I figure that I cannot write about mental illness all the time. It gets overwhelming. Thus I decided to start a series of blogs on wonders of nature. I got inspired the other day, when I was taking pictures of frozen webs, threads of ice on dry blossoms and green leaves rimmed with ice. I took a walk in a forest near my home and was amazed again, how I always notice something interesting, no matter how often I go there. In addition to that I have noticed that I have fallen in a trap called ‘analysis paralysis’. Self-analysis is a useful way of evolving as a human being, but I also need a break....

Oh, no, my colleagues from high-school all have high paying jobs! Oh, no, all my girl-friends already have children! Oh, no, all my neighbors are happier than me! Does it sound familiar? Where do you feel the pain? I feel it in my heart. When I am stupid enough to compare myself to others of course. I broke the habit of constantly comparing myself to others, but it still happens occasionally. Whenever I read a book written by a wise person, it says we should only compare ‘ourselves today’ with ‘ourselves a while ago’. But our mind so easily gets distracted by comparisons with the more...

There are so many self help books on the market. How could mine stand out? I would like to point out maybe one thing. In the 3rd chapter I emphasize that the book will never help anyone just by reading it. It would be like reading the use guidelines for a prescribed medication, but never actually taking the pills. Balancing the Beast will hopefully get you moving, exercising mentally and mildly physically. No sweat no glory. A daily cleaned mind, no worry. Do you like advertisements like ‘lose weight without any diet or exercising’ or ‘yoga for the lazy’? If your answer is ‘Yes’, then my...

O.K. But there are some limits to this wisdom. Let me give you an example. A true story told to me by a young girl. She: »I do not know how to say No. I try to please everyone, especially my parents. Every two years or so I end up in a locked ward of a psychiatric clinic.« I: »We all have to learn how to say No in certain situations. Even to our parents, who took care of us. Respecting parents has a limit – the limit is the respect for ourselves.« She: »But every time I try to say No, they tell me that I am selfish.« This conversation went on and on and it seemed like she was trying to...

In my opinion the Age of Aquarius among other things means a shift in our thinking regarding our freedom. In the former millennium the humanity has fought for freedom. However, it was the famous philosopher and writer Jean-Paul Sartre already who anticipated today’s chaos and confusion, when he affirmed that “Freedom was a heavy burden.” In my opinion it is only a matter of a shift in our thinking. In the old days we were set limits from the outside. Today we have to set them ourselves, or else we become exhausted from the immense inflow of information, possibilities and externally inserted...