Has anyone read The Path Of Least Resistance by Robert Fritz?

[fopylo]

I must say that this is one of the most eye opening books I've ever read, like EVER. Seriously this book goes in depth about our structural orientation in life. Talks a lot about the difference between the reactive-responsive orientation and the creative orientation.

Anyway he talks about the importance of focusing on what you want, or at least, be true to yourself about what you want and know that. He says that at any given moment you could answer the question "What do I want?" Now the problem that many people face is trying to find the "What" in "What do I want", by trying to look deep inside them, trying to search deep within their soul. This process doesn't work since you're essentially trying to solve a problem, trying to eliminate your barriers. The author says that the way you find your what is that you simply make it up. You simply make up what you want. This notion can be quite unusual, and I still find it hard to 'make up' what I want and still have the tendency to try to search deep inside.

For anyone with a very good understanding on this matter, I'd like to understand what he meant, and it would be even better if you had read that book

[fopylo]

@Nahm Even though you haven't read the book I know that your understanding on this is great.

Perhaps you could help me with the question of how do I find what I want? (and maybe you could add some wisdom of why it's important to know and note what you want...) thanks

[Nahm]

27 minutes ago, fopylo said:

Perhaps you could help me with the question of how do I find what I want?

Make a dreamboard. 

27 minutes ago, fopylo said:

(and maybe you could add some wisdom of why it's important to know and note what you want...) thanks

It’s not important. That’s the wisdom. 

[fopylo]

9 minutes ago, Nahm said:

Make a dreamboard.

@Nahm
And in it I just write anything that pops to mind that I want... But what if it's just a quick thought of something I want for this moment which then goes away in seconds? And what if it's a long term goal? What if it is something I want out of jealousy? What if it involves other?

What is the criteria?

9 minutes ago, Nahm said:

It’s not important. That’s the wisdom

So then how could a dream bored help me in my life?

Edited December 11, 2021 by fopylo

[Nahm]

1 hour ago, fopylo said:

@Nahm
And in it I just write anything that pops to mind that I want...

Yes.

But not in it, on it. Use a dry erase board, not a screen. If you want it in your phone, portable, take a picture of the board. Make a note / place, to jot down whatever arises and capture it using a phone or whatever, but then when you get home write it on the board. 

1 hour ago, fopylo said:

But what if it's just a quick thought of something I want for this moment which then goes away in seconds?

Don’t be picky on how it comes.  Just write it.  

1 hour ago, fopylo said:

And what if it's a long term goal?

Just write it. 

1 hour ago, fopylo said:

What if it is something I want out of jealousy?

Perfect use of emotional understanding!  And just write it. 

1 hour ago, fopylo said:

What if it involves other?

Write what you want, understand & respect you are not attracting for anyone else. They can create a dreamboard too. 

1 hour ago, fopylo said:

What is the criteria?

Not sure what you’re asking there. 

1 hour ago, fopylo said:

So then how could a dream bored help me in my life?

Create one and find out bruthah!

[fopylo]

1 hour ago, Nahm said:

But not in it, on it. Use a dry erase board, not a screen. If you want it in your phone, portable, take a picture of the board. Make a note / place, to jot down whatever arises and capture it using a phone or whatever, but then when you get home write it on the board. 

@Nahm

I'm leaving tomorrow to camp for another 2 weeks. I don't have a dry erase board at home. All I'm taking with me is my phone, although I still have a pen with me and I believe I could easily find a piece of paper. So what now?

1 hour ago, Nahm said:

Perfect use of emotional understanding!  And just write it. 

Oh, I get it. So to just write down anything I want regardless of the emotion I'm experiencing (meaning, without it having to necessary be the emotion of positive belief). Should I write each time "I want ___"?

1 hour ago, Nahm said:

Create one and find out bruthah!

I have a speculation (I'll anyways try it out):

Since I'm becoming more aware of what I want, I'll develop an instinct for knowing what I want, and I'll therefore be more clear, decisive, and truthful to myself.

Since the focus is on "what I want" I may develop greater emotional understanding depending on what I want.

I'll try not to think about it much though

[Nahm]

4 minutes ago, fopylo said:

I'm leaving tomorrow to camp for another 2 weeks. I don't have a dry erase board at home. All I'm taking with me is my phone, although I still have a pen with me and I believe I could easily find a piece of paper. So what now?

Don’t sweat the small stuff man, that’ll do. The universe isn’t picky on this at all. Nahm’s picky. 

5 minutes ago, fopylo said:

Oh, I get it. So to just write down anything I want regardless of the emotion I'm experiencing (meaning, without it having to necessary be the emotion of positive belief).

It’s like you’ve been practicing (understanding the emotional scale & expressing) and now you’re getting in the game (dreamboard). 

Step 1: Write what you want. 

That’s it. Until you’ve done step 1, there is no need to think beyond it.  Just be here now and enjoy the presence-feeling (The Natural ) while you are writing what you want. Even when step 2 time comes, there’s no need to think then either. So just settle into this no need to think situation. Relax. Enjoy your life. Be present with what & who’s around. Enjoy God damnit!!! Enjoy!!!!

