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This Adorable 2-Year Old Is a Talented Aspiring Artist

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Mia Mai, a 2-year-old aspiring artist, pours her heart and soul into all her drawings. It’s rare for a young child to excel at art, but Mia possesses a natural talent. Both her parents fully encourage her creative mind, helping her realize her true potential. Most children Mia’s age can only scribble, so it’s mind-blowing to see what she can create!

“Some of Mia’s favorite things to draw are suns, flowers, fish, and her toys, but her absolute favorite is to draw all the members of our family. We call these family drawings “Mesamis,” Mia’s dad Meigo says.

Mia’s main inspiration comes from her beautiful, natural environment. She lives in a peaceful village in Vietnam surrounded by rice fields, lush gardens, clear skies, and loving neighbors. You can see many of these elements reflected in Mia’s drawings, which she creates with glitter pens. So far, the aspiring artist has drawn over 100 unique characters – such an imagination!

Meigo added that she was ten months old. Both he and his wife have been working full-time from home. So, for Mia’s whole life so far, the three of them have spent every day together. This gave them ample time to encourage and support the aspiring artist’s abilities. Mia drew on any surface she could find because nothing could stop this creative soul!

“At the age of 1 year and 2 months, Mia started to draw on the walls of our home. We did not stop her but encouraged her and even drew together with her,” Meigo said.

“Then she started to draw with erasable markers on a big whiteboard. She could scribble for hours and fill the entire whiteboard again and again. After that, she fell in love with small, magnetic drawing boards that she carried with her to every place she went.”

This Young Creative Soul Inspires Us With Her Talent

Meigo and his wife then introduced her to paints and brushes, which created a giant mess. Sometimes, her whole face, hands, legs, and clothes were covered in paint. However, they didn’t mind the mess and kept encouraging her along the journey. Because of their support, the aspiring artist created many beautiful paintings at just 1-year-old.

 

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A post shared by NFT Art by Mia Mai (@nft.mia)

“One very big influence on our daily lives has been classical music. We spend at least 3-6 hours per day listening to classical radio. Basically, we are just living inside the music,” Meigo said. “I am very sure that this has had a huge positive impact on Mia’s sensitivity, development, and creativity.”

Meigo added that while she draws, they encourage her to use both hands in order to develop different areas of the brain. It’s clearly working because Mia exhibits creative intelligence far beyond her years.

“Many people were absolutely skeptical when they saw Mia’s drawings and wrote to us that it’s totally impossible for a 2-year-old to draw like this. Even a few kindergarten teachers and child development experts wrote that it’s not possible,” Meigo said.

We do not doubt that the aspiring artist will blossom into a master of her craft someday. With talent like that, it seems Mia will have a bright future ahead of her!

Seeing how many handmade drawings and paintings Mia’s created, Meigo’s older sister said they should launch an NFT collection. NFTs stand for non-fungible tokens, meaning they’re a unique digital asset that only belongs to the creator. Once you upload them to the NFT marketplace, you can sell the assets to interested buyers.

“That felt like a really great idea, so we bought a very good scanner and started to scan her art. Currently, we have launched 6 NFT collections with over 135 NFTs, but there will be hundreds and hundreds more,” Meigo said.

The Aspiring Artist Draws and Paints Straight from the Heart

Since Meigo’s spent so much time with Mia, he’s witnessed her creating art for hours each day. He says that sometimes, she’ll even wake up in the middle of the night wanting to draw something! They’ve been able to document much of her journey thus far and will continue doing so. One day when Mia becomes a famous artist, she can look back at how far she’s come!

“Luckily for us, we have been filming and photographing Maria Mai’s life and development every single day since her birth. Her daily activities and live drawing videos are all available on her Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages,” Meigo said. “All her art is born from wonder, experimentation, sincere joy, and pure love, and we really hope that her art will also bring some joy to everyone who sees it!”

 

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A post shared by NFT Art by Mia Mai (@nft.mia)

It’s inspiring to see such a young child with a drive and talent like Mia. Her parents have instilled qualities such as positivity, love, and acceptance in her, which have helped shape Mia’s interests. Meigo and his wife love to paint, so the aspiring artist had the perfect environment to shine. We can’t wait to see what lies in store for this talented toddler!

