Asa Rodriguez's Blog, page 31

Knowledge to be healthier.

So, one of the most important topics in life for me is health. The most vital habits in life for me must be centered in a healthy lifestyle. Without health you cannot truly enjoy life. Without health you always fear falling ill. Without health you lack energy, you get upset easily, you fall into temptations easily. I have learned throughout my life that if I don’t feel well, or if my immune system is weak, then my mental capacity is weak as well. And when my mental capacity is weak, then I don’t really feel a desire to enjoy life, to start new ventures, to better my relationships, to find new perspectives and become better in general.

And one of the things, or the most important thing, about health is to create passion. So many people follow strict diets, others exercise like crazy, others force themselves to eat something they hate just because others said it. And what about when doctors or friends tell you to follow keto diet, or some particular routine to follow to lose weight?? It can all be overwhelming. And the fact is that many people quit because of this pressure they bring upon themselves. But the truth is that we are all different, our bodies and minds, our genetics and ways we have been taught since childhood are different. So, in order to make it stick, in order to enjoy a new change in lifestyle, you must feel passion for what you eat and do. So, do your own research. Give your body and mind the nutrients it needs based on healthy foods, but healthy foods you do not hate. Taste is very important, so you can desire to eat healthily and not make it a hard chore.

You must wake up each morning and feel good about yourself. I personally do intermittent fasting, which means I do not eat breakfast; I let my stomach clean itself and rest from the prior meal. This rest gives my body and mind an energy boost, my immune system strengthens because my extra fatty tissue, and what my body doesn’t need to store, is converted to cleaner energy. Then I eat lunch and later dinner. Each day I have many fruits. Fruit helps with digestion, and fruits have the benefits my body needs, specially fiber. I just turned 41 years old, so I know how challenging dieting is; and that is why I do not diet. I eat candy, and breads, and pastas, etc. But the trick is to also eat foods that bring all the nutrients your body needs. Because if you only fill your stomach with food, you are not really giving your body and mind the nutrients they need to use energy from fats properly. So, remind yourself to do research on the internet and find the knowledge you need to become healthier.

And, I hope you had a good Halloween time. Of course, some good reads for you; because reading, creativity, increasing imagination is very important. So check out these promos below. You’ll find something you like.

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Creativity for a better life.

Life is about finding the inner strength, the positive in the negative, the greater capacity to move on and better ourselves. And for this, we must look at change, which is building the new, whatever the new is for you. The new could be another perspective, it could be a new way to do something that before didn’t work in your life, it could be a more passionate and positive approach to the hardships in your journey, and so on and so forth. But whatever we do, we must work on strengthening creativity.

Greater creativity is the greatest achievement one can get individually, because any suffering, any drama, and any attachment to old ways and lack of insight to build the new exist in our lives because there is no creativity. Greater creativity has created the world as it is, with the good and the not so good. Strengthening the creative muscle is the most important thing we can do, to understand more of life, of others, of ourselves.

Greater creativity improves our relationships, our perspectives in life. Learning more, reading more, practicing talents more, letting go of the old and stubborn ways, changing our habits into better ones. All this increases our capacity to become more creative in life. And while our minds increase this capacity, we become more able to fix whatever needs to be fixed or improved in our relationships, because now our perspective, our tolerance, our ability to project into someone else’s mind, and our understanding of the important things in life has become more clear and in tune with empathy.

And now on hardback: “The Call of The Shaman” – YA Fantasy/Mystery novel. #1 in the epic series BENJAMIN JONES.

“Now, these creatures from the necro world moved quickly through the air. Seen from afar, they were of a smoky substance; but they could still hurt the living if they wanted to do so…

“And these were slaves for eternity. Not just tortured souls, but their egos had been given so much power that no love whatsoever existed in them. Man has light and darkness, but these ghouls only had darkness within them.”

CLICK IMAGE BELOW:

A better direction in life.

Life is about creating yourself. Having said that, many of us get used to something, even if it is not giving us good results, and we stay there and continue on that path. But sometimes a new scenery, a change in habits, a new lifestyle is needed to create something better in our lives. Sometimes a particular relationship is too much drama, fights, arguments, trying hard to be happy; and for that reason I must leave it and follow my own path.

Or oftentimes the way I behave, the daily habits I have are not giving me the results in life that I want; and thus I must change those habits, healthier, wiser, more mature habits. We are meant to progress, to discover love and happiness in ourselves; however, this discovery requires change, it requires that we leave behind what is not truly working for us and so begin a new path. This means that we must let go of the comfort and really seek our progress and health in life.

