“Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.” — Leo Buscaglia
Each of us come into this world with natural gifts and talents, whether it be in arts, music, science or in athletics. Some may know it earlier and display it as they get older.
While most of us have a child’s eagerness of showing off our talents, there are some who hone their talents in silence.
Fame or greatness doesn’t interest these people. They just do something for the love of doing it.
Others might play an instrument just so they can relieve some pain, stress, or quench the feelings of missingness for people close to them.
But what they do not know is that these passions, that relieve their stress, could be the very things that turn their lives around.
Brandon Lewis’ story is one of these. No one knew in the Air Force that he could sing, play guitar or even write songs.
On his last day in service, amidst the teases of his fellow airmen, Brandon rendered them a song that he originally wrote and played the guitar along with it.
One of the airmen took a video of him and uploaded it on Reddit. Hours later, it went viral and Brandon’s career in music kicked off.
Watch the video below and be inspired by how just one honest song at the right time changed the life of Brandon Lewis.
On His Last Day In The Army He Takes The Guitar And Surprises The World:
Our story may not be the same as that of Brandon Lewis’ but we need to hone our innate skills to give the world the gifts we have.
The best way that we can serve the world is by being our true and authentic selves and sharing whatever gift we have, no matter how small we think it is.
This often lies in our passions and talents, which are the activities that we love doing to an extent that we lose track of time.
Each of us has a place within filled with wonder, excitement and love. Following the things that evoke these things in us will lead us to the gift we can give to the world.
That’s what passions are made of. There’s no need for us to look outside ourselves and shape ourselves to fit into what we think the world needs. No.
We already have what the world needs according to the talents endowed on us the day we were born.
Oftentimes, we don’t notice it because for us it’s natural but for others, it’s unbelievably amazing.
Just like Brandon Lewis, he never knew how good he was until other people took notice and were awe struck by his talents.
When your talent is fueled by your passions, you can do amazing things. Passion keeps you going in turbulent times.
It’s this inner fire that fuels you to get past your limits and push yourself forward through your barriers that prevent you from unlocking your true potential.
Your passion ignites a spark in your spirit. And when it happens, you simply can’t contain it in yourself, you expand and share it with others.
This is what life is all about. When you’ve discovered your passion and become great at it, you will inspire others to do the same.
And the world is no longer the same solely because of what you do. That’s how you change the world, by unapologetically following your heart.
“You can fail at what you don’t want. So, you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.” — Jim Carrey
In a world dominated by glamour and materialism, spiritual awakening might be the least we can expect from Hollywood celebrities. But one awakened soul proved us wrong.
Jim Carrey stepped forward to share about his spiritual awakening, but the world wasn’t prepared to receive it. Some even labeled him crazy.
This reaction is normal since we are conditioned to hardly accept what we can’t truly understand.
However, Jim Carrey is greatly revered by the spiritual community. He is only being true to his calling, nothing more, nothing less.
He is constantly spreading awareness and sharing spiritual truths, even in interviews he doesn’t need to, just to help awaken our spiritually primitive world.
One situation that made Jim Carrey famous, aside from his comedy stint, is his firm belief in the Law of Attraction.
He recalled that prior to his acting career, he wrote himself a check with the amount of ten million dollars for “acting services rendered”, dating it ten years in the future.
True enough, ten years later, it became a reality. Jim Carrey daydreamed of success and imagined himself entertaining people.
At 28 years old, after a decade of being a professional comedian, Jim realized that his purpose in life has always been to free people from their concern just like his dad.
And with his spiritual awakening, his purpose goes even deeper than that. He shares deep wisdom and addresses tough philosophical concepts throughout his videos.
Jim Carrey is sharing the following spiritual truths with the world:
1. “Your need for acceptance can make you invisible in this world.”
2. “So many of us choose our path out of fear disguised as practicality. What we really want seems impossibly out of reach so we never dare to ask The Universe for it. I’m the proof that you can ask The Universe for it.”
3. “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”
4. “No matter what we take seriously, it doesn’t matter.”
5. “There is a soul and it includes everything. And you wake up in the morning and you feel like, I’m The Universe. Let life happen.”
