Woodcut print of The Torah carved by Loren Kantor

By Loren Kantor

My paternal grandfather was a Torah scribe. He spent his days carefully drawing the Hebrew letters that made up the Torah, the most sacred of Jewish texts. Writing on thin parchment paper made from the skin of a kosher animal, he began by carefully marking thin pencil lines that served as a guide. He then dipped a feather quill into an inkwell and scrawled each Hebrew letter abiding by the calligraphic guidelines of Ktav Ashurit (Ashurite Script).

Each Torah contained exactly 304,805 letters scribed on about 80 sheets of parchment. Only black ink made from gallnut juice and gum was acceptable. The height and width of each letter had to be perfect. Small mistakes could be scraped away and redrawn unless a mistake was made writing the name of God in which case he’d have to start over since God’s name could not be erased. If one letter was missing or appeared smudged then the Torah was considered invalid or not kosher.

The scribing of a Torah took up to one year. Once scribed, each sheet of parchment was sewn together to form a continuous scroll. The Torah was then sewn onto wooden rollers called Eitzei Chayim (trees of life). The Torah was dressed and shipped to a designated synagogue where it was blessed and dedicated in a sacred ceremony.

As you can imagine, my grandfather was a serious man. Scribes were supposed to be devoted and pure. He started each day with a Mikvah, a ritual bath in a sacred pool found in a synagogue. The immersion in water was a purification ritual to cleanse the scribe before he channeled sacred text. After praying that his holy work would be imbued with sanctity, he began each day of writing.

My grandfather was a survivor. He’d escaped the Nazis by moving his wife and son (my father) from Austria to Portugal in 1933. After the war, he gathered his savings and sent my father to America. My father settled in Los Angeles and brought his parents to the states in 1954. They lived in the Fairfax District, the hub of the Los Angeles Orthodox Jewish community.

Growing up, I spent many weekends at my grandparent’s home with my brother and sister. We were allowed to play in the backyard or run around the house. The only area off limits was my grandfather’s study. He was doing “important work” we were told and he needed his privacy.

My brother and I were curious about my grandfather’s secret work. We were always sneaking behind him, trying to scare him, to divert his attention. He did not take kindly to these interruptions. He would scream in a mixture of German and Yiddish and threaten to throw a paperweight or a heavy book at us. On one occasion he threw a chair. Presumably this nullified his purity for the day.

At the end of his workday, he finally relaxed. He’d make himself a cup of tea and watch cartoons with my siblings and I. Often he’d read comic books, laughing at his beloved Katzenjammer Kids and their juvenile hijinks.

Once I asked my grandfather what is was he did in his study.  “I work for God,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

“I write God’s story so we don’t forget who He is.”

He could tell by the look on my face I didn’t understand.

“You know the Hebrew letters, Alpeh, Bet, Gimel? They are living things. They are the building blocks of creation. Like oxygen and hydrogen, God formed the world through combinations of the Hebrew letters.”

He reached for a sheet of paper and scrawled the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. “This is Aleph,” he said. “It tells us that God is one, that He is the Master. It is silent, it is never spoken because the true name of God is never spoken. Aleph stands for Adam the first man, for Abraham who taught us there is only One God and for Abba the Hebrew word for Father.”

“Look at Aleph,” he said. “It stands strong and upright. It is perfectly balanced, it cannot be toppled like God cannot be toppled. Hebrew is read right to left. Aleph is looking at Bet, the second letter. And Bet, it is looking at Gimmel, the third letter. What does this tell us? It says God is looking after us and it is our job to look after our neighbor. We do not see God but he is always present, right next to us. You understand?”

“Yes,” I told him though I didn’t.

“You learn your Hebrew,” he told me. “And you will learn the secrets of God. It’s all in there. In the letters.”

As I got older, my grandfather and I grew apart.  He conversed with my father in German or Yiddish. Often I’d hear my name sprinkled accusingly as if I’d done something wrong. When I stopped watching cartoons and reading comics he no longer knew how to relate to me. I couldn’t relate to him either. He seemed distant and antiquated, a relic from another time and place.

He died in 1986. In his lifetime, he scribed more than two dozen Torahs. While our family sat Shiva, the week-long mourning period after his death, a stream of rabbis paid their respects. They patted me on the head and spoke glowingly of my grandfather. I smiled and nodded but I couldn’t wait to get out of there and be back with my friends.

I never formally learned Hebrew. But when I turned 30, I developed a fascination with the Hebrew letters. I began drawing them and studying their lines and curves and perfect harmony. These days I carve woodcuts of the Hebrew letters. I haven’t learned the secrets of God.  But like my grandfather said, it’s all in there. In the letters.