Meigo finished the video with this kind message: “We are wishing and sending you lots of powerfully positive energies, and inspiration to treat other people, nature, and also yourself, better and better.”

Mia also said: “Thank you for watching! I love you! Goodbye, everyone!”

aspiring artist

Final Thoughts on the Talented Toddler with a Knack for Art

Gifted children such as Mia typically start showing signs of their intelligence at a young age. While we all harbor various talents, it’s rare for a 2-year-old to have such artistic capabilities like Mia. Surrounding by natural beauty, classical music, and her artistic parents, the young girl had the ideal environment for creative growth. She loves what she does and will hopefully continue drawing into her adult years!

Even if she doesn’t, it’s inspiring to watch a child’s imagination come to life through creative expression. Her drawings are heartwarming and beautiful, and we hope they brought happiness to your soul!

Study Warns About Traffic Pollution Causing Skyrocketing Pediatric Asthma

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A George Washington University study linked rising pediatric asthma cases to traffic pollution worldwide. They estimate that almost 2 million newly diagnosed pediatric asthma cases trace back to air pollution. Smog poses a problem, especially for large cities worldwide, such as Los Angeles and Mumbai.

The study marks the first to estimate the burden of pediatric asthma cases resulting from traffic pollution in over 13,000 cities.

“Our study found that nitrogen dioxide puts children at risk of developing asthma, and the problem is especially acute in urban areas,” Susan Anenberg, a co-lead author of the article and a professor of environmental and occupational health at the George Washington University, said. “The findings suggest that clean air must be a critical part of strategies aimed at keeping children healthy.”

Anenberg and her team wanted to measure ground concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, or NO2, in particular. This pollutant comes from vehicle exhaust, power plants, and industrial locations.

They also tracked new pediatric asthma cases in children from 2000 until 2019.

Study Warns About Traffic Pollution Causing Skyrocketing Pediatric Asthma

pediatric asthma

Asthma is a long-term illness that causes narrowing and inflammation of the airways. Asthma affects nearly 6.1 million children under 18 in the US.

The research team highlighted these significant findings from the study:

  • Two-thirds occurred in cities among the estimated 1.85 million new pediatric asthma cases globally linked to NO2 in 2019.
  • However, the number of pediatric asthma cases linked to NO2 in cities declined recently. This reduction probably occurred because of stricter air regulations in higher-income countries, such as the US.
  • Air quality also improved in Europe. Unfortunately, pollution is rising in lower-income countries such as those in South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East. NO2 pollution, in particular, is a growing problem in these areas.
  • Pediatric asthma cases attributed to NO2 pollution endanger public health for citizens in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

A prior study by the GW researchers discovered that NO2 contributed to around 13% of global pediatric asthma cases. About 50% of these cases occurred in the 250 most populated cities worldwide. People living near congested roadways and industrial sites are at the highest risk of developing asthma.

Overall, the number of pediatric asthma cases associated with NO2 fell from 20% in 2000 to 16% in 2019. This decline means that initiatives to clean the air in Europe and the US have paid off, particularly for children living with asthma.

Of course, there’s more work ahead for both higher-income countries and developing countries. Low-income areas usually find it challenging to lower dangerous vehicle emissions and other sources of NO2 due to costs and technology constraints.

Urban Air Pollution a Growing Problem Worldwide

In another study by Veronica Southerland at GW, Anenberg and colleagues discovered that urban air pollution caused 1.8 million excess deaths in 2019. This study also found that 86% of adults and children living in cities worldwide get exposed to unsafe levels of fine particulate matter. In fact, pollutant levels often exceed the recommendations from the World Health Organization.

Their paper states: “Despite progress in reducing exposure in some countries, the global health burden of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is increasing annually. Long-term exposure to PM2.5 is associated with premature mortality from various diseases, including cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, lung cancer, and lower respiratory infection. PM2.5 is now the leading environmental contributor to the global burden of disease, rising from being the fifth leading contributor among environmental risk factors in 1990, in part driven by declines in household air pollution and unsafe water and sanitation.”