6. “Depression only happens when you don’t accept what is and when you’re playing a character in life.”
7. “Life opens up opportunities to you, and you either take them or you stay afraid of taking them.”
8. “Life doesn’t happen to you. It happens for you.”
9. “I’m making sound, and that’s the important thing, that’s what I’m here to do. Sometimes I think that’s the important thing really… letting each other know we’re here. Reminding each other that we’re part of a larger Self.”
10. “I have no limits. I can’t be contained because I’m the container.”
All Of Jim Carrey Epic Spiritual Moments Caught On Camera:
Trees have an energy. In fact, tree hugging has become a popular practice because of the countless benefits from their energies.
But do they have feelings? They do, according to Peter Wohlleben, a forester at Eifel Mountains in West Germany.
And not just feelings, they communicate with each other constantly through what some call the “Wood Wide Web” or Tree Internet.
Like most of us, Peter used to look at tress as nothing more than a good source of lumber. They plant trees, cut them, then plant young trees again.
Yet, after having some conversations with tourists, Peter’s view of the forest changed. He started to see trees as they are and even noticed how they “feel”.
His observations were not mere assumptions. They’re backed by researchers, specifically from the RWTH Aachen University, who conducted studies in the forest he managed.
12 Astonishing Facts That Prove Trees Have Feelings:
1. Trees help each other stay alive.
Just like a human community, trees help each other to survive.
Some trees that might have fallen around five hundred years ago and still live with the aid of the surrounding trees of the same species.
The other trees that surround the fallen tree usually pump sugar into its stump to keep it alive. They do it by surrounding their roots at the stump, then pump sugar into it.
2. Trees work together to establish a sustainable ecosystem.
It’s quite impossible for a tree to protect itself against the wind and weather when it’s alone. But when they work together, sharing their own food and looking out for each one, they can create an ecosystem where all of them survive and thrive.
Together, they can stand against the changes in temperatures, store enough water for the dry season, generate much humidity, and may even withstand floods and strong weather.
Trees that grow in this kind of environment have the possibility of growing very old.
3. Trees send out warning signals to other trees.
One astonishing study done on the savannah of Africa proved that trees watch each other’s back.
When giraffes feed on the umbrella thorn acacia trees, the trees started to pump toxic substances into their leaves, which caused giraffes to move away from them.
The animals have to back out a hundred yards before starting to nibble on other trees. It’s because the neighboring trees of the same species got the signal and pumped up toxic substances in their leaves too to prevent the giraffes from eating them.
4. Trees feel pain when insects feed on their leaves.
While it may seem natural for insects to feed on leaves of trees, this still hurts a tree.
As soon as a caterpillar nibbles on leaves, the tissue surrounding the damaged area changes.
Like a hurting human tissue, the leaf tissue also sends out electrical signals that travel at a lower speed than the human tissue does, approximately one third of an inch in a minute.
5. Trees make different choices.
The characters of trees are noticed only on the same species that are exposed to the same environmental conditions.
This is mostly seen during autumn when trees are supposed to shed their leaves simultaneously. But not all trees do it because each of them decides as to when is the best time to shed their leaves.
None of them knows for sure if the winter would be harsh or mild. Hence, some shed leaves earlier while others continue to photosynthesize for two weeks more.
6. Mother trees nurture their young trees.
Young trees, specifically the beech trees could grow as high as 18 inches per season. However, their growth is hindered by their mother tree for the reason that, according to the scientists, trees should grow slowly while young to ensure living to old age.
The mother trees ensure that the young ones grow slowly by shading the young trees with their enormous crowns that act as a canopy over the forest floor. Only a small amount of sunlight could reach them for photosynthesis, which is enough to keep them alive.
One scientist who helped discover the maternal instincts of trees is Dr. Suzanne Simard. Dr. Simard described mother trees to be dominant and have fungal root connections that are widely linked to other trees. Through their root systems, the mother trees establish a constant contact with the baby trees, passing into them sugar and other nutrients.
