Realms of Wonder

What if, instead of trying to find the "right" or "best" personal development book or ideology, you sat alone with yourself and thought deeply about what you really want out of life. Not just settling for something simple and obvious like "programming jobs." get as specific as you can stomach with what you want, physically, materially, psychologically, mindset and worldview, consciousness-wise, etc.. from there, you may have a little bit of direction, enough to take a little action and research what the most applicable books are FOR YOU. That will lead you to a new level of life purpose where you can then ask again, (or never stop asking,) what you really want out of life, and do that over and over again, TAKING ACTION Along the way. in practice, actually living that, what would that create for you? Warmly, Paul

Hey all, I thought perhaps some of you could have some perspective to add. My older brother (28,) sold most of his belongings and is now living in eastern Asia to gain experience. I think this is awesome, and I love seeing him grow. He knew when he left the US that at some point he'd need to start earning money because he only had about a year of savings when he left, now he has around 8 months. When he talks about how he wants to earn money, its... Difficult to know what to do. He is focusing purely on earning money in an automated fashion. He says doesn't really care how he does it, even if it is re-selling courses, following get-rich-quick plans from Instagram, selling useless virtual products, etc.. He is rationalizing it to himself that its okay because he wants to earn enough money to be able to focus on what he wants. (which I get, he does want to focus on his music, but has convinced himself he doesn't have any skills he could earn money online with.) I asked him, "Do you want to create value through your business plans?" he says, "I dont really care about it, I just want to earn money for now." My concerns are the following. Scamming or unconsciously hurting others to benefit himself. Ruining his reputation online, future work he does could be undermined by the things he does to earn money short term He may not even enjoy any of what he does to earn that money He could end up in a worse situation after spending money or paying some scammy guru for a get rich quick scheme. it seems foolish to go down this path, and I could see it creating problems for himself My question is, how can support his journey and love him the most? Would appreciate some feedback. Warmly, Paul

That is good feedback. Thank you.

Thanks for the input, I'm realizing that perhaps the best things I can do for him is listen and give perspective IF he asks, and be an example by living my own life purpose, and creating value in my own life for the world. Thanks for this, that's a good point. Is there ways to lead people to value those things? Analogous to how you inspire others to pursue higher values?

I live alone, and have an exceptional Long distance relationship of 1.5 years. Am moving to Mexico in march of 2026, a bonus of that is that we will be able to live together.

if by "Rich," you mean financially free, like earning 100k+ without needing to work for it. I would move to a cabin in the Appalachian mountains, build myself a dream music studio and do what I am already doing, just, no job to suck my time away. I would invest more time into the areas of life that matter to me. My creative work with Music and YouTube, my relationships with my family and partner, my self, my consciousness, to go deeply within.

I would love to hear some of your work. Do you have any uploads I could listen to?

I am hearing a few different points here. 2 weeks of disciplined work, then a fall off after built up tension/inner pressure leading to overthinking lack of sleep and eventually stress coping behaviors, till eventually you get yourself back on track, repeated. You are busy, working up to 30 hours a week plus being in college. you feel more ambitious then those around you, with goals bigger or different then those even in your venture capitol group. You recognize that your environment is not structured for growth, (Small town, few opportunities, etc..) You feel stuck and ready for a change but dont know what to do, or how to do it, or how to find like-minded people after you move. Correct me if I misunderstood your situation, I want to make sure I am responding with accurate knowledge. I have some questions for ya! Were each of those habits built separately? or has it been all at once? What exactly are you looking for in a living environment? Overall, you are almost 20, have you given yourself props for where you are in life? it sounds like, all things considered, you are in a very good position to continue building the foundation of a remarkable life. You are ahead of most people your age, and you're not satisfied with it, you see more in life than most, which is great! and can lead to a lack of appreciation for how far you have come. Warmly Paul

