“
Not every puzzle is intended to be solved. Some are in place to test your limits. Others are, in fact, not puzzles at all...
”
”
Vera Nazarian (The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration)
“
Life's trials will test you, and shape you, but don’t let them change who you are.”
~ Aaron Lauritsen, ‘100 Days Drive
”
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Aaron Lauritsen (100 Days Drive: The Great North American Road Trip)
“
It is good to test your limits now and then, learn what the body is capable of, what you can endure.
”
”
Christina Baker Kline (Orphan Train)
“
If you don't test your limits, they get harder to reach.
”
”
Keiichi Sigsawa (Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World)
“
YOU SHOULD LIMIT THE NUMBER OF TIMES
YOU ACT AGAINST YOUR NATURE,
LIKE SLEEPING WITH PEOPLE YOU HATE.
IT¹S INTERESTING TO TEST YOUR CAPABILITIES FOR A WHILE
BUT TOO MUCH WILL CAUSE DAMAGE.
”
”
Jenny Holzer
“
You must never be limited by external authority, whether it be vested in a church, man, or book. It is your right to question, challenge, and investigate.
”
”
Bhagat Singh Thind (Radiant Road to Reality: Tested Science of Religion)
“
Paige, you will have two tasks tonight,” he said, turning to face me. “Both will test the limits of your sanity. Will you believe me if I tell you that they will help you?”
“Not likely,” I said, “but let's get on with it.
”
”
Samantha Shannon (The Bone Season (The Bone Season, #1))
“
Test your limits. You will find none.
”
”
Hiral Nagda
“
Every time you speak, you are either building up yourself for the better or you are limiting yourself for the worse. Words carry power, therefore before you speak out, speak in... and test your words!
”
”
Israelmore Ayivor (Daily Drive 365)
“
You want to stab me again, don't you?"
He didn't look at all ashamed. "Think of it as testing the limits of your new abilities."
I groaned. "I've created a monster."
"I don't think someone who recently crawled from the grave should be throwing around labels like 'monster,'" he said, making sarcastic little air-quotes fingers.
"It wasn't a grave," I sniffed. "It was a comfy four-poster.
”
”
Molly Harper (Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs (Jane Jameson, #1))
“
No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.
”
”
Anonymous (The Holy Bible: King James Version)
“
To dream anything that you want to dream. That's the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do. That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed.
”
”
Bernard Edmonds
“
You do not require a license to love someone; you don’t need to pass any complicated tests. Love does not have age limitations, rules, or restrictions. Love is our birthright—it is the one thing that all humans know how to do, the one thing we all deserve. You can’t force it or fake it. You can know someone for an entire lifetime, and not feel a drop of love for them. And you can know someone for a single day, and give your heart to them completely.
”
”
Nadia Scrieva (Tides of Tranquility (Sacred Breath, #5))
“
Factfulness is … recognizing that a single perspective can limit your imagination, and remembering that it is better to look at problems from many angles to get a more accurate understanding and find practical solutions. To control the single perspective instinct, get a toolbox, not a hammer. • Test your ideas. Don’t only collect examples that show how excellent your favorite ideas are. Have people who disagree with you test your ideas and find their weaknesses. • Limited expertise. Don’t claim expertise beyond your field: be humble about what you don’t know. Be aware too of the limits of the expertise of others. • Hammers and nails. If you are good with a tool, you may want to use it too often. If you have analyzed a problem in depth, you can end up exaggerating the importance of that problem or of your solution. Remember that no one tool is good for everything. If your favorite idea is a hammer, look for colleagues with screwdrivers, wrenches, and tape measures. Be open to ideas from other fields. • Numbers, but not only numbers. The world cannot be understood without numbers, and it cannot be understood with numbers alone. Love numbers for what they tell you about real lives. • Beware of simple ideas and simple solutions. History is full of visionaries who used simple utopian visions to justify terrible actions. Welcome complexity. Combine ideas. Compromise.
”
”
Hans Rosling (Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About The World - And Why Things Are Better Than You Think)
“
Test your limits. Learn what you can endure.
”
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Christina Baker Kline (Orphan Train)
“
There’s a fine line between being stupid and knowing you have to test your limits if you want to do any real living at all.
”
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Karen Marie Moning (Dreamfever (Fever #4))
“
The challenges you face will test and strengthen you. If you’re not failing, you’re not pushing your limits, and if you’re not pushing your limits, you’re not maximizing your potential.
”
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Ray Dalio (Principles: Life and Work)
“
It is one thing to read the Scriptures and affirm their truth. But until you are in the trenches of trial, until you are faced with life circumstances that test your faith, until you are pressed to the absolute limit of your physical and emotional capacity, until you face the unrelenting stress of ongoing trauma, you never really know how you'll respond to what you may have embraced so easily during a comfortable Bible study.
”
”
Kevin Malarkey (The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven: A Remarkable Account of Miracles, Angels, and Life beyond This World)
“
When you gain the reputation of having no limits, no weaknesses, and are willing to flood the streets with blood, people don’t test your boundaries or break your rules
”
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Meghan March (Ruthless King (Mount Trilogy, #1))
“
Forgiveness is the best thing you can do for your well-being
”
”
Consolee Nishimwe (Tested To The Limit: A Genocide Survivor's Story Of Pain, Resilience And Hope)
“
And how am I supposed to know what my limits are if I don’t test them out in a safe fashion with a partner who can get me medical treatment if I need it?” “Damn you and your logic.” Dani raised her arms in triumph. “Scientific method, bitch!
”
”
Molly Harper (Love and Other Wild Things (Mystic Bayou, #2))
“
Pessimists, Seligman wrote, tend to react to negative events by explaining them as permanent, personal, and pervasive. (Seligman calls these “the three P’s.”) Failed a test? It’s not because you didn’t prepare well; it’s because you’re stupid. If you get turned down for a date, there’s no point in asking someone else; you’re simply unlovable. Optimists, by contrast, look for specific, limited, short-term explanations for bad events, and as a result, in the face of a setback, they’re more likely to pick themselves up and try again.
”
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Paul Tough (How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character)
“
The only real way to know your limits is to just keep testing yourself.
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Gregory V. Diehl (Brand Identity Breakthrough: How to Craft Your Company's Unique Story to Make Your Products Irresistible)
“
A simple test to tell if love is healthy or not: does it limit your choices or expand them?
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Heidi Priebe
“
But how could you know the limits of your courage if you never put it to the test?
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Seymour Reit (Behind Rebel Lines: The Incredible Story of Emma Edmonds, Civil War Spy (Great Episodes))
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Dare to think the unimaginable, imagine the unthinkable, dream of that which will never happen, yet continue to aspire and to test the limits of your very being and those around you.
”
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Mark W. Boyer
“
You won’t know what your brain can do until you test its limits and push beyond them. No matter how inefficiently you are using your brain, one thing is certain: it is the gateway to your future. Your success in life depends on your brain, for the simple reason that all experience comes to us through our brains.
”
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Deepak Chopra (Super Brain: Unleashing the explosive power of your mind to maximize health, happiness and spiritual well-being)
“
He reached down and fingered his hoodie on the bed. 'You sleeping with this?' His voice grew raspy. I shrugged. 'Maybe.' He growled, wrapped his arms around me, and buried his face in my shoulder. 'You really test my limits,' he said. Then I heard him mumble, 'Already.' 'Your limits?' I asked, pulling back to look at him. 'If you were any other girl, I would already have you naked and beneath me.' His words should have shocked me. Maybe made me angry. They didn't. They turned me on. I shivered with newfound desire. He groaned and sat me aside and stood from the bed. 'You're killing me, Smalls.' 'Smalls?' I giggled. He grinned. 'That's what we call the small players on the team.' 'I'm not on your team.' I pointed out. 'No. But you are mine.'"
"- Romeo & Rimmel
”
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Cambria Hebert (#Nerd (Hashtag, #1))
“
It must be this overarching commitment to what is really an abstraction, to one's children right or wrong, that can be even more fierce than the commitment to them as explicit, difficult people, and that can consequently keep you devoted to them when as individuals they disappoint. On my part it was this broad covenant with children-in-theory that I may have failed to make and to which I was unable to resort when Kevin finally tested my maternal ties to a perfect mathematical limit on Thursday. I didn't vote for parties, but for candidates. My opinions were as ecumenical as my larder, then still chock full of salsa verde from Mexico City, anchovies from Barcelona, lime leaves from Bangkok. I had no problem with abortion but abhorred capital punishment, which I suppose meant that I embraced the sanctity of life only in grown-ups. My environmental habits were capricious; I'd place a brick in our toilet tank, but after submitting to dozens of spit-in-the-air showers with derisory European water pressure, I would bask under a deluge of scalding water for half an hour. My closet wafter with Indian saris, Ghanaian wraparounds, and Vietnamese au dais. My vocabulary was peppered with imports -- gemutlich, scusa, hugge, mzungu. I so mixed and matched the planet that you sometimes worried I had no commitments to anything or anywhere, though you were wrong; my commitments were simply far-flung and obscenely specific.
By the same token, I could not love a child; I would have to love this one. I was connected to the world by a multitude of threads, you by a few sturdy guide ropes. It was the same with patriotism: You loved the idea of the United States so much more powerfully than the country itself, and it was thanks to your embrace of the American aspiration that you could overlook the fact that your fellow Yankee parents were lining up overnight outside FAO Schwartz with thermoses of chowder to buy a limited release of Nintendo. In the particular dwells the tawdry. In the conceptual dwells the grand, the transcendent, the everlasting. Earthly countries and single malignant little boys can go to hell; the idea of countries and the idea of sons triumph for eternity. Although neither of us ever went to church, I came to conclude that you were a naturally religious person.