12 minutes ago, fopylo said:

Should I write each time "I want ___"?

No. Then you’d be stating you want wanting. Just write the thingy. Thoughts will naturally pop up about the thingy. Like if it’s ‘girlfriend’, just write ‘a girlfriend’. Then what thought which are more specific pop up, write that under ‘a girlfriend’. Whatever you want, but hypothetical examples might be blonde, funny, likes to dance, collects Star Wars figures, speaks Mandarin, etc. Whatever you want. No need to think about it. The thoughts will just pop up. Relax, enjoy, and see. 

17 minutes ago, fopylo said:

I have a speculation (I'll anyways try it out):

Since I'm becoming more aware of what I want, I'll develop an instinct for knowing what I want, and I'll therefore be more clear, decisive, and truthful to myself.

Since the focus is on "what I want" I may develop greater emotional understanding depending on what I want.

I'll try not to think about it much though

Too late!

jk. Just relax and have some fun with whatever’s happnin. The universe is unbelievably cool and unthinkably smart. You don’t need to think on it’s behalf so to speak. You’re like the guest, you’re in the front row seat of life, you’re the recipient, the present is just for you - so again, enjoy it God damn it!!

 

 

[fopylo]

@Nahm

4 hours ago, Nahm said:

Don’t sweat the small stuff man, that’ll do. The universe isn’t picky on this at all. Nahm’s picky.

But you do suggest I write it by hand (pen & paper) rather than on a note on my phone, right?

4 hours ago, Nahm said:

and now you’re getting in the game (dreamboard).

What do you mean??

4 hours ago, Nahm said:

but hypothetical examples might be blonde, funny, likes to dance, collects Star Wars figures, speaks Mandarin, etc.

What if I write something specific but then after a few minutes change my mind?
Also, instead of 'a girlfriend' could I just write 'girlfriend'?

[Nahm]

6 hours ago, fopylo said:

But you do suggest I write it by hand (pen & paper) rather than on a note on my phone, right?

Yes, in lieu of a dry erase board. No biggie though. 

6 hours ago, fopylo said:

What do you mean??

The emotional scale & the dreamboard will continue to make more & more sense together as you go. That’s all I meant. 

6 hours ago, fopylo said:

What if I write something specific but then after a few minutes change my mind?

Then erase it, and write the new thing. 

6 hours ago, fopylo said:

Also, instead of 'a girlfriend' could I just write 'girlfriend'?

Yes. You can write whatever you want. ?

[Guest EmptyVase]

@fopylo

I once used the sand at the beach as my dreamboard. The wave flushed away what I wrote on the wet sand within seconds. Doesn't matter though.

[fopylo]

2 hours ago, Nahm said:

13 hours ago, Nahm said:

16 hours ago, Nahm said:

@Nahm

16 hours ago, Nahm said:

16 hours ago, Nahm said:

@Nahm

2 hours ago, Nahm said:

Then erase it, and write the new thing. 

The thing is that wants change over time, so since the dreamboard is always next to me and I can see everything I wrote, should I erase the wants I no longer want?@EmptyVase

 

1 hour ago, EmptyVase said:

I once used the sand at the beach as my dreamboard. The wave flushed away what I wrote on the wet sand within seconds. Doesn't matter though.

Then what was the fucking point lol. Aren't you supposed to keep your dream board?

[Nahm]

11 minutes ago, fopylo said:

The thing is that wants change over time, so since the dreamboard is always next to me and I can see everything I wrote, should I erase the wants I no longer want?

Yeah.

11 minutes ago, fopylo said:

Then what was the fucking point lol. Aren't you supposed to keep your dream board?

That what you write manifests and is experienced in reality. Could take his comment as - bruh, let some thoughts go for God’s sake. But that’s just my opinion. 

I say again - relax & enjoy your God damned life!

[Guest EmptyVase]

1 hour ago, fopylo said:

Then what was the fucking point lol. Aren't you supposed to keep your dream board?

For me, personally, it was about the joy of writing it down at that moment. Doesn't matter whether it gets flushed away, as long as it is in the heart. The point is simply appreciation of the moment and having a light heart. Felt so good to breathe in the fresh breeze of the ocean.

[roopepa]

2 hours ago, fopylo said:

The thing is that wants change over time, so since the dreamboard is always next to me and I can see everything I wrote, should I erase the wants I no longer want?

In my experience, the erasing what you no longer desire and adding new ones, is part of the play. Sometimes I may erase everything, and start again with a blank board. It feels purifying and clarifying.

Write anything you want. And feel free to erase when you no longer want something there. The dreamboard is your happy place. No logic, no function, no "how it works". Only fun, beauty and happiness. Holon of your dreams.

[Yidaki]

I read it. Excellent book: Here I share the notes I took while reading it

 

The path of least resistance
by Robert Fritz

• Structure creates behavior
• instead of asking "How do I get this unwanted
situation to go away?" you might ask, "What structures should
I adopt to create the results I want to create?"