“Reducing fossil fuel-powered transportation can help children and adults breathe easier and may pay big health dividends, such as fewer cases of pediatric asthma and excess deaths,” Anenberg said. “At the same time, it would also reduce greenhouse gas emissions, leading to a healthier climate.”

Six Tips to Protect Yourself from City Air Pollution

If you live in a large city, it’s crucial to reduce your exposure to pollution as much as possible. The American Lung Association offers the following guidelines to reduce pediatric asthma:

  • Check your local forecasts for daily air pollution levels. This data will tell you if it’s unsafe to go outside or limit your exposure.
  • Clean your home regularly to reduce indoor air pollution. Avoid wearing shoes inside, as they can track in contaminants from outdoors. Also, don’t allow smoking indoors, and light candles sparingly.
  • Reduce energy usage in your home. All our appliances and modern conveniences run on electricity, creating air pollution. Consider green energy sources like solar to power your home.
  • Don’t exercise outdoors when high air pollution is present. Also, if you exercise outside, make sure to avoid high traffic areas. Being around tons of cars will increase your exposure to pollutants.
  • Consider wearing a mask while outdoors if you live in a megacity or urban area. It may be uncomfortable, but it will protect you somewhat from heavy pollution and smog.
  • Walk or bike instead of taking a car. Globally, transportation accounts for about 15-20% of greenhouse gas emissions each year. If you have to use a vehicle, opt for a bus or carpool with friends. Reducing the number of cars on the road would make a considerable dent in urban air pollution.

pediatric asthma

Final Thoughts on Study Linking Air Pollution to Pediatric Asthma

A recent study by George Washington University discovered that air pollution contributes to nearly two million pediatric asthma cases per year. About 50% of cases occur in large urban areas. However, in Europe, the US, and parts of Asia, pediatric asthma is on the decline. Researchers believe that tighter air pollution laws have reduced nitrogen oxide levels in the atmosphere.

While this is undoubtedly good news, we still have a mountain to climb to reduce emissions. Another study found that urban air pollution caused nearly two million deaths globally in 2019.

Researchers say that we need to provide a healthy climate if we want healthy populations. Getting fossil fuel-powered cars off the roads would make a huge difference in lowering air pollution.

Kind Man Grows a Vegetable Garden for His Groundhog Buddy

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When a groundhog began stealing Jeff’s vegetables, he wasn’t too happy at first. After a while, though, the adorable creature grew on him, so Jeff didn’t stop him from partaking in the garden’s bounty. He even named the groundhog Chunk, a very fitting name indeed. He taught Jeff important life lessons while also giving him memories to last a lifetime.

“This whole process taught me how to coexist with the animals. You know, this is their land too; they’re just trying to survive,” Jeff says. “So, if I can have a garden to help them in that, so be it. There’s plenty, you know – I’ll get my share, they’ll have their share – it’s all about coexisting.”

As an avid gardener, Jeff’s been planting a garden each year for the past 25 years. He noticed that with each new harvest, there’s something different to discover in the garden. This time around, his garden, unfortunately, suffered damage on a scale he’s never seen before. To him, it looked like a deer had come along and eaten all the vegetables.

Whatever animal it was, it only took a chunk or two out of each vegetable. Then, it left the remnants on the ground and moved on to the next veggie, repeating the process. Wanting to know the culprit behind the garden sabotage, he decided to set up a motion detection camera.

One day at work, he got a notification, and a groundhog popped up out of nowhere! Surprised, Jeff kept watching as he stared at the camera while gnawing on the delicious vegetables. As the groundhog smacked his lips, thoroughly enjoying his meal, he found the animal quite adorable and innocent.

Kind Man Grows a Vegetable Garden for His Groundhog Buddy

The more he watched the groundhog pop into the camera frame, just staring and eating his food, the more he adored him. The anger Jeff felt in the beginning melted away, and he opened his heart to the animal. He called it a “cuteness overload” that he almost couldn’t handle. So he embraced the experience and continued letting the groundhog feast on his garden.