Author Bio

Loren Kantor is a Los Angeles based writer and woodcut artist.  He teaches creative writing and printmaking.  You can see his original woodcuts on his blog: woodcutting fool blogspot.com

Positive Psychology is a relatively recent field of psychology that attempts to uncover what makes people happy and what factors improve their emotional well-being. Rather than finding answers based on pathology, it looks at a variety of circumstances that allow people to succeed and feel better about themselves, along with managing stress more effectively.

Historical Background

Early beliefs related to Positive Psychology can be traced back to the theories of humanistic psychologists such as Abraham Maslow, who was less interested in pathological factors and more on a healthy mindset. However, it was not until 1998 that it became established as a mainstream concept. Founded by psychologist Martin Seligman, he used his American Psychological Association presidency as a platform for bringing these ideas to the forefront. 

Seligman became inspired to help start this new field of psychology as a result of his daughter. As he considered which parental techniques would be best for raising his young child. He had a clear understanding about the role that pathology plays in terms of psychological health but less about how to encourage mental strength, determination and emotional well-being. As a result, he wanted to help grow this area of research.

What Positive Psychology Seeks to Achieve

The purpose of Positive Psychology is to find out what makes humans prosper. It examines questions like, “What factors lead to happiness?” “How do positive emotions impact health?” and “What can people do to become more resilient?” 

Thus far, this branch of psychology has already been making great contributions. For instance, it has been well-established that when an individual experiences negative emotions such as sadness, stress or anger, it has a profoundly negative effect on our health, even leading to chronic stress and increasing the likelihood of developing heart disease. On the other hand, findings related to Positive Psychology indicate that positive emotions can actually reverse these outcomes. 

Usage in Stress Management

Positive Psychology has uncovered a large number of positive emotional states that can lead to better emotional health, strength and feelings of satisfaction. Below are just a few of them.

Flow

Think back to a moment where you were so engaged in something – whether it is work you enjoy or a hobby – that you lost track of time. This is referred to as “flow” and is something we can all relate to. So get out there and find an activity that has your complete attention!

Gratitude

If you appreciate what you have, you will feel happier and more fulfilled. In fact, both having what you want and enjoying the fact that you have it makes you feel grateful. Being mindful of this everyday – for example, by keeping a journal – also helps. Ultimately, by appreciating things, you feel more alive and just feel better overall. 

Mindfulness

This involves being aware of the present and fully accepting one’s emotions, thoughts and senses unconditionally. It takes some amount of effort to master this, but it is worth it. 

Optimism

As cliché as it might seem, there is a lot of truth in the notion that people think optimistically rather than pessimistically will find more joy. It is really up to the individual to decide they want to be optimists; it is just a matter of striving to make this attitude a part of our everyday thinking. 

Spirituality

Whichever path you choose, developing a sense of spirituality can give your life more purpose, and it also gives you the strength to deal with stress. Praying and meditating are common ways to foster spirituality. As an added benefit, involving yourself with like-minded spiritual groups and institutions is a great way to find social support. 

Move Forward

Utilizing these strategies and behaviors can help you reach the next stage of self-development. You can become a happier, more complete person by focusing on the things you enjoy in life. 

What is “positive affect?” This is when you harness the power of positivity in everything whether it is interacting with others or responding to life’s challenges. On the other hand, “negative affect” involves confronting things with a negative attitude including the environment and relationships. Although these states are opposites, they operate independently from one another. Thus, it is possible to experience both at the same level – whether at high or low levels – or high in just one. 

Positive Affect and Stress

Along with positive affect, there are other traits that people who feel happy possess, such as feeling successful, being extraverted and having an optimistic outlook. However, positive affect is not merely the result of a happy life, it also causes it. In particular, positive affect can lead to less stress. So how can you combat stress? By either pursuing positive affect or finding ways to improve your mood. The impact of being able to develop greater resilience towards stress should not be understated. It works as something of a virtuous cycle – If you feel positive, you build up more resistance to stress which in turn makes it easier to experience positive affect. 

On the other hand, negative affect can result in a vicious cycle in which your experiences of negative affect make it more difficult to deal with stress, which results in stronger feelings of negative affect. For this reason, it is essential to work on maintaining a positive outlook and focus on the joys of life. Keep in mind that these feelings are not just about finding immediate gratification in the now; it is about a long-term objective of living a stress-free, happier life. Working on those behaviors that foster positive affect is worthwhile, and luckily, it is not difficult to increase positive affect if you just try.

