the NOW!

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Categories : Books, Exclusive Interviews

THE INFORMATIVE GOD by Brad Bowins MD

Posted by Matt Welsh

· June 20, 2018

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By Brad Bowins MD

We do seem to be very religious and spiritual by nature, but why? The answer in short is that religion offers hope for a positive scenario beyond this life. In one form or another something more optimistic than “the end” that science posits, is provided by these beliefs. You might wonder why we care. Human intelligence is a wonderful thing, enabling us to solve many problems, but it comes with a price, that being awareness of our own mortality, and that of loved ones. Although we do not know for sure, it is unlikely that our pets are weighed down by such concerns. The weight we feel from this, heightened at critical times during our life, cries out for a solution.

As a psychiatrist and researcher, specializing in theoretical research, I have investigated a diverse range of topics, the results presented in peer-reviewed papers (psychiatrytheory.com) and books (bradbowinsbooks.com). I thoroughly research each topic from different perspectives, with the goal of achieving the truth. One of my early discoveries being that we naturally distort things to the positive side as a key defensive strategy, at least those of us who have good mental health. Consistent with this defense, we generate reassuring scenarios for what happens after our time on this world is over, the answers being core to religious and spiritual beliefs. This is not to say that religions lack benefits beyond psychological defense; indeed, throughout time they have offered a mostly constructive way forward and social solidarity. However, what distinguishes the various forms of religion and spirituality is answers to the questions that really matter to us at a deep level.

Then science enters with concepts that counter religious beliefs, such as how there is no evidence for an afterlife. So, on the one hand we have religion and spirituality offering hopeful solutions to our concerns about what comes after death, and on the other hand, science knocking these promises down. Defenders of religious beliefs often reject science, wall religion off as separate, or misinterpret science. Followers of science frequently see religious beliefs as uninformed. There never really seems to be any way of merging or aligning them, or is there?

The search for an answer to what happens after our time here is over, that is consistent with science, became my goal. To achieve this goal, I set about exploring what major religions, present and past, might contribute. Based on this exploration, I can confidently say that we are indeed very spiritual, with almost every conceivable solution proposed, from heaven, passage into underworlds of multiple forms, continuation as spirits, and even the “deceased” person still present with the modern day Torajan people of Sulawesi, Indonesia. My search also looked at relevant science, and as it turns out, some of the concepts are very informative regarding the ultimate solution.

In going through all the information, I was struck by how religion and science readings share one thing in common, at least in terms of details; they often present quite dry and tedious. From this awareness, I decided to present this non-fiction information in a light and entertaining fiction and travelogue format. Following a life-changing experience, a young physician realizes that he needs to seek the answer to what happens after our time here is over. The Horror leads to The Curiosity, his journey of discovery taking him around the world exploring several of the major religions—Ancient Egyptian, Islam, Judaism, Christianity, ancient Greek, ancient Roman, Maya, Inca, Anishinaabe and Objibwe, Hinduism, Buddhism. Along the way, he encounters many interesting characters, and enters into a romance with his soul mate. He also experiences further trials and tribulations, that strengthen his resolve to succeed. With much information but no clear answers, he ventures forward to The Discovery. Intrigued by the notion of permanence and impermanence, he learns how this plays into the ultimate answer during visits to the perspective changing Torajans and the “heavenly paradise” of Hawaii. Combining this understanding with scientific knowledge, he achieves an answer showing how we are all immortal in a very real sense. You will be surprised at how simple the answer ultimately is.

Beyond providing an informed answer to the ultimate question of what happens after our time here is over, a “treasure” more valuable than the sum of all others discovered to date, is revealed! This treasure has amazing implications for how the universe is likely structured, and for accessing vast amounts of information.

For a refreshing and optimistic answer to the ultimate question, take a journey of discovery to THE INFORMATIVE GOD.

https://bradbowinsbooks.com/the-informative-god/

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Categories : Books, Guest Posts

The revolutionary breakthrough for women {Free Ebook}

Posted by Matt Welsh

· June 19, 2018

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Did you know that new ground-breaking research has revealed a shocking reason women are feeling stuck and blocked when it comes to their higher calling and destiny…

And it’s also the hidden root cause underlying many chronic health challenges women struggle with, such as stress, depression, anxiety, weight issues, and more.

The good news is, according to our friend Dr. Claire Zammit, who is one of the world’s foremost authorities on women’s empowerment, you can make one simple but powerful shift to get unstuck.

