Belief

Desire

Follow the Signs

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, July 21 2021

Signs.  They’re indicators that you should make a decision or take an action in life.  There are real, tangible signals in life like your emotions.  Your emotions are giving you critical feedback as to your current state of growth or harm.  If you’re happy, you’re healthy and growing; if you’re afraid, there is a danger to your health and safety.

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Suffering

Use Cognitive Dissonance to Your Advantage

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, July 14 2021

Cognitive dissonance occurs when there is a conflict between a belief you hold and a behavior, new information, or a conflicting belief.  The "dissonance" in this case causes discomfort, necessitating a change in the person's behavior or beliefs to alleviate it.  The most famous example in history is the Aesop fable of Sour Grapes.  In the fable, a...

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Happiness

People See What They Want to See

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, June 30 2021

This post is intentionally luring you in as the seeming beginning of a rant about how the world is one way but people refuse to accept it.  On the contrary, however, seeing what you want to see is actually one of the keys to life and the secrets to happiness and success.  To use it as a derogatory comment is pretty ironic in the grand scheme of thi...

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Emotions

Where Psychology and Spirituality Overlap

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, June 2 2021

Law of Attraction, or self-fulfilling prophecy?  The power of faith, or the Placebo effect?  Science and spirituality make different arguments for the cause and effect happening between human thoughts and behaviors and the outcomes that they see.  What is really going on here, and (why) does it matter?  Let’s explore.

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Suffering

Believing What’s True vs. What Benefits You

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, May 26 2021

This seems like it should be the shortest blog post ever: “Should you believe what’s true or what benefits you?  What’s true, of course!  What a stupid question!” Okay, well what if someone just had the greatest failure or disaster of their lives and the truth is that their life will never be the same again?  What if their dog, friend, or family me...

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Meaning

Is There a Higher Purpose?

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, March 10 2021

When people ask about their purpose, they often want a "greater" meaning or "higher" purpose in life.  But what do they mean by this?  Greater/Higher than what?  Does this mean a divine meaning?  And, if this exists, what is it for you, and is it the same for everyone?  Well, while this sounds like an impossible question, it's actually fairly simpl...

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Belief

The Prison of False Beliefs

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, March 3 2021

Belief.  It can get you through the greatest tragedies.  It can also hold you back.  How do you know the difference, and how can you prevent your beliefs from being a roadblock to realizing your full potential? One of the saddest situations is when someone chooses to live in misery because of their beliefs about their situation.  An example is when...

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Truth

How You Literally Create Your Own Reality

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, February 24 2021

"You have to face reality."  "They live in their own reality."  "I reject your reality and substitute my own."  Reality...We talk a lot about what's real vs. not, but what is it?  What is real, and do you really have to face it?  We're going to analyze this logically and, surprisingly, find that you actually do create your own reality—not in a meta...

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Growth

Can Negative Events Benefit You?

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, December 16 2020

"There are plenty of fish in the sea."  "Everything happens for a reason."  "Maybe this was a blessing in disguise."  I know, I know...it sucks hearing these clichés when you'd rather be sulking.  Your significant other left you.  You lost your job.  You are facing a career-ending injury.  You've been betrayed or hurt.  You don't understand why, ar...

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Meaning

5 Christian Concepts That Are Aligned with the Unified Theory of Meaning

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, December 2 2020

A Unified Theory of Meaning can't truly be unified if it isn't aligned or compatible with most philosophies.  In this blog post, I thought I'd start to show how all philosophies have the eight core concepts of meaning embedded into their ideologies.  Let's begin with Christianity, which has a lot of relevant concepts.  Here are five ideas from the...

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