You believe something, and someone else believes something else. Are you right? Are you both right? Is one of you right? Are you both ‘half right’? What is the truth?
Tom Bilyeu: How your belief becomes truth
What is truth?
This video is fun and illustrates that our mindset ultimately controls our outset. The video isn’t titled ‘What you believe becomes your truth’. After all, one comment in the video says ‘Today I believe I am beautiful’.
A key moment at 4 minutes concluded is “the fundamental purpose to life is to acquire skills that have use for service to something greater than myself”.
Being free to escape your limited mindset is fantastic and a huge step towards finding out your own hidden goals.
Is there an ultimate purpose for your life – a purpose lovingly planned for you?
It might seem a bit strange having articles on doogle.com about truth, religion, belief and faith – and at the same time a section dedicated to addictions.
However, there is a very strong connection between the two: – Both offer an alternative version of reality – Both are a mindset which is ‘true’ to the individual but seems obviously false to the casual observer
Don’t believe us? Well, how many times have you seen someone ‘under the influence’ and thought “I wish I was like them?”. They may think they’re having a great time but you can see they’re not. Likewise, circular logic and reverse reasoning can mean you talk with someone about their faith but they’re not really interested since they’ve made up their mind.
With drugs or alcohol, as you go through life, the perceived benefit from a drug goes down whilst the addiction goes up. Tolerance requires more of the drug, and the person requires more to get the same perceived benefit.
The steepness of the lines depends on the drug and the individual, but the lines always are the same.
Over time the paths cross.
What happens when the lines cross?
Well at this point ‘life goes pear-shaped’ and the person believes they need the drug but the benefits by now are just an illusion. The ‘good times’ they had early on have gone.
When you see an advert for gambling and it says ‘when the fun stops – stop’, well, it would have stopped a long time ago. When you see a man on the street homeless and think ‘it could never be me’, thank goodness it isn’t – but the same person may have thought the exact same thing only a few years ago.
All things in moderation
A common response is to say ‘all things in moderation’. This is fine for some – maybe they’re one of the lucky ones, life just dealt them better cards. It could be they’re just earlier in the same process.
But for some, an addiction grows in the same way as you get old. There’s no noticeable change from day to day but there’s no going back to being young. Fortunately with addictions, once you quit you will start to be healthier and you may look younger too!
Illustration of showing how the perceived benefit of using drugs or alcohol goes down, whilst the addiction goes up.
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We all know how to check our bank balance, but do you know how to check your Life Balance?
This is a simple exercise. It can be used a few ways.
Simply check ‘how are you doing in the most important areas of your life?
To help motivate people before and after they’ve made a decision to quit something which has held them back for years (such as debt, alcohol or drugs addictions)
But it could be useful for people considering a career change, moving house to a new location or any situation which will impact your daily life.
How to make your own life chart
Simply list the measures shown in the table, and give yourself a score based on the criteria shown at the bottom of this page. Then compare them some time afterwards. The chart below shows them in a circle – but it doesn’t really matter, the most important thing is to see how honest you are with your current situation and to be able to compare ‘like for like’ with something that has changed significantly in your life.
The table below shows how life changed before and after.
Measure
Before
After
Positive / Resourcefulness
5
10
Family
3
7
Physical Wellbeing
5
8
Finances
6
4
5 Year Outlook
6
8
Career
5
5
Home
5
8
Friendships
6
5
Use the life chart to show where things got better (or worse)
It’s meant to be fun, so regardless of the outcome, think of a reward for yourself before and after doing the test. It is meant to span the months from when life was ‘normal’ before – to ‘normal’ afterwards.
For example, if you have had long term addictions, then do the chart before actually stopping. Then revisit it some time afterwards, such as 3 months. The time in between isn’t the subject of this test and there are some resources on Doogle.com which may help.
Keep the chart private – it’s for you. Also – if you score 0 or 10 then ask yourself if that’s true? If you are alive and breathing and reading this – then it’s not ‘0’. Likewise, for 10, is there any room for improvement? Life is dynamic so things get better and worse and that’s life. Try to evaluate yourself when you’re calm and undisturbed.
If any of the values below don’t apply, try to find an equivalent. Otherwise miss in out. The least it can get to is a self-sufficient hermit (with internet access). However, since some overlap, try to draw a line between them. For example, if you share an income, then put it in ‘Finances’ and concentrate on your ‘Family’ relationship.