”
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Lionel Shriver (We Need to Talk About Kevin)
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I find it [shibari] contagious in its pleasure. The bindings don't limit -- they define your current existence and so relax your mind. Yeah, I know. Sounds weird, but during sex I'm always thinking, wondering what I look like, worrying about how my hair must look, what I smell like, and if the fat roll is rolling. But when you're knotted up in five-thousand pound test rope, you're not going anywhere or doing anything, so you can just relax and enjoy the pleasure he's giving to him and you.
”
”
Glenn Hefley
“
It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before…to test your limits…to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. —Anaïs Nin
”
”
Esther Perel (Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence)
“
1
One went to the door of the Beloved and knocked.
A voice asked: “Who is there?” He answered: “It is I.”
The voice said: “There is no room here for me and thee.”
The door was shut.
After a year of solitude and deprivation
this man returned to the door of the Beloved.
He knocked.
A voice from within asked: “Who is there?”
The man said: “It is Thou.”
The door was opened for him.
2
The minute I heard my first love story,
I started looking for you, not knowing
how blind that was.
Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere,
they’re in each other all along.
3
Love is from the infinite, and will remain until eternity.
The seeker of love escapes the chains of birth and death.
Tomorrow, when resurrection comes,
The heart that is not in love will fail the test.
4
When your chest is free of your limiting ego,
Then you will see the ageless Beloved.
You can not see yourself without a mirror;
Look at the Beloved, He is the brightest mirror.
5
Your love lifts my soul from the body to the sky
And you lift me up out of the two worlds.
I want your sun to reach my raindrops,
So your heat can raise my soul upward like a cloud.
6
There is a candle in the heart of man, waiting to be kindled.
In separation from the Friend, there is a cut waiting to be
stitched.
O, you who are ignorant of endurance and the burning
fire of love–
Love comes of its own free will, it can’t be learned
in any school.
7
There are two kinds of intelligence: one acquired,
as a child in school memorizes facts and concepts
from books and from what the teacher says,
collecting information from the traditional sciences
as well as from the new sciences.
With such intelligence you rise in the world.
You get ranked ahead or behind others
in regard to your competence in retaining
information. You stroll with this intelligence
in and out of fields of knowledge, getting always more
marks on your preserving tablets.
There is another kind of tablet, one
already completed and preserved inside you.
A spring overflowing its springbox. A freshness
in the center of the chest. This other intelligence
does not turn yellow or stagnate. It’s fluid,
and it doesn’t move from outside to inside
through conduits of plumbing-learning.
This second knowing is a fountainhead
from within you, moving out.
”
”
Jalal ad-Din Muhammad ar-Rumi
“
At a time when the limits of leadership are being tested in so many places is your time to rule in your own territory.
”
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Oscar Auliq-Ice
“
You and your other half will push each others buttons and test each others limits unlike anyone else.
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Andrew M. Parsons (Twin Flames: Discover The Mythology of Soul Mates and the Twin Flame Union, Disunion, and the Reunion)
“
Adversity tests the limit of your strength.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
“
Love tested your limits. It was so damn easy to fall in love. So easy to love a person when times were good. The real challenge was sticking it out even when the going got rough.
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Emery Rose Andrews (When the Stars Fall (Lost Stars #1))
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Fear, in its many guises, is here to test you. Surrendering to fear only limits you and makes your path more difficult. Know that fear is an illusion and a trickster and that there are tools to help you resist it.
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James Van Praagh (Adventures of the Soul: Journeys Through the Physical and Spiritual Dimensions)
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There’s a way to break out of this bind: Don’t act as though your limited experience represents universal truths. It doesn’t. Force yourself to go outside your own experience by vigorously testing your assumptions.
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Herb Cohen (You Can Negotiate Anything: The Groundbreaking Original Guide to Negotiation)
“
Perspective - Use It or Lose It. If you turned to this page, you're forgetting that what is going on around you is not reality. Think about that.
Remember where you came from, where you're going, and why you created the mess you got yourself into in the first place.
You are led through your lifetime by the inner learning creature, the playful spiritual being that is your real self. Don't turn away from possible futures before you're certain you don't have anything to learn from them.
Learning is finding out what you already know. Doing is demonstrating that you know it. Teaching is reminding others that they know just as well as you. You are all learners, doers, and teachers.
Your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself. Being true to anyone else or anything else is not only impossible, but the mark of a false messiah.
Your conscience is the measure of the honesty of your selfishness. Listen to it carefully.
The simplest questions are the most profound.
Where were you born?
Where is your home?
Where are you going?
What are you doing?
Think about these once in awhile, and watch your answers change.
Your friends will know you better in the first minute you meet than your acquaintances will know you in a thousand years.
The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life.
Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.
There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts.
Imagine the universe beautiful and just and perfect.
Then be sure of one thing:
The Is has imagined it quite a bit better than you have.
The original sin is to limit the Is. Don't.
A cloud does not know why it moves in just such a direction and at such a speed, it feels an impulsion....this is the place to go now.
But the sky knows the reason and the patterns behind all clouds, and you will know, too, when you lift yourself high enough to see beyond horizons.
You are never given a wish without being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however.
Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they're yours.
If you will practice being fictional for a while, you will understand that fictional characters are sometimes more real than people with bodies and heartbeats.
The world is your exercise-book, the pages on which you do your sums.
It is not reality, although you can express reality there if you wish. You are also free to write nonsense, or lies, or to tear the pages.
Every person, all the events of your life, are there because you have drawn them there. What you choose to do with them is up to you.
In order to live free and happily, you must sacrifice boredom. It is not always an easy sacrifice.
The best way to avoid responsibility is to say, "I've got responsibilities."
The truth you speak has no past and no future. It is, and that's all it needs to be.
Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you're alive, it isn't.
Don't be dismayed at good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again.
And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.
The mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.
You're going to die a horrible death, remember. It's all good training, and you'll enjoy it more if you keep the facts in mind.
Take your dying with some seriousness, however. Laughing on the way to your execution it not generally understood by less advanced lifeforms, and they'll call you crazy.
Everything above may be wrong!
”
”
Richard Bach
“
Whether you extrapolate from Machiavelli or Castiglione, a kind of unworthy wisdom has stood the test of time in statecraft: you should have principles to make your conduct predictable, but at the same time know that you are limiting your options. It works if you are strong because you can force others to conform; but if you are weak, then having no principles means you have limitless options for action and can adjust through flexibility to acts dictated by others.
”
”
Khaled Ahmed (Sleepwalking to Surrender: Dealing with Terrorism in Pakistan)
“
You and your husband have, I think, been very fortunate to know so little, by experience, in your own case or in that of your friends, of the wicked recklessness with which people repeat things to the disadvantage of others, without a thought as to whether they have grounds for asserting what they say. I have met with a good deal of utter misrepresentation of that kind. And another result of my experience is the conviction that the opinion of "people" in general is absolutely worthless as a test of right and wrong. The only two tests I now apply to such a question as the having some particular girl-friend as a guest are, first, my own conscience, to settle whether I feel it to be entirely innocent and right, in the sight of God; secondly, the parents of my friend, to settle whether I have their full approval for what I do. You need not be shocked at my being spoken against. Anybody, who is spoken about at all, is sure to be spoken against by somebody: and any action, however innocent in itself, is liable, and not at all unlikely, to be blamed by somebody. If you limit your actions in life to things that nobody can possibly find fault with, you will not do much
”
”
Lewis Carroll (The Letters of Lewis Carroll)
“
Dweck concluded that signs of ego depletion were observed only in those test subjects who believed willpower was a limited resource. It wasn’t the sugar in the lemonade but the belief in its impact that gave participants an extra boost.
”
”
Nir Eyal (Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life)
“
You can’t get away from your own imagination. You can’t get away from it, because that’s your own being. That is the reality. But it suffers with you. He is the Lord Jesus Christ within you. Now, test Him tonight. Test Him for the good. Do you want a better job when they say they are letting people out? Forget what the papers say. Forget what anything says. “All things are possible to the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Matthew 19:26) If you don’t have enough money, forget what the paper says, You assume that you have it. “All things are possible to God.” (Matthew 19:26) He sets no limits whatsoever on the power of believing. Can you believe it? Well, try to believe it. Try to believe, first of all, in God. Well, God is your own imagination. Well, believe in Him; that whatever you can imagine is possible. Can you imagine that you have now the kind of a job that you want? The income that would come from it? The fun in the doing of the work? Well, then, walk as though it were true; and, to the best of your ability, believe that it’s true. And that assumption, though denied by your senses, – though the world would say it is false; if you persist in it, it will harden into fact. This is the law of your own wonderful imagining. Believe it, and it will become a reality.
”
”
Neville Goddard (The Secret of Imagining)
“
They say you learn by doing, but you don't have to. If you learn only from your own experience, you're limited. By reading the Internet you can find out more. What grows in what season. The best way to strip an artichoke. What type of onions work best in French onion soup. Endless detail on any topic. You can learn from people who are experimenting with Swiss buttercream, or perfecting their gluten-free pumpernickel crackers, or taste-testing everything from caviar to frozen pizza to ginger ale. All of their failures keep you from having to fail in the same way.
”
”
Jael McHenry (The Kitchen Daughter)
“
You were required — this was essential, a matter of survival — to know your limits, both physical and emotional. But how could you know your limits unless you tested them? And if you failed the test? You were also required to stay calm if things went wrong. Panic was the first step, everybody said, to drowning.
”
”
William Finnegan (Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life)
“
The only limits that exist in fantasy are your own and this is the place where you can push them safely, testing yourself to find the places in your mind you may not know exists. Deep in these recesses you may find wants you never knew you had. Here, in this place, you have the freedom to luxuriate in unsated hungers.
”
”
K. Kiker (WHITE (Book of Fantasies Trilogy, Book 1))
“
It takes guts to follow your dreams. Courage. Many people, even those who love you, don't understand how compelling that can be, and will try to keep you in the 'safety zone'. But f*ck that. Half the fun is venturing into the unknown, taking on the difficult task that yields new knowledge, doing more and testing your limits.
