My dear friends, I’ve finally taken that very first step... I know there is quite a long road ahead of me—it feels a bit daunting, really—but I suppose if I just take things one small step at a time, I'll eventually get where I need to be, slowly but surely. 🙂
brisktiger56 said:Seriously though—I truly wish you, and I’m pretty sure everyone else here too, a smooth journey toward a total shift in perspective and much brighter days ahead.🙂
Thanks so much; you all really are such wonderful people. 😍
I’ve tried praying, I really have, but it just doesn't work for me—it just won't click... it isn't quite my thing. I wouldn't call myself an atheist or even an agnostic, per se; I guess I'm more of a free spirit. I've always had this strong dislike for people trying to force a religion on me or judging me just because I don't show up at a church pew. I especially can't stand the preaching from folks who act like their way—you know, the traditional Catholic route—is the one and only right path...
Tyler Diaz4 said:We all find ourselves needing that kind of "spiritual" guidance occasionally, yet a true psychotherapist serves both roles simultaneously.
I suppose everything really just comes down to how one perceives things 😁 Personally, I quite enjoy todaytonight’s perspective—even if it isn't always strictly serious, I tend to see them as such a cheerful, positive soul... whereas you, brisktiger56, I view as someone truly rational and deeply intuitive 🙂 The conversation doesn't even necessarily have to be about me personally; what matters is that we reach some sort of realization, especially since we are discussing spirituality 😍
Lisa Morales4 said:Well, there you go! brisktiger56 could definitely learn a thing or two from you. I've already told him a few times that he needs to shift his perspective instead of being so reflexively allergic to certain ideas. 😛
I really respect what was said above. 👍 You're one of a kind. 🙏
ho ho ho, honestly, people just love slapping labels on me—so I’d much rather deal with some positive little stickers here than face all the actual accusations and criticisms out in the real world... everyone seems to be such an expert at talking big, even if they haven't actually accomplished a single thing 😉 I mean, I'm pretty certain that in the near future, I'll find myself surrounded by a different crowd with a completely different outlook on life, maybe a bit more 👍
slymaker9 said:Human life is the ultimate prize. To hell with uncovering some "objective truth" if that truth ends up destroying the person who found it. Perception should always have a slight rose tint to it—a kind of realistic optimism. We need to live with colors of hope.
And please, let’s not bring the Bible into this—I’ve mentioned before, and I really mean it, even though I’m not a religious person myself, that the Bible is actually quite full of wisdom. It’s just that... well, I suppose it's the idiots who take everything so literally... if someone can't grasp the deeper meaning, they probably shouldn't be reading it—or bringing it up at all, in my opinion.
Honestly, I don't take any medication, and I really have no desire to start—I feel like it would just make me drift even further away from reality, which is the last thing I need 😁 I’ve been trying so hard to stay grounded and present, but it feels like an uphill battle lately... I suppose it’s common knowledge that for an average person to just function normally, you need a little bit of everything, and a sense of moderation in all things... but I can't help feeling this massive void in my life, and maybe I'm just trying to fill it with something else, which ends up leading to these cycles of excess... there's just no balance here, let alone any sense of moderation... I don't know, maybe I'm just overly sensitive, or perhaps I'm being selfish and only focusing on my own needs, or maybe I'm just way too obsessed with the tiny details—I honestly can't say for sure... I just know that I wasn't even like this back when I was a teenager 😬 and there's clearly too much of one thing and not enough of another, which is why I find myself in this state 👍
dustyraven26 said:The distinction between a pessimist and an optimist was merely an illustration. To renounce perception is by no means to renounce the act of experiencing, and certainly not to renounce the ecstasy of living. That assertion itself is just another layer of perception—one that imposes conditions and restricts the freedom to feel and act. You mentioned your love for nature. It seems you observe it without any urge to alter it; that is pure ecstasy. I wonder if you view yourself with that same detachment, or if you are constantly searching for ways to change yourself, attempting to do so in a manner that remains uniquely yours. Do you truly expect that by repeating the familiar, you will stumble upon some unknown revelation that leaves you breathless?
That makes sense, and I actually quite like that idea, 👍but does that mean I have to view myself through that same lens? I guess if I did look at myself that way, I might stop growing—and if I stop growing, I'm basically stuck in the same place I am now, just spinning my wheels...
