Tag: Birth

Cassandra Di Lalla (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

Life is a true gift. To be lucky and blessed enough to witness beautiful birds chirping. To be given the chance to witness nature’s blanket, the rain. To breathe the breath of God’s limitless love as each day passes. To have a voice that projects the beauty we have within. To reach for the sky and float on a cloud just by closing your eyes for one single second. The comfort in knowing that you are able to create your own holistic heaven right here on Earth, by understanding and appreciating simplicity, and sourcing happiness from the ground up, or even finding your key to fulfillment from within. Harmony and peace are handcrafted gifts rooted from thyself. 

Our heart lies safely in the cavity of our chests . . . pumping blood and beating to remind us that we’re alive. The cavity of our very existence is at the hands of everyone around us, lying in the centre of this universe on Earth. We are reminded every day that its protection, or lack of protection, is at the hands of those surrounding us, because their existence is also planted at the Earth’s centre. Life is a heartbeat. 

A life is precious, and each one is unique. Even if we go through great lengths and write a lifelong list of why we defy all the odds . . . our worth cannot be defined simply by reassuring ourselves that we’re enough. 

The first sign of life is as refreshing as a rainfall on the driest of pavements. When you look at a puddle of water, you see what life looks like, because your reflection is staring back at you. When you step in a puddle, life’s giving you the extra H2O that we so often forget to give our bodies.

A new life is nothing other than an apparition learning the ropes in a new body by using:

• Eyes to see the beauty of the world
• Hands to open up the doors to kindness
• Arms to embrace everything, before having to let it free
• Legs to walk the path of peace
• Feet to stay planted on Earth and stay grounded, like seeds in a garden
• Lips to speak on our existential being
• Minds to process the power of our brains
• Hearts to love and feel loved
• Souls to seek serenity

The ownership of this body? Yours. The property manager? You. The tenant? Also you. Let it be known that with life comes responsibility, but with that comes a sense of accomplishment and achievement. Life in itself is worth celebrating, and there are endless reasons to celebrate.

Life can be catastrophic and disastrous, and it can be outrageous. Life is perfectly imperfect; it is beautifully flawed and it is sometimes a whimsical whirlwind, but in moments like those . . . you must remind yourself that we, as life’s ambassadors, know first-hand the true meaning of deception in the purest and most raw form, because we’ve seen it from the ground up. Quite literally, we’ve seen the leaves on a tree changing colours, the bark on a tree weakening, the branches falling off of trees or the roots dying and rotting away . . . yet the tree still stands through all four seasons.

A life is similar to that of a tree: our living cells; the blood in our veins; our need for oxygen, air and water; the way we become weak; the cycle of life as we know it; and the way we rot away and decay. 

We are all creatures of nature and we are all masterpieces in our own art gallery. We are the blueprint of perfection . . . we are the humble humans behind our own stories.

A life, in essence, is many elements combined . . . in the form of humans, animals, the green kingdom of plants with the beautiful blossoming of flowers and all of nature’s other offerings encapsulated in our ecosystem. 

A life with a beating heart is heaven on Earth. The focal point of life captures all aesthetics, and though we sometimes feel like a secret to society — we are, in the end, sentient and alive to thrive.

—

Cassandra Di Lalla lives life purposefully. She enjoys reading, writing and mental health initiatives. She’s an animal lover for life and an innovative individual always finding new ways to create.

Faizah Latif (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

Have you ever stopped to wonder why we pick up certain habits and adopt specific beliefs? We all come to these conclusions about life based on what we’ve been taught. We often grow up thinking that life is like a jigsaw puzzle, and we are supposed to follow a certain trajectory to accomplish life goals. However, if we take a step back and self-reflect, we can understand that not everyone is meant to follow the same path in life. 

I reinvented myself throughout my life. I grew up as a timid girl who walked through life a specific way, thinking it was the only way. I wouldn’t really ask questions, rather I would just simply go along with what I was “supposed” to be doing. As the youngest child, I would observe what my older siblings accomplished in terms of life goals and assumed that I would also go down the same path. I did not realize at this point in time that each individual is unique and has their own journey in life. As I got older however, I started to self-reflect a lot more. I became more concerned with my mental well-being and asked myself a lot more questions. I often pondered if there was more than one way of doing things and if carving our identities was a lifelong process. I was certainly right about this, and I began a quest of self-development. I am still going through this journey of reflection today and will continue to do so, as I still have questions and will keep learning new concepts and ideas.