For all of them try to think of a minimum of three things to be grateful for.
Family How are your relationships with partners, parents, siblings or children? Are the relationships ‘good’ or ‘toxic’. Are there areas where you can build a bridge, areas you could encourage.
Physical Wellbeing How’s your health? Do you feel young or old? Do you ‘dance out of bed’ or feel like your stuck to the mattress?
Finances Do you live to your financial limit or save for a rainy day? This is not about your bank balance but more about your attitude to money. Does money have a positive or negative impact on the other areas listed?
Five year outlook Are there dark clouds looming or can you see yourself in 5 years time? If so how do you feel about it? Are there small issues now which could grow to make a difference?
Career If you spend a large proportion of your life at work then it will have an impact on your life in general. Does it feel worthwhile or is it simply a means to an end? Are their opportunities for personal growth – and if so, would you take them? Would you want to start your own business (on the side)? Can you help others at work?
Home What’s your home environment like? Do you feel secure? Is it a mess? Are there countless small jobs which you put-off. When you get home, how do you feel?
Friends and Community We’re meant to be social. We all need friendship and companionship. How are those friendships in terms of numbers or more importantly quality? Does your social circle inspire you. Do your friends bring you energy or take it away?
Positivity and Resourcefulness How do you deal with life’s hardships? Are you easily deterred from picking yourself up? Do you find positive alternatives when things go wrong or do you shy away from being hurt twice?
How do you compare a world religion to other religions? We asked the people who believe why their faith is true as opposed to another.
This is going to be interesting! How do you compare various religions? How do you view the similarities or differences? The good news is that 99% of people want to live in peace and get on with their lives.
Doogle.com tries to generate more ‘light than heat’ on such subjects. The issues below are readily discussed on numerous websites elsewhere. The views below were found by asking groups from one faith why they thought their belief was ‘true’ and the other faiths were not*.
In alphabetical order:
Atheism Overview
Atheism isn’t a ‘belief’. It’s simply saying the chance of any ‘supreme being’ is so unlikely it’s almost non-existent. Since we know how we got here and that life and morality are derived from ‘survival of the fittest’ then it explains the complexity of life.
Atheism also generally believes that since there is no God then religion is a delusion.
Objections to Atheism
Most religions encourage science and agree on 99% of confirmed scientific studies. Science is great for answering ‘how’ questions but cannot answer ‘why’ questions. It should come as no surprise then that atheists conclude that life has no purpose or meaning.
Atheists often claim ‘the whole scientific community’ agrees with them which simply isn’t true. Atheism is a ‘blind faith’ since various claims to support atheism are not supported by the scientific community.
Buddhism Overview
Buddhism doesn’t claim a belief in a ‘God’ as such but rather a lifestyle to liberate the mind from anguish. It emulates the life of Buddha but has origins in Hinduism. Central to a Buddhist view is to seek Dharma (insight) and not to cause suffering. Humans have free will and the law of karma operates in human existence. This force allows humans to escape the cycle of Karma (death and rebirth).
Objections to Buddhism
The lifestyle associated with the ‘Four Noble Truths’ is generally found in most religions and observed by a majority of people without the need to be Buddhist. This is also true for ‘The Noble Eightfold Path.’ With no belief in a ‘supreme being’ then Buddhism is purely a lifestyle with some merit. Since Buddhism is based on Hinduism the same objections to Buddhism apply to its authenticity. Most other religions seem to agree that Buddhism promotes a peaceful existence.
Christianity Overview
Christianity focuses on the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christians claim that Jesus is the only way to God by accepting personal repentance for sins and accepting Jesus Christ into your life. The life and teachings of Jesus (such as ‘love your enemy’) have generally been a very positive influence throughout history.
Objections to Christianity
Jesus’s resurrection is contested in Islam. The Bible is generally made from collections of books which were made to ‘fit’ narratives required at the time.
Christian Leaders (particularly in the US) have played on the weak or vulnerable for personal gain. Claims for miracles or ‘personal revelation’ seem to be highly dubious.
Hinduism Overview
Hinduism is firmly connected with Indian nationality based on the Rig Veda containing knowledge based on narratives about many gods. Practising Hindus pass through 4 stages of life known as ‘ashrama’.
