How the universe began and what's our connection to it?

Imagine the entire Universe inside a tiny bubble that was thousands of times smaller than a pinhead, hotter and denser than anything we can imagine. This tiny miracle exploded with brutal force and from this release the basic building blocks of matter, quarks and electrons, floated free in an incredibly hot and dense soup. As the Universe expanded and cooled, the quarks bound together into the protons and neutrons that thrive today. This is the beautiful story of how our Universe began: ‘The big bang theory’. 

Scientists estimate the age of the universe to be about 14 billion years old! They also estimate that 97% of the human body is composed of stardust and we each carry at least a few million atoms of gold inside us.

It’s mind-blowing to know that we can trace back to the beginning of creation and there will be more mind-blowing discoveries made and new theories proven in the future. The James Webb telescope is working its magic and sending back incredible images like the famous picture of thousands of galaxies of different ages, including the four oldest galaxies in the universe, born just 300 million years after the Big Bang. There are now 300 million years of unexplored universal history between these galaxies and the beginning of time. 

“The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you.” 

- Neil deGrasse Tyson - 

It is absolutely fascinating that everything we see around us, from a grain of sand, trees, mountains, the earth, galaxies, and the Universe were all formed after a tiny ball exploded and continued to expand forever.

 

So you, me, and everything around us are made from stardust! Pretty magical don’t you think? We may come from different parts of the world but we share a common heritage: the elements in our bodies were created in stars! From the carbon in our DNA to the calcium in our bones, nearly all of the elements in our bodies were forged in the fiery hearts and death throes of stars.

Many people dismiss the importance of understanding where we come from and our connection to everything. We don’t know much but enough to understand that being connected to both everything around us and everything billions of light years away is something we should hold dear in our hearts as for all we do, think, and voice has an impact on us, and our Universe.

Can you imagine the energy needed for this extraordinary event to materialise? Scientists cannot tell us the energy released by the Big Bang, as they don't accurately know what happened. Nevertheless, all that energy was released and became the basic building blocks of our world and of us, so it’s reasonable to assume that this energy impacts our lives in some way. An extraordinary power that is dormant in our bodies and in our minds. The legendary Albert Einstein best known for his equation E = mc2, proved that energy and mass, also known as matter, are the same thing, just in different forms.

“Everything is energy and that’s all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics.” - Albert Einstein -

 

This quote seems like a simple thing to achieve, but how many of us manage to match the frequency of our dreams with success, only a few have mastered this great law of physics. We have yet to truly comprehend how to use energy and its benefits. The digital world is evolving faster than the human mind, the influence of technology is impairing our ability to stop and silence our minds to reconnect with our inner voice, our internal GPS that has all the answers about which way to go and what to do next. However one day or another we will understand and use this guidance for the betterment of humanity. As Newtonian thinking evolves from the three-dimensional view of the world to the quantum world, we’re progressing towards new possibilities, a beautiful promise for our future and the generations to come. We must evolve all our senses to live better lives. Some believe it’s our purpose, to learn how to manipulate energy. Since our thoughts are energy signals, the energy transmitting our thoughts has mass.

If we use this process for an idea and with this idea comes a firm belief, it has no other alternative but to come into existence. This can be applied to all inventions created since the beginning of time, from the wheel to rocket ships and everything in between. Energy and mass (matter) are interchangeable; they are different forms of the same thing. Under the right conditions, energy can become mass, and mass can become energy. Look around you, if you’re in a furnished room, your eyes are telling you that you are surrounded by solid and stationary objects, that’s true as far as visual perception is concerned but in reality, you’re looking at thoughts and ideas that materialised through the work driven by human thoughts. It was a thought that created the chair, the door, the car, and the millions of unique objects that exist today. Thought is the original source of all wealth, great discoveries, success, inventions, and achievements. With that in mind, it becomes easy to understand that a person’s thoughts either make them or break them.

 

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so”.

- Shakespeare -

 

It’s important to emphasise that hard work alone will not bring success. Creative thinking and a strong belief in your ability to execute your idea will result in the realisation of your goals.

