Asa Rodriguez's Blog, page 30

How you move on in life…

Life is always testing us, people, things, events, new situations. Really what it is, of course, is evolution, the way things happen, the path of evolving through this thing we call time. So, mistakes are made, no one is perfect; so we suffer, we act impulsively, and we may even adopt bias perspectives based on the frustration we feel when something goes wrong. This is being human. No biggie. One must learn that this is how things are, no matter how intelligent and mature and evolved you think you are. ‘Shit happens’ as they say, right??

But one secret is that life is not what happens around you, not the events, not the people who annoy you, not the dating or marriage situation, etc. No. Life is a feeling, each moment, in you. Life is about how you feel about what happens around you. This is very different. Pay attention. You may lose a loved one, or lose a job, or suffer discrimination, or bullying, or a thousand things. Terrible. Appalling. But you choose how to feel about those things. Obviously, being angry, frustrated, down on yourself, is normal; because this just happens to everybody at some point. That negative and dark feeling is what we all go through, at different levels, in different experiences; but we all live this, and it is up to each one of us to remain feeling like this, or wake up and choose to move on and feel better.

Obviously, choosing to move on is difficult. It took me years after my father died. So I am not telling you that is easy. It can be extremely challenging. But you know what it is?? The attachment to feeling like a victim, to feeling down, to living in what happened to us. This attachment must be removed at once from our daily mindset. That begins confidence. That removal of attachment, however difficult for you, is what brings you that empowerment, that self-confidence needed in life. And life indeed requires the confidence being born from you moving on and believing in yourself.

All those bad things happening in life, they ask constantly for strength from you; that’s inner strength, and that’s why removing attachment from the hurt is vital in life if you want to move on and be awesome. Now, being awesome, feeling great, no matter your past, is really nature, human nature. It is innate to each one of us. Really, it is. The problem, or challenge, is the mind and the attachment to the negative. This attachment gives you lack of belief in yourself. When you don’t believe in yourself is when you start thinking negatively, finding flaws in others, even hating yourself; and then you feel hurt and bothered by the world. And yes, is true. Politics, religion, racism, prejudice, greedy businesses, whatever. These can really disturb us, one way or another; however, we don’t have to let it, we can rise above it.

So, choose to feel better about yourself without giving attention to the world. This is how I do it. It is not being selfish. It is called Self-love, Self-care, and it is actually the true essence of love lacking in the lives of most people now-a-days. So, I focus on activities, habits, daily behaviors which bring me health and good, strong thinking, great self-awareness. I exercise. I meditate. I cook my meals and make sure I have plenty of fruits and vegetables every day. I take time for myself to write, to connect to myself and to find out how I really feel and think without the influence from my family, friends, TV, and society in general. I never follow thoughts or feelings without finding the truth with empathy and rationality, no matter who has said it.

When you do all this, patiently, faithfully, your attention shifts inwards and it leaves the world. So now you’re focused on you. And you gain confidence. And whatever happens around you seems petty now, because your energy is not focused on the outside but on the inside. And remember that life is not about the events happening around you, but it’s about how you feel about them. So if you focus on you and on feeling positive, you don’t really have time or desire to react impulsively to what happens around you. And then is easier to move on and move forward with great confidence and belief in yourself. Life only improves this way.

Thanks for reading. And now I want to tell you that right now you can get 1 epic adventure, or both, for free. Opt-in optional, which means you can choose to subscribe to my newsletter or not. Either way you can read #1 and #2 for free, if you haven’t already.

Epic fantasy series about a young orphan boy discovering himself, what he can accomplish, and his shamanic roots. It expands to gods, demons, witches, sorcerers, ancient aliens, etc. If you’re into ‘Harry Potter,’ and also into the ‘Percy Jackson’ novels, you’ll love these…

Click here for #1, “The call of the shaman.”Click here for #2, “the return of the gods.”

