What is a personality?

Have you ever wondered how a personality is created? Why are you the way you are today? Why did you react to this pain or that pleasure in such a manner? Why do the chemical reactions in your brain behave the way they do? These are interesting questions to think about, and something that I have discussed lately with a very special friend.

I believe there are many different factors that contribute to making people the way they are. Let's imagine that we have two identical twins, and for the sake of this argument, they are 100% exactly the same, and they will turn out the same if raised in the same manner. Now, split these twins up. Raise one child in a small fishing community in China, and raise the other child by an affluent family in New York City. I think we can all agree that these two people now will be significantly different from one another.

So it's fairly easy to assume that the manner in which a child is raised will greatly shape the person in which they become, but will it actually shape their personality? If child X is happy go lucky and reacts in a specific type of way to their environment, will child Y have similar traits? How much of the personality is learned and how much of it are we born with? Obviously these two people will have vast cultural differences, but is it the manner in which the chemical reactions occur in the brain that creates an actual individual learned, or born with?

It is my opinion that initially, we are born with a specific type of wiring that makes each of us unique. However, it's just a blueprint, and the rest is shaped by our environment. Think about it. Look at different cultures around the world, living vastly different lives. In many of those environments you will see people that behave in a fairly similar manner. They have created an environment in which certain personalities and traits are the norm and people shape themselves into those molds.

You would not be the person you are today if variable X, Y, or Z was different. Throw in a dash of more/less money here, a pinch of childhood trauma there, and maybe finish it off with a significant life changing event. Stir it all up in a bowl named culture/location and bang! You are now a completely different person, with different reactions to the world around you.

My whole point is not to say any of this in a negative way or say that we are necessarily slaves to our environments, even though we kind of are. But ultimately I would like for people to think more about how they do things. Are you making good decisions that will have a positive impact on those around you? Especially when little ones are around. It's too easy to offer a smile instead of a harsh word. You never know when you might affect someones life, and create a new chain of events that affects the world. Better be on the safe side an ensure those changes are good ones. Then maybe one day it creates a chain reaction that ultimately leads us all to living in a better place.

Cheers!

Balance

Balance could possible be the most important thing in our lives, though it often gets overlooked. Everyone has heard the old cliche about too much of a good thing can be a bad thing or however it goes.... It's true. If you eat ridiculously healthy 100% of the time that could even be a bad thing. If only for the simple fact that you need to let your hair down now and then. The secret to success and happiness in life is balance.

I consider myself a pretty balanced person. I have experienced a large number of social settings throughout my life and have adopted bits and pieces from many of them. I see both sides of the political spectrum. I can understand someone who is devoutly religious and someone who is an atheist. I can see how materialism can so easily sweep us away in this day and age, and I can see how amazing it might feel to be a minimalist. On all these different types of spectrum's, there isn't someone who is right and someone who is wrong. It's just different people with different ideas, and had you been born somewhere else or to another family, you very well might be the person on the other side of where you stand now. If you believe that you are a unique human being and that your character or your spirit is something that you were born with, you are wrong. Human beings are shaped by their surroundings. Whether it's culture, parents, friends, location, or a past trauma, you are who you are based upon your experiences. If we can understand this, then maybe we can understand that we are all actually the exact same. People are all the same, they have just been shaped differently than you.

Balance needs to be a part of every persons life. It's even okay it it's extreme on both ends of the spectrum. Myself for example, I might spend my entire week being super disciplined. I'll go to bed early and wake early so I can hit the gym. I'll get all of my work and school completed. I will do yoga and meditate, trying to ensure that my spirit and my mental health are taken care of. Then, after all these things have been completed from Monday through Friday, I might party like a rock star on the weekend. Some people will judge me throughout the week, saying I'm boring or maybe I'm a weird hippy. Some people will judge me on the weekend and say I'm a lush or me and my friends are bad influences. Neither of these judgments bother me, because I know exactly where I need to be, because I maintain good balance. If any of the things I do start to get out of hand I real it in and re-evaluate myself. Besides, my personal happiness doesn't come from anyone else, it comes from within. What others think of my is important, but it's not that important. I don't need to fit into the stereotypical mold of what I'm supposed to be, because that wouldn't make me happy and I would feel unbalanced.

At the end of the day, this is something that each person needs to figure out on their own. We all have a sweet spot in which to operate in. That sweet spot will ensure maximum efficiency in our lives. No one can tell you what you need in life, so just never stop looking until you find it.

Cheers.

Plant based

I feel like vegetarianism (in all it's different aspects) and veganism are things that are growing fairly rapidly. It's for sure one of many things that is really great about the whole Netflix documentary thing that has become so big. People are really starting to analyze the way they live their lives, and we are choosing to make better decisions for ourselves and our families, instead of just going along with society like a mindless robot....

I haven't eaten meat in about a month. I seemed to continually run across documentaries, health articles, or pod casts boasting the benefits of a plant based diet. I decided to give it a try, tip toeing at first before I went all the way in. Right now I'm a vegetarian, or specifically, something like a Lacto-vegetarian (eats dairy) and Ovo-vegetarian (eats eggs). Eventually I want to go strict vegan, but it's a process and learning how to pack my food for an entire day at work can be hard at times.

Since deciding to adopt this lifestyle, I have experienced a monumental shift in my way of life and how I view things. Strictly speaking about my physical body, I have lost fat and maintained my muscle. I used to have some issues with my stomach, specifically bouts of stomach pain and constipation (sorry if that's TMI). Those issues cleared up almost immediately. I have high energy levels, a good mood, and I notice no negative impact at this time. These are the small things that this lifestyle change did for me. Voluntarily choosing to change the way I live opened a door for me that I never knew was closed. I know this might sound kind of cheesy, but I started to really reflect on the way I lived. I have since adopted a form of minimalism, I strive to live a very intentional life and I am truthful and I attempt to leave a positive impact on those I come across.

Now, are all these lifestyle changes directly attributed to eating plants? No, of course not. It was the act of doing something intentionally that caused this damn to open up. So many of us are just going through our lives like our parents did.... this is how it's always been. Hold up. Stop thinking like that. We are human beings, capable of anything! The human spirit is a beautiful thing, but it has to be nurtured and allowed to blossom. Feed your spirit, and it will most certainly return the favor.

Anyways! Back on topic. When people ask me why I stopped eating meat, here are my reasons.

1. From the knowledge that I currently have, and am striving to attain more of, it seems to me that it can be a very healthy diet.
2. I am of the opinion that big agriculture is really bad for the environment. Environmental conservation is very important to me, so this is a way for me to help.
3. I am living a life of non-violence and compassion. If I can get all of my nutrition in a manner in which nothing has to die, why wouldn't I?

Those are my reasons. Additionally, food is still super delicious! Not too long ago I made some vegan burritos and they were amazing!

Whole grain brown rice
Pinto beans
Garlic, onion, tomatoes, and jalapeno roasted in olive oil
Fresh Avocado
Siracha! Everyone loves Siracha!

So, that's that. I'm not going to criticize anyone who eats meat or tell people how to live their life. You won't see me on the corner with a meat is murder sign. I'm just saying, think about it. Cows and piggies are alive! They don't have to die just so we can have a crappy burger :-(