What spiritual work would be good to start with as a teen?

[Ampresus]

Hello everyone. Since I joined this forum, I noticed many times that people are on their way to enlightenment because they aren't truly happy. They heard Leo talk about enlightenment and the next thing they do is trying it out. 

My first question is if your lives are really terrible? Like, can you describe me the feeling of missing the happiness in your life? All I heard is that it is the result of working too hard and not listening to your body and emotions. 

Second question: what would you advice to do as a teen, to avoid this kind of pain? If you are on your way to enlightenment and you got the choice to go back in time and fix some things to make your path easier, what would it be? I know that meditating early in your life is a good thing. What else have you guys got for me? In case you couldn't make this up, I am a teen who wants to know what he can do to avoid this kind of suffering.  

[Saumaya]

1 minute ago, Ampresus said:

My first question is if your lives are really terrible? Like, can you describe me the feeling of missing the happiness in your life? All I heard is that it is the result of working too hard and not listening to your body and emotions. 

Its not really that life is terrible. If someone has depression or anxiety, they should do therapy rather than pursue enlightenment. When your realise that your whole existence is false, its more like pursuing enlightenment becomes a must, not a should

3 minutes ago, Ampresus said:

Second question: what would you advice to do as a teen, to avoid this kind of pain? If you are on your way to enlightenment and you got the choice to go back in time and fix some things to make your path easier, what would it be?

Read psychology and philosophy, it gives a good big picture of things. Other than that, meditation is aways a good starting practice. Disidentifying with thoughts and mindfullness.

[Adam M]

@Ampresus I'm 18. Here is what I would have done different.

 

Less video games

Less smoking weed with degenerate friends.

Less porn.

 

More reading about anything that interests you in the self help field (you can start on Leo's book list)

More effort developing my social skills especially with girls.

More focus on more productive hobbies such as playing an intrument or learning Adobe photoshop.

 

Your life is terrible too compared to what is possible with self-actualization work. 

Meditate every day for 20 minutes. ACTUALLY FKN DO IT.

[Jack River]

Understanding the many ways we react to fear. self understanding. 

[Ampresus]

18 minutes ago, Adam M said:

Less video games

Less smoking weed with degenerate friends.

Less porn.

 

More reading about anything that interests you in the self help field (you can start on Leo's book list)

More effort developing my social skills especially with girls.

More focus on more productive hobbies such as playing an intrument or learning Adobe photoshop.

 

Your life is terrible too compared to what is possible with self-actualization work. 

Meditate every day for 20 minutes. ACTUALLY FKN DO IT.

@Adam M
- Check

- Check

- Still gotta work on that



- Already begun

- Already begun (I will merge this one together with reading books about dating/social skills)

- I don't have any as far as I know, since starting a booklist I found a book about hacking. I might wanna try that

I already meditate 20 mins a day. I have acknowledged the importance of meditation since I was 13. 

[Joseph Maynor]

I look back to what I was doing as a teen.  I think one of the best personal development things to do as a teen is be one of the people who want to go to college.  Be one of the people who want to make a future for themselves.  Be one of the people who wants to have money and be well put together later in life.  Start exercising in some way, whether it's weightlifting, martial arts, etc.  Turn the TV off and read.  I had this crappy black and white TV when I was a teen, so I would read instead, which I think really benefited me.  Finally, develop some interests.  When I was a teenager I used to love working on cars and I would repair my own car and all my friends' cars too.  This was back in the day where you could actually repair your own car.  But the point is I had interests.  Be one of the people that actually does good in school.  I mean, you get good grades.  Don't kiss ass to get good grades.  But earn the grades through your own diligent work.  

Edited October 20, 2018 by Joseph Maynor

[AlwaysBeNice]

Cherish the friends you have, years of bonding with people in a classroom for example is a rare opportunity actually, and when people get older they tend to be more busy with work/relationship/kids.

Be as honest as you can. Don't take things personally. Experiment with others and yourself in a loving spontaneous way.

-

Spiritually: understand now that trying to understand anything is futile, it's not about that at all, it's about letting go of attachment of identity (done in openness and stillness/meditation) and living in appreciation of mystery. Understanding this can save you years of reading and trying to figure out, some spend their whole life trying to look smart.

Learn to know God as your ally, use prayer, experiment with it, be open and know there is no authority or judgement involved because it's you.

 

[Ampresus]

1 hour ago, AlwaysBeNice said:

Spiritually: understand now that trying to understand anything is futile, it's not about that at all, it's about letting go of attachment of identity (done in openness and stillness/meditation) and living in appreciation of mystery. Understanding this can save you years of reading and trying to figure out, some spend their whole life trying to look smart.

Learn to know God as your ally, use prayer, experiment with it, be open and know there is no authority or judgement involved because it's you.

1. Will meditation help me let go of attachment of identity and living in appereciation of mystery?
2. I used to do prayers because I was heavily muslim, I replaced it completely with meditation. I tried using the schedule muslims use for prayers as a schedule for meditation, but I guess I was too lazy to finish it. 

[AlwaysBeNice]

Yes I said that. That's good, and good luck with your path in such an environment.

I meant prayer as in combining it with listening, using it to learn things (see what happens combination with dreams/synchronicity), guidance things you want to explore or just help etc. by the way. Not really in the original sense of let me prove myself to a God out there in case that wasn't clear.