Rayko

What is a behavior/habit you wish to change? what is your go to excuse for why you don't do it? What step are you taking to overcome it? I personally spent way too much time playing video games as a means of sticking my head in the sand. Sad part is I didn't even realize how much this was holding back my personal growth, but you tend to get more of what you focus on. I have recently relapsed a bit after being injured, off work and on pain meds. I am currently weening myself back off again using meditation and written daily goals on a whiteboard near my desk.

I saw this video last night and I can't get my head to fully process the implications of the two parts of the brain acting without awareness of the other. Does this mean the nothingness we think we are is simply the other side of the brain? If so, does that completely undermine everything we have been learning with Leo as far as the nature of true self? And if that's true does it really matter as long as this stuff works anyways? I feel like my brain is a spoiled kid that packed up his toys and left; refusing to play anymore.

I would like to gently urge all of you to remember to leave your ego, as much as possible, out of your forum posts. We are striving to improve ourselves and help other do the same, we are not vying for Leo's or anyone else's attention. I apologize for stating the obvious but I have seen this happen before and I want this community to be a positive force for change. Thank you.

"Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by unconsciousness."

I have been mediating for years but not consistently until now and I understand all too well how the monkey mind tries to talk you out of your routine. I have realized the following: 1)The less I feel like meditating the more I need to. 2)I have never finished meditating and thought "That was a waste of time.". On the contrary, I always feel exponentially better: refreshed, positive and energetic. I am not claiming these are original, but they are what do the trick for me when my lying monkey mind tries to tell to skip my meditation.

What music do you listen to inspire you? How do you incorporate music into your self-actualization process? Any recommendations to share?

You'll never completely cut out thoughts, but you can widen the places between those thoughts and just be.

Absolutely this is normal! You are learning things that challenge your basic understanding of reality. If that doesn't shake you up then you don't understand what is being said. Anytime you try and drastically shift your paradigm you will have a mental reaction as well as a physical one. When this happens I would like to suggest stopping and taking sometime with what it is you are learning and ask yourself "why is this bothering me so much?", doing some meditation and breathing exercises can help with this anxiety.

I watched them based on title, in no particular order, but as a "perfectionist" this made me come face to face with the neurotic behaviors that I have to have everything in perfect order before I feel ready to accomplish my goals. The truth is that events rarely unfold in a neat and pristine order and this behavior is crippling to personal progress. If this sounds at all familiar I would suggest you watch first:

I think a morning ritual is something I could use. Thanks for bringing this up, Rares!

I was just meditating and after not even five minutes had an incredible realization. I was contemplating the fact that staying motivated is like thirst and it must be refreshed every so often. That lead me to ponder about the process to get inspired and how I often watch/read powerfully motivating things and that builds up feelings like a volcano till I am about to burst. I realized I have no idea what to do with this mind energy, I have currently no true purpose, only vague ideas of wanting "to be better". It became clear how dangerous this behavior is: Getting very excited about what my potential could be, having no true goal to focus on and then falling into despair because I had these powerfully motivating moments and failed to apply them to anything constructive. Repeat this behavior over any amount of time and this becomes almost fatal to self improvement. At this realization, I then experienced a feeling of peace and joy like I have never felt before, the joy of understanding the truth of how completely ass backwards I have been doing things... and I started to laugh, and I mean laugh hard. I was laughing so hard my sides hurt, and then I realized I was crying too and that made laugh even more. It was the most alive I have ever felt, the most honest. So I think my next step is to set aside some money the next few weeks and get Leo's Life purpose course. I think it's time I knew what I really want from this existence.

Just watching "Eckhart Tolle - Enjoying Every Moment" for the first time and he "told" an enlightenment joke and then said "In Zen Buddhism they have "Satori". Satori is a sudden flash or realization, not always lasting but it's there. Sometimes accompanied by shouting or laughter." It's amazing how things can fall into place when you slow down and become fully present in this moment.

Pick one and work on that. Set reasonable goals and track your results. Then when you feel you have that at the level you desire move onto something else.

I had an experience with limits of mental reality this morning. I awoke rather sleepy, looked and did not see my wife in our bedroom, nor in the living room or kitchen. I called out her name and did not get a response so I figured she had left early on an errand and crawled back in bed. Turns out she was literally right next to me on the ground in the bedroom meditating in plain view. When she told me later in the morning smiled and nodded my head at the truth of the moment.

My humble suggestion would be to start by not using such a strong word as "hate". I am sure you know the words we use influence our emotions. It may sound silly at first but it makes a huge difference in the long run.

Let Project Profoundness begin!

It makes me (but who is the me?) very happy to read about all of you and your backgrounds and seeing us come together in pursuit of self-actualization. The fact that we can can acknowledge to others our previous difficulties but not fall into a victim mindset is incredibly powerful and useful.

A good list of things to work on. I would have liked to had the habit of making lists earlier in my life because they are proving invaluable in my process.

Agreed. You will know if you are spending enough time on your foci. There was never a more appropriate setting for saying "It's about the journey not the destination".

Name: William ShepherdAge: 41Gender: MaleLocation: Anchorage, AlaskaTimezone: UTC/GMT -9 hours (AKST)Occupation: Data Entry Contractor Marital Status: MarriedKids: One, he just turned 20!Hobbies: Positivity, self-improvement, meditation, travel, computers I started dealing with crippling panic attacks in 2008 after a life time of avoiding my problems, and my true potential, as much as possible. I finally got the message in 2011 that I needed to make drastic changes in my life. I started by quiting smoking and reducing my caffeine intake. Those successes gave me hope and helped stabilize me to the point I felt confidant enough to ask my now wife out on a date back in 2012. My wife was, at the time, in training to be a Unity Minister. I started associating with a much more positive group of people, largely thanks to her, and I reaped the benefits of these loving and supportive friendships. In 2014 I began studying positivity, taking online courses from the preeminent positivity psychologist Barbara Fredrickson from the Unity of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. In the fall of 2015 my wife became the Senior minister at Unity of Anchorage and we moved by rental truck from Kansas City, MO to Anchorage , AK. I must confess I had Leo's videos in my bookmarks for a long time before I finally watched them, but I watched them at a time that was perfect for me to hear what was being said. I look forward to engaging in discussions with all of you, growing, and helping where I can. Personal challenges I've overcome: Quit Smoking Drastically reduced Caffeine intake Lost 65 lbs last year Eating Healthier Started an everyday meditation practice Become much more Positive, confidant and outgoing What I'm working on now: Learning about Enlightenment More meditation Finding my purpose Overcoming Procrastination

Two of my current favorites are "The voice inside your head saying you can't do this is a liar." and "Anything worth doing is worth doing badly until you get it right."

Thank you for creating this community! I know this will be an invaluable resource dedicated to self-actualization. I look forward to the hard work ahead of us.