Damien

@herghly I came across a guide on writing essays that Jordan Peterson made for his student. ( https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://jordanbpeterson.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Essay_Writing_Guide.docx ) I don't know what your background is but it gave me many rules and actionable processes on how to improve the quality of my writing and it did. I wouldn't follow Peterson's advice on postmodernism or politics but he is with no doubt a better writer than most of us.

@Amy Irene Here are a few places I have met some self-actualizing fellows: debate club, hitchhiking association, Wim Hof training, yoga class, people transitioning out of extreme athletic practices into the spiritual, psychedelic retreats, vipassana retreats and meetup group, stage yellow conferences (psychedelics, integral theory, energy fields), survival training in the wild. The common thread is that people taking part in these activities are willing to grow and learn. I also share what I am up to with my friends and acquaintances. Over the year many people I already knew blossomed into a new stage and grew closer to me when they, for example, got interested in fasting or psychedelics. This always feels like a wink from the universe. I hope this inspires you in your search.

@pluto Much appreciation on such a detailed description of your journey. Thank you for the inspiration ??

@pluto Thanks for sharing. I had never heard of this outside of jokes. What a fascinating discovery. Did you first start with some fasting and then came to realize that you could integrate that completely in your lifestyle or is this very different? Hard to wrap my mind around what kind of energy level one has with such practices. Great share!

Something great could happen if Akira the Don got interested in Leo's work. A few examples of his work below. In a surprising way, the music intricately melted in the original speech gives this sound quality that reminds me of why good public speakers are rhythmical and varying in pitch. The whole becomes kinda pre-contemplated and gets into me at a deeper level than some "dryer" content. A bit like comic books. It has a musical kind of persuasion. We can definitely ping at Akira on social networks. And get some Actualized videos his way. And even if we don't. The McKenna, Allan Watts, David Foster Wallace, Jocko Willink and Scott Adams track are phenomenal. This one album combines well with tripping. An alternative and poetic explanation of how we have partially constrained Gods probing God forgetting that we are like our hand stroking our body.

@Bridge to Infinity On a more practical level, I started using a plugin on chrome for all the websites I don't want to spend too much time on (20 min a day in my case) then they are completely blocked for the next 24 hours. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/stayfocusd/laankejkbhbdhmipfmgcngdelahlfoji?hl=en I also ran across an interview from Cal Newport on impact theory about digital minimalism and being more selective about what we allow in our life. You can watch it on Youtube or podcast.

Lovely people, I just underwent reconstructive surgery for my ACL and meniscus. I was able to follow the intervention on a screen. I quickly realized how much particles of old ligament and bone fragment due to the drilling were left in my knee cap. Furthermore, my bones need to heal, my meniscus needs to heal and the new graft needs to re-vascularize. I am looking for any additional techniques or resources that could help me encourage the healing process in my knee. Merci

Thanks to everyone for posting your vision boards. I made my own little adaptation including my daily tasks. I also added my friends and family on the left, achievements I am proud of on top, mentor and examples in the middle, vision board on the top right corner and vision of hell on the bottom right corner. I found this extremely helpful to overcome a recent depressive episode.

-Having "nothing to do" -When things don't go as planed -People's worldview -Being alone

I remember a video in which Leo said something about expectations and meditations. If you expect meditation to be soothing and calming, you will have a terrible time doing it and quit. If you expect motivation to be difficult work. Your odds of getting through are higher. Another point I heard Mark Divine (seal commmander) talk extensively about is: whenever put under stress, you don't rise up to the challenge, you fall back to the level of your training. Linking these two points together allowed me to beat my motivation problem. First I removed the wiggle room that opportunities and choice give you by embedding everything that is crucial to my day in an uninterrupted morning ritual. Doing this I don't have to be motivated or be high consciousness or anything. I assume that I will be shit at following through and strategically removed the option for me to not do it. A second strategy that I find relatively useful is the one propose by Mel Robbins (the 5 second rule) @ 5:57 I hope this is of some help to you

I find grammar to be a hidden in plain sight thing that we never reconsider. It is quite funny how in most languages we use of subject verb complement structure. This embedded duality of a subject doing something or having something happening to it and then there is a complement on the receiving end of the stick. The quality of the interaction between the two being described by a verb. One of my first encounter with the paradigm of language was when someone from Japan was trying to tell me about the "umami" taste. In Japan the same four taste as in western cultures are used (salt, sugar, bitter and acidic) but they have a 5th one (umami). It would translate to tasty or savory. My friend trying to tell me about it was just like Leo trying to tell us about enlightenment, zero frame of reference on my side. This situation highlighted the arbitrary taxonomy that language is. Because unlike enlightenment I probably tasted "umami" in my life, I just never thought of taste in that way and wouldn't classify it as umami. Languages obviously have their limitation but I find them to be surprisingly powerful. It's crazy in my opinion that when I say "red" most people tend to agree on what it is. Even though we have no way of being sure that what we are experiencing is in any way similar.

