“More than 2500 years ago, Lao Tzu was trying to teach us a valuable lesson:

“Care about people’s approval and you will be their prisoner.”

You would think that after so many years we would’ve mastered this simple and valuable lesson, but we haven’t….

The way I see it, to live a life where you stop caring about people’s approval, is to live a free life. This is what freedom is to me. To stop caring about what others think of you is to be free to be whoever you want to be, and free to live the life you came here to live.

Here are 5 signs you’ve stopped caring about people’s approval and started living a life where you are free to live the way you want to live:

1. Your opinion of yourself matters more than other people’s opinions of you.

Dylan Charles, Editor
Waking Times

It’s no secret that 90% of American media is owned by just 6 corporate conglomerates, and it’s also no secret that the media is used by political and corporate propagandists as a tool to reach deep into the hearts and minds of the masses. Mainstream newscasts are a staged version of reality, and as world events continue to rise in pitch and fervor, so will the propaganda, so it’s imperative to brush up on critical thinking skills as a defense against falling into group-think and mass-hysteria.

The great irony here, though, is that it is precisely through the power of media that people will awaken to the deceit happening in the media. By and large the programming that makes it to our eyes and ears is produced to support an agenda, but, even amongst the corporate programs there are genuine voices of reason and truth.

Phillip Schneider, Contributor
Waking Times

A new study from the Journal of Psychopharmacology has found that taking psychedelic drugs does not result in impairment of mental health or an increased risk of depression. From the three drugs that were involved (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide or LSD, Psilocybin and Mescaline), the study declared that there are ‘no significant associations between lifetime use of psychedelics and increased likelihood of past year serious psychological distress, mental health treatment, suicidal thoughts, suicidal plans and suicide attempt, depression and anxiety.’

People who experiment with psilocybin “report it as one of the most profound experiences they’ve had in their lives, even comparing it to the birth of their children.” [Source]

Source: www.thefreethoughtproject.com | Original Post Date: October 21, 2015 –

San Francisco, CA – In a landmark decision, a federal court found that the federal government has no standing to block the legal operation of medical cannabis dispensaries, provided they comply with state laws.

The decision was a direct result of a congressional act last December, in which Congress cut off federal funding for the prosecution of cannabis clubs, provided they were operating within current state law.

The landmark decision came in the case of Lynette Shaw, who ironically opened the first licensed medical marijuana dispensary in the United States. Her dispensary was ultimately raided and shut down by the DEA in 2011.

Shaw has been in court over 100 times fighting the legality of the closure since her dispensary was shuttered, according to NBC. The decision by U.S. Judge Charles Breyer ended the long-running battle she has been engaged in with the federal government.

Source: www.thefreethoughtproject.com | Original Post Date: October 22, 2015 –

If the phone conversation with President Obama is any indication of Justin Trudeau’s commitment, Canada will be giving its southern neighbor lessons in peace and freedom.

Trudeau, Canada’s Prime Minister-elect, told Obama on Tuesday that he will withdraw their fighter jets from Iraq and Syria. Both of these campaigns represent U.S. military aggression based on deceit and manufactured consent.

By withdrawing machines of death and destruction from the two countries plagued by military hegemony, Trudeau is making a strong statement and standing firm behind his commitment.

“I committed that we would continue to engage in a responsible way that understands how important Canada has a role to play in the fight against ISIL (Islamic State), but he (Barack Obama) understands the commitments I’ve made around ending the combat mission,” he told reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday.

By Lance Schuttler
Guest Writer for Wake Up World

“Reform is not enough anymore. Because that’s simply improving a broken model. What we need, and the word’s been used many times in the course of the past few days, is not evolution, but a revolution in education. This has to be transformed into something else.” – Sir Ken Robinson

Mr. Robinson spoke these words in his popular 20-minute TedTalk entitled, “Bring On The Learning Revolution”, which is embedded below. This is one of the best lectures on a topic that so desperately needs addressed in our world and I recommend it to anyone.

The current educational system, which stresses compartmentalization and standardized testing, is limiting the inherent abilities we all possess. It’s as if the educational system is simply set up in a way that directs us only to memorize and regurgitate rather than question, express, connect, and create. We are taught to fall in line and adhere to “The Matrix” rather than being our unique, authentic selves.