Posts by Tyler Thomas12

There’s another trick to it. I can feel it creeping up on me 😈, but I’ve actually made a little progress in managing it:

You know that feeling when someone attacks you or accuses you for absolutely no reason? Those moments where someone else's aggression triggers you, and even though you know deep down there's zero basis for their claims, everything inside you is just screaming. You have to force yourself to stay cool 😎 and just take the hit—to wait for the situation to settle down. That’s my biggest struggle: dealing with that internal reaction.

Selfishness, envy, arrogance... honestly, it's revolting.

But look, I’m starting to recognize the signs, so I don't always just sit there and take it. Besides, I've got people looking out for me, haven't I? 🙂

Baphomet said:The real test is going to be resisting the urge to turn on the TV.

Or take a friend who shows up after years away. You're right in the middle of some spiritual discipline, but you give in, go out for drinks to reminisce about the "good old days," and suddenly weeks of hard work just vanish down the drain...

signed, sealed, and delivered!!!!!
🙏 👍

I am definitely a TV addict. I have cable with about 35 channels, and honestly, none of them are particularly smart, but I’ll sit there flipping through them even when I’m not actually enjoying it. I only really watch the stuff that catches my interest.

And if a friend calls me at 10 PM? That’s it. It’s game over for whatever I was supposed to be doing. One drink turns into another, we head out, and suddenly I'm having the best time ever while my responsibilities pile up.

Plus, I smoke at least a pack a day (and no, I can't exactly quote the Bible and smoke at the same time—that would be like trying to read Hemingway while lighting up). 🙄

I'll admit it: finding the strength to resist is pretty rare for me.

Solaris said:So, wouldn't it be logical to just walk away from everything and tear it all down just to start over from scratch?

That sounds right to me—starting from zero, but starting from within. I’m not talking about the beginning of the universe or some vague, misty concepts about higher planes that just distract us from the actual issues. I mean starting from your own goals, your own theses, and those desires you can't seem to fulfill. You have to ask yourself: why do you even want what you want? What is actually driving you toward it?

I was really struck by how Anthony de Mello (in works like "Awareness" or "Awareness: The Path to God") frames the way a person—their "SELF"—relates to things, relationships, desires, and feelings. We mistake these things for being our "SELF," and eventually, we make that same mistake with God.

"Would you want my love at the expense of my happiness?"