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

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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. ²

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. ³ 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.”

Another missing piece of the healing puzzle…

I learned something today. It’s a big catch. And instead of being ashamed… I am happy. Because we can all get better because of it.

I don’t know about you, but I am always surprised when I learn something new. What there is to know rarely show up as something that is missing… and most of my reading rarely results in substantial learning.

But today, I learned two major things… What a day, eh?

One I can share about, the other: I am in the middle of it, so I’ll share once I have made it instinctive part of my life.

This one, the one I can share, is about digestion and well-being.

Before today I had never heard about prebiotics. Or if I did… I must have pooh-poohed it. Just like you pooh-pooh (to express disdain or contempt for; dismiss lightly) many of the things I write… lol. Continue reading “Another missing piece of the healing puzzle…”

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”

Afraid to make a mistake?

This past week almost all and every input scrambled my mind. Made me incoherent. Made me restless, and I ended up tired with nothing to show for my feverish-feeling brain activity. I even continued the activity when I slept… or when I couldn’t sleep, like last night.

Familiar? I bet it is.

You can only move forward if and when you are coherent. ⁴
Coherence is akin to driving a four-horse carriage… it’s powerful, and it goes where you want it to go. Continue reading “Afraid to make a mistake?”

You can only move forward if and when you are coherent. 4Coherence is akin to driving a four-horse carriage… it’s powerful, and it goes where you want it to go. Continue reading “Afraid to make a mistake?”

You can only move forward if and when you are coherent. ⁴
Coherence is akin to driving a four-horse carriage… it’s powerful, and it goes where you want it to go. Continue reading “Afraid to make a mistake?”