7. Trees have their own language.
A study done by the scientists from the University of Western Australia have registered that roots of grain seedlings cracked at a frequency of 220 Hertz.
When exposed to crackling at this frequency, other seedling roots also oriented their tips in that direction.
It’s like they naturally understood what this means, like a language that is spoken amongst them.
8. Trees scream when they’re thirsty.
Trees complain when they’re thirsty too, just like humans.
But because they don’t speak, they scream by creating vibrations through their trunk.
According to the scientists at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, trees scream when there’s an interruption of the flow of water from the roots to the leaves. And this takes place at ultrasonic levels we can’t hear with human ears.
9. Trees store carbon dioxide.
Through their lives, trees store carbon dioxide up to 22 tons in their trunks, branches, and root systems.
This shows that trees can play smart and save resources for times when resources are scarce.
Some trees do not follow this principle, just like humans.
10. Some trees produce compounds that drive away insects.
Mosquitos and other insects couldn’t be seen near Walnut trees because they produce compounds that deter these insects.
Other trees have different defensive mechanisms.
However, each tree has a smart ways of defending itself from outer danger.
11. Trees have different needs and character.
A mature beech tree needs sugar and cellulose that equals to 2 1/2 acre of a wheat field just to grow its trunk.
But it’s all worth it since a beech tree can produce at least 30,000 beechnuts every 5 years.
Other trees have different needs, and they produce different amounts of fruits. Even trees from same species differ in their needs and production. It’s like each tree is different from another tree just like each person is different in character from another person.
12. Trees have their own so called internet.
Trees have created their own way of communication through a web some scientists call “Wood Wide Web” or The Tree Internet.
This is one of those facts that when you hear it you go ‘whoaaa!’
It’s best if you watch the video below to fully understand how trees achieve this communication.
“The best way to pursue any discipline is the martial arts way, and that’s why it’s been around for thousands and thousands of years. That whole idea of honor and discipline and respect, that’s not there because just as a frivolous afterthought, that’s there because thousands of years of training have taught people that is really the best way to excel and be great.” — Joe Rogan
The real value of martial arts lies not in the practice itself but in the acquisition of the internal qualities developed through the learning process.
When you practice martial arts, and if you do it for a long period of time, you can’t help but discover yourself along the way. The lessons you learn apply to all areas of your life.
The legendary Japanese swordsman, Myamoto Musashi, found that the more he looked for proficiency and efficiency in all his training, the more he looked for those in all things.
His training unconsciously encouraged him to look for the deeper purpose in everything that he did.
At the core of martial arts is discipline. The ability to control emotions, desires, and reactions are all attainable with the right amount of discipline.
Martial arts teach this type of control. It doesn’t focus on the strength of the opponent but on your ability to implement your skills, strengths, and perseverance when necessary.
The Samurai even considers that the greatest warrior is he who gets to defeat himself. The one who conquers himself is stronger than one who has conquered thousand people.
Martial arts instills self discipline in you through the sole act of practicing it. It’s almost like a journey.
It teaches through controlled movements, thinking before acting, and consciously honing your response to the surroundings with complete awareness.
However, most importantly, it teaches you through the act of being responsible to practice it almost every day for a long period of time, even if it hurts sometimes.
This teaches general discipline and it relates to your ability to control your feelings and overcome your weaknesses. Discipline is a martial artist’s way of life, so to speak.
In the real world, even if we don’t practice martial arts, we can apply the self discipline it teaches by having control of our actions and reactions.
This is a sign of inner strength that can be developed through constant practice. Having self control helps us kick bad habits like procrastination or addiction of any kind.
Motivation is a powerful force to give you a kick start, but discipline is the thing that will lead you through for the rest of the way. Motivation fades quickly, discipline persists.
No matter how ordinary or average we are, we have the potential to learn the self discipline of a martial artist. And this is probably the only superpower anyone can unlock.
Looking at a martial artist perform, we are awed by their laser like focus and unbelievably perfect movements.
But what if hundreds or a thousand of martial artists perform simultaneously in perfect unison?
It must be a glorious sight. And that’s exactly how the martial artists in the video below perform.