“They were just so awesome; they would just eat from the garden each day, staring at the camera continually each day. You know, as time went on, it just really made me have a different view of the wildlife,” Jeff recalls. “It was like, this is their home too; they are just trying to live here, just trying to survive. You know, if they’re eating from my garden, oh well.”

He embraced the groundhog so much that he named him Chunk, since he loved taking chunks out of the veggies! Jeff says the most positive takeaway from the experience was his changed view of wildlife. He started to become more aware of the struggles they face each day just to survive.

Seeing them happily eating vegetables in the camera, getting a belly full of nutritious food, made Jeff’s heart swell. He said it felt nice to give them something to eat so they didn’t have to forage for scraps. Plus, they’re getting the highest quality vegetables possible, as Jeff is an organic gardener. Most people who practice organic gardening probably wouldn’t tolerate the groundhog, but Jeff sees him as a friend now.

At the end of the season, they had such an impact on me that I gave them their own garden the following year. So even though I did give them their own garden, they would eat out of mine still. I was okay with that though,” Jeff jokes.

He soon had even more mouths to feed, but his garden provided plenty for them.

“Then the following season it didn’t take long for babies to show up. Yep, Chunk and Nibbles had babies; they had Nugget, Chip and Chibbles. All of them would come out, different times, together sometimes; they would all eat in front of the camera from their own garden and from mine.”

Interesting Facts About Groundhogs

  • Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, are a member of the rodent family. They’re also one of 14 species of marmot, or ground squirrels, and are the largest animal in the squirrel family.
  • Groundhogs can eat up to a pound of food in one sitting. No wonder Jeff’s garden always looked like a tornado passed through it!
  • During the summer and fall, a groundhog’s incisors grow about 1.6mm weekly to accommodate their eating habits. As they hibernate in the winter, they need all the food they can get beforehand.
  • While they hibernate, a groundhog’s heartbeat slows from 80 beats per minute to just 5 per minute. Their body temperature also drops from around 99F to a frigid 37F.
  • These rodents eat an herbivorous diet, meaning they survive solely on plants. They eat foods like fruit, veggies, tree bark and grass. They’re well-known for breaking into backyard gardens and stealing food, so many people view them as pests. Well, except Jeff of course!
  • Groundhogs have a lifespan of three to six years.
  • They only live in North America, and are mostly found in central Alaska, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Canada.
  • A groundhog burrow can be up to 6 feet deep and 20 feet wide. They usually keep a burrow in the woods during winter and in grassy areas throughout summer.

groundhog

Final Thoughts on Jeff and His Adorable Groundhog Friend

Jeff’s story shows the beauty that can unfold when we coexist with nature. Sure, no one likes all their vegetables eaten by wild animals, but look at it from their perspective. They have to forage for hours or days to find just scraps of food. When Jeff realized this, it opened his heart and he didn’t mind sharing his garden with the cute animals.

Perhaps we can all learn a lesson from this story, and share our backyards with the critters that stop by. Just because we have the highest intelligence of any animal, doesn’t mean we should look down upon others. We all have to share this planet somehow, so why not make it easier on the tiny creatures among us?

Japanese Study Proves That Chewing Slowly Improves Health

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A new Japanese study reveals that chewing food slowly benefits health in various ways. In today’s fast-paced life, many people eat their meals in a rushed, stressful manner. However, ancient cultures knew the importance of being mindful while eating and expressing gratitude for their food.

Aside from the mental benefits, chewing slowly improves physical wellbeing also. Various scientific studies have shown how eating mindfully and savoring the experience help prevent obesity and weight gain.

Usually, the chewing process increases the energy expenditure associated with metabolizing food. It also enhances intestinal motility, which helps improve the heat generated in the body while digesting food. This process is known as diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT).

However, scientists couldn’t determine how chewing slowly triggers DIT in the body before this study. Recently, Dr. Yuka Hamada and Professor Naoyuki Hayashi from Waseda University, Japan, began researching the mechanism behind this process. They’ve published the study proving the correlation between chewing and DIT in the journal Scientific Reports.

DIT, otherwise known as the thermic effect of food consumption, boosts energy expenditure above the basal fasting level. This factor helps prevent weight gain since it increases metabolism. Previously, the team discovered that slow eating and thorough chewing enhanced DIT and increased blood circulation in the splanchnic region of the abdomen.

