Switching Gears

[vizual]

It's a lovely sunny day today out here and I decided to take a nice drive in my convertible through the local hillside. While driving an analogy of personal development popped in my skull. When I first got into personal development what I thought it was all about putting the pedal to the metal, giving full gas to achieve my goals. But it never worked out, either I burned out physically or mentally(or both). Then after some recovery time the whole proces started all over again. Just grinding it out never got me anywhere.

When I really started making progress was when I was able to switch gears. When you go 40MPH in second gear your car will struggle a lot, the car will have a very high RPM. Now keep doing this, not only will you burn through your gas tank way faster, it's also a matter of time before you destroy the engine. Shift to third or fourth gear and you will be able to go 40MPH with barely any effort at all.

The danger is in thinking that putting the pedal to the metal is a constructive way to reach your goals. And in some sense, it definitely does work. If you go full gas in second gear you will undoubtedly go faster than when you just cruise in second gear. Just working your ass off will get you more external results than just cruising along. But again, you will ruin the engine if you keep that up that high RPM. It can also be very frustrating, when you are working your butt off to reach your goals only to see other people way more successful who barely seem to put in any effort at all.

How can it be that some people seem to have a lot of success without, seemingly, any effort at all? Why does succes just flow into their lives and not in mine? Because these people know how to switch gears. They know giving full gas will get you nowhere in the long run. They can go 120MPH without any effort because they know how to switch to fifth gear. The other cars who are stuck in second or third gear will look in amazement to this fast car, they will say the fast car has a better engine, better aerodynamics or whatever(genetics/talent excuse). But they have not realized they are also able to go just as fast as the fast car, they need to get their focus off of the gaspedal and switch to a higher gear.

You can struggle along all you want, as long as you stay in second gear you can only go as fast as how your second gear is tuned. Meaning, everyone who knows how to switch to third or fourth gear will blaze you by without a sweat.

 

So, how can I switch to a higher gear?
First realize that nothing you do with your conscious effort will get you into a higher gear. You trying to struggle, put in effort, exert yourself etc. will only result in upping the RPM of the engine. To switch gears you have to loosen the grip of your hands on the steering wheel, so you can reach for that stick. It's the ego that is keeping you in second gear, the ego is the gear. The ego does not mind to go full gas, the ego does not mind to suffer, but it does mind if you  try to go to third gear. Going to third gear means the ego has to let a part of himself go, a part of the ego has to die if you want to be able to switch to higher gears. You have to see that the ego is not a fixed entity, it's malleable. 

Here we get into the enlightenment/meditation territory. You have to watch the ego, watch the thoughts. You are not your thoughts, you are not the ego. Your thoughts arise in your head, but they are not your thoughts. There is no one who is thinking up the thoughts, the thoughts only arise and go. Only when you loosen the grip of the ego can you let parts of it go. You really don't have to be fully enlightened to reap the benefits of this, but you do have to get a taste of how the ego tricks you into keeping you right where you are. The only way to let go of the ego is to see through its trickery with awareness. 

Awareness is not only they key to enlightenment, it's also the key to a successful, joyful and happy life.

 

[charlie2dogs]

On 4/10/2016 at 9:20 AM, vizual said:

It's a lovely sunny day today out here and I decided to take a nice drive in my convertible through the local hillside. While driving an analogy of personal development popped in my skull. When I first got into personal development what I thought it was all about putting the pedal to the metal, giving full gas to achieve my goals. But it never worked out, either I burned out physically or mentally(or both). Then after some recovery time the whole proces started all over again. Just grinding it out never got me anywhere.

When I really started making progress was when I was able to switch gears. When you go 40MPH in second gear your car will struggle a lot, the car will have a very high RPM. Now keep doing this, not only will you burn through your gas tank way faster, it's also a matter of time before you destroy the engine. Shift to third or fourth gear and you will be able to go 40MPH with barely any effort at all.

The danger is in thinking that putting the pedal to the metal is a constructive way to reach your goals. And in some sense, it definitely does work. If you go full gas in second gear you will undoubtedly go faster than when you just cruise in second gear. Just working your ass off will get you more external results than just cruising along. But again, you will ruin the engine if you keep that up that high RPM. It can also be very frustrating, when you are working your butt off to reach your goals only to see other people way more successful who barely seem to put in any effort at all.

How can it be that some people seem to have a lot of success without, seemingly, any effort at all? Why does succes just flow into their lives and not in mine? Because these people know how to switch gears. They know giving full gas will get you nowhere in the long run. They can go 120MPH without any effort because they know how to switch to fifth gear. The other cars who are stuck in second or third gear will look in amazement to this fast car, they will say the fast car has a better engine, better aerodynamics or whatever(genetics/talent excuse). But they have not realized they are also able to go just as fast as the fast car, they need to get their focus off of the gaspedal and switch to a higher gear.

You can struggle along all you want, as long as you stay in second gear you can only go as fast as how your second gear is tuned. Meaning, everyone who knows how to switch to third or fourth gear will blaze you by without a sweat.

 

So, how can I switch to a higher gear?
First realize that nothing you do with your conscious effort will get you into a higher gear. You trying to struggle, put in effort, exert yourself etc. will only result in upping the RPM of the engine. To switch gears you have to loosen the grip of your hands on the steering wheel, so you can reach for that stick. It's the ego that is keeping you in second gear, the ego is the gear. The ego does not mind to go full gas, the ego does not mind to suffer, but it does mind if you  try to go to third gear. Going to third gear means the ego has to let a part of himself go, a part of the ego has to die if you want to be able to switch to higher gears. You have to see that the ego is not a fixed entity, it's malleable. 

