“ how to stop self-help yourself into OBLIVION. so insightful and open my mind to stop and take my time with my own self adjustment in order-to fit or to be fix a lot of ways to appreciate not only the topics here. for myself I my nature is I put on a good show , but also inside a child. these days I LEARNED TO ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES, ITS HEALTHY take a slow breath each time and then reflect back on the next one .and while reading during the middle to last part-of the paragraph , grinnin smiling and then the tears would come down. hit both choppers as those special days when you see the sun in the moon at the same time on the side …really amazing. That’s AMAZING…COMPARING IT TO self help books on the table of the barnes and nobles a terrible word I wanted to write timely after reading your very very reconfirming statement that says to thy own self be true do onto to others as you want them to know. i am very curious and I enjoy so many good things in life its precious and it is human and me being just like U MAN.. enjoy the sunset were ever you are .. Ad
My God, Frederick, your reading of the current zeitgeist societal need is always so spot on! Thank you, thank you for your insight and your sense of humor about it all! Big love.
Hi Maggie, great to see you here in the comments again. I appreciate that you get my sense of humor. It's sometimes a tad harsh for some folks (so I've been told).
My island is sending you and your island good vibes for the upcoming summer.
Authentic Self. Yes. It's funny how spiritual teachings harp on and on about how 'distanced' we are from it, when really, we're occupying until our death 24/7 -- our corporeal existence broadcasts it to us with every breath we take.
"Kellog’s cornflakes and Red Bull" Too late, I've seen empty boxes and cans strewn in alleys all around Tokyo. Watching homo sapiens negotiate the world is infinitely entertaining, sometimes operatic if you are lucky.
I stopped listening to music and podcasts on the train a few years ago, preferring to observe the behavior of people going about life. In Tokyo almost everyone is glued to "de" "vices". When I was in Paris almost nobody on the Metro was. Most were lost in thought or alert so as not to miss their stop. The next destination was mentioned just twice and you hear the "click" as the micophone is turned off. In Tokyo you get two long announcements, one for the next stop, and a warning as you approach it in addition to warnings about curves and tugging your bags in so as not to get them stuck in the door during rush hour. People here are in constant need of guidance of a different kind.
I'm going to look for that Dyer tribute; not for Dyer, but for the audience. Ta ta Agent Starling...
Right. Like Fran Libowitz remarked, if you are staring at your phone while out in the world, you aren't anywhere except locked IN that matrix of the phones tentacle's that extend everywhere all at once, offering someone limitless rabbit-holes to fall into. I've read by some mythopoetic authors that the new archetype that defines are our age is that of the ZOMBIE. It seems they are on to something.
“Contemplate your death. Not in a morbid fashion, but just check in with this reality occasionally. This practice is sobering and keeps you on the right track, at the right pace, with whatever aim you set for yourself.”
Right, the great equalizer. I'm finding that contemplation a blessing as it encourages my attention to appreciate the world we live in (and the people we share it with) in a humbling way. I mean, the closer I move toward death the more I understand that none of us really knows where we are and where we are heading--and that amplifies the mystery of life in a beautiful way. Remember that incredible Gauguin painting you used to have in your living room. What a masterpiece. He was onto something divine.
I was never into the self-help gurus. When I was a teen in the 80s, I used to tell everyone that I was "the chosen one" and I was gonna start my own cult😂 I was codependent and insecure, but that spark of my inner strength must've made me say that stuff.
I've found my inner Angie, and I listen without question. Half the time I'm just doing things because they "occur" to me😂 Not that I don't have drive and direction... I just don't need anyone else to tell me what to do.
You speak words to the bristle down my spine I experience with every self help, self indulgent tik tok guru I see and the full body eye roll every time I hear/read/see regurgitated and co-opted spiritual ideas missing any context or depth for someone’s own life…
I’ve been deeply drawn to astrology and its arms of study for the exact self inquiry you talk about… I’d love to hear what teachers you recommend learning from as I am fairly new to this world.