High fantasy. Work in progress. “The Book of 1st Witchcraft”

“Evolution. It’s all about evolving. Either you evolve for good, or you evolve for bad; but you evolve, and there is no escape from that. And for Ben, the human boy chosen by the gods, the next step into evolution, into a better evolution, was death. Pure and simple, death is not as dark and final as most people believe it is; and, deep in the corners of his subconscious, Benjamin Jones knew it very well…

“Thus he’d welcomed the call of the gods. But, as mentioned before, it happened that Aldorf knew; for he’d been visited by the gods, by the most pure and intense light, and by the greatest expression of love and bliss. Indeed he had been told of the wonderful things to come, and that is why he had waited for Ben on that mountain peak. Aldorf had been chosen to take part in Ben’s rebirth, and he was to do as he had been instructed…

“So, it occurred that a group of 4 strong dwarves took the body out of the house, with gentleness, with dignity, with sadness. And outside, in a coffin made out of burly tree roots, the most elegant wood and magical tree sap, Ben was carried by 2 very robust and tall orcs of good nature. And there was much weeping in the streets of the neighborhoods and in the marketplace, for everybody felt dearly for the boy whom they didn’t know…

“The boy who was now dead. The boy who was supposed to bring liberation from the rebellion and from demons. The hero half-human and half-god. This boy who had been chosen by the great gods of ancient Sumeria. And, inside the magical box, this boy was undergoing something incredible; but nobody really knew about this, because nobody really understood how blessed and special he was…”

–That was a little section of #3 in the series, which I am currently writing. This chapter is called “The Place of Zaronn.” This tells of the death of Ben in The Mountain of Lamentation, where a spiritual community took him in and is now taking the dead boy to the sacred place of the gods for his resurrection. Hope you enjoyed that. It’s getting intense.

Now enjoy these book promotions by clicking on the buttons below. And thanks for reading.

Portal to fantasyWhat hides in the fogNew year New youBrand new January fantasy

Attention and attraction.

What keeps you joyful in a relationship is not love. Love is always there, whether you like it or not; and you don’t have to really do anything to love and be loved. “Falling in love” and “Falling out of love” are just concepts from a society with no clue of what love is.

What keeps the joy and harmony in a relationship is attention and the formula of attraction. Why many relationships fail is due to losing attention to each other and, basically, not understanding the formula to grow attraction. Attention and attraction are created by the mind, which is why these are always the ones in charge.

The most important thing is to tame your mind, to teach it to focus on the affection and on the attractive traits. This will increase attention and attractiveness in your mind, and slowly this will transform any flaws and negative traits you see in the other. It’s all about the mind. Once you rule over your mind, then all is well.

Reading time. New adventures. New worlds. New characters.

Please enjoy these fiction and non-fiction book promos:

Click here for “The road.”Click here for “New series starters.”Click here for “follow the knowledge”Into sacred knowledge

New Year, New Life.

So, I hope you had a good time on your holidays. I always feel that holidays, and specially times in winter, are occasions to reflect on the past year and to cherish what we have (whether much or little). Times to enjoy and leave the anger, frustration, and what we didn’t get. Better choose to think about a better coming year, and think about ways to better habits to make it a better year. Because nothing gets better in life if we do not commit to it and change our habits towards something new and better.

I spent it with family, and enjoyed my time.

But besides family, a great part of my life is my creativity. To pour my imagination and passion for something into my work. I think a person should use creativity in all one does, and expand that muscle into different aspects of life. Personally, it liberates me and gives me the capacity to create who I am, to discover other parts of me that I didn’t know before.

I have been working on new paintings and book cover designs for my high fantasy series BENJAMIN JONES.

