5 Month Update =Mikeman= 5828 G's - Dr. Hasson

[Mikeman]

Hey guys,

 

In keeping with the monthly updates, here are the month 5 progress pics...

 

I created some new comparison pics so you can easily check on the progress and as well took some new outdoor pics for some perspective.

 

I still feel some stubble in the crown near the front, some in the middle, and a bit in the temples...looking forward to continued progress!

 

-Mike

Edited December 29, 2010 by Mikeman

[Bill - Seemiller]

Mikeman,

 

Thanks for the update bro. I am not sure if I remember seeing you on this forum or not, but I know your name is familiar...maybe I've seen you on another forum.

 

Your results are starting to look really nice. At 5 months, you are still very early so you have a lot more in store for you.

 

Welcome to our community (if I haven't said to you officially already). Please keep us posted on your progress.

 

Bill

[Mikeman]

Hey Bill,

 

I think it's from both here and Hairloss Help...I saw you post over there recently...

 

Thanks, for the feedback....I've been going out as of late without a hat or any concealers(I used to use them daily and excessively)...

 

-Mike

[Bill - Seemiller]

Mike,

 

Good to hear from you my friend.

 

I actually have been going out without a hat a good amount now which is the first time in a LONG time. Though my hair is still thin looking in certain lights, I have come a long way...and feel much more confident. Heck, I was even getting checked out today by a pretty girl who looked like she was in her younger 20s and I wasn't wearing a hat. Though I'm married and not looking to pick up girls...it's a nice feeling to know I'm desirable again. Plus the fact that I FEEL more confident is clearly a plus

 

I'm sure you can relate

 

Bill

[MrJobi]

Hi all

 

I have seen a considerable improvement in women checking me out and it's not psychological either.. The fact is , hair makes us look younger and more appealing..

[Mikeman]

I feel compelled to add a few things here with regards to women which may not apply to you guys, but since it's been brought up...

 

Sure, being more physically attractive will get you a few more looks(choosing signals)...sure, it feels good..However you must be careful with how you let this external validation affect you internally. Your value, physical or otherwise, should be set internally and not be subject to the whims of random women's fleeting glances. You need to have a strong, unshakable BELIEF of the attractive man that you are..

 

I often find that with women who may not have been choosing me with their eyes before get to talking to me, their eyes tend to widen the more I converse with them. I live my life with passion, I have discovered what my purpose in life is and they can feel this energy...Furthermore, when dealing with women, I know my role as a MAN, and that is to be their pillar of strength, to lead and direct women and that comes through in my physiology and my tonality.

 

Another thing which is important to do is NOT to pedestal women by rating them as 8's, 9's, 10's etc...because when you give a women a high number in your head, you are subconsciously putting her up on a pedestal..If they sense you checking them out when they haven't even displayed any value to you other than their looks, they will sense that and immediately set their value above yours. Beauty is common...you need to approach all women like YOU are the prize, with an attitude of "Ok, you're attractive, but are you the kind of woman who can bring some value into my life? You need to always be evaluating women, qualifying them...have that mentality when you look and talk to them, it will come through subconsciously and they will perceive that you are a man with standards and high value and be attracted.

 

Develop yourself, become a quality man. It's not often that women come across REAL MEN...a lot of guys these days through the femenist movement have lost touch with their masculinity and let their GFs/wives take the driving seat in their relationships....women want MEN who will take charge, lead them, not put up with their bratty/bad behavior and call them on it, men who are on a mission in life. Get your life in order and attracting girls will just become the side benefit of your life success..

[Hairfree]

Mikeman,

 

I totally agree with your post on women. You added a new perspective on the laws of attraction. It is very interesting how important it is to be confident on YOURSELF as a person. Even though I never had great hair in my 20's I felt that I was able to attract women through my passion and desire to live life to the fullest. I agree with you Mikeman that if you live your life trying to see if you are enough for a particular woman then you're setting yourself up for failure. Its always about what CAN they bring to the table for you

 

Congratulations on your new growth! You are off to a great start. I am excited for you.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Mikeman,

 

Great Post! I agree wholeheartedly. I know you probably brought all this up because of my post about it feeling good to feel attractive again. But though hair does help add confidence to our lives, I agree wholeheartedly with what you are saying.

