Lesson 1
Introduction: There Is No Rush
When we simply sit and observe the contents of our consciousness, we are granted access to a kind of instinctual wisdom. One that is both a reflection of the self and the universe. As we sit, we grow calm. Our body relaxes and our mind settles. Physical tension leaves and mental hang-ups are processed. Unfolding slowly, but inevitably...
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Lesson 2
Finding A Path: Mantra
The present moment is all that exists. The past is gone, and the future has not yet come. We are continuously dealing with ramifications of the past. The choices we made then, will forever impact us today. Similarly, the impact of our choices today, will forever reverberate into our future. Yet neither the future nor the past exists as more than a construct. We are impacted by it, and need to plan accordingly, but our lived experience is one of repeated present moments strung together...
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Lesson 3
Taking Control Of Your Life: Your Actions Are A Prayer
We judge people on their actions. We look at their history, accomplishments, qualifications, and experiences, and then we want that person in our lives. We rarely consider what the person thinks of themselves. A good builder is good, not because they say and believe themselves to be good, but because they create sturdy, reliable, and safe houses. Yet, when we judge ourselves, we do so based on momentary feelings...
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Lesson 4
Turning The Camera Inwards: Searching For Meaning
What is the meaning of life? Why are we here? What is the point of it all? Who am I? Perhaps life is a construct of divinity, a representation of the eternal. Or perhaps we are little more than self-aware apes on a rock, meaninglessly circling a ball of burning gas. I do not know the answers to these questions, or if they even have answers that I could comprehend. Despite this, I search...
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Lesson 5
Acceptance Of Death: The Gift And The Choice
The inevitability of death is overwhelming. What is the point? Why strive when our accomplishments do not last? There is some logic to this line of reasoning. The fact is that we are going to die. And given enough time, all memory and evidence of our existence will fade from humanity’s collective memory. Most of us will not even be remembered four generations from now. Do you know anything about your Great Grandparents other than their names? Do you even know their names? Why should our lives be any more permanent?
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Lesson 6
Processing The Past: Two Leaves
A quick review of our past reveals many moments of joy and positivity; times when things just worked. When a failure came, it did not break us. We picked ourselves back up, learnt a lesson, and pushed forward. Similarly, we can look back and see expanses of misery and suffering. Times where we were down and out, at rock bottom and struggling. There were occasional wins, yet these barely succeeded in moving the needle...
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Lesson 7
Investigating Our True Nature: I Am Constant Change
Turn the camera inwards and observe for yourself. Watch the thoughts come and go. Notice how you did not choose the thoughts that came, nor the thoughts that replaced them. They just appeared and disappeared of their own volition. Watch, and see how emotions, memories, moods, and other mental phenomena arise. Where are they arising from? Who choose the specific phenomena to occur? Where do they go? Mindfully observe your mind and you will see the transient nature of the contents of consciousness. The mind seems to be filled by a constant, undirected flow of mental chatter...
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Lesson 8
The Connection Between Ourselves & The World: Reflections
We take on the moods of those around us. Happiness, anger, and fear spread like a contagion, jumping from person to person, mutating and growing stronger. This transmission forms the core of interpersonal relationships and is the basis of our survival as a species. We look at our tribe and make quick assessments. Should we run or fight? Welcome or shun?
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Lesson 9
Fostering Deep Connection: Love Is
All relationships end in breakup or death. It can feel like the more you love now the more pain you will suffer later. One person will outlive the other; left to handle the emotionality of their companion’s passing. Given the inevitable pain that such a connection causes, why is it that we are drawn to one another? Why have the poets spoken of love so passionately? Why is love at the centre of so much art, literature, and culture? Love gives life meaning...
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Lesson 10
There Is More To Life Than Money: What Moves You?
There is a temptation to make money the goal of our worldly pursuits. To make a certain income level, or amount of accumulated assets our life purpose; one that becomes the benchmark of our performance and subsequent happiness. Until reached, we have not yet ‘made it’ and thus cannot be satisfied. The problem is that if your goal is purely financial, attainment will feel like a hollow victory. This is because after a certain point, more money does not bring more happiness.
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Lesson 11
The Limits Of Achievement: The Fear of Imperfection
Chasing perfection is like trying to find the end of a rainbow. As we approach it, it shifts just a little further. The problem is that perfection is subjective. My perfect will not be the same as your perfect, nor will my perfect stay the same over time. This is true for exercise, family, relationships, careers, financial, or attainments of any kind...
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Lesson 12
How To Heal: Writing Therapy
When you look closely at most religions, philosophical traditions, styles of psychological therapies, and even healthy friendship groups, you see that they all share the common feature of talking as a form of healing. The confessional, the therapist’s couch, the shared introspections, and the long phone calls all seem to serve the same core function: they act as an outlet, a way to let go of our troubles, a springboard for our ideas, or just an opportunity to process the complexities of life. There are of course differences in the beliefs, practices, and surrounding doctrine, but the practical reality is that healing comes when we talk...
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Lesson 13
Self Awareness & Success: When You Look Inside
When we turn the camera inwards and look at ourselves, we start to notice our little foibles, intricacies, and thinking patterns. We learn how we respond to the world and the people in it. We see how we handle stress, uncertainty, loss, and success. With this knowledge we can then predict how we will act in response to future events, and thus make appropriate choices. Self-awareness is the key to all success...
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