How Do You Raise Your Awareness?

[Daphne]

Besides meditation, what do you do? 

Tips are very welcome

[Capethaz]

I don't know any other way besides mindfulness.

[SkyPanther]

Practice mindfulness with "difficult" people.

 

For instance, how do you know you are patient unless your patience is tried?

Being around difficult people is a workout for your mindfulness, and they can be the best teachers and show you places in your psyche that are still bound with a bit of ego.

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, SkyPanther said:

Practice mindfulness with "difficult" people.

 

For instance, how do you know you are patient unless your patience is tried?

Being around difficult people is a workout for your mindfulness, and they can be the best teachers and show you places in your psyche that are still bound with a bit of ego.

You're forgetting that they also might find you difficult and are practicing their patience with you

[SkyPanther]

26 minutes ago, Nomad said:

You're forgetting that they also might find you difficult and are practicing their patience with you

Heh, Yeap, this is true. Everyone wins.

Edited March 20, 2016 by SkyPanther

[Guest]

@SkyPanther Not sure about that.  You both already lost when you labelled them difficult. 

[Naviy]

1) Constant mindfulness practice (becoming present each time I notice I am not present):

 

 

 

2) Formal mindfulness meditation:

 

 

 

 

[SkyPanther]

23 minutes ago, Nomad said:

@SkyPanther Not sure about that.  You both already lost when you labelled them difficult. 

Not shying away from truth is a virtue.

Some people are what Eckhart Tolle calls "unconscious" or the Buddha called either fools, unwise, or "with lots of dust in their eyes".  

These people should not be hated but loved, they help with development more than most think.

Edited March 20, 2016 by SkyPanther

[Guest]

@SkyPanther So your version of truth is whatever you thing Eckhart Tolle or the Buddah says?  The fact you label people "difficult" IS unconscious.  

At the moment you are unaware that you are the one who is also doing the judging, and so when you come up against "unconscious" or "difficult" people you are in a lose-lose dynamic with them.

There is no such thing as "unconscious" or "difficult" people perse.  Yes there are situations and behaviours that don't align with your values in certain moments.  But when you label something you're trying to take a moment and freeze it.

Maslow called this phenomena "rubricizing"

[SkyPanther]

10 minutes ago, Nomad said:

@SkyPanther So your version of truth is whatever you thing Eckhart Tolle or the Buddah says?  The fact you label people "difficult" IS unconscious.  

At the moment you are unaware that you are the one who is also doing the judging, and so when you come up against "unconscious" or "difficult" people you are in a lose-lose dynamic with them.

There is no such thing as "unconscious" or "difficult" people perse.  Yes there are situations and behaviours that don't align with your values in certain moments.  But when you label something you're trying to take a moment and freeze it.

Maslow called this phenomena "rubricizing"

I think you misunderstand what I am saying. First I had difficult in quotes for a specific reason. It's another way of saying "so called". By difficult people I mean people that act with either a lot of aversion or ego; a good example is someone like Donald Trump. Or people who cut heads off and are members of ISIS.

There is nothing wrong with seeing things as they are, and responding accordingly.

I do not subscribe to moral and cultural relativism.

As for Tolle and the Buddha, they are exemplars.

[Guest]

@SkyPanther ISIS members are "difficult" people? Ok. Im happy with that 

[SkyPanther]

6 minutes ago, Nomad said:

@SkyPanther ISIS members are "difficult" people? Ok. Im happy with that 

Yes, the types of people you send Metta to. Ditto with Donald Trump. They are your teachers. If you have hate in your heart (or aversion) towards them, there is still work to do on your part. 

You can still acknowledged they are doing unskillful actions, (which is judgement) but you harbor no ill will towards them as people.

Edited March 20, 2016 by SkyPanther

[Guest]

@SkyPanther I apologise. I was assuming you were talking about everyday people who are difficult in your eyes. It may have been your wording "being around". So I assumed you were talking about people you come into contact with daily.

Unless you really work with politicians and Isis members then I apologise.

Yes loving kindness.

Edited March 20, 2016 by Nomad

[Guest]

@SkyPanther By the way. Do you really work in close proximinty with politicians and isis members? If you do then that makes you one lucky dude in my eyes. Talk about supercharged turbo enlightenment on tap!

[Rookie]

A couple of methods are outlined here:

http://actualized.org/blueprint/waking-daze

[SkyPanther]

16 minutes ago, Nomad said:

@SkyPanther By the way. Do you really work in close proximinty with politicians and isis members? If you do then that makes you one lucky dude in my eyes. Talk about supercharged turbo enlightenment on tap!

In politics, yes, and no. I work in a large corporation with a lot of politics that I stay away from and do not take sides unless I actually think the decision is a good one.

Around me people are usually nice; but with the 24 hour news cycle we are bombarded with "bad news", ISIS, Syria, democrats vs republicans, etc.. Fear driven news of people and places. Use these as your teachers. Instated of buying into the fear/despair/aversion. 

Edited March 20, 2016 by SkyPanther

[Guest]

@SkyPanther That must be a nightmare. Especially as you are a truth seeker (capital T) and don't subscribe to relativism.  Fair play to you, I couldn't do it that's for sure!

You must go home feeling like your head has been pounded with a baseball bat?

[SkyPanther]

20 minutes ago, Nomad said:

@SkyPanther That must be a nightmare. Especially as you are a truth seeker (capital T) and don't subscribe to relativism.  Fair play to you, I couldn't do it that's for sure!

You must go home feeling like your head has been pounded with a baseball bat?

No, I usually send Metta to people that I sense are trying to play political games, and give objective answers without being dismissive, etc.  Seeing it from their POV, and then trying to explain the other sides POV, the truth is usually someplace in between. 

I see it as people playing thier parts; "all the worlds a stage", I just refuse to take my queues from them in a reactionary way.  They may want me to pick a faction, or side, but I refuse by remaining an observer. That is unless action is required because it will actually be a good choice for the company, department or customer.

Edited March 20, 2016 by SkyPanther

[Guest]

boom

Edited March 20, 2016 by Nomad

[Guest]

19 minutes ago, SkyPanther said:

No, I usually send Metta to people that I sense are trying to play political games, and give objective answers without being dismissive, etc.  Seeing it from their POV, and then trying to explain the other sides POV, the truth is usually someplace in between. 

I see it as people playing thier parts; "all the worlds a stage", I just refuse to take my queues from them in a reactionary way.  They may want me to pick a faction, or side, but I refuse by remaining an observer. That is unless action is required because it will actually be a good choice for the company, department or customer.

 

42 minutes ago, SkyPanther said:

In politics, yes, and no. I work in a large corporation with a lot of politics that I stay away from and do not take sides unless I actually think the decision is a good one.

Around me people are usually nice; but with the 24 hour news cycle we are bombarded with "bad news", ISIS, Syria, democrats vs republicans, etc.. Fear driven news of people and places. Use these as your teachers. Instated of buying into the fear/despair/aversion. 

Thanks.  So you do mean ordinary people?