Ways to Cultivate Positive Affect

Positive affect is not something that you can create overnight; it takes time and effort to achieve. Although it is true that some individuals’ brains are hardwired to give off positive emotions as a key part of their being, there are nonetheless steps that everybody can take to change their habits and experience positive affect with greater frequency, which will result in positive emotions that feel even better. So what can you do? Among other things, we can start by changing the way we think and avoid putting ourselves in situations in which we might have negative experiences. 

Here are some other strategies you can use to increase positive affect:

Keep a journal in which you record your positive thoughts. In particular, focus on the things that you appreciate the most. By doing this, you will experience higher levels of positive affect, and these feelings will continue in the long term. 

Allow yourself to enjoy the things you love. If you make it a point to plan experiences that make you feel good, you will increase your feelings of positive affect along with all of the other positive things that come with it. Make sure to incorporate new pleasures into your life from time to time to keep things interesting.

Pick up a hobby. While you might not think you have time for new hobbies, it is essential that you put them into your schedule. Along with increasing positive affect, it serves to distract your mind from life’s stresses, and you will feel like you have accomplished something.

Practice metta meditation. Mediation in itself is an effective way to manage stress, but metta medication is an especially good way. It involves sending kindness, goodwill and warm feelings to others by silently repeating positive expressions to yourself. 

Exercise – but do it in a way that you enjoy! It goes without saying that physical activity is one of the ultimate ways to relieve stress. The tricky part is staying motivated, which is why you should take up an activity that is fun. It does not even have to be anything intensive. You do not have to learn how to play basketball or kick box. It can be as simple as going for regular walks with a friend. 

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Bio: Tim Case is a freelance writer at Place-4-Papers.com. He is an author of Positive Psychology: The Key to Unlocking Happiness? and many other articles. He is dedicated to educating and inspiring the world on how to become a better yourself. 

By Stephen Chong

Currently, we have a ‘new paradigm’ affecting the way we do business in the world. The Coronavirus is reshaping the way business happens in fashions that have only begun to emerge on a global scale. How we face this challenge will have a profound influence on our future for years to come, said author, speaker and trainer Stephen Chong.  

Cast your minds back a short number of years to when we used to take our photos to chemists for processing. We had Kodachrome reeled into the rear of our cameras. Now, of course, everything is digital and uploaded to memory sticks and the cloud, continued Stephen Chong.

Many people’s lives were upended by this dramatic and external change, well beyond the scope of affected individuals’ capacity to do anything about it,’ affirmed Stephen Chong.  

“Yet, as leaders of business and community, how we view this current global challenge will have a profound effect on our businesses and the lives of many.” 

“Leaders cannot just sit on their hands and let the forces buffet them from pillar to post. It is essential that they make changes that will cause them to forge ahead. To grow and prosper … Change often brings such opportunity.”

For me, one solution lies in PERSPECTIVE. It’s a marvelous tool of invention.

Our perspective is the creator of our perception. In other words, how we look at something creates how we see it and therefore determines our experience of it.  

“If a child looks into a dark room at night with fear, that is how they will see it and that will be the child’s experience of the room. If we view our current circumstances as hard, difficult or unendurable then that will be how we see it and again, that will be our experience.”

We are, indeed, the creators of our own ‘perspective’, but what is even more problematical, is that we allow others (aka, newspapers, politicians, negative people) to unduly influence or corrupt our own perspective on things.

But, there is a solution … Challenge your perspective before you start DOING! Widen your perspective. Make it bigger, deeper, more profound.

For example:

How am I looking at this situation?

Yes, this is tough, but I’ve been there before. I’m capable …

Let’s see this problem from another direction …

Who can I talk to who will challenge the way I’m looking at things?

How do I deal with the facts NOT the fear?

Or, more specifically:

What is our target audience? Can it be expanded?

What is our target audience’s ‘specific un-met need’? Are we meeting that ‘un-met’ need?

What/Where is our business ‘beachhead’? Can it be expanded?

We’ve got an established client base. Can we get them to come back? Can we get their referrals/recommendations?

How can we help support our clients through this time of challenge?

… and many more.

“Time is short, the water is rising. As a leader, it’s time to challenge your current perspective,” said Stephen Chong.

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 Stephen Chong M.Ed. is a highly sought-after Coach/Trainer, Speaker, and Author. In his coaching work, Stephen focuses on imparting the essential envisioning and goal-setting skills that bring out the best in executives, managers and staff in the modern workplace.  

He has established a considerable reputation for designing and delivering quality coaching and training programs, evidenced in the many courses he has written, such as: Enhanced leadership skills; Effective communication; Conflict resolution; Living on the edge of your comfort zone; Effective time management, Overcoming the obstacles and many more.