”
”
Marshall Ulrich (Running on Empty)
“
Abel, get away from him."
"No, I—"
Pacer took a step toward them. "Get up, now." He pointed a finger at the ground. "And come here."
Abel opened and closed his mouth several times, paralyzed. "Pacer, we were just—"
"I won't say it again, Abel."
He hated to admit it, but Pacer's demanding tone had sent a flash of anticipation through his system. Half- wanting to keep going, to test the limits of Pacer's patience, Abel paused for just another second before standing up and walking over to Pacer.
"You don't have to sound so scary," he said.
Pacer snorted, grabbing hold of Abel's wrist. "Please. You should be happy I didn't just pull you over my knee."
"Pacer!" Abel's eyes widening as he looked over at Eric. He was watching them avidly.
"Pacer, don't be so rough. He and I were just chatting."
"Are you deaf?" Pacer replied. "Why was he whispering in your ear?"
Grinning, Eric shook his head. "My bad. Maybe I just wanted to see what all the fuss was about.”
He stood up and walked over to them. "Abel, I just wanted you to know: I'm not a homophobe."
Abel stared at him. "What?" Then, after a moment, he looked at Pacer, who was studiously observing the twig he had snapped on the ground.
"I see.
”
”
R.D. Hero (Stalker)
“
Go ahead. Ask me who the father is.”
He only smiled. “Do I look that stupid to you?”
She pushed back her short hair with a sigh. “He doesn’t know, and you’re not to tell him. In English, Apache or Lakota,” she emphasized, covering all her bases.
He nodded. “What are you going to do?”
“I haven’t the slightest idea,” she confessed. “I only used the home-pregnancy test this morning, but I was pretty sure before then. I’ve got to find a place to live where Leta won’t see me for a while. I can’t risk having her tell Tate.” She glanced at him. “Where were you all this time?” she wanted to know.
“Sitting calmly in a wing chair sipping coffee and trying to look invisible.” He lifted his eyebrows at her disbelieving expression. “Somebody had to keep his head.”
“There’s an old saying that, if you can keep your head when everyone around you is losing theirs, you don’t have a clue what’s going on,” she misquoted.
“Could be. But I’m not sporting a bruised face, like some I could name.” He leaned forward. “Want to marry me?”
“Thanks, Colby,” she said softly. “I really mean it. But it wouldn’t be fair to any of us. Especially you.”
He folded his arms and leaned back. “The offer doesn’t have a time limit. I really do love children.
”
”
Diana Palmer (Paper Rose (Hutton & Co. #2))
“
Why did Allah have to create Shaitan, or God have to create Satan? Why create evil? We were told then—as I was told at home—that it was to test humanity. But why test humanity if you are all-powerful and purely good? Why not just drench humanity in pure goodness, as if in your divine rays? The answer—don't laugh at me—that I have now is this: Evil is precondition to goodness. Goodness reveals itself only in its capacity to tolerate the pettiness and dullness of evil. Goodness has to live with the possibility of evil, not eradicate it. As long as it does so, the evil that confronts goodness stays petty, dull, limited, essentially unimportant. But when goodness wants to become pure and alone, that is when it turns evil, truly evil; not the grubby evil that it has to tolerate in order to be goodness, but Evil itself.
”
”
Tabish Khair (Jihadi Jane)
“
My father gave me a penny tree when I wasn't much older than you are, and when he did, he said he believed everyone needs a special place to lick their wounds and regroup, somewhere that feels safer than anywhere else in the world. So that's what we're doing here today, We're nailing that penny to this tree because I want you to have somewhere to go that grounds you, an axis for your world to spin around, and a place that's all yours and no one else's-- for times when life throws things at you, Annie: things that test you and push you to your limits; things not unlike what you're going through right now. Only from now on, instead of running away from them, you'll have somewhere to think them through. Your own special spot where you can hurt in private when you need to be alone, and where you can weigh all of the pros and cons to make the decisions you need to make.
”
”
Holly Kennedy
“
Miss Rook!” His chocolate brown eyes brightened as he saw me, and he crossed the room at once to sweep me into a warm embrace. I felt his chest rise and fall. I could hear his heartbeat. He smelled like cedar.
“That will suffice,” Jackaby grumbled loudly from behind me. “Yes, yes. You are young and your love is a hot biscuit and other abysmally romantic metaphors, I’m sure. You do recall that you saw each other yesterday?”
Charlie pulled away but paused to brush a hand gently across my neck. His smile was tired but gratified. I straightened and tried to will the flush out of my cheeks. “Normal people do occasionally express fondness for one another.”
“Yes, fine. I’m familiar with the concept,” he groused. “It’s the bubbly auras and fluttering eyelashes that really test one’s limits.”
“My eyelashes do not flutter,” I said.
“Who said I was talking about your eyelashes? Charlie has eyelashes.”
“I apologize, Mr. Jackaby, for any undue fluttering on my part,” Charlie said diplomatically.
”
”
William Ritter (The Dire King (Jackaby, #4))
“
We may believe that anxiety and fear don't concern us because we avoid experiencing them. We may keep the scope of our lives narrow and familiar, opting for sameness and safety. We may not even know that we are scared of success, failure, rejection, criticism, conflict, competition, intimacy, or adventure, because we rarely test the limits of our competence and creativity. We avoid anxiety by avoiding risk and change. Our challenge: To be willing to become more anxious, via embracing new situations and stepping more fully into our lives.
”
”
Harriet Lerner (The Dance of Fear: Rising Above Anxiety, Fear, and Shame to Be Your Best and Bravest Self)
“
Most people never reach their limit because they are never sufficiently tested. This means I’ve got two good pieces of news for you. The first is that whenever you do something beyond your ‘comfort zone’ and realize you are still standing, the more you will believe that the impossible is actually possible. And on the road to success, belief is everything. And the second piece of news is that we all have much further to push ourselves than we might initially imagine. Inside us all, just waiting to be tested, is a better, bolder, braver version of who we think we are. All you have to
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Bear Grylls (A Survival Guide for Life: How to Achieve Your Goals, Thrive in Adversity, and Grow in Character)
“
HARV appeared in front of me, arms crossed, head tilted. “You really should read your e-mails from Randy more carefully,” he lectured.
“I skim them,” I protested.
“Well, if you skimmed them more carefully you would know that prolonged exposure to stealth mode may lead to side effects.”
“I can handle . . .”
“Impotence.” HARV smiled.
“Oh,” I said.
“Randy hasn’t really tested it on humans. It’s extra tough to get volunteers for those types of experiments,” HARV said. “Though he has computer simulated it and the results tend to support this conclusion.”
“Let’s try to limit our use of stealth mode from now on,” I said.
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John Zakour (The Flaxen Femme Fatale (Nuclear Bombshell, #6))
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Groups have powerful self-reinforcing mechanisms at work. These can lead to group polarization—a tendency for members of the group to end up in a more extreme position than they started in because they have heard the views repeated frequently.
At the extreme limit of group behavior is groupthink. This occurs when a group makes faulty decisions because group pressures lead to a deterioration of “mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment.” The original work was conducted with reference to the Vietnam War and the Bay of Pigs fiasco. However, it rears its head again and again, whether it is in connection with the Challenger space shuttle disaster or the CIA intelligence failure over the WMD of Saddam Hussein.
Groupthink tends to have eight symptoms:
1 . An illusion of invulnerability. This creates excessive optimism that encourages taking extreme risks. [...]
2. Collective rationalization. Members of the group discount warnings and do not reconsider their assumptions. [...]
3. Belief in inherent morality. Members believe in the rightness of their cause and therefore ignore the ethical or moral consequences of their decisions.
4. Stereotyped views of out-groups. Negative views of “enemy” make effective responses to conflict seem unnecessary. Remember how those who wouldn't go along with the dot-com bubble were dismissed as simply not getting it.
5. Direct pressure on dissenters. Members are under pressure not to express arguments against any of the group’s views.
6. Self-censorship. Doubts and deviations from the perceived group consensus are not expressed.
7. Illusion of unanimity. The majority view and judgments are assumed to be unanimous.
8. "Mind guards" are appointed. Members protect the group and the leader from information that is problematic or contradictory to the group's cohesiveness, view, and/or decisions. This is confirmatory bias writ large.
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James Montier (The Little Book of Behavioral Investing: How not to be your own worst enemy)
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Setting limits has to do with telling the truth. The Bible clearly distinguishes between those who love truth and those who don’t. First, there is the person who welcomes your boundaries. Who accepts them. Who listens to them. Who says, “I’m glad you have a separate opinion. It makes me a better person.” This person is called wise, or righteous. The second type hates limits. Resents your difference. Tries to manipulate you into giving up your treasures. Try our “litmus test” experiment with your significant relationships. Tell them no in some area. You’ll either come out with increased intimacy—or learn that there was very little to begin with.
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Henry Cloud (Boundaries: When To Say Yes, How to Say No)
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But there’s mounting evidence that many successful CEOs and politicians are actually psychopaths, too; or at least, fall somewhere on the psychopathic spectrum—that is, they score low on tests for remorse, conscience, and moral judgment, and high for fearlessness, quick thinking, and cold-bloodedness. And there are certain psychopathic traits that we know Miles has. Something called shallow affect, for example—having a very limited range of emotions. Getting bored easily. Impulsiveness. Charm. Not really caring about other people’s feelings, except as a tool to manipulate them by. Having very few long-term friends. Seeing life as a contest where, for you to win, others have to lose. And treating your children as trophies, flattering extensions of yourself.
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J.P. Delaney (Playing Nice)
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The limits of your life are just creations of your own self; and in a fantasy world, even the lies become true...