Hey You, I want to share my decision making process that I went through with weed, As to whether its a wise decision to stop, or continue. These are my notes, Enjoy! I'm not looking for advice whether to stop weed or not, I have already made my decision. I would love feedback if you have any though, on the decision making process. What questions do you ask yourself when making a Decision? What perspective do you have about making a choice that you think would work well here, or lead to a more authentic answer? "I have been smoking weed off and on since I was 18, I am 26 now. As of the past year of so, I have been more intentional with it, and my relationship to it has changed. When I was in college, weed was just something to escape my life, along with alcohol, Youtube, Icecream, etc.. When I Was in Eureka CA, I played a lot of video games, was somewhat unhappy, (oh the good old days of late nights and gaming, weed, and not knowing what to do with my life, that feels nostalgic.” it was so habitual at the time. I remember that one time while doing mushrooms, in the middle of the trip, I had an insight that we (my brother and I) needed to stop smoking weed. I could see in that moment how it clouded my life, was negating my ability to actualize myself. I was tapering down till I left for Portland OR, then I didn't smoke until after I had moved to Portland Then was Amway. I felt extra pressure to be clean from it. I remember that one time I sent the picture of the joint in the trash to my uplines, telling them I was done, hoping they’d be proud of me. (boy I needed self love but didn’t realize it.) I smoked here and there when I moved into the Harold home with roommates, and at that point I wasn’t really trying to escape myself as much, Even though my roommates smoked a lot, I would join sometimes, but eventually want to stop. that was after the SOLO retreat! that led to a lot of change. that led to a cycle of not smoking for month sat a time, then smoking for holidays, sometimes smoking a little after the holidays with roommates, and eventually stopping. The next time I smoked was as an experiment, it was before I left for Camp, and I wanted to try out “normal,” I played a lot of video games, smoked weed with Jesse, got drunk. It was a letting go of needing to be this actualizing person and try out another world. After that I didn’t smoke until the next Christmas, then the family reunion at Bandon, OR, and I have been smoking off and on since then. Right now, there is no judgement of it as morally good or bad. Its just weed. I AM seeing some cycles when I do smoke weed. Things that happen consistently. more creativity up front in the first 1-4 hours more focus for the first 1-3 hours I tend to eat 50% more food I tend to go to bed later between 30-240 minutes Wake up groggy every time, increased resistance to getting out of bed. Expanded thought processes, more unique ideas. Easier to feel, I notice emotions more than usual. I feel a bit more ADHD, a little all over the place, get distracted semi easy Often end up doing something pleasurable, YouTube, Porn, Scrolling on Insta, Masturbating, eating more desserts than my body needs. Some of these things align with my goals, with my authentic life. They also support being able to put in the work to create a life of purpose, creativity, Authenticity, wisdom, music, and the rest of my values. such as more creativity Temporary focus boost Expanded thought process Easier to feel, more connected to emotions Some of these do not support, or actively get in the way of, the Self and Life I want. Such as I feel a bit more ADHD, a little all over the place, get distracted semi easy Often end up doing something pleasurable, YouTube, Porn, Scrolling on Insta, Masturbating, eating more desserts than my body needs. I tend to eat 50% more food I tend to go to bed later between 30-240 minutes Wake up groggy every time, increased resistance to getting out of bed. Quitting would mean letting go of these ALL effects. I have 1.5 joints left, and I am seriously considering quitting weed again, at least for now, it doesn’t fit in my priorities or values right now. Exceptions I may take into consideration Connection With family, with , and with true friends when they appear. Something that directly or indirectly supports my Values and vision for life. For intentional consciousness exploration and state change. Pain relief (Haven't really experienced this. I choose to quit smoking weed until it supports my values and vision for life. How does this choice align with my values? Authenticity/Truthfulness Right now in life, what is most important is the creation of my life purpose. daily action towards that. and smoking weed supports it lightly in the moment, and undermines it heavily later on. Without weed, there is less spike, up or down. None of those symptoms can numb or distract me from my experience of reality, meaning there is a higher chance I will face it. would miss out on the spike of positives. would miss out on the spike of negatives. Music Wisdom/Understanding Very similar to the last response, with the exception that I love more elevation, perspectives and ideas. the musical creativity that comes up front. Up front, once again, it helps because it brings creativity and focus, but on the back end it hurts because I am more tired, I may get less out of the next sessions sober, and it is a self created hurdle, a self sabotage Mystical Experience same as the last, with the caveat that I love exploring new/different states of being. and Weed, can bring new flavors to my experience. Purpose I am putting myself in purpose debt. I pay for the spike of enjoyment 2-5x the next day Love/Connection I get quite shy when stoned unless I am with people I feel connected to. when solo, (all of most of my current smoking,) I do feel connected to myself, my emotions especially. but I end up numbing myself later anyway Wonder/Awe this is great for this! I love being stoned in nature, or recognizing the immensity of reality. Usually don't go outside though during, so.. Feeling good in my body I feel connected to it. When gorge myself so I end up feeling stuffed in the moment, and usually because I have the munchies so late at night, I wake up feeling stopped up gastrointestionally, and still full, but hungry. I also wake up really tired, I am often tired, when I wake up, but this is so much more intense. Growth I don't know. Creativity Yes up front, but net loss overall." Thanks for reading along, I'd love to hear your thoughts, (Not your opinions on weed, you thoughts on this decision making process.) Warmly, Paul