While these studies linked slow chewing with increased digestion and absorption of nutrients, a few questions were left unanswered.

Hayashi explains, “We were unsure whether the size of the food bolus that entered the digestive tract contributed to the increase in DIT observed after slow eating. Also, do oral stimuli generated during prolonged chewing of food play any role in increasing DIT? To define slow chewing as an effective and scientific weight management strategy, we needed to look deeper into these aspects.”

chewing

Japanese Study Proves That Chewing Slowly Improves Health

To discover the answers, the team designed their recent study to include only liquid food, thus excluding the effects of the food bolus. A food bolus starts as a small, round food mass in the mouth during the early stages of digestion.

The study included three trials conducted at different times. Researchers asked volunteers to swallow 20-mL liquid test food usually every 30 seconds in the control trial. The volunteers kept the liquid food in their mouths for thirty seconds without chewing in the second trial. This allowed them to taste the food for a more extended period before swallowing.

Finally, in the third trial, they studied how chewing and tasting impacted metabolism and blood circulation. The volunteers chewed the liquid food for 30 seconds at once per second before swallowing it. The research team measured hunger and fullness levels, gas-exchange variables, DIT, and splanchnic circulation before and after volunteers drank the liquid.

The researchers gained great understanding from the results of their study. They found that no difference occurred in hunger and fullness scores throughout the trials.

However, as Hayashi describes:

“We found DIT or energy production increased after consuming a meal, and it increased with the duration of each taste stimulation and the duration of chewing.  This means irrespective of the influence of the food bolus, oral stimuli, corresponding to the duration of tasting food in the mouth and the duration of chewing, increased DIT.”

The longer the participants chewed and tasted their food, the greater the gas exchange and protein oxidation. Also, blood flow in the splanchnic celiac artery increased. Since this crucial artery supplies the digestive organs with blood, the upper gastrointestinal tract showed a more significant response to chewing.

So, the study proved that chewing more slowly can help prevent metabolic syndrome and weight gain by boosting energy expenditure. In other words, slowing down while you eat uses more energy, therefore staving off obesity and other weight-related problems.

Hayashi concludes, “While the difference in energy expenditure per meal is small, the cumulative effect gathered during multiple meals, taken over every day and 365 days a year, is substantial.”

The team believes that slow eating and thorough chewing could provide simple solutions for weight management moving forward.

How to Practice Mindful Eating

Proper food nourishes the body with essential nutrients and induces a relaxed mind. Yogis refer to these foods as sattvic, as they instill the body and mind with positive, balanced energy. These foods include fresh, whole foods like fruits, nuts, seeds, and grains.

Once you establish the proper diet to induce balance in your life, mindful eating will become second nature. Fresh foods have many subtle flavors we often miss in our modern diets. However, once you get back to the source and eat from nature, you will start noticing these vibrant, enriching flavors.

These basic principles will help you become more mindful while you eat:

  • Eat in a calm, quiet environment. To practice mindfulness while eating, you need a relaxing atmosphere. Turn off the TV and other electronics and avoid talking while you eat. Instead, focus on how the food tastes and savor each bite. This mindfulness will help you slow down while eating and enhance the experience overall.
  • Listen to your body and stop eating when you’re full. When you eat whole foods, it’s easy to recognize your hunger and fullness cues. As these foods have more volume, you will remain fuller for more extended periods.
  • Practice gratitude. How often do we say thanks for the food we eat? Feeling grateful for the food on your plate is a critical tenet in the practice of mindful eating. Appreciating your food will help you become more conscious of your feelings and expand your awareness in every facet of life.

chewing

Final Thoughts on Study Showing How Slow Chewing Impacts Health

A Japanese study linked slow, thorough chewing with a decreased risk of developing obesity and metabolic syndrome. The scientists found that chewing slowly increases diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT), which means your body uses more energy during digestion. This not only increases your metabolism but boosts blood circulation and nutrient absorption.