When I was younger as a timid girl, I did not enjoy public speaking, reading or writing. Actually, let’s rephrase that: I thought that I wasn’t good at these things. All it takes is to tap into discovery and pursue different means. For example, as a child, the reason that I did not enjoy reading was because fiction was not my cup of tea. The fact that I enjoy writing today makes sense because I am very expressive, and I have a creative personality. Also, I was very good at languages when I was younger. As for speaking, this was a skill that developed over time. I became better at school presentations over time, and my confidence grew as I learned to become more social. I also went back to school and studied a different field, one that I was truly passionate about. I went into the field of social work because I understood my personality better and knew that my true calling was to help pave the way for a better community and world. This field suits me much more than the field of business, which was the field of my undergraduate degree. I went back to school at 27 and graduated with my master’s degree at the age of 30. 

Age should not be a factor in reinventing yourself, because we are always growing as individuals and learning new skills. One of the important lessons I have learned in life is that our lives are not linear. We will experience ups and downs throughout our lives and learn from our mistakes. Reinventing ourselves is a brave step toward trying new ways to accomplish our goals and tasks. It is to be courageous in the face of adversity and to explore new meanings that we didn’t look into before, because we thought there was only one approach. Reinventing ourselves takes resilience, patience, creativity and honesty. 

I’ve shared with you my story, and now it’s your turn. Ask yourself, what is it that I am most afraid of and how can I tackle my fears? How would I like to be remembered? Is there an area of my life where I am lacking confidence that I would like to improve? Start with these questions and then work on some goals for yourself. Is there a new language that you would like to learn? A country that you would like to visit? Or maybe there’s a fitness goal you could achieve. In taking baby steps, you’ll realize that reinventing yourself is not as daunting as it sounds! If close ones around you are noticing a positive change in you, that’s a very good sign. Most importantly however, you will notice a change inside. All the best with your venture towards reinventing yourself! 

—

Faizah is an aspiring social worker, currently in the process of completing her master’s in social work. She enjoys self-development and advocating for important causes in the community. Writing is one of Faizah’s passions, and she is honoured to share her writing on the Low Entropy platform in the hopes of providing inspiration.

Judith Suryanto (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

In the heat of an argument, your face tenses, and your heart beats twice as fast. The temperature in your body rises and your peripheral view shifts out of focus as you defend your position during the quarrel. For many, losing an argument can be seen as a form of death. In conceding to the other person, you face an inner loss, a defeat, a sense of powerlessness. In the seconds proceeding the aftermath of the argument, your ego dies. It is in this way that a simple argument becomes more than a trivial matter — it becomes a matter of life and death. 

When described in this way, it undoubtedly sounds absurd. While the idea of a simple disagreement may seem trivial, many of us have personally seen and experienced how such arguments can very easily escalate into major disputes — sometimes even violent ones. Eckhart Tolle, a spiritual teacher, explains this phenomenon as “identifying with the form.” In his book, The Power of Now, Eckhart speaks about the chaos of form, and why contemplating and practicing death is a tool to enhance our quality of life. 

Identification with the form 

Eckhart explains that our realities are filtered through the lens of what he calls the “surface I.” This is the dimension in which most of us understand ourselves to be — one that has a past, a future, and our personal story. Through the surface I, we base who we are on the circumstances around us, such as our family and friends, career, achievements and failures. 

Through this lens, our sense of identity is ever-changing, as it is bound by form. What arises from this are feelings of insecurity, instability and an over-importance of the people, things and situations with which we identify that make us who we think we are. People can even identify with a particular idea — over which they would fight tooth and nail to win an argument — because it holds their very sense of identity.

But there is a second dimension called the “deep I.” Eckhart describes this as the dimension beyond the surface I. In this dimension, you no longer identify with form. Instead, your sense of identity lives in the understanding that you are already complete and whole. 

Contemplating death before you die 

Death is oftentimes considered a dreadful thing. It brings a sense of sorrow and fear. Yet, death is a natural process that all living beings will experience. Understanding and accepting the reality that our lives are not meant to last forever is a crucial step to finding peace. 

Although what happens after death is a mystery, many people who have experienced the death of a loved one can agree that an existential shift occurs in every passing. The body becomes cold, detached and lifeless. Yet, the essence of the being that once was can still be felt from time to time, as if it lives on forever.  

Although our bodies dissolve, our essence remains untouchable. To prepare us for this inevitability of death, we can extend the same understanding of life’s impermanence to our day-to-day lives. As we continue to remove our identifications from people, things and situations, we realize who we really are — beings who are beyond form; essences who go beyond death. 

Experiencing the fullness of life

As we continue to practice living our most authentic selves, we can appreciate what life has to offer in a more meaningful way. We can let the inevitability of death remind us of the impermanence of form. In the end, the only life worth living is not the one that lasts forever, but one that realizes the truth of who we really are. 

—

Judith has a background in psychology and statistics. Her deep interest in human behavior and affinity for self-reflection motivates her passion for helping readers better understand mental health and personal growth. Visit her personal blog here for more of her work: https://medium.com/@judithsandras

Elizaveta Garifullina (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

Can our past lives influence our current ones? Is karma a punishment? What is a karmic relationship? In this article, I will try to answer these questions by taking some information from the book Journey of Souls by Michael Newton.

