The Lure of Consumerism

No this isn't going to be a diatribe about how terrible shopping is....or how we should just stop spending money.

No, today I just wanted to discuss briefly how consumerism can be stealing your focus without you even realizing it.

What does consumerism do? Consumerism is an obsession with "all things bought".
Those who are lured into consumerism inherently despise anything that wasn't purhased with money and hate anything that was crafted or invented at home.

It's not that I'm necessarily advocating that we all become home bodies and spend all our time making home made gifts out of dried macaroni..... I'm simply saying that if you are one of those people who
wants your creativity and inventiveness to flourish, you might just have to resist that "spirit of consumerism" that has beguiled the masses.
Consumers don't create anything....they simply shop for what already has been created by someone else.
Consumers don't invent anything new, because their time is spent trying to please some external and commercialized idea of what is beautiful, effective or intelligent. They will buy what the media tells them to buy, even if it is in direct contradiction to their written goals. Perhaps they don't even have one single written goal at all. They merely live to consume, to purchase....and give all their time and adoration to what others have established.

But I know that there are many "Indie" publishers, writers, crafters, musicians, makers, and inventors and investors who are chock full of new and brilliant ideas. But their ideas are still in hiding because they have not been released through that very precious gift of "focus".

Are you going to give your written goal/goals the gift of focus?

Peaceful productivity,
Carla

Focus is the Perfect Hedge

I've noticed that there's something so ultimately powerful about staying "focused".......a bonus attribute of "focus" that is not often advertised nor understood.

Alright, enough....so what, Carla, is all the hoopla about focus?

Well, let's just say this, focus....... REAL FOCUS is the ultimate HEDGE around your life.

When you know what you want and you have committed all your eggs and all your energies to your chosen goal, there are many irritating folks who will simply give up on trying to distract or draw you down.

Your focus is like a wonderfully high strong wrought iron fence around your life.

Let's make an example. Let's say you have a relative who, for years and for some mysterious reason, seems to relish the act of verbally cutting you down to size, and criticizing much of what you do and even who you are. Well, if you become truly focused on your written goal, there is nothing that that relative can say to you that will ever steal your confidence. He or she will never again be able to steal your joy.

Knowing what you want is so ultimately personally empowering that little can be done to squash the incredible passion and confidence that follows your focus. Focus is everything.
The "gnats" in your life will quickly disappear because they will sense that you can not be touched behind your very high wall of focus. They will choose to pick on someone else more vulnerable and indecisive.

Is any of this ringing true? I challenge you to explore this idea in your personal life....and test it out. I am all ears as to your feedback....the comment section is always open.

Peaceful productivity,
Carla

Raw Ginger..for Day...Raw Garlic.... for Night

As  you meander through life, you may come across certain items that you have discovered to be helpful in keeping you energized and your body revitalized. Two such items, for me, are raw ginger and raw garlic.

Both items though, are very different in nature and can be used at different times throughout your week.

Garlic has a heavy, almost meaty quality to it. It revitalizes and purifies the blood, and cleanses the digestive system, killing bacteria. But it is also very pungent and is better suited to be taken raw before bedtime.
A single garlic clove can be peeled and then chopped or crushes into "swallow-able" size and downed with water or tea. Be sure to drink enough water when you take raw garlic as raw garlic can also give a burning sensation and the water dilutes any harshness the rawness of the garlic brings with it. Water is also helpful for the quickening of the digestive system which always occurs after one has ingested raw garlic.

Some folks encourage the habit of taking one raw garlic clove every night, but not all. Raw garlic, fresh from the clove is a feisty substance and one needs to get to know how their particular body may react to it's active ingredients. Be prepared for any kind of effect which may or may not include a loosening of the stools and urgency to use the bathroom. Note that these effects may not always occur, once your body has become more accustomed to the presence of raw garlic.

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And now for Ginger, yes it can also be taken raw. Raw ginger, after you have just peeled it, has a rather odd stringy juicy texture. Ginger has a more gentle and pleasant taste and aroma when compared to raw garlic, but it is no less feisty in terms of it's effects on the body. Ginger is a sweet success. You can peel it from it's knubby brown state, and then mash or chop it into bits, and swallow just about half of a teaspoon of some of the smaller sized pieces with water. Or you can just add some to boiling water and make a tea out of it.
Ginger has been known for centuries as a digestive aid. That's why our grandmas always endorsed the use of "ginger ale" to help calm down an upset stomach.

Well, that's about all for now. My blurt is done.

Peaceful Productivity,
Carla

Disclaimer: Note that this blog is not intended as medical advice. The ideas in this post and the entire blog are intended for conversational purposes only. Medical advice should be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner. The author and publisher of this blog does not accept any liability for the ideas presented or discussed.