@aidschism You said you don't know where to start. What about you go to all highs schools/university/social center in your area and tell your story? This would definitely allow you to capitalize on your experience and help others. Just hearing your story at the right time could easily save some kids from going down that path. I think that helping others is the best way to help yourself. I am sure that would help you go in the right direction and who knows, if you like it it could become your job. Much love

Great work ! I have been drawn to similar practices as you do. I stumbled a year ago on Ido Portal, he is able to generate some amazing results. In the highly unlikely case that you dont know him check him out.

@Menko From reading your post it seems that you are at a Crossroad. I have no experience with depression so I can not comment on that. What struck me while reading your post is the following, you seem to have a very short term view on professional life. We are 22. This the spring of our lives. So what if you have to spend a few years doing IT and then you realise you want to do something else! I think it is important to plan for the long run and just bank on the fact that it is likely that we live until we are 90. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't pursue spirituality or personal development. It just means that either way you ll have a carreer and its most likely going to last 50 years. I met such crossroads in my life and I realized that if I took a decision wholeheartedly with all the intel at hand at that time. It would be the good one and I won't regret it. Just do something your attracted to and that makes you grow. It is easier to steer a moving ship. I hope this was of some help

From my experience reading about 1 hour a day for the past 3 years and using 80% kindle and 20% paperback. I came to the following conclusions. I have a memory that is quite spatial, therefore I tend to retain more content if I read in paperback. Yet I still use kindle. This is mostly due to the above-mentioned comfortability. The strategy that I developed is to take some time to summarize the key principles, juiciest quotes, various techniques etc on a world document when I am done reading. I found that this thinking back and trying to extract the essence of the book is what made for the best results. Independently of the format I use. I know that I did not reinvent the wheel there but following that process, even when reading rapidly will insure that I have understood what I read and insures the best return on investment. I hope this was of some help.

@AceTrainerGreen Don't worry about it, just unplug. I have never had a tv in my home and it basically gave me 30 to 50% more free time than all the other kids. If you can't live without politics, just subscribe to a weekly magazine of some kind. It will take you maximum 2 hours to read. That leaves you with 30 hours more to experience life every week. Best of luck

Hi everyone, I am a college student in Switzerland. A professor asked my class the classic question of: "What if you could change something in the way you were educated...?". Most people where suggesting things along the line of: more IT classes, more foreign languages, more choices for the children,... It got me thinking. I realized that I needed more background information for a deeper understanding of the topic. First: What is the purpose of school? I think that the current purpose of school is transferring knowledge and preparing kids to become citizen participating in the democratic process. (There is probably a bit of a Swiss bias in this understanding:) My proposed purpose of school is the following:transferring knowledge and preparing kids to become better humans (citizen participating in the democratic process). Second, Why is schooling done in the way it is? What are the reasons for the current "design " of the educational system? Option 1 : “I want a nation of workers, not thinkers.” – John D. Rockefeller Option 2: Education interventions promise a wide range of potential benefits: increased economic growth ; higher rates of societal production; quicker adoption of technological change; development of government and business leaders; improved health; empowering women; and the intrinsic value of education(1). Option 3: Education is the way it is because it is the optimal way for the average person to get the most knowledge and understanding when spending 1000 hours a year doing something. The reality is likely to lie somewhere in between the three above-mentioned options. Maybe one, maybe the other, maybe all of them. Which gets us back to what could be done to improve education. This topic seems critical since from the age of zero to 18 most of what you are exposed to is school and what your parents let you do. Let's keep the parents out of the equation. So if we assume for a moment that schooling's mission is transferring knowledge and preparing kids to become better humans. What are the key competencies needed to be the best human you could be? (in no particular order) -Developing awareness -Grounding yourself in reality: life purpose, top values... -Understanding emotions -Meditation: (discussing the need for spirituality for any human beings, put it in contrast with religion) -Introduction to psychological evolution: (Clare Graves model) sexuality, relationships, dietetic... Why do I propose addressing these topics in school? -Life is a bit like using Excel. You don't need to know exactly how to use every option but you have to be aware of their existence. So that when you need them you can figure it out. -Not everyone has the particular mix of character traits to be curious -The people having access to these concepts are in possession of a more practical toolkit to navigate life To conclude this mental masturbation. I would like to ask you what the beautiful and wise people of this forum: what could be improved in the schooling system in order to make it as useful as possible? PS, this post is not about religion, teachers getting paid more, classes being too big , Montessori nor the fact that the world "god" is a part of the pledge of allegiance Thanks for your time Source 1: https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/research/other-causes/education/

