Become all you can become by raising yourself higher on the Tree of Life

Yesterday I introduced the distinction “look with fuzzy eyes” on the Feelings webinar.

Words are tricky. You think you understand them, and you think that everyone hears the same meaning when they hear it. They don’t… maybe ever!

The main problem with the Tree of Knowledge: we learn our world through words, instead of experience.

And you end up delusional, making mistakes, and never happy.

This is the main reason for unhappiness. The words create an illusion of being reality… but they aren’t… and moreover the inner map of reality they create is vastly different from reality itself. Continue reading “Yesterday I introduced the distinction “look with fuzzy eyes” on the Feelings webinar.”

Seeing the big picture… wide cone of vision and a TED talk

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Finally a TED talk that explains why seeing the big picture is such an amazing capacity. Why it can alter your life. Why it allows you to learn. Why it takes you out of the fear of making mistakes…

It also explains why “normal” adults stop being able to learn, experiment, be creative…

One student asks:

If I have identified something as worth having/knowing, when I set out to read a book or take a class, if there is an agenda there, what do I do with that agenda? How, if I could, would I abandon what I think I should be going after to pursue life as more of an experiment? Does the courage to walk away from what I think is the path, the missing piece?

The agenda he is talking about is the “economical” little (or big) piece you want out of your activity. And once you fix what you want, you’ll see nothing else, like a machine.

No creativity, no growth, no experimentation. Dull. Boring. And a perfect waste of a life.
Continue reading “Seeing the big picture… wide cone of vision and a TED talk”

Could reading Charlie Munger’s favorite books be considered being mentored by Charlie Munger?

Could, reading Charlie Munger’s favorite books be considered being mentored by Charlie Munger? ¹ Or how to learn to do what people did through reading what they read… So you can do it too. So you can see what they saw.

People with humility and success quote a lot. They know where their views, where their knowledge comes from. And their knowledge is deep, instinctive driver of actions. Not book knowledge, not Trivial Pursuit knowledge. NOT Tree of Knowledge.

I read eclectically. The next few books that are on my list now come from Charlie Munger’s suggestions.

He sees things I don’t. He has wisdom I don’t. What he reads has something to do with it. How he reads, how he thinks… He says: “Becoming rational is a slow, arduous process.” You need to build up to developing that skill. Most of us have very small capacity to use our brains. But it can only be grown like a sculpture. So most don’t even start.
Continue reading “Could reading Charlie Munger’s favorite books be considered being mentored by Charlie Munger?”

The other sculpture method of creating your life, creating your Self

I have been testing a theory that 5-15 minutes of doing something, every day, is more effective than taking one two-hour class a week.

So I’ve taken on learning Hebrew. On a website called Duolingo.com.

I had to learn typing in Hebrew, and I had to learn a bunch of grammar, a bunch of words. Without memorizing. Without really much effort. ¹

The secret is to not miss a day. After a missed day it is hard to go back to an activity. The first week I did all my sessions at the end of the day, just before I went to bed. But even then I could put in my 5-10 minutes. It’s been 19 days.

First off: it’s satisfying. I have an experience of myself that is pleasant. A feeling that I am growing. That I am not living an empty life… hm… interesting.

Continue reading “The other sculpture method of creating your life, creating your Self”

Approval Addiction: the main symptom of no self, no core, no courage

Statistics show that nearly 100% of the population is addicted to the approval of others, yet few of us are aware of it. And for average person with modest goals, it doesn’t really matter.

The problem arises when an ambitious person decides to build a career, business or pursue dream that requires substantial exposure to rejection. Studies show that over 80% of these people abandon their ambition within the first 12 months due to the pain of daily disapproval.

This is how Approval Addiction shatters dreams.

Approval addiction comes from the misunderstanding and the distortion of what the Tree of Life need, the need to meet the expectation of others tells you. Continue reading “Approval Addiction: the main symptom of no self, no core, no courage”

Insights are opportunities mostly not acted upon

I have noticed that my health number has gone up 10 points, and my hydration went up another 3 points.