• Responsive - Reactive Orientataions : both are based on the assumption that circumstances are the driving force.


"In talking about the reactive-responsive orientation, I call cir-
cumstantial stimuli any stimuli, external or internal, that seem
to force people to take action."

Problem Solving: is to have something go away
Creation: es to have something come into being
They are not and cannot be the same

"The path of least resistance in problem solving is to move
from worse to better and then from better to worse again. This
is because the actions taken are generated by the problem. If
the intensity of the problem is lessened by the actions you took,
there is less motivation to take further actions."

The problem
LEADS TO
action to solve the problem
LEADS TO
less intensity of the problem
LEADS TO
less aetimt to solve the problem
LEADS TO
the problem remaining

• "The inventiveness of the creative process does not come from generating alternatives but from generating a path from the original concept of what you want to create to the final creation of it in reality"
• Aliviar enfermedad no es lo mismo que generar salud
 

The creative process

steps:

1- Conceive the result
2- Know what currently exists
3- Take Action
4- Learn the rhythms of the creative process: germinatio, assimilation and completion.
5- Creating Momentum
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*THE PROCESS (how) SHOULD ALWAYS SERVE THE RESULT (what)

•TENSION / RESOLUTION : example questions and answers or rubber bands
• STRUCTURAL CONFLICT: a resolution in one system leads to increase tension in another -- example diet and hunger or the belief in conflict with the desire to get what you want.
• Structural conflict may be defined as two or more tension-resolution systems in which the points of resolution are mutually exclusive
• creating is not a solution to structural conflict
• creation does not oscillate

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When you are in a situation of structural conflict, you may tend to compensate by:
- being in an area of tolerable conflict
- CONFLICT MANIPULATION STRATEGY: WIDELY USED. “i DON'T WANT THAT SO i DO THE OPPOSITE”, BUT IT DOESN'T ALLOW GROWTH.
 

Structural Tension

The discrepancy between what you want and what
you currently have forms the most important structure in the
creative process, that of structural tension.
 

The Vision

Only needs to be clear enough that you would recognize it if you created it.
A Concept is less specific than the vision, even when the vision is also a concept.
For example, you can have a CONCEPT of a house in terms of budget, location and general characteristics, which can be many. That will allow the formation of a VISION, which is ONE.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

The Creative Cycle

 

• 3 stages: germination, assimilation and completion.

Making Choices is a skills that needs to be trained.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Instead of choosing to create what they want, some people
choose to avoid what they don't want Instead of choosing
health, some people choose the absence of sickness."


@x.ex. Am I looking for abundance or avoiding scarcity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The more entrenched the problem seems, the harder it may
be to separate what you want from what you do not want or
from what you think is possible.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Primary choice → about major results. about a result you want in and of itself. (end goal)
Secondary choice → is a choice that helps you take a step toward your primary result.
Fundamental Choice : has to do with a state of being or basic life orientation. Is a foundation upon which primary and secondary choices rest.
The fundamental choices for most people are the choices to
be free, to be healthy, and to be true to oneself.
To be whole, healthy, free, and true to themselves. To live up to your highest potential. To be the predominant creative force in your own life. To live in accordance with your highest spiritual truths. To live from within a commited relationship.
A primary choice is about concrete results, whereas a funda-
mental choice is about life orientation or a state of being.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About satisfaction:
"In the reactive-responsive orientation, people look to the
circumstances to provide them with satisfaction. They are in-
evitably disappointed, because circumstances themselves do not
provide satisfaction.
In the orientation of the creative, you create your own satis-
faction, independent of the circumstances. Then you bring sat-
isfaction to those circumstances in which you are involved." (Page 191).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pivotal Technique

Step 1: is to describe current reality.
To create structural tension, it is necessary to have a
clear representation only of the facts of current reality; theo-
ries, explanations, apologies, and other embellishments of the
facts are not necessary.
Step 2 is to describe the result you want to create.
Step 3 is formally to choose the result you want to create.
I choose to...
Step 4 is to move on...
Take action on the vision you articulated

And another example:
Step 1: "The children demand more of my atten-
tion than I want to give them. I find I react nega-
tively to them after a few hours. I feel trapped. I
haven't had a good conversation with an adult for
weeks. I love the children, but I am beginning to
express hostility toward them rather than love."
Step 2: "I want to have a good relationship with
'my children. I want the children well cared for. I
also want time for myself. I want a full, rich life
filled with many types of experiences."
Step 3: "I choose to have a good relationship
with my children. I choose to have the children
well cared for. I choose to have time for myself. I
choose to have a full, rich life filled with many
types of experiences."
Step 4: Move on, perhaps by reading a book, call-
ing a day-care center, playing with the children,
or phoning a friend.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"This alignment with yourself will not come from at-
tempting to "solve your problems" but from creating what most
matters to you." P.261
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"you cannot create the result you want based on a misrepresentation of current circumstances."
The more directly and faster you can recognize reality, as it
now is, the better."
 

Edited February 9, 2022 by Yidaki

[itachi uchiha]

I highly recommend that book.its in my top 10 productivity book