Posts by Anthony Cook8

brisknomad13 said:maybe "self-improvement" is too intense... I'd call it more of an encounter with yourself...

so, how do you actually live while knowing deep down it's all kind of fake?

I might just be rambling here... honestly, it feels a bit futile. There isn't some magic technique or step-by-step manual to trigger awareness. The second we decide to force it, we usually just end up manufacturing a new situation that drags us right back into the same old patterns.

When we try to help someone through specific advice or actions, we have to realize they've already created their own circumstances. We didn't cause it; they did.

And really, there's nothing more we can do. We can't offer anyone anything beyond what they are already doing themselves. That's just how it is.

hiddenbear3 said:I am speaking from my own personal experience and my own truth.

Well, if you say so, then I suppose that's how it is.😁

hiddenbear3 said:Life doesn't really afford me the luxury of focusing solely on my own inner growth right now, as I have four mouths to feed every single day. There was a time, long ago, when I could actually dedicate myself to self-reflection while others provided for me and allowed me to wander through philosophy, but those days are behind me. I can't quite decide whether that's a misfortune or a blessing in disguise...

Hmm... I've come to realize that "working on yourself" isn't actually about labor. It’s more about conviction. You just have to live authentically without falling into the trap of thinking we are victims of circumstance, because we aren't.

It always seems to come down to excuses. Once you start noticing this pattern, it's eye-opening. We will invent a thousand different reasons why things can't improve or why change is impossible, even when the opportunity is staring us right in the face. We all do it, if we're being honest.

Brandon Mitchell said:Yeah, something like that... 🙂

But tell me... did you come here looking for fresh perspectives and new insights to challenge yourself, or are you just searching for someone to validate what you already believe?😛

hiddenbear3 said:Matter is essentially a spectrum of colors, which inherently implies a multitude of instabilities, constant changes, and a delicate sense of balance.
So, while what you're saying certainly fits into that broader framework, to generalize and claim that all matter is nothing more than an illusion is, in itself, quite an illusion.

Haha, if you only look at the surface level, that’s a pretty edgy take. Living in total ignorance and leaning into the idea that everything is an illusion gives people a convenient excuse to check out of reality and dodge collective responsibilities—and honestly, that’s when the real fun starts.🙂 It definitely makes life more entertaining for those who believe nothing is real compared to the folks stuck in a mental box, refusing to accept anything outside their narrow worldview...

Ryan Wilson2 said:Physical reality cannot be an illusion.

An illusion can only exist if one mistakes their own identity—the soul or the spirit—for physical reality. Of course, that assumes you even believe in the existence of a soul or spirit to begin with. 😁

It really can be an illusion... think about a serial killer who manages to be a wonderful father and husband at the same time.
Or someone who is a complete nightmare to their coworkers but is absolutely lovely when they get home.

A wife living with a killer might never even realize what he’s doing, 😁 so for her, that truth isn't her reality.

I'm exaggerating, sure, but for all of us, "reality" is just what we perceive. Since everyone perceives things differently, it's inherently an illusion.

If you and a stranger are standing together on a street corner in Chicago, you'll both notice different people and different things happening around you. Even if you happen to see the exact same thing, you'll interpret it through different lenses, even though it happened at the exact same moment.

So much is happening simultaneously that our brains simply can't process it all. We catch a tiny fragment, assume that's the whole picture, and call it reality—but it's not. It's just the small slice of life that happens to be right in front of us while everything else continues to unfold out of our sight.

brisknomad13 said:To me, matter is just opportunity and timing—it’s how we actually run into one another... because without it, how would I even recognize anyone else?
I’d just be stuck in some deep, existential void of loneliness.

It’s always had a bad reputation, almost like it was guilty before it even showed up to the party.

Honestly, I probably wouldn't even be able to see myself without it.

Yeah... it "belongs" to the whole damn thing.

Personally, I wouldn't say matter itself is ill-reputed; rather, it's that certain thoughts or statements about it are misunderstood by those who try to grasp things with their intellect instead of truly feeling them with their heart.
But then again, that's just my own perspective.
There are probably far more people stirring up drama and outcry due to shallow analysis and misinterpretation than there are those who actually understand.

