A Leo Video A Day

[Danielle]

1) how to use technology for pd

Put your willpower to things that are going to give you growth, do not waste it, willpower is limited. Make things easier so you don't have to force yourself to do them, that's what technology is for!
Action steps: write 5 ways you can use some piece of technology to advance your own personal development
 Make sure it's practical. Actually implement it!

2) Introvert vs extrovert
Introvert thinks that his world is in his mind, he takes his time to respond, it's all highly analitical. Extrovert engages in his senses much more, thinking to him is secondary.
You can flip it out, get outside of your mind and into the outside world. Take it all in, don't think about it.
Or if you're extrovert think about something first, it will benefit you.
You can be both! You have to value both, you have to balance both sides
Make the best of them, when you need to be either, be it! That way you become a full person

3) how to have a healthy relationship

Realize first that nobody can fulfill you but yourself.  You have to be happy by yourself. Make yourself attractive. Don't be needy, have options. Work on yourself and be true to you, don't pretend to be someone you're not. Give, give, give! Relationships aren't about taking, it's about giving- do nice things, share, share, share!

4) how to let go of the past

Let go of all things that don't serve you anymore. Past and future are thoughts in your head.
Exercise : think of something that is bothering you in the past- feel it fully, don't resist it. Close your eyes, become aware of your breath - put all you focus on it.  Put all your attention to your body- scan it throughout, pretend that there is no future. Pretend that past doesn't exist, it never happend. Say to yourself you can let it go

Past only exists because you keep bringing it back up. Decide to let it go - just stop thinking about it
Past has no use to you, you don't need it anymore. Distract yourself with something positive

5) critical thinking

It is independent ! You do it on your own - you don't take anyone else's word for it. You rely on yourself - you have a sense of direction. You have to unplug yourself from other people's negative beliefs and facts. Think for yourself! Discover your own truth, don't accept anything. Be your own primary source. To be critical you have to be curious and openminded.
Ask yourself : what is true for me? Was I told that by someone else? Did I pick up someone else's belief?

6) emotional intelligence

1. Ability to understand your emotions
2. Ability to manage your emotions
3. Ability to read other people
4. Ability to manage your relationships
Do you take responsability for things? Are you honest? Are you confident? Are you stressed? Are you judging yourself? How strong is your decision making? Are you flexible?  All of your answers show how much eq you have
Eq takes time to develop.
Action steps to develop it: meditation, journaling, reading books

7) cause & purpose

Ask yourself: what are you willing to die for? What are you living for?
What can i do that will advance humanity?
What are you creating?
Are you on a hero's journey?
Stop being fucking selfish, think big
You have to have a sense of direction of what you're trying to accomplish

8) becoming a jedi master

Read a lot about various topics
Think critically about things
Think about  society, your ideologies, your beliefs, your conditioning
Ask yourself: are you living your highest value? Are you living without any striving towards something higher? Are you a jedi master or jabba the hut?
Are you aligned with the force (life)?

9) essentials of getting results

Build a big picture model of what you're doing with your life
Have a vision and set goals
Have a life purpose
Drop distractions, build good habits
Journal daily
Meditate
Reprogram your subconscious mind
All of those take a couple of years to develop, be patient and persistent.

10) how to love yourself

Focus on your positive traits
You are so much more than your imperfections
Accept yourself fully, with all your flaws and aspects that you hide from yourself
Ask yourself: what is holding me back from loving myself 100%?
Exercise: look at the mirror, straight in the eye and say to yourself : i love and accept you as you are 20 times in a row
Don't judge yourself! Actually believe it.

[Danielle]

1) how to feel good

Focus on things that will give you lasting benefit, don't waste your time on things that don't fulfill you.
Start developing good habits- meditation, solitude, reading, journaling, studying, work that means something to you, working out, eating healthy, eliminate addictions
Start doing them right now! You have to get rid off negative thoughts, they are holding you back the most

2) how to find your passion

Be authentic, what are your values? Find out who you are, you have to try things out. Discover more about yourself every day and think about what you're passionate about.

Ways to find out: 1. Read various topics
2. Go to college  3. Travel 4. Try different jobs 5. Live in different places 6. Meet new people 7. Spend time alone- journal, ask yourself questions

3) how to be yourself

Stop caring about what others think of you
You care about validation too much- it's like a drug. Understand it's not valuable at all! It won't ever make you fulfilled. You are sacrificing a part of who you are to get a positive reaction.
Happiness comes from inside out, not the other way around
There are costs when you're being authentic, but you don't need everyone to like you.
When you are authentic, you become magnetic.
Ask yourself: is it important to be expressive or strive for shallow things?
Write a list of all the ways you're being a validation whore and what  social debts you have. Be specific on what the cost are.
Tell to yourself: fuck the costs, i will be myself
Observe yourself when you're being a whore, what thoughts you have, where does your motivation come from just don't judge yourself. Notice the subtle ways you do this.

4) how to exploit people to grow yourself

When you see someone doing something stupid, turn in on yourself and ask yourself how am I doing the same thing in my life?
You have to accept everyone's insanity
You can use their actions to your benefit
Use it as a reminder to stay on track
Use people as mirrors
Observing people makes you grateful for doing this hard work! That could 've been you!!