Perhaps to end our obesity epidemic, we need only slow down and become more intuitive while we eat. Before modern life, cultures across the world considered eating a spiritual experience. It’s time we bring back the old ways and begin healing our planet, starting with each one of us.

How to Unpack Emotional Baggage in 5 Steps and 5 Reasons Why You Should

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If you’re a fan of traveling, you understand the importance of packing light. The goal is to take only what you need and leave the rest at home. Have you ever watched weary folks in airports struggling with a mountain of luggage?

Now, imagine that you’re a hoarder and are surrounded by boxes, bags, and things you’ll never use. One false move could cause an avalanche, and you could be buried alive by stuff in your own home. Your only hope is to declutter by keeping only what you love and need and tossing the rest.

The same principle of the overpacked traveler and overwhelmed hoarder can apply to your emotional life. When you’re bogged down with past hurts or are hoarding resentment and fear, you are stuck and can’t move forward. You feel stagnant, frustrated, and disappointed.

Have you ever had a love interest tell you that you have too many emotional liabilities? Do you find yourself living more in the past than the present? How can you lighten your dynamic load and regain your peace of mind?

Five Simple Steps to Unpack Emotional Baggage

An article published by Psychology Today says emotional burdens are a combination of problems you’ve collected because of inadequate coping skills. Remember the example of the hoarder? These are unresolved feelings that spill over into every aspect of your life.

The good news is that you needn’t remain stuck in a trap of your own making. You have the power to declutter your unresolved emotions. Here are five ways to unburden yourself emotionally and five reasons why it’s necessary to do.

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1. Listen To Your Inner Voice

When you silence the negative internal chatter in your mind, you can hear a gentle whisper. It’s your inner voice that’s been with you since you were born. Your intuitive voice is your direct line to the Universe and has your best interests at heart.

Trust this spiritual guidance as you sort through impressions and emotions hurting you. Recognize it as your authentic voice that can reveal the false negativity you’ve come to believe. It’ll help you decide the best ways to unpack emotional baggage.

2. Work Hard to Change Things

It’s not a simple task to let go of all the emotional clutter that you’ve collected over the years. You may have stored these feelings in the recesses of your soul so long that they’ve become part of you. However, accepting outside sources and your inner strength create the change you need.

Don’t be ashamed to admit that you’re overwhelmed and need mental health guidance. While you can’t change every past or present situation in your life, you can change how you feel about it. You can determine that these issues won’t weigh you down anymore and have the courage to make changes.

3. Meditate to Unpack Harmful Emotions

If you need another benefit of meditation, helping to unpack emotional burdens is one. According to an article published by Yoga Journal, meditation can help you recognize past wounds and open your heart for healing. Just fifteen to twenty minutes a day can make a difference in how you feel.

Designate a quiet place in your home as your sacred space. You can also light incense and listen to soft music as you focus on simply “being.” Relax your muscles and try to hear what your inner voice tells you.

4. Process The Events

Unless you have a neurological disorder or brain trauma, you can’t forget the past. As much as you’d like to, you can’t go back and change anything. It’s easy to become so entangled in the past hurts that you can’t enjoy the present.

These events will continue to burden you until you process them. You learn to use empathy to understand possible explanations. It doesn’t excuse the trauma, but it can help bring you closure so you can heal and move past it.

5. Show Yourself Some Compassion

Most of the world’s religious traditions follow a form of the ‘Golden Rule.’ The Higher Power encourages you to treat others the way you want to be treated. Conversely, how many friends would you have if you treated them the way you treat yourself?

You are just as worthy of compassion and forgiveness as the next person. However, you may be beating yourself up over past things that may not have even been your fault. Learn to be compassionate to yourself and use mistakes as a learning tool to unpack needless emotional weights.

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Five Reasons You Should Unpack Emotional Burdens

It’s hard to reach your goals when emotional burdens hamper you. Not only do they rob you of joy, but they keep you in a perpetual loop of past hurts. These are five reasons why you should shake loose these emotional shackles and be free.

1. It Can Cause You to Be Emotionally Distant

Have you ever broken off a romantic relationship with someone with too many emotional liabilities? Healthy and lasting relationships are based on a resilient emotional bond. It allows you to share your lives as a couple and enhances your intimacy.