And Claire shares the exact process you need to make the leap forward into the larger life that’s calling you—in a revolutionary MUST READ FREE EBOOK called The Feminine Power Breakthrough.

Click Here to access the free Ebook

>> GET THE FREE EBOOK NOW— The Feminine Power Breakthrough

Over 500,000 women have already made the simple but powerful shift Claire reveals in this amazing ebook, and they’ve experienced extraordinary results.

They rave about how Feminine Power has given them access to limitless energy, helped them overcome chronic health challenges that were blocking their destiny, such as depression and anxiety, lack of energy, or feeling out of alignment with their purpose.

“ My depression is gone!”
—Heather, California

“I lost 185 pounds and have kept it off for more than a year now! Because of Feminine Power I finally care for myself in the way I care for others. ”

—Angela, New York, New York

“Because of Feminine Power I lost 70 lbs and celebrated my new body by riding elephants, zip lining, and hiking to the Tiger’s Nest in Bhutan!”
—Carolyn, Camano Island, Washington

“I am the healthiest I’ve ever been and feel truly beautiful, inside and out. And to top it all off, I’m engaged to a passionate man who is my true match in every sense!”
—Elham, Geneva, Switzerland

The world NEEDS your brilliance, gifts and talents, and I feel so grateful to be able to share this MUST READ ebook with you.

Download the FREE EBOOK and discover the Feminine Power Breakthrough Here

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Categories : New Media

5 Ways Meditation Helps Those In Recovery

Posted by Matt Welsh

· June 18, 2018

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Meditation is a mental exercise that involves focusing on a particular thought or activity. The purpose of meditation is to improve mental clarity. Meditation is often done for religious or spiritual purposes. However, it does not necessarily have to be connected to religion or spirituality.

There are a variety of ways that meditation can be done. However, it typically involves sitting in a quiet place and focusing one’s breathing. There are a variety of benefits that people who are going through addiction recovery can benefit from meditation.

1. Meditation Reduces Stress.

Meditation is great for getting rid of stress. While you are meditating, you will be able to take your mind off of the things that are bothering you. Many people turn to drugs and alcohol when they are stressed. The amygdala is a part of the brain that takes over when one is stressed.

High-amygdala activity can increase feelings of anxiety and depression. Meditation can shrink the amygdala, which makes it easier for us to manage stress. If you meditate for 1.5 hours per day, then you can actually change the structure of your brain.

2. Meditation Increases Happiness.

Many people turn to drugs and alcohol because they want to be happy. However, meditation can help you be happy without the need for drugs and alcohol. Meditation helps increase feelings of happiness by increasing the activity in the pre-frontal cortex. Studies have shown that people are happier when they have more activity going on in their pre-frontal cortex.

There was a study done that involved people who did meditation for one hour a day for eight weeks. The results of the study showed that the subjects had higher levels of pre-frontal cortex activity.

3. Meditation Helps You Control Cravings.

One of the reasons that people struggle to stay sober is because they cannot control their cravings. Meditation can make it easier for people to say no to their drug cravings. It teaches people how they can take control of their thoughts. Taking control of your thoughts will help you change your actions.

Meditation does not teach people to ignore their addictive thoughts. It teaches people how they can cope with the thoughts. Because people will have mental clarity after meditating, it will be easier for them to make healthy choices.

4. Meditation Improves Emotional Health

Many recovering addicts are constantly tormented by the memories of their past. This can ruin a person’s emotional health. It can lead to anxiety and depression. Meditation helps people achieve emotional balance by helping them deal with painful memories.

5. Meditation Improves Physical Health.

Any type of drug addiction can wreak havoc on a person’s health. However, meditation can help you improve your physical health. It can help you sleep better at night. Getting the proper amount of rest is one of the keys to overcoming an addiction. It also helps you improve your health.

Meditation can help you boost your immune system. Drugs and alcohol can wreak havoc on the immune system, which is one of the reasons that people with an addiction are more prone to illnesses. Many people use drugs and alcohol to alleviate pain. However, meditation helps naturally get rid of pain.

Additionally, meditation can help lower blood pressure. Studies have shown that meditation can lower blood pressure in people who are at risk for developing high blood pressure.

It is important to note that meditation is not considered a treatment for addiction. You will still have to go through an accredited drug rehab program in order to beat your addiction. However, meditation is still a helpful tool. That is why many addiction treatment centers are including meditation as a part of their program.