@LSD-Rumi Like I mentioned twice in the original post, I am not asking for advice or feedback on whether to or not smoke weed, just on a high quality decision making process. Do you have any insight to share for that?

This is a strong pointer, thank you. Recently (over the last 6 months or so,) it has become painfully obvious how locked away my emotions are. I thought it was just normal, and that is how everyone was, and then started recognizing that I struggle to feel basic things, let alone the more subtle things. My body, my behaviors even can reflect the feeling, (Excitement, frustration, stress, horniness etc..) but often I have no idea why that behaior is happening. it is kind of like there is a gauzy veil between me an my own feelings, and at times it will build up to a point where it is crushing but I still dont see or feel it. I see part of my life's work is to create music so that I can re-connect with disowned parts of myself, and integrate my emotions deeply. then give that music to others so they can do the same. To be honest I dont know how to feel, I dont know what steps to take, but I trust that the path I am choosing will lead to a life situation where I have the time to do more inner work, inner child work, shadow work, and others I am unaware of. Warmly, Paul

Definitely feel you with this. With my own work, (Awe-Inspiring Music and cinematic life documentation,) I have a vision for what it could be, it gets clearer by he month, and yet, my skill level is inadequate to bring it into being. I keep wondering what my work will evolve into, how amazing it will be, how many people it will impact, how enjoyable it will be to do it, how dep ill be able to go. And yet, that's not where I am at. in fact I can only create for 1.5 hour chunks for now, and even then, on a good day, I will get two ish chunks in. In relation to working on a big project with a lot of "weight" to it, I haven't ever considered myself an overthinker, but, last night I started to realize how hyperactive my mind is. I was repetitively having many different thoughts run through my mind about how good my current project will be, what could go wrong, how it could go right, whether or not it will work, whether or not I will be able to do it, and more, my skill level, lack thereof, etc.. Big picture, I want to practice more, and use the practice as a sort of mycelium to grow my mushrooms (songs) out of. I want to focus on a really healthy, fertile growing space for songs to sprout out of instead of trying to create. Warmly, Paul

Fascinating.