Stephen Chong’s latest book, Bodies of Consequence is now available on Amazon and Kindle.

For more information on Stephen, please visit www.stephenchong.com.au

Note: The following piece written by Rob Schwartz, PLSRt, BLSRt  was reprinted with permission  and originally published on https://yoursoulsplan.com/index.php/about-robert/coronavirus-channeling:

Recently, I had a channeling done for me personally about the coronavirus. Since so many of you have asked me what I know about the virus, I’ve decided to make the channeling available to all. You may read it below. The channeling has not been edited, so please excuse incorrect punctuation and excess verbiage. The channeled consciousness is a collective of ascended masters. Kathy, the person who channeled this, is available to do private channelings and can be reached at kathleenl_22@hotmail.com

Be well and stay safe.

With love, Rob

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March 16, 2020

To Rob,

It is obvious in these last years that the shift in consciousness is upon the earth in a very big way. The rise within energies of light has brought about the scattering of those things that have been hidden within the darkness; the attempts at hiding the truth has been paramount within the lives of those who want to hold the status quo. The screaming untruths have been what one could call the protesting of this light that has entered every area of society, of religion, politics; calling forth equality within gender, race, sexuality and much much more. The shift within humanity from fear to love is what you are viewing and what you are also viewing are those things that humanity as a whole do NOT want thus leading them towards what it is they do want. A tipping point as destined was reached in November of 2019 and in accordance with the frequencies ‘scheduled’ to hit the earth the year, 2020 appeared. This was to be/is the time within time when the shift in consciousness from fear to love will be actualized as the vibration/frequency/energy is far far more powerful than the fear you are viewing. There are two things at work here as these two messages to mankind are what have held them in a position to maintain that fear within them cellularly as to say humanity has been of a specific fearful vibration that is collectively being pulled from their very cells. Firstly that great fear of death and secondly that universal fear of survival. Enter the coronavirus as it mirrors that anxiety of holding a fear of dying. It continues to talk of impending death even though the numbers do not reflect it, the message is clearly one of the greatest fears within the cells of mankind………….death.

Secondly the virus is causing a worldwide panic in terms of a falling stock market that to many represent the death/elimination of their survival symbols; their jobs, their bank accounts, their 401Ks as it is causing a flush of fear within the word ‘MONEY’. In real terms it is a fear of the future. How will I survive without the guarantees of safety and security and the world is saying that there are no guarantees. How scary. And that’s the point to feel the scary, the fear as it is rising within the body and being released/transmuted into the calm and peace and expanse within the heart that love brings. The fear that is resonating with the human form and cells as is being brought forth collectively through the presentation of this virus is for its movement OUT of the body as the higher vibrations/frequencies of love begin to enter for it has already entered the earth and as such that created the timing for the bodies of mankind to correspond to the earth that they walk upon. Every human who entered the earth held within their body that same vibration that the earth herself held as the body is an extension of the earth. The body is simply what is animated by the soul/creator source energy. When the earth began this movement into 5D, what stood upon her (humanity) began to feel this push for the higher frequency of love and light but the fear fought heavily to maintain its position and now the fear cannot maintain as it is being reflected by this “Deadly Pandemic” that is changing everyone’s way of life and that is the point of it…………..to change humanity. Simply put 3D is fear and 5D is love. Love or the light has already come alive on the surface of the earth which includes her inhabitants that live upon her as it is their time to choose their destinies. Do they fight to maintain that fear that tells them things must not change or do they allow that love to come alive and forth into their lives. This is where free will is exercised. This vibration will not be stopped which tells you that love has arrived and it will fully support you if you surrender to it. We can see that far more than the majority do at this time as well we can tell you that a year from now the world will not be as before. Many will ‘come around’ after a very dark night of the soul experience just as many have as they then began assisting others. Many will fight to maintain a history that is just gone, no more to be relived and many others will not accept this new way of life and will succumb to the fear only to be rushed with love as they pass away and gain understanding. Some will return, others will assist from above so to speak.

Those as yourself, one called a lightworker have prepared for this moment all your life. This IS the time you came for; to stand in your light knowing that this fearful moment on earth is not yours. You are the observer of the situation as you perch yourself within the 5D position that has called you for so long. Oh you will bounce between worlds/dimensions as the fear is very strong and can be viewed and read of daily/hourly. But as you observe remember you came to anchor this light that is causing so much chaos as that is how this old world is breaking down but through the efforts and dedication to your own plan and destiny. Your research, observations and many acquaintances have brought you many remembrances of who you truly are but in this time you will feel the peace, the calm, the beauty and love within real emotion of who it is you are. You are a human being that is animated by the love of god/creative source as you ARE the animator and to know that is your graduation, your homecoming, your greatest of all design and desires, your dream come true to be alive and well, in peace and compassion at the greatest moment earth has ever known; to assist others to their memories at this time of consciousness shift, that shift from fear to love is beyond words as there are no 3D wording or explanations to be found.