5) how to forgive someone

1. Let go
2. Forget
It's a decision in the end. There is no reason to judge or to hate, you are only hurting yourself when you hold a grudge
You have to have courage to forgive, be the bigger person
If you can't forgive you are living in the past! This is not serving you in any capacity
Focus on yourself - what you're doing so you don't have time to be resentful
 

6) openmindedness

Test yourself on self actualization journey - someone who is developed will not easily offended or offended at all
You have to be brutally honest with yourself
You have to be open to others perspectives
So what? Don't get offended, learn something, it's a way to grow yourself more
You are defending your ego when you get defensive - ego is fragile and anything can disturb it
Admit you could be wrong!

7) how to make friends

Ask yourself : how deep are your friendships? How many actually care, know and support you? Friends require energy and time . Don't take friends for granted. How many friends do you want? How much time and energy can you invest?  Why are you friends with this person?
You will have fewer friends if you look for strong, high quality  friendships
1. You have to socialize more, be around people
2. You have to have time and energy
3. You have to get rid off judgments
4. Don't be shy. Be confident and be yourself! Don't have friends that are identical to you, have diversity.

8) why evil doesn't actually exist

What is evil actually? Is it an external thing? Evil is a thought, a judgement on reality
Good is  just what you prefer, evil is the opposite
Meaning only exists in your head - reality is neutral!
You don't need morality to behave morally for example a pack of lions don't attack each other if they aren't in danger, it's the same with human beings.
Concept of evil is universal- murder, rape, if you say otherwise you are insane. It's a social construct.
You are labeling things just to protect yourself, your self image, it's all ego
No judgement of someone is ever justified, you are putting someone in a box, you don't want to look at things honestly.

9) communication skills

1. Assertivness- have your own agenda
2. Authenticity-  be yourself, don't hold back
3. Openmindendess- respect others, don't judge other perspectives
4. Empathy- relate to their emotions, understand them
5. Clarity - be clear about what you want
6. Listening

 

10) how to follow advice

Don't use justifications and excuses
Stay in line with your values, don't do something if it doesn't goes in line with them
Take actions, notice your ego at play
Look at your results : are you improving?
Are you strategic?

[Joseph Maynor]

These are my *currently* favorite Leo videos:

1.  The number one reason you are not succeeding
2.  Personal Development -- How your mind is like a rider atop an elephant
3.  One simple rule for acing life
4.  Willpower -- Scientifically proven techniques to build your willpower
5.  Peak Performance -- How to hit and maintain consistent peak performance in life
6.  Success & Creativity -- Why you should be more schizophrenic
7.  Create an exciting life -- your proudest moments exercise
8.  How to never quit -- The key to re-framing the toughest obstacles
9.  How to stay focused -- The key to being extremely productive & clear minded
10.  Personal Power -- How personal power creates success
11.  Staying Hungry -- How to use pain for growth
12.  Positive Thinking -- The key to thinking positive
13.  The law of attraction -- How it really works and how to use it
14.  How to stay committed to a cause
15.  Self-control -- How to develop self-control to live an amazing life

Edited September 7, 2017 by Joseph Maynor

[Danielle]

1) how to master and control your emotions

You are creating your emotions! You can change them with your reaction
Outside event- emotion x false
Outside event- thoughts- emotion true
You have to take responsability, control that layer - the filter- thoughts you are having about whatever happend
You have a choice what you' ll think, by remaining unconscious you have negative emotions. Ask yourself : do you want to take control over your interpretations or have negative emotions?
Be extra aware of your negative emotions
Notice your thoughts, be more mindful
How are you creating this emotion?

2) how to create freedom

Are you a slave to your desires? You can't be happy if you are reliant on external stimulation
You have to face the pain and work to be truly free
Recognize you are investing in yourself, you are growing every week and every month. Be patient with yourself, but take action
Essence of freedom is creating options for yourself. Only way you can achieve that is by working hard

3) negative visualization

Imagine you lost something you really appreciate.  How would you feel?
Most of the things you have you take for granted. Ask yourself what if i lost my eye sight, hands, legs, parents, house etc? By doing that you develop a sense of gratitude
You are entitled to nothing. It's a miracle that you are even alive! You have trillion cells that are working so you can be alive right now. All of these things will be gone, appreciate it now before it's gone. Even if you lose everything, you still have so much

Action steps:  write a list of things you take for granted
Next week spend 5 minutes doing negative visualization

4) how to stop being lazy

You need positive intristic motivations to do actions that are neccessary to get you where you want to be
Find out your values and life purpose - you have to be driven by something

Short term laziness-  stop thinking about doing the thing and actually do it! Don't overthink it! Be easy on yourself, slow down, don't expect it to be pefect, just do it!

Long term laziness- ask yourself: where sre you in the cycle (motivation- action- goal)?
Develop more good habits, it will become effortless once you create them

5) positive thinking

Don't be too quick to judge things as bad
You worry about things that are good for you!
There can be no problem because it's always an opportunity
You can find something positive in your problem. Remember : what can i get from this? What will I get? What is the lesson here?
Think about this: you will be truly cheerful in life the day that you realize is that no matter what is happening around you, being anything other than cheerful will not make it any better.