 

We’re in the era of a global awakening. We finally appreciate that we have more control over our lives than we were led to believe, but for this to be true, for everyone across the world, and impact our lives for the better, we need healthier minds, we need to make better choices, and we need to live better lives. With the rise of anxiety worldwide due to social media, violence, unhealed trauma, stress, war, and everything else, the resulting negativity has impacted our psyche, throwing our lives out of balance.

 

Our potential to achieve a healthier mind is within reach for all of us. The first step is to want it! We need to engage the energy of our hearts as much as the energy of our minds.

 

It has been demonstrated that the heart is the strongest source of our bio-electrical energy. It’s 40 to 60 per cent stronger than the electrical energy of our brains. The incredible part, the heart's electrical energy is so powerful, projecting beyond our skin and can be measured three to four feet outside our bodies, radiating in a 360-degree field.

 

We won’t change our world overnight, but once we appreciate the power which resides within us, we can start making better decisions and affect everything and everyone around us. This power was given to us from the beginning, so it’s time to use it for the better.  We aren’t superheroes but we all have a piece of the heavens within us and it’s waiting for us to make the connection. We’ll always have doubts and fears, that’s part of being human, the yin and the yang, but all fears can be overcome, with faith, courage, and love.

"Thinking is the hardest work there is,

which is probably the reason why so 

few engage in it." - Henry Ford -

 

Given that most of us are victims of thought overload with an average of 60,000 thoughts a day, ranging from mundane daily tasks to deeper contemplations about life, no wonder it’s hard to keep a clear mind and focus on the good things in front of us. But when our mind truly understands its great power and puts it to work, we will accomplish wonders. Everything will be within our ability to achieve, and the image created in our minds will give birth to reality in the world.

 

“Know yourself, know your power, just believe that there is a real creative magic in believing, and magic there will be, true belief will supply the power to succeed in anything you undertake.” - Claude M. Bristol - 

It’s important to accept that difficult times are part of life. Some events are predestined to happen in the course of our lives, depending on the choices we make, both willpower and bravery will be tested, and when we make a choice to go in a particular direction we must overcome and learn from tough times before gaining access to the next chapter in our story. No matter the choices we make, challenges await but with courage, faith, and the right direction, these obstacles, once overcome will give you tools to carry on!

Thank you so much for reading this piece, always remember to make good choices for yourself and to have faith in your dreams. By doing this you’re helping the world become a better place and rippling out your good vibrations to all of us.

@lifeaswegoalong

PATIENCE REALLY IS A VIRTUE.

It’s a human obsession to want everything immediately, we are racing against time, but time is only an illusion created by man.  Rushing things in life will only bring disappointment or where it produces results, just a shadow of what is possible.   "Time is an illusion". – ALBERT EINSTEIN -

Think about when you boil the kettle to make tea.  If you don't wait for the water to finish boiling - it won't be warm and you won’t enjoy a flavourful cup of tea.  Each goal will take place in its own time.  Some may become reality faster than others; it just depends on how much needs to be done to make it happen.  Many goals require a complete change of lifestyle and others, years of training, or relocation, however it’s not only a question of waiting but also maintaining a good attitude.  Becoming successful is a privilege and must be earned.  It’s not something that we deserve because we had a hard life or because we were born with less than others.

“The timeless in you is aware of life’s timelessness. And knows that yesterday is but today’s memory and tomorrow is today’s dream.” - KHALIL GIBRAN -

Having dreams is important, planning and putting things into action is part of the process, but stepping back once in a while will enable you to jump further.  Starting a business or a new career will take time to yield the success you crave.  Becoming successful in just a few months is unrealistic as it takes time to build, like a wall, one brick at the time.  It’s why so many people give up before seeing results and swiftly return to their comfort zone.  If you don't give time to time, you'll only receive a little.  Be patient with a positive attitude and believe that all your hard work and sacrifice will be rewarded one day and it will materialise before your eyes; probably when you expect it the least; your harvest time will come.

“You can have it all. Just not all at once.” – OPRAH WINFREY – 

Patience is virtuous in other ways too.  It has the power to heal.  

