Your spouse is your obligation

10 benefits of sex you never thought about (+18)

I don't know how much sex you are having but if it less than twice a week, you are not having enough. Regular sex can be good for your heart, keep your brain sharp and make you appear younger among other things. Below are 10 reasons why you should be having more sex.

1. Stress

Even though a lot of people cite sex as the reason they are not having enough sex, missing the fact that sex has been proven to be an effective stress reliever. As research has shown that having sex shows a significantly reduced rate in the level of stress hormones that lead to high blood pressure .Men who have sex at least twice a week are less likely to have a heart attack compared to those who don't. When next you are feeling stressed, you can use sex to achieve that post-orgasm clear head and calmness.

2. Happiness

People that have sex often are generally happier. When we have sex, our body releases a feel-good hormone called oxytocin that creates a feeling of happiness and contentedness. So when next you are feeling sad, you probably need more sex.

3. Sleep

Not having enough sex has been linked to sleeplessness and irritability as the body releases a hormone that aids in sleep after orgasms. So before you pop that sleeping pill, have some sex first.

4. Fitness

In as much as we can't equate 'sexercise' with running or heavy lifting, it has been shown to improve fitness, increase oxygen flow to muscles, tone abdominal and pelvic muscles that leads to improved bladder control. An hour under the sheet can be equated to a 30mins brisk walking or running up and down 2 flights of stairs. To increase your heart bit rate and some light aerobics, have some sex.

5. Better Memory

Having frequent sex has been associated with better cognitive functions and growth of new brain cells as research has shown that adults 50 years and older that have frequent sex have better memory performance compared to those that don't. If you are not remembering things as you should, you probably need more sex.

6. Popping Skin

I am sure we have all heard of the post-orgasm glow, forget lotions and cream, the secret to a glowing youthful look is in-between your legs. Women who have more sex have higher levels of estrogen, which is essential to enjoying healthier, smoother skin. According to research, when you have sex an average of four times a week, you are more likely to look ten years younger, so before you start investing in expensive glow products, have you tried having more sex?

PS - casual sex with multiple partners has been shown to lead to premature aging, so don't go about having sex with everybody and anybody in search of the fountain of youth.

7. Pain Management

Sex has been shown to reduce sensitivity to pain and has been shown to relieve back and headache as the body releases endorphin natural pain-relieving hormones during sex. So when next you are having some pains, could it be that you just need more sex.

8. Period

Frequent sex has been shown to increase a woman's sensitivity to sex, boosts libido, increase vagina lubrication and reduce the pain associated with cramps and balances out hormones leading to lighter menstrual periods. So when next you want to reduce your chance of a less stressful period, have more sex.

9. Cancer

Men who ejaculate an average of five times a week are less likely to developed aggressive prostate cancer compared to men who ejaculate less than three times a week. As ejaculations prevent carcinogens from building up in the prostate. Next time you are looking at doing something your future self will thank you for, have more sex.

10. Commitment

You can have great sex without having a great relationship but you can't have a great relationship without great sex. Couples that have sex frequently are more likely to stay together as bonding hormones are produced sex that makes you more tolerable of one another. Having sex in a monogamous relationship increases commitment to one another and helps them connect emotionally. When things are going well in the bedroom it will most likely spill into other aspects of your relationship .

Benefits of value

Value what you have

CONSCIOUS LIVING, HAPPINESS

As the proverb has it: “You only know what you’ve got when it’s gone.” Unfortunately, many people only realize the fortune they had when they lose it. 

We have become so accustomed to the blessings in our daily life that we take most of it for granted. There are only a few that take the time to enjoy the beauty of the moment, make time for a moment of gratitude or try to discover the blessing that already exists in their lives. 

Most don’t even have the time to savor such a regular but totally mind-blowing phenomenon like a sundown. Instead, everyone’s attention is primarily focused on the things they do not possess, from materialistic things (wealth and expensive tangibles), interpersonal relationships (finding the “right” partner) to various ideals of beauty. Most hope to fill the emptiness within them by the accumulation of materialistic things (that nobody truly needs).

And why is that? Because most cannot value what they already have!

They do not realize the true blessings in their live – the regular things that are taken for granted. If a person grows up with a given blessing, it’s difficult to even notice it and most might eventually lose sight of its value as they grow older.