Here we get into the enlightenment/meditation territory. You have to watch the ego, watch the thoughts. You are not your thoughts, you are not the ego. Your thoughts arise in your head, but they are not your thoughts. There is no one who is thinking up the thoughts, the thoughts only arise and go. Only when you loosen the grip of the ego can you let parts of it go. You really don't have to be fully enlightened to reap the benefits of this, but you do have to get a taste of how the ego tricks you into keeping you right where you are. The only way to let go of the ego is to see through its trickery with awareness. 

Awareness is not only they key to enlightenment, it's also the key to a successful, joyful and happy life.

 

I have noticed in life that most people are running to and fro from one thing to another trying to find something they dont understand.  They try this method and that method until one day those who do awaken finally realize the answer isnt out there, it is inside of themselves.   You try to point them to this but they cant hear, they keep looking for a new method, new school of thought, new spiritual practice but none of it works.  Really its not about enlightenment, that is just a term that means nothing once awakened.  The identity cannot overcome its ego, its desires of the flesh, its impossible, trying to find enlightenment from the identity, it will not bear fruit.  I dont even care for the term enlightenment, it has been butchered until it means nothing.  The only way to liberation can only be had by experiencing the core of your own being, consciousness, it is responsible for the creation of the body you now inhabit, and this little play called life. 

(In order to become liberated from the identity, ego, desires of the flesh is to be able to be in the space of consciousness, and allow consciousness to do the cleansing for you, it will happen, it is automatic, when you occupy the space of your core being).  This is the way, the only way to liberation.  I know you have heard that there are many ways to get there, that is an illusion, that was never true.  If you can grasp this one preceding statement and live that, its game over.  Live as a being of consciousness, that statement in itself wont mean anything to anyone until you have the experience of being a being of consciousness, it is only then that one understands, has the knowledge, and the experience.  You can talk about something but you cant know or understand until you own it.

[Argue]

I'd be hella grateful to drive a convertible on a nice sunny day on the hilly roads. This whole awareness thing is so challenging. I'm aware of what I need to do but I don't do it. I don't know what it is? Is it the neuro pathways in my brain that's conditioned to follow the same bad routines/habits I developed for myself? The brain is a magnificent piece of intelligence, I'm just peeved I stay stuck on second gear. My engine is shot, the tranny sucks, and I have less than a quarter tank. As we speak, I'm pissing away my time watching DBZ on YouTube. Not meditating or reading. Just living life on default. Hmm.. Great stuff.  

[Electron]

@Argue I transition to that state from time to time. In this stuck-state, I noticed that the things that I do are not really planned or thought about but instead just practiced out of a whim. And these states occur mostly to me at the times of confusion and lack of clarity. What you are being through is a result of vagueness. This results in a sort of slavery to the emotions and sensual pleasures and accompanies a lot of escapism. The only thing that gets me out of this anesthetic state is when I get back my clarity. When I know what I have to do right now and how to do it and I am pretty certain about it.

[Argue]

@Electron very interesting. Never saw it that way. We share the same state. How do I get out of confusion and lack of clarity? How to win back "clarity"?  What worked for you? Sometimes I know I have to do something and I'm certain about it but I still lack the "drive" to commence in action. I blame the bad habits I developed. 

[JevinR]

Lol, you easily could've made up this story in your head. You probably don't even have a car, you just made up some random bullsht just for the analogy.

[nbolt]

This is a great analogy 

[Electron]

@Argue First thing is intention, But you might have already seen that even though you are pretty inclined towards certain things you don't actually do them. And the reason being that the emotion you attach to an imagination of you ,practicing that thing, is something that you despise. And you can't do for real what you can't do in your head first and like it. Ergo, if you try to imagine yourself doing that thing and tell yourself that you actually love doing that thing, it might become way easier to go out and actually do it. The thing is to actually reinforce authentic love for that practice, and for that its helpful to have your reasons as to why you love doing that thing ( even before you have actually done it), you can get enough reasons by studying books on the subject. 

Edited April 14, 2016 by Electron

[Argue]

2 minutes ago, Electron said:

@Argue First thing is intention, But you might have already seen that even though you are pretty inclined towards certain things you don't actually do them. And the reason being that the emotion you attach to an imagination of you ,practicing that thing, is something that you despise. And you can't do for real what you can't do in your head first. Ergo, if you try to imagine yourself doing that thing and tell yourself that you actually love doing that thing, it might become way easier to go out and actually do it. The thing is to actually reinforce authentic love for that practice, and for that its helpful to have your reasons as to why you love doing that thing ( even before you have actually done it), you can get enough reasons by studying books on the subject. 

This is amazing. Pretty scary because it's like how do you know me? Lol

Loving the insights here, it's straight to the point. Gonna keep this in mind and contemplate. Thanks @Electron Stay awesome!  

[nbolt]

@Electron is on point today!

[Electron]

@Neill What do you mean today? jk

Edited April 14, 2016 by Electron

[charlie2dogs]

6 hours ago, Argue said:

I'd be hella grateful to drive a convertible on a nice sunny day on the hilly roads. This whole awareness thing is so challenging. I'm aware of what I need to do but I don't do it. I don't know what it is? Is it the neuro pathways in my brain that's conditioned to follow the same bad routines/habits I developed for myself? The brain is a magnificent piece of intelligence, I'm just peeved I stay stuck on second gear. My engine is shot, the tranny sucks, and I have less than a quarter tank. As we speak, I'm pissing away my time watching DBZ on YouTube. Not meditating or reading. Just living life on default. Hmm.. Great stuff.  

 you are simply stuck in the identity, you think you know what to do and you arent doing it but in reality you dont know what to do, because if you really knew what to do you would be in a position to do it and you would have a desire to do it.  In simple terms you are playing this game of life from the identity, wishing you had a convertible to drive on a nice sunny day on hilly roads.