Personalized Guidance Thread

[d0ornokey]

Can I go next

[mandyjw]

Sure! You can choose to answer the following questions I asked the others, or ask a particular question if you'd prefer. 

What are your biggest pain points in life, and which are your greatest strengths in spirituality?

Which thoughts or feelings that don't feel good are most repetitive in your experience?

What do you currently do for spiritual practices?

[seeking_brilliance]

@mandyjw thank you so much for all your help so far! I am leaving today for two weeks, and won't be able to respond much. I'll update my meditation journal when I can. 

I already feel so much better being able to talk to you about work, and I'm not sure what kind of guidance I will need when I get back, except for the encouragement to continue meditating and building spiritual practices. I think when I get back I shouldn't take a full spot as a student, but I'd love to see you continue this and help others.  If the thread is dead after two weeks I'll revive it just to let you know I'm back and perhaps I'll have some insights on this trip that I'd like to share.  

Thank you for everything and for putting yourself out there for us.  Sometimes we just need someone to talk to, even if at the end of the day we are just talking to ourselves ? (it's funny how that can be interpreted with nondual and without.) 

[seeking_brilliance]

@mandyjw  

Hi, checking in real quick. Wow what a trip! I have four days left but it has really been a blessing. Although it's been almost equally stressful as it has been relaxing ?

I kind of haven't been meditating. There's been very little down time and almost zero alone time. And yeah I know one should be able to practice it anytime, anywhere, but whatever. I have the rest of my life to practice and I just want to be in pure experience mode here for as long as I can. (I suppose in a way that's a form of meditation) I look forward to your encouragement to continue when I return home. 

I just wanted to share this... its probably nothing but it felt significant..  A few nights ago I had a semi-lucid dream and came upon a female who said something to me which felt prophetic. I can't explain what that means to 'feel prophetic' but I think you understand. She said 'the diamond will be beautiful (or polished) at 50 (years).'  I can't 100% remember if she said the word years so I put that in parentheses. But even in the dream that's exactly what I understood her to be saying.  Later I met her again and she said she believes in me and that the important thing is to believe in myself. I know how cliche that sounds but it was said with so much emphasis and love.  I know it could just be subconscious dream-vomit but I thought you might like it.  

 

Edited September 4, 2019 by seeking_brilliance

[mandyjw]

@seeking_brilliance Glad to hear from you! 

You know that "pure experience mode" is true mediation right?  Travel is it's own kind of meditation, for sure. 

As for dreams all dreams are important, but if it feels significant it is significant. I really like hearing them, the last one you shared in your journal about the woman carrying something was really meaningful to me. Sometimes we can't always know their real meaning until much later. 

[seeking_brilliance]

@mandyjw just a quick post - trip observation. I was very naive to think this trip would 'fix' me. I expected (first problem) to return refreshed, unwound, and anxiety free. Well the reality is my mind was refreshed but my body in pure exhaustion. I had two days of rest before returning to work, and one of those I spent in bed because I felt ill. (exhaustion)... I succumbed to anxiety and anger at work and got really disappointed in myself and in the trip. I joked that I wish I had my money back. Huge ego backlash. 

Today was my last day of the week I'm finally seeing that I was basically asking for this huge change and no work.  For free. But the trip was not supposed to do these things for me. That was never going to happen, and expecting it to is so laughable. I could only come back as the same person, relatively (because paradoxically I'm a different person by the second). What the trip accomplished for me was a refreshed mind, new perspective, and the energy to take on difficulties with more confidence. That's all I needed anyway.  Sharpened tools to do the work more efficiently.  Unfortunately the week of whining has masked these truths of the matter. 

I also have finally broken my habitual need to smoke at work, something I haven't been able to do for years. I suffered a huge nicotine attack yesterday that lasted for at least 2 hours. I was a bitch for sure but I didn't give in!  No attack today although still dealing with other anxiety related issues. 

[mandyjw]

I went on a short trip four day trip this summer and it completely wiped me out energetically. Trips are funny that way, we often get something completely different out of them than we expected. You're doing amazing. Really, really. Ego backlash is a sign of great progress. Make sure to take the time to appreciate the progress that you've made. 

Also make sure to add in times for breaks, reading a funny website, making it a point to do something (fairly healthy) that lifts your mood. That's really important when we're trying to break habits, make big changes and are running into ego backlash. It helps to sit down and make a list of things that lift your mood and pick one from the list to do at regular intervals, at least once a day. 

[Mada_]

Hello! I'd love to go next

[Sahil Pandit]

Hello @mandyjw 

[mandyjw]

@Mada_ Sure! Any questions in particular? Otherwise answer these if you would please. 

 

What is your age, gender, how did you find Leo's videos? 

What are your biggest pain points in life, and which are your greatest strengths in spirituality?

Which thoughts or feelings that don't feel good are most repetitive in your experience?

What do you currently do for spiritual practices? What are you working toward in life, or what is your greatest vision or goal?