Only you can push your limits! Only you know what you think or imagine those limits are. No one can get inside your head to see where you've set your barriers.
Analyze your internal conversation:
Do you use limiting thoughts?
When you think of a dream, do you kill it immediately?
Is your mind set in the “tell me all the reasons why I CAN NOT” mode?
If so, prepare to change your programming, and accept that THERE ARE NO LIMITS TO WHAT YOU CAN ACHIEVE. ONLY THOSE YOU IMPOSE YOURSELF…
To limit yourself only builds walls and barriers where there should be none! Where there are none! The more open and barrier-free your mind is, the greater the chance of achieving what you want.
So, test your supposed limits over and over and over again! Tools, people, resources… Everything will come your way, once you start trying, challenging and testing your self-imposed limits.
Replace those negative limiting thoughts with positive thoughts of possibility, believe and faith.
Turn on the light of your mind, and kill the darkness!
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Mauricio Chaves Mesén (YES! TO SUCCESS)
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This is a very common thing among male groups of friends. There is a person who's always taking heat from everyone else for various reasons. Not that I'm defending this behavior though, fuck no, I hate it when guys are like this; it's barbaric and stupid.
Unfortunately I think it's like an unconscious thing that just comes natural to guys when we're in groups. We take the piss out of each other all the time, prodding until we know the limits of each other and crossing the lines once in a while to test the boundaries.
Some guys who're overly-nice or don't fully understand this dynamic get completely shit on by it. If you keep excusing small actions by others that violate your boundaries, they'll just keep pushing and pushing, giving less and less respect until they know how far they're allowed to go. Having people knowing your limits and making sure to not cross them equates to respect, which is what we're after.
This doesn't mean you should to tell them all to fuck off now; that wouldn't work anymore because you've allowed them this far into your territory. It'd seem like an overreaction from you, which makes sense, right?
"We were just joking around yesterday about the same things, he seemed cool with it, but now he's all pissed for some reason, this guys a whack..."
The key thing to note if you want to avoid this in the future is to either find "nicer" friends, or to let people know when they cross a boundary. This may sound huge and dramatic, but it's honestly a really simple thing.
"Haha great job idiot you messed up" ----> "Fuck you man haha"
Simple as that; he/they poked at you and by throwing it back at him, you let him know you're not just going to take it.
If they do something that crosses your boundary, you respond appropriately; a big cross, like outright disrespecting you, means a big reaction, like telling the guy off. Does this mean you can't be nice anymore? Nope, not at all. You can still be a nice guy; most interactions with others don't involve all this boundary bullshit - and that's when the niceness in your personality can shine through.
Beyond that, it's also a personal image/confidence thing. If you truly respect yourself, how would you let anyone get away with the things they say/do to you? What if this was your little sister? Would you let others treat her the same way? If not, then why would you let them treat you this way?
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”
Anonymous
“
It does something to you when you are running close to what you perceive as our limit (back then, I still topped at 40 percent) and there is someone else out there who makes the difficult look effortless. It was obvious that his preparedness was several levels above our own. Captain Connolly did not show up to simply get through the program and graduate so he could collect some wings for his uniform and belong to the unspoken fraternity of supposed badasses at Fort Campbell. He came to explore what he was made of and grow. That required a willingness to set a new standard wherever possible and make a statement, not necessarily to our dumb asses, but to himself. He was respectful to all the instructors and the school, but he was not there to be led...
Most people love standards. It gives the brain something to focus on, which helps us reach a place of achievement. Organizational structure and atta' boys from our instructors or bosses keep us motivated to perform and to move up on that bell curve. Captain Connolly did not require external motivation. He trained to his own standard and used the existing structure for his own purposes. Air Assault School became his own personal octagon, where he could test himself on a level even the instructors hadn't imagined.
For the next nine days, he put his head down and quietly went about the business of smashing every single standard at Air Assault School. He saw the bar that the instructors pointed to and the rest of us were trying to tap as a hurdle to leap over, and he did it time and again. He understood that his rank only meant something if he sought out a different certification: an invisible badge that says, "I am the example. Follow me, motherfuckers, and I will show you that there is more to this life than so-called authority and stripes or candy on a uniform. I'll show you what true ambition looks like beyond all the external structure in a place of limitless mental growth."
He didn't say any of that. He didn't run his mouth at all. I can't recall him uttering word one in ten fucking days, but through his performance and extreme dedication, he dropped breadcrumbs for anybody who was awake and aware enough to follow him. He flashed his tool kit. He showed us what potent, silent, exemplary leadership looked like. He checked into every Gold Group run, which was led by the fastest instructor in that school, and volunteered to be the first to carry the flag. p237
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David Goggins (Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within)
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The movement actually managed to succeed in lobbying for the passage of involuntary sterilization laws in thirty American states. This meant that the state could neuter people who fell below a particular IQ without their having any say in the matter. That each state eventually repealed the laws is a testament to common sense and compassion. That the laws existed in the first place is a frightening indication of how dangerously limited any standardized test is in calculating intelligence and the capacity to contribute to society. IQ tests can even be a matter of life and death. A criminal who commits a capital offense is not subject to the death penalty if his IQ is below seventy. However, IQ scores regularly rise over the course of a generation (by as much as twenty-five points), causing the scale to be reset every fifteen to twenty years to maintain a mean score of one hundred. Therefore, someone who commits a capital offense may be more likely to be put to death at the beginning of a cycle than at the end. That’s giving a single test an awful lot of responsibility. People can also improve their scores through study and practice. I read a case recently about a death row inmate who’d at that point spent ten years in jail on a life sentence (he wasn’t the trigger man, but he’d been involved in a robbery where someone died). During his incarceration, he took a series of courses. When retested, his IQ had risen more than ten points—suddenly making him eligible for execution.
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Ken Robinson (The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything)
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Society makes a peculiar offer to its citizenry: we have a job, if you want it. Here it is.
You must stand between the predators and the innocents of the world and hold the line with your blood.
Pay is modest—and rendered grudgingly.
You will labor across hours, long and ungodly, that will test the limits of exhaustion and tedium.
Family will suffer your absence. You will miss many meaningful moments.
You will find yourself shipped to places far away, forbidding, forgotten or assigned to patrol streets savaged by violence, poverty, madness. Your presence will not be welcomed.
You will see tragedy, hopelessness and evil at depths that will rend your soul. You will be expected somehow, some way, to keep yourself whole as you drown in these so that you may confront them again the next day.
You will be called filthy names. In the course of your duties, you will be attacked, targeted, challenged. Some will try to kill you. They may succeed.
The antipathy of the press and the animosity of the public will flank you without end until your final tour of duty. Your every action, every decision, every remark will be the subject of unremitting—and unforgiving—scrutiny.
Politicians will exploit you—for good and ill—and sacrifice you to expediency once the exploitation is done.
Your mistakes, though honest, will never be forgiven—ever.
You will save many but the one you lose will haunt you until your dying day.
You will form bonds of brotherhood with your comrades, wordless in their abiding depth, forged in the rough bravery that circumstance compels. You will bury many of those brothers.
You will begin each day knowing that you may never see another.
This is the job that society offers its citizenry. Do you want it?
For most, the answer is an obvious one: no. But for a few, the answer is just as obvious: yes.
This is for the few who answer yes.
”
”
Daniel Modell
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Now imagine that an anthropologist specializing in primitive cultures beams herself down to the natives in Silicon Valley, whose way of life has not advanced a kilobyte beyond the Google age and whose tools have remained just as primitive as they were in the twenty-first century. She brings along with her a tray of taste samples called the Munsell Taste System. On it are representative samples of the whole taste space, 1,024 little fruit cubes that automatically reconstitute themselves on the tray the moment one picks them up. She asks the natives to try each of these and tell her the name of the taste in their language, and she is astonished at the abject poverty of their fructiferous vocabulary. She cannot comprehend why they are struggling to describe the taste samples, why their only abstract taste concepts are limited to the crudest oppositions such as “sweet” and “sour,” and why the only other descriptions they manage to come up with are “it’s a bit like an X,” where X is the name of a certain legacy fruit. She begins to suspect that their taste buds have not yet fully evolved. But when she tests the natives, she establishes that they are fully capable of telling the difference between any two cubes in her sample. There is obviously nothing wrong with their tongue, but why then is their langue so defective?
Let’s try to help her. Suppose you are one of those natives and she has just given you a cube that tastes like nothing you’ve ever tried before. Still, it vaguely reminds you of something. For a while you struggle to remember, then it dawns on you that this taste is slightly similar to those wild strawberries you had in a Parisian restaurant once, only this taste seems ten times more pronounced and is blended with a few other things that you can’t identify. So finally you say, very hesitantly, that “it’s a bit like wild strawberries.” Since you look like a particularly intelligent and articulate native, the anthropologist cannot resist posing a meta-question: doesn’t it feel odd and limiting, she asks, not to have precise vocabulary to describe tastes in the region of wild strawberries? You tell her that the only things “in the region of wild strawberry” that you’ve ever tasted before were wild strawberries, and that it has never crossed your mind that the taste of wild strawberries should need any more general or abstract description than “the taste of wild strawberries.” She smiles with baffled incomprehension.