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Categories : New Media

Growing Through Grief: A Story for Father’s Day

Posted by Matt Welsh

· June 15, 2018

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By Debbie Augenthaler, Author of You Are Not Alone: A Heartfelt Guide for Grief, Healing, and Hope.

My father was a Vietnam veteran who suffered from PTSD. A part of me always grieves for him, for how he suffered and how his illness affected our family. And a part of me will always grieve for the little girl whose father came back from war a stranger, and for the relationship we never got to have.

His illness took him away from me, from his family, from the man he was before.

When I was nineteen, I went camping with him and my brother in the Ozark mountains in Arkansas. I’d only seen him a few times since I was a young girl.

We went rafting in rapids filled with snakes, brown water moccasins slithering around the sides of the river, me so scared my hands hurt from gripping tightly to the sides of the raft so I wouldn’t fall in.

We went horseback riding. And again, I was afraid, but determined. I climbed up on a beautiful brown mare, massive and strong. My father said, “Don’t let her know you’re afraid. She’ll feel it.”

So high, so far from the ground. She felt my fear.

“Debbie, what are you waiting for? Give her a little kick to get started.”

I wanted a connection with my dad I had never had. I wanted to please him. So I gave her a kick, despite my fear. Despite not knowing how to control a creature so much bigger than I.

She took off running, wildly, veering off the path, and into the forest. I could distantly hear my father shouting out how to pull in the reins to control this force of energy that only wanted freedom – and for a moment that hung in the air I felt like the horse. Flying through the forest, sweet taste of freedom.

It was exhilarating – until it was not.

Here’s what stays forever in my memory, that wild ride on the horse: frantically trying to hold onto the reins, useless in my hands, soon just clinging to her mane. Crouched and pressed against her, crying while my heart pounded in tandem with hers. Was I crying from fear? From wanting something from my dad I couldn’t have? From wanting the freedom I’d never had to just be me? Missing the trees and branches by inches, the wind whipping wildly through my hair.

My father and brother finally managing to gallop up next to me, securing the reins and bringing the mare under control.

My father was gentle that day, and he was nervous, like me, both of us not knowing how to connect. I always thought one day we’d learn how. But one day never came. He died of a heart attack a few years later when I was in my early twenties. He was only forty-four. I was devastated; all the un-saids I’d hoped to resolve died with him.

I’ve grown through grief. It’s taught me many things, given me gifts I never would have imagined. Compassion, understanding, and forgiveness helping me to see how it was his illness, not him, that ruptured our relationship, resolving the un-saids for me. I still feel sorrow because it is sad – what happened to his life and the pain his illness caused. But bottom line – I’ve learned I will always have a connection with my dad that is deep and loving.

Many of us have un-saids with loved ones who have died. I hope, as you heal and grow through your own grief, you too will grow in compassion, understanding, and forgiveness. Not just for them, but for yourself too.

I never went horseback riding again. But if my dad were here, I’d do it again.

Because he still has my back, like he did that day. I like to think he was proud of me for facing my fears. I like to think he’s proud of me now, for finding the freedom to just be me.

I feel his love for me all the time. And he knows I love him too. Happy Father’s Day, Dad. I love you.

© DebbieAugenthaler, author of You Are Not Alone

About Debbie Augenthaler, LMHC, NCC

Debbie is a psychotherapist in private practice in New York City, where she has specialized in trauma, grief, and loss. Her husband, Jim, died suddenly in her arms when she was only 36 years old. He had been healthy and vibrant – the doctors compared the probability of his death by heart attack to being struck by lightning. That lightning strike ended her life as she knew it and thus began the “baptism by fire” that brought her to her new future.

Debbie’s book, You Are Not Alone: A Heartfelt Guide for Grief, Healing, and Hope (May 2018), is the book she wishes she’d had when she was grieving, and wishes she had now to offer clients experiencing life-altering losses. With the connection of a shared experience, Debbie guides the reader through grief to transformation and a new beginning.

Debbie has as Master’s Degree in Counselingfor Mental Health and Wellness from New York University. She has completed a two year post graduate Advanced Trauma Studies program from the Institute of Contemporary Psychotherapy and is trained in various modalities that inform a holistically based practice including EMDR, Internal Family Systems, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Energy Psychology, and Hypnosis. In 2012 she received the NYU Steinhardt Award for Outstanding Clinical Service.

For more information, please visit http://www.debbieaugenthaler.com/book/and follow Debbie on Facebook and Twitter.