 

You might be interested to view a thread I posted awhile ago:

 

http://hair-restoration-info.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/146...331043572#2331043572

 

Let me know what you think.

 

Bill

[Mikeman]

Hairfree,

 

Hey man, thanks for the positive words...and yes, it pays to be selfish like that, just as long as you do it with consideration and compassion :>

 

Bill,

 

You're right about how most guys have a lack of standards and don't sufficiently qualify...."tits+a$$+hot = good to go" for a lot of guys. It's guys like this who are responsible for blowing up all these attractive women's egos to the stratosphere...

 

And yes, if you are sexy and seductive when it comes to women, you can get women HOOKED. Take Vin Diesel for example...he's no pretty boy but women swoon over him. Why? Because he is an extremely masculine man, walks like a man, talks like a man, acts like a man...and THAT is sexy.

 

With regards to pursuing hair transplantation due to insecurities, I do not adopt that belief because it is not an empowering one. You see beliefs are nothing but a feeling of certainty about what something means. Have you ever had some 'beliefs' when you were younger which you were absolutely POSITIVE was reality, but when you look back you think "GEEZ, what was I thinking??"...You see, you can choose how you program your mind, and it is better to program it with empowering beliefs. If a bodybuilder is pursuing a passion he has of developing his physique, is he insecure about his physique? Or how about a fashion designer who is very much interested in what materials go well together, what colors don't work well, etc...? Or how about a 1st degree black belt? Did that individual pursue this goal because he was insecure? I highly doubt it...These people likely had a passion for self improvement, it brought them pleasure to pursue these hobbies. Likewise I see hair transplantation as another means to improve on myself. Someone may say "That's nonsense!" and you know what? That is ok. If that is what they want to believe, then that will be very real to them and be THEIR chosen reality, but likewise, this is my reality which is very real to ME.

 

As for us being here to support each other, yes I agree...and to break it down further, it all comes down to energy and energy exchange. If someone for instance is feeling unsure about a surgery and is looking for re-assuring energy, another gives that energy of reassurance to that person from their past experience, and in exchange gets back energy of thanks/appreciation.

 

"I am bald, therefore people (mostly women we think here) will not love me" - With regards to thought processes like this, these are limiting beliefs...and like I said earlier, to the individual with this belief this is REALITY. This person truly believes that this is a FACT and they will throw out all evidence to the contrary to this belief and only store evidence which further supports it, thus perpetuating it. The greatest obstacle one needs to overcome in life is their very own mind.

 

I could go on for hours on this, I am very much into introspection and evolving one's consciousness and self-awareness. It is truly enlightening when you adopt new beliefs and your whole perspective on what reality is changes...much like in the Matrix when Neo took the red pill and saw the Matrix for what it was...

 

"You are not what you think...but what you THINK, you ARE."

 

-Mike

[Bill - Seemiller]

Mike,

 

Great discussion. I see you a reflective person as I am.

 

I agree with everything you are saying.

 

Beliefs are amazing things...they are our perception of reality, whether true or false they may be, it is what we believe that dictates how we feel and ultimately how we behave. Many beliefs, such as the insecure ones that we sometimes hold in our hearts are what I like to refer to as the "false self". Many times through our experiences we learn to believe lies. I would not go as far as you to say they are always conscious choices...however, choice certainly plays a role..the difference is, most people don't realize they HAVE a choice.

 

I think in a lot of ways, many of these false beliefs that can be developed come from the subconscious. BUT...surely there are conscious thoughts that assist with these processes. I remember when I was younger saying things like "I'll never allow myself to be hurt like that again". In order to do that, I made a semi-conscious and semi-subconscious choice to build a wall around my heart. Whereas I may not have felt as much pain as I did on that particular occasion, I certainly shut out the good along with the bad and didn't experience true joy either. It was only until I began to see the false self for what it really was, and consciously began to take down the wall I built that helped me experience the fullness of life. Never did I purposely choose to shut people out...but it was a side effect of my dedication to protect myself from pain (which most people dedicate their lives doing).