Objections to Hinduism
Since science, evidence or reason are not necessary to become a Hindu then it is hard to compare whether Hinduism is true, rather a connection with India as being the motherland.
Hinduism claims to be the oldest religion based on religious artefacts (i.e. idols) which are not allowed in other religions. The cycle of Karma may discourage caring for the poor.
Islam Overview
Islam claims that Muhammad was the last prophet from Allah who sent the Qur’an to fulfil all previous texts. Islam covers all areas of life in accordance with the Qur’an and Hadith. Islam believes in the ‘oneness’ of Allah and that all prophets sent before Muhammad are to be honoured.
Objections to Islam
Numerous texts written at the time of Muhammad show that if he was alive today his lifestyle would be described as that of a warmonger and a paedophile. The claim that Muhammad was ‘good’ is heavily outweighed by this.
The Qur’an seems plagiarized from other sources available at the time with numerous errors.
Islam does not permit criticism of Muhammad or the Qur’an meaning Muslims are generally scared to openly question their prophet or book.
Judaism Overview
Jews generally believe they are God’s chosen people. Central is the following of the Torah (and Talmud) but also of the restoration of Zion (Israel). The Messiah had not yet come since he would bring peace to Earth which hasn’t happened.
Judaism shares the Torah with the first 5 books of the Bible.
Objections to Judaism
Although Jews have been chosen by God for a special purpose, God does not have a favourite nation. Jews separate themselves from Muslims and Christians based on the identity of Jesus.
How the survey was conducted
We asked groups to compare what they believed with how they viewed other religions. We used their own words and ‘Collins Gem Religions of the World’ to try to see how they thought about how they were represented and how other religions were represented. We also asked for their favourite YouTube channel or website to represent their views.
In the Heart of England, a fantastic living monument is taking place. The huge piece of art is going to be a display of God’s answer to prayer.
Every single one of the million bricks in the Eternal Wall will represent a story of Jesus answering someone’s prayer, contributed by individuals from across the world. A colossal piece of architectural sculpture, standing at 169ft (51.5m). The Eternal Wall will be visible from up to six miles away.
This is more than just a motivational video. Listen as the World Heavyweight Boxing Champion describes his rise and fall then rise again.
Do you ever feel sorry for celebrities? It’s not just the money, they also have people telling them ‘how wonderful they are’. You don’t often hear about them after their ‘time to shine’ is over. But Tyson Fury comes back to reclaim his heavyweight boxing title, beating a battle with alcohol and drugs and also finding the truth about life whilst he’s at it – talk about being a champion 3 times over!
Tyson Fury: A Champion in 3 ways
Could you be a celebrity? Would you want to be?
In the song ‘Fairytale of New York’ (by Kirsty MacColl and Shane MacGowan) there is the line “I could have been someone, well so could anyone”. Do you wonder what life would be like if the ‘dice were rolled again’? Would we simply have different celebrities? Would we do different jobs and be married to someone else? It’s easy to follow someone to the point we end up sharing their point of view. Try finding out what your favourite stars believe and ask if they’ve tried to find the truth, or if is it simply convenient for them to go with the flow?
A great short video with Jordan Peterson explaining why life isn’t the pursuit of pleasure but rather pursuing the person you could be …
Jordon Peterson: Stop chasing happiness, pursue a meaningful life instead
Video key parts: @1:20 – Pursue who you could be. @1:50 – Formulate the ‘highest good’ that you can and make it your aim.
. . . and then how to try to put it into practice so the responsibility is on you.
Jordan Peterson does hint at the conflict between personal goals and those which benefit the wider society. There’s also the theme of happiness throughout the video. So what is happiness? Perhaps more importantly, what’s the difference between pleasure and happiness?
A simple and fun exercise
This is a simple and fun exercise. Try to list 100 reasons to be happy. However, try to discern between happiness and pleasure. – Pleasure doesn’t last long and you return to your previous mental state afterwards. – Happiness is more about your inner long-term fulfilment and benefiting others.