7 day positivity challenge
Commit to thinking 0 negative thoughts
As soon as you see it, drop it within 60 seconds
Distract yourself or think about something else

6) self image

It's a framework how you see yourself and life. It's a constructed, biased mental model of reality. You make a lot of assumptions about others and the world. Those assumptions are mostly subconscious - it's under the surface. 95% of your actions come from your self image. Grasp this-  almost everything you do is unconscious
If you want to change you have to work on your self image - shadow work and introspection. Look within how you got a certain belief about yourself etc
It takes 21 days to drop your self image

7) how to become optimistic

You sabotage yourself when you say it won't work.  Optimism is a hopeful outlook. Ask yourself: is the problem permament? How does it affect my life? Are you hopeful?
 Take responsability for  the good things, don't say you were just lucky.
 
Action steps: write 30 things you are excited about

8) fixing low self esteem

Put yourself on scale from 1-10 on power and self respect
It's a self image problem - childhood issues
What are the incidents that trigger that negative self image?
1)Live consciously
2) practice self acceptance
3) take responsability for your life
4) have purpose
5) be expressive
6) integrity - are you living inline with your values?
 

9) judgement- how you ruin your happiness

Reality is neutral
Judgement creates resistance, struggle
You can't be happy if you judge all the time
 Notice how much you judge others and yourself
Judgement is toxic - it creates negativity
Judgements are lables and are arbitary, they are meaningless. They are just thoughts!
Let reality be! Don't try to put reality into a box
Be more mindful  of judgements you put on people, objects and situations. How do you feel when you judge? Is it justified? Is it really true?

10) positive attitude

3 pillars: 1. Accept the present moment - nothing could be different now. It is what it is. There is nothing you can do
2. Worry is useless - seriously, you gain nothing.
3. Accept that positivity is the best way out of a problem
Don't be attached to outcome, to results
Don't expect too much, be realistic but hopeful

 

[zenjen]

I always liked to listen to the podcasts while at work. A Leo video a day keeps the ego defense mechanisms away!

[Joseph Maynor]

Here's a good one to watch:

 

[Danielle]

1) stress management

Your life is stressful because of your mind
Emotions + thoughts - stress
It's always in internal reality. Ask yourself : what is the issue on the inside that is creating this stress?
Cultivate positivity and reduce negativity
Take responsability, you can't control other people, only yourself!
Focus on yourself - on your direction, what you want to create
Ground yourself in yourself

2)dropping bad habits

Have motivation - why are you dropping it? You have to take responsability for your bad habit
You have to believe you can do it
It takes about 30 days to drop it
You have to replace it with a good habit, otherwise you'll have all that time free to do your bad habit
Be commited 100%
Close your eyes, feel your body, visualize the effects of your bad habit next month, next year, next 10 years
Close your eyes, feel your body, visualize the effects of your good habit next month, next year, next 10 years, imagine how powerful you'd be, how inspirational

3)visualization

You are working on your self image by having visions on your mind
By imaging you are motivating yourself
Sit alone, set your timer for 5  or 10 minutes
Close your eyes - have a goal to focus on
Calm yourself - deep breathing, focus on your body
Vision your goals - fill your mind with vivid and detailed images. How would your life be different? Include more than one sense - what emotions would you feel? The more real it feels, the better. Visualize yourself having that goal right now. This should be an emotional experience
You have to do it every day! Mind will project resistance. You have to train it.

4) how to stop caring what people think of you

Are you letting caring about what others think of you control your life?
Realize you can't control this - you are giving your power away to other people
No one should have that power over you, only yourself
You have to be grounded in yourself, your values. Don't depend on others.
Take the middle way between goodie and an asshole. Don't seek validation and approval, you have to become indepedent of opinions of others. You can't make everyone like you! That is perfectly fine
Opinion of other say a lot more about other person than you. Opinions are just words(fogment of someone's imagination) , they don't matter. Don't take it seriously
There is nothing a human being can offer you of true value. Be on your own path, own your potential and build your sense of power. It's okay to have a unpopular opinion, stay true to yourself. Don't be a validation whore. It's okay to be abnormal, to not fit in. Say to yourself: i'll be dead pretty soon, I have more important things to do, I can't be bothered with nonsense
If you're a people pleaser be more of an asshole, express  yourself

Action steps: use affirmation I am completely indepedent of the good or bad opinions of others - use for 90 days straight. Don't miss a day!
 

5) how to stop being a victim

Recognize this: you are responsible for your life. Only you 100% for all your emotions, failures, accidents, wins and relationships
Levels of development: 1. Victims 2. Fighters 3. Creators - those 3 are low consciousness 4. Max consciousness
How do you respond to situations? From what stage? You at least have control over your reactions
Tell yourself: i won't let past control me and hold me back from getting what I want
It's scary to stop being a victim because it requires emotional labor, you have to work
Stop blaming others! Stop with the excuses
 'Fuck the ego, I want happiness'
List of phrases by victims - cut those out
I can't, it's impossible, it's too hard, I have to/ I must, I need, I should, I've never done that, what if i fail?, it's his/her fault, I'll try, maybe, never/always

6) luck& success

Success is grounded in your work, don't depend on luck. You have to have passion and work hard. Stop giving your power away to external things. You have to be your own master and creater. Have ownership over what you want, don't expect miracles
Take opportunities you get, don't worry about luck. Keep your eyes on the prize by putting all you've got in your work

7) gratitude

Focus on little things you take for granted, think about how lucky you are to be where you are, with all your experiences, all your material possesions, your very existence
Make a list of 100 things you're grateful for
Keep a gratitude journal, it will make you happier and you'll appreciate things more, even if things don't work out the way you want them too.
 