People argue all the time and whatever their relationship to each other, misunderstandings can be damaging.  Time will heal the broken pieces, and sometimes it’s the only remedy.  

Time really can mend your heart and bring you peace of mind.  It’s pointless to bear a grudge, the negative emotion is with you, not the subject of your emotion so in the end you’ll only end up hurting yourself. 

Your love for your dreams, and the discipline you’ll develop to achieve them will attract the right people and situations to you.  Walking the path towards your goal requires patience, devotion and love, and for these reasons only some become successful.

Simply ask yourself these questions: how much do I want it?  Am I willing to sacrifice my time?  Put my social life on hold?  Endure backwards steps in order to move forward?  Or, to struggle financially?  If you can answer yes to all of these questions then you’re ready to start your journey.  But remember, success will take its sweet time so always be mindful of that.

HAVE PATIENCE WITH ALL THINGS BUT MOSTLY WITH YOURSELF.

READ NEXT: Nobody is perfect.

PARENT'S BLESSING: Why seek approval?

We only end up hurting if we don't get it as we know we have failed to meet their expectations.Do we need to please our parents and follow their ways? I don’t believe so. We are individuals not clones with our own aspirations. Some parents heavily influence their children to follow their path; in an odd way they push them toward their unachieved dreams, their religious beliefs, and their way of life.

Of course, parents will have a certain way of living which their children will have to accept. They'll have do as they're told, but only until they're old enough to make their own choices and chase their own dreams.

I believe that parents should raise their kids with unconditional love and with discipline, but also encourage their independence and freewill to become whomever they want to be.

I once met an intelligent and beautiful girl at a model agency.

I asked her: “Where are you from? She said: “From Puerto Rico”. I was amazed that she came from somewhere so far away. I asked her if she was a model back home. She answered: ”No, I was a pilot”. I was gob smacked! I asked: "What are you doing here in London?" She replied: “I’m here on a student visa to get away from my dad and make my dream come true. I never wanted to become a pilot, that was my dad’s dream. I want to be a model, I'm passionate about fashion.”

We all know people who are living their lives in a certain way to keep their parents or others happy. They feel like it's their duty, an obligation towards them and they're willing to sacrifice some of their own freedom to please them. That’s a personal choice and no one should be judged for it. However, many suffer the consequences. Their heart divorces their mind and they become unhappy as they aren't living the life they desire.

"All parents damage their children. It cannot be helped. Youth, like pristine glass, absorbs the prints of its handlers. Some parents smudge, others crack, a few shatter childhoods completely into jagged little pieces, beyond repair." - Mitch Albom -

The lack of support or love from your parents will hurt but that’s only a problem if you choose to let the pain take over. Time will heal your wounds. Do you really need their blessing to breathe air? Do you need their approval to choose who you love? Do you need them to hold your hand for your first day at work? No! So why is it any different to choose the life you want?

It is heart breaking when a parent disapproves of your choices, rejecting the life you have chosen or sometimes showing disapproval through disinterest. I kind of understand their perspective though. They think they know what is best for you and want to protect you from the bad choices they made. They forget that we all have different values and different ambitions, so we all need to follow our own path. I don’t think this makes them bad parents, just afraid of the unknown with little faith in what is possible.

"Lucky parents who have fine children usually have lucky children who have fine parents." - James A. Brewer -

It isn’t our job to fulfil our parent’s unfinished dreams or live the life they have chosen for us, but we do have a duty towards ourselves to fulfil our own destiny. 

Some kids are happy to take over the family business or follow the same profession as their parents because it's a family tradition and other kids want something different. It's the same with spiritual, political and religious beliefs, some will keep them going and others will make their own choices.

If you are a parent, don't be disappointed if your son or daughter has chosen to live free and be their own person. Most kids are grateful to their parents for the clothes on their backs, the food on the table, and the roof over their head. Mostly they are grateful for the chance to live and this can only be repaid by love. Be proud of your kids and love them, accept their choices and passions, they want your love and acceptance more than anything, but they will find a way to live without it if this is not the case.

