Nahm

@Neo It's not the free will proof that matters to me, nor what we believe, nor whether I am right or wrong. It's the learning experience itself that I enjoy. I like learning about the topic and people, whether they are loving, decent, kind, ignorant, genius, insane. The more variety the better. To me it's more experience and builds a larger frame of reference and capacity. When we reach our capacity of thought, we become aggressive and belittling. I like pushing the limits of my thinking as much as I like nonthinking meditation. Both result in more capacity to be connected and blissful. I don't find anything undesirable about a person who simply likes to play chess. I don't find anything undesirable about someone who wants to learn how the pieces are made. I'm interested. It's not the topic or subject matter. It's like fun. It's not found somewhere. We make fun. We make interest too. It does not behoove me to limit either. It feels awesome to expand either. For example, if you were talking with someone about quantum physics and they start using parables and analogies to elude the subject, there is something to be experienced and learned there as well. It's not good or bad, or right or wrong. It's not personal. I of course trust everything here is voluntary, no one is being held captive to having to read or comment on certain topics. It's all for fun, experience, and personal development.

@I_Like_Thing Probably hard to believe, but one man's skeeball is another man's free will inquiry.

@PetarKa "A Paradox Of Life - If There Is No Good Or Evil, Then How Can We Say That Self-actualization Is The The Goal Of Life?" Good and evil, goals, are preferences. Some we easily agree on, some we don't. So there are 8 billion versions. Outside of those preferences, all is what it is. The question is, what do you prefer? You are free to make that preference your experience. Letting go is very relative to your life experience and current situations. You may need to let go of things that I have never experienced. Generally speaking though, there are 2 of me. The higher self / everything / God...and the ego, which chooses not to simply sit on a hill and bask in the bliss of everythingness. I love being both. I lead a very high energy full life. As careful as I am with my perspective, outlook, health, etc - I of course still accumulate resistant thought and emotion, like I assume everyone does. I do not proceed with it though. I have found a letting go process that works for me and has sticking power. When I learn new things, face challenges, etc, I feel a slight impurity or disharmony, so I do my letting go work to get empty again. Here's what I have found works for me: Sleep: Before you fall sleep, increase your awareness that we all wake up everyday with zero thought momentum. Waking: When you wake up, notice how you awoke with no thought momentum. Admit to yourself, that if you immediately fill your head back up with yesterday's thoughts, that is a choice you are unknowingly making. If this sounds foreign to you, give it a few mornings and you'll start to notice the choice. I have a piece of paper placed so I see it when I wake up that says "DO NOT THINK WITHIN 1 HOUR OF WAKING. DO NOT THINK BEFORE EXCERCISING". Your paper would probably say something different. Whatever works for you. I implement a mental / verbal excercise so that I don't think in a wandering way. I take deep breaths and focus on what a fucking miracle it is that I can take a deep breath. I notice the sweetness of it. The good fortune. The deliciousness. I play the 'my favorite' game. Everything I see (on the way to my coffee maker) I say "You're my favorite". - "You're my favorite blanket" "You're my favorite light switch" "You're my favorite steps" "You're my favorite cup" "You're my favorite coffee bean" It sets the state of mind I want. Then I have my coffee. (Which is really a cappuccino but I don't want to sound all cappucinoish) Meditation: Then I meditate. I focus on my breathing and let the thoughts, if any, pass right on through. I don't write them down. I don't try to remember them. I let ALL of them pass right on through. I don't identify with them. I am the everything. This non thinking meditation is easy because I have practiced every morning for twenty some years, and I have primed myself for it since the first second I woke up. I relax every little muscle from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet. I feel the wave of relaxation move through me. I do this 4 or 5 times, deeper and deeper, until I feel the tiniest muscles in my spine relax. Muscles I didn't even know were flexed. Day: Then, throughout the day, I notice in very black and white - someone's energy is higher than mine or lower than mine. (Not the person, the energy) If it's lower than mine, I am mindful to use compassion, never empathy. If it is higher than mine, I am mindful to use curiosity, humility and attention. This 'way' if you will, prevents most of the resistant thought that would later need letting go of. Next day, repeat. *Realizing how long this is. I hope it's helpful or at least worth reading. Godspeed.

@Loreena What a great post!! Have you tried cardio & meditation every morning, vs workouts four times a week? I have found I keep in a consistent higher energy adding those in daily then I did when I was alternating days. Just a thought though. Your overall rituals are awesome and very well thought out! It's nice of you to share! What about the deeper nonphysical energies? This post is in the self act section vs the health section so I', thinking it's ok to go there and would really love to hear your, or anyone's rituals for connection.

