Playing with Perspectives

[UnbornTao]

When you hold life as merely a pragmatic matter, it can diminish--and even undermine--your experience of vitality, intimacy, creativity, and all the other things that make life worth living.

Edited Wednesday at 10:22 PM by UnbornTao

[UnbornTao]

What does a powerful presence entail and what does it take to develop it?

Create a contrast between people with vitality and "zombies." Why do we fear vitality in the first place?

Edited Wednesday at 10:25 PM by UnbornTao

[UnbornTao]

Rather than resisting difficult situations or seeing them as obstacles to avoid, view them as challenges--struggles that can open the door to opportunities and lessons, if you pay attention to what you're doing and making corrections.

Quote

Always walk through life as if you have something new to learn, and you will.

— Vernon Howard

 

Edited Wednesday at 10:20 PM by UnbornTao

[UnbornTao]

The ability to actualize, to make real, could be called mastery.

Edited Wednesday at 12:47 AM by UnbornTao

[UnbornTao]

Opportunism might be the antithesis of integrity.

Edited Wednesday at 11:40 PM by UnbornTao

[UnbornTao]

Going through the motions vs paying close attention.

Edited Wednesday at 11:41 PM by UnbornTao

[UnbornTao]

Scene from The Last Samurai:

Quote

Throughout the film, Katsumoto, the samurai leader, is depicted searching for the perfect cherry blossom, symbolizing his quest for perfection and beauty in life. Towards the end of the film, he is mortally wounded after a fierce battle.

In his final moments, lying on the battlefield, Katsumoto looks into the distance and sees a cherry tree in bloom. As he watches the petals falling, with his last breaths, he says, "Perfect... They are all perfect."

 

Edited Wednesday at 10:25 PM by UnbornTao

[UnbornTao]

Eloquent and seemingly profound talk that isn't sourced from your own understanding tends to be an adopted artifice, a mere conclusion or belief. As such, it adds to our sense of deep, personal inauthenticity. What's significant isn't the expression itself but the realization underlying it. If there's no insight, then share a question; wonder about something.

Edited Thursday at 08:51 PM by UnbornTao

[UnbornTao]

Confronting your experience as it occurs isn’t a matter of intellectualizing--and it’s not necessarily easy or comfortable, either. The mind prefers to keep this kind of work in the realm of abstraction, where it feels safe and no real confrontation takes place.

But what we think about our experience may not match how we actually live it.

Edited Thursday at 07:14 AM by UnbornTao

[UnbornTao]

If you are suffering, it usually means there's an unconscious, conceptually-based activity occurring that has yet to be recognized. And it is being done by you, by the way.

Edited Thursday at 12:30 AM by UnbornTao

[UnbornTao]

Brad Goodman self-help!

 

[UnbornTao]

With mastery in mind, it ultimately isn't about what you choose to pursue, but rather that the pursuit brings to the fore your relationship with yourself and with life.

Edited 23 hours ago by UnbornTao

[UnbornTao]

Quote

Beware of confining yourself to a particular belief and denying all else, for much good would elude you—indeed, the knowledge of reality would elude you.

— Ibn Arabi

 

Edited Thursday at 06:45 AM by UnbornTao

[UnbornTao]

Taking up an invention and being familiar with it is not the same as understanding how it comes to exist and work and being able to reproduce it in your own experience.

Discoveries and inventions are made by individuals. Ways of thinking are created based on those discoveries and then gradually adopted by the rest of us over time. Yet, the initial creative component of such inventions often goes unnoticed. We live as if familiarity implies understanding. Looking closely, however, we see that there are many things we don’t truly comprehend, yet adopt as givens.

For instance, we overlook the fact that it took a genius like Newton to make a breakthrough into the principle of gravity. We now say that gravity is obvious since “everyone knows that objects fall down.” But we’re missing something fundamental here. What Newton understood was that objects don’t float, go sideways, or rise! He grasped a principle experientially.

More examples of this point:

• Confusing an expression or the form something takes with the potential insight underlying it.
• Picasso’s art died with him; the ability to create that art was unique to him.
• As a culture, we are somewhat familiar with Ancient Skepticism, yet very few of us can generate that kind of rigorous, deep, intelligent, and multi-faceted thinking.
• We take on the invention of language and presume to know what it is since it is a prevalent construct paramount to our survival, yet we remain unaware of its real nature.
• An insight might precipitate the invention of new “isms,” which are forms of shared conjecture that miss the original discovery.

Edited Thursday at 08:36 PM by UnbornTao

[UnbornTao]

Two approaches to facilitating others:

1. Moving them into a new experience: This approach often meets resistance because it involves "taking away" their current experience in favor of introducing a new one.
2. Pushing them into their current experience: This requires guiding them through the process of personal discovery, helping them generate an experience that more closely aligns with the one you're pointing to.

Edited Thursday at 08:39 PM by UnbornTao

[UnbornTao]

Quote

Wanting to reform the world without discovering one’s true self is like trying to cover the world with leather to avoid the pain of walking on stones and thorns. It is much simpler to wear shoes.

- Ramana Maharshi

 

Edited Thursday at 06:46 AM by UnbornTao

[UnbornTao]

 

[UnbornTao]

Made this chocolate cake recipe!

 

Edited Thursday at 08:40 PM by UnbornTao

[UnbornTao]

A look into the principle of willingness, by ChatGPT:

Quote

user: What is willingness as a principle about?

GPT: Willingness, as a principle, refers to an individual's openness, readiness, and acceptance to engage in a particular activity, task, or change. This principle can be applied in various contexts, including personal development, psychological practices, relationships, and professional settings. Here are some key aspects of willingness as a principle:

1. Openness to Experience: Being receptive to new experiences, ideas, and perspectives without immediate judgment or resistance.
2. Readiness for Change: Showing a readiness to adapt or change behaviors, attitudes, and mindsets when necessary. This involves a proactive stance towards growth and improvement.
3. Acceptance: Accepting situations, emotions, and thoughts as they are, rather than fighting against them. This is often highlighted in mindfulness and acceptance-based therapies.
4. Commitment to Action: Demonstrating a commitment to take action towards goals or values, even when faced with challenges or discomfort. Willingness involves moving forward despite fears or uncertainties.
5. Flexibility: Being flexible in one’s approach and not rigidly clinging to preconceived notions or plans. This adaptability allows for better handling of unexpected changes and obstacles.
6. Engagement and Participation: Actively participating in life’s events and processes, rather than passively observing. This means being fully engaged in activities, relationships, and responsibilities.
7. Responsibility: Taking responsibility for one’s own actions and decisions, and understanding the impact they have on oneself and others.

In psychological contexts, particularly in therapies like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), willingness is crucial for accepting unpleasant thoughts and feelings and committing to behavior change that aligns with one’s values.

Overall, willingness as a principle emphasizes an active, open, and accepting approach to life’s experiences, promoting personal growth, resilience, and effective action.

 

Edited Thursday at 08:45 PM by UnbornTao

[UnbornTao]

Quote

Oh brother, you are nothing but your thoughts
The rest of you is merely skin and bones
If your thought is a rose, you are a rose garden
If your thought is a thorn, you are fuel for the fire

- Rumi

 

Edited Thursday at 06:46 AM by UnbornTao