 From a very young age, advertising convinces us that we aren’t good enough, that we need perfection in every area of our life and thereby implants false perceptions about what the “true purpose” of life really should be all about: Fame, power, wealth, beauty, perfection, and consumption

Keep learning

These Are The 4 Fundamentals Of Life You Should Focus On First Before Everything Else

At some point in life, we are faced with a void that forces us to look at our life and figure out what’s missing. Granting that we have it all, money, investments, house, car, fame, etc. there is still something that seems to be missing.

If you’re one of those who has given the time to reflect on their life, you may have discovered that the fundamentals of life aren’t the shiny objects. It’s something more profound, something that gives life more value and meaning.

This may come as quite surprising, but the most important commodities of life are simple things that don’t have a monetary value attached to them.
The fundamentals of life are the following: purpose, time, health, and relationships.
The 4 Fundamentals Of Life You Should

Make A Priority:
1. Purpose
Your purpose is the why of your existence. It’s the thing that makes you tick, the breath you take when life gets tough, and the being you want to become even though you don’t know its name.
If you haven’t known your purpose yet, the following hints may help you:

– Ask yourself where you want to be 5 or 10 years from now.
– Figure out the things that make you excited and fires you up.
– Ask yourself for the reasons that make you want to get up each morning.
Find out the answers to the above questions. Most often, they lead you to your inner self to what really matters to you.
But there’s one thing you should be aware, though. Since you’re an evolving being, what matters to you now may no longer matter in the following months or years.
Self discovery takes time. Just do what you feel you should do because that’s your gut instinct telling you.

You may not understand it now, but things will become clearer to you as your life unfolds to your true purpose.

2. Time
One paradox of life is not having enough time while others seem to have everything done in the equal number of hours allotted to us in a day.
Of course, this all comes down to our choices and life situations. When you’re taking too much responsibility on your plate, the twenty four hours in a day are never enough.

What’s not healthy is, when you spend most of your time on things that rob you of the space you have for yourself. You will likely lose balance when you don’t give time to doing the things that you want.
No matter how big your responsibilities in life are, never forget to do the things that can make you happy like engaging in hobbies or fun activities.
Time is a precious commodity that once lost, could never be retrieved back.

3. Health
Health is important but often gets neglected until our bodies call our attention. Health is wealth as they say.
While you still have your health, give it value and don’t wait for some reasons to get serious about having a health regimen and following a healthy lifestyle.
Keep your mind healthy by stimulating it regularly. Reading and being around with stimulating people helps you to be mentally healthy.

Meditation is also the best way of strengthening your mind while keeping you emotionally healthy.
Whatever your preference of physical exercise is, just do it on a regular basis. Whether it be a gym workout, yoga, walking, or swimming, the point is to keep your body moving and chase those stresses away.

Give yourself the right nutrition it needs along with lots of fluids. Regular check ups with your physician is also a wise idea to prevent nasty things from happening in your body.
Above all else, never forget to be kind and gentle with yourself. When you love yourself this much, loving others becomes effortless.

4. Relationships
How healthy are your relationships? One of the culprits that prevents you to maintain a healthy relationship is your “busy ness”.
In a world where you’re competing with deadlines, relationships may wait in the back door.

Only that other people have their own life to live too. If you can’t give them time, they may seek others who can make them feel important.
Your loved ones may not be too demanding of your time, but let not this be a reason for neglecting them.
Your relationships are your foundation, your bedrock. When things work against you, it’s in your relationships that you seek refuge.

Take care of them while they’re still there. Be with your kids while they’re still small because they won’t stay that way forever.
Be with your parents while they’re still there. You never know how long they will be spending time with you.

Maintain your friendships so that they’d still connect with you until old age.

Purpose, time, health, and relationships. Do you have all of them now? If no, start right now. If yes, treat them wisely.

Body maintenance

Maintenance Vs. Repair

Physical Training is Bodily discipline, something that should be a part of our daily life. It builds over time. It looks different in different seasons of life but it’s something that is always a part of our normal routine.

How you steward your body in your 20’s, 30’s and 40’s will greatly impact the quality of life you will experience in your 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and beyond. It’s maintenance, maintaining a healthy body. Don’t wait until something “broken”, until you’re in a sick state to start pursuing health, pursuing “well-th” (wellness). Think preventative measures vs. having to repair a situation.

Ok, so what happens when you train?
You add stress to your body that causes a disruption to homeostasis which is the “normal state of the body and mind.” This is what happens when you “exercise”.