This is a great thread. Thank you guys. Everything is already so well said. I'll contribute an 'actionable' that I use sometimes. I think a great excercise in mindfulness, is to go through your day not talking. Just observe. You'll become more aware of when you would have reacted. Just notice those reactions but don't say anything or react. After a while, you become free to choose pro actions.

@BobbyEmily My pleasure, and much love to you!!!! Here's another thought that comes to mind. One's 'life purpose' comes from all their experiences so far, one defines the other. To put it very simply, if you grow up with an angry dad, part of your life purpose involves living with peace of mind. If you grow up wth a sick mom, part of your life purpose involves good health. So the answer is inherently in you. You can ultimately transcend the cause and effect of your upbringing and then have the mental freedom to choose anything. When you reach that point, you wouldn't be looking for anything anymore. You would be it.

I could be completely off but I get the impression what you realily want is to make changes and you are not sure why it is hard for you. I suggest less thinking is better because your thinking might be what is keeping you from progressing. (Thoughts - bad emotions - no motivation) I suggest DOING something different. Get out of your head. Almost anything different. To 'wake' you up. I would make a list of suggestions, but it could be distracting. It's the doing, not the learning that is the change. Learning is of course helpful, but I get the impression you are beyond ready for a change. Pick something really small that you want to change and do it and let us know what it was and how it felt. That quote is just something you're reading and talking about while someone else is changing what they want to change. Stop looking for answers. The answer is you doing something different. Get a large poster board and a black marker and a wall, and write down what you want. You'll see it everyday, and that is a big change. Over time you are priming yourself, influencing yourself by changing your environment.

This typically breaks down because people can't do what you describe when they are angry. What about liberating from anger, so you don't have this classic perpetual marriage dilemma?

"Be like water" one of my favorites.

@Bob84 YES! Emotions are telling us so much. "So clear but so unheard".

be direct with your words and u will begin to think that way. an excercise would be to write "i want ________" over and over with different things u want. could be a big house, could be clarity. the excercise will get u focused on what you want vs thinking about the hows and whys and blah blah blah

thats a great post. thanks for that. it is asking a lot of someone to go from not knowing they can make decisions and effect their day to realizing they are God. you're right, just a big jump

stillness speaks is simple pure wisdom power of now is a little more instructional or contemporary

seperating from the ego is dropping beliefs. there is no substitute for meditation. put the horse before the cart regarding meditation and being too tired. i worked a full time job while i was in college full time and had two part time jobs on top of that, and i still meditated every morning. you can do it man. write it on the wall with a permanent marker.

To me, your strengths are only what you've got going so far. I think we can all develop what we want. Given the strengths you presently mention, accounting, computer analytics, the military, and actuarial come to mind. You certainly don't 'have' to be self employed or anything else to enjoy the path of PD or enlightenment, or whatever. I have a feeling about actuarial.

You can seperate from the ego. The only ways I know of are decades of meditation and connection and deconnection practices, or 5meodmt. People have done this. It's not so far out. You do have that fact wrong, if I'm reading and understanding your words accurately. There is a reason it's referred to as "waking up". When you realize that you were in auto robot mode, by default, you are aware of it and therefore free to do what you want - you can perceive what and when influences you - and there are 8 billion different versions of that happening - an enormous dynamic of variety from still sleeping to completely enlightened. Responsibility....powerful..... Emotions are powerful. Generally speaking, each person's 'things they don't want to talk about' compared to 'things they understand about reality' Are related. When somone doesn't want to talk about a category, it is because they have yet to resolve an incident in their past. When someone let's go of that incident and finds their own resolve, now they are emotionally free and naturally progress. Our emotions limit our progress. You seem to have already had this down before making this post.

"If I am part of God, then that makes sense too". With all due respect, this is where you're going wrong. That does not yet make sense to you. You say you are part of God, do you think you are part or do you think God is everything, thus all of you?

@The Universe thanks. You're English is great. I just wasn't sure what you were saying.

our posts taper off abruptly

lllusions is a sweet short read that opens the mind in a fun way

its all good man. ?. dont take anything seriously. life is short and meaningless. be happy with where u are. you don't have the free will to do anything about it, so there is no sense beating up on yourself. just accept everything exactly how it is. also, don't be concerned with convincing people of anything. just express your current views and listen to what other people express as a way to continue to reveal your own ignorance. thats how i look at this anyways. when i find more ignorance in me, i find opportunity to learn more, get more clarity and enjoy the precious ah hah moments

Stillness speaks

@aryberry what is 'no thing'?

A journal

@everythingisnothing Finding the win win is a sign of genius. Helping others to meditate to help yourself to meditate....total awesomeness all around. Now see that there are no problems.