Inner Transformation

"...I have come across several people who, having heard about
enlightenment or Self-realisation, want to by-pass the psychological phase and go straight for the big achievement.
Enlightenment is not an achievement. It is an inner transformation from false identification with ego to identification with
your True Nature. It is a shift that involves a full acceptance of the hardships of life before you can go beyond them and
return home to your-Self." ~ Tess Hughes

• What hardships are you facing in your life?

• What is full acceptance?

• Do you find full acceptance of these hardships possible?

An Atom's Way of Knowing

"It would be a poor thing to be an atom in a universe without physicists, and physicists are made of atoms. A physicist is an
atom's way of knowing about atoms." ~ George Wald

• The Way: What is the individual person's way of knowing about individuality and non-individuality?

What Is Our True Nature?

 The Persona: "A kind of mask, designed on the one hand to make a definite
impression upon others, and on the other to conceal the true nature of the individual." ~ Carl Jung

• Is it possible to be ourselves, rather than to act like the person we think we are or should be?

• What is our true nature?

The Deepest Mystery in the Universe

"You don't have to peer expensively out into the farthest reaches of the
cosmos to encounter the deepest mystery in the universe. Look no further than right between your own two ears. The
human mind is nowhere challenged as much as by the endeavor to understand the workings of the brain that produces it."
~ The Brain: Big Bangs, Behaviors, and Beliefs

• What is the source of consciousness?

• Is it a product of neural complexity (produced by the brain), or is the mystery deeper within consciousness?

What Do You Feel in Silence?

 When the words stop / And you can endure the silence / That reveals
your heart's pain of emptiness / Or that great wrenching-sweet longing, / That is the time to try and listen / To what the
Beloved's / Eyes / Most want / To / Say. ~ Hafiz, translated by Daniel Ladinsky

Diamond Sutra, Simplified

The Convocation of the

Assembly
In Jeta Grove, the park of
Anatha-pindika near the once-
great city Shravasti, the "city of
wonders" in northern India close
to the border of Nepal, twelve
hundred and fifty wandering
mendicants broke their fast then
gathered round to hear the
words of the Buddha.

Subhuti Makes a Request

The disciple Subhuti arose and,
raising his hands with palms
joined in respect, said: World-
Honored One, if good men and
women seek enlightenment, how
should they then conduct
themselves?

The Real Teaching of the

Great Way
They should discipline their
thoughts as follows, Buddha
replied. All living creatures are
caused by me to attain
unbounded liberation. Yet when vast numbers of beings have thus been liberated, in truth no being has been liberated.
And why is this? Because no enlightened being cherishes the idea of a separate individuality.

[There are 29 more stanzas.]

Beyond Senses, Beyond Thought

 Is it possible to know beyond the senses and beyond thought?

Jesus said, "I shall give you what no eye has seen and what no ear has heard and what no hand has touched and what has
never occurred to the human mind." ~ Gospel of Thomas

Pride & Humility

"During my near-death experience I had a descent into what you might call
Hell, and it was very surprising. I did not see Satan or evil. My descent into Hell was a descent into each person's
customized human misery, ignorance, and darkness of not knowing. It seemed like a miserable eternity. But each of the
millions of souls around me had a little star of light always available. But no one seemed to pay attention to it. They were
so consumed with their own grief, trauma and misery. But, after what seemed an eternity, I started calling out to that
Light, like a child calling to a parent for help." ~ A Near-Death Journey into the Light of Creation, by Mellen-Thomas
Benedict

• Does our pride prevent us from seeking Help?

Sailing

• What, beyond our control, are we unable to change?

• What, within our control, are we capable of changing?

 • How do we discern the difference?

"A spiritual practice simply disposes us to allow something to take place. For example, a gardener does not actually grow
plants. A gardener practices certain gardening skills that facilitate growth that is beyond the gardener's direct control. In a
similar way, a sailor cannot produce the necessary wind that moves the boat. A sailor practices sailing skills that harness
the gift of wind that brings the sailor home, but there is nothing the sailor can do to make the wind blow. And so it is with
contemplative practice…" ~ Into the Silent Land, Martin Laird

The Hound of Heaven

I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;

I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter….
~ Francis Thompson

What are the limits of what you can know?

