March 2023

What a month, friends. During March 2023, I survived the second anniversary of my brother’s death and the celebration of another Pi birthday (3.14). My focus was on personal growth through allowing myself to exhale, trusting the process of healing and acceptance.

I wrote this piece for my social media accounts. It represents what healing is to me, and also what it is not.

We don’t heal by running. We don’t heal until we put our feet to the fire and face ourselves fully. We don’t heal without self-accountability. We don’t heal by projecting our wounds onto others.

Healing is an inside job. It’s rough and rugged. It takes honesty and boundaries. It requires acceptance and crawling the pathways up the mountains of our pain.

Until we take this journey, we often stay mired in bitterness and anger. This is toxic and affects the one who carries it, a weighted backpack that strains the neck. It is like a volcano simmering and scorching our insides.

Until we learn to fly, so we can see ourselves from all angles, we will continue crawling across the rocky section of life, lost and confused about where and who we are.

Healing is messy. It requires intense work and honesty. It is exhausting and takes training. In the end, we get to look back at where we started and howl in delight at our success that we didn’t let the pain make us self-destruct.

This quote hits deep for me, ya’ll.

Speaking of Deep Emotions, Let Me Introduce…

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I Have Become Fascinated with ChatGPT

I was hesitant when ChatGPT came on the scene. ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence system with the ability to instantly respond to complex questions. It can write poetry, generate code, plan vacations and translate languages, among other tasks, all within seconds.

I also discovered that ChatGPT can write in the style of someone’s voice; if that person is a known influencer. For example, you can ask it to write you a poem about sunrise in the style of Dr. Seuss, and it looks something like this:

My direct command to ChatGPT: Write a poem about a sunrise in the style of Dr. Seuss

The result:

In the land of the early morn,
Where the sun rises and is born,
There's a sight that's oh so bright,
And it fills the world with light!

The sky is painted pink and gold,
As the sun starts to unfold,
And as it climbs up in the sky,
All the world begins to sigh.

For the dawn is such a treat,
It's a sight that can't be beat,
And the world just comes alive,
As the sun begins to thrive.

The birds start to sing and chirp,
As they take to the air and twirl and twerp,
And the flowers start to bloom,
In the warmth of the sun's great room.

So if you ever have the chance,
To see the sunrise's grand romance,
Just stop and take a look,
And let your heart be took,

For the sunrise is a wonder,
A sight that will make you ponder,
And it fills the world with cheer,
As the day begins anew, my dear.

This is where part of my concern resides. I’m working it out in my mind if this is a good thing in regard to original writing. I personally feel credit should be given to any ChatGPT writing that is done in the style of someone else’s voice. It will be my own guideline, for sure. Are we in a time where we will need to give AI credit whenever we use it for writing?

As AI writing continues to unfold, I continue to explore it’s possibilities. I also want to be a positive contributor to ChatGPT, knowing that anytime I paste text into that little window, it is now owned by AI. So, I enter information into the AI system wisely.

I enjoy the work of a particular author, Kapil Gupta, MD. He holds occasional TwitterSpaces where he answers select questions. My favorite book by Dr. Gupta is entitled “A Master’s Secret Whispers.”

Introducing GuptaGPT

I’m being coy. GuptaGPT doesn’t actually exist, as I created the name. I wanted to see what ChatGPT would produce as a response to my asking the AI to answer questions in the style of Kapil Gupta, MD.

My direct command to ChatGPT: Answer this question in the style of Kapil Gupta, MD, author of “A Master’s Secret Whispers.” The results to my differing questions gave me pause.

Question: Is it possible for a human to rid themselves of all bias?

Answer: Bias Reduction Through Self Awareness – A Private Discourse

Greetings, my friend. Thank you for your question. In regards to whether it is possible for a human to rid themselves of all bias, the answer is both yes and no.

On one hand, as humans, we are inherently biased beings. Our thoughts, emotions, and actions are all influenced by our past experiences, cultural conditioning, and societal norms. Therefore, it is impossible to completely eliminate bias from our psyche.

On the other hand, as conscious beings, we have the ability to observe our biases, challenge them, and consciously choose a different perspective. By practicing self-awareness, deep introspection, and mindful observation of our thoughts and emotions, we can gradually reduce the impact of our biases on our lives.

However, this is not a one-time fix, but rather a continuous journey towards personal growth and enlightenment. It requires a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths, a commitment to ongoing self-improvement, and a deep sense of humility.

So, in summary, while it is not possible to completely rid ourselves of all bias, we can strive towards greater awareness and consciousness of our biases, and work to minimize their influence on our thoughts and actions.

Question: Is there such thing as free will?

Answer: Free Will: An Illusion – A Private Discourse

Indeed, the inquiry of whether free will exists is a fascinating one. Yet, before we attempt to answer this question, we must first understand what we mean by “free will.”

Free will can be defined as the ability of an individual to choose their actions and make decisions without any external constraints or pre-determined outcomes. However, this definition begs the question – do we truly possess this ability to choose without any underlying factors influencing our decisions?

As I’ve discussed in my book, A Master’s Secret Whispers, our thoughts and actions are often driven by unconscious patterns and biases that are rooted in our past experiences and conditioning. These patterns can manifest in ways that limit our ability to make truly independent choices.

Furthermore, the notion of free will also assumes that we have control over the circumstances and events that impact our lives. Yet, we cannot control the family we were born into, the environment we grew up in, or the genetic makeup we inherited. These factors shape our perceptions and choices in ways that are beyond our control.

Therefore, I propose that while the concept of free will may offer a sense of agency and control, it is ultimately an illusion. We may believe that we are making independent decisions, but in reality, our choices are deeply influenced by our past and present circumstances.