Theme
Reason
Pleasure / Happiness
1
Music
Favourite bands
P
2
Music
Playing an instrument
P
3
Friends
Having company
H
4
Friends
Reason to get out
P
5
Food
Curry
P
6
Family
Reason for a holiday
P
7
Miscellaneous
Being healthy
H
Does ‘100 reasons’ seem rather a large number? The first time you may only find 20. That’s fine. Revisit the list after a few weeks or months and you may realize that you hadn’t thought of nearly 30 or 40 more. That’s over 50 in total! Were you grateful too?
Is it possible to move from Pleasure to Happiness?
How can you make something go from ‘Pleasure’ to ‘Happiness’? A simple example: Having a ‘Curry’ is high on the list above. A local curry house does one particularly amazing dish. It’s definitely a pleasure. Break it down into the company you keep but also going to bed at night feeling ‘stuffed’ which would lead to unwanted weight gain.
Tom Kerridge (English Michelin-starred chef) did something similar to help him quit excessive drinking. Basically, the short-term pleasure of heavy drinking followed by the negative consequences was replaced by a short-term feeling of ‘missing out’ but the positive sides during the same evening and the following morning.
You can take this a bit further. Try going to bed a little bit hungry. Just enough to not wake up but enjoy a wholesome breakfast in the morning? This also means you actually enjoy food more! And what about enjoying the company and the experience of going out on a Friday night with friends? The same pleasure can be found in befriending a lonely neighbour.
The example above is a little trivial compared to the life-changing ambitions set in the video – but we all have to start somewhere!
It’s a Wonderful Life Take a lesson from George in the classic film ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. George gets fed up of his life. He’s been stuck in the same town all his life and ends up resenting everything. Towards the end of the film, he ends up stupidly trying to take his life. Only when an angel shows him how much he meant to others and how life would be so different without him – does he realize what he’s truly worth.
The angel says; ‘Each man’s life touches so many other lives. And when he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?”
Watch a TV Channel – dedicated to showing the life of Jesus.
Settle in for a great night’s TV. A charismatic fisherman drowning in debt, a troubled woman wrestling with real demons. A gifted publican ostracized by his family and his people. A religious leader struggling with his beliefs. See Jesus through the eyes of those that met him.
The Chosen: Watch the life of Jesus in this fantastic free online series.
Overview of The Chosen
This three-part series starts with Jesus meeting his disciples all from different backgrounds. Jesus meets with Mary Magdalene and resorts her worth in society, meets the fishermen as well as various others, including the infamous tax collector Matthew.
The second series sees Jesus moving around the area, attracting a great following. We see his various miracles but also his controversial teachings of a new life, starting with him. His miracles, power over nature, as well as the ability to forgive sins, start to get him in trouble with the local religious leaders.
The third series sees Jesus attracting a much larger following, but now with opposition from the Romans and the religious leaders who would seek his final death. However, this shows that man’s plans are nothing compared to God’s and the fulfilment of his promise – to send a saviour into the world who will lead all men and women to him
[Doogle question: Could this be done in Virtual Reality?]
Walking home with a well-educated friend, I was surprised to hear him say ‘All religions are the same’.
I was walking home to catch the train with a friend who was a well-qualified lawyer. He’d just finished working on a case which had asked him to take into account the background of the defendant. He said he doesn’t take into account someone’s own religious view as it has nothing to do with the nature of the crime.
As far as he was concerned, his job was the correct implementation of the law. This was to be based on the evidence supplied by his defendant.
I replied that what he’d done may have seemed right to him. My friend continued that in his mind, all religions are the same. I didn’t take the conversation any further.
Are all liquids the same?
But are all religions the same? Are they all nonsense – made up by primitive people trying to make sense of life? Are they all just ways to God? Are all of them true, none of them true – or is one of them true?
Saying all religions are the same, is a bit like saying all liquids are the same, or all sport is the same. With a limited understanding then – yes all religions are the same. There are some similarities. All sports tend to have rules, often a team, involve a ball and generally have a winner. All liquids ‘flow’ but if I asked you to put milk in your car and fuel on your breakfast cereal then you’d quickly notice the difference!
Doogle is not going to go into one religion versus another but rather say why there is a way to find God and have a purpose-driven life. We all approach life with our own experiences and point of view which can help or hinder us.
I became a Christian – not because of my background or experience, otherwise I would have been an atheist. Rather, a battle to find out the truth in a world which can make it hard. However, it’s not that difficult to come to the same answer and I hope Doogle.com is able to help remove the barriers to finding out the truth.
