Omega

Again, on the topic of structure. I will try to frame my question differently in hope of more responses. Lately, I came up with the concept of ‘the moral compass’ as a way to create more direction in my life. The moral compass I define as a set of principles (subject to change) that guides behavior and creates a context from which to make choices. Since this compass guides and directs us in our lives, the compass must itself encompass some notion of ‘where’ to direct us. Therefore, the moral compass is highly linked to life purpose. Feel free to elaborate. Principles would certainly seem almost necessary in order to engage with life in any effective manner. The compass could be a stepping stone in the LP-creation process or an aid in goal-setting. However, Leo argues in 'A Rant Against Morality' that at the level of transcendent morality, principles fall away. The person of integrity will act naturally and spontaneously. Freedom is to not be bounded by rules. I don't want to commit to a practice that is redundant. The counterargument to deliberately construct a set of consciously chosen principles would be that this restrains our range of expression. Should we create such a compass for ourselves? (And if yes, how do we create an evaluation criteria suitable to choose these principles?) (This discussion could also take the more general side turn: Is it a one-path restriction to create goals?)

@Mal I agree with most of your points. I think that the idea of the ego as a tool for problem solving is interesting. It seems to imply that if I am not merely the ego then 'my values' are not to be found within the experience of the ego. One thing confuses me: What I read is almost 'don't seek to define your values deliberately' as in 'the principled life arises naturally'. Should we not contemplate in order to find our values in the first place? And I didn't understand what becomes ineffective in this part

"The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it." -Henry David Thoreau "If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading." -Lao Tzu

@DizIzMikey This is because the product section of Actualized.org is poorly designed. (Why was the blueprint tab also removed? And the login bug isn't completely fixed.) You can find the booklist at http://actualized.org/myproducts/01 or 'Log In', 'My Account' and 'Access Now' from 'My Products'

How rigidly do you follow set structures? Let me clarify; Have you deliberately created a daily routine of habits? How comprehensive are your schedules? Do you excessively plan how you want certain projects to turn out? I ask as a person who tends to be extremely intense in whatever endeavor I commit to, and this sort of backfired. Since then I haven't had much discipline or motivation. There seems to be a need for a balanced, relaxed focus. Thoughts? "A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving." -Lao Tzu

@Corte Does that actually work to get things done? How do you direct effort without goals? In this interview, Leo Babauta and Tim Ferriss discuss goals. Leo seems to argue that to have goals at all restricts our freedom and mindfulness in the present moment. On the other hand, Tim argues that we should be 'in a state of wandering', and once we wander upon something interesting, we have the freedom to create and be very focused on goals.

I recently began to take notes on the material that I study! (Learning has generally come effortlessly to me; There was no need for any system to remember facts.) As for note-taking, I recommend that you check out Scrivener and the Cornell Method. I argue that note-taking is useful for the following reasons Aids in visualization or comprehension/understanding Creating meaningful categories, establishing patterns, locating core concepts, realizing similarities between subjects Externalizing thoughts or reflections enhances mental clarity My current structure is one folder per teaching (Leo/Teal/Paul Chek/Tyler Durden) and subfolders per subject, plus 'Notes' in which I jot down my personal thoughts and attempt to integrate different principles from different teachings under different subjects. (This feels somewhat messy though.)