UnbornTao

What is it that you're feeling hopeless about, and why? Hopelessness and an imagined negative future go hand in hand.

No idea. Austin?

Why the truth? Because it's fucking true!

I haven't been actively maintaining my commonplace book for a while now, but I'd recommend Obsidian. It is tried and tested and has a solid (free) plugin marketplace. Logseq is similar and open-source, but I haven't tried it. Same goes for Joplin.

The guy's work ethic is laudable. Remember to drink agua

I'm in!

Stop it™️

Gotta fire up that Nintendo emulat -- I mean, Switch 2, and play some Zelda.

Notice that you don't need faith to admit that you don't know what the thing you have faith in is actually about.

@Lord of Darkness Yeah, I hid your post. As long as it is reasonably respectful and meets the guidelines, you can post pretty much whatever you want. The more conscious and honest, the better.

I never speak in absolutes.

I remember enjoying Jonathan Livingston Seagull.

It's okay. I understand if you saw my post as a bit harsh. It was meant to be helpful and to point toward certain directions, but sometimes my tone can come off as cold, analytical, or detached. It might have sounded like I was invalidating your experience or not quite keeping track. I appreciate the honesty. After all, who doesn't indulge their imagination sometimes? On the other hand, you could use this as a contemplation: Why did something a stranger say on the internet affect you? Why take it personally? Confront the discomfort, silly.

So be it. 😄 Even if it sounds familiar, it has to be experienced for it to make a difference. That's the hard part for everyone, me included. From what you said above, you might notice that your mind is overly imaginative in this sense - creating images of various futures, treating them as real (in a way), and then reacting to them. It's okay to do that, of course. In some ways, thinking about the future is necessary and useful, such as when planning things. Still, I think it's something worth exploring. Focusing exclusively on the present moment, especially on physical sensations and the objective world, tends to calm the mind. And this can help increase your tolerance for certain "unpleasant" experiences. Perhaps it's this kind of mental activity - and taking it too seriously - that gives rise to much of your aversion to relatively benign forms of discomfort. In your example, you seem to be reacting to something initially imagined: your craving for an "apocalypse." It might be an ideal you're holding onto, something that you hope will come in the distant future to "save" you. Obviously, my point isn't to actively seek out discomfort, but rather to embrace some of it, not to be so against it - which is what I hear from some of your points. I could be wrong, though. I'm not sure if this helps much.

Loving it. I'm not sure alien is the right word, though. Looks promising.

I was agreeing with you, to a degree. The fact of the matter is that no belief, regardless of its content, can change our experience of being or of having a very solid sense of self. In any case, if we grant that it's an unknown, then no possibility should be discarded. You might be God, an object, or the color yellow. What are you? That's the thing to look into.

"Please, Carol." Looks promising, for sure. First chapters have delivered, in my opinion.

I can see what you mean - referring to the interpretation part.

I appreciate the willingness to acknowledge what one's experience actually is, despite any belief to the contrary. Both God and no-God can easily become adopted beliefs. Don't pretend that a belief is the same as the truth. If it turns out that the latter is unknown in your experience, then start with that.

"It's the story, stupid." To Infinity and beyond!