My Best Friend

[5thPablo]

Hey, I have a problem and I would like to see your view on it.

I'm 16 and my best friend says that the people I'm watching on youtube ( Leo ) are brainwashing me. When I tell him that Leo changed my life and now I'm trying to reach my highest pontential he just makes fun of me. Often I stay home and do some self-actualization work instead of going out with people and he thinks I'm wasting my life. I've tried to explain to him many times what self-actualization is but he just keeps hating. He just thinks I'm trying to be special.

What should I do? Kick him out of my life? I've already told him that I don't want such people around me.  

P.S.

Thank you so much @Leo Gura for everything you do. You have made my life 10x better. I cannot express how thankful I am. I wish everybody knew about your videos. I wish....

[Loreena]

Your friend is obviously wrong. It is always good to start with self actualization at a young age because that increases your chances of making better choices in life. You are doing a good job. You need not kick him out. Just tell him that you disagree with. In healthy friendships, disagreements are fine. But you need to draw the line wherever it is needed. He/she cannot invade your life and decide what you should be doing with it. That is solely your right. Self actualization and personal development is something that everybody needs to get into. So you are not doing or trying to be special in any way.

Continue on your wonderful journey. Don't care too much what people think. Surround yourself with friends who are uplifting and those that give out positive vibes. Positive feedback and criticism is acceptable and should be welcome, but chastising, bullying, sabotaging is not okay and you need to keep away from those who try to bring you down. (you could have an open heart to heart conversation with your friend about this)

Keep going. You have a long way to go. we all do.

Edited February 5, 2017 by Loreena

[5thPablo]

@Loreena Thank you very much. I will definitely talk to him.

[5thPablo]

@Captain Flint I wish I knew people who are interested in self-actualization. I've realised how rare they actually are.

[alyra]

I wouldn't put it so cynically... it's not that people want you not to grow. it's more that they don't consider this kind of work to be what growth is. and moreover, that there's things which make no sense before you understand it yourself. people talk about god and go "shpsh what is that even makes no sense" and that's because "god is some dude who made everything" creates a false image for them that they reject, and then don't think about how god could instead just be everything and nothing at once, nondual. no supreme being or anything. well, authentic being lol, that's pretty supreme  or the other example I think of is. how when someone is down people say "get over it!" and then the down person goes "wow omg RUDE I can't just get over it don't be an ass you don't understand" but the truth is, that they can get over it, but it takes a lot of patience and effort, and honestly most people eventually do get over it and once they do it seems so easy that they then turn around and say "get over it!" forgetting how rude it used to be to hear. 

 

and so that is why people disrespect personal growth. they're completely unaware that they are doing it, and even if they do notice they don't realize the power of focusing on it, that they think growth is only training "practical" skills like con art or science or sports, not realizing the potential of training their ability to train itself. personal growth is kind of, meta-growth, and so it's illusory by nature, and easy to dismiss or outright fail to notice altogether. 

[jse]

On 05/02/2017 at 11:25 PM, 5thPablo said:

I'm 16 and my best friend says that the people I'm watching on youtube ( Leo ) are brainwashing me. When I tell him that Leo changed my life and now I'm trying to reach my highest pontential he just makes fun of me. Often I stay home and do some self-actualization work instead of going out with people and he thinks I'm wasting my life. I've tried to explain to him many times what self-actualization is but he just keeps hating. He just thinks I'm trying to be special.

@Leo GuraWhat should I do? Kick him out of my life? I've already told him that I don't want such people around me.

This is how your best friend could possibly see your situation:

... the people I'm watching on youtube ( Scientology ) are brainwashing me.  When I tell him that Scientology changed my life and now I'm trying to reach my highest potential he just makes fun of me.

Scientology, what should I do? Kick him out of my life? I've already told him that I don't want such people around me.

[Nahm]

@5thPablo You are right and you're friend is right. I would describe my best friend of 25 years the same way. The path to your happiness with this, and to your continued progress, and to growing your relationship with him,  it to notice when you switch from focusing on your thinking to focusing on what he thinks. Just let go of what he thinks. He has his emotions, you have yours. It would serve you well to make it a practice Of focusing on your own thoughts. Be there compassionately when he needs it, but keep to your own thoughts. You're learning this stuff, you're experiencing this. He's not. He doesn't know what you know. Keep to your thoughts because you know, and he doesn't. 

[5thPablo]

@Phil Thank you

 

[Nahm]

You already had this bro

[alea]

10x better life, I just say wow!

Your friend warns you, because he cares you. He may think Leo’s program is a scam. It is his point of view, respect it, if you want him to respect your ideas. It is very easy to kick a friend out your life. But draw the line.

When we are young we are more sure of everything(it is a kind of fake confidence), so we stick to some people and some ideas, we conflict our friends and family. But when we turn 30, we learn importance of family and teenage friends.

Sometimes Leo can be wrong or you can misinterpret him. I am listening his videos, but I don't agree with him all the time. Like you criticised your friend, I think you can criticise Leo and yourself.

Good luck..

Edited February 9, 2017 by alea