 

The danger with false beliefs is also more than the belief itself...but our emotions and choices are dictated by them. Since a belief is a reality for a person...even if it's a false belief, that person will begin to respond based on it. A insecure man may not ask out a girl he likes because he believes that she will reject him. In his very mind, she has already rejected him because he believes he has nothing to offer her.

 

Since nobody is perfect, I believe that these false realities and believes live within us all. Some might be better in fighting them than others and even overcoming them. We CAN certainly learn how to adopt new beliefs, change our perspectives, and takerisks we never thought we'd take, etc, but this comes as a result of hard work and introspection...and in order to do this, one has to be willing to travel the difficult road and face their own demons.

 

The real question is...how does one adopt new beliefs and change old false ones? From a counseling perspective (since I ALMOST have my masters degree), there is no step by step instructions on how to do this. Instead, it is a process....and often times we need the assistance of others, loved ones, or even in extreme cases professionals in our lives to help us shape our hearts and our minds so we can live better, stronger, and with freedom to love and receive love, rather than to be enslaved by our insecurities.

 

But you are right...we can program our mind...but since you used the matrix as an example...so will I. I believe it was Morpheus who said "Many of them are not yet ready to be unplugged". In other words, most people are unaware that some beliefs they hold in their heart are false and they refuse to take a look at themselves introspectively for fear of what they might really see. Since people constantly live in such a way to attempt to escape and protect themselves from pain...most people aren't ready to take a look at themselves and what they REALLY believe. It's too scary for most people to admit that they feel inadequate and weak, for example.

 

For the only way to change the false self is to challenge it, and that means we have to face the realities of the sadness and pain that we face, in order to begin to heal and then have the strength to change. I think people, for the most part, get a glimpse of their own depravity from time to time. Many even get to the the point where they realize something is wrong and want things to change, even though they don't know WHAT they want to change. Typically they see the problems in their outward lives and want that to change, when even though perhaps their environment may not be ideal, it is the heart that is more the problem than anything else. But most people tend to drown these brief revelations with some kind of addiction behavior in order to make themselves feel better rather than continue down the difficult path to redemption.

 

So yes...whereas these false beliefs are limiting...certainly, for those that have them, don't know how to change them because their beliefs become them. But there is hope...I've been through change, and constantly challenge and wrestle with my thoughts and feelings on a daily basis. Change in perspective IS possible for those who want it so bad they are determined to do anything to get it.

 

I too could go on for hours...but I won't Excellent discussion my friend. I'll be happy to continue discussing any of this if you like.

 

Bill

[Mikeman]

Bill,

 

As far as change is concerned, every decision we ever make in our life comes down to two things, pain(as you touched on) and pleasure. We make decisions to either avoid pain or to gain pleasure. If we are ever reluctant to make a change, it is because we associate more PAIN to making that change and more pleasure or comfort to just staying as is. Additionally, we are much more motivated to avoid pain, then to pursue pleasure.

 

Ex: Making money...Many people WANT to be millionaires but feel in THEIR minds that it is more PAIN then pleasure to go through what they need to in order to achieve that level of success. When you want to make a change in your life, you basically need to reprogram your brain so that you associate more PAIN to staying as you are, and MASSIVE pleasure to making the change you want to make.

 

I know of several powerful techniques which involve getting you into various emotional states in which to accomplish this, but this post will be too long if I go into it :>

 

One other thing I'll touch on is the concept of EGO...

 

I believe it is our default state to be confident and content...and the ego is a cover for the wound of real self-esteem. If you think back to when you were a kid you just did whatever you wanted and was completely self-assured because you didn't know better. But life is tough...and after going through some hardships which broke this frame down throughout adolescence, a logical construct is created to explain why you SHOULD feel confident. This is the EGO..it is basically a story you tell yourself as to why you should be confident.