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Categories : Books, Guest Posts

How do Modern Musicians Get Found in the crowd

Posted by Matt Welsh

· June 14, 2018

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The music industry is one which is always on the rise. With new artists adding their contributions to the mix each and every day, it can be very hard to find what you’re looking for when you want to listen to something new. Of course, though, this growth impacts the musicians themselves more than anyone else. With listeners struggling to find their tunes, they won’t be able to build a following, and this leaves a lot of the biggest out there to have to search for tools which can support them. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring some of the best examples of them.

Viral Marketing

As the first area to think about, the music industry is one of the biggest in the world when it comes to viral marketing. With this media being very easy to spread around, getting it into the hands of loads of people isn’t too hard, as long as you can create a craze to go along with it. There have been several artists and groups over the last few years who have been able to take advantage of the way content flows around the web. This will most commonly occur on social media sites like YouTube, as these places tend to have the most users.

Social Media Marketing

While viral marketing often occurs on social media, musicians can often take another approach using the same platforms. Instead of relying on huge amount of likes and follows, the most persistent are able to generate a huge user base through very basic posts, including daily updates and short blogs. Acting as an influencer for their own brand, this sort of method is great when an artist is first starting out. It doesn’t cost anything other than time, and the simplest posts are often the most popular, with some musicians getting away with reposting content time and time again.

The Right Platforms

Of course, not all of the work which will make someone famous is done on their end. Thanks to the Internet, there are now several routes which can be taken when someone is reaching for stardom. To reach out to the right people, a platform which they are likely to be using needs to be chosen, or it will be hard to capture the right engagement. Below, you can find some examples of these tools, along with their best use cases.

Soundcloud: For those fresh on the scene, there are very few services which can match the power of Soundcloud. There are loads of companies out there offering Soundcloud promotion services. Not only does this give musicians the power to avoid working through this stage of the job, but it also provides a free platform which is filled with people on the hunt of something new to listen to.
iTunes: Getting music onto iTunes is notoriously challenging. Unlike other platforms out there, Apple doesn’t like to host files for people, and this means that you have to have an FTP server to do it for you. Once on the service, though, you will have access to thousands of dedicated users, a huge portion of which like to listen to varied music from loads of different artists.
Tidal: Started by Kanye West and a handful of friends a few years ago, Tidal originally promised to be a great platform for new artists to get the word out. While it isn’t as easy as some hoped, getting onto this service can make a musicians dreams come true, especially considering how picky the managers are. It will be well worth the effort once you’re signed up, though.

Building A Personality

As the last area to consider, it’s time to think about personality. There are loads of artists out there which create unexceptional music, but are still able to capture the hearts and minds of the people listening to them. Through social media, public appearances, and even the work being produced, this aspect is one of the most important when it comes to a modern musician. Of course, though, it can’t be anything too normal. Instead, it is a struggle to achieve this goal, as extremes will almost always have to be crossed into to make it work.

Hopefully, this post will make it much easier to figure out how most people find their fame. In a lot of cases, marketing is the biggest part of this, with those who are able to build something eye catching finding the most success. This can even be true for artists who have found popularity in the past.

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Categories : Music

Into the Summerland

Posted by Matt Welsh

· June 13, 2018

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By Julian Cundy

The story for my novella Into the Summerland came to me in a dream. A familiar channel for creative thoughts, sometimes producing garbage but usually reliable as a signpost for the underlying imperatives trying to get my attention.

This story was fully formed, providing me with two chapters of vivid, colourful characters and a setting that could only be the gateway between the mortal world we continue to shuffle around and the netherworld of reflection, regret and redemption. It was a September morning that gifted me a tale of Henry – a man of fluctuating values, dubious decisions and a chequered mortal scorecard. Not a promising candidate for a hero of anyone’s tale, but destined in my newly forming world to become the galvanised hero of his own.

Examining Henry’s life, threading from post-war birth through social revolutions and the dawning of the new millennium, I was struck how much of a battering that generation’s credo had taken. Whilst I reject the religious doctrines associated with the various shades of Christian theology, I’d always respected the quiet faithful ones who did the good work without fanfare or expectation. The raising of generations coerced into believing what they were told every Sunday from the pulpit had the beneficial effect across the British Isles of producing a population that were basically good at heart, but slow on independence of thought.

