Is your life actually better from doing personal development?

[Ayilton]

8 hours ago, Elisabeth said:

@Slade A ... bit. An important bit meaning the difference between despair and feeling joy and satisfaction sometimes.

I haven't done much on the "changing habits" part, so maybe that's why. 

But what I have gained during the years is a lot of body and emotional awareness (says the girl who's unable to handle formal vipassana). Also, my concepts have shifted a lot. All that means that when depressed, which still happens to me 

1) I can feel it in my body, which means I know what the fuck is going on and don't just get caught in the "worthless and hopeless never gonna be better" thinking loop. I can't make it pass but I can make decisions respecting my own current state. 

2) I can see some meaning in my suffering as I believe that by going through it and understanding it the particular problem eventually losses it's edge

I've done that through westernized yoga and psychotherapy. Learning bodily relaxation (at yoga) was huge for me. I took it a step further with Leo's "do nothing" meditation.

Feeling my body throughout my day in and off itself does bring a feeling of satisfaction.  

I've also unlocked feelings of ecstasy which were unknown to me before. I've mainly done that through conscious sexuality. 

These shifts, although sometimes they disappear and leave me depressed, hopeless and confused again, gave me a lot of hope that things CAN be better. 

Kool

[Ayilton]

For me  ,  It got worse  !  Its like going two steps front and three back ! 

I am getting very conceptual , Which Is  something I was not before   !  Basicilly my mind has become more noise  , I guess might be the meditation ! 

I feel growh tho ,  The beggining is the most difficult part but once everything going ...Things start to get smooth

[thehero]

Sometimes I doubt it, but then I reflect realize that there are many areas where my life has improved. So yes. 

[The Don]

Hello.

Thank you for opening this great topic.

Yes, of course.

My life is so much better since I started my Self-Actualization journey.

I feel like I've developed a stronger sense of awareness/consciousness and when I have a negative thought I just remind myself that it's just a thought and there's nothing to worry about.

Meditation brought me to progress. I meditate for 30 minutes every single day. I feel more relaxed and I have fewer thoughts. That's great because I had a negative psychology. I was very judgemental towards others and always mad at the world. But not anymore thanks to meditation.

I'm more present than ever. A very powerful thing if you take the present moment into consideration. I say this because there's not past. There's not future. There's no time. It's only the present moment and with meditation you can tap into the present moment.

I eat healthier. No sugar. Only fruits when I eat something that tastes sweet.

Great, ins't it?

[Nahm]

On 6/10/2018 at 1:45 PM, SchallUndRauch said:

Personal development is such a strange term for all of this.

Yeah.

[Atic]

Yes

[KenDo]

Look at it this way, you can have fun and enjoy your life by indulging in hedonism, which is what your friends are doing. Thats great and fun, eating yummy foods, having sex and partying. On the other hand there are high conscious things like meditation, learning, life purpose which aren't as "flashy" as those other things. The difference is that by doing high conscious activities you will be much more fulfilled and happier than you could ever be from hedonism in the long run. Sort of like short term vs long term pleasure. You don't need to give up hedonism completely, enjoy your life!