@Henri Thanks for this insight. @Philip Your approach to the content seems on point. I would say that we all intuitively know it but choose to ignore it. @vizual The school system seems quite inert. Nonetheless, from my perspective it is not as hopeless as you make it sound. Maybe it is the idealist part of me speaking @charlie2dogs Home schooling seems like an "ideal" yet tricky alternative. I admire the commitment the two of you made.

@vizual @Ayla I understand the vision that the most impact one can have on the world is by changing himself. I regularly meet people that are ambitious and want to change the world. It seems to me that they would rather change other people to make them fit in there worldview than to make any effort in understanding themselves, their biases etc. Is there a metaphorical way to make people aware of the need of an internal work rather than external work? It seems to me that it is something that has to be understood from the inside. I would like to give these people a little hint or tip. On how to make their world better. By doing so am I trying to impose my worldview on them and perpetrating the same sort of mistake?

@Locooig I found this website to be absolutely helpful..https://www.doyogawithme.com/ I am a complete beginner and I like the fact that this approach is simple. The title of the exercises are very straight forward. Peace

Name: Damien Age: 21 Gender: Male Location: Geneva, Switzerland Occupation: Student Marital Status: In a relationship Kids: No Hobbies: Learning about life, climbing, mountain biking, meditation, reading, I got into personal development after reading the Four agreements from Miguel Ruiz about two years ago. At that point I realized that evolution is not something that happen to us but something you need choose. I realized that fighting the external circonstances of the world is an upstream swim. I understood that changing my internal world will create better results. I have been on this fascinating path for the past two years. Personal challenges I've overcome: Constant need for approval Built myself a work ethic Regular workout What I'm working on now: Working on improving my diet Working on academic excellence Defining my life purpose Understanding the opposite sex

@Abeo Maria I am currently in my first year of college in Switzerland. I was hesitating wether to enter college or not. Even without the debt it is a decision full of consequences. The age range my peers is from 18 to 35. What i find interesting is that the ones who seem to make the most out of it are the 21 to 26 age range. It seems that the youngest one don't really seize the opportunity and the oldest one outgrew the scholar and formal side of the education. I would recommend you do not wait too long if you want to go to college. I hope this is of some kind of help Peace

Geneva, Switzerland

@Leon I have had a similar experience to yours. And it all settle down with a bit of time and purpose. I left home for a year of travelling. After this the plan was coming back home in Switzerland and studying business management. So that's what i did. I stayed in Spain during a few months, I was only kitesurfing, studying Spanish, being outdoor.It was a time without social pressure or any kind of obligation. When I came back from this year of adventure I felt depressed, I was uninterested in my studies and highlighting all the negative facts about my home town. For a while I thought, just as you do right now that all of these problem simply emerged from the place in itself. As usual this is wrong. It all came from my perception of the place. Geneva didn't change in a year but I had changed. I discovered different cultures, different ways of living. That I envisioned as better as the way I was brought up. This frustrated me for a while. Then I realized that it was just different, not better or worse. Of course people are going to spend more time outside in Spain than in Switzerland. Does that make it better or worse? I don't know you, but I want the best for you. Just make sure you are not running away from anything or from yourself. Ps I know that if you have a work contract in Australia, your employer can ask for a working permit/visa for you. You might want to investigate this, if moving down under is the thing for you. peace

A good strategy i implemented to get my meditation habit going was starting at 20 min a day and adding five minutes every month. Another thing I realized is that at the beginning i usually did it late in the day, mostly right before bed. And as time passed i naturally started to do it earlier. I think the experience becomes more enjoyable and i kind of rely on it to have a productive and fulfilling day. Hopefully that helps someone.