8) how to deepen your love for life

Exercise: what are the top 10 things that I love most about life? Write a list
Ask yourself: how much time I spend on them on a regular basis? Is this aligned with my life? How can I have this activity more?

9) difficult and toxic people

Remove those people, CUT THEM OUT
you are average of 5 people you are spending time with! Be careful who you chose.
Traits of toxic people: depression, negativity, limiting beliefs, victimhood, closeminded/dogmatic, angry, drama queens and violent
They will drain! Set up your boundaries. Be a  good judge of character, look out for this traits.
Don't rely on other people to bring you what you want. Bring more positivity in your life, disconnect with people that aren't good for you.

10) how to stop being jealous

How to stop being jealous
 The reason you feel jealous is because you feel like something is taken away from you
Turn within - it's an ego game, it's destructive. Notice it and label it when you feel jealous. What will you acquire with jealously?
You can't control other people! Don't even try to control them
External things won't give you any value. No human being will make you happy.
Be very mindful when you feel jealously arising, don't judge yourself, simply observe
Wish that people do good, see things that they have and vision it for yourself. You'll be happier if you wish others do good.

Tell yourself: i'm a big person, i'm okay for people to be succesful. Fuck it, let people be better.
You are good enough! Study ego and do shadow work, work on your self esteem.

Action steps: affirmations, visualizations and meditation.

[Danielle]

1) career path

Career path
1. It will change
2. Don't get a job that drains you
3. Will i look back and be happy about my career, what I find meaningful?
4. Is this what you were designed to do?
5. What am I willing to do?
6. Where can I grow, express myself?
7. What value can I provide for others?
8. What makes me happy?
9. What could  I accomplish if I went all out?
10. What impact do I want to leave?
What am I good at? What kind of impact I want to leave? What would I do if I had 100 million dollars?

2) what should I do with my life?

What I should do with my life
What is valuable to you? What are you willing to bleed for?
Come up with a mission - what would it take to get you off your ass? What would make you excited?
You have to have faith in it, you have huge potential. Don't limit yourself! Disconnect from everything - ask yourself what are willing to do with all your heart?
Write a lot - what do you want, what do you want to have, what kind of friends, how you'll look etc
Think big!

3) fears

Fears
Ask yourself; what is the worst thing that can happen?
What is so bad about that? Find the root cause. Write out the worst case scenario? Why is that so bad? What will I do if that happens?
JUST DO IT
fears are illusory, exgaretting
It may happen, but is is unlikely
What is my biggest demon? Am I avoiding it? You have to face it, it will come back for sure. Deal with it now, the pain will be much bigger in 10, 20 years. This is a hero's journey
Find the problem- ask yourself - what is causing this? Look at the process- emotions and thoughts that are causing this behaviour. What is the root cause?

4) responsability vs blame

Responsability vs blame
1. You have to recognize you're a cause of a lot of thing you're not willing to admit. You are not admiting that you are responsible for subtle things. You are creating every situation. Life is a chain of causes!
2. Don't blame anyone or anything
This is a promise you make to yourself
 If you are tired of victim mindset do this! Focus on right action - you can change a lot
3. You have to at least some control
You have control over how you respond to whatever comes. You can control your interpertations of reality.
4 your response is what matters the most
You can choose your response. Think about those situations in an empowering way. This will create power, you will grow yourself more

5) paradoxes

Paradoxes
You are perfect, but you must work on yourself. You have problems, but your problems are illusory. Relationships can give you lots of happiness, but they will never make you truly happy.  Be wise, but failure is good. Think about your life, but thinking is a form of neurosis. Work hard on your attractivness, but don't work so hard. To be in a relationship, don't need a relationship. Be present, but focus on your future goals. Be careful about self deception, but trust yourself. Never quit, but cut your losses early. To be happy, don't think about happiness. To be selfless, you have to be selfish. If you want to be authentic, you have to eliminate yourself.

 Problem with paradoxes is that they shake your world view and threaten your security - it's the problem of the ego.
Ask yourself: are there any contradictions in reality? There are concepts and models that are limiting, don't take them seriously.
Embrace paradox! It makes you more openminded. Don't cling onto your beliefs

6) what is karma
Every action has a  consequence,  inside a consequence.
Karma= action
Good means selfless, without your ego
Evil means selfish, with your ego
Punishment is suffering, it's all inside! That was karma is about.
You manipulate people and things to protect yourself, you feel like you have to
Be mindful of how you do this - watch out for your selfish behavior, especially the subtle ways
You create your own suffering not external situations. When you do selfish things it ends up backfiring on you.
 