Hey everyone, I'm a YouTube creator committed to building a catalog of 100’s of remarkable, valuable, cinematic, authentic videos, many of them with awe inspiring sound tracks. My channel focuses on Authenticity, Self Love and Music. I create Cinematic mini-docs of my journey that are scored by me, as well as speak to camera on my life experience/POV. All of which aim to inspire a generation to create an authentic and loving relationship with their self. Channel: Waking Call. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEMc_MGhRl-1t3MoV36uG1A I have these goals in mind Connect my audience with authenticity and Self love Create videos that are unique, remarkable and that I am proud of. Build a loyal audience that earns 2500-5000$ a month through Adsense, Patreon and music streams within 5 years. As I continue to develop my channel and grow as a creator, I want to connect with other authentic YouTubers who share similar values and goals. I believe that surrounding myself with like-minded individuals can lead to mutual growth, support, and inspiration. Ideally, I'm seeking creators who: Value personal development, authenticity, and self-love Teach from their own experiences and are willing to be vulnerable in their content Are committed to spreading a message of personal growth and self-acceptance Are beginner to intermediate level creators but strategic and serious about their YouTube journey Have a clear vision for their channel and are actively working towards their goals If this resonates with you, I'd love to connect and explore the possibility of forming a mastermind group. I'm envisioning a space where we can share our experiences, offer feedback, brainstorm ideas, give encouragement, and hold each other accountable as we work towards our goals. I'm willing to invest at least an hour per week in connecting with other creators, whether it's through video calls, online discussions, or in person (if geography allows.) If you're interested in joining me on this journey of authenticity, growth and collaboration, please leave a comment below or send me a private message. I'd love to learn more about your channel, your goals, and how we can support each other. Let's create an authentic, actualizing community of YouTubers who are dedicated to making a positive impact through their creations. Together, we can inspire and empower ourselves and our audiences to live more authentically and love themselves unconditionally. Stay True, Stay You 🙂 Paul

This is a great list. Contrasting past relationships to this I can see so many problems I created or flourished because of a mismatch, or lack of following through in these areas. Also, can verify how satisfying it is to live this type of relationship. Having been in a long distance relationship with my girlfriend for 1.5 years, we met in person when we both worked at a summer camp in PA 2.5 years ago. And now our relationship has grown into something special. I have a lot of room to grow in all of these, especially the last one or two. I lack self awareness to understand how I manipulate her subtly, or behave selfishly. I have also come a long way there too though, being more honest about my desire or current state. (Recovering people pleaser.) Thanks for sharing!

I am building a catalog of 100’s of remarkable, valuable, cinematic, authentic videos, many of them with awe inspiring sound tracks. My creations will connect people to Authenticity, Self love and their self. I dont feel called to teach or give advice, instead I want to document the wisdom of my journey and give it to the world as cinematic immersive experiences they can watch/feel, and see themselves in, like a mirror. like, "Okay, so he is doing this with his life, or he is facing this in his life, what is that for me?" Leo is an influence, but I want my videos to ultimately be 100% authentic, completely unlike any other.

Okie dokie, take all of this with a grain of salt, cuz this explanation could be a pile of BS An AI wasn't born, didn't have a childhood, didn't break its arm at 10, fall in love at 15, shut out feelings and emotions after a break up, fall into people pleasing as a coping mechanism through highschool and collage, take LSD at 19, Move to Portland Oregon at 20, Get sucked into an MLM, Choose to go leave the MLM and go on its own after Authenticity at 21. An AI hasn't worked as a Line cook, Jewelry salesman, Gym Sales rep, Grocery attendant, Licensed message therapist or camp counselor. An AI doesn't have a loving relationship with its parents, doesn't have a long distance girlfriend that lives in Mexico, or a brother that lives in the Philippines. An AI also hasn't taken LSD, Mushrooms, DMT, 4-ACO-DMT, had breakthrough experiences, had Ego Backlashes, etc.. AI doesn't have a theory that Authenticity and Self love is the key to a remarkable, profound life. AI hasn't Accessed Infinite Love, the Infinite, or its own personality. AI has not had a Human Experience.

Live, Be Human, Have experience, Love, Connect with other humans, go beyond human.. There's a lot more haha

I am going to gift Leo a front row seat to a show when I sell out a stadium in Las Vegas.