This also means to reinvent yourself, to stop getting attached to the old way of doing things, and thus start a new chapter in your life and something which is better for you. Life is what we make of it. Life is not about others, but about you. So, if you need to leave others, leave a particular system, leave culture and tradition, then do it with a second thought. If you think too much you’ll lose the courage, the confidence to start a new path.

And for the ones among us who enjoy a good fantasy story, I remind you of Michael Vega’s amazing story. Only on Kindle Vella. The first 3 chapters are for free. Then you can buy each episode, or the whole story.

A  story  of  heaven,  hell,  and  cosmic  punishment.

This  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.  He  escapes.  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.

Click here for “the loose damned”

Grow together. Learn together.

Keeping things inside you in relationships, or being emotionally closed. Pretending, just to keep the peace and not argue. Being impulsive in conversations and letting your frustration take over. This all can lead to secrets, to lies, to misbehaving, to lose trust and connection. Communicating is all about being honest with each other. This means finding the right way to say something and sharing your opinion in a respectful way. This can be challenging when you don’t agree on something.

But not agreeing on something can be healthy, because it means you have the chance to learn a new perspective. Learning a new perspective can help you understand in a more profound way the other person. That is the key to successful relationships, to learn from each other, to grow as individuals and as a team. So, you acknowledge his/her point of view, leave your ego, leave your pride, and try to get closer to the way of thinking and feeling of the other person.

With respect, patiently, and without being impulsive or reactive then your relationship grows. Any relationship. This is the challenge for the one passionate enough to truly love another. And having passion, in a mature relationship, means to find the proper way to nurture that relationship for you and your partner; so you both can grow together, learn together, even if you have different opinions and points of view.

A little bit from “I ALWAYS LOVED YOU – Creatures of Eternal Love” – A book about true love and successful relationships.

“Love  is  not  anger,  and  has  nothing  to  do  with  anger.  Love  is  not  possessive  or  controlling,  and  it  has  nothing  to  do  with  that.  Love  is  not  envious  or  jealous,  no  matter  what  you  tell  yourself.  Love  seeks  not  to  win  arguments,  because  love  knows  no  competition...

“ Love  is  eternally  truthful,  because  it  has  nothing  to  do  with  lies.  Love  is  beyond  romance,  friendship  and  all  other  labels;  for  love  is  the  energy  which  connects  even  the  murderer  to  the  saint.  A  love  like  this  truly  beautifies  life. ..”

Check out the book by clicking on the picture:

Cherish those who matter.

We are all connected. We can have different personalities, mindsets, experiences in life; but we are all human and feel that empathy, that sense of knowing that we all seek connection. Sometimes it works out. Sometimes it doesn’t. People come in and out of our lives, and if we’re wise enough we can learn from the experience (whatever that was). Focus on how people make you feel and on who truly cares about you. Focus on who is there for you, even if they have their own lives now and they may be busy at times. Remember who’s important, and who was there for you.

People loves according to how they have been raised, or according to how they see and understand themselves; so, understand that your way of showing affection could be really different from the way of showing affection others have. Having said that, always observe and learn to cherish those who, in their own way, are there for you when you need them. Remind yourself that we are all learning to love ourselves and others. So don’t judge. We are all going through our own challenges. And the key is to really cherish those who matter to us, but always putting our egos aside. People have misunderstandings, and yet people can still care deep inside.

Thanks for reading. And, just a reminder that for a limited time, you can get the 2nd in the epic series for free. Opt-in optional, which means you can choose to join my newsletter or not and still get the download for free.

Click for “the return of the gods

Free download. “The Return of The Gods”

CHAPTER 1 – The Darkness Inside –

“Shadow sped up on the highland. He was running really fast, as only a creature of magic could. He was chasing and looking for someone. He was worried, overwhelmed, energetic. He carried heavy feelings. He wasn’t just a shadow, but he had a direct link to Ben…

” It was like being inside Ben’s skin, knowing his thoughts, his feelings of joy, of fear. They were one and the same. And right now, Shadow knew how Ben felt. But this was confusing, demanding, even scary for him. Shadow was just getting used to his individuality and freedom. All these thoughts, emotions, ways of thinking, ways of perceiving the world. All this was new to him, because, before the magic, Ben did everything for him…

