Higher Perspective

Every now and then I have to push the pause button on life and took a good, hard look at my life and what surrounds me. I think about my belongings, the place I live, the friends in my life, the work that I do, the possessions that I own, and I fully consider what it is that makes me a happy person. This is what I’ve been able to find for myself, and you might be able to find some wisdom in it too. These are my 6 reasons to let go of things in your life that don’t make you happy.

1. You’ll be healthier for it.

I know a lot of folks in D.C. are going to be having all-nighters tonight, because at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, Washington D.C. residents will be free to legally possess and use marijuana. Residents of the district are allowed to have up to two ounces of marijuana, twice as high as Oregon, Colorado, Alaska and Washington.

But the rest of the rules pertaining to legalization are about the same. You can’t use marijuana on federal land or public property. You can grow up to six plants at home, but only three mature at a time. You can also give an ounce of the plant as a gift.

Voters legalized marijuana by the widest margin yet with 64.9% of voters in favor. Unlike the other states, though, D.C. will have fewer regulations beyond those rules...

Recently, bald eagles were reported flying around Staten Island. It may not sound like much, but it’s the first time in over 100 years that the eagles have been seen in the area. It raises hope that New York City may someday be home to bald eagles again.

Bald eagles nearly met their match at the hands of deforestation, hunting, and DDT poisoning. The national symbol of the United States dwindled to only 500 eagle pairs in the lower 48 states by the nation’s 200th birthday. Today, their numbers are ten times higher. In 2007, the bald eagle was de-listed from the government’s Endangered and Threatened Wildlife list.

Even still, the birds aren’t completely out of the woods. DDT is banned in the US now, but other toxins like mercury and lead are fatal to the eagles, even in lower doses...

Perhaps next scientists will realize kindness and compassion are forms of intelligence?

According to a new study conducted by researchers at York University, kindness, compassion and a sense of beauty developed in early humans long before intelligence did.

“Human evolution is usually depicted as driven by intelligence, with empathy and deeper emotions following,” said Penny Spikins, human origins researcher at  York University. “However, the evidence suggests it happened the other way round. Evolution made us sociable, living in groups and looking after one another, even before we had language.”

Our success since then, including the evolution of intelligence, all sprang from that,” Spikins said.

Many people are not comfortable sleeping naked, and that’s fine! Not everyone is going to be comfortable sleeping naked, however, it is important to acknowledge the benefits on sleeping naked when it comes to not only your health and well-being, but your love life as well.

Deeper Sleep

Certain forms of insomnia have been tied to faulty regulation of body temperature. According to The Los Angeles Sleep Study Institute, improper body temperature regulation not only throws off your regular sleep cycle, but it also impairs you from drifting into a deeper sleep state.

When you sleep naked, it allows your body to regulate its temperature properly so you don’t over heat and wake up in a sweaty mess.

Supporters of marijuana legalization have often cited the fact that cannabis has yet to directly kill anyone via overdose. They argue that it’s the least harmful drug around. And now, they might have some science to back up the claim.

As the Washington Post reports, “compared to other recreational drugs — including alcohol — marijuana may be even safer than previously thought. And researchers may be systematically underestimating risks associated with alcohol use.”

The findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports. Researchers set out to look at the risk of death associated with the use of common psychoactive substances...

“Bios Urn changes the way people see death, converting the ‘end of life’ into a transformation and a return to life through nature. [It is] a smart, sustainable, and ecologically friendly way to approach what’s, probably, one of the most important moments in human life.”

This urn enables your pets, your loved ones, or you to become a tree after you pass on by transforming the ashes into a tree. “After you die, do you want your body to feed worms or to feed squirrels?” asks the Bios Urn team. This concept was designed by estudimoline, a Spanish design studio.

The urn is made of cellulose, compacted peat, and a coconut shell. It is 100% biodegradable. It consists of two parts, a seed capsule on top and a bottom for the ashes...

On Friday, February 20th, Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) and Jared Polis (D-Colorado) introduced two separate bills in Congress that would legalize marijuana use at the federal level for adults.

Blumenauer’s bill, called the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act, would tax cannabis at the federal level in addition to any local and state taxes. Polis’ bill, also called the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol act for some reason, would allow states to choose to legalize cannabis without any fear of federal intervention.

Both of the representatives hail from states that have already fully legalized marijuana use for adults 21 and up. So far, four states have already legalized it and 23 states have medical marijuana laws on the books.

“More than 213 million people live in a state or jurisdiction that allows some form of legal use of marijuana,”...

Yoga is an ancient practice dating back to India thousands of years ago designed to help you reach a more positive and focused outlook on life, as well as a sense of peace. Yoga itself is the Sanscrit word meaning “union with the divine,” though western Yoga is a lot less spiritual than it was originally.

Here are the reasons why you should take up Yoga today:

1. It’s a good workout, plain and simple.

Yoga improves your overall fitness, flexibility, strength, endurance, and your mental health too. No mater what level of difficulty your poses, it’s a fantastic workout routine.

2. You get in touch with your whole body, spirit and all.

Yoga is designed for you to get to know the temple of your body. As a result, while doing yoga, you need to take the time to listen to what your body is telling you...

Especially if you come from a rough and tumble fight-it-out kind of family, dating a highly sensitive person can be a shock to you and them too. About 20% of the population identifies as being extremely sensitive. So with that in mind, these are the 7 things you know before you date a sensitive person.

1. They’re extremely sensitive to the emotions of others.

Sensitive people don’t just get their feelings hurt easily – that’s not what sensitivity is about. One of their traits is feeling the emotions of other people. If something happens to a friend or relative of your sensitive partner, even if they are somewhat detached from that person, they still need support during that time.

2. They’re sensitive to their surroundings.