"Of all the words yet spoken,

none comes quite as far as Wisdom,
which is the action of the mind
beyond all things which may be said."

"Wisdom is the oneness

of mind that guides
and permeates all things."
~ Heraclitus
 Truth vs. Comfort?

"Truth or reality is avoided when it is painful. We can revise our maps only when we have
the discipline to overcome that pain. To have such discipline, we must be totally dedicated to truth. That is to say that we
must always hold truth, as best we can determine it, to be more important, more vital to our self-interest, than our
comfort…. Mental health is an ongoing process of dedication to reality at all costs." ~ M. Scott Peck, The Road Less
Traveled

• How do you tend to react to information that doesn't match with your current worldview?

• Do you ignore it, denounce it, dismiss it, crusade against it, examine it, attempt to manipulate the world to
conform to your view, test your worldview, welcome the challenge?

• What is your biggest obstacle to being truthful?

Self-Realization: Is It Possible?

"The practice of Self-inquiry, called Atma-vichara in Sanskrit, is the most

important meditation practice in the Vedantic tradition. It is the main practice of the yoga of knowledge (Jnana Yoga),
which itself is traditionally regarded as the highest of the yogas because it takes us most directly to liberation. Self-inquiry
is the primary method through which Self-realization – the realization of our true nature beyond mind and body – is
achieved." ~ Vedantic Meditation, David Frawley

In What Are You Rooted?

 "Today, I find there is one certainty within me, but it is described only
peripherally – with simile and metaphor. I am a tree that feels its roots deep inside, as if I am connected to the bedrock of
existence. Where I came from and where I'm going … yes, I know this. But why am I here? No clue; no care either. Imagine
a tree that believes it forces fruit to appear – what an unnecessary burden. The tree is a door through which fruit
manifests.

"I am here. A thought arises to write; I write. I wonder what my purpose is; I wonder. A bacteria consumes me, a stranger
sells me groceries, a woman asks me for seventy-five cents, a tiny bird is struck by my car, an unkind word spoken to my
mate, and a kind word to a harried clerk. A great river of action is unfolding, with feeder streams trickling in from a
watershed as vast as existence. It is both a playground and a killing ground – arousing fear and swallowing lives, yet
providing endless opportunities for discovery and joy.

"The river flows through the life of the tree and downward to the essence.

"I am a tree that dreams. I lose my way in little worlds inside my head; in the whispers of my leaves that I turn into words.
Now and then I must remember, remember where I rest and in doing that I choose the hand that guides me; choose the
whisper that I hear. Is there a burden there? I think so, but not a heavy, Biblical one. I listen as best as I can to my heart
and interpret that feeling into words that cause action. Let every word serve my highest light, and in that light is revealed
the truth of my purpose: to be used, consumed by that which pulls my heart."
~ Shawn Nevins, The Purpose of Life in 950 Words

The most important thing?

 Charlie Ellis, PhD, MBA, internationally prominent investment adviser,
and author of 12 books, asked by Consuelo Mack on WealthTrack about what's the most important thing an investor can
do, responded:

Sit down quietly and ask:

• What do I really, really, really want to accomplish?

• What do I really, really want to avoid?

• What's the most realistic way of getting where I want to go?

Does this apply to our life in general?

What tools are available in the search for ultimate answers?

"Apart from trying to identify what it was that saw this Oneness, there was still the
unresolved question of what remained in the absence of self. What is this that walks and talks and is aware of the eye
upon Oneness?"

"One thing is certain: with our thinking, rational mind, we'll never come upon these answers because our mind, limited
tool that it is, is so continually taken up in the service of self that it cannot come upon that which lies beyond all such
concerns." ~ Bernadette Roberts, The Experience of No-Self

Philosophical Self-Inquiry: An Unconventional Adventure

 Philosophy: The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality,
and existence

Self-Inquiry: Going within to find answers

What is your ultimate concern?