This is a great topic, I am glad you have brought it up. I am committed to creating a Successful YouTube Channel. Here is some points from my big picture plan over the next 5-10 years. 1. Authenticity is the core. My Theory that I am testing video by video, is that if I create something unique that connects people with themselves by showcasing what authentic path is/can be that will be remarkable enough for the right people to share, like, comment and come back to see again and again. 2. Skill Building/Creativity. I want to build a catalog of 100’s of remarkable, valuable, cinematic, authentic videos. I am developing my cinematography, editing and storytelling skills to work towards that result. For now, I am a beginner, with 76 videos uploaded, of which, only the most recent 25 or so have been with that result in mind. over the next 200 Videos, I will continue to grow in quality through practice, mistakes, research, study, and more practice. 3. Utilizing my strengths: There are a few things that I am really good at that I enjoy, that I will rely on to create unique and remarkable videos. for one, I am a skilled Music Producer/Songwriter, Can articulate myself quite clearly, love using metaphors, and communicating clearly. I also have an eye for Cinematography and beautiful shots. 4. Personal Development: I want to grow as my videos and audience grow, I want my videos to become deeper and more profound as I get more skilled, because I am understanding myself deeper and deeper. 5. YouTube Know-How: I am seeing that it is also going to be important to "play the game," of Thumbnails and titles, SEO etc.. Because for my work to stand out it needs to be remarkable from the very beginning. MY goal is to balance this with authenticity and wisdom, never being click-baity or false. I imagine there are a ton more things for me to learn, and I will on my path. Hope this helps If you want to check out what I am doing here is my channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEMc_MGhRl-1t3MoV36uG1A

There is hope, just putting that out there to start. I just finished a career transition independent of my life purpose that required 1.5 years of schooling and requires continuing education to keep my license. However, it was a strategic decision. Now/soon I will have the finances and time freedom to continue creating my life purpose. (The sound track, support and vision of peoples authenticity journey.) There's no getting around it, it is often a challenge to make time, to create after work when I am tired, to face an industry that is soon to be flooded with AI sludge. But.. also, AI is a tool I use, and I believe that as of yet, no AI can replace the connection of human to human or consciousness to consciousness, not really. Not saying to do one, the other, or both, just recognize that it is possible, you are capable, you can create, you have potential, you can actualize that potential. All the best!

That can be a challenging situation. I would Return it to him. who knows what he is going through, perhaps what he needs is a bit more love in his life. Here you are with an opportunity to radiate some at him.

Though now in a long term relationship, my basic experience is that the purpose of texting in the dating phase is generally to set up a fun encounter that leads to sex. With that in mind, perhaps dont try to build attraction through text, instead, see if she is responsive by you asking her when she's free to meet up.

Interesting perspectives posed so far. It definitely seems wise and ideal to have a strong foundation of psychological/survival competence before launching into an abyss in search of deeper and deeper consciousness. But, That's not how I did/have done it haha. I was 18 and clueless to personal development and took LSD with my brother, it was life transforming over the years as I unpacked it and started doing the work, it opened my mind to the possibility of there being more then I have known, and what I know could be false. BUUUUTTT.... I definitely got the idea that I was to go straight for enlightenment without building a foundation by meeting my basic needs. I ended up tripping 150+ times over the course of 3-4 years, hoping and chasing higher wisdom, higher consciousness, expanded states, etc.. Now, 8 years later, I am letting the future me to go for Awakening, as current me works on building routines, habits, my Life Purpose and meeting basic needs. All that said, I am glad I unfolded it the way I did, because now as I work on the "basics," I am aware of much more to come, of a reality I dont understand but could, of possibilities I wouldn't be aware of if I hadn't tripped as much as I did.

Depends on what you will use it for. I have noticed it being a powerful tool for strategizing, shit-testing ideas, research, and reflecting ideas I have.