Parents have the gift to heal the world, by teaching unconditional love to the next generation SO OUR FUTURE CAN BE BRIGHTER.

READ NEXT: ‘Family’ - Rethought

YOUR MIND. Your best friend or your enemy?

Do you feel like you cannot escape your mind? The negative parroting of the same things over and over again, keeping you fearful and limited.  Let me tell you one thing that the parrot isn’t telling you, none of it is true. You just need to learn how to control your mind and keep it positive and rational.

Meditation is one of the ways and another is counselling.  They’re both efficient methods, however you must be dedicated as your mind will fight change, you’ll probably think something like -“You don't need to see anyone, you’re not crazy!”  Or, “You look so stupid in the lotus position, forget about it and watch TV.”

"You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind."  - Joyce Meyer -

Your mind’s biggest fear is change, it will try to convince you it won’t work, or that it’s too risky, or its number one excuse to stop you: what will people think? But it’s just fear, a fiction of your imagination, you just need to tell it that everything is going to be fine, I want to try this and I believe in myself. 

It is important to understand that the mind is primitive.  And, like anything primitive it needs to be tamed and developed in order to live a good life.  Once we gain control of it, it becomes a powerful ally with incredible abilities, just ask life’s high achievers.  Most of our negative thoughts are related to our past actions and mistakes, let’s call them life experiences; the judgement of others and the taking of risks to better our lives.  A weak mind will repeatedly ask itself the same insecure questions and may continually make bad choices.

“We deal with our mind from morning till evening, and it can be our friend or our worst enemy.” - Matthieu Ricard -

The fear of being alone with our thoughts is one of the reasons millions of people become workaholics, to avoid their mind working against them, they try to always stay busy.  It’s a coping mechanism that is very common. We try to forget our worries, our fears and our disappointments, by keeping busy to drown it all out. To a certain extent being active is a good way of diluting the negative thoughts, but it’s only a temporary solution, as eventually something would need to be done. We cannot bury our regrets and doubts forever, they will eventually resurface in your our minds, and the longer we wait, the harder it will be to deal with.

Seek professional help in order to find closure on what ever your personal demons might be.  Help yourself move forward, you are not perfect, just human.  We all face difficulties in our lives; no matter if we are rich or poor, young or old, female or male.

Life will make it difficult at times so we can learn something through the experience, but that’s to enable us to move onto our next chapter – so be patient, find the strength and don’t be too hard on yourself.

“Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one”  - Bruce Lee -

Unfortunately many can't see their way out of their mindset and situation.  They reach out for extreme alternatives to escape it all, and it often doesn't end very well. These people have simply lost hope. No situation is hopeless; your will and determination to overcome your doubts and fears will guide you, it is an inside job. Believe that you can turn things around, because no one can do it for you. 

Here’s a little secret, the mind can only hold one thought at the time so when a negative thought enters your mind, start doing something else, distract yourself; watch a comedy, read a book, call a friend, play upbeat music, temporary distractions are the glue between now and the time you gain control of your mind.

“There is no such thing as a hopeless situation. Every single circumstances of your life can change!” - Rhonda Byrne -  

Many people experience the same feelings and fears. Our mind will sometime tell us lies, where as our heart and guts cannot lie or be corrupted. That’s why it hurts so much when we don’t listen to either; neurologists have proven that when it comes to our moods, decisions and behaviour, the brain in our head is not the only one doing the thinking but our guts too (our second brain). 

- We are born with only two fears, the fear of falling and the fear of loud noise. Any other fears were acquired through life experiences. - 

Don’t let your problems and your way of coping with negative thoughts dictate how you live your life.  Don’t bury what is evident to you.  Remove it, or deal with it, as you will be missing out on an amazing life.  If you decide to let go of what you can’t control, you will instantly be a happier person, that includes family, other people’s judgements, what tomorrow will bring, how long you’ll live; basically anything you have no control over – Let it all go.

IF THERE IS A PROBLEM, THERE IS A SOLUTION; IF THERE IS NO SOLUTION, THERE IS NO PROBLEM.

READ NEXT: Honesty