"All our concerns are finite. In the short span of our lives many of them have already
disappeared and new ones have emerged which also will disappear. Many great concerns of the past have vanished and
more will come to an end, sooner or later. The melancholy law of transitoriness governs even our most passionate
concerns. The anxiety of the end dwells in the happiness they give. Both the things about which we are concerned and we
ourselves come to an end. There will be a moment – and perhaps it is not far away – when we shall no longer be
concerned about any of these concerns, when their finitude will be revealed in the experience of our own finitude – of our
own end.

"But we maintain our preliminary concerns as if they were ultimate. And they keep us in their grasp if we try to free
ourselves from them. Every concern is tyrannical and wants our whole heart and our whole mind and our whole strength.
Every concern tries to become our ultimate concern, our god. The concern about our work often succeeds in becoming our
god, as does the concern about another human being, or about pleasure. The concern about science has succeeded in
becoming the god of a whole era in history, the concern about money has become an even more important god, and the
concern about the nation the most important god of all. But these concerns are finite, they conflict with each other, they
burden our consciences because we cannot do justice to all of them.

"… Even God can be made a finite concern, an object among other objects; in whose existence some people believe and
some do not. Such a God, of course, cannot be our ultimate concern. Or we make Him a person like other persons with
whom it is useful to have a relationship. Such a person may support our finite concerns, but He certainly cannot be our
ultimate concern.

"The one thing needed – this is the first and in some sense the last answer I can give – is to be concerned ultimately,
unconditionally, infinitely.
"… He who is grasped by the one thing that is needed has many things under his feet. They concern him but not ultimately,
and when he loses them he does not lose the one thing he needs and that cannot be taken from him." ~ Paul Tillich

Time's Hurdy-Gurdy

"We sleep to time's hurdy-gurdy; we wake, if

we ever wake, to the silence of God. And then, when we wake to the deep shores of time uncreated, then when the
dazzling dark breaks over the far slopes of time, then it's time to toss things, like our reason, and our will; then it's time to
break our necks for home.

"There are no events but thoughts and the heart's slow learning where to love and whom. The rest is merely gossip, and
tales for other times." ~ Annie Dillard, Holy the Firm

What tends to draw your attention away from what is actually occurring?

"Whatever is actual is, as regards time, always in the present…. Likewise,

what is actual for you must be where you are. You cannot at this moment experience any event – that is, live through it at
first-hand – if it takes place beyond the range of your receptors."

"What is your actuality? Can you genuinely feel it?"

"Discover your resistances to doing so – for instance, that you get bored or annoyed or, more likely, lose ('flee from') the
sense of actuality." ~ Gestalt Therapy, Drs. Perls, Hefferline, Goodman

Unimaginable Mental Abilities?

 "I was reminded, when Lilian* told me this, of a patient I had seen in the hospital
some years before, who had overnight become totally paralyzed from a spinal cord infection, a fulminating myelitis. When
it became evident that no recovery was forthcoming, she fell into despair, felt that her life was over-not only the great
things of life but the little familiar pleasure of each day, like doing the New York Times crossword, to which she was
addicted. She requested that the Times be brought to her each day, so that at least she could look at the puzzle, get its
configuration, run her eyes along the clues. But when she did this something extraordinary happened, for as she looked at
the clues, the answers seemed to write themselves in their spaces. Her visual imagery strengthened over the next few
weeks, until she found that she was able to hold the entire crossword and its clues in her mind after a single, intense
inspection, and then solve it, mentally, at her leisure later in the day. This became a source of great solace to her, in her
paralysis; she had had no idea, she later told me, that such powers of memory and imagery were available to her." ~ Oliver
Sachs, The Mind's Eye

> Do you know the limits of your mental abilities for solving life's problems?