 

In the case of an attractive woman, it would tell her things like "Because I have had guys hitting on me every day 365 days a year since I was 13, buying me flowers, candies, toys and in general treating me like a princess I am pretty!". This is not the pure self-esteem that you have as a kid however where you fully accept who you are regardless of what anyone else thinks. For example, if she is going about her business and she runs into a guy who isn't fawning over her like she is a princess, and the guy actually playfully insults her and is unphased by her beauty, it messes with her reality and she will seek his approval for her own ego gratification. Because she gets her sense of validation externally, when someone goes against her beliefs her confidence takes a hit since it is gathered externally..

 

Well, I'll leave it at that as I need to get to bed, work tomorrow :>

 

-Mike

[nobuzz4me]

Mikeman,

 

Your results are looking great and your comparison photos are very well done indeed. You have a lot of growing to do yet, you must be feeling pretty good about the future eh??

 

Your outlook on life is great, more hair will make it even better!!!

[Guest]

Mikeman, It looks great & it's going to get much better!

Enjoy it!

[Mikeman]

NoBuzz4Me, Folica,

 

Thanks for the positive feedback...I'm interested to see how much new growth there will be...

 

I'm glad you appreciate the comparison photos, hope others find it useful as well. It takes effort to get those similar shots, but it's worth it to see an accurate detailed progression.

 

-Mike

[Bill - Seemiller]

Mikeman,

 

I agree with everything you said. It seems you and I think alike. There is a lot of truth in these things.

 

The only thing I'll add to the discussion of being driven by the two forces: pain and pleasure, is sometimes, both are good and sometimes both are bad. Many people actually use pleasure as a way to escape pain....which is how many addictions start. Surely one can find pleasure in sexual, drug, food, alcoholic, or even work addictions, but this doesn't make them good. Typically this over indulgence in life's pleasures tend to be as a result of people trying to escape painful realities. However...please don't misunderstand me. We are designed for pleasure...pleasure in itself is a GOOD thing (that is, in it's purest sense). I would never call drugs a good thing, because it is not really the pursuit of pleasure that drives them as much as the escape from pain. The thing to remember is pleasure in a pure sense will never lead to feelings of guilt and shame over-indulgences or indulging in bad things will do. Oddly enough seeking these types of pleasures to escape pain becomes a vicious cycle because they never really satisfy. But the only reason people are driven to such addictions is because of the false self that has been developed by our experiences.

 

So I agree with you completely when you say, the false self is learned. At the same time...I don't necessarily believe we are by default completely confident and content. I believe these behaviors are also learned. I believe that when we are young, we ask questions - subconcsious questions, and we look for the answers in our immediate surroundings, starting with our mother and father when we are babies. Our beliefs are then developed based on our interpretation of the answers to these subconscious questions. Even a newborn baby looks for his mother or father's first interaction with them in order to learn something about themselves and their world. A baby boy responds with a smile to a mother looking at her son for the first time with a wide eyed smile making baby noises.

 

BUT...I do not believe we are born with an blank slate shaped solely by our environment. I do believe there are certain innate characteristics about ourselves that are genetic. But we combine who we are initially with what we experience to learn things. What we believe does not come from the environment, but how we interpret the environment...and truly, we do have the strength (with help I believe) to have confidence even when our surroundings tell us not to...but it's a constant battle, especially since nobody is perfect. We wrestle with self-doubt all our lives, even if we are generally very confident.

 

Anyway...I'll stop here for now.

 

Regarding your hair again...things are really looking great. The comparison pictures are TRULY helpful to get a full picture of the progress you are making. Keep us posted bro, and I'll be happy to continue philosophizing with you when we have a chance

 

Bill

[Mikeman]

It's all about the search for life truths...

 

and hey, we all have our beliefs.. some agree with each other, some don't, and that's ok!

 

If you haven't already, it's a MUST to have a listen to Personal Power II by Tony Robbins. If that was the only motivational/life insight material you ever listened to, with that alone you'd be able to live a passionate, productive, meaningful life(as long as you internalize and apply it of course!).

 

-Mike