“He was just his shadow before, and that was it. The magic was growing now, and he loved it. But right now, he wasn’t happy. Not at all. He was feeling the pain Ben felt. And as he stopped at the top of the hill, he became aware of this psychological and emotional pain. He fell on his knees and shrank on the ground. He rolled over a few times on the short grass underneath him…

“He  had  never  experienced  this  pain,  which  wasn’t  that  terrible  really;  however,  he  was  like  a  little  kid  experiencing  deep  anger,  impotence,  and  frustration  for  the  first  time.  “Oh,  the  agony.  What  is  this??  Stop  this  Ben.  Stop  it!  Stop  it!  Stop  it!,”  he  muttered  to  himself…

“He  held  his  chest  tightly  and  rolled  around  while  moaning  upsettingly.  He  was  getting  acquainted  with  the  pain  he  felt.  He  knew  that  this  was  what  all  sentient  beings  felt,  that  this  was  “normal”  for  them.  But  he  still  didn’t  want  it…

“The  sun  was  directly  on  him.  The  skies  were  clear.  Fresh  winds  blew  from  the  east.  Now  Adit  stood  above  him,  and  with  his  rooted  feet  stopped  him  from  his  childish  caper.  He  glared  at  him  while  covering  the  sun.  “What  are  you  doing…??  I  thought  you  were  looking  for  him,”  he  said.

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Breaking free from the “normal”

I’ve been on the other side, which is the side of attachment and self-neglect. When I was looking to fit in and to be like the rest, seeking their approval, seeking to belong to a group of thinkers, believers, philosophers. We all seek this when there is no knowledge of self. We seek to belong and to feel part of others and of what others do, and this quite often becomes an obsession, a corruption as we become more like others and lose our uniqueness. Most of us fall into this, because we cannot be with ourselves. We might feel empty, not worthy by ourselves, like something is missing; therefore, we look to others and to think like them.

We really are different and unique, each one of us; however, by trying to be like others, by following a belief, a philosophy, a behavior which is not truly ours we become distanced from ourselves and from our uniqueness. The world is full of people who seek an identity outside themselves, in a crowd, in culture, in tradition, in religion, in politics. This brings them more emptiness and loneliness. Happiness is in discovering yourself, to stand on your own, to lead your own thinking and feeling, to create better behaviors based on your uniqueness. Trying to copy others dulls the mind, and it makes the emptiness, the frustration, the loneliness stronger in you.

There is nothing more important in life than to be and feel whole, to discover ourselves by taking care of ourselves. Don’t focus on others, on what philosophers say, on what religions say, on what groups of people (whoever these groups are) say. Life is about being happy, and to be truly happy one must learn to think for oneself. There is no normal. We are all different. Think for yourself and don’t seek to copy the “normal” offered by society, by your family, by politics and religion. Nothing will make you whole, able to feel successful and happy, unless it is your own unbiased thinking. Forge your own path. It works for me. It will do so for you as well.

And for the ones who didn’t know, for a limited time only, you can get the 2nd in the epic series for free. Opt-in optional, which means you can choose to join my newsletter or not and still get the download for free.

Find out about the book and download it for free by clicking the button below. Thanks.

Get “The Return of the gods” here

True intelligence in life.

Throughout the years I’ve learned that knowledge does not really make you a better person, it does not bring illumination or any true intelligence. Unless you apply an expansion of the right knowledge, unless you let go of attachment to that same knowledge, your self-awareness will not increase and your intelligence will not grow. Don’t be attached to any knowledge at all, for it will only make you bias and stupid.

And when I talk about knowledge I am referring to any at all. All information, from any source. Beliefs. Popular philosophies. Scientific data. Politics. Personal opinions. Family traditions. Cultures. And whatever tries to guide you a certain way. Whatever, no matter intention, tries to lead you and take you through a certain path. But all knowledge is good though, we can learn something from it; however, any attachment makes your mind a follower of this particular knowledge while ignoring or condemning any other information which does not fit that first knowledge you worship.

So, we can clearly see that if you follow any particular knowledge then your mind becomes rigid and a believer of that knowledge. This rigidness makes you prideful, arrogant, even violent with others who do not share your particular knowledge. This is important to have in mind specially in relationships. In relationships, to be successful, you must have an open mind and accept the other person as they are. To be truly intelligent, awakened, wise, you must let go of worshiping any knowledge at all; and so, become more open-minded and connected to yourself, to others, to life, without any rigidity.

Better thoughts.