Karma does not mean justice at the human level, because it is not limited to one life. For example, a person who was a thief in a previous life, in this one may want to be a victim of a thief and lose a large and important amount of money in order to understand the consequences of such actions. Or the person who mocked “weaker” people will be born as a “weaker” person in the next life. But is it a punishment? No, because the Soul chooses it. No one punishes it, and no one forces it to choose to live through such an experience. However, all our lives are connected. We cannot live the same scenarios in every life, because our goal is development. The same scenarios lead to the same lessons, which would not be helpful. To understand the completeness of experience, we must travel between two polarities.

What “haunts” us from life to life is experience. Young souls can be under the strong effect of their past lives. Their impulsive decisions, fears and inner feelings can be significantly influenced. Also, these souls may carry the trauma of those lives where their lives were abruptly cut short, or where they suffered greatly. Of course, the experience of past lives affects not only young souls. Older souls may be influenced by their most “meaningful” lives.

If the same events repeat with you or you attract similar people, it’s worth slowing down and paying attention to what might be going on inside. What do you keep doing wrong? Where are you deceiving yourself? Where are you betraying yourself? Why do such situations repeat in your life? What decision are you afraid to make? What can people teach you? Be honest with yourself. Of course, you can go to a hypnotherapist, open a layer of past lives, dig into it and find the reason. But nothing will be more effective than deep work with yourself. You already know everything. You already know everything yourself. Trust yourself and try to take an honest look at your life.

Our relationships with people are very complex and broad issues if we consider them from the point of view of the connections between lives. Absolutely all of our loved ones are in our lives for a reason. People appear in your life exactly when they should appear and somehow change you. With our parents, we most often work out some karma, gain new experiences or learn essential lessons that will be useful in the future. Parent-child relationships are rarely easy, precisely because we “work” in these relationships. Our relationships with friends are easier and most often teach us something important, helping us look at ourselves from the other side. And our romantic relationships have many types: karmic relationships with people with whom we have not closed some experience (where there are many unresolved things between us) or relationships through which we learn new sides of ourselves. 

Most often, we enter into relationships (which we later characterize as relationships that changed us) with people with whom we have already passed many lives and accumulated many stories, some of which were painful and some happy. In fact, from the point of view of life lessons, the duration of a relationship is not as important as its value, because a relationship that lasted a couple of months can change you more than a relationship that lasted for years, due to the fact that you were karmically tied to a person in that short relationship. 

So, are we burdened by our past lives? Everyone will answer for themselves. Some people may view our karma as an opportunity for growth, personal development and learning. And other people may feel burdened by their past lives, believing that past traumas still affect their current lives. For the second type of people, there are many spiritual practices that will help them free themselves from the unresolved feelings of past lives, but we must work with our past lives with great caution.

—

Leave your thoughts for Elizaveta in the comments below. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube to stay up-to-date with Low Entropy news!

Susan Turi (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

“Mother named me ‘Table,’ believing it to be an original name for a firstborn girl. But quite frankly, I would’ve preferred the names ‘Window,’ ‘Sky’ or even ‘Door’ for their aspirational qualities. Imagine waking from a tedious dream of ordinary nonsense, to discover that you’ve been transformed into a beautiful oak door at the center of an ornate gothic ceiling — a magnificent wrought-iron chandelier descending from your center panel — a chandelier with twenty brilliant yellow daffodil flames — all of them equal in luster. But then the reality of being a door in a ceiling would set in. Unable to open and close properly because of the weight and racket of a cumbersome chandelier getting in the way all the time. Unable to hold a thought even for a second or two, with ideas raining out of you like space rubble tumbling, steaming onto a purple and yellow checkered plush rug below. 

The sun had dimmed, the moon had dripped its liquid silver down the backs of chairs, and the crows had curled their spider fists against their breasts the first moment my name was uttered by a nurse dressed in pastel pink- ‘Table, what an original name for a girl!’

My name I reluctantly came to accept like the stoutness of my limbs and the predictability of my grain.”

When someone asks me what originality is, I think of free-writes. Free-writes are writing exercises that both aspiring and accomplished writers do in their alone time, in order to unleash their inner uncensored thoughts onto paper or into digital notes. Unlike journaling, they are not meant to be rants or confessional truths about oneself but are rather recorded disjointed thoughts that pop up in the mind. Anyone can benefit from writing freely, and like dreams, you can be surprised at your own unfiltered truths.

The way it works is like this: you set aside 10 minutes a day to write anything down that comes to mind. Literally anything. You let your mind wander and see where it goes. “A Girl Named Table” is an example of a free-write and shows how unlocking the deeper mind can offer up a treasure trove of stories that would otherwise never be exposed without the collaboration of the controlling conscious mind: “this has to make sense; people have to relate to or see familiar patterns in things,” it reminds the inner wild child. The conscious mind decides which facade to show and what impulsive outburst to squash and as such, keeps pure originality in the recesses of the mind, although once exposed like this free write, it risks being no longer truly original, but is that bad? 