This impressive video of China’s Kung Fu students will amaze you about how discipline can create a routine of thousands of people in perfect unison.
Aside from their physical agility, stamina and prowess, their perfect unison is a sight to behold. It’s a sight that is awestrucking and enlightening.
Thousands Of Martial Artists Display Unworldly Discipline:
“I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.” — John Burroughs
There is just something to nature that captures our spirit. Maybe the feeling dates back to the time when our ancestors co exist with the species in the wild.
The wild is their home, the abode where they feel they truly belong. That spirit of belongingness and connectedness to nature had been carried over by our genes.
And it’s that spirit that makes us restless when things in this modern times seem to get out of hand.
For most of us who are confined inside the four walls of our homes or offices, we have this deep urge to connect with nature.
We long to feel once again the balance and connectedness when we’re alone in nature. If we ignore this deep longing, worries and problems seem to overwhelm us.
From time to time, we need to disconnect from the chaos brought about by the advancement in our civilization.
We need to feel wild and free even for a short period of time. It’s a craving, like thirst and hunger.
We need to be alone in peace and quiet while immersing ourselves in the vastness of nature. We need a space to breathe and to be. It’s how we recharge.
Nature has the ability to heighten our senses, making us fully present in the moment and reconnect with the core of ourselves.
When we walk in the woods or the mystical ways of a forest, we fully use all of our senses and we notice every tiny detail that is part of the grand network of life.
We notice the wind that brushes our hair, the fresh forest smell, the chirping of the birds, the gentle breeze, the green leaves, beautiful flowers, even the tiny creepers on our path.
All these things keep us aware and present. Most importantly, they keep us relaxed while we feel the oneness with nature surrounding us.
When we get back to the daily grind of life, feeling refreshed, we’ll discover our worries don’t cost a dime. We will find solutions to our problems we never have thought of before.
If all these things resonate with you, spend some time in nature. Feel how it calms your spirit and soothes your senses.
And if you’re like the German triathlete, Liz Kellerer, who disconnects from the outside world through swimming, then you may enjoy swimming in cool waters in the wild.
Watch the following video and be mesmerized by how the quiet waters can restore balance and inner connection.
Let this video carry you to the wild and be refreshed even for two minutes today:
In a world where increasing pressures are born behind screens, it’s easy to let problems manifest. German Triathlete, Liz Kellerer, takes us to the wilderness of the Scottish Highlands to show us how wild swimming can help lead to both a healthy body and mind.
Director & DOP: Chris Parton Producer: Tom Precey @ TEEPEE Films 1st AC / Camera Op: Jacob Crees-Cockayne Styling: Sophie Priester Editor: Owen O’Sullivan @ Marshall Street Editors Colourist: Myles Bevan @ Time Based Arts Original composition & sound design: Lewis Gregory
Special thanks to Progressive Broadcast (Glasgow).
Look into nature, and then you will understand everything. — Albert Einstein
In the story of creation, life begins with Nature. It’s created before us to sustain us, keep us alive.
Plants, trees, animals, birds, fish, water, everything we find in nature are there to work for us and support us in this journey of life.
The fruits satisfy our hunger and the water quenches our thirst. The sunrise, sunset, moonlight, and even the morning mist fill our spirits with awe and wonder.
The beaches beacon us to dip into its clear blue waters, the ripples of waters flowing along rivers calm our senses.
In short, nature in all its magical beauty provides the essential needs of every human being. It is the very wellspring of our existence.
Nature has been here for eons, feeding various species or even starving them. And the hard truth is, nature doesn’t need humans to thrive. But we need nature to thrive.
The question then is, what have we done to give back to nature?
Most of us tend to forget this important connection we have with nature. We treat nature as if it’s a creation of our hands that we have the power to destroy.
In man’s conquest and insatiable hunger, he punctures holes in the Earth’s ozone layer, destroys the forest, pollutes the air and water, and totally forgets that his actions threaten the welfare and survival of thousands or even millions of living species.
What we do every day with nature may harm it a bit but harms us the most. When nature thrives, we thrive. When it ceases, so do we.