The churches got their pennies and pounds, the government got their willing soldiers and the country got its folk. Decent as always on the surface, but burning away underneath with the suppressed spirits that sought the freedom of the elements. The social revolutions of the 60s and 70s shook the edifice and things would never quite be the same. The children of this revolution took on the mantle of spiritual freedom, but never quite knew what to do with it. Their elders may have been genuinely appalled by the trashing of their values; they may also have been anguished to see the paper walls they had allowed to direct their rectitude so easily swept away. All those years, they too could have been free.

Whatever the reaction, it is perhaps not surprising they reverted back to their religious props as the years continued to accrue. The senior generation generally prefer the familiar to the new, so the comfort of stories learned in childhood and perceived certainties become ever more beguiling. Is there a god? Is there a place called heaven? I don’t know and care even less – it just makes me feel good to believe there is. We may chide them for being lazy of thought and unimaginative – but I guess the best way to understand older people is to be an older person. Let’s see how we feel when we get there!

Interestingly, those we call Generation X who rejected the old doctrines do not appear en masse to have flourished under a purely secular sun. Free to live their lives according to a solely humanist philosophy, the yearning for something beyond the day-to-day has prevailed leaving them bemused and searching. Why?

Could it be that the purpose of this life is to provide a bridging experience for the spirit within? Let’s imagine an individual that drifts too far into a hedonistic fog. Or another who by contrast rarely ventures outside their own tiny world. Are they both eventually condemned to a terrible awakening? When their dormant spirit eventually rises to claim its requirement – and these wasters are gripped to desperately start living all too late?

Certainly the rising popularity of the old faiths has been quite marked of late. Pagan rituals are starting to enjoy a revival as the modern practitioners of the old ways reclaim their festivals from the false cloaks of Christianity. The trendy pagans of today may be no more authentic than the feckless hippies of the sixties, the how-do-I-look eastern revivalists of the seventies and eighties, or the designer Buddhists of the nineties. But at least the notion of ‘more than this’ is getting an airing – and the minds are more open as each successive generation comes along.

Which brings me back to Henry. And his awakening after crossing into the Summerland. With his life played back in retrospect (what a blessing that would be for all of us in our living days!) he has to face up to the conflicts that have either raged unresolved, or laid suppressed within. I’d call it a cautionary tale, but that would be to believe that all humanity could be shaken out of its cosy, unchallenging stupor.

Few of us are so brave to genuinely wipe the slate clean following one of the ‘0’ birthdays. It may be a time of morbid self-evaluation to find ourselves in the blood red debt of an unfulfilled life. It may be a time of reluctant retreat into an ever-diminishing role on the grandest of stages, our bit parts having even the slightest lines snatched from us. It may be a time for heroic rejection of all we have known; a blessed relief to feel pain in order to feel anything at all.

Whatever awaits us when the numbered days finally come to an end, the closing moments should contain at least some vestige of individuality. As we make our way along the paths of this life, nobody else can occupy that space. But once we leave the paths, can we discern a legacy of our time and efforts while we occupied that space?

Children are the obvious legacy. Monuments, inventions, creative art, writings are all wonderful in their way. Equally vital are remembrances that retain their hold over those left behind. And it’s there that we may forge our own place in the absence of grander mementos. Fond memories I rekindle about my Grandmother include her own remembrances of those she knew as a child. I therefore become a living link with those who lived whilst Queen Victoria reigned and Charles Dickens was still walking the streets of London.

It may seem fanciful to think in this way, but that is how the most cherished of lore was cascaded from one reverential generation to the next. And the notions of spirituality found their most powerful advocates, as connexions with spirits real or imagined brought the added dimension beyond the everyday experience.

I tap into these notions with Into the Summerland. Henry’s redemption is hard won, overturning a lifetime of beliefs and tenets to achieve peace. We’d all I’m sure make the effort to take steps to ease our own paths if we believed that moment is actually coming where we are to be held accountable for our words, deeds and approach. What I’ve personally found is that opening the heart and mind to a more emollient way of living can bring a little of that peace into the present, mortal world – as well as laying good foundations for the next.

Wishing you blessings of this, and every season.

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Categories : Books, Guest Posts

Natural ways to lift your spirits

Posted by Matt Welsh

· June 8, 2018

· No Comments

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Whether you’ve been diagnosed with depression, you’re seriously stressed out or you have a bad case of the blues, there are lots of natural things you can do to lift your spirits and start to feel a little better right now…

Meditate

Meditation is a great cure for what ails you, especially if it’s stress or low mood you’re dealing with. You don’t have to do anything fancy, just sit down with your back straight, close your eyes and watch your breath, Pretty soon, you will start to feel more peace than you have in a long time. If you want to see your spirits really soar, try loving-kindness meditation or chanting a positive mantra and you’ll feel amazing in no time at all.