7)understanding emotions

Understanding emotions
1 category - apathy- least resourceful
Depression, defeated, bored, lazy
2 category - grief
Sad, hurt, betrayed, disappointed, guilty
3 category - fear
Terror, nervousness, worry, insecurity
4 category- lust
Craving, greed, possesivness, frustration
5 category - anger
Disgust, pissed off, vengeful, annoyed
6 category - pride
Icy, judgemental, arrogance
7 category - courage
Confident, creative, happy, secure
8 category - acceptance
Compassion, loving, playful
9 category - peace
Awareness, calm, feeling complete, free, centered

Emotions are neutral, don't judge them as good or bad. Emotion is just a sensation in your body. Mind creates the judgement! Feel your emotions fully,  don't run away from them. Emotions are a language of your subconscious mind.  All emotions will keep you alive- it's their job to make you survive and reproduce
Those emotions don't care about your happiness, it's all about surviving. Your objectives are emotional, your entire motivational system is based on them
You can't control your emotions, emotions are controlling you
Emotions are the foundation
Mindfulness is the key to mastering your emotions, just observe them! Stop judging your emotions as good or bad. Feel the emotion deeply!
Don't judge yourself for having a negative emotions
Stop, don't label it, just feel it
Practice!!!
Exercise:  Create an alarm for entire week that rings 3 hours after you wake up, 3 hours after that - 5 times a day. Stop, get a journal, write what your emotion is.

 

8) feminine vs masculine compassion

Are you doing the thing for their good? Be honest
Is it geniune? Your compassion grows with awareness. You can see everything as you
Identify which pole you go to and use the opposite one. Build balance between the two, be more flexible with it

9) how to stop backsliding

How to stop backsliding
Expect homeostasis
Set proper realistic expectations
Expect that mind, body and people will resist
Don't listen to excuses your mind is coming up with
Be prepared for serious negotations with yourself
Ease off a bit when you need it.
Expect emotional labour!
Practice meditation
Choose the right thing, just one change can transform your life. Make a 100% commitment, no excuses

 

10) How to become enlightened
There is no process! It's  a gateless gate/ pathless path
Action steps: sit down, set a timer for 30 minutes or 60, sit upright, be alert. Find you realest sense of self, who do you feel you are? Is there an entity here? Where am i? Who am i? Am I the body?
You have to have an open mind to do this right
You believe you're the voice- go meta on it, who is aware of the voice?
You have to come to the point you don't know who you are . Everything you are perceving is ariving at nowhere, become conscious of this. Where is the perception of the perceiver? Am I a perception?
You have to have a huge desire for truth. You have to keep refocusing because your mind will wander. Don't believe the voice - it's all sounds and images
Reality is the thing that exists right now. Only now! It's not real if it's not happening now, it's a story in your head
Content is not real, do not believe your thoughts or the voice. Drop all beliefs, all ideologies
Trust your direct experience
You know nothing

[Joseph Maynor]

Two great ones:

 

 

Edited October 5, 2017 by Joseph Maynor

[Scholar]

On 5.8.2017 at 1:12 AM, Girzo said:

You know what? I am not an authority to say that, but I believe that Leo would be 10x happier hearing that someone watches his videos once a week, or even once a month on a carefully selected topic that's important in one's life at that given moment and takes action on what have been said every-fcking-day, than hearing someone is doing mental masturbation daily listening to Leo's opinions and doesn't actually take any serious action on personal development.

What most of us need is more practice, not more theory.

Sorry for being a little bit rantish here. For 18 months, I've been missusing the information that Leo gives, by not applying it in my life.

 

I agree. I think we are simply too greedy. We want to know everything before we have even understood the simplest things, and we want to achieve everything before we have achieved the simplest things.

 

We have to keep in mind that most of Leo's videos, if applied correctly, will transform your life completely. One video, one piece of advice, could probably have you surpass 90% of the human population.

When I discovered Leo I watched tons of videos of his. It did benefit my life to a certain degree, but I realized that I haven't mastered a single one of Leo's advice, not even remotely. Today I am kind of the opposite, I can't keep up with Leo's videos. Every week he brings a new valuable piece of advice, and to be honest, it's doing more harm than good to me. I'm just not ready for it, I have massive amounts of actions I have to take based on previous videos. Applying the advice of one video equals to 1000s of hours of work. It's just impossible to take action on all of his videos, and what I discovered in myself is that it creates expectations that cannot be met. It's like trying to build a space-rocket before having invented the wheel. The fundamentals need to sit, and that will already take tremendous amounts of work. Ironically though it is really the fundamentals that will grant the most benefits. The seemingly most simple stuff is what will give the most growth, and I think especially people who have been long on a path realize that.

It all comes down to mastery. You have to apply mastery to Leo's videos, and once you get a picture of the effort it takes for staying on the path of mastery, you will be much more humble about what you can achieve in life. We are like the impatient martial artist who wants to learn the most fancy and difficult techniques before he has appreciated the challenge of learning to throw a simple punch. The one who will appreciate the challenge of the most simple, ironically will achieve the most complex. It is the perfection of the simple that makes the complex possible.