This virus in purpose is to assist humanity to bring forth from within their bodies the fear that has lived there since the beginning of their time upon this land in all the forms that they have entered. To live without fear is to LIVE and that is what is taking place. There are those as yourself who will transmute the last vestiges of fear as you are of the awakened ones, there are those who will surrender and in a twinkling enter the state of compassion remembering ‘from somewhere’ that love wins out over fear. There are those that will come kicking and screaming to their declaration that they will accept love for fear is just too painful to maintain and many other scenarios will take place within the minds and bodies of the precious earthlings who are making this shift. Others will take their bodies of fear ‘off land’ and pass away. All is perfection and in 5D that is known.

Now the virus itself had an origin somewhere ‘other’ than what has been told. It’s original purpose was to bring about a vector that could be managed and maintained and utilized to control humanity. It was a very ‘high level’ plan as there were those with such power and wealth that had within this last decade seen the writing on the wall as to the awakening that was taking place and determined that this must end so their reasoning was to concoct this virus in a lab and hold it until such time as/that they could begin the manipulation and maintenance of their power for those that have ‘ruled the earth’ so to speak with their positions of power and wealth, these families that are known by name could not accept the demise of all that which they have ever known in terms of their god like system of belief in themselves. So as this virus was created to be held as a chip that they could bargain with, something happened and it became unleashed by someone of a scientific mind with no association nor affiliation with those who paid for this ‘project’, in fact for the most part he didn’t even know of its purpose simply working in tandem with other scientist getting paid handsomely. He projected it onto a piece of paper and took that paper out of the lab only to toss it and have someone, one other person touch it. Now he himself walked freely of symptoms as did the one who touched the paper and relayed it onto those who in plan began this spread. To even think this was a mistake is to maintain the mentality of ‘accidents happen’ but of course its purpose was as described to you, to begin a journey of the grand shift in consciousness that fear accelerates. So this story although seemingly fantastic is merely the manner in/of which the world began her movement into love and only in time will further facts come forth but it is not a dramatic experience rather it was one that could be called a mistake when in reality it was that one scientist who with an open heart began the process of this time in time when mankind enters into a new reality.

Now we would like to say one more thing to you and that is this: you are cherished by those of us and there are many who have loved you, guided you and observed your struggles and achievements with what you could envision as such great pride for never did you lose direction nor devotion to your most beautiful plan. Even in your darkest moment in this lifetime to date you held on, held steady and overcame those forces of fear that you carried within you. It really truly is time to celebrate even as you look outward and see this gripping fear all around for that is the signal that the time is here to elevate your memories into the knowing that all is perfection, there is no need to even feel that chill of death as that is washing from you. In fact you have lived death most of your life in fear of it. It is your time to begin to live in the rhapsody of your own music, your heart beating in the symphony of your life’s motions. It is your time to stand firmly in the love you are of and KNOW your life’s purpose, your life’s dream is upon you.

Peace

Look online anywhere, and you’ll notice how extensively CBD oil has been documented to be effective at providing relief against various diseases and ailments. There is a lot of evidence for CBD oil helping people all over the world – it’s no surprise that doctors everywhere are prescribing it as a form of treatment. In this article, we are going to look at some of the ways and that this substance is helping to fight diseases right now. Let’s find out more.

1. Epilepsy

This is a very harmful neurological disease that has very bad effects on the central nervous system. This common and life-debilitating disease can cause a complete loss of awareness, mood swings, and even seizures. However, CBD oil for autism activates various receptors within the brain that can suppress certain neurotransmitters, which cause all of the problems. It is a substance that regulates the firing of neurons and has a substantial effect on targeting the pathways that lead to autism.

2. Cancer treatment

No need to say, we are still looking for cures. You’re not going to find CBD oil for stage 4 cancer eradication just yet, however,  it can help indirectly by inhibiting the growth of cancerous cells. Not only this, but the oil can help people with anxiety, sedating them, and providing them with relief when having cancer get you down. If you’re interested in how do you use CBD oil for pain, all of the neurons that transmit pain become sedated and you feel much better? On top of this, CBD uses the amount of information, therefore reducing the likelihood that tumors can grow back.