According to an article published by the Wright Foundation, emotional “unfinished business” includes ingrained beliefs, attachments, transferences, and more. These perceptions don’t necessarily reflect reality. They can cause you to be emotionally distant and unattached to your love interest.

2. It Can Lead to Paranoia When You Don’t Unpack Your Baggage

If you’ve experienced toxic relationships in the past, it’s natural that you’d have residual negative energy. So, when a decent love interest comes your way, all these hurtful images might flash in your mind. You’ve built so many walls around your heart that they may be virtually impossible to topple.

Emotional leftovers can make you feel like everyone is out to hurt you. If you’ve had family, friends, or lovers betray you in the past, then you figure everyone eventually will do the same. Such paranoia can be isolating and cause severe anxiety and depression.

3. You’ll Compare Everyone or Everything with This Event or Person

Along with the paranoia that unresolved emotional issues, it brings the tendency to generalize negatively. You can relax and commit to a beautifully new relationship because you keep bringing up the past. Maybe you unfairly compare them to your ex-partners and judge them harshly.

You can’t enjoy a vacation or another fun event because you can’t get a disastrous one out of your mind. Each blessing you have is trumped by past hurt or disappointment. If you don’t deal with this unfinished business, you can forge a chain of bitterness that will destroy your happiness.

4. It Will Give You Commitment Issues

When you commit to a relationship, you’re placing your heart on the line. It’s the way to tell somebody that they are your one-and-only love. Unfortunately, some people don’t take commitments seriously and end up breaking another’s heart.

Maybe you’ve experienced a broken heart and have vowed never to commit to another person again. You may develop attachment insecurity that’s rooted in fear. These are three types of commitment issues, per an article published by PsychAlive:

  • Preoccupied: You experience chronic anxiety due to abandonment fears and low self-esteem. You’re too busy trying to deal with unresolved emotions to even think about a relationship.
  • Fearful Avoidant: You desperately want a relationship but avoid them because you’re afraid of being betrayed and hurt. Some people may mistakenly think that you’re aloof and unapproachable.
  • Dismissive Avoidant: You believe that nobody can care for you like you can help yourself and others aren’t dependable. Regardless of your commitment issues, they may keep your heart safe but leave you lonely and dissatisfied in the long run.

Of course, countless people are content with never finding love. Unless you’re sure you’re one of them, don’t let commitment issues stand in your way of a fulfilling relationship.

5. You’ll Be Fearful if You Fail to Unpack Emotional Baggage

The tragic thing about trauma is that it often stays fresh in the survivor’s mind. The fear generated from unhealed wounds can affect all aspects of your life, personally and socially. It can turn into post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and extreme phobias.

At first, you may avoid situations that may have similarities to your past trauma. For example, you might prevent ever driving again after you’ve survived a near-fatal car accident. Unresolved fear can spread throughout other aspects of your life until you are afraid to leave your home.

Of course, you don’t just “get over” a profound hurt or loss, and time doesn’t heal all wounds. However, faith, courage, and divine strength can help you cope with a new normal. Only then can you finally unpack the emotional burdens and stop living in fear and pain.

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Final Thoughts on How to Unpack Emotional Burdens of the Past

It takes work and determination to lift the emotional weights that suffocate your life. Some of the healing steps may be uncomfortable, and you may feel like giving up entirely. Be persistent and take back the peace and joy you deserve.

Bike Riding Cat Loves Nothing More Than Going for a Spin

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Have you ever seen a bike riding cat before? If you ever find yourself in London, you might spot one cruising the streets with her dad Travis. They make the perfect bike riding pair because they both love adventure and meeting new people.

Nowadays, we see the old stereotype of the reclusive cat shattered as we see more owners exploring with their feline pets. And, riding bikes is just one of many activities that cats seem to enjoy!

“Ever since I got Sigrid, right from when she was a kitten, I started to leash train her. And I would take her on little trips to the park or take her with me down to the store and that sort of thing,” Travis said.

“She got very familiar with walking on a leash and very comfortable being around people. And so, about a year ago, I popped her on my bike, and I got a bike basket. We started going on bike rides, and she just took to it right away.”