A tale within a tale, the writer uses the personality of Table to challenge originality when the very act of them writing freely is stimulating originality. On closer analysis of “A Girl Named Table,” the narrator yearns for a regular name because having a name like “Table” may be unique- but it’s equally a curse as who wants to be remembered as a table? Regardless of its originality as a name — the sound of “table,” also falls flat. The speaker then considers the merits of the name “Door” for its symbolism of a portal to other worlds, and like “Table,” she comes to realize that novelties have practical limits. But in the end, she’s accepting of her socially challenging name, managing to find some redeeming qualities about it, or maybe because her ego’s need to be noticed even negatively, is greater than her need to be accepted.

This free-write makes me question whether the active search for originality is overrated and ultimately useless because new ideas seem to bubble up from one’s own well of thoughts. Mark Twain wrote about originality and plagiarism saying: “[a]ll ideas are second-hand, consciously and unconsciously [. . .]” describing people’s filtering of, or contributions to those ideas as “discoloration.” But if every idea is second-hand or recycled, where did the initial idea come from? 

An original idea is as hard to trace back in time as the chicken and egg story, and everyone can agree that at some point they have benefited from mentors or by mimicking others. Perhaps searching for authenticity more than originality serves you better because authenticity is a quality of character and originality is the product of it. The honest writer could say of their unfiltered free-write that 

there may exist purple and yellow checkered rugs somewhere in the world, and a dozen people called “Table” that I’m unaware of, but what does it matter? As long as I keep an open mind, I’m being authentic to myself and creating a unique thought collage. And if there is a collective unconscious of similar ideas around the world – let me sometimes celebrate our shared interests rather than differences.

To modify an unoriginal analogy: I chased a fleeting rainbow to find its pot of gold and found myself instead, searching for a rainbow.

∾ 

Sources: 

Unicheck: “Mark Twain On Plagiarism and Originality” 

https://unicheck.com/blog/mark-twain#:~:text=The%20answer%20is%20yes%20and,based%20on%2C%20a re%20not%20original.

—

Susan Turi is a writer, illustrator and painter living in Montréal, Canada with a degree in fine arts. She began her career as a production artist for design studios and ad agencies, before deciding to devote herself purely to self-expression through writing and painting. She is currently at Concordia University majoring in creative writing and English literature.

Cristina Crescenzo (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

I am someone who romanticizes everything in her life, and it’s a habit I have spent years trying to break. I know that there is nothing wrong with wanting the best for your life, but I have come to realize there are some things you shouldn’t put expectations on, one of them being people and your relationships with them, whether in a romantic or platonic context. I had thought that I only put that kind of pressure on my love life, but it turns out that when I look back at my life I have done that with every friend I ever had. It’s not an excuse, but I know something that might have fed this need for perfection was the media I was consuming, and still do on occasion. I often forget that books, television and movies are an exaggeration of real life and not everything is so black and white. 

Since the moment I have been able to form meaningful friendships I have looked to the media for role models, as I’m sure many of my generation have done. I wanted so badly to have a friendship that resembled that of Cory and Shawn from Boy Meets World, Chandler and Joey from Friends, Miley and Lilly from Hannah Montana, or in more recent years Jess and Cece from New Girl. I even went so far as to put that kind of pressure on my relationship with my sister just because we were twins. I know now that was wrong, and I want to apologize to every friend I have been lucky to have in my life. I am very sorry. 

I think there is a small part of me that feels that, since I was given a lot of obstacles early on in my life, it seems only fair to assume that the rest of it should go smoothly, and that my relationships with others would be picturesque. When something goes wrong or I feel left out and insecure, it is so easy to put the blame on everyone else but myself. I never once let it cross my mind that maybe the reason I have anxiety when it comes to relationships is because of me. Therefore, instead of describing what a true friend is to me, I want to talk about the kind of friend I hope to be for others from now on. 

I want to start off by saying that no one is perfect and neither am I, so I would like to show empathy for all of my friends, and not just when they are going through a hard time, but the good ones as well. I want to understand them and who they truly are by putting their feelings ahead of my own in the times that they need it. I want to be able to support them in everything they do, but be honest with them when I don’t agree with something. I want to laugh so hard with them my guts hurt and cry with them and not judge them when they are being vulnerable. I won’t ask to be their vault that knows every secret, because I know now there are some things that are just meant for your own heart. I want to communicate openly and in a mature way when we do something to hurt the other and I want to be able to forgive and also take responsibility for my faults. But most of all, I want them to be happy and be one of the reasons why. That’s how I plan to be a true friend and I want to thank the people in my life today who strive to achieve this criteria everyday when it comes to our friendship. I don’t know what I did to deserve you. 

