HMD

@Sugarcoat I am merely trying to give it meaning. I know it's inherently meaningless, but I like to exercise my creative faculties to give it meaning. By giving it meaning it won’t make the suffering any less , but it would make it worth it. From another angle you can see it as a bar chart, with one bar being meaning and the other being suffering. I am trying to increase the meaning without touching the suffering/ hardship.

@Breakingthewall Yeah, through simple observation, one can see how suffering and struggle lead to leaps in evolution. Yuval Noah Harari insightfully argues that our evolution is fundamentally tied to our capacity to create fiction, be it money, corporations, or other constructs. Once we envision a fiction, like our ideal self or a future goal, we must alter our behavior to transform that vision into a tangible reality. This process, however, often brings about suffering. We might wonder why nature or a higher power imposes this burden of struggle on us when striving for transformation. I believe it is to ensure that we approach our creations with care, thoughtfully considering what is truly worth pursuing and what ought to be let go. Alternatively, we could view this struggle as a test from nature to determine how deeply we desire something.

@Princess Arabia Yeah, if you just go back to being one with everything, the struggle component kinda fades away. But that's entering the domain of the absolute. But to make shit happen, to get results, you have to be in the relative domain. I know the distinction between the absolute and relative is imaginary, but it's really important to get things done. Now, if you master the absolute (Understand that you are not separate, among other things) and then come back to the relative, the struggle feels natural. There is no bias (or at least you are good at eliminating the bias). This connects well to what @UnbornTao was saying earlier. Does this resonate with ehat you were trying to say?

@Verg0 Thanks for the input. What I am getting from this is that suffering/struggle when tied to a higher purpose (for God) becomes easier. And anything that comes your way while serving God is bearable. Because it's for a higher purpose. That's one way to give meaning to it.

@Flowerfaeiry Can you please elaborate on this?

@UnbornTao Yeah that’s something I am wrapping my head around. Struggle seems to happen for us humans only. Like you said, a rock apparently doesn't struggle, it just is. No resistance.

@Leo Gura Fortunately, I have already done that. I was so excited and addicted to this game (Bloon TD) and deleted it within 15 minutes of hacking it, with great regret. I never even thought about it again until today. Maybe if there was no struggle I would have killed myself. It's a gift.

Hey Leo, I’ve been thinking a lot about the power of eloquence lately, and I’ve got an idea for a video that could really help people on the forum. A lot of people struggle with communication, but they don’t realize how much eloquence can affect their success in life. Whether it’s in relationships, work, or even just personal growth, how you speak can change everything. Here’s what I think could make a great video: Why Eloquence is Key to Influence – How speaking well is tied to your ability to inspire, persuade, and connect with others. The Art of Speaking with Clarity. Sometimes we get too caught up in words, and forget that simplicity can be the most powerful way to communicate. The Deep Psychology of Eloquence. Like, what makes someone’s speech "captivating" or “convincing”? I think diving into the underlying psychology would be super interesting. How to Build Eloquence – Maybe you could touch on the mindset shifts that need to happen to speak with more confidence and power, beyond just practicing vocabulary or delivery. Common Pitfalls People Make – Lots of people think they’re “eloquent” just because they can talk a lot, but maybe you can break down the mistakes they make that actually hurt their communication. I think this could really help people understand that eloquence isn’t just about fancy words, it’s about being in touch with what you’re saying and having the presence to make people listen. Also, would be cool if you could give some practical tips for improving speech, maybe like how to think on your feet in conversations. Anyway, I know you’re all about deepening people’s understanding of reality, and I think eloquence is a topic that ties into that. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this idea! Thanks!

Tehran, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Hezbollah, Hamas & others will operate under joint command. thoughts?

@Leo Gura I haven’t seen any of these supporting each other fully. I mean, Yemen, Palestine, and Syria have been bombed since a long time and I think If there was a unified agreement like this one at least yemen would have been safe.

Books, videos, and everything else.

I have been doing personal development ever since I can remember. I was very young when I was practicing the letting go technique and also doing various forms of self inquiry. But then I stumbled upon Leo’s work. Things were going pretty well initially, I was having insights left and right. I was having mystical experiences I can’t explain with words. But then I reached a point where I had to take care of my survival and couldn’t focus too much on personal development and spirituality. Ever since then I started using Leo’s teachings to fulfil my own desires and needs. If I was doing something that was wrong I would rationalise it away by saying something like “there is nothing wrong or right”. Slowly it all started adding up and I started justifying bad habits, addictions, and being an asshole to others around me. And only recently it hit me what have I really become. I was fully aware of this trap and yet I was knees deep in it. Because of all this, I had locked myself deeper in my addictions, become harsher to those around me, and strayed farther away from God than I was prior to following Leo’s work. I am writing this to humble myself and also as a warning to those around me. Perhaps you think you have gone very far in this work, but you’re actually just fooling yourself. I am still on my way to recovery, and it’s a painful path.

This point doesn’t get talked about enough. One key player supporting and even driving Israels rampage is the US. We all know that there is a bias against everything Islam in the west, particularly after 911, and the US is still acting from that bias by supporting a nation that’s shaking up the whole Arab world. That’s like these best case scenario for them.

You’re welcome @Something Funny

@Something Funny Don’t be hard on yourself. Learning how to prioritize is really tough. You have to learn how to sacrifice. Sacrifice is scary and you may not have thought that it’s something you would have to do one day. Give yourself some grace. You are learning the game, it’ll be fun once you get a hang of it.

Imagine you were in a video game, where you had like 10 things you could upgrade. But you had limited coins. You’d want to upgrade everything all at once, but that would make the game too easy and not worth playing anymore. So you quickly start paying attention and learning which thing to upgrade according to your style of play and the specific requirements of the part of the game you’re in at that time. You learn to prioritise.

I recently got into a long-distance relationship, and I am working on getting my counseling career started while also working as a Freelance writer. I have to do freelance work to get money for the bills, but I also have to work on building a career as a Dietitian because that's what I really love doing. But the money I am making right now is not enough compared to the bills, so I have been putting in time to increase my income. The career also requires plenty of time and money to get the right certifications and knowledge (I already have a degree in Dietetics). On top of this, I am also in a long-term relationship so I have to invest time and money on that too. And finally, there is spirituality, without which I just can't function properly. My question here is, what would you guys recommend I do? How do I balance all of these? Are there any books that I can read that would help me in the balancing process?

@jacknine119 I don't want to jump the gun and make assumptions, but this could be because you are used to numbing yourself instead of feeling your emotions deeply.

@Davino The concept of discipline often receives a lot of attention, particularly because many of us in the developed world may lack a solid foundation in this area and therefore need to prioritize it (Undeveloped stage blue). However, it's important not to overlook the significance of motivation. Getting the right balance between discipline and motivation is crucial for achieving success.

@Ero I understand your point. @UnbornTao Wouldn't that just be an instance of introjected motivation, like in the Self-determination theory @Carl-Richard shared?

@Ramanujan Thanks for the suggestion. I'll check it out.

@Ero Can you explain that a little?

@UnbornTao Wouldn't that make your intention the motivation? If I intend to close my fist, that intention acts as the motivation for me to close my fist, doesn't it?

There is a reason behind why "you just have to," and that is your motivation. There is a narrative you've concocted on why you have to do that thing; this might not produce a natural drive that propels you into action, but you only get up and do the thing based on that narrative. The reframing as a life purpose didn't really work for me. I have a much stronger drive to do something if I align what I am doing with Learning and excellence, two of my highest values. Congratulations on your success! And I have been studying these two for a while now. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

@Nemra Where do you live?