On the first adventure, “The Call of The Shaman,” Ben’s parents have died and left him an orphan. He then, joined by his friends, goes on a journey of self-discovery; and he finds out he’s a shaman, and the chosen one to host the ancient Sumerian hero/demigod Wolf boy. He discovers many things about himself, and he must deal with dark forces in his path…

You can get “THE CALL OF THE SHAMAN” here

On the second adventure, “The Return of The Gods,” following the events of the 1st adventure, he meets the ancient Sumerian gods. He joins them and he learns of a war going on between gods and demons. But, lost in the darkness, due to Wolf boy’s curse, he finds himself in a purgatory world, The Dark World. Now with the help of his living and magical shadow and the soul of the ancient god in him, he must train and find a way out the darkness…

You can get “THE RETURN OF THE GODS” here

In order to better your life…

Everything and anything that enters the mind must be studied, discovered, analyzed and recognized as true or untrue. Does it come from tradition?? Is it a belief, an opinion, a pattern of thinking and feeling that has been created by other people for me to follow blindly??

Do I have real facts that I can prove for it?? Is it rational, logical, real; or is it just my thought and desire for it?? Is it based on anger, frustration, loneliness, lack of identity?? Is it actually helping me grow in the understanding of myself and life, or is it just another illusion believed by billions of empty souls around the world?? Ask yourself all this without making excuses.

Society, and all its systems around the globe, creates illusions to keep on feeding the ego and its emptiness. The economy. The way one should feel and act in certain situations. Traditions. Cultures. The many religions. Politics and its superiority complex. The way everything is romanticized. Fanaticism in all level. Every reality is replaced or buried by a quick illusion that makes people feel less empty.

In consequence, people follow their abominations with a smile, claiming to have the truth and attached to their blind stupidity. Each group does this without even understanding. But only learning to think for yourself will help you see through this abomination.

Thanks for reading. Please check out these awesome book promos. Find something you like and strengthen your imagination:

Fantasy ku or free promowintery tales of fantasyCreatures of magic

A story of self-discovery…

“Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.”

― Rumi

Everything and anything creative expands your mental capacities, which means it expands your awareness in life. Life, in all aspects of it, requires creativity. If you have problems in relationships, creativity gives you the insight to understand better ways to approach the problem. If you experience challenging times financially, creativity lessens your emotional burdens and helps you see another way to motivate you and inspire you to move forward.

And whatever we are, as human beings, must be creative. Most people do not respect each other, they bully others, they live angry and frustrated, they become stubborn and set in their old ways. All things happen because the mind lacks that creative expansion, that creative awareness. I have found that in my life creativity has led me to write, inspire myself, seek to be better than I was yesterday in mind and body. I write stories to inspire myself and others. It’s a very important way to express myself, develop myself, and share myself with the world.

Having established that thought, I wanted to show you my new book’s cover. I am working on new covers for my books, fiction and nonfiction. And, while I still work on #3 in the series BENJAMIN JONES, here is the finished painting for #1 and next to it is the finished book cover design for the same. So, this is “BENJAMIN JONES – The Call of The Shaman,” #1 in the epic series.

The story is about an orphan boy who seeks to discover himself and the world. His parents have died in a very mysterious way, and now he has been ignored by his people (indigenous people) and doomed to live in an orphanage. He will meet new friends, set out on an adventure, find out his shamanic legacy, discover that he is much more than he ever thought. But this will bring consequences, because there are dark forces seeking to destroy his light. Terrible creatures following him. Many challenges to become who he is meant to be.

These series of books focus on the narrative, on the description of how he thinks and feels mostly; because this is about his journey of self-discovery. Life is about how we feel, because the experiences that we live daily are really about how we feel. So, this is BENJAMIN JONES journey to become a god, as he will uncover mysteries and how especial he is. He will discover that there is an ancient demigod living inside him. Check it out and enjoy a good read:

Click here for “The Call of The Shaman.”

YA Fantasy/Mystery. Free download.

-If you like the ‘Harry Potter’ novels.

-If you’re into ‘Percy Jackson.’

-If you enjoy epic journeys of mystery like in ‘The Lord of The Rings.’

Then do not miss this FREE read.

This is the 1st in the epic series BENJAMIN JONES.

This is “The Call of The Shaman.”

Find out more and download it for free:

Click here for “The Call of The Shaman.”