—

My name is Cristina Crescenzo and I love to write. Low Entropy is a great organization that lets me do that with topics I am interested in while I am still trying to figure things out. Above all, I just hope that my writing connects with someone and that I continue spreading positivity and awareness of mental health and the disabled community.

Eri Ikezawa (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

From the moment we are born, we enter an existence on a planet that survives and thrives through the cycle of life. Simply put, from ashes to ashes, from dust to dust, whether you are religious or not, this turn of phrase — in its rawest and plainest sense — applies to all living creatures. But this cycle is also relevant in a more abstract way as well. For instance, all relationships will experience a phase of denouement before the coda. 

I think many of us struggle with the notion that “all good things come to an end.” And maybe that turn of phrase is a little melodramatic in relation to friendships, but to some degree there is a nugget of truth there. There are so many ways we might detach from an old relationship that formerly used to serve a greater purpose in our lives. Whether it’s geographical distance, contentious quarreling or something as negligible as drifting apart, these are all examples of how a relationship can dissipate. And tragically, the closing curtain does occasionally involve someone passing away as well. 

But first, before we focus on the finale, let’s pivot to where it began — how everything started and came to fruition. 

Ever since I was young, I have always admired those affable personalities who could walk into a room and seemingly forge new friendships or connections within minutes. However, I personally have never been able to construct connections that rapidly. As I have gotten older, the envy has diminished significantly as I have grown more comfortable with who I am as a person. That is, it takes me time to feel that a true (and hopefully lasting) friendship has been born. 

So, as I have mentioned, my personal approach in building friendship really involves taking my time — but what does that mean? And what does it look like? Well, even from the onset when I first meet people, I tend to quietly stay in the background until I instinctively feel that I have a decent read on the kind of person they are. This makes it easier for me to then tailor conversational topics to their interests until I feel comfortable enough to offer insight into my personal life as well. 

I feel like a mother bird when I am trying to mold a friendship with someone whom I feel an inexplicable kinship with. After laying the egg — planting the seed in my mind that I can foresee an enduring relationship with a person — I spend months incubating and tending to it so it can flourish into the baby bird of friendship. Once I feel content in the durability of that fresh bond, we both set flight into our respective futures, together. 

Perhaps this perspective is manufactured through my own subjective experiences, but I personally can’t fathom the idea that we can truly know the ins and outs, the good and bad, and the best and worst of someone within a few short months. I think most people — even the best and kindest of them — tend to intrinsically be on their best behavior before they end up slipping up a little. To summarize, I think the excursion to a true friendship is a marathon, not a sprint — where cheetahs tire quickly, and painted dogs will triumph. 

But just as how the flower that bloomed in spring faces inevitable death in fall, some friendships are doomed for failure — like the guaranteed half-life of a given isotope. Mirroring the cycle of life, those friendships were sugary sweet on the tongue when born and the experiences accumulated throughout the best years of its life beautiful, rich and warm — but once the flavour runs dry like old bubblegum, it is okay to lay them to rest. I think it’s better to preserve the good memories of the past, rather than blindly hold onto something imbuing you with poison every time you touch it.  

To counter that, in my eyes, I also recognize that any relationship ebbs and flows. The question is not whether rainfall will occur, but when it shall arrive and knowing that, during some seasons, it will be more abundant than others. When the tide recedes unexpectedly, it leaves whales beached — frightened and literally out of their depths. Sometimes these vicissitudes occur so sluggishly that, by the time we notice it at a conscious level, it is hard to keep a level head and consider our subsequent options. 

When such transitions and transformations happen, I have grown to realize the best strategy for me in dealing with them is to weigh the pros and cons of that relationship. It certainly doesn’t bring me much joy to feel forced to quantify the “value” of people in my life — after all, I held affection towards those people at some point in time for a reason — but I also recognized that it is not beneficial to me to hold on for the sake of holding on. It’s like gripping onto the spine of a prickle bush knowing I’m bleeding, but becoming so acclimated to the pain that  I just ignore it. 

I suppose the greatest lesson in all of this for me was the moment it finally clicked for me — that just because a relationship reaches the quietus, it doesn’t mean that I failed. It doesn’t mean I am a failure — and it is not a reflection of who I am. I realized that I can’t prioritize NOT failing someone else and end up failing myself. There comes sobering peacefulness once you neutralize the chaos in your life, mute the noise and choose stillness. 

I finally realized that with every chapter that ends, another follows — and when you reach the final chapter, there are endless other book options. With every death follows a birth, with every birth follows a death. And for better or for worse,  from ashes to ashes, from dust to dust — the cycle of life. 

—

My name is Eri Ikezawa and I have an extended minor in psychology and a major in linguistics. I’m still on the path to quelling questions about myself and the direction I want to head in, but in the meantime, I have always wanted to find a way to help others and contribute to a community dedicated to personal development and self-love.