Maybe 😁

hiddenbear3 said:Matter exists as the necessary vehicle for expressing various qualities of the spirit.
To deny the existence of matter entirely is to deny the spirit itself, and you're quite right to find that idea absurd. In fact, that exact brand of madness—where extreme schools of thought preach such polar opposites—is precisely what causes conflict between extremes instead of fostering reconciliation.
In fact, I recently posted on the Kabbalah thread that the middle pillar serves this exact purpose: it doesn't negate either side, but rather demonstrates how they are compatible components forming a single whole with one unified purpose.

but in a sense, it represents an illusion because it's constantly shifting based on our own perceptions... it isn't solid. For example, the person standing right in front of us isn't really "them," but rather our perception of them...
All you have to do is step back for a moment. Spend a full day observing someone and watch how their behavior shifts depending on which ten different people they are interacting with...

steelgardener22 said:Results are whatever we decide they are. They don't just vanish when this body dies or when this life wraps up... people think this world is the center of the universe... it's pure ego.

Lol, you really nailed that quote. Your energy is actually kind of spooky—it's like you've got a tail and horns instead of wings! 😁

Anthony Ross2 said:I’m not entirely sure about the results—after all, we’re all on these journeys that either drag on forever or maybe never truly end. But since these paths are so complex, and honestly kind of terrifying sometimes, we get to peek into so many different corners of ourselves. By diving straight into our own shadow, we can finally see our lives through a whole new set of mirrors.

I’ve started to realize that simplicity is actually the best way to measure spiritual progress. Whenever I manage to keep things simple, I feel like I'm succeeding. Simplicity is what eventually led me to love. Or maybe it was the other way around? I'm not quite sure.😍

This is such a beautiful sentiment.

Justin Garcia7 said:My biggest breakthrough has been a massive drop in anxiety about the future. It basically boils down to this: don't believe everything your brain tells you. Quiet the internal chatter, stay present, and just let life unfold when it's ready.
Whenever you start anticipating something, you tend to project all these false scenarios onto the future. In my experience, those mental projections are wrong about 90% of the time.

👍

Steven Cruz3 said:

😁😁😛

Are you absolutely sure about that?
Cmok and goodnight—hope you don't wake up with cramps tomorrow. 😉
I'll probably be feeling it... but those things tend to come and go.

🙂

Steven Cruz3 said:I know most people would jump to that conclusion, but seriously, this isn't about an ego trip or some "savior complex." You've gotta do something with your life, and so far, this is just what works for me. I'm not looking for some deep, philosophical meaning in it all. I learn something, I share something. I make someone smile, and someone smiles back at me. There are good days and there are rough ones, but overall, this is what I love doing more than anything else. Probably because I've always been pretty empathetic toward others. Maybe it's the love for a challenge, or just liking the interaction... I don't even know myself.

And for the most part—like 95% of the time—I am giving advice to people who actually want it, but yeah, occasionally I just let loose and start typing, regardless of the circumstances.

Can people survive without help? Of course they can. Deep down, everyone has their own inner compass and mental strength. The question is how fast they'll get there and how much unnecessary suffering they'll have to endure along the way. Most of the time, we're talking about people who have spent years being torn down by someone or something, which just guts their self-esteem. So, in my book, it doesn't hurt to lend a hand and help them take those first few steps toward what they actually want.

I don't know if you really caught my drift, but it doesn't matter. I'm equally committed to embracing and experiencing every emotion that comes naturally. I'm talking about the thoughts that happen before and after, and the emotional fallout that follows.

Personally, I'm really glad when someone speaks from the heart like that—saying they don't regret anything and would do it all again. Just keep in mind that your way of living doesn't work for everyone. What you're describing is like drifting down a white-water river without a paddle. For some, it's a thrilling ride straight to the destination; for others, they're just going to smash into the rocks.

Whether people are famous or total strangers doesn't make a difference to me. Everyone feels, everyone strives for happiness, and everyone matters. That's more than enough reason for me to care. As for how long life lasts... that doesn't bother me. I live my life my way, I'm satisfied, and I have zero regrets. Sure, there are still things I need to sort out in my own life, but hey, I'm enjoying the process.🙂
So you're telling me you're trying to help me because you haven't found anything better to do with your life? Honestly—thanks. I can't even tell you how much of a compliment that is. 😁

I know most people would jump to that conclusion, but seriously, this isn't about an ego trip or some "savior complex." You've gotta do something with your life, and so far, this is just what works for me. I'm not looking for some deep, philosophical meaning in it all. I learn something, I share something. I make someone smile, and someone smiles back at me. There are good days and there are rough ones, but overall, this is what I love doing more than anything else. Probably because I've always been pretty empathetic toward others. Maybe it's the love for a challenge, or just liking the interaction... I don't even know myself.