Humanity’s future depends much on the workings of nature. We can’t absolutely destroy nature. But nature can absolutely destroy humans even in a split of a second.
And most often, an out of proportions natural disasters are a result of human’s selfish actions that generate these powerful and raging warnings.
Unfortunately, it will take nature’s fury for us humans to realize the damage we have done to nature and the environment. But we can stop it all by changing our actions.
It’s not too late to take actions that can restore our harmony with nature. We can still save our environment and prevent nature from acting against humans.
We can stop polluting the waters and air. We can start planting trees and preventing desertification. We can do it and we will do it.
Nature is powerful. It can be merciless, but it’s not evil. Once it purges its fury, we can’t help but stand in awe. We fall on our knees in front of its majesty and greatness.
This time lapse video by Peter Maier will show you how powerful nature’s rage can be, pouring down an unforgiving microburst that looks like a tsunami falling from the sky.
The Powerful Rage Of Nature In Form Of Falling Tsunami:
We go through our day stressing about someone being rude, about the traffic, about our work. We get angry, mad, sad for things that would not matter in a day, two or a week.
We think our problems are big and unique, but the reality is that we are all fighting the same battle, we all share similar problems.
And in the grand scheme of things even our planet is a little speck of dust. We are within one solar system out of tens of billions of solar systems in one galaxy out of 100 billion.
Some scientists speculate that as telescope technology improves the 100 billion can increase to over 200 billion galaxies. And that’s just in the observable part.
If you look into the night sky and observe the infinite vastness you should be humble our planet even exists.
Putting this in perspective, your problems are not that big. Humanity is not that big. Everything that ever happened, everything you know, is not that big.
Every person who ever fell in love, every man, woman, child, every hero and villain, every animal, every legend, every story ever told, every war ever fought, all of it happened here.
It happened on this little speck of dust, in the midst of the infinity. Every song, movie, painting, book, game, invention, technology was created here.
We have this big chunk of knowledge about history and our planet and yet, it’s just one planet among more than trillion others.
These other planets might have life of their own. They all have their own history, their own significant events and stories, their villains and their heroes.
And for them, their problems are the biggest thing in The Universe, just like for us. They might stress over insignificant things also.
They might think they are the greatest thing, or that they carry the main quest of The Universe on their backs.
But on the bigger picture, we are all just dots floating in a pool of darkness. We are waiting to become aware of each other, or maybe we are really alone.
Both of those scenarios are scary, and both are equally real. It tells us that we are just babies, the real adventure is still in front of us. Watch this video and you’ll understand.
This Eye Opening Video With Carl Sagan’s Speech Will Show You How Small We Actually Are:
Have you ever asked yourself, what is the one most astounding fact about The Universe and reality? What is the one fact that leaves everyone in awe?
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson was asked this question in an interview. His answer resulted in countless videos that are watched more than million times in total.
We tend to overlook scientific facts because of their exactness. They leave you without any room for imagination.
But there are some facts, that if you really think about, you will be left so awestruck and humble, your eyes will tear up and you will see magic not found in the wildest fantasies.
Such fact is this one, that the atoms that constitute our bodies were a part of the stars that created our galaxies.
This fact suggests that we are not just inside and a part of The Universe but that The Universe is within us. It’s part of us.
Really grasping this fact will give you a sense of tranquility and belonging you will not find anywhere outside of you.
This sole fact suggests that we are all literally connected with everything and everyone on an atomic level.
We all come from the same star explosion, from a spectacularly grand event that created most of the galaxies in The Universe we see today.
And even more astounding is that we, the part of The Universe that we are, have gained enough consciousness to be able to understand this fact and observe our origins.
We are The Universe being conscious of itself, and realizing how the stars we see in the night sky are connected with each and every single one of us.
This sole fact, if you really grasp it, holds bigger meaning for us humans, than any other spiritual truth. And yet, it came from science.
This tells us that science and spirituality are not separate from each other. In fact, science can be one of the most powerful tools for spirituality if it’s used properly.
Here you can watch the beautiful animation Chris Herr has created with Neil deGrasse Tyson narrating his answer on The Most Astounding Fact.