With proper recovery, the body adapts to handle the next exposure to the stress and, when conditions are right, actually overcompensates – leading to an increase in performance and health. Which, according to Scripture, is used to flourish on earth, subdue it and have dominion over it. And to work in His Kingdom. (Ephesians 2:10) This is Uncommen man’s “why” for his discipline in training the body.

Recovery is just as important as exercise for getting positive results because your body’s adaptation mechanisms need to help the body “overcompensate” from the breakdown that just occurred while training. This happens in about 72 hours for average men.

Men that are highly conditioned can recover faster, like 1 or 2 days depending on the individual. With this in mind, we should train, at the very least, 3x a week! Are you doing this?

What happens if you don’t train?
When we ARE NOT training, the body is at a high risk for sickness, stress, injury, disease. AND, atrophy sets in. Atrophy is when the bodies tissues “wastes away’ or decline in effectiveness due to underuse or neglect. “If you don’t use it, you loose it” has some validity here.

This same phenomenon can happen in our spiritual life, if we become too complacent. God says through Paul to the church of Thessalonica and to us now, “to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” So, prayer can “atrophy”.

It works like a “muscle” in some ways. As we pray, we grow. Growing in our prayer life is likened to growing stronger, faster and healthier when we exercise.

Knowledge is power

   

The Power of Letting Go

“The willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life is the source from which self-respect springs.” — Joan Didion
When asked if people were doing the best they can, a mentor once said: “I don’t know. All I know is that my life is better when I assume that people are doing their best. It keeps me out of judgment and lets me focus on what is – not what should or could be.”
I love that answer. It embodies what I seek in life: simplicity, honesty and compassion.
Giving the benefit of the doubt doesn’t come naturally to most of us. Our instinct is for survival. Yet the single most useful concept that has guided my life and theoretical orientation is that all coping strategies are a best defense.

What do I mean?
We’ve all been hurt. When the hurt happened we did the best to protect ourselves with our young resources. Over time these adaptive strategies become our way of dealing (or not dealing) with the world.

Some of us gather evidence about the disappointing state of humanity while others bury their troubles in a food, sex, shopping, etc. The bulk of us fall somewhere in between. If left unchecked, this way of being gets woven into our being.

I believe we have a built-in propensity toward realizing our best Self. We just have to get out of the way. When helping clients do this, I begin by appreciating the clever ways they’ve learned to survive. You see, curiosity creates change but it cannot be invoked when struggling with shame, blame or regret. It simply needs space.
When you begin clearing the mind of emotional clutter, you see more clearly.

There’s space to choose who you want to be. This type of decluttering leads to wholehearted living because it requires the courage of our convictions to let go. We stop judging others for who we want them to be and start loving them for who they are.
Feeling enough is one the more difficult aspects to adopt within the minimalist mindset.

When we’re bogged down with judgment and cluttered with criticism, it requires a leap of faith to believe that we have enough, that we are enough and that there will be enough. It’s a bit of a Catch-22. Only then can we let go.
It’s an amazing sensation to break through our small, limited self and step into our big-heartedness.
The
minimalism lifestyle helps us with this task because it asks us to take a hard look at what we value in life. Like anything else, it’s a practice. We have to sift through a lot of stuff to discover what’s essential.
The following are few helpful ways to help clear the way to being who you’ve always been all along:

1. Establish healthy boundaries.
Many people think of boundaries as something you set toward others. Equally important are the internal boundaries we set for ourselves. Ask yourself, “What boundaries do I need to put in place in order to stand in my integrity while extending the most generous interpretation of the intention, words, and actions of others?” Setting healthy boundaries means getting clear on what is okay and not okay.

2. Stop numbing.
There are many ways to numb, but all have one thing in common: pain avoidance. So much of the work I do is helping people sit with and accept their difficult feelings. Think of emotions as an inflatable ball. Have you ever tried “sitting” on one while playing in a swimming pool? Feelings are like that ball. You can keep it out of sight for only so long before it pops up to the surface. And the farther you hold it down, the more forcefully it erupts. Sound familiar?

3. Give the benefit of the doubt.
Assuming the best in others in not naïve. It’s generous, but must be applied with healthy boundaries and accountability. It’s not a pass or blind forgiveness. It’s the recognition that we are all in this together. Seeing the good intention in others is honest and invites compassion. And the best place to start is with ourselves.

Design a simple life.
It’s time to get rid of the excess and focus on the essentials.