so first i'm going to do a little promotional rant here and talk about Philosopher's Notes. check it out at philosophersnotes.com. it's EFFING AWESOME. i have been going through repeated bouts of depression and discouragement and stress lately, and already it has given me some powerful tools to pull through those experiences. i managed to get a scholarship to have free access to all the notes. what a gift!
what is it? it's a collection of 100 of the most important/inspiring enlightenment/self-help books out there, boiled down to key points, and composed into 6-page PDFs. basically like enlightened cliffnotes or something, only way more helpful and spunky. plus, the guy who created it (i KNEW he was a gemini, gemini's always bring me blessings that change my life!) also recorded 20-minute clips of him reading the notes aloud, so you can listen and read (which really helps me focus on what is being said).
it's $47 for the whole set, but if you can't afford it, there is a scholarship application. all you have to do is explain your financial situation, and why you can't pay for the wisdom right now but sure could use it to make your life better. it's such a generous gift. i'm excited to be embarking on the 50-day challenge set up by FinerMinds.com (50 notes in 50 days, guaranteed transformation, with online support!). this team of people (finerminds and philosopher's notes) have really brought me a lot of joy and inspiration and motivation. so i recommend that everyone check out those websites!
it's sites like that which give me hope and ease my anxiety about the ever growing integration of technology into our everyday lives. it is sites like gratitudelog.com and the two others i mentioned which should be what the purpose of the internet is. not just information sharing (or nonsense sharing, or consumerism cultivation, or mindless distraction), but the sharing of ideas which will change our future for the better. the encouragement of others whom we have not yet met in "real" life.
so, moving on to my latest lessons. detachment. what is it? why is it important? why and how should we begin to cultivate it within ourselves?
detachment is hard to explain. i haven't really figured it out myself. it's difficult to achieve. there is a difference between being detached in the sense that you don't give a shit what is going to happen (in other words, apathy), and being detached from any expected outcome, lovingly knowing that the universe is always bringing you what is best for you. detachment is not running around, carelessly fucking things up and saying "oh well, it's all perfect in the universe." yes, everything IS all perfect in the universe. but letting go of intention and flailing around, stomping on people along the way, is not enlightenment. it is carelessness. and it will bring about misery, not just to the people around you who you are bashing into and saying "oops, my B dude," but to you as well. i know. trust me. i have been doing that for a few months now and have only recently been able to come to grips with what i am actually doing, and recognizing the glaring ego of my motivations. and i messed up a lot of friendships in the process. and i have subsequently been forced to sit in solitude, in the darkness of my own mind, and think about what i've done. the most agonizing session of cosmic "time-out" that i've ever had to endure! but of course, the universe knows exactly what is best for me and my growth, and i have learned a lot about myself and the extent of my ego.
detachment from outcomes is important to living a happy life. i haven't mastered it yet. i am not even close to mastering it. but i know in my heart it is something i must master, because it is my consistent downfall and bringer of pain and disappointment. i get my heart so set on an ideal that i have fantasized about, and it comes to the point where the "plan" is so detailed that i can't imagine the scenario going any other way. i am inevitably disappointed in the reality that comes my way, because it is not what i had planned. well, guess what? the universe doesn't give a shit about your puny plan. the universe DOES bring you exactly what you ask for, but usually it's not in a way that is recognized immediately. the universe has grander plans for you, and if you just set your intention in a specific direction, the HOW of it will manifest even more magnificently than your limited imagination can.
so detachment from HOW things unfold is important, but do not think this means you should detach from WHAT you wish to witness unfolding. there is a very big difference between WHAT and HOW. WHAT i want is to go back to school and get started on the incredible idea that i have been graced with. the HOW includes the following: paying for tuition, which semester i will be returning, where i will be living, how the money will come my way. all of these things are what the universe takes care of. if you have to ask yourself "how am i going to do that? how will i come up with all that money? how will i do this, how will i do that, blah blah blah...?" then you should probably stop and remind yourself that the HOW is none of your business. you don't have to worry about it, because the universe will take care of it in a beautiful and perfect way, beyond your imagining. so don't waste your thought energy on trying to imagine how you will get the things done that you want to do. that will only drain you. instead, focus your thought energy on being in the moment, and simultaneously keeping your eyez on the prize. i'm going back to school, and this time i have a purpose and a specific intention. but i need to allow the universe to do its job without me backseat driving the cosmic vehicle! i'm just going to tell the driver where i want to go, and trust that s/he will know the best route to take :)
like i always say, these lessons that i "teach" are always lessons i've had to go through myself, or with which i will soon be faced. either way, this is just my perspective, and i hope that seeing things from my perspective will help any of you who read this to understand your own a little better. i'm not claiming to be all-knowing. i'm just experiencing life like everyone else, and if my life lessons can inspire even one other person to grow in a necessary and beautiful way, then my purpose on this earth is fulfilled.
love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love LOVE!
Awesome post. I'm the founder of the quirky company MindValley, that's behind FinerMinds, GratitudeLog AND PhilosophersNotes. Thanks for mentioning all our sites. Big hugs to ya!
ReplyDeleteHey it's Triplett from Cortland High. Great to see you the other day at the Frog!
ReplyDeleteI think this is basically what you have described above, just in slightly different words, but might be helpful:
ReplyDeleteTrue detachment is an atemporal state, consisting of releasing the past, reserving judgment on the present, and having no expectations for the future.
I recently was rejected from grad school. I wanted to go there for credentials, so I could teach. Then I looked around and realized I teach every day. I don't need five years and a piece of paper. I wish you the best in your plans, just know that if you already have an idea, you don't require the institution to offer it to the World.
Love!