Be kind to the cruel, well maybe.

 

They say to be kind even to those who are cruel.

 This is one of the best things you could do. No matter how badly people treat you, always treat them in the way you would like to be treated. Help them when they are in need and be as nice as you can. Just because they are mean doesn’t mean that you have to be. That may be true but sometimes the mean people trigger your PTSD really bad and you want to strike back. I try extra hard to always remember that everyone here on this planet is going through the same journey of life. You really have no idea what they have gone through in the past and judging them to be mean just because of a few things they did could be a little immature. Always give them another chance to shine.

Right now with the current situation people seems to be more stressed than usual. When you are stressed you may not be able to control your emotions, especially anger. On the other hand, I do not want to be a mat that people can just wipe their feet on and insult me or be rude on purpose. Even if they are not realizing what they are doing, sometimes you have to point it out. 

Don’t fall for the temptation to sink to their level. They love a good fight and not because they are any good at arguing but they know how to push your buttons. By pushing your buttons you are tempted to verbally protect yourself. They need for you to fight back because then you are the one who lost control. You are the bad guy. When he throws the first verbal judo chop it is on you, right? How do you get around that? Be cool. Don’t react to the emotions in the room.

You can always show people the better side of you and walk away. I know easier said than done, but the more you do it, the better you get at it. Pretty soon they can say all sorts of dumb verbiage and all they get from you is nothing.

Give your emotional intelligence a quick look over and figure out how to use that to control yourself. 

Everybody wants to rule the world

Well, it may be true that there are many many people as well as avatars who want to rule everything and be the center of all attractions. You know those people. They are like roaches everywhere. But are they all bad or is there a deeper meaning to them?  

If we are completely honest with ourselves we all maybe had that notion of being a little bit of an attention seeker. I know most of you do not want to admit to it, but trust me it is true.

Let me tell you this, nothing lasts forever. Like in the song by Tears for Fears: 

I can't stand this indecision,
married with a lack of vision.
Everybody wants to rule the world,
Say that you'll never never never never need it.
One headline why believe it?
Everybody wants to rule the world

All for freedom and for pleasure,
nothing ever lasts forever
Everybody wants to rule the world.

I used to call that song the "Windy Point" song because it was filmed on location between Cabazon and Palm Springs, California, and Windy Point was the place to go to show off how important you were when it came to off-road pleasure. Nobody cared about what they did to the natural sand dunes, because that was not important. You being there was an important thing and you showing to the world that you are part of this so-called "in-crowd". Lucky for us Windy point is now closed to the public and can return to its natural beauty.

 

Everyone needs attention like we need to eat. This is not controversial, nor is it hard to understand. But the idea must be slippery because it will not stick. If we could keep in mind that people need attention, it would change the way we see almost everything they do, from art to crime, from romance to terrorism. There is a fine line in all of this. Some people may look at this as egoistic. I believe all of it comes from a lack of that love and attention we needed as children and today's generation does not have this anymore. It is all social media and the status you have with your friends. Whether it is real life or second life, it transfers to both. There is a balance and truly you would not want to rule the world and be responsible for failures that may affect all of us.

The opportunity for positive attention is enormous, but accuracy is the price. When you present a curated version of yourself to the world, any approval that you get is not for your full and whole self.

Being true to yourself takes courage. It requires you to be introspective, sincere, open-minded, and fair. It does not mean you are inconsiderate or disrespectful of others. It means you will not let others define you or make decisions you should make for yourself.

The Basement Club

The Basement Club has a variety of Indie Music. There is something for everybody. Our DJs have an ear for music and make sure their sets are selected just for you.

Since it’s genesis in the mid-’80s, the term indie rock has been used to describe a diverse assortment of bands and musical styles. Technically a sub-genre, or co-genre, of alternative rock, the label has spawned an array of sub-genres of its own. Everything from grunge to post-punk revival can be categorized under the indie rock umbrella.

Today indie rock has a variety of artists with some outstanding music. If you enjoy music like this, come on over and join us here at the Basement Club.

The Basement Club has been here at the Retreat for 4 1/2 years now and we strive for quality and an atmosphere that will please you. 

Our patrons enjoy the scene here and the people, who are always friendly and knowledgable about music. 

Even when there are no DJs here, you can listen to the radio and relax or dance. It is a perfect place to meet with your friends and hang out. 

While you are here you can also see the gallery upstairs.

Take Control

Juggling too many balls?

We have the power to control our thoughts, and as a result, control who we are.
When you’re feeling overwhelmed, your life isn’t falling apart—your thoughts are.
Take a minute to find and clean out all your self-deprecating, negative thoughts. As you do this, you will find yourself feeling refreshed and invigorated with renewed energy to take on the world. Don’t believe it? 

Try it!

Maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed with a project at work and don’t think you have the energy or time to finish it. You start letting yourself play out every negative scenario resulting from a failed project.
Stop right there!
Sitting on the couch, dwelling on these thoughts isn’t going to make anything better. In fact, it usually makes things worse.