* Lilian Killar, a noted pianist, was a patient of neurologist Sachs. She had told him about a Haydn quartet she had heard on
the radio and arranged for the piano so she could play it herself. She had occasionally done something like that before her
alexia, using manuscript paper and the original score, but this time, when the former approach was no longer possible, she
did it completely in her head, overnight. She could now hold the most complex music in her mind, then rearrange it and
replay it mentally, in a way that was formerly impossible for her.

Is there anything outside of you or inside of you that is constant? Is there anything of you that is beyond change?

"You must first consider that a human life is an ongoing process that
involves a constantly changing physical body as well as an enormous number of rapidly changing thoughts, feelings, and
behaviors. Your life therefore is an evolving experience, a continual flow. You are not a thing…" ~ David D. Burns, M.D.
 Is Truth a Rabbit?

"Suppose truth is a rabbit. This rabbit is in a field – a large field. Round

the field are very high walls – creeds and dogma! So – find your damn rabbit!! And remember the rabbit knows your
thoughts & so as you resolve to go one way to catch it, it knows & evades you!" ~ Alfred Pulyan

What do you really own in this life?

own (verb)
1. to have or hold as property
2. to have power or mastery over; to acknowledge as one's own; recognize as having full claim, authority, power,
dominion, etc.

"Whatever can be lost is not really one's own; and what is not your own, of what use can it be to you?" ~ I Am That, Sri
Nisargadatta Maharaj

Who would you be without a past or a future? What is your Identity right Now?
 "When does one experience the occurrence of any event? Now!

"Listen carefully: When do we remember the event? When do we reminisce about the event? When do we think about the
past? Now; always now!

"When do we dream of a future event? When do we plan and calculate concerning future activities? Now. All experience,
all activity, all memory of the past, dream of the future, thinking and thought taking are inevitably, invariably 'happening'
in the now. Isn't this so?" ~ A Guide to Awareness and Tranquility, William Samuel

Nostalgia – Spiritual Homelessness

"It goes back, perhaps, to the fairy tales of childhood, to Hansel and
Gretel, to Babes in the Wood, to Alice and Wonderland, to all half-luminous places that pleased the imagination as a child.
It may go back still farther, to racial Druid memories, to an atavistic sense of safety and delight in an open forest. And after
long years of spiritual homelessness, of nostalgia, here is that mystic loveliness of childhood again. Here is home. An old
thread, long tangled, comes straight again." ~ Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Cross Creek, writing about the effect of walking
through her orange grove

Why Should I Fear?

 I died as a mineral and became a plant,
I died as plant and rose to animal,
I died as animal and I was Man.
Why should I fear? When was I less by dying?
~ Rumi

Is there a dying before dying, a dying while living, where we become what no mind ever conceived?

What would you really like to know in this life?

"That it's rough out there and chancy is no surprise. Every live thing is a survivor on a
kind of extended emergency bivouac…. What do we think of the created universe, spanning an unthinkable void with an
unthinkable profusion of forms? Or what do we think of nothingness, those sickening reaches of time in either direction?"

"It could be that God has not absconded but spread, as our vision and understanding of the universe have spread, to a
fabric of spirit and sense so grand and subtle, so powerful in a new way, that we can only feel blindly of its hem…. But have
we come even that far? Have we rowed out to the thick darkness, or are we all playing pinochle in the bottom of the
boat?" ~ Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

Hope

• A specific instance of feeling hopeful; "it revived their hope of winning the pennant"

• The general feeling that some desire will be fulfilled; "in spite of his troubles he never gave up hope"

• Promise: grounds for feeling hopeful about the future; "there is little or no promise that he will recover"
 • Expect and wish; "I trust you will behave better from now on"; "I hope she understands that she cannot expect a
raise"

• Someone (or something) on which expectations are centered; "he was their best hope for a victory"

• Be optimistic; be full of hope; have hopes; "I am still hoping that all will turn out well"

• United States comedian (born in England) who appeared in films with Bing Crosby (1903-2003)

• Intend with some possibility of fulfillment; "I hope to have finished this work by tomorrow evening"

• One of the three Christian virtues

"When we think of hope … we have to think of looking in other directions than we have been looking." ~ Sherwin B.
Nuland, M.D., TED.com talk "On Hope." (Nuland is a clinical professor of surgery at Yale University, where he also teaches
bioethics and medical history. He is the author of ten books, including How We Die: Reflections on Life's Final
Chapter, which won the National Book Award and spent thirty-four weeks on the New York Times best-seller list.)