And for the most part—like 95% of the time—I am giving advice to people who actually want it, but yeah, occasionally I just let loose and start typing, regardless of the circumstances.

Can people survive without help? Of course they can. Deep down, everyone has their own inner compass and mental strength. The question is how fast they'll get there and how much unnecessary suffering they'll have to endure along the way. Most of the time, we're talking about people who have spent years being torn down by someone or something, which just guts their self-esteem. So, in my book, it doesn't hurt to lend a hand and help them take those first few steps toward what they actually want.

I don't know if you really caught my drift, but it doesn't matter. I'm equally committed to embracing and experiencing every emotion that comes naturally. I'm talking about the thoughts that happen before and after, and the emotional fallout that follows.

Personally, I'm really glad when someone speaks from the heart like that—saying they don't regret anything and would do it all again. Just keep in mind that your way of living doesn't work for everyone. What you're describing is like drifting down a white-water river without a paddle. For some, it's a thrilling ride straight to the destination; for others, they're just going to smash into the rocks.

Whether people are famous or total strangers doesn't make a difference to me. Everyone feels, everyone strives for happiness, and everyone matters. That's more than enough reason for me to care. As for how long life lasts... that doesn't bother me. I live my life my way, I'm satisfied, and I have zero regrets. Sure, there are still things I need to sort out in my own life, but hey, I'm enjoying the process.🙂
Yeah, there were some pretty sketchy descents down that wild canyon—haven't broken anything yet, though. Honestly, I feel stupid even dwelling on it. There’s too much left on my bucket list to waste time crying over stuff that's already done. No point dragging the past around when I've got actual goals to hit. Not wasting my energy on it. 🙂

Look, I don't get what you guys are actually saying about thoughts—
I’m talking about the thoughts you have leading up to it—and the ones right after—plus that whole emotional rollercoaster that follows.

Emotions aren't just random feelings—they're reactions to something REAL. They’re signals, sure, but they’re also the fuel you need to actually take action. For me, pairing thought with emotion was never the issue—that part is easy. You use your head to sort through the mess, spot the problem, scan for obstacles or openings, and weigh your strengths against your weaknesses. That's how you build a strategy. My focus is always on the reality sitting right in front of my face. When you're in the middle of white-water rafting down a massive river, digging around in your own head about what you felt before or after the rush is just pointless. It’s unproductive, and frankly, it's a waste of time. 🙂

😁😁😛

Are you absolutely sure about that?

There are so many wonderful, free-spirited people out there who have never even laid eyes on a spiritual text or a classic novel, yet they possess this incredible knack for living fully in the moment.

The true beauty lies in that very diversity. Once you start paying attention and embracing that unpredictable dance of life, everything just seems to open up...

Zachary Gonzalez8 said:Yeah, exactly. I’m probably going to get repetitive here, so bear with me, 🙂 you feel that knot in your stomach, and then—boom—your brain immediately goes hunting for a thought to pin it on. You convince yourself that specific thought is the reason you're panicking. But deep down, you're thinking, "Wait, there has to be a logical reason why I feel this crappy, right?"

Exactly. The cause is the belief we hold onto—even if that belief is buried deep in our subconscious. Thoughts move so fast, it feels impossible to catch them all before they hit us.🙂🙂

That initial spark triggers the physical tension, and then we start layering on more thoughts: "this is terrible," or "I have to fix this right now," or "it's going to happen again," or even just worrying about how others will judge us.

Ryan Wilson2 said:It is fundamentally impossible to purge yourself of one emotion, such as fear, while simultaneously holding onto another, like love... You either find yourself overanalyzing both until you effectively destroy them, or you choose to prioritize one and force the other deep into your subconscious.