In conclusion, the idea of free will is a complex and multi-faceted one. While it may offer a sense of empowerment and control, the reality is that our choices are often shaped by unconscious patterns and external factors beyond our control. As such, the notion of free will must be reexamined and explored further to gain a deeper understanding of our true nature and potential.

Question: What is the secret to losing weight?

Answer: Losing Weight: A Mindset – A Private Discourse

If you are asking me, what is the secret to losing weight, I will tell you this: there is no secret. The truth is that losing weight is a straightforward process. It’s not easy, but it’s simple. You see, the human body is an incredibly complex organism, but it is also incredibly simple at the same time. The secret to losing weight is to eat less and move more.

However, this simple advice is not enough. To truly lose weight, you need to understand why you want to lose weight. You need to have a clear understanding of your motivation and the mindset necessary to achieve your goal. You need to be willing to make sacrifices and take the necessary actions to achieve your desired outcome.

Furthermore, you must recognize that losing weight is not just about changing your physical habits, but it’s also about changing your mindset. You must shift your beliefs, thoughts, and emotions around food, exercise, and your body. This requires deep introspection and self-reflection. It requires you to get in touch with your innermost self and find the root cause of your unhealthy habits.

In summary, the secret to losing weight is simple: eat less and move more. But to truly achieve your desired outcome, you must understand your motivation, shift your mindset, and be willing to make sacrifices and take necessary actions.

Question: What is it?

Answer: Inward search reveals truth – A Private Discourse

What is it, my friend? The answer lies not in the question, but in the seeker. You see, we spend our lives searching for answers outside of ourselves, when the true knowledge and wisdom already resides within us. The secret whispers of the Master are not found in books or lectures, but in the stillness of our own being. It is only by quieting the mind and turning inward that we can access the profound truth that lies at the core of our existence. So ask not what it is, but rather who you are, and the answer will be revealed to you in due time.

Conclusion

I don’t know if these are the answers that Dr. Gupta would give to these questions. Reading his work, I found the AI answers to be insightful and really in the style of his voice in his writing. Maybe AI will push us writers to put more content out there, establishing our own unique voice. Maybe one day Dr. Gupta will run across this page and leave me a comment here to verify if AI was accurate in his answers.

AI and Art

I have also been playing with the use of AI creating art. For starters, I utilized my own art and photos, like this piece, made using a photo of myself. I began to enjoy the process of letting the AI remix some of my pieces and create an interesting abstract version. One thing AI fails at, but slowly learning; the correct size and placement of hands. It will often add extra fingers or subtract them. Hands will be too small. Eyes will sometimes be askew.

Then, I decided to play with written prompts. Just like ChatGPT, apps like Dream, will accept a user’s written prompt and create art using the artist’s instruction.

I asked AI to show me the aftermath of child abuse, and what it gave me deeply broke my heart. While hands and fingers are still askew, I was shocked at AI’s ability to capture the bruises, dead eyes, emotions and harrowing situations.

The following pieces are a result of me directing AI to: “create pictures of what children look like after they’ve been abused“

I felt a connection with AI for a moment. Should this be an alarm or a way that AI is sentient? I wondered where AI pulled the images from to create this art. I was reminded of Jill Greenburg‘s exploration through photography entitled Crying Children. While she received an excessive amount of criticism, I wondered if it was really triggers from people who weren’t ready to face the reality of what pain looks like in children. Jill’s book, “End Times,” is a collection of these photographs.

Conclusion

We are in an interesting time. I don’t foresee myself ever leaving behind the physical process of creating art. I need to use my hands and allow my brain to create visuals. It’s a part of my mental health balance. AI cannot create authentic paintings or collage pieces created from the hearts and minds of humans. To what extent we as a species will accept AI is yet to be seen.

Religious Trauma Talk

I joined Rachel Thompson in her weekly TwitterSpaces SexAbuseChat to discuss religious trauma. We talked about how children see the world when they are trapped inside unsafe, indoctrination environments, the ways in which they see the world and how they might deal with it. I believe you will find this conversation insightful.

In regard to religious trauma, I found the following graphic to be quite accurate. I do not know who made it for credit, and will certainly add it should anyone know.

Some Early News

I finalized the cover for a new book that’s coming. It is BEAUTIFUL!

I know many of you have been awaiting the sequel to “Cult Child,” entitled “Rise of Sila.” Be assured, I am working hard to process the emotions deeply held to chronicle this period of my life.

My creativity turned to a different book a couple of years ago. I am rounding the finish line on it. This book will be like an orchestra has taken over your emotional state to play you a whole symphony. I’m excited to release this new work.

A few final notes…

I can’t express how much I appreciate your connection here. Of anyone you could be following and reading, you are here with me. That’s a big deal. I do hope that you will leave a comment below. Tell me how you found this newsletter. Share your thoughts on GuptaGPT. Tell me something you need to get off your chest. Share your wins. And remember, above everything,

You Matter.

One thing before you go…

Please come write poetry with us! Join in the fun our group has in the art of word crafts and rhymes. Our group is uplifting, engaging, encouraging, and promotes self-discovery and healing through writing. No pressure, but do it!

And don’t forget to check out this Poetry Lights page for a free book download that will display beautifully in your Kindle app or .pdf reader app.

Are you a fan of Nikola Tesla and the ideal of manifesting? If so, you will enjoy this free book, “Manifesting 369″.

~

I am sending you love and posi-vibes! Please forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be interested. Also, a friendly reminder to click “Join the Conversation” below. Everyone is welcome to participate. I moderate comments to prevent spam, and I am meticulous about approving them. I eagerly await our discussions, dear ones.

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Read February 2023 News From the Desk

Newsletter Editor: Lisa Lamarr