Coco

Wow, I didn't expect to get so many helpful responses. Thank you all so much for your insights!! @MIA.RIVEL I really want to meet others who are on the same journey but I really don't know where to start. Most people I know are not very aware of the larger perspectives of life, and spending time with them actually drains my energy. I have already joined online communities and social media groups with similar interests and values, but I'd like to also meet people like this in person as well. Where would be the best place to look for seminars and networking events? @Falk You have just made me realise something very important. I was trying so hard to 'communicate' it because I was feeling lonely and wanted people to connect to what I thought was 'more' important instead of actually doing the work myself. My focus was on why others couldn't understand instead of doing the work myself, and I think Leo talked about this before in one of his videos and called it an Ego Trap. I had completely forgotten about that until I read what your response. I think I need to work on moving my focus towards the act of improving myself rather than trying to convince others. And I can really relate to your situation about your friend, the same thing kind of happened with my boyfriend and afterwards I felt as if he was trying to hold me back. And I'm very interested in what you mean by 'colours', could you please expand on that for me? @charlie2dogs Thank you for your wisdom, I'll keep in mind that loneliness is just a thought. @FindingPeace I really enjoyed reading your advice. It was very hard for me to admit to myself that I was looking for validation in others, but what you said is very true and I cannot deny that I was seeking approval from others. And without validation and approval, I felt lonely. The thing is, I've started to enjoy time alone much more than time with others but maybe because I use to be very extroverted and was always surrounded by friends, that it was hard for me to admit it. I think I really need to stop focusing on the 'herd' and instead just accept them how they are. I've realised I was focusing too hard on changing others rather than myself. I think I really need to work on firstly detaching myself from the 'herd' and working on myself before I can share my views.

I've recently started the life purpose course, but I've been following Leo's Youtube videos for almost two years now. I figured that I needed to take action on my life rather than just keep receiving 'aha' moments. Anyways, recently I'm really starting to see the world a lot differently and seeing things from many different perspectives (gray areas) and not just black and white. But as I keep pursuing this path, I notice that most people I talk to are not interested in what I have to say... at all. I mean sometimes I will be talking about one view of a topic, and then I'll start talking about another view and then it kind of becomes a debate with myself. Majority will agree and listen at the start but as the perspective changes, they will kind of switch off and look very bored or confused. This same thing happens when I talk about my concerns with worldly issues, at first people will seem interested but they switch off really quickly or start talking about something else or just end the conversation with 'but there's nothing we can do'. The thing is, I really enjoy sharing my ideas and thoughts of the world and what contribution I want to make but it has become almost impossible to do with the majority of people I talk to. This includes my classmates, my workmates, my friends and even my partner. I have read from other posts on this forum that once you start pursuing your life purpose or enlightenment that people around you will try to hold you back, or keep you as you are. I have noticed this change dramatically and I find that it's very hard to break-through that, which is why it is so hard for me to take action on what I want to do. I guess in a way I'm afraid of being alone and afraid that I will have to face a great deal of isolation to aim for my life purpose. Does anyone have any advice as to how to make this transition easier? Or do I have to just do it with brute force?

Name: Crystal Age: 21 Gender: Female Location: Sydney Australia Occupation: Student & Sales Representative Marital Status: Dating Kids: No Hobbies: personal development, reading, blogging, art, walking in nature, healthy food, games I got into personal development after experiencing severe depression and anxiety that came a lot from self-judgement. My self-judgement was a result from a toxic relationship that I once had where I tolerated a lot of verbal insults/abuse - I believed them to be true. The black dog (depression) took over my mind and isolated me from the rest of the world. I was determined to get my life back so I started actively looking for help online and through counselling, which is when I stumbled across Leo's video of 'how to stop caring what others think' in 2013. My life is back on track now, with some fallouts here and there, but overall I've grown a lot and seen great improvement in my life. I am working towards finding my life purpose and contributing my life to improving our society and the world. Personal challenges I've overcome: Toxic relationship Toxic friendships My parents' divorce (which had bothered me for a long time) Addiction to TV shows Addiction to Smoking Depression Anxiety Negative thinking Isolation What I'm working on now: Finding my life purpose Enlightenment Stopping my game addiction Eliminating procrastination Reading more books Mindfulness Awareness Meditation Improving my self-image Self-inquiry Learning Japanese Finding and connecting with real non-toxic people

@Roxanne Sorry for the late reply, I've been reading other topics on the forums but haven't signed into my account until now. hahahhaa, 'coco' was my childhood nickname that no one calls me or knows me by anymore. But I still feel very deeply connected to this nickname And it sounds tough if your family is always pressuring you about marriage and having children, but remember your life is yours to live! don't live your life for anyone else! I made that mistake a few years ago (being a huge people pleaser), and now when I look back on it I feel like it was the biggest waste of time, but if I didn't go through that I probably wouldn't have started living for myself. Similarly to you, I am also somewhat interested in /some/ aspects of my degree, but there's nothing that gives me that drive you know? But if I really pursue Psychology, it will be a life-commitment that I will need to make which might also risk me sacrificing my future family time. I'm still trying to figure it out, but I'm slowly getting some answers. I know there is something out there that I'm truly passionate about that is in relation to psychology but without actually pursuing to become a psychologist. I will find that someday. So then I can still study psychology and it will be just a separate part of a bigger picture that I can work towards. I agree with you about the inner voice, hahaha sometimes it is sooo subtle and hard to notice. When I have 'me' time I sometimes will practice mindfulness where I'm very intently observing the voice in my head - that way I can identify it easier when I'm just doing regular things.

I'm currently 21, and I'm living with my boyfriend who I've been with for 2 years now. I started personal development just over a year ago, and I have changed a lot since then. I was able to overcome my depression and anxiety, I wouldn't say it's 100% gone but I've become much better at managing my negative emotions. I have a passion for psychology and it's the one thing I really want to do, but when I realised it I felt like it would be too late. That I would have to study another 6 year degree (after my current degree) before I can even start my career to make achievements. And by then, by the time I finally graduate from a Psychology degree, it'd already be time for me to think about marriage and kids and then when will I have time to make my achievements in my career? This thought was so frustrating that I had decided to give up studying Psychology. Now I'm not sure what I'm going to do or how to find another passion. I wouldn't think about giving up my boyfriend because I love him and he strongly supports me down my personal development path, he would support me even if I studied Psychology. But the issue I have is the idea of being a woman and how "important" it is to have children and to have a family... the very idea makes me feel trapped. I feel like there's a long exciting journey ahead of me that's been blocked off by a wall. I know logically that I don't "have to" have kids, and I don't "have to" get married... but I just feel like it will eventually happen to me. And I know before it happens, I would have wanted to make enough achievements that I can be proud of and be content with. At the moment, I'm trying hard to not let these thoughts overwhelm me so I'm trying to go with the flow and face whatever happens. I'm still working a 9-5 job while studying, and whenever I have "me" time, I would spend time reading articles or watching personal development videos. I think it is possible to self-actualise while having a family, but it needs to be a priority. You will need a partner who understands this and will give you the time and support for it.