Is it Time to Rethink Religion? | Response | Design Life

Hello and welcome to the DesignLife blog where we discuss Holistic Beauty, Personal Development and a little bit of Magic!

In today's blog, I would just like to respond about a comment that was left on one of the DesignLife videos. I say respond ABOUT instead of respond TO, because I have already replied to the person specifically, however I would like to expand on this conversation a little bit and just express the purpose behind the video and how I feel about the comment. I love sharing my thoughts, if I didn't I wouldn't be blogging or making videos in the first place. So I appreciate her feedback and that it has given me something to think about and say. The video that I will be referring to throughout this blog is called "Is it Time to Rethink Religion?" and it was posted a little more than a week ago. In the video I discuss something that I read in the book Life on Earth by Mike Dooley.

I don't talk a lot about the book itself, just something in the first chapter or so that caught my attention and caused me to realize why I had distanced myself from religion since I was about 19 years old. I read something about how children are generally curious. They tend to ask a lot of questions and I'm sure I did too. But one of the first stories told in the Bible and one of the first stories we tell kids is the story of Adam and Eve, which (roughly summed up) is about a man and a woman in a beautiful garden that is told by God  that they can till the ground and eat freely of all the trees in the garden, except for a tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This next part I am borrowing from Wiki:

The phrase in Hebrew: טוֹב וָרָע, tov V'ra translatable as good and evil, may be an example of the type of figure of speech known as merism. This literary device pairs opposite terms together, in order to create a general meaning; so that the phrase "good and evil" would simply imply "everything". It is equivalent to the Egyptian expression evil-good which is indeed normally employed to mean "everything". 

Subsequently, I really feel like the first story (or lesson) we are told as kids when going to Sunday school (or wherever) is basically it's a sin to be curious or it's a sin to seek knowledge. Maybe that's why, somewhere along the lines, kids stop asking questions... Maybe that's why, somewhere along life's path, people stop questioning... And they just accept ignorance and become sheep. In the metamorphic words of Katy Perry,

Are we crazy?
Living our lives through a lens
Trapped in our white-picket fence
Like ornaments
So comfortable, we live in a bubble, a bubble
So comfortable, we cannot see the trouble, the trouble [...]
Stumbling around like a wasted zombie
Yeah, we think we're free
Drink, this one is on me
We're all chained to the rhythm
To the rhythm to the rhythm

(I urge you to read all of the lyrics, it's from Perry's song, Chained to the Rythm).  Summarily, I had distanced myself from religion, because by the time I was 19 I had stopped accepting the God I grew up with based on pure faith and I started asking a lot of questions about people, life, religion, love, happiness and just everything. Yes, I sought to "eat fruit from the tree of knowledge" and therefore I could no longer live in the Garden of Eden, because I had (at least according to Christian standards) fallen from grace. I was a sinner. And to be honest I didn't really want to spend the rest of my life feeling sorry about who I was and thanking an invisible god for forgiving my sinful ways. I mean, if he didn't want me to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil why did he make the damn tree?

I was banished from the garden and fell from grace, landed flat on my face and was pretty much mad at the god I thought I knew and terrified of the world, but something in me knew that I shouldn't give up and that there is more to life. So I started searching for truth and asking questions and I have found my answers. BUT today's post is not about the answers I have found or convincing anybody else, because my journey was my journey and the question I posted was simply

Is it time to rethink religion? 

At about 3:49 minutes into the video I specifically say that I am not telling anybody that their religion is wrong or right or debating about it, just that it might be time to change our approach to religion and how we teach it to kids (and of course, I point out that this is just a personal opinion). Why do I make such a huge deal about emphasizing that this is a personal opinion and not a debate? So that nobody can tell me I am wrong, or say that I told anyone else that their religion is wrong. And yet, there always has to be someone...




Facts? Facts and religion are mutually exclusive, since religion is based on faith. Which means believing in God without facts or proof. Once again, I am not saying God does not exist, I am just saying that there is no proof. Personally, I believe no person could ever prove God exists, because our minds would never truly be able to comprehend God for all that God is. God is not quantifiable, which means we would not be able to express or measure God as a quantity. God is an experience.