Pursue a Passion

If you’ve always wanted to play the guitar, find a good music teacher and do it. Always wanted to write a novel? Open up your word processing software and get to work. If you enjoy it, you’ll enter what is known as a flow state, where everything will feel right with the world because you will be operating at optimum conscious levels. It’ll also give you a boost in the self-esteem stakes as you start to make progress and realize you are capable of just about anything you put your mind to.

Commune with Nature

Climb a mountain, hug a tree, get out in the garden and plant some flowers, but be sure to spend some time in nature when your spirits are low. Why? Because numerous studies have found that being in nature brings a sense of peace into your life, it clams and relaxes you and helps you to feel more connected to the world around you and everything in it. There truly is no better medicine for an aching soul.

Listen to Upbeat Music

Music is truly food for the soul and happy, positive music nourishes us like no other. If you need to lift your spirits, simply put on your favorite upbeat tracks and tell yourself you want to feel happier, and there is a very good chance that it will work.

Get Your Yoga On

Yoga is a wonderful spiritual practice that acts to relax the mind and the body. Despite what many people think you don’t have to be super fir and super flexible to take up yoga but you do need an open mind, a free spirit and a willingness to give yourself over to the other and become pure awareness on the mat. If you’re willing to give that a go, you will soon see your stresses melt away, your happiness levels soar and the spiritual side of your life start to flower.

Smile

Looking for something really simple? Smile. Sometimes, all you need to do to lift your spirits and let a little happiness in is to smile and be smiled at, and the more you smile, or even better, laugh, the more people will smile back creating a positive feedback loop that will have you grinning like a Cheshire cat. Lifting your spirits doesn’t have to be hard, you know!

How do you lift your spirits?

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Categories : New Media

3 Amazing things that happen when you learn the guitar

Posted by Matt Welsh

· June 8, 2018

· No Comments

It’s no secret that learning a musical instrument, any musical instrument keeps you young. It can change your brain’s structure and enable you to become a better learner, lending you the mental acuity and capacity for learning that you may not have had since your college years (however long ago they may have been). Music is good for the soul as well. It can be a cathartic experience that helps you to come to grips with your emotions in healthy ways. It can be your refuge after a hard day’s work or it can transport you back to a particular time and place with breathtaking expediency. Whether you consume your music through a smartphone as you slog through your daily commute or whether you’re the kind of vinyl enthusiast for whom listening to music is an activity which must be done in solitude and without distraction, few would argue that it doesn’t enrich their day to day lives.

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But there’s something about learning the guitar that’s particularly appealing to music enthusiasts of any age. Few instruments can match the guitar’s mystique ubiquity and undeniable cool factor. So long as you keep it well maintained, change your strings regularly and practice every day, your guitar can be a good and loyal friend. It can be your solace after a long day and a talking point at parties. But it also has a few less obvious health and cognitive benefits which we will now examine…

It teaches you discipline

As Aristotle once said, “Through discipline comes freedom”. When we exert more discipline over our lives we’re able to manage our time better, enjoy a better quality of life and be more like the people we want to be. The trouble is that our current society is not conducive to discipline. The digital age has made us pampered babies, accustomed to getting whatever we want with a few dabs on a touch screen. The discipline, patience and diligence required to learn this instrument will help you to master the discipline needed to get back in the driver’s seat and take control of your life.

It improves memory

Do you regularly turn up late for social engagements because you’ve lost your keys or get frustrated when you can’t find where you left your wallet? It can be very tedious and if you’re advanced in years it can be a particular source of anxiety. Fortunately, there’s evidence to suggest that learning the guitar can help your brain retain up to 20% more information when you become a devoted student.

It’s therapeutic

Music therapy is nothing new but while you may appreciate the soothing capabilities that listening to music has, it’s even more therapeutic when the mellifluous melodies are the work of your very own hands. Plucking those strings provides an emotional outlet which can be the perfect antidote to a long, stressful or frustrating day.

It will also help to prevent you from choosing less healthy outlets. Instead of reaching for a bottle of wine after a stressful day, you’ll reach for your guitar instead.

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Categories : Music