3. HIV and AIDS

Every year, tens of thousands of people die of both these diseases and the problem is how infectious it is. CBD can help to suppress all of the symptoms of many current infectious diseases that exacerbate AIDS and HIV problems. When it is combined with other antiviral drugs, it can also promote the growth of T-cells which results in low damage of liver fibrosis.

4. Diabetes

Unfortunately, this common disease is the one that affects millions of people around the world by tampering with the body’s production of insulin. When the body has defects in terms of insulin production, levels of blood glucose can fluctuate in a negative way. CBD can work wonders by reducing inflammation and pain when consumed. It aids the production of certain endocannabinoids in the body that induce T and B cells that bring about type II diabetes. This shows very promising results for those who suffer from diabetes.

5. Multiple sclerosis

MS is an unfortunate disease that has many effects on the spinal cord and brain. Fortunately, consuming CBD has been shown to have miraculous effects on the body’s CB1 and CB2 receptors. These receptors in the endocannabinoid system have various effects on enzymes that degrade the body and mix with spinal fluid. CBD oil can also help reduce the amount of neuroinflammation and provide some much-needed relief from this degrading disease.

6. Asthma

There is promising evidence that CBD oil for asthma prevention really helps. Studies have found that the compound in cannabis can actually dilate respiratory airways and inhibits the main symptoms of asthma attacks, plastic can reduce the number of muscle spasms that promote these attacks. Other studies, such as in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics have shown CBD to protect the lungs. When taken orally, CBD can help open up bronchioles and dilate all of the respiratory passages, making it a lot easier to breathe.

7. Parkinson’s

Last but not least is Parkinson’s disease. CBD oil and Parkinson’s disease are two things that do not mix! A lot of people who suffer from this disease have previously been consuming marijuana, however, many people now like to take this substance because it is not psychoactive. CBD helps cannabinoid receptors within the body form bonds with the endocannabinoid system that gives the body general protection. When this type of bonding occurs, dopamine is produced and this can greatly inhibit the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

Conclusion: The effects of this substance are positive for the prevention of many diseases. You’ll find uses of CBD oil for pain relief, diseases and much more. If you suffer from any of these harrowing diseases, get in touch with your doctor. and some great organizations such as CBD Shelter which provide a lot of relevant information. All the best!

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Author’s bio: Richie a neurobiologist from Massachusetts. He is currently very interested in CBD oil and liver diseases and is looking to write a short e-book on the subject. In his spare time, Richie likes to write about related issues for various online blogs and publications.

Clean with toothpaste

1. You can squeeze the toothpaste on a towel and rub it back and forth on a platinum diamond monogram ring for about 10 minutes.

Remove the toothpaste, wash it with warm water, wipe off the fine lines and dirt on the surface, and wash it with a diluted washing solution. Rinse with water to restore the original luster. (Toothpaste contains fine abrasive particles. It is very clean to brush your teeth, but it will hurt the gemstones. Because these particles have a hardness of 6,7, which is comparable to crystals and lower hardness than crystals (such as pearls, gold). So platinum inlaid gems should be careful not to get toothpaste on the gems.

2. You can buy a pack of developer powder from a photographic equipment store

Put a small amount in clean glassware, add water and stir well, then soak the platinum name and birthstone necklace (get the necklace) in it for 5-10 minutes, then take it out, rinse it with water, and wipe it with a dry cloth. The beloved platinum jewelry will be as bright as new already.

3. Smart use of baby “talcum powder”

If your platinum jewellery isn’t too dirty, it’s just a little less shiny, then you can wipe it thoroughly with your baby’s talcum powder, and then rinse it with water to restore the shine.

Second, platinum necklace daily maintenance

1. The jeweler recommends that you store platinum my name necklace separately in a jewelry box or suede to prevent scratches on other jewelry.

2. Keep valuable jewelry in a safe place and buy enough insurance.

3. Regularly clean platinum jewelry. This ensures that the jewelry has the best gloss and is more durable.

4. All precious metals may leave scratches, and platinum is no exception. If scratches are visible to the naked eye, bring platinum jewelry to a qualified jeweller for sanding. However, scratches on platinum will only move the material, its volume will not decrease.

5. Please do not wear platinum name necklace cheap (try this) when doing housework cleaning, gardening and other types of heavy work or physical activities.

6. When wearing platinum jewelry, please do not touch bleaching or irritating chemicals. Although they do not harm platinum, chemicals can discolor diamonds or gems.