My thoughts, therefore, about this comment is... Why so defensive? I was not condemning your religion, I merely spoke about Christianity, because I had 18 years personal experience with the Christian god and I didn't find my solace in him. The purpose of this video was not to prove to others that they need to throw their beliefs out of the window... It was merely to open a discussion.

Which is why I am blogging about it, because I don't understand what the person who wrote the comment disagrees with exactly? What is she saying? Is it:

A: "We do not have to rethink religion or our approach to how we teach religion to others."
B: "I do not think you are allowed to have an opinion about Christianity because you should probably read more of your bible." Shit, this is a problem, because I don't have one.
Or C: Is she trying to tell me that god changed his mind and even though we once were not allowed to be curious, we are now because "God took that away"(what did he take away? His law about not being allowed to eat fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil?) so this video is irrelevant now?

I don't know. I just felt like expressing my personal thoughts in the video and opening a discussion about religion in general and how times have changed and how religion has changed - but has it kept up with us? It just feels to me like the comment misses the point of opening a discussion and just says "Mmm nope, nah God changed his mind and said we could be curious, so I disagree with you, we don't need to be curious and ask these questions, we good."

I'd love to hear your thoughts Readers if you would like to be a part of this open and inquisitive discussion I have going on in my mind. Do you think it's time to rethink religion, change our approach to how we enter into a relationship with God and be more open to the thoughts and beliefs of others? After all, God is Truth, Love and Light. Whether we ask questions or not, God will remain the same. The only thing that can happen if we ask questions and aim to understand the whats, whys and hows of the world is that our relationship with God would deepen and be more authentic. As a result of my journey of questioning and seeking, I feel like it has led me to choose to be in a relationship with the God of Love, instead of just having been raised into accepting a default relationship with a god I don't even know...

You are the one | Poem | Design Life

You are the love of your life.
You are your soulmate.
Only you can give yourself the love you so desperately crave&
only you can claim your value.

You are the one who is going to make your dreams come true.
You are the one that will never let you down.
Only you can choose to carry on&
only you can keep yourself going.

You are the one who is going to put yourself first.
You are the one who is going to dry your own tears.
Only you will never leave&
everyone else will love you, until...

You are the creator of your own reality.
You are the magic you seek.

Love fiercely and love all, but don't put all of your hope in one person,
one thing,
one day or
one dream.

Life is a beautiful adventure, but
nothing lasts forever.
People are good, but
they will disappoint you. & you will disappoint others, too.

You will hurt and you will be hurt.
You will forget and you will be forgotten.
You will love and you will be loved.
You will laugh and you will be laughed at.

You are the one who will have to dry your own tears.
You are the one who will have to put yourself first.
Because you are the one who is never going to leave.

And you are the one making all your dreams come true.

How To Start Your Blog | Easy Tips | Design Life

Hello and welcome to the DesignLife blog where we discuss Holistic Beauty, Personal Development and a little bit of Magic!

 I'm writing this post, because I've been asked by a YouTuber how to start a blog and what it should be about. This post is dedicated to you, Peyton, and anyone who has absolutely no experience with blogging, but is thinking about starting a blog.

If you are a creative person or you would like to express yourself and your thoughts through writing, then YES, you should definitely start a blog! If you would like to make a career out of blogging, then the best advice I have for you is start today. The more you do something, the better you will get at it. You might not start making money overnight, but whatever your reason for wanting to blog is, you might as well start today!

First up, if I haven't convinced you yet, here are some benefits that I believe you will gain from blogging:

1. You will get a lot better at writing. Even if you suck at first, if you really want to do it, you would keep at it. So write and write and then write some more and don't be afraid of constructive criticism.
2. Connecting with like-minded people. Primarily, your blog should be for yourself. It's main purpose should be to express your thoughts creatively or to do it because you love to write. But, it IS a great way to connect with people! Odds are, if you share your blogs online, people will start  reading and those that like what you write will come back for more. This is a great way to connect with people like yourself.
3. Becoming an influencer. If you keep at it and write consistently and create valuable content, you will gain influence. Your blogs will be trusted and you could use your online voice to inspire and help others.
4. Self expression. Writing has therapeutic value and could help you cope with stress or frustration. When you have a healthy way to deal with emotions like that (not necessarily writing about the emotions, but just writing about anything) you will be happier in general.



