How to not take life for granted?

[Human Mint]

Such a broad question you asked

[Nahm]

@TheAvatarState

Inspect all of the thoughts. That below is the stickler, and what opens the valve to what’s desired. What makes sense of it all. Who consoles when there is loving? Just saying. This is nothing to laugh and make fun of. 

7 hours ago, Breakingthewall said:

the false consolation of the ego

 

[TheAvatarState]

35 minutes ago, Nahm said:

This is nothing

you had me there

[Danioover9000]

@TheAvatarState

   Two things that I do to help me get deeper into not taking life for granted:

   Contemplating relativity.

   Appreciation exercises every winter session frequently, and intermittently throughout the year. 

[jimwell]

15 hours ago, TheAvatarState said:

I'm very ABLE to appreciate the beauty of this reality, but I often forget about it or intentionally veil it from myself.

Then you already have the solution; enhance your ability to appreciate the beauty of reality. That will intensify your experience and enjoyment of the magnificence of existence. Consistently remind yourself to see and appreciate beauty (all forms) every day and every place. It will take time (many months to a few years), but it's worth it. It's even the only way to go.

 

16 hours ago, TheAvatarState said:

I'm starting to notice that I label my experience as "not special" and "completely meaningless" because of the concepts of infinity and total relativity. I've come to the conclusion logically that this isn't special, and I project that onto reality. It's weird. I also adopted the belief that I've physically died several times on trips. So I feel like a walking dead man subconsciously.

 It's a lie and self-defeating. It's probably related to your spiritual bypassing (unhealed childhood wounds and trauma, unchallenged limiting beliefs, depression, and neglected desires). I also experienced this stage of nihilism and depression just a few years ago because of 2 things; remaining unhealed childhood wounds and death (It made me realize that it will erase all my experiences and memories that it feels like I was never born at all.).

[Nahm]

A perfect parable of just letting that shit go… no longer ‘taking’ it. 

 

[mandyjw]

 

[Koeke]

On 5-2-2022 at 9:23 PM, TheAvatarState said:

I feel disillusioned to it all, essentially fed up with myself. Everything is a strange loop that points back in on itself, and I don't really care for the company. 

There are not two yous. The mind creates that. Notice there can be an infinite amount of instances of finite self-reference. So you notice how your mind is perpetuating its tendencies, then you reference/include that by thinking that that is annoying, then you recognise/include that pattern and describe it like you do in the quote above. Go on... what do you think about the ego's expression formulated in the quote above? You see? You can go on forever. The better method is to FEEL into the ever-changing ego-mind's form that is more smooth and compassionate. 

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There's a beautiful, life affirming way to spin reality so I wake up ready to "go get it.' to love and honor life. That life exists, and it wouldn't be a lie. What I don't understand is how to change my limited human perspective to see reality in a way that's beneficial.

You are expressing/creating/changing a limited human perspective right now and in your post. What does it (you) want? 

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this supposedly beautiful and incredible God amusement park ride feels like a painfully slow ferris wheel when I want to be on a thrilling rollercoaster. 

Dig into this some more. Very relatable, beautifully expressed <3

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I believe what I'm here to learn is patience and surrendering to whatever is. My ego mind has very addictive, impatient, and self-serving tendencies. But the process feels so slow, and it feels like (rightly) I have no say over when and how these things get ironed out."

What process? There is only the Now. The sense of a process is at least partially produced by the feeling of lack you feel now. To deconstruct the sense of a process, you need to deconstruct the sense of lack, for that you need to FEEL into what you are lacking. These "addictive, impatient and self-serving tendencies" do not grasp the fundamental sense of lack, they serve to avoid the confrontation with it. They can't grasp the fundamental sense of lack because it is Infinitely Rich, Complex, Changing and Beautiful! 

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"Another thing I'm here to learn is trust. Trust of myself = trust in others = trust in the universe."

Yes exactly.

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Conceptually this should be Nirvana, Liberation, but my life FEELS confusing, circular, and just plain wrong. I wouldn't wish this experience on anyone else, even an enemy

Again: you seem to be reacting to a reaction to a thought instead of merging with the whole dynamic of reacting. This merging is what I mean by feeling.

 

Your sort of "dry", analytical ability to "see" the true nature of things seems to be strong (stronger than mine) (AKA mindfulness, investigation, energy), but you have not developed the qualities of joy, concentration, equanimity and tranquility. See the link I'll send in the next post. 

Writing this post was helpful for me, so I just sort of kept going and therefore I am sure I have projected a lot of myself onto you but cannot distinguish what is what, so please disregard the portions when you feel that is what's going on. Because of this and because I am on mobile I couldn't really make it more linear and easy to understand. Throughout this whole post I am trying to point to the same boundary you seem to create between thinking and feeling.

I'll also send a link to a post of mine on this forum that describes sort of a similar situation. Someone there recommended me a book called "Seeing that frees" , which I haven't read yet but I like the title. You might want to check it out.

 

[Koeke]

@mandyjw sorry. This @ is an accident. Can't remove it

6 minutes ago, Koeke said:

 

Your sort of "dry", analytical ability to "see" the true nature of things seems to be strong (stronger than mine) (AKA mindfulness, investigation, energy), but you have not developed the qualities of joy, concentration, equanimity and tranquility. See the link I'll send in the next post. 

 

https://www.mctb.org/mctb2/table-of-contents/part-i-the-fundamentals/7-the-seven-factors-of-awakening/

Edited February 10, 2022 by Koeke

[Koeke]

7 minutes ago, Koeke said:

 

.

I'll also send a link to a post of mine on this forum that describes sort of a similar situation. Someone there recommended me a book called "Seeing that frees" , which I haven't read yet but I like the title. You might want to check it out.

 

@mandyjw again, an accident. 

Here is the post:

7 minutes ago, Koeke said:

 

 

[Koeke]

On 9-2-2022 at 9:03 PM, TheAvatarState said:

 

Could you please elaborate on what you mean?

See other post and links

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What that physically and experientially is like? Thanks!

It feels more peaceful, easy, honest, direct, simple, sane. I have not mastered what I am talking about but I am going in this direction although I don't always zoom out enough to see that. About seeing that Life and life are the same: read the quote from Marcus Aurelius again and also try to imagine what a person you know personally, who you consider balanced, compassionate, open-minded and authentic, but who has no idea of non-duality or metaphysics; imagine what they would think of you and your posts. So without them judging you.

Edited February 10, 2022 by Koeke