So, what is a thought…?? Isn’t it a stream of perceptions, or perception, of life, of existence, and of everything in it?? Thought is a substance which brings reality to the world then, because all we think and feel is originated from perceptions of ourselves as human beings and of the world as the collective. So, your perceptions will create your experience, how you feel, what you understand, your persona. It’s wise then to make sure you nourish your mind with the best thoughts or with the perceptions which will help you remain in love and happy as you live your life. I think we can all agree to that fact.

I have many personal problems, burdens from my past, even situations which bring me negative reactions; however, it is not these which trouble me in reality, but it is the thoughts I follow in my mind, the thinking I choose to have the one which really makes me unhappy. To be attached to anger and frustration when I see people who annoy me. To be attached to jealousy and hatred when I see people who have what I do not have. To be attached to self-pity and resentment when I remind myself of my poor or painful past. All these thoughts, this attachment process better put, are what make me unhappy.

So, the quality of our thoughts matters when it comes to moving on, feeling love, being happy in life. The quality of my thinking is the origin of my experience as a human being, person, individual on this earth. And, even though I know it is difficult to maintain positive and motivational thinking sometimes, it is worth it; because I am worthy of love and happiness. And there is no one who can give me love and happiness but myself, through my own thinking, through the elevation of my thoughts amidst the issues and turmoil in my life. I don’t seek excuses. You shouldn’t seek excuses either. Because everything we feel, experience, live, starts with a thought. So, let us make the best thoughts for ourselves.

Thanks for reading. And now, story time, kids. You know me. I value creativity and expanding the mind highly, so here are top book promos. You’re sure to find something of your liking in one of these. Check it out:

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Sea Nymph

Sooner or later even the fastest runners have to stand and fight.

~ Stephen King

A little of my current work. High fantasy/Fantasy/Mystery novel. BENJAMIN JONES. The series.

“The Book of 1st Witchcraft.” #3 in the epic series.

This is from Chapter 22 – ‘The Sea Nymph’

“Like sacks of rocks dumped into the ocean, one by one, one after the other, the enchanted demons kept rushing down, falling to their unavoidable demise. Lord Furvusmortem saw this, and then also saw the dozens of sirens alluring them. And from rocks and even from the water, the sirens noticed his presence in the high peaks as well. There was one among the sirens who seemed to be their leader…

“Perhaps their queen. Maybe mother to all of them. She wore a crown and golden fish scales on the lower half of her body. And the lord of all obscurity locked eyes with her, because he understood what she was doing. He hadn’t thought she would dare cross him, but he was now losing hundreds of demons because of her…

“Sirens were notoriously rebellious, united as sisters, and also worked alone. They would allow no male creature to give them orders, but in this war they had taken sides with the gods. Formidable allies, as they were rulers of the seas. And so then, it happened that he floated to her; and a cloud or gas formation seemed to be carrying him down, or perhaps the air currents were forming tight pockets around him…

“And his speed was slow, but then it increased; and thus it became more and more threatening. And it occurred in a flash, or in the quickest wink of an eye; for he fleeted, and he came to her with disgust and arrogance. And he stopped just a few feet from her, then stepped on the water, and took another step towards the queen siren resting on a rock formation near the coastline…

“But he was really walking on the surface of the water, since she was sitting on a short sea stump. He halted pace, looked into her eyes, then coolly demanded, “Stop this now, and I will spare your lives.”…”She looked at him with disgust and disapproval, then replied, “Careful now. These are my waters. I rule here.”…

“He remained quiet and looked around him. His demons falling, being lured into death; for the ones who fell on the water, and did not die instantly, were soon killed by the overwhelming beauty of the sirens. Then he turned back and said to her, “You have made your choice, siren. Now I have made mine as well.”…

“Then he waited to see her eyes. He was looking for fear in them, but there was none. She locked eyes with him. She was a leader, a queen, a sister, and a mother to her sirens; so she met him at his level, and so stood her ground. But, he was arrogant, and immoral, and violent; so he quickly grabbed her throat, and squeezed, and sought to bring fear and chaos into her mind…

“But, even so, she remained dignified and still. And all around her, it was so that many sirens had caught sight of this; and so, they were about to intervene, but she waved her hand and they all refrained from doing so. While the creatures of darkness kept blindly falling to their demise, the waters became agitated because the queen was also now agitated…”

Hope you enjoyed that. Currently working on the painting for the cover of the book also. Follow me to stay up-to-date on the story’s progress. Thanks for reading.