Is there a direction other than where you've been looking?

Do experiences affect you, at your core?

"Experience generates and affirms identity. The identity-experience

becomes the lens through which all other experience is focused and measured for threat to that identity, or enhancement
of that identity.

"Witnessing, or observing experience disrupts this cycle of identity weaving itself from experience. Call it psychological
self-study if you like, but whatever it is called it is necessary for Self-realization." ~ Bob Cergol

What Is Awareness?
 "All scriptures are only for the purpose of investigating if there are two
consciousnesses." ~ Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi

What do you think he might have been talking about?

Is there more to life than playing this role you find yourself in?

"… [Experience] may be likened to someone in his room watching a

television, and being identified with the characters in the dramas as they unfold on the screen. Losing contact with himself,
he has become hypnotized into believing he is a character in the TV. The freedom he began with, that he was (and still Is),
the innocent observer, has been lost, traded for the mind-motion of thought and feeling projected into the plastic box in
front of him…. His innocence and detachment have been replaced with the sense of motion and thought, and the thrill of
losing energy. Now that he is inseparable from his role in the drama, he places a high meaning on the feeling of belonging,
which he now values as part of his very definition. He has fallen deep into sleep and is dreaming the life he thinks he lives,
a mere ghost in a box of motion, emotion, and thought…. Fear and desire drive his every move, and he is firmly engrossed
in his dreams." ~ Bob Fergeson, from "Ghost in a Box"

SELF-INQUIRY: Questioning our Views and Convictions

 > "I learned that failure is by and large due to not accepting and successfully
dealing with the realities of life…."

> "However, typically defensive, emotional reactions—i.e., ego barriers—stand in the way of this progress…. For these
reasons most people don't do a good job of understanding themselves and adapting in order to get what they want most
out of life." ~ Ray Dalio

How can you live life fully?

"How can you live life fully? Perhaps you

know of adventurers who watch sunsets in
the Himalayas. Perhaps you know of monks
who tend tiny gardens with meaningful
strokes of the hoe. How is your life in
comparison? Are you grinding out the 8 to
5 in front of a computer, or immersed in
the pointless noise of campus life? You
want something called fullness of life-
where your actions carry meaning; where
you are aware of your actions and fully
conscious of life. Vague stuff when you try
to convey it to someone else, but you
know it is more than a dream.

"A few people decide that experiencing

more is equivalent to living a fuller life. In
other words, more Pepsi in the glass will make the Pepsi taste better. An entire life is spent moving through increasingly
exotic experiences, never realizing it is the experiencer which is the source of the problem. It is you that suck life dry. The
telescope distorts the view of the moon-the moon is as it should be." ~ Shawn Nevins

Loneliness
 "Loneliness is a feeling of being without the kind of companionship one desires. It is the feeling of
an unmet desire, often unnameable. It is the feeling that there is something missing, usually something one percieves as
essential to their happiness or sense of fulfillment. The feeling of loneliness includes feelings of lack of intimacy and being
understood and being accepted just as one is, and lack of opportunity to express oneself joyfully and spontaneously in a
setting of total security.

"The feeling is real and is an indication that something is indeed missing....." ~ Tess Hughes, who will be joining us for the
meeting. See Tess's presentation at the April 2011 TAT meeting.