Kanak Khatri, Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

I have always wondered why I have such great relationships with people I meet at work, creating unexplainable bonds deeper than family, when in so many families there is friction between members. Or why there is some knowledge that exists in my consciousness, where I have a skill that I never learned, or a fear that is not conceived from my experiences in this life. The simple answer to this is that the soul has carried with it past information and experiences. From our past lives, karma is in some way shaping our present life. 

What is karma?

A very simple definition of karma is the results of our actions. If someone is a spendthrift, they might run into money issues. Similarly, one’s level of preparation for an exam determines their level of success. However, these actions are short-term and simple. Karma works in a similar way, however our actions in life are more complex. They can affect a large number of people and have cascading effects, and hence have complex results. We may experience this in the form of karmic debts throughout our lives.

Recognizing that we have karmic debts.

Does your life have a theme? For example, all my life experiences have pushed me to be more independent. And forming the basis of these experiences are unreliable people around me and toxic relationships. Another pattern would be meeting similar people and being stuck in similar situations. Until we have learned our lessons, cycles continue. For example, some may repeatedly fall into the same type of toxic relationships. Some may then identify and engage in more favourable, fulfilling relationships, resulting in the accumulation of good karma. I cannot help but wonder if my behaviour in my past life has shaped my present life. The idea of karma has made me more mindful of my actions and what repercussions they can have on people around me, and in turn, me.

What do we do about our karma?

My understanding now, after learning about how karma works, is that we are souls that accumulate good and bad karma that influences our present lives. This knowledge gives us a choice. If we are in a difficult situation that makes us angry, it might make us do things that might be aiding in creating a cycle of bad karma. We can choose to walk away, recognizing that we are in a karmic cycle. Breaking free from toxic people and relationships will help end that cycle, as will being accountable for our mistakes and overcoming our shortcomings, and forgiving ourselves and other people for whatever wrongs have been done. Focus on learning the lesson that the karmic experience is bringing us. Being vengeful will only add to the karmic cycle. Our aim should be to be free from the karmic cycle one day and attain liberation. Knowing that karma is a boomerang and whatever we do will eventually affect us, we have the creative freedom to shape our lives.

—

I am a blog writer with Low Entropy. I am passionate about writing and Low Entropy has given me a platform to share my life experience and help people through my articles.

Via Genzon (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

“What was your first memory?”

That was the question my professor asked us on the first day of our English class. It’s been four years since, but that question hasn’t left my mind. She said it’s a question most of us never really think about. She was right. I told a different answer to the class that day, but as I contemplated it more, I remembered something else. I remembered singing to my grandpa as we sat on a hammock under the trees, a few years before he passed. That was the earliest memory I could remember. I never really thought much about my birth. Instead, I thought more about the inevitability of death, especially as I got older and had to deal with loss.

Birth can mean many things — mothers bringing new life into this world, seeds sprouting into a plant or even the beginning of an era. However, its literal and figurative meanings are always connected to the inevitability of death. Humans and animals die. Without a proper environment, plants die even sooner. Eras end. Yet, many of us still choose to give life new meaning through birth.

If we only focus on the impending doom of inevitable death, then life seems bleak. What is the point if everything ultimately comes to an end? At some point in our lives, there was a time when we first learned the truth about death being inevitable, maybe as kids when a pet died or a relative passed away. Eventually, we become adults and the contemplations on birth and the consequent inevitability of death raise questions about our existence. Through my reflections, I learned how to appreciate “birth” despite the inevitability of death.

I came across a line that stuck with me from the HBO television show Westworld. “You only live as long as the last person who remembers you.” At birth, we instantly make connections with our parents, guardians or family members, and later we make our own — with friends and communities. I realized that how we want to be remembered is the answer to the fears and anxiety brought by the inevitability of death. I want to be remembered as someone my loved ones could always rely on, so I try my best to be present in their lives to support them. On a bigger scale, I also want to be remembered as someone who made a difference in this world, or at least in my community. I think it’s human to fear death, but now I’m learning to remind myself that, when my time comes, I will live on through the memories of the connections I made, and my legacy — whatever that may be. Because birth and death are connected, I know that even when I am no longer here, the birth of a new life and new beginnings happen every second.

—

Leave your thoughts for Via in the comments below. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube to stay up-to-date with Low Entropy news!

Grace Cheng (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

The nature vs. nurture debate has been ongoing for centuries, and scholars have not yet determined which has a greater impact on an individual’s behavior and personality . Nature, referring to heredity, and nurture, referring to the environment, provide very reasonable explanations for why we are the individuals that we are today. Both sides have developed good theories as to why nature or nurture has greater influence on us.