The Struggle of Today…

I remember my life after my father’s death. Nothing was easy for me. I wasn’t finding myself. The pain and sorrow, the regrets and the distant memories of better times. Life can be really tough when you feel lost, but the challenge is there for a reason. It takes time and much struggle, because finding your place in this world is not easy and is not clear.

But I can tell you that the struggle you experience now is developing your strength for tomorrow. You must believe in this process and focus on a good attitude in the present moment. No one can really do it for yourself, but you must. And a good attitude is not being naïve. A good attitude is about choosing to see and feel inspiration even in the worst times. Very challenging. And that is why it requires that you let go all self-pity, past sorrows, and all complaint.

We are all struggling, one way or the other, in some aspect in our lives. So, to move forward one must let go of the burdens, and so travel onwards more light. The burdens we carry could be anxiety, could be anger, mistrust, frustration; however, whatever that is, which is very personal, you have to find a way to leave it behind and seek the motivation, the positivity, the small light in the darkness. I am doing it, so I know this is the way.

THANKS FOR READING.

Strong and onwards.

Sometimes we may have difficulty seeing good results, or getting better opportunities to better ourselves, or accomplishing certain goals in life. We’ve all been there, when things don’t go as we wanted, or when we feel somehow cheated or neglected in our journey through life with its many pressures. But sometimes it is wise to stop wallowing in our self-pity and frustration, stop all overthinking and breathe deeply; like this take our time, through patience, and changing our attitudes towards the situation.

This requires also that we act, better habits, new behaviors. It is about shifting your mindset and choosing other ways to go about things. Just because things are not going our way currently does not mean we have failed or that we cannot do more to navigate forth. No matter how difficult things turn, please, remember that you must walk and focus on each step you take, and change the steps, the approach if you must.

In whatever we do, if important to us, we need passion and commitment. Many people fail at this, but don’t focus on them. Focus on yourself and creating the new. And for this, passion and commitment, on anything we do, is created in us as we analyze things carefully and take the necessary steps to go after what we want. It is extremely important that we find our self-worth in this, because life is riddled with difficulties; and so, the inner strength helps us through them.

And here are some good book promos for your enjoyment. All fantasy and sci-fi stories where you’re sure to find your adventure. Check it out:

fantasy reads for fallthe visit

Don’t follow. Lead yourself.

Have no fear of being yourself. There is no normal. There is no oddity. There is no way to be. We have been influenced to believe that this is the case, that we should be this or that. But people are different. We carry different hurts, different pasts, different experiences. So, the strength, the confidence, the attractive quality does not lie in pretending to be something we’re not, or in falling in intimidation of others for being so-called “normal.”

But everything is really about saying how you think and feel. No fear of messing up. No fear of not being understood. Because any fear you have, even if you think you hide it well, it becomes your burden. This fear becomes an overactive imagination, and overthinking, and anxiety. And as long as this anxiety rules your mind, you remain a slave, you become subconsciously paranoid, and you begin feeling less than others while losing respect for yourself.

And life is really about becoming better morally, learning more, changing to better habits, new dreams, great accomplishments which bring us joy. Self-confidence is required for all this. To gain self-confidence, you have to improve the respect you have for yourself; and this can only be accomplished when you are not feeling less than others, and when your mind is not anxious or trying to be this so-called “normal” like the rest. No, in this life you create yourself; and you lead yourself without letting others influence you. You learn to love by loving as yourself, not by copying others. You learn as you go, by exploring yourself and by becoming active in what you want. Ignore the rest, and do it yourself.

“THE LOOSE DAMNED” – Only on Kindle Vella.

And this following short story is about a rebellious young man, Michael Vega, who gets into trouble, ends up in prison, and then dies.

But this particular story begins when he comes back from hell.  Perhaps he comes back for love.  Maybe for rebellion. 

But, even though you will encounter themes like heaven, hell, and aliens, my real intention here is to help us ponder this life, Creation, and the resurrection of each one of us in our life’s journey.

https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B096L2FYN2