The Tired Mind

A new message dropped down the long chute from the Unknown, one of several just like it.
One of the tireless busy-men running about the place opened it and read it off: "Itch! Back of head." He walked from the
chutes over to the big machine at the center of the room and dropped the message into a slot at the top. It was a miracle
that this big hunk of machinery worked at all. It had a tangled shape to it, too wrapped around itself for any onlooker to
figure out how it worked. It shook furiously, spewing steam, oil, and the occasional expletive as it processed the new
message. Finally, just as it seemed like the thing would explode, it suddenly stopped with a ding and popped out its verdict.
"Lift right arm. Scratch itch with finger. Don't bump into guy on right," the last bit a reference to an earlier incoming
message about an irritable fellow apparently to the right somewhere "out there." If one looked closely enough down at
the bottom of this output directive, there was another message in small print: "…but I'd really like to go Home now." These
little messages had been showing up a lot recently, stuck down in the corner of the directives spewed out from the worn
out old machine. "Turn left at next light… but I'd really like to go Home now." "Walk to kitchen. Get glass of water… but I'd
really like to go Home now." "Keep up appearance of being professional and capable… but I'd really like to go Home now."
~ Ben Rainey

Do you seek to confirm your beliefs or test your beliefs?

 "It is the peculiar and perpetual error of the human understanding to be
more moved and excited by affirmatives than by negatives." ~ Francis Bacon

"No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single experiment can prove me wrong." ~ Albert Einstein

Are You Hiding from a Deeper Excursion into Your Own Possibilities?

Real Going-Within
 "I don't believe in the 'evolution of consciousness' line of thinking that
is increasingly manifest in thinking about spiritual work. If anything, I see a devolution – as the manifestations of the least
common denominators of human nature – albeit well-dressed – are recast en-masse as spiritual growth. The Perennial
Way has become one of self-magnification and the self-delusion of 'knowing' things in esoteric literature simply because it
is so widely available and widely read. Everyone 'knows' these days – and seeks affirmation from others – of course they
know nothing as their preconceptions of spirituality blind them from seeing clearly. Real going within is experienced as a
loss of self – and it takes a rare and unique seeker motivated at a very deep level to weather that." ~ Bob Cergol

Self-Esteem

"On what authority do I have my self-esteem?

"Self-esteem being [a way] you identify yourself – 'I'm identified as my self-esteem.' And Teresa of Avila had said as long as
people are stuck in that, they don't get on to the next stage [in the spiritual journey], that this is the sticking point. So I
started looking for something other than self-esteem as a way of defining my true value as to what I really am, and came
up with this thing of being God's child. And it opened up thinking, or it opened up something anyway.

"So what if I'm a gift from God, a creation from God? Isn't that quite a different thing from my self-esteem program that
I'm going with? They come from different places. Sometime around that I was in front of my jewelry box one day. It's
sitting there and there are some things in it, so I'm looking at: 'There's a gold ring, there's a gold bracelet, there's a gold
brooch.' And the thought struck me: 'The value of each of those things is in the fact that they're gold, not that they're a
ring or a whatever.' And then I thought: 'So the value is in the gold-ness rather than the thing-ness.'" ~ Tess Hughes, talk
given in April 2011

> Are you identified with your self-esteem?

> What authority do you allow to determine your self-esteem?

A Decline of Illusion?

"Although many scientific ideas generate conflicting results and suffer

from falling effect sizes, they continue to get cited in the textbooks and drive standard medical practice. Why? Because
these ideas seem true. Because they make sense. Because we can't bear to let them go. And this is why the decline effect
is so troubling. Not because it reveals the human fallibility of science, in which data are tweaked and beliefs shape
perceptions. (Such shortcomings aren't surprising, at least for scientists.) And not because it reveals that many of our most
exciting theories are fleeting fads and will soon be rejected. (That idea has been around since Thomas Kuhn.) The decline
effect is troubling because it reminds us how difficult it is to prove anything. We like to pretend that our experiments
define the truth for us. But that's often not the case. Just because an idea is true doesn't mean it can be proved. And just
because an idea can be proved doesn't mean it's true. When the experiments are done, we still have to choose what to
believe." ~ Jonah Lehrer, "The Truth Wears Off" (The New Yorker, December 13, 2010)

Are You Being True to Yourself?

To thine own self be true,

And it must follow,
As the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man. ~ Hamlet
 Where might you be being untrue to yourself?

Can you know this without knowing yourself accurately?