Nature is dependent on the genetics of an individual, which determines both their appearance and the character. In contrast, nurture is determined by the environmental factors that an individual is exposed to that shape them. People are influenced, to a certain extent, by both nature and nurture.

Essentially, human characteristics are determined by genetic predispositions that are largely natural. Parents normally pass on hereditary traits to their children. The genetic combination of an individual determines such characteristics as height, weight, susceptibility to certain illnesses and skin color. As a result, blood relatives tend to have almost uniform genetic combinations. Furthermore, other behavioral and personality characteristics are also influenced by genetic factors and are typically inherited. These genes can influence how we develop from childhood to adulthood.

Nurture, our environmental and societal factors, also play an important role in shaping an individual’s behavior. Factors such as family dynamics, education and socioeconomic status can have a significant impact on an individual’s behavior and development. It has been shown that children who are raised in supportive and nurturing environments are more likely to develop healthy social skills and emotional regulation than those who are raised in environments that are neglectful or abusive. Moreover, societal factors, such as cultural norms and expectations, can influence an individual’s behavior and development.

Nurture involves the acquisition of specific attributes from the environment in which we are raised. An infant, for example, is born with an empty mind. By observing, learning and aping the behaviors of the people around them, infants will acquire traits through their interactions with the environment. How an individual was raised or nurtured will have a profound impact on their development as a child.

Different types of relationships also play an important role in nurturing, especially during a child’s development. The love and affection children receive from their parents cause them to develop emotional attachments to them. Furthermore, children who receive care and affection will likely reciprocate the same when they reach adulthood. In contrast, children who receive harsh treatment from their parents may withdraw emotionally as they grow older. By studying the speech of others around them, young children also attempt to learn how to speak and what to say. Children’s cognitive development is influenced by the exposure they receive and the conditions in which they are raised.

The nature and nurture of a person are intertwined in ways that many of us do not realize, and there is ongoing confusion as to how they influence one’s personality, appearance and temperament. Genes play an important role in what kind of person we become because what we inherit is essentially what determines what type of person we will become. However, the environment has the potential to alter and develop a person even further.

Both factors play important roles in determining an individual’s behavior. It has been argued that both hereditary factors and environmental factors contribute to the development of mental disorders in individuals. There is a close interaction between the biological combinations of individuals and the socio-cultural environment in which they live. 

In conclusion, we are products of both nature and nurture. Even though genetics may influence certain behaviors and traits, environmental and societal factors also play an important role in shaping an individual’s behavior.

—

Grace has an accounting and finance background. She enjoys reading, writing, listening to music, watching movies and playing sports.

Ivanna Ihekwoaba, Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

What does it mean to lose ourselves? To lose something implies we had something in the first place. To lose yourself is to have found yourself first, and lose sight of who you found. Let’s dive deeper into what this means. 

How do we get to know ourselves? Well, from birth it seems like it’s pretty explanatory. When we are asked our age, we count from the second we entered this world. Our wants are influenced by our surroundings (which is completely normal and also basic psychology). We also begin to learn a lot of things from other people with more life experience. We trust our parents’ words to guide us far enough to where we can handle things on our own. 

But when is that exactly? This answer is different for everyone. 

As babies, we don’t hold memories, but we do alot of what we want. We felt safe to attempt crawling down the stairs while our parents were freaking out about how we were getting too fast for them. I’d like to think that, in those moments, we might have known exactly who we were. We just can’t remember. And that is the beauty of life. In some stages of our lives, a fluid memory allows you continued growth and formation. 

So how do we know who we are? 

We keep doing and trying things. We go to that horror movie and cringe at a particular scene, and you decide that perhaps horror is NOT the genre for you. You try out for the basketball team and discover that you cannot, for the life of you, dribble. You could learn, but you don’t actually want to; you decide that basketball is better watched. You attend a friend’s party and amidst all the loud music and talking, you notice a dog in the corner of the room and five minutes later, you don’t feel so bored anymore. You decide you like dogs. Twenty minutes before an important exam, you feel your chest tighten and you begin to take shallow breaths. After multiple occurrences and seeking medical help, you discover you have anxiety. When you come to this knowledge, you decide to surround yourself with tools to help you feel supported. 

I could go on. This is just a speck of an idea as to how we begin to define and find ourselves.

Everything is going well, you are making friends and reaching out to people. Then all of a sudden, those friends begin to feel a little like strangers. That favourite meal of yours becomes a chore to cook. You begin to think many thoughts — and a lot at once. You begin to spend your days focusing on the negative and not the positive. Things feel a bit too familiar and you become lethargic. Life becomes routine and boring. Passion becomes lost in translation.

You feel lost.

And that is where we have probably found ourselves a lot in our lives. This is completely normal, of course, we are constantly growing and, some days, the sun doesn’t shine because it rains all day. But this rain is necessary for us to grow.

—

Leave your thoughts for Ivanna in the comments below. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube to stay up-to-date with Low Entropy news!