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Guy Deutscher (Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages)
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Washington University found that adding a single extra gene dramatically boosted a mouse’s memory and ability. These “smart mice” could navigate mazes faster, remember events better, and outperform other mice in a wide variety of tests. They were dubbed “Doogie mice,” after the precocious character on the TV show Doogie Howser, M.D. Dr. Tsien began by analyzing the gene NR2B, which acts like a switch controlling the brain’s ability to associate one event with another. (Scientists know this because when the gene is silenced or rendered inactive, mice lose this ability.) All learning depends on NR2B, because it controls the communication between memory cells of the hippocampus. First Dr. Tsien created a strain of mice that lacked NR2B, and they showed impaired memory and learning disabilities. Then he created a strain of mice that had more copies of NR2B than normal, and found that the new mice had superior mental capabilities. Placed in a shallow pan of water and forced to swim, normal mice would swim randomly about. They had forgotten from just a few days before that there was a hidden underwater platform. The smart mice, however, went straight to the hidden platform on the first try. Since then, researchers have been able to confirm these results in other labs and create even smarter strains of mice. In 2009, Dr. Tsien published a paper announcing yet another strain of smart mice, dubbed “Hobbie-J” (named after a character in Chinese cartoons). Hobbie-J was able to remember novel facts (such as the location of toys) three times longer than the genetically modified strain of mouse previously thought to be the smartest. “This adds to the notion that NR2B is a universal switch for memory formation,” remarked Dr. Tsien. “It’s like taking Michael Jordon and making him a super Michael Jordan,” said graduate student Deheng Wang. There are limits, however, even to this new mice strain. When these mice were given a choice to take a left or right turn to get a chocolate reward, Hobbie-J was able to remember the correct path for much longer than the normal mice, but after five minutes he, too, forgot. “We can never turn it into a mathematician. They are rats, after all,” says Dr. Tsien. It should also be pointed out that some of the strains of smart mice were exceptionally timid compared to normal mice. Some suspect that, if your memory becomes too great, you also remember all the failures and hurts as well, perhaps making you hesitant. So there is also a potential downside to remembering too much.
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Michio Kaku (The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind)
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Scientists have found that there are two important genes, the CREB activator (which stimulates the formation of new connections between neurons) and the CREB repressor (which suppresses the formation of new memories). Dr. Jerry Yin and Timothy Tully of Cold Spring Harbor have been doing interesting experiments with fruit flies. Normally it takes ten trials for them to learn a certain task (e.g., detecting an odor, avoiding a shock). Fruit flies with an extra CREB repressor gene could not form lasting memories at all, but the real surprise came when they tested fruit flies with an extra CREB activator gene. They learned the task in just one session. “This implies these flies have a photographic memory,” says Dr. Tully. He said they are just like students “who could read a chapter of a book once, see it in their mind, and tell you that the answer is in paragraph three of page two seventy-four.” This effect is not just restricted to fruit flies. Dr. Alcino Silva, also at Cold Spring Harbor, has been experimenting with mice. He found that mice with a defect in their CREB activator gene were virtually incapable of forming long-term memories. They were amnesiac mice. But even these forgetful mice could learn a bit if they had short lessons with rest in between. Scientists theorize that we have a fixed amount of CREB activator in the brain that can limit the amount we can learn in any specific time. If we try to cram before a test, it means that we quickly exhaust the amount of CREB activators, and hence we cannot learn any more—at least until we take a break to replenish the CREB activators. “We can now give you a biological reason why cramming doesn’t work,” says Dr. Tully. The best way to prepare for a final exam is to mentally review the material periodically during the day, until the material becomes part of your long-term memory. This may also explain why emotionally charged memories are so vivid and can last for decades. The CREB repressor gene is like a filter, cleaning out useless information. But if a memory is associated with a strong emotion, it can either remove the CREB repressor gene or increase levels of the CREB activator gene. In the future, we can expect more breakthroughs in understanding the genetic basis of memory. Not just one but a sophisticated combination of genes is probably required to shape the enormous capabilities of the brain. These genes, in turn, have counterparts in the human genome, so it is a distinct possibility that we can also enhance our memory and mental skills genetically. However, don’t think that you will be able to get a brain boost anytime soon. Many hurdles still remain. First, it is not clear if these results apply to humans.
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Michio Kaku (The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind)
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SUPPLEMENT DAILY DOSAGE Vitamin A 10,000 IU or 6 mg beta-carotene (choose mixed carotenes if available) B-complex vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5: 50 mg B6: 50 mg, or 100 mg if nauseated (can be higher: if necessary up to 250 mg to prevent nausea) B12: 400 mcg Choline, Inositol, PABA: 25 mg Biotin: 200 mcg Folic acid: 500 mcg (increase this to 1000 mcg if you have suffered a previous miscarriage, if there is a history of neural tube defects in your family, or if you are over 40 years of age) Vitamin C 1–2 g (take the higher dose if you are exposed to toxicity or in contact with, or suffering from, infection) Bioflavonoids 500–1000 mg (helpful for preventing miscarriage and breakthrough bleeding) Vitamin D 200 IU Vitamin E 500 IU (increasing to 800 IU during last trimester) Calcium 800 mg (increasing to 1200 mg during middle trimester when your baby’s bones are forming, or if symptoms such as leg cramps indicate an increased need) Magnesium 400 mg (half the dose of calcium) Potassium 15 mg or as cell salt (potassium chloride, 3 tablets) Iron Supplement only if need is proven; dosage depends on serum ferritin levels (stored iron) If levels < 30 mcg per litre, take 30 mg If levels < 45 mcg per litre, take 20 mg If levels < 60 mcg per litre, take 10 mg This test for ferritin levels should be repeated at the end of each trimester, and we give further details in Chapter 11. Manganese 10 mg Zinc 20–60 mg, taken last thing at night on an empty stomach (dose level to depend on results of zinc taste test, which ideally should be performed at two monthly intervals during your pregnancy; see page 172–174 for details) Chromium 100–200 mcg (upper limit applies to those with sugar cravings or with proven need) Selenium 100–200 mcg (upper limit for those exposed to high levels of heavy metal or chemical pollution). Selenium is best taken away from vitamin C, but can be taken with zinc. Iodine 75 mcg (or take 150 mg of kelp instead) Acidophilus/Bifidus Half to one teaspoonful, one to three times daily (upper limits for those who suffer from thrush) Evening primrose oil 500–1000 mg two to three times daily MaxEPA (or deep sea fish oils) 500–1000 mg two to three times daily Garlic 2000–5000 mg (higher levels for those exposed to toxins) Silica 20 mg Copper 1–2 mg (but only if zinc levels are adequate) Hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes For those with digestive problems. There are numerous proprietary preparations which contain an appropriate combination of active ingredients. Ask your health practitioner, pharmacist or health food shop for guidance, and take as directed on the label. Co-enzyme Q10 10 mg daily
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Francesca Naish (The Natural Way To A Better Pregnancy (Better babies))
“
Now, before you invade a foreign city. Here’s the law: Offer the fools a peace treaty. They can remain in their city as your slaves doing forced labor for you. And if they refuse your generosity? Kill every goddamned one of their men. And take their women, children, livestock, and wealth as plunder.” The same guy raised his hand and yelled, “Can we fuck these women, too?” It was a stupid question, but Moses replied patiently, “Of course. Fuck them—use them as footstools, punching bags, scarecrows—who cares? They’re slaves! Do whatever you want with them. “Just remember, all you have to do is obey Yahweh. Then you will have no worries and nothing to fear. He will take care of you. But be careful, because Yahweh will test you. He will send false prophets and phony dream interpreters. “If you encounter one? And his predictions come true? And he wants you to worship another god? Don’t be impressed! Beware! Yahweh sent him to tempt you. “So kill anyone who prophesies in the name of another god. “And kill anyone who pretends to be a prophet and is not! “And if you find a town worshipping another god—kill everyone in it! And kill their livestock! Plunder their homes! Burn that despicable town to the ground and never rebuild it! Make it a perpetual burnt offering to Yahweh. “And whatever you do, for god’s sake, do not imitate the detestable Canaanite religions! Do not incinerate your children, or practice sorcery, or witchcraft. And don’t interpret omens. These practices are detestable to Yahweh. “Above all, DO NOT worship their gods! Don’t worship the sun! Or the moon! Or the stars in the sky! Yahweh gave those to the suckers in other nations as their gods. If you worship just one of them—just one time…” Moses shuddered at the thought. “Well, let’s just say, Yahweh is jealous—real jealous! If he catches you worshipping another god, I have to tell you that the gigs up. He’ll kick your asses out of the Promised Land. And scatter you among the other nations like snake shit scattered about the desert.” Obey Yahweh and you will live in paradise “Just obey Yahweh. You hear me? Obey him, and you will live in paradise. He will protect you from your enemies. Send rain for your crops. Nurture your herds. You will have abundant food and wine. Maybe free dance lessons—who knows? There is no limit to Yahweh’s love! Obey him, and your lives will be perfect. Disobey him, and you are fucked! It’s just that simple.” Moses waited for the impact of this essential truth to resister in their brains. Regretfully, it did not. But he concluded, “Anyhow, I’m one-hundred and twenty years old. I cannot lead you into the Promised Land. Joshua will lead you.” He again found Joshua in the crowd. “Joshua, come on up here!” Joshua, startled awake, elbowed his way through the crowd and
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Steve Ebling (Holy Bible - Best God Damned Version - The Books of Moses: For atheists, agnostics, and fans of religious stupidity)
“
The key point is that these patterns, while mostly stable, are not permanent: certain environmental experiences can add or subtract methyls and acetyls, changing those patterns. In effect this etches a memory of what the organism was doing or experiencing into its cells—a crucial first step for any Lamarck-like inheritance. Unfortunately, bad experiences can be etched into cells as easily as good experiences. Intense emotional pain can sometimes flood the mammal brain with neurochemicals that tack methyl groups where they shouldn’t be. Mice that are (however contradictory this sounds) bullied by other mice when they’re pups often have these funny methyl patterns in their brains. As do baby mice (both foster and biological) raised by neglectful mothers, mothers who refuse to lick and cuddle and nurse. These neglected mice fall apart in stressful situations as adults, and their meltdowns can’t be the result of poor genes, since biological and foster children end up equally histrionic. Instead the aberrant methyl patterns were imprinted early on, and as neurons kept dividing and the brain kept growing, these patterns perpetuated themselves. The events of September 11, 2001, might have scarred the brains of unborn humans in similar ways. Some pregnant women in Manhattan developed post-traumatic stress disorder, which can epigenetically activate and deactivate at least a dozen genes, including brain genes. These women, especially the ones affected during the third trimester, ended up having children who felt more anxiety and acute distress than other children when confronted with strange stimuli. Notice that these DNA changes aren’t genetic, because the A-C-G-T string remains the same throughout. But epigenetic changes are de facto mutations; genes might as well not function. And just like mutations, epigenetic changes live on in cells and their descendants. Indeed, each of us accumulates more and more unique epigenetic changes as we age. This explains why the personalities and even physiognomies of identical twins, despite identical DNA, grow more distinct each year. It also means that that detective-story trope of one twin committing a murder and both getting away with it—because DNA tests can’t tell them apart—might not hold up forever. Their epigenomes could condemn them. Of course, all this evidence proves only that body cells can record environmental cues and pass them on to other body cells, a limited form of inheritance. Normally when sperm and egg unite, embryos erase this epigenetic information—allowing you to become you, unencumbered by what your parents did. But other evidence suggests that some epigenetic changes, through mistakes or subterfuge, sometimes get smuggled along to new generations of pups, cubs, chicks, or children—close enough to bona fide Lamarckism to make Cuvier and Darwin grind their molars.