How to get started

The best way to start your blog (and write your posts comfortably) is from a computer or laptop. I have used another blogging platform in the past, but honestly, Blogger (the platform I am using and that you are reading this on) is user-friendly and I would say is perfect for any beginner.

Go to Blogger.com and Sign Up. Fill in the basic information and voila! You can start blogging. Wait, wait, before you rush over there! Read the tips below.

• Decide what you want to blog about and create your blog name and content, always keeping that in mind. If you're doing it for personal reasons, I would suggest branding your blog as a Lifestyle blog and including regular and consistent posts about the things you love. Take my blog name and purpose for example: 

• Once again, keep your content consistent and post regularly. In other words, commit to at least one post per week (or per day if you want to make a career out of it!). By "consistent" content I mean that you should write about the same things, generally. For example, I write about "Holistic Beauty, Life Design and a little bit of magic". 
• Even though constructive criticism is good from people who want to help you, don't be bothered by unnecessary negative feedback. In other words, internet trolls! Honestly, don't even fight back. Just delete their comments or ignore it and keep writing anyway! 
• Read other people's blog and see what you like about their blogs. I'm not saying you should copy their styles, but it's a great place way to be inspired. In fact, just read A LOT. It makes you a more interesting person in general. 
• Go to Pinterest for ideas too! Just type in "Blog Ideas" if you're having trouble choosing topics at first. A great start would be doing a blogging challenge to get your blog going!
• HAVE FUN! Honestly, just make sure you enjoy what you are doing and do it for the right reasons... which is to enjoy it and be creative and improve your skill! Not to impress others or to "get famous". 
• Be true to yourself. 

Here is a great blog challenge I found on Pinterest for you. For example, the first blog post could be about your blog's name and why you chose it and what the purpose of your blog is. You could try and do this in 30 days OR one per week even.  

Lastly, here is another great tip, but it's not from me, so I can't say that I've tried it. But it seems like a really good way to start your first 30 blogs... 

Create artificial limitations.
Write a post in 30 minutes. Start every sentence with an ‘A’. Make every post exactly 748 words. Create artificial limitations. It may seem ‘limiting’ at first, but you’ll find that creativity is born within a framework and that it can actually make writing easier. - Found on Lifehack.org 

I hope this will help you get started and that you will enjoy the blogging experience! I have been writing since I could pick up a pen and sharing my thoughts online has been such an amazing learning experience, I hope it is for you too. Which tips/advice is your favourite? Let me know in the comment section below and don't forget to share your blogs with me 😊

Beauty, Holism & Life Design

Hello and welcome to the DesignLife blog where we discuss Holistic Beauty, Personal Development and a little bit of Magic!

When you think of the the word beauty, what comes to mind? Do you immediately shrink back, because you are so used to comparing yourself to others and their standards? Do you feel bitter, frustrated or unworthy? Do you feel that the term beautiful is reserved to a select few - the lucky people who were just born with the "beauty gene"? I hope this isn't the case.

As you do, I have a personal journey with Beauty, too. Beauty seemed to be out of my reach. I grew up looking at my mom, my friends and even women in TV shows for guidance and I became quite sure that we weren't supposed to be satisfied with ourselves or how we look. Our hips are either too big or too narrow, our skin is too dry or too oily, our hair is too curly or too straight and life is either too busy or boring. When it's short we're supposed to want it longer, but when it's long we're supposed to complain about the tangles and the dry ends. Not that this trend was exclusive to the women in my life. As I got older, I realized guys were self-conscious about their height, their skin, their hair and obviously the size of their package, because who wants a... Never mind. Kidding, I was going to say, wait, what?

I was around girls and women more often while growing up, clearly women had a stronger influence on me during that time,  but now I realize some of my guy friends are way more insecure than I had realized. And there's nothing wrong with that, just because you're a guy doesn't mean you don't want to feel beautiful (okay, we'll call it handsome if it isn't masculine enough for you).

When you think of the word beauty, do you immediately and exclusively think about your physical features? Because that's where I think the mix-up actually starts. You are looking at half of the whole.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't believe that a person's level of beauty hinges solely on how smart or kind they are either. Confidence has more to do with beauty than intelligence and basic hygiene is more important than whether or not you volunteer at the local shelter once or twice a year. But people don't seem to talk about stuff like that too often, because it's either not sexy enough or too shallow. What am I getting at here, you may ask? Here me out.