7. For platinum jewelry set with gems, jewelers recommend that you clean them every six months.

8. Platinum jewelry is inlaid with diamonds. It is recommended that you send platinum monogrammed necklace to a jewelry store for inspection every year, and perform professional cleaning and renovation in a timely manner, so that platinum diamond jewelry is often new. Shop cheap personalized Jewelry online

By Tim Case

Some call spirituality a category of human being whereas the others treat it as a way of living. Whatever it is, this phenomenon can be described as the state of losing interest in trivial worldly affairs and moving towards inner self, harmony, and some eternal meanings and goals. When hearing a phrase “spiritual awakening,” very few people actually would get the gist of it. The concept of spirituality is a philosophical notion since different people have different feeling and understanding of spirituality. Besides, people have different lifestyles and different worldviews when compared to others. In any case, those people who claim to achieve spirituality and inner harmony are in most cases peace loving, humble, and prefer to focus on their inner selves. 

Many people wonder where this desire for spirituality and spiritual growth stems from. It does not come from some readings or lectures – mainly it comes after some life experience or specific life events that make one reevaluate what has happened before and start changing something. Spirituality calls for being content and happy with what one has.

If you wonder what the importance of spirituality is, check out the following reasons provided below:

1. It helps to identify one’s life purpose. With the help of spiritual practices, you can explain for yourself the sense of life. Sometimes people wonder why they were born, what their life mission is, and so on. In such cases, spiritual lifestyle can help them find the reasons for that. 
2. It promotes inner harmony and peace of mind. When a person reaches the state of inner harmony, he/ she can transmit this harmony to the world around them. Resultantly, such behavior will promote acceptance, friendliness, and forgiveness, and eliminate struggles, aggressive behavior, and violence. 
3. It helps in the organizational processes in the society. Specifically, it instills mental peace as well as assists a person in stabilizing his/ her family and work environment. As a result, one learns how to improve patience and tolerance in relation to others. 
4. It helps one attain good physical and mental health. With the development of spiritual lifestyle, one also gradually changes one’s habits and treats himself/ herself better. In such cases, people even change their eating behaviors. Even when it comes to some illnesses, spiritual thinking helps one to make the recovery speedier and to change how one treats the illness, i.e. eradicate fear and tackle with depression. 
5. It deepens one’s knowledge and helps one gain wisdom. Knowledge from spirituality is far more than knowledge from books – it broadens one’s mind and perception.
6. It helps to control nature in a miraculous way by the power of belief.  
7. It deepens the feelings of affection and love. Persons who have stepped on the path of spiritual development love nature and surroundings more deeply. When a person is spiritual, he/ she would hardly ever do harm to the environment.
8. It eliminates people of fear and instills clarity of thought. People with high level of spiritual development do not have the unconscious fear of death and other phenomena that cannot be kept under control. As such, people are not overly bothered about fear and daily troubles – they are open to face any occurrences in life. 
9. It enhances welfare and personal growth. People who have deep spiritual development tend to perform well in whatever they take up. As such, be sure that spirituality will help you enhance your overall performance.
10. People start seeing meaning in life. They treat different rules and social norms in other way. They are more mindful and attentive to their own needs. 

Signs of Spiritual Awakening

1. You occasionally have the feeling of discovering something new. You pay attention to the slightest changes around you. You feel that life is no longer as useless as it might have been before. 
2. You usually question everything and are curious to explore something new. You become aware that life has no clear answers to anything and one needs to investigate different concepts in order to find the right answer for oneself. 
3. You start to have a soft approach to the majority of issues surrounding you. As such, you would hardly ever have temper tantrums or surround yourself to emotions. 
4. You would love loneliness more than ever before. You will no longer feel depressed when you stay in solitude – you will enjoy this magic time when you are in close contact with your inner self. Moreover, you will be able to concentrate on some important matters without distractions or disturbances. 
5. You will become more open and helpful to others. You will not do it from the feeling of duty but rather from the wish to be involved in some good deed just for the sake of it. 
6. You will be more sensitive. Rude behavior and offences will no longer be about you. Your heart will not be felt with rude intentions but with honesty and positivity. 
7. You will feel the presence of some inexplicable superpower. You will feel that there is some power in the universe that cannot be explained but that can definitely be felt. 
8. You will be filled with the utmost desire to lead a life pleasant for yourself. You will be less focused on materialistic things but would rather make your life comfortable in some other realms.
9. You will become more interested n spiritual reading. You will become more curious about the nature around you. You will become more open to acquiring knowledge and wisdom of enlightened people.
10. You will be more willing to connect to those who are deep persons spiritually. You would feel more comfortable to associate with those who are interested in spiritual awakening. 