Imagine if atoms were inaccurate in their behaviour, if their most fundamental attributes didn't sit. There wouldn't be any life in the universe, no complex construction would have the chance to emerge and be stable. The atoms are perfection, the true mastery of simplicity. And look what they can achieve, look at the universe that has emerged from the mastery of simple rules.

The same applies to life. You can either try to apply a thousand rules half-assedly, or you can choose to apply a select few and embed them in your being. Instead of having 20 small habits a day, focus it to one that you do properly. Instead of 20 minutes of meditation, 5 minutes affirmation, 10 minutes visualization etc, do 2 hours of meditation and nothing else. I mean, we make it so complicated, but if you applied true mindfulness to your life, you'd have already won the game. You'd be set. But of course, to get there you'll need to sacrifice and put in really hard work. Instead you can jump from one piece of advice to the other, giving you the illusion of progress while you never have to face the challenge of masterying anything.

Edited October 5, 2017 by Scholar

[Girzo]

@Scholar Yeah, unnecessary complication is just another distraction.

(And to be honest I do that alot, so thanks for your post, it's helpful in recognizing that.)

Edited October 5, 2017 by Girzo

[deadforever]

I'm looking for a specific episode that made a big impression on me. I watched it about a year ago, but can't remember which one it was. He is talking about big picture stuff. Connecting all the dots after reading alot of books, contemplating, etc. 

 

Any ideas? I've been looking like crazy, but there's sooo many videos  

[Waves]

@deadforever  This video is gold, it was uploaded 8 months ago.

 

[deadforever]

I think this is the one. Thank you and love, Waves

 

Edited October 7, 2017 by deadforever

[Danielle]

1) how to meditate deeper

How to meditate deeper
Stage 1- simple observation
Sit down, open/ close your eyes. Let the mind wander, simply observe
Stage 2- active detachment
Sit down. Actively release every thought that enters your mind ( let go)
Stage 3- awareness focus
Sit down. Put your awareness on awareness itself. Ask yourself what is awareness
You can't control your thoughts. Meditation will not be calm and peaceful. Stop resisting thoughts. Stop trying to get anywhere, be ready for bad days

2) science vs religion

Science vs religion
90% of prerational beliefs are postrational truths that are misunderstood. Enlightenment seems like religion to rational people
Vodoo, shamanism - level 1
Christinity, islam - level 2
Zen masters and yogis - level 3
Body( matter, energy,people, cars)- mind problem ( first person phonemena) science doesn't ever talk about this, it ignores it completely. This body mind problem creates dualism.
Rationality has limits, it's a perspective, not the truth
Rationality keeps the illusion of the self alive
All beliefs are false- they are just models with limits

3) how to unleash your ambition

How to unleash your ambition
If you have a bigger vision and great ambition you have to be  a leader - honor that
Stop with the false modesty! You can do better
You have to fight for your passion - it's a choice you make
Position yourself to share your gifts. Think how you're going to do that
Ask yourself: what will be the pay off? What could I accomplish if I went all out? You have to rely on yourself. You have to be self driven, self motivated
Find the thing that will make it all worth it
You owe it to yourself

4)how to get shit done

World is based upon results
Dreams don't mean shit if you don't have real life results
Early humans had to create results or they would die, in modern society we get taken care of and we got lazy
Dreams are bubbles and usually burst when they get in touch with the real world. You have to change for reality, reality doesn't change for you
Be humble to let reality work on you
Talk less, do more - don't talk about doing, actually do shit
Have goals and projects
Look at life as a series of projects

5) lower vs higher self

You have a switch in your being
When you feel threatend you go into your lower self.
If you're making plans and decisions from a position of your lower self, it will turn out awful
Watch out for subtle triggers that send you to your lower self?
What are your triggers? Write down the situation. Remove them and write a list how to do so
Notice your emotional body - observe it until it goes away
Build your mindfulness, you need to notice when you cross the line.
Disengage with people when you're in your lower self
Change the structure of your life so you don't get triggered
 

6) Mascuilinity vs femininity
Each sex doesn't understand the other one. Men are created for modeling, they are highly logical.
Women are created for communication and relationships
Men's mind is female mind if it were autistic
It's too logical
Women need to accept men's detachment and sex drive
Men need to accept women's emotions
Look at things from their perspective
Boys  would rather break emotions to save logic and girls would rather break logic to save emotions
We have different values
Women are attracted to personality, men are attracted to females visually. Men want sexual variety, respect and easy going companionship. Women want emotional security, leadership and deep intimate connection
Accept differences, celebrate them
Women want emotional support, men want to fix problems and be left alone
Finish this sentence : what i need to accept and integrate which I've ignored until now is.....

7)Meditation on steroids
Sds fast track towards enlightenment
This shows your mind's rotten
Deep happiness isn't stimulation, it's complete presence
Being one with the reality, being peaceful no matter what happens
Monks are training to eliminate resistence
The objective of meditation is to become one with reality
What are you doing to get happiness? Has it been working? This practice will sober you up- about your happiness. It makes your mind stop and be present
Stop resistig reality! You are constantly living in a fantasy land because you resist the now. When you stop resisting, you gain true happiness

Purification= pain * mindfulness
Mind is forced to sit still and psyche has to purge material, shit that has been in the back of your mind
Suffering= pain* resistance
Your pain will be gone as soon as you stop resisting it. It shows how out of touch with reality you are. You have to become okay with pain and suffering, this practice helps. We set the bar very low in our society.