What do you value more, the honesty of your desires or the pursuit of them?

My Will or Thy Will?

He says, "There's nothing left of me.

I'm like a ruby held up to the sunrise.
Is it still a stone, or a world
made of redness? It has no resistance
to sunlight."
This is how Hallaj said, I am God,
and told the truth!
The ruby and the sunrise are one.
~ Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi, as quoted in Head and Heart: A Personal Exploration of Science and the Sacred (2002) by
Victor Mansfield

> Do you know what you are?

My Will or Thy Will?

"If freedom is absence of limitation and of determination from without,

only that can be free besides which naught else exists and is there any human will of which we can say that?

"In this sense of the word freedom, and philosophically we cannot well take it in any other sense, only the Absolute is free;
the relative is ever determined by its very relations to the world of relativity." ~ Conquest of Illusion, J.J. Van der Leeuw

> Are you running the show? Did you write the script?
> What in this life is under your control? What's beyond your control?
> Is there a power higher than or greater than your self?
 How Do You Know?

How do you know that you are?

"You now know that you are. How has this happened, because of what do you know that you are? You have to go to the
source. One hundred years earlier you did not know of your own existence. You had no problems at that time. Now,
because of this knowingness, all the problems have started. This 'I Amness' has happened because of the body, so what
knowledge do we have about the body and what knowledge of this 'I-ness'?" ~ Nisargadatta, I Am That

Is it possible to know for sure what you are?

Sadly, in Search Of

"… Sadly, in search of, but one step in

back of, themselves and their slow-movin' dreams." ~ Refrain: Willie Nelson, My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys

> Are you one step in back of yourself and your slow-moving dream?
 Explore the Great Indoors

"Quietude, which some men cannot abide because it reveals their inward poverty, is as a
palace of cedar to the wise, for along its hallowed courts the King in his beauty deigns to walk." ~ Charles H. Spurgeon

"There never was a war that was not inward; I must fight till I have conquered in myself what causes war." ~ Marianne
Moore

* What is your inner landscape made of? *

any Self Growth topic

http://www.selfdiscoveryportal.com/topics.htm
nowing which questions to ask yourself can be a challenge, so finding a set of oracle cards or a journal with prompts is a
good start to get you comfortable with the practice. We’ve included a set of 7 self-inquiry questions that you can try for
the next week to get started. Make yourself a cup of tea and make it your daily morning or evening practice. If you are
already practicing asana or meditation regularly, consider adding another 10 minutes to your routine for self-inquiry and
self-study.

Step 1:

Set your sankalpa (resolve or intention) for the practice. It might be something like this “I commit to knowing my true
nature. To seeing who I am at my essence; beyond my possessions, my successes, my failures, beyond name and form.
May my truth be illuminated.”

Step 2:

Tune in to your breath for 2 minutes. Let the chest become still, the belly soft. Feel the breath in the abdomen. Feel the
belly rise and fall. Just notice the rise and fall of the breath. Feel a sense of peace and calm.

Step 3:

Once you feel more still, choose a question or prompt below. Take a deep breath as you let the answer come from deep
within and then begin to write whatever comes to mind, just stream of consciousness. Let it flow—get it all out on the
page. Enjoy this process of getting to know yourself.

Day 1
Empowered Life Oracle Cards

See also Sally Kempton’s Simple Self-Inquiry Meditation

Day 2
 Empowered Life Oracle
Cards

See also Stop Quieting the Mind and Start Questioning It: The Practice of Inquiry

Day 3
 Empowered Life Oracle
Cards

See also Who Am I? Use The Enneagram With Yoga To Find Your Answer

Day 4
 Empowered Life Oracle
Cards

See also Find Your Purpose Using Shraddha + Dharma

Day 5
 Empowered Life Oracle
Cards

See also Self-Inquiry Meditation

Day 6
 Empowered Life Oracle
Cards

See also What Your Asana Practice Can Tell You About Your Life

Day 7
 Empowered Life Oracle
Cards

See also 6 Goal-Setting