Many people who have stepped on the path of spiritual awakening like to visit different places of worship and take part in different retreats. Moreover, a person undergoes many changes in personal life as well. Check out some of the following:

• one’s thoughts are aimed at self-development, divinity, and wisdom;
• one cares for his/ her health and well-being;
• one surrounds himself/ herself with healthy food and eco-friendly materials.

Spiritual development also enhances the teaching process as more and more teachers nowadays are implementing changes and postulates within the realm of studying. Some of the most vivid examples are the following:

• teachers enrich students’ experience via music, art, studying, and nature;
• teachers instill the skills such as mindfulness, compassion, gratitude, empathy, and others;
• teachers try to relate the studying material to practical sphere and students’ experience;
• teachers help students identify their life purpose by cultivating their passions and interests;
• teachers show students how they can contribute to the society by their actions;
• teachers talk with students about spiritual development and personal growth.

Spiritual development goes hand in hand with the educational process. Moreover, it is the indication of mental maturity. People who fully realize what meaning their life has and what their mission is are more dedicated to what they do.

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Tim Case is a freelance writer at Place-4-Papers.com. He is an author of Significance of Spirituality and many other articles. He is dedicated to educating and inspiring the world on how to become a better yourself.

By Sarah Kaminski

Your decisions affect everyone around you, especially your elderly parents as they become more reliant on direct help. There comes a time when their independence becomes a high-stakes game.

On the one hand, they might feel too proud to accept assistance. On the other hand, the possibility of injury increases by a significant margin. This situation can become especially stressful for you if you live far away, so moving them to assisted living becomes a feasible option.

The pressure of guilt is inescapable. No matter how you deal with the situation, you will feel as if you are not taking care of your elderly parents or, at the very least, not doing enough. Thankfully, there are reasonable ways to deal with guilt.

Recognize and accept

“Knowing thyself” opens all the doors to healing. When guilt simmers in the back of your mind, it can lead to a whole range of psychological difficulties and relationships gone sour. When it comes to sensitive family matters, nobody needs worse circumstances. But it is a slippery slope – and you have to acknowledge that.

Sometimes, you won’t notice the guilt because you are used to it. Parents can be especially adept at drawing attention to themselves by guilting you into oblivion. This doesn’t make them bad people; many of them do this unknowingly, usually because it is a learned mechanism – their parents have done this to them.

Try to accept them for who they are as people, rather than strictly parents, and try to read between the lines, even when the words hurt. Recognizing this is a solid foundation for finding peace of mind, but there’s still a long road ahead of you.  

Ensure that they are as secure as possible

The next step is a practical one. Make a list of all the things that you can do to ensure that your parents are as safe and secure as possible, especially if they live on their own and value their independence above all else.

See to it that their dwelling is a safe zone, that they don’t have to climb stairs, and maybe consider hiring a technician who can install waist-high railings along the wall to the bathroom. Consider a direct, but discreet link to the ER hotline for elders. 

As you check off the items on the list, it’s practically inevitable that you’ll get to the issue of professional help. Working with certified elder care professionals can often be a point of contention between an adult child and an elderly parent, but keep in mind that they’ll treasure this kind of help after a period of adaptation. So in the beginning you may need to be patient and stand your ground. It’s either that or assisted living.

Be supportive and inspire your elderly parents

Both positive and negative emotions between people work the same way: they’re about reciprocity. Now that you’ve made sure that your parents are safe and financially secure, ask yourself: where does the guilt come from?

As I’ve mentioned above, it’s usually parents that enhance the intensity of this emotion by ‘guilt-tripping’ you. The best solution is to start a positive process of reciprocity. Become supportive of your parents, support their cherished independence and encourage them.

When they fall back into the old routine of flooding you with critique and negative emotions, you have to steel yourself and pay no attention to them.

Remember: the most important thing is not to be provoked. Give them a cold shoulder, ignore the negativity and respond to the positives. After some time, your parents will change the tune – it’s human nature.

This ‘cold shoulder’ will also give way to another important thing: healthy boundaries. Drawing them on your terms will help diffuse the guilt.

Conclusion

There’s an elegant cyclic rhythm to life. After taking care of us for a long time, our parents come to an age where they need to rely on our help. But the roles aren’t entirely reversed. 

The difference here is that the elders have a lifetime of experience behind them. And that’s an important element that nurtures their sense of self and independence, and which can be a point of friction between you and them.

One of the ultimate byproducts of this friction is that you are riddled with guilt. The feeling that you’re not doing enough to take care of your elderly parents is not a unique phenomenon; in fact, a majority of adults go through this. There is no such thing as an ideal situation, and you have to make the best of the cards you’ve been dealt.

This should always be a point of great consolation to you.