8)the grand model of psychological evolution

Psyche develops in a certain direction, in stages
Each stage varies from selfishness and altruism
Each stage has transformational dilemma.
Each stage doesn't know stages exist and they actually despise one another.
You can't stop stages

Stages:
1) stage beige (me) basic survival
2) stage purple ( other) ethnic tribes, magic
3) stage red (me) egocentric power, disregard for rules
4) stage blue ( other) civilization, democracy, religion
5) stage orange (me) individuality, success, science, freedom, rationality
6) stage green ( other) altruism, peace, love, connection
7) stage yellow (me) systems thinking, complex, paradoxical, world is grey, understanding multiple perspectives
8) stage turquoise ( global) holistic global actualization
You can be a mix of few stages
Ask yourself: where am I? At which stage?

 

9) one simple rule for acing life

Always do what is emotionally most difficult in whatever situation you are. Do the exact opposite of what most people and you do
Easy thing leads to mediocre and frustrating life
Living a good life is counter intuitive, you have to go against what the herd/ society is doing
Your mind is unconsciously programmed to find emotional security and comfort
Self actualized life is the emotional hard way
Don't look for short cuts
You will have peace of mind, dying happy, being happy applying this principle
Do the emotional labor required, it's not as bad as you think
It feels refreshing to your soul

10)How to be funny
Benefits: social confidence, better business connections, attracting women
Leadership skills,.more charisma
Big picture: you have to change the lense through which you see the world
Humour is supposed to be effortless
You have to be relaxed as opposed to anxious to let the spontaneous humor come through
To be  humorous you have to be relaxed and emotionally impulsive
Let go of the filters that prevent you from being goofy, blunt and authentic, instead look for the funny and the absurd

What makes people laugh: ridiciolous humor, role playing, self deprecting humor, play on words - go against the green, break every expectation the other person has of what you should say
Train your mind to constantly ask itself: what can I say in this situation to make it funny?
Look for the funny

Exercises: sit in a quiet place and think of something. Then use the last word to form a new sentence and so on. This will release mental filters over time. Picture yourself being funny in every situation
Talk with somebody and try to turn everything they say funny

Not to do: do not use canned lines, they are context sensitive. Do not seek validation, instead do it for your own amusement. It has to be funny to you so others laughing is just an addition

[Danielle]

1)advice for students

Have a life purpose- what's your art form?
Don't be afraid to break off on your own
What lifestyle do you want? Build a strong work ethic - it's going to be harder to put habits into place when you're older
Study for the sake of studying. Read books! Learn how to date and socialize ( don't have serious relationships)
Avoid partying, alcohol, drugs, social groups, cults, gossip, trying to fit in, worrying about social status
Focus on yourself. Stop playing video games and tv by 80%
Clean up your diet: soda, pizza, potato chips, candy, junk food, wheat and fruit juices
Be careful about debt- learn how to manage money
Diploma doesn't mean anything. They care about results, how you carry yourself, if you're a good learner
You should be learning about pyschology, self help, meditation and enlightenment,fitness and nutrition, dating, sexuality and relationships, business and marketing, biographies and money management
Meditate! Don't fight with your parents-take control, live like you live on your own
Build your foundation, take responsability. Plan on being a lifelong learner
 

2) avoiding bad relationships

Red flags: borrowing money, history of cheating/being arrested, if they run a shady business, history of short relationships, if they don't have friends, if they expect gifts, showing up late/ standing you up, forgetting a lot, jealous, protective, control freak, unwilling to work on your relationship, not willing to improve, lying, arrogance, selfish, perfectionism, angry, agressive, threats, gets easily offended, blaming, long distance
Cut this person out of your life, don't think twice

3)curing perfectionism

Chronicly not willing to accept reality
According to overbundance of choice: maximizer or satisfier
You are constantly disappointed if you are a perfectionist, you will never be happy
It's a sneaky form of procrastination
Perfectionist is attached to outcome
Criticising others and oneself is the same thing
You set too high of a standard, guilt will come up
You are causing damage to yourself
Just accept it,  your work doesn't have to be perfect
Notice how critical you are- retrain your mental filter. Don't nickpick everything
Get a rubber band and wear it for a month, don't take it off. Keep it as a reminder to not judge.
Tell yourself: when i criticize I rob myself of my future.
It doesn't advance your life in any capacity, ask yourself is it worth it?