Sigrid is a beautiful 4-year-old Norwegian Forest cat with a white coat and blue eyes. As she was born deaf, the traffic and other noises in the city don’t bother her while bike riding. Travis says it’s one of their favorite things to do together! Sigrid naturally took to riding bikes because of her adventurous spirit and confident attitude.

“One of the things I really love about Sigrid is that she is completely and utterly fearless – there’s nothing she’s afraid of,” Travis says. “She would hiss and attack dogs when she comes across them, she has no fear whatsoever of traffic, and she has her own agenda and attitude.”

 

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A post shared by Travis and Sigrid (@skintension)

Bike Riding Cat Loves Nothing More Than Going for a Spin

If you love bike riding and want to take your cat with you, make sure you’re prepared to train them. Not all cats will respond the same way, but you never know until you try!

“A lot of people ask me how they can train their cat to walk on a leash or go on bike rides even. And, while you can train an older cat to do these things, it’s much easier if you start from the beginning,” Travis said. “So, if you do get a kitten, I would advise you immediately start leash training them, get them used to wearing a harness and going outside. And being around other people is really important to socialize your cats.”

Travis initially started taking Sigrid bike riding about a year ago. His job let him go during the height of Covid, and with little else to do, he spent his time cycling. It wasn’t easy to get a new job at that time, so he made the most of it.

“One day, I kind of thought, ‘Well, if I can take Sigrid on walks on a leash, why can’t she come with me on a bike ride?’” Travis said.

“So I got a basket that sits on the front of my bike and popped her in it. She just took to it right away; she absolutely loves it,” Travis said.

Another unexpected outcome from their bike riding is the attention they’ve garnered on social media. Travis enjoys seeing people’s reactions when he posts videos of them cruising the city together.

“And this last year, we’ve been going on bike rides two to three times a week, and I’ve been sharing videos of this. It’s been fabulous; it really makes people happy, spreads a lot of joy, it’s been very uplifting for me.”

Sigrid Attracts Quite a Crowd on Her Adventures

Travis says he truly enjoys riding around with Sigrid as often as possible. She’s always really engaged with her surroundings, looking at the traffic, people, and buildings they pass. He also loves seeing people’s faces when they spot him and Sigrid bike riding through the streets.

“So many people are excited and joyful seeing her. We just get this trail of people shouting, ‘Hey, there’s a cat!’ People always want to stop, take photos, pet her and have a chat. It’s really a great way to get outside, meet people, and spread some goodwill and cheer,” Travis said.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Travis and Sigrid (@skintension)

Travis calls Sigrid “one of the best travel cats in London” since she’s been to many places throughout the city. They’ve been on many bike riding adventures and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. However, they also spend time just hanging out when they’re tired from cycling.

“When we’re not together on a bike, we’re just at home. Sigrid is very, very affectionate; she’s usually either on my lap or sitting on me, or she’ll be sleeping somewhere nearby me. She’ll follow me room to room,” Travis says.

Sigrid gives cats everywhere a good name because she’s down for any quest! Whether it’s bike riding, exploring, or just cuddling with her dad, she’s a fabulous feline indeed. Some cats prefer being homebodies, and there’s nothing wrong with that. However, it’s essential for those who love adventure to have a pet to keep up with your lifestyle.

Travis and Sigrid seem to complement each other perfectly and bond over their shared love of bike riding. They’re together all the time, and aside from being adventure buddies, Sigrid’s been an enormous source of comfort for Travis. It’s amazing how pets can make you feel better from just being in their presence.

bike riding cat

Final Thoughts on the Cat Who Loves Bike Rides

It’s not every day you meet a cat who loves riding bikes with her dad, and that’s what makes Sigrid special. Plus, she leaves a trail of happiness everywhere she goes, making the world just a little bit brighter. Sigrid’s amassed quite a fan base, and people flock to her when they see her in public. The adorable feline and her dad enjoy making others smile, but they also love the bonding opportunity that bike riding offers.

We hope you enjoyed hearing their story! If you attempt to take your cat on a bike ride, let us know how it goes in the comments!

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