I've always felt that fear and love act like a seesaw. When we're gripped by fear, it's nearly impossible to truly experience love; we end up stuck in this defensive loop of paranoia, selfishness, or sadness. But when we lean into love, that fear tends to fade away. We feel more liberated, more relaxed, and much more present.

🙂 😁

brisknomad13 said:I’m not one to jump to conclusions, but honestly... ever since I started diving into this whole spiritual growth thing, I feel like I’ve actually become a "worse person." That sounds clunky, but I don't know how else to put it. Maybe I’m just becoming way too aware of all my messy, unadjusted parts.

Maybe I'm just seeing things more clearly or projecting more often, who knows...

One thing's for sure: these feelings are weird, shapeless, and kind of terrifying.

Is this some "dark night of the soul" crap, or am I just finally staring myself in the face?

Who knows...

Could just be me getting disillusioned with yet another concept. Probably won't have any answers to these doubts anytime soon.

🙂

Steven Cruz3 said:Wait, if everything in this world is supposedly perfect, why is that even a problem? If perfection actually exists, then there shouldn't be any issues at all—no matter what kind of nonsense we decide to get ourselves into. 🙂

But see, it isn't really a problem; someone is going to need that specific information at just the right moment... that's exactly why it was written down in the first place.

Steven Cruz3 said:So what’s your move when you get scared? You just rationalize the emotion away as "tunnel vision," decide you're done being afraid, and suddenly—poof—you see the big picture??

In reality, all you did was rationalize an emotion. By refusing to let it play out past that clutter of thoughts, you just shoved it deeper into your subconscious, down into that primal, animalistic side.

Look, it's not just some thought; there’s a much deeper, more purposeful emotion sitting right under the surface.

Fear is a built-in evolutionary mechanism—it's how humans survive predators and stay aware of danger and our own vulnerabilities. Suppressing that awareness is basically lying to yourself and working against your own nature. It can even lead to serious personality disorders. Take psychopaths, for example—they don't feel fear like the rest of us. They might be geniuses at mental manipulation, sure, but that definitely doesn't make them enlightened.

I’ve also seen older folks who seem fearless, but they explained it differently: they’ve already lived through every nightmare imaginable. Once they realized they survived it all, the fear just evaporated. That’s actual wisdom earned through experience, and I respect that. But these trendy New Age recipes? They don't hold water for me—especially when they take on this moralizing, preachy tone about how you "should" or "shouldn't" feel things.

Moralizing isn't the same thing as facing something to gain understanding. Moralizing carries this pressure to suppress things because they're "bad," and wherever there's pressure, there's no true self-discovery.

It’s pretty paradoxical—people criticize a cluttered mind, yet that very clutter is what suppresses the natural parts of a human being. It pushes down the emotions and instincts we've had for thousands of years, perfectly in tune with our biology. To me, that isn't "wise" and it isn't "spiritual." I see spirituality as integration, not castration.

You don't need to feel terror when standing by a window to keep yourself from jumping...
You don't need to feel fear of fire when you're standing near a fireplace to keep you from reaching into the flames...
And you don't need to walk down a street in a state of panic, terrified a car will hit you, just to be able to observe your surroundings and react in time...
If a car comes, and you see it, you move. It's not like we should be walking down the sidewalk playing a movie in our heads like, "Oh no, what if a car hits me?" or "What if this happens?"—which is exactly what people do needlessly in their relationships...

Often, I can't even identify the specific subconscious belief causing that physical knot in my stomach (you know, that "I *must* know" feeling). I can't pinpoint it because it's buried too deep, but it's not the knot itself that causes the trouble. It comes and goes; it dissolves when you stop feeding it attention or when you gain enough insight to let it go. The real problem stems from the secondary thought—that extra layer of narrative we add onto the physical sensation of grief or pain...
The thought that what's happening is catastrophic, that it will last forever, or that something terrible is coming. That's when the suffering truly begins. A moment that should have been fleeting turns into something that drags on and on... until we finally decide we've had enough, until we let go, or until we construct a situation that finally forces us to release it.

Drew Flores3 said:If it were truly "just" a thought... we'd have solved every single human problem by now.

Fear is the real killer. We're all living in this constant state of fear, and frankly, most of us aren't operating at a much higher level than chickens in a coop.

Yet, at its core, it really is just a thought.