4) mindfulness meditation

Experiencing reality as it is
Its a skill of focus
Sensory clearity- how much filter there is in reality
Equaminity- ability to experience sensations and not react
Seeing: look at an object, note that you're seeing it. Say to yourself : see and then savour it for 5-7 seconds
Hearing: note that you're hearing a sound, say to yourself : hear and then savour it for 5-7  seconds
Feeling:  notice the sensation and say to yourself: feel, savour it for 5-7 seconds
Those are outer sensations (objects, body)
Inner sensations - your mind's eye, hearing your internal dialogue, emotions
Set a timer for 20 minutes
Let mind focus on whatever it wants, notice it, note it and savour it
Do do this daily
Benefits :  better focus and awareness, emotional mastery, reduce suffering, increase fulfillment,  behaviour change, you can experience enlightenment


5) how to overcome creative blocks and writer's block

1)brute force it
2) find the source of motivation- the ideal
Do the important thing that isnt urgent
Recommit to your art
Get into the present moment, think about things that make you depressed and unmotivated, feel it fully
Shake your body, get rid off that feeling
Take another deep breath and imagine yourself in the most creative mood you've ever been
Imagine yourself as your role model
Slow down the pace of your work
Explore fresh sources
Focus on mastering your field
Keep a file of inspirations- images, music, texts
Find your life purpose
 

6) vision for a self actualized life

Waking up excited, falling asleep feeling calm
Being an inspiration
Turning your work into your passion
Mastering all areas of life
Eliminating toxic self talk
Mastering emotions
Life long learning
It will work if you just commit to it

Goals
Creating a life where you dont have to worry about money ever again
Work being your greatest joy
Developing emotional control
Becoming a grounded being
Having a deep understanding of the world
Sucessfull intimate relationship
Amazing sex
Having amazing confidence
Deep self love and acceptance
Feeling energetic, endurance
Positive friends
Advancing humanity
Intense pride, without regrets on your death bed
Realizing truth about reality and yourself
Having time to contemplate


Get knowledge/learning
Start making small changes- eliminate toxic addictions, create good habits, create a good morning routine, life purpose, become financially independet
Life is short
Hold this vision close



7) radical openmindedness

You have to make the counter intuitive move to let go of knowing and get into a state of not knowing to be openminded
Not knowing is an extremely powerful state. People think they know, but they don't
By opening yourself, you get better at enlightenment work, it frees you up, you understand reality more
Acknowledge to yourself that 99% of what you think is second hand knowledge- you take it on faith

Examples: 1) earth is round 2) viruses cause illness 3) big bang theory 4) matter is composed of subatomic particles 5) evolution 6) earth is 6 billion years old
7) existence of jesus and buddha 8) you don't know if you are your parents' child
9) relations with your siblings
You have assumpations that you know aren't true
Examples:  1) atoms aren't balls 2) you believe sun is rotating around earth, you think you are motionless
3) stars exist as physical objects
4) you think objects fall down

You have a model of reality which is a complete fiction. Recall how many times people have been wrong throughout history
Examples: 1) earth is flat 2) earth is at the center of the universe 3) witch trails 4) time is absolute 5)geometry 6) blacks are less intelligent 7) flight is impossible 8) wireless communication is impossible etc

Open your mind to the possibility that there are other things you think are true, but are false. The culture you grew up in has imprinted you with values and beliefs of which you are totally blind to
What model of reality would you have if you were: born in the middle east? Born in an african tribe? Born in north korea? Born 10 thousand years ago?
Culture, society and time shape you in radical ways. You have no control over this factor! Recall all the times you were wrong, all the times you thought you knew, but later  found out you didn't
Admit you could be wrong about everything. Mind has the tedency to decieve and lie to itself
Acknowledge that when you don't know, you don't know you don't know
Acknowledge that you haven't been able to locate yourself and you don't know who you are. Notice when you try to push your ideas and beliefs onto others
Just be open and hold no belief, having no position is liberating!

8) 30 ways society fucks you in the ass

 Bad news: Society exploits your lower self ( you're a chimp)
Traits of your lower self
1) salt, fat and sugar
2) Sex  
3) need for power and status
4)fun and entertainment
5) validation
6)security and comfort
7) love
8)vanity
9)gossip

They function unconsciously
30 ways :
1)Food
2) alcohol and drugs
3) farmacutical industry
4) college and education system
5) celebrities
6) books- romance novels, sci fi, fantasy novels
7) video games
8) tv shows
9)  news
10) social media
11) internet
12) popular culture
13) chimp behaviour with friends
14) status game
15) porn
16) shopping
17) fashion
18) tech bubble
19) financial companies
20) night clubs
21) caring too much about  what kind of  car you drive
22) holidays
23)politics
24) religion
25) marriage
26) romance
27)  family
28)  typical 9-5 job
29) stock market, wall street
30) proffesional sports

All of this is an espace
Society is amusement park for the ego to distract you from looking inward
It's a distraction from truth, death, shortness of your own life and lies you tell yourself because you're not living a real life
Society aims are : status quo, progress, achievment, power and efficancy
Those aren't your aims
Your aims should be finding your authentic self
Society is about doing, not being. It doesn't care about truth


Good news:  it's fully in your power to avoid these traps. All it takes is some awareness and care .  You will be called weird if you live a conscious life. You have to be okay with not being normal. That will take emotional labour, indepedent  thinking and courage.  This lifestyle is the harder option and it means you can't follow the path of least resistence.  Recognize how unhealthy society is for your mind and body.
This is not an evil conspiracy - it's just ignorance
You  can use all these traps to find your authetnic self - sort of against them
Commit to living your true life- life that is worth living
Take one week of where you'll be alone, no friends, no media, no phone, no work, no fun etc. Sit there for a whole week and contemplate life- how short it is, how valuable it is etc. Meditate, detox
Notice how you feel, what you want to change. Take it slow.