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Sam Kean (The Violinist's Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code)
“
You have unfairly tasked me with three very difficult questions. I was very interested in your comments about Christ’s atheism on the cross. That final moment of atheism, that’s something I have never thought about in that way. It’s a very interesting thought because what it really ….it’s an unbelievably merciful idea in some sense. That the burden of life is so unbearable and you see in the Christian passion, of course, torture, unfair judgement by society, betrayal by friends and then a low death. That’s about …as bad as it gets. Right? Which is why it is an archetypal story. It’s about as bad as it gets. And the story that you describe points out that it’s so bad that even God himself might despair about the essential quality of being. Right? Right. So that is merciful in some sense because it does say that there is something that’s built into the fabric of existence, that tests us so severely in our faith about being itself that even God himself falls prey to the temptation to doubt. So that’s…ok now… There is a very large critical literature that suggests that if you want to develop optimal resilience, what you do is lay out a pathway towards somewhere better, someone comes in, they have a problem, you try to figure out what the problem is and then you try to figure out what might constitute a solution. So you have a map. And it’s a tentative map of how you get from where things aren’t so good to where they are better. And then you have the person go out in the world and confront those things that they are avoiding, that are stopping them from moving to that higher place. And there’s an archetypal reality to that, you’re in a fallen state, you are attempting to redeem yourself and there is a process by which that has to occur. And that process involves voluntary confrontation with what you’re afraid of, disgusted by and inclined to avoid. And that’s works. Every psychological school agrees upon that exposure therapy, psychoanalysts expose you to the tragedies of your past, and redeem you in that manner, the behaviourists expose you to the terrors of the present and redeem you in that manner, but there is a broad agreement between psychological schools that that works. My sense is that we are called upon as individuals precisely to do that in our life. We are faced by this unbearable reality, that you made reference to when you talked about the situation on the cross, life itself is fundamentally - and this is a pessimism that we might share - it’s fundamentally suffering and malevolence. But this is I think where we differ, I believe that the evidence suggests that the light that you discover in your life is proportionate to the amount of darkness that you are willing to forthrightly confront and that there is no necessarily upper limit to that. So I think that the good that people are capable of it’s a higher good than the evil that people are capable of. And believe me that I do not say that lightly, given that I know about the evil that people are capable of. And I believe that the central psychological message of the biblical corpus fundamentally it’s that. That’s why it culminates in some sense with the idea that it is necessary to confront the devil and to accept the unjustness of your tortured mortality. If you can do that, and that’s a challenge sufficient to challenge even God himself, you have the best chance of transcending it, and living the kind of life that would set your house in order and everyone’s house in order at the same time. And I think that’s true even in states like North Korea...
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Jordan Peterson
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Bybit is a leading cryptocurrency derivatives trade recognized for its consumer-friendly interface and superior buying and selling features. When you create a Bybit account, you gain get entry to to a platform in which you could change Bitcoin, Ethereum, and different cryptocurrencies the usage of leverage. One key function of Bybit debts is the ability to engage in perpetual contracts, which allow investors to invest on the charge actions of cryptocurrencies without an expiration date. This opens up opportunities for both lengthy and short positions, providing flexibility in buying and selling techniques.
Additionally, Bybit bills provide robust chance control tools consisting of stop-loss and take-earnings orders to help traders mitigate capacity losses and lock in income. These features make contributions to developing a secure trading surroundings that caters to both skilled buyers and learners trying to enter the world of cryptocurrency trading. Understanding the distinct styles of Bybit money owed to be had, along with individual or corporate debts, allows investors to select the choice that satisfactory fits their desires. Whether you're a expert dealer or just starting out within the crypto marketplace, having a clean comprehension of how Bybit debts paintings lays the muse for a success buying and selling endeavors.
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Increased Security:
By using a tested Bybit account, you appreciably lessen the hazard of unauthorized get right of entry to in your price range and personal data. Verification provides an extra layer of security via identification confirmation, supporting you exchange with peace of thoughts and focus on your investment techniques.
Enhanced Credibility:
A verified Bybit account complements your credibility as a trader within the cryptocurrency space. It signifies to different users and capacity partners that you are a critical and legitimate player inside the marketplace. This can result in greater opportunities for collaborations, networking, and ordinary growth to your buying and selling endeavors.
Access to Advanced Features:
Verified Bybit bills frequently come with access to extra features and advantages that unverified bills might not have. These may want to include better withdrawal limits, precedence customer support, exclusive trading equipment, or participation in special promotions. Having a demonstrated account opens up a brand new realm of possibilities in your buying and selling adventure.
Trustworthiness in Transactions:
When you use with a established Bybit account, it instills consider for your capability trading companions or clients. They are more likely to interact with a person who has passed through verification processes as it demonstrates dedication to transparency and authenticity. Building trust is crucial in the unstable global of cryptocurrency buying and selling.
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Revolut Accounts for Sale: Buy with Confidence
Revolut Accounts are broadly admired for their comfort and modern capabilities. However, navigating the realm of buying these bills may be daunting, with concerns about authenticity and safety looming huge. In this newsletter, we delve into the sector of Revolut Accounts for sale, presenting insights on how to buy with self assurance and peace of thoughts. Read directly to discover why deciding on a validated Revolut account can rework your monetary experience, the advantages that come with it, and in which to locate relied on dealers. We promise to equip you with the knowledge and equipment had to make an knowledgeable decision, ensuring a unbroken transaction that opens up a global of possibilities for your financial endeavors.
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Why Choose Revolut Accounts
Revolut has revolutionized the manner we method banking with its progressive capabilities and consumer-friendly interface. One of the main reasons to pick a Revolut account is its flexibility - you may manipulate your price range at the pass, making transactions seamlessly from anywhere in the international. Moreover, Revolut gives a wide range of forex options at aggressive charges, ideal for common travelers or enterprise specialists handling global customers. The comfort of immediate transfers and real-time spending updates sets Revolut other than conventional banking establishments.
Security is some other compelling purpose to choose a Revolut account. With strong encryption protocols and biometric authentication features, your monetary information is safeguarded against cyber threats. This peace of thoughts permits you to awareness to your monetary desires with out annoying approximately unauthorized get entry to in your account. Furthermore, Revolut's dedication to innovation ensures which you are constantly at the vanguard of monetary era tendencies. From budgeting equipment to cryptocurrency options, Revolut continuously improvements its services to cater to evolving patron needs. Choosing a Revolut account means embracing a ahead-wondering approach to personal finance management.
Benefits of Buying Verified Revolut Accounts
When considering the benefits of purchasing a tested Revolut account, one need to first acknowledge the improved protection and reliability it offers. Verified money owed include an added layer of safety, ensuring that your price range and personal facts are safeguarded towards any capacity dangers or unauthorized get entry to. Moreover, shopping for a proven Revolut account affords you with immediately get admission to to top class capabilities and functionalities that won't be available to regular customers. This includes better transaction limits, priority customer support, exceptional rewards, and tailor-made economic services designed to enhance your standard banking experience.
In addition to heightened protection and top rate functions, acquiring a verified Revolut account also can prevent valuable effort and time. By skipping the lengthy verification method generally required for new debts, you could begin using your account directly with none delays or headaches. This convenience aspect is specifically beneficial for individuals searching for short get entry to to superior economic tools. Furthermore, investing in a established Revolut account demonstrates your dedication to monetary obligation and balance. By choosing a reputable seller and obtaining a legitimate account thru right channels, you show off your willpower to handling your price range successfully and ethically. This now not best enhances your credibility as a consumer but additionally displays positively for your standard financial literacy and selection-making competencies.
Where to Find Trusted Sellers
When trying to find depended on sellers of Revolut accounts, it is vital to do thorough studies.
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You are testing me constantly to discover how far you can push before I yield, how loud you can scream before I stop you, how bratty you can be before I hush you. You are discovering the boundaries of your world. At times I hesitate to let you know that you come with limits. I see your desire to be a superhero and your full faith that you are. I want to let your imagination be on fire. Yet I must also stop you and tell you that no matter what you believe, you cannot fly out of the window.
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Shefali Tsabary (The Conscious Parent: Transforming Ourselves, Emowering Our Children)
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Introduction
In the quick-paced international of crypto currency buying and selling, having a validated Binance account isn't always just superb – it's critical. As virtual assets hold to reshape the financial panorama, the security and functionality of your buying and selling platform turn out to be paramount. In this text, we delve into the advantages of buying confirmed Binance accounts for crypto buying and selling and explore how this easy but strategic choice can increase your buying and selling enjoy to new heights.