Katelyn Makihara (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer 

With age, many begin to fear self-expression. In primary school, we meet playground bullies who target any eccentricities, teaching us to hide our unique interests. Adolescence brings teetering friendships and classroom politics that can require us to swallow our opinions to secure a place of belonging. Around the world, many large corporations instill autocratic management that rewards 996 corporate slaves without allowing any autonomy. Thus, we learn that conformity ensures security, whereas being “different” risks calamity. 

For the vast majority of my life, I chose to conform. I obsessed over being “normal” and acting like everyone else, believing that such a lifestyle would ensure my happiness. Yet, one day I woke up to overwhelming unhappiness. I looked at myself in the mirror and was met with empty eyes, devoid of any passion. After years of allowing myself to be governed by a fear of rejection and judgment, I had lost my ability to exercise my true will, losing my sense of self in the process. A singular question entered my mind:

“Am I truly enjoying living my life?” 

Even when confronted with my unhappiness, it took a while for me to have the courage to change my lifestyle. For anyone struggling with a similar experience, I will share the five baby steps that I took to break outside my shell and gradually reinvent myself. 

1. Digging up dreams

We all have hopes and dreams that we found in childhood and gave up as we grew. Personally, I always loved books, and always knew that I wanted to be an author when I grew up. Yet, as time passed, I felt my aspirations turn from big dreams to society’s idea of success. I began working with the goal of getting the highest grade, or bettering my chances of getting into university. While working with such extrinsic motivations is not anything to be ashamed of, in my case, and for many others, this can lead to eventual burnout. In the end, we need to have intrinsic motivation to really feel value and fulfillment from what we do. Thus, to begin the journey with reinventing oneself, I believe that rediscovering forgotten dreams and allowing ourselves to live for our passions is a crucial first step. 

2. Reevaluating relationships

I imagine that, like my former self, many have friends they keep solely to avoid being alone. Fearing isolation or sitting alone in class, we continue to fight for relationships that are clearly taxing on our mental well-being. I spent years ignoring cruel comments, accommodating my friends’ every wish, and adjusting my conversations to my friends to an excessive degree. Through spending all my efforts to maintain surface level kinships, I robbed myself of the opportunity to form true connections with people who I could be myself with. This kept me from developing my identity, and led to me losing sight of who I was. To reinvent ourselves, we need to be able to interact with others as our authentic selves. While it may be scary, letting go of fake friendships is necessary in the path to self discovery. 

3. Pursuing passions 

After remembering our dreams and surrounding ourselves with people who support them, there is only one option: to begin actively pursuing our passions. Having hobbies to enjoy not only increases the joy in our lives, but gives us confidence in our uniqueness and gives us an outlet for self-expression. If you want to retry the soccer that you enjoyed as a child, join a community soccer class right away! Maybe you always had a passion for painting that you gave up to pursue a more “stable” and “happy” future. Go to the craft store, pick up a canvas and some supplies, and paint to your heart’s desire! 

4. Saying “hello” to a new home

Sometimes, our current environment can limit our growth. In my case, my former school was keeping me stuck within the confines of my timid self, as I felt terrified to change in front of all my longtime peers. So, I decided to uproot my entire life, and transfer schools at the start of grade 11. Of course, I was anxious that this would lead to social isolation and loneliness. Yet, I hoped that a big change in environment would aid me in creating a place for my authentic self to belong. As expected, being around people with no expectations of who I was was extremely freeing. I was able to express myself without fearing that I was betraying my “image,” allowing me to form meaningful connections without keeping up fronts. I saw myself flourish, as I bloomed into my true self. 

5. Choosing challenges

Reinvention entails not only rediscovery, but also evolving past our former selves. Striving for development and self-actualization are fundamental to being fulfilled in our lives. Growth cannot happen without challenging ourselves past our comfort zones. Staying comfortable and content will eventually lead to stagnation and dissatisfaction. To really reinvent ourselves, we need to adopt a challenge mentality and take risks to put ourselves out there. Try pushing yourself to enter sports competitions or start a social media account to showcase your art. Or maybe, like myself, overcome your fear of judgment and volunteer to write for a blog to share your writing. One little challenge could lead you to unimaginable heights. Fearing failure is natural, but to quote Wayne Gretzky, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Don’t let your worries limit your happiness or potential to invent the best version of yourself.

It is within human nature to seek authenticity in our lifestyle. As inherently unique beings, we thrive when freely expressing our individuality. Thus, we must allow ourselves to explore our identities and recognize our unique worth to truly feel comfortable and happy in our own skin. 

—

Katelyn Makihara is a Japanese-Canadian grade 11 student who deeply values creativity, education and equality. She is very passionate about writing and Japanese culture, which have greatly supported her throughout her life. She dreams of becoming an editor in Japan to spread the joy of literature and stories to generations to come.