Procrastination Queen

I know this very well because I will sit there and think about everything I have on my list to do and what I want to get done and at the end of the day I did nothing. Afterwards, I feel guilty and bad about myself.

The most important thing is to always remember there is a new day coming. 

In a world of people obsessed with putting their best self forward, it’s easy to feel like everyone has more than you.

STOP!
Get that thought out of your head and remember what you do have. Often the things you have right now are things you were worried about having in the past.

Don’t let an insatiable desire for more blind you from seeing and appreciating everything you have right now. You have more than you know. Be grateful. It may sound silly but I am grateful just to be able to log on and see my avatar. She is always there. 

However you deal with it, don't stress and beat yourself up over something you may not have control over.  I know easier said than done. Never feel like a victim but instead feel like you can get it all done, step by step, and day by day. You got this!!!

Misfortune

We have all made decisions that we wish we didn’t. But the great thing about the past is that it doesn’t have to define us. The only way to truly rise above your misfortune is to look at your past, learn from it, fix what you can, and let it go.

Everyone can rise above misfortune. We see it every day. But you must first make the choice to do so. Without that choice, you will stay exactly where you are. You are the author of your own story.

Think about it in Second Life terms, you are NOT the same avatar when you first started. You changed the look. You can do the same in Real Life. Little by little, step by step.

We all have to deal with misfortune. It is a part of life. Some, we bring on ourselves. Other times, things just happen. Everyone has something. But it is how we deal with our “something” that determines our success. You and you alone will get to decide how you will handle any misfortune that life throws you. Rise up!

Tell the past to lick your....well you know. Take control of YOURSELF, because you have to believe. 

It is NOT what happens to you that determines your outcome – it is how you handle what happens to you. 

Autumn brings change

Thinking about autumn can bring about some pleasant thoughts. And while it is common to think about cozy scarves and delicious pies, the symbolic meanings of autumn are more profound than you think. Ancient cultures, science, and astrology have associated many aspects of this beautiful season to human life. These symbolic associations are powerful reminders that Mother Nature has an incredible influence on our lives.

One of the things we always seek is comfort and that includes comfort food. In Germany, one of those foods is "Bratwurst" or "Currywurst" which you can buy everywhere on stands called " Schnellimbiss". it is estimated that of 800 Million Currywursts eaten in Germany each YEAR. That is a lot of sausages.

Thanks to the changing nature of life, each and every day presents us with new mysteries. The crisp fall air and changing leaves personify these unknowns. I love the colors of autumn. The orange, red, yellow, and green and some brown are warm and comfortable to the eyes. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said, "The only constant is change." Autumn reminds us that our bodies, minds, and surroundings are always developing.

Change will happen whether you like it or not. It just does so embrace it. This year, in particular, has brought lots of change but we have come far. Autumn is a time for letting go and releasing things that have been a burden. 

John Keats, ‘To Autumn’.

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells …

Protect our sanity

 A tragedy is “an event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress, such as a serious accident, crime, or natural catastrophe.” We have all have dealt with immense stress at times. Some of us may be currently dealing with it. Suffering in silence while some in our networks stay quiet about our collective destruction. There are many things you can do to protect your sanity. 

Start small, maybe a few minutes every day go outside. Breathe, meditate, get really back to basic nothingness. Eat better. You know exactly what that means. Junk produces a junky mind and body. The weaker those two are, the more vulnerable you become to let your mind tell you that you are not worth it.

There is a lot to deal with in 2020 and it has never been normal. You may ask what is normal anyway, well it is for sure not this crazy way of living hiding at home and worrying about what will happen next. The mind can be a beast to tear you down, do not let that happen. You must fight for the serenity.

This is not new stuff that I am describing, we know deep down what we must do. The many sleepless nights I lay in bed and wonder what happened to my life? Where did it all go? I never really have an answer for it. All I know in these times I treasure family whether there are thousands of miles away or near. They matter. They are part of me. I also treasure those friends in my Real Life and Second Life. When I say Second Life, they are really Real Life because Second Life is just an extension of what happens in real life. These friends are also struggling with real-life issues just like me. We are the same in many ways, maybe different stories, but we all are trying to protect our sanity.

It has been a struggle to concentrate on the things I love, like art and writing this blog. I try to find new things that I can do to keep me busy. It is never easy and the fight seems to get harder on some days and then there are days when it all does not matter. I am scared of those days. We should always have something that matters to us.  

“Stress is not associated with the frequency of people’s technology use, or even how many friends users have on social media platforms. But there is one way that people’s use of digital technology can be linked to stress: Those users who feel more stress are those whose use of digital tech is tied to higher levels of awareness of stressful events in others’ lives. "

Turn it all off sometimes. Invest in you, your well-being. Thank you friends for letting me vent when you did not feel like listening, for letting me be mad when it was not your fault, for showing up when I did not deserve it. 💗