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Overview of Binance crypto currency alternate
The Binance crypto currency trade, founded in 2017 by using Champing Zhao, quick rose to prominence as one of the main systems for digital asset trading. With a person-friendly interface and a extensive range of crypto currencies to be had for trading, Binance has come to be a move-to desire for each newbie and skilled investors alike. Its present day technology ensures rapid and secure transactions, providing customers with peace of thoughts while engaging in the risky international of crypto buying and selling. Binance gives a plethora of capabilities to decorate the buying and selling revel in, inclusive of superior charting gear, real-time marketplace information updates, and customizable trading alternatives. The platform's strong safety features shield user finances from capacity cyber threats, earning it a reputation as one of the maximum stable exchanges within the industry. Additionally, Binance frequently introduces new coins and tokens to its platform, giving buyers access to interesting funding possibilities which could probably yield tremendous returns. Engaging with Binance opens up a global of opportunities in the ever-evolving landscape of crypto currency buying and selling.
Importance of having a tested Binance account
The importance of proudly owning a verified Binance account within the realm of crypto currency trading can't be overstated. A proven account now not handiest presents get entry to to a wider range of features and services however additionally enhances security features to safeguard your virtual assets. By present process the verification technique, customers set up credibility and trust within the Binance platform, allowing smoother transactions and interactions with other investors. Moreover, a confirmed Binance account permits for multiplied account limits and privileges, enabling customers to take complete advantage of the platform's offerings. With more desirable verification tiers, people can get right of entry to better withdrawal limits, take part in advanced buying and selling options, and liberate top rate functions that aren't available to unverified accounts. This multiplied status opens up new opportunities for buyers to maximize their buying and selling potential and navigate the unstable crypto market with self belief.
In essence, having a confirmed Binance account not most effective streamlines your buying and selling revel in however additionally elevates your standing as a reputable participant in the crypto community. By embracing the verification procedure, customers show their dedication to transparency and security even as reaping the advantages of more advantageous privileges and get entry to on one of the main cryptocurrency exchanges. Ultimately, making an investment in a verified account is
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Verified Binance Accounts for Sale: Elevate Your Trading Experience
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Even negative attention trumps no attention, so your well-intended lecture on why it’s critical to stop singing after bedtime is going to encourage more singing. This is why the logical consequence to most bedtime limit-testing behavior is to ignore it. While you may not be keen to have your child take off their jammies and sleep naked, returning to put the jammies back on just encourages further nakedness. You should, if you can within the bounds of safety and sanity, ignore the behavior.
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Alexis Dubief (Precious Little Sleep)
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Yoga engages both the mind and body by combining the regulatory power of our breath with movement. As we advance in the practice, increasingly challenging poses begin to test our body’s physical limits, further stressing our system, and offering an opportunity to reconnect with the calming power of our breath.
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Nicole LePera (How to Do the Work: Recognize Your Patterns, Heal from Your Past, and Create Your Self)
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You can test the effect of this acceptance in your soul, imagining yourself deeply bowing before your parents and saying to them, “The life you gave me came to me at the full price it has cost you, and the total price was what it cost. I accept it with all that comes with it, with all its limitations and opportunities.
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Efu Nyaki (Healing Trauma through Family Constellations and Somatic Experiencing: Ancestral Wisdom from the Snail Clan of Tanzania)
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I look at the augusteum and I think that perhaps my life has not actually been so chaotic after all it is merely this world that is chaotic b ringing changes to us all threat nobody could have anticipated. The augusteum warns me not to get attached to any obsolete ideas about who i am what i represent whom i belong to or what function I may once have intended to serve. Yesterday i might have been a glorious monument to somebody, true enough but tomorrow i could be a firework's depository, even in the eternal city says the silent augusteum . one must always be prepared for riotous and endless waves of transformation.
pizzaeria da michele
Passato remoto
In her world the roman forum is not remote nor is it past. It is exactly as present and close to her as i am.
The bhagavata Gita that ancient Indian yogic test says that it is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else's life with perfection. So now i have started living my own life, perfected clumsy as it may look it is resembling me now thoroughly.
It was in a bathtub back in new York reading Italian words aloud from a dictionary that i first started mending my soul. My life had gone to bits, and I was so unrecognizable to myself that i probably couldn't have picked me out of a police lineup. But i felt a glimmer of happiness when i started studying Italian, and when you sense a faint potentiality for happiness after such dark times you must grip onto the ankles of that happiness and not let go until it drags you face first out of the dirt this is not selfishness but obligation you were given life it is your duty and also your entitlement as a human being to find somehtign beautiful within life no mattter how slight
But i do know that i have collected me of late through the enjoyment of harmless pleasures into somebody much more intact .
I have e put on weight I exist more now than i did four months ago. I will leave Italy noticeably bigger than when i arrived here. And i will leave with the hope that the expansion of one person the magnification of one life is indeed an act of worth in this world, Even if that life, just this one time, happens to be nobody s but my own .
Hatha yoga one limb of the philosophy the ancients developed these physical stretches not for personal fitness but to loosen up their muscles and minds in order to prepare them for meditation,
Yoga can also mean trying to find God through meditation through scholarly study.
The yogic path is about disentangling the built-in glitches of the human condition which i[m going to very simply define here as the heartbreaking inability to sustain contentment.
Taoists call it imbalance Buddhism calls it ignorance Islam blames our misery on rebellion against god and the jedio Christian tradition attributes all our suffering to original sin, Graduands say that unhappiness is that inevitable result of the clash between our natural drives and civilization needs and my friend Deborah the psychologist explains it desire is the design flaw the yogis however say that human discontentment is a simple case of mistaken identity we're miserable because we think that we are mere individuals alone with our fears and flaws an d resentment sand mortality we wrongly believe that our limited little egos constitute our whole entire nature, We have failed to recognize our deeper divine character we don't realize that somewhere within us all there does exist a supreme self is our true identity universal and divine .
you bear God within your poor wretch and know it not.
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Elizabeth Gilbert
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It does something to you when you are running close to what you perceive as our limit (back then, I still topped at 40 percent) and there is someone else out there who makes the difficult look effortless. It was obvious that his preparedness was several levels above our own. Captain Connolly did not show up to simply get through the program and graduate so he could collect some wings for his uniform and belong to the unspoken fraternity of supposed badasses at Fort Campbell. He came to explore what he was made of and grow. That required a willingness to set a new standard wherever possible and make a statement, not necessarily to our dumb asses, but to himself. He was respectful to all the instructors and the school, but he was not there to be led...
Most people love standards. It gives the brain something to focus on, which helps us reach a place of achievement. Organizational structure and atta' boys from our instructors or bosses keep us motivated to perform and to move up on that bell curve. Captain Connolly did not require external motivation. He trained to his own standard and used the existing structure for his own purposes. Air Assault School became his own personal octagon, where he could test himself on a level even the instructors hadn't imagined.
For the next nine days, he put his head down and quietly went about the business of smashing every single standard at Air Assault School. He saw the bar that the instructors pointed to and the rest of us were trying to tap as a hurdle to leap over, and he did it time and again. He understood that his rank only meant something if he sought out a different certification: an invisible badge that says, "I am the example. Follow me, motherfuckers, and I will show you that there is more to this life than so-called authority and stripes or candy on a uniform. I'll show you what true ambition looks like beyond all the external structure in a place of limitless mental growth."
He didn't say any of that. He didn't run his mouth at all. I can't recall him uttering word one in ten fucking days, but through his performance and extreme dedication, he dropped breadcrumbs for anybody who was awake and aware enough to follow him. He flashed his tool kit. He showed us what potent, silent, exemplary leadership looked like. He checked into every Gold Group run, which was led by the fastest instructor in that school, and volunteered to be the first to carry the flag...
His conditioning was clearly off the charts, and I'm not talking about the physical aspect alone. Being a physical specimen is one thing, but it takes so much more energy to stay mentally prepared enough to arrive every day at a place like Air Assault School on a mission to dominate. The fact that he was able to do that told me it couldn't possibly have been a one-time thing. It had to be the result of countless lonely hours in the gym, on the trails, and in the books. Most of his work was hidden, but it is within that unseen work that self-leaders are made. I suspect the reason he was capable of exceeding any and all standards consistently was because he was dedicated at a level most people cannot fathom in order to stay ready for any and all opportunities. p237
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David Goggins (Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within)
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No wonder, given the brainwashing of the ages: being told that you are limited, aging, frail, born of sin, into sin, bound to unavoidably sin for the rest of your life, and that you’ll be tested and judged anyway. Huh? Why? To see if you didn’t sin? Quite an improbable setup. No win/no win. How about we roll back all of those ideas, leave the door open, and not connect dots that don’t need connecting?
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Mike Dooley (The Top Ten Things Dead People Want to Tell YOU: Answers to Inspire the Adventure of Your Life)
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Test your limits, you will find none.
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Hiral Nagda
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People will test your limits, but stay consistent and positive.
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Germany Kent
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Paul’s witness was “No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it” (1 Cor 10:13). “He knows when to say, It is enough.
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Eugene H. Peterson (A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society (The IVP Signature Collection))
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Malachi, from the first moment I set eyes on you, I knew I had to have you. You didn’t make it easy for me, and I thank you for that. I love the challenge of you and how you push my limits and test my control in our everyday life. I love how you submit to me. Your focus and desire to please me are wonderful to experience. Today, I offer you this collar as a sign of my commitment to you. I promise to love you and put your needs above my own. I do this with all my heart.
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J.J. Harper (Our Kind of Man (HeavyLoad! #4))
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turns out that peak aerobic cardiorespiratory fitness, measured in terms of VO2 max, is perhaps the single most powerful marker for longevity. VO2 max represents the maximum rate at which a person can utilize oxygen. This is measured, naturally, while a person is exercising at essentially their upper limit of effort. (If you’ve ever had this test done, you will know just how unpleasant it is.) The more oxygen your body is able to use, the higher your VO2 max.
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Peter Attia (Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity)
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You’ve never had to work for it, have you? Never been tested, not really.” Billie thinks about her childhood and tamps down the rising anger. “I don’t know what your little folder says, but I’m not like the rest of them, okay? I didn’t get the picket fence and the golden retriever.” Constance shrugs. “I am not speaking of the trappings of a happy childhood, Miss Webster. I mean what happens inside—your intellect and what you’ve done with it. Or rather, what you haven’t done with it. Your records show exceptional intelligence and mediocre results. It’s a comfortable place, mediocrity. Never pushing oneself to the limit to see what you can take. Never staring down your fears, never reaching into yourself to find that last bit of courage. You don’t even know what it is that you are made of—and what’s more, you seem distinctly uninterested in finding out. You do just enough to get by, and frankly, I would rather have a dozen recruits with less potential and more heart, Miss Webster.
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Deanna Raybourn (Killers of a Certain Age (Killers of a Certain Age, #1))
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To prove it, Marcora and his colleagues tested a simple self-talk intervention—precisely the approach my teammates and I had laughed at two decades earlier. They had twenty-four volunteers complete a cycling test to exhaustion, then gave half of them some simple guidance on how to use positive self-talk before another cycling test two weeks later. The self-talk group learned to use certain phrases early on (“feeling good!”) and others later in a race or workout (“push through this!”), and practiced using the phrases during training to figure out which ones felt most comfortable and effective. Sure enough, in the second cycling test, the self-talk group lasted 18 percent longer than the control group, and their rating of perceived exertion climbed more slowly throughout the test. Just like a smile or frown, the words in your head have the power to influence the very feelings they’re supposed to reflect.
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Alex Hutchinson (Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance)
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To make a goal effective, you’ve got to test its outer-limits. Push it out as far as you can. Only once you make your goal impossible will you stop operating based on your current assumptions and knowledge.
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Dan Sullivan (10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less)
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I love you, Tom Renley, and you are mine. You’re all mine,” he added, glancing over at James and Rosalie. “I take what I want, and I protect what I take. Let’s not make it a habit of testing my will again, but now you all know. There is no limit to what I would do for you. Any of you.
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Emily Rath (His Grace, The Duke (Second Sons, #2))
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Other than testing the limits of your own life span, Atropos?” She beamed at him as if he’d paid her the greatest compliment. “You know who I am.
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Grace Callaway (Olivia and the Masked Duke (Lady Charlotte's Society of Angels, #1))
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Shift, or it’ll take us twice as long.”
“I can’t. You know it doesn’t work like that.”
“Don’t you want to see how fast you can run?”
“I can’t use my other form in Adarlan anyway, so what’s the point?”
“The point is that you’re here now, and you haven’t properly tested your limits.”
It was true.
“The point is, another husk of a body was found, and I consider that to be unacceptable.”
He gave her braid a sharp, painful tug. “Unless you’re still frightened?”
Her nostrils flared. “The only thing that frightens me is how very much I want to throttle you.
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Sarah J. Maas (Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, #3))
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Insulin resistance is a term that we hear a lot, but what does it really mean? Technically, it means that cells, initially muscle cells, have stopped listening to insulin’s signals, but another way to visualize it is to imagine the cell as a balloon being blown up with air. Eventually, the balloon expands to the point where it gets more difficult to force more air inside. You have to blow harder and harder. This is where insulin comes in, to help facilitate the process of blowing air into the balloon. The pancreas begins to secrete even more insulin, to try to remove excess glucose from the bloodstream and cram it into cells. For the time being it works, and blood glucose levels remain normal, but eventually you reach a limit where the “balloon” (cells) cannot accept any more “air” (glucose). This is when the trouble shows up on a standard blood test, as fasting blood glucose begins to rise. This means you have high insulin levels and high blood glucose, and your cells are shutting the gates to glucose entry. If things continue in this way, then the pancreas becomes fatigued and less able to mount an insulin response. This is made worse by, you guessed it, the fat now residing in the pancreas itself.
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Peter Attia (Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity)
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That means a complete break with all past evolution because human beings, as they currently exist with a few exceptions, are very much what the behaviorists say – we are very much like any other animal: easily conditioned, mechanically trapped in repeating reflex actions, and that includes not just our behavior but our consciousness too. We all have what Leary calls conditioned consciousness. That is, our minds have been conditioned that only some things are possible to us where as the human mind theoretically should be capable of doing anything that any other human being has ever done. But most people are very limited. With the true science of psychology, when it becomes a science, it should be possible for you to master anything that any other human being has mastered from higher mathematics, to writing symphonies, to karate, to judo, to water skiing, to being an engineer, to becoming a choreographer of ballet, to making contributions to physics equal to those of Einstein. And especially, you should be able to change any compulsive behavior that depresses you and has bothered you all your life and you don’t know how to get rid of it. All that should be possible. You should be able to reprogram your own nervous system in any way you want.
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Robert Anton Wilson (Coincidance: A Head Test)
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Honor He Wrote Sonnet 11
You wanna get laid?
Get laid, but with consent.
You wanna jump off a cliff?
Just jump, with an active brain.
You wanna try booze?
Try it, but with moderation.
You wanna smoke weed?
Do it, but with self-regulation.
Try out everything you wanna try,
Figure out right 'n wrong for yourself.
It is your life, test it to its limits, but,
Be sure not to harm others in the process.
Get it all over with, for plenty work remains.
Live to build a world, not to pamper shallow tenets.
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Abhijit Naskar (Honor He Wrote: 100 Sonnets For Humans Not Vegetables)
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How to Handle Limit Testing Be clear about the behavior you notice. Name it: “You are testing my limits.” Express how testing your boundaries makes you feel. “When
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Nedra Glover Tawwab (Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself)
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Step Two Test your limiting factors: (1) The kidneys and (2) the blood levels of PTH and (3) calcium. The basic tests for a protocol with doses higher than 10,000 IU involve testing the calcium in your urine to access your kidney function and testing your blood levels of PTH, calcium and vitamin D.
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Tiago Henriques (How Not To Die With True High-Dose Vitamin D Therapy: Coimbra’s Protocol and the Secrets of Safe High-Dose Vitamin D3 and Vitamin K2 Supplementation)
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Figure 2.1 Cortical connections over two years adapted from Conel The top row shows the baby’s cortex at birth, then at one month and at three months. They all look about the same, don’t they? But look what happens at six months (bottom left box): the number of cell bodies remains the same, but the number of connections has multiplied exponentially. The connections grow so quickly in the first three years of life that neuroscientists call it neural exuberance. Neural exuberance! The name is well earned: The baby’s brain makes 24 million new connections every minute, and this continues for the first three years of life. Each neuron may be connected to 1,000 other neurons — that multiplies out to 100 trillion possible connections between neurons, more than the number of stars in the universe. This high level of connectivity between brain cells leads to the cortex of a three-year-old being twice as thick as an adult’s! As connections are created, new abilities emerge. For example, when connections grow in Broca’s area — speech production — around six months, then children begin to speak. Around nine months of age, the frontal areas (behind the forehead) become more interconnected, and that’s when most children develop object permanence: knowing that objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight. Before object permanence develops, when Mom is out of sight she’s no longer in the baby’s universe. This is why young babies are inconsolable when Mom leaves. Once they start to develop object permanence, babies can hold on to an internal image of Mom. This is about the age that babies play peek-a-boo. Mom disappears when she puts the blanket over her head, but the nine-month-old knows Mom’s still there even if he can’t see her. The infant tests his “knowledge” when he pulls the blanket off and sees — sure enough! —Mom really is there! What is the use of so many brain connections in the first three years of life? These connections are ready-made highways for information to travel along. The toddlers’ ability to quickly adapt and learn is possible because they have a vast number of brain connections available for making sense of the world. Thanks to neural exuberance, the child does not need to create connections on the spur of the moment to make meaning of each new experience; myriad connections are already there. Pruning of connections The number of connections remains high from age 3 until age 10, when the process of neural pruning begins. Connections that are being used remain; others get absorbed back into the neuron. It’s similar to pruning a bush. After pruning, individual branches get thicker, fruit is more abundant, and the whole bush gets fuller. This seems a little counter-intuitive, but pruning works because it allows the plant’s limited resources to go to its strongest parts; water and nutrients are no longer wasted on spindly branches and dried-out roots. Similarly, when unused brain connections are pruned, neural resources are more available for brain areas that are being used. This results in a more useful and efficient brain that’s tailor-made to meet each individual’s needs. This process of pruning occurs in all brain areas. Figure 2.2 presents findings published by Sowell and associates. They measured Magnetic Resonance Imaging in 176 normal subjects from age 7 to 87 years. The x-axes in these graphs present years from 10 to 90 years. Notice there is a common pattern of decreasing connections in all brain areas. In some brain areas this change is steeper, such as in frontal areas, but is flatter in other areas such as temporal areas in the left hemisphere.
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Frederick Travis (Your Brain Is a River, Not a Rock)
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Communication is important to me, River. I’ll test your limits and introduce you to new things, but I will never do anything to truly hurt you. And the moment you don’t like something, I’ll stop, and it will never happen again. I want to show you what sex between two people is supposed to be like. Two people who respect and understand each other.
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H.D. Carlton (Shallow River)
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Love tested your limits.
It was so damn easy to fall in love. So easy to love a person when times were good. The real challenge was sticking it out even when the going got rough.
But I was done running. I was done trying to pretend that I'd ever find true happiness without Lila. She was it for me. My once in a lifetime love. My reason. My past, present, and my future. If I walked away from her now, I'd be a miserable bastard for the rest of my sorry life.
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Emery Rose Andrews (When the Stars Fall (Lost Stars #1))