I also noticed that maybe I am a little smarter. I see a little more than before.

I have also noticed the same on students, that when their health improves they see more too… so I am not unique this way.

But yet, in spite of the high vibration, certain things scare the crap out of me, sorry for the crude expression… You see, high vibration doesn’t necessarily make you more polished.

So, this afternoon, as I was listening to my 67 step for today, I had an insight. Meaning: I saw something that has far reaching consequences… potentially. ¹ Continue reading “Insights are opportunities mostly not acted upon”

People are writing to me that they had no trauma to bring to the Sunday Feelings Webinar.

A trauma is an incident. The significance is in your emotional response, not in what happened. The same incident is no big deal for others, but it is, or was a big deal for you.

Here is an example from my life:

I went on my biweekly grocery shopping trip with the old folks van yesterday.

They asked what’s new, and I shared that I asked the Community Center to give me a chance to do a short lecture on water. The answer to that was a groan. Audible, and coming from a deep reluctance and distaste.

It wasn’t the right time to deal with it then and there, so I stored it away for analysis later.

And this is “later”… let’s do it now.

First off: the groan awakened a whole series of memories, unpleasant memories of earlier similar incidents.

Earlier similar is a technical term.

Let me explain:

When you are upset, you are never upset from or by what is happening right now. Continue reading “People are writing to me that they had no trauma to bring to the Sunday Feelings Webinar.”

Human survival need: Meeting the expectation of others

Before I get into defining what this need is doing, and what is the extent of it, I’ll tell you what may be in your way…

In the movie Sling Blade, the main character is asked in an interview, just before he is released from prison: “Will you kill again?” He answers: “I don’t reckon I have a reason to…”

This is when you know he will…

Animals don’t kill their kind… or not often. And never from anger. Continue reading “Human survival need: Meeting the expectation of others”

Lack of humility that causes you not to learn

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

A fresh look at lack of humility… the lack that causes you to not be able to learn new things

I am reading a book that says: the purpose of life is survival.

It is clear that the purpose of the selfish genes is survival. Not the vehicle (for a human gene the vehicle is a human body) but itself. The gene. Long and short term survival. The gene actually doesn’t care whether that survival is noble, enjoyable, fun. None of that. Just survival long enough to produce another generation of vehicles.

The human vehicle, because of its consciousness, desires quality of life, liberty, and self-determination… the list is probably a lot longer, but the human vehicle, you, definitely considers a life without those not worth living. Not a life for a human. The history of humanity could be told through the struggle, resignation, stagnation, loss, of those values. From freedom to overt slavery to hidden slavery… this is where we are now.

So I am going to look at the issues that hold my students back through that distinction: survival. If what I find is true about my students, it is probably true for other people… as well, maybe even you…

So, the question is: how does lack of humility serve survival… or the illusion of survival? After all an individual’s ability to survive increases greatly by learning new things… and yet.

Continue reading “Lack of humility that causes you not to learn”

When the teacher needs to do the work for herself: climbing the Tree of Life

I listened to step two ¹ of the 67 steps, I think, the seventh time three days ago, and then again yesterday.

The step is about evolution. Growth. What it takes to grow… personally. It’s also about being adaptable, it’s about adapting.

Adapting is very hard. Why? Because part of adapting is to say no to what you have been saying yes to.

So it is complete upset, confusion, fear, uncertainty, and personally, it feels to me that death would be preferable. That is my 50% TLB speaking.

I always bring the example of climbing the ladder, but it is not how it feels. It feels really jumping. And when both feet are in the air, you don’t know where you are going to land.

I am seeing that in every area of life all the yes’s I am saying are keeping me the same, and I am terrified of saying no to them and saying yes to something else.

It started with my health.
Continue reading “When the teacher needs to do the work for herself: climbing the Tree of Life”