Gabor Mate


I came across this video randomly on Youtube. Gabor Mate breaks down the causes of all addiction in simple terms. The points that he makes about addiction stemming from childhood trauma is very relatable. He describes it as a way to temporarily solve a problem within yourself. Filling a void within that feels empty. Pain relief. His references to Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, and Hitler, and his reasons of why they were addicted to power were eye-opening. The talk also made me take a step back and observe how easy it is to label someone, without knowing the full story. My personal take away is to be able to heal yourself without having to turn to external things. Not healing yourself can cause harm to many people, not just yourself. I love the phrase he used, “find the light within.” Inspiring talk.

Circle of Love


Watching an interview with Jay Shetty, I was inspired by one of the lessons he learned from a monk called the “circle of love.” He says, “the love you give out, you will always get it back. You just won’t get it back from the same people you gave it to.” This can apply to love, hate, or anything that you put out in the world. He talks about the lesson after explaining how he went through a period of frustration at the ashram, feeling that the love he was putting out, wasn’t being reciprocated back from others. The monk told him, “just as there are people that you love and don’t love you back; there are people in your life that love you, that you have forgotten about.” The lesson made him realize that he also caused hurt to people, and they might not have hurt him back; but he received hurt from people later on that he never hurt. It made him think about the people who are in his blind spots.

For me, this is a reminder of being conscious of the energy that I’m putting out, regardless of what comes back. It’s all you have control over. What’s more important, the energy YOU put out? or the energy another is putting out toward you? For me, that’s the question and the answer. Reciprocity is also important and can help you make decisions on the company you keep. Karma is real. The energy you put out will come back to you.

Internal: Live Life On Your Terms

Sometimes you can’t control external forces, but you have full control over your internal energy. All your emotions, perceptions, and inner being are all of your making, 100%. Whatever is thrown at you, your internal has full control over the way you perceive, react, and respond. They are directly connected to your health. Live life on your terms.