Lisa Morales4 said:Shifting your perspective is really just shifting who you are. The facts on the ground don't change.
Think about it like going to a movie theater. You sit right in the front row of the orchestra section and watch the big climax unfold right in front of you. You go back the next day to see the exact same movie, but this time you grab a seat up in the balcony. That climax is still the same scene. Even if you head back for a third viewing and sit all the way in the very last row, the climax remains unchanged.
I actually quite like this analogy, 👍but I suppose in the case of the cinema, you're really just changing your vantage point rather than actually changing yourself... we stay the same, the theater stays the same, it’s just a different seat... maybe even a slightly different perspective if you've seen it three times already... but what happens when everything looks pitch black because you're feeling down, yet when you're happy, everything seems rosy—even though, in both scenarios, you still feel this underlying sense of emptiness? Like, in the first instance, it feels more intense and depressing, whereas in the second, it's more of a lingering melancholy... just this constant, pervasive void and sadness... does anyone else ever experience that?
It’s almost as if people act like there are only two camps—the pessimists and the optimists—but life isn't really that black and white, is it? I mean, I find myself being both at different times; sometimes I'm leaning toward the dark side, sometimes I'm feeling pretty hopeful... and plenty of times, I suppose I just land somewhere right in the middle. Besides, how do you even begin to strip away your own perception? To me, that feels a bit like trying to deny your own lived experience, which doesn't seem particularly possible, I guess.
Well, you don't have much of a choice—you might as well embrace being the "unhappy" one, since there isn't really another option 😍 But in all seriousness though: Maybe you're overthinking the idea that something is broken within you, when really, you're just comparing yourself to people who are fundamentally broken themselves. It might be better to just lean into your own perspective instead of trying to force yourself into someone else's worldview—especially when their way of thinking doesn't even fit you anyway.
I'm telling you, find your tribe—people who actually get it—and everything will start feeling a whole lot more normal 😉
Honestly, I don't really care, and I don't particularly care to be "normal" anyway 😁 though I suppose life would be a little nicer if I felt accepted and could just feel a bit more at peace—that, I guess, would be nice😍
@dustyraven26 — I suppose everyone views the world through their own unique lens, right? We all experience things in our own way—it’s not really about seeing what you want to believe, but more about actually experiencing what is right in front of you, at least that's how I tend to look at it...
@brisktiger56 — See, there you go—I guess I'm just not exactly "normal" 😁 and honestly, it makes you wonder how someone feels when they genuinely love people, yet others just see them as being eccentric—or maybe even just unhappy—instead of seeing who they truly are
brisktiger56 said:Whether it’s "easier" isn't really the point. What actually matters is what's more effective at shifting perception...
Maybe you're just lacking a little life experience 🙄
I suppose I might just be missing a few screws in my head—it’s hard to say, really. 🙄 I suppose my own experience is fairly standard for someone my age—nothing particularly groundbreaking or out of the ordinary, I guess... I suppose I see things a little differently than most people my age—which, if I'm being honest, sometimes makes me feel like a bit of a total freak. For instance, instead of spending my weekends hitting up crowded bars or chasing the latest nightlife scene, I much prefer things like hiking through the woods, hosting a backyard BBQ, or just getting lost in a quiet corner of the local library. I really value deep conversations, long walks, and staying active—those kinds of simple, restorative things. Most of the time when I go out with people, we end up racing around the city or trying to find the next loud spot, whereas I’d much rather just sit outside and look up at the stars. It’s hard for me to wrap my head around how so many people don't seem to know how to actually enjoy being out in nature. 😢 It’s especially tough during these summer months... I can't help but wonder—am I just being unusual here, or am I actually expected to adapt myself to this specific mentality? Or maybe I'm just overthinking things, I suppose. Well, I mean, look—I certainly don't mind heading out to a local coffee shop or hitting up a club every now and then—but I’m definitely not doing it constantly... I guess you have to find that balance, right?
brisktiger56 said:Sure, it’s possible—but honestly, it usually works the other way around. You change how you see things, and *that* is what eventually drives you to move to a new place or overhaul your daily routine.😉
Yeah, I feel that too... maybe this first part is actually the easier bit? I guess what really gets under my skin is how much time everything takes—it feels like everything requires so much patience 🙄