“ how to stop self-help yourself into OBLIVION. so insightful and open my mind to stop and take my time with my own self adjustment in order-to fit or to be fix a lot of ways to appreciate not only the topics here. for myself I my nature is I put on a good show , but also inside a child. these days I LEARNED TO ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES, ITS HEALTHY take a slow breath each time and then reflect back on the next one .and while reading during the middle to last part-of the paragraph , grinnin smiling and then the tears would come down. hit both choppers as those special days when you see the sun in the moon at the same time on the side …really amazing. That’s AMAZING…COMPARING IT TO self help books on the table of the barnes and nobles a terrible word I wanted to write timely after reading your very very reconfirming statement that says to thy own self be true do onto to others as you want them to know. i am very curious and I enjoy so many good things in life its precious and it is human and me being just like U MAN.. enjoy the sunset were ever you are .. Ad
Thanks Adam, your comment reads like a prose poem. I loved the images you evoked.
My God, Frederick, your reading of the current zeitgeist societal need is always so spot on! Thank you, thank you for your insight and your sense of humor about it all! Big love.
Hi Maggie, great to see you here in the comments again. I appreciate that you get my sense of humor. It's sometimes a tad harsh for some folks (so I've been told).
My island is sending you and your island good vibes for the upcoming summer.
Oh, this!!! Yes, very much & thank you for writing it, Frederick!
Thank you for your comment Claire. Good to hear from you!
Well written and good advice for anyone beginning the journey of the Authentic Self.
Authentic Self. Yes. It's funny how spiritual teachings harp on and on about how 'distanced' we are from it, when really, we're occupying until our death 24/7 -- our corporeal existence broadcasts it to us with every breath we take.
"Kellog’s cornflakes and Red Bull" Too late, I've seen empty boxes and cans strewn in alleys all around Tokyo. Watching homo sapiens negotiate the world is infinitely entertaining, sometimes operatic if you are lucky.
I stopped listening to music and podcasts on the train a few years ago, preferring to observe the behavior of people going about life. In Tokyo almost everyone is glued to "de" "vices". When I was in Paris almost nobody on the Metro was. Most were lost in thought or alert so as not to miss their stop. The next destination was mentioned just twice and you hear the "click" as the micophone is turned off. In Tokyo you get two long announcements, one for the next stop, and a warning as you approach it in addition to warnings about curves and tugging your bags in so as not to get them stuck in the door during rush hour. People here are in constant need of guidance of a different kind.
I'm going to look for that Dyer tribute; not for Dyer, but for the audience. Ta ta Agent Starling...
Right. Like Fran Libowitz remarked, if you are staring at your phone while out in the world, you aren't anywhere except locked IN that matrix of the phones tentacle's that extend everywhere all at once, offering someone limitless rabbit-holes to fall into. I've read by some mythopoetic authors that the new archetype that defines are our age is that of the ZOMBIE. It seems they are on to something.
Here is the hook for me……
“Contemplate your death. Not in a morbid fashion, but just check in with this reality occasionally. This practice is sobering and keeps you on the right track, at the right pace, with whatever aim you set for yourself.”
👏👏👏
Right, the great equalizer. I'm finding that contemplation a blessing as it encourages my attention to appreciate the world we live in (and the people we share it with) in a humbling way. I mean, the closer I move toward death the more I understand that none of us really knows where we are and where we are heading--and that amplifies the mystery of life in a beautiful way. Remember that incredible Gauguin painting you used to have in your living room. What a masterpiece. He was onto something divine.
Absolutely
Still my favorite Gauguin
I was never into the self-help gurus. When I was a teen in the 80s, I used to tell everyone that I was "the chosen one" and I was gonna start my own cult😂 I was codependent and insecure, but that spark of my inner strength must've made me say that stuff.
I've found my inner Angie, and I listen without question. Half the time I'm just doing things because they "occur" to me😂 Not that I don't have drive and direction... I just don't need anyone else to tell me what to do.
Thanks for another fantastic read!🌻
These comments are indubitably 100% Angie.
And I'm happy to know you enjoyed the crazy-ass read/rant.
You speak words to the bristle down my spine I experience with every self help, self indulgent tik tok guru I see and the full body eye roll every time I hear/read/see regurgitated and co-opted spiritual ideas missing any context or depth for someone’s own life…
I’ve been deeply drawn to astrology and its arms of study for the exact self inquiry you talk about… I’d love to hear what teachers you recommend learning from as I am fairly new to this world.
You said it well: “regurgitated and co-opted….” The classic American hustle. Thank you for your comment Jaime!