Mind Stimulation 2

I received over 35 submissions for the second edition of the Mind Stimulation carnival, yet I only chose 4 entries this time that I thought REALLY stood out. Hopefully you get as much use out of them as I did! Those interested in submitting for the next edition can go here

Ram Raghavan presents Truisms we always knew but never gave much thought to posted at ramraghav.com.

Ram was in my last Mind Stimulation carnival, and his article here is just as strong as his previous one. He talks about 15 “truisms” that exist all around us yet often go unnoticed. My favorite ones are #1 and #15… both ample points that I like to think about on a regular basis.

#1 says that everything will come to pass, something that I tell myself whenever I’m having a bad day or feeling frustrated, while #15 says that for every layer of truth we discover, there’s a new, deeper layer waiting beneath it. This is essentially the way I’ve always viewed knowledge; that the more knowledge we come into contact with, the more questions we have that go unanswered.

Nicole presents Just Make It Better » The Problem with Image posted at Just Make It Better.

Nicole discusses identity crisis in her article here, an issue that’s become extremely prominent in the western world I think. How many people do we see dressing “urban” or “trendy?” Sadly, I’ve been witness to 40 year-old men trying to pull this off, and I can’ t help but wonder that if, at the age of 40, you’re so infatuated with how others perceive you, that maybe you need to start taking a glance at what’s inside instead of out. That isn’t to say you have to dress a certain way to go against the grain just for the sake of doing so, but pigeonholing yourself into a particular category simply because you need a place to fit into isn’t the way to live your life at all.

Oscar Del Ben presents Overcoming addictions posted at Personal Development.

Oscar’s article stuck out at me for one simple reason: “Another obstacle is the fear of judgment.” Oscar discusses overcoming addictions and the benefits they can provide for your life, yet one thing I’ve always been acutely aware of when making adjustments in my life was the way others will perceive them. Too often we sacrifice a means of growth for ourself because we’re afraid of possible social outcomes, yet in the long run, looking back, we see just how stupid a mistake that was.

I’m guilty of this myself, as I’m sure many of you are too; but as is the case with human nature, you live and you learn.

Aparna presents Your personal bill of rights posted at Beauty and Personality Grooming.

I almost didn’t include Aparna’s article because it just barely made the submission deadline, but after reading it I knew I had to. It’s a personal “Bill of Rights” that claims to be something “every woman should be aware of,” yet in truth, ANYBODY can relate themselves to this list. It’ll only take you a minute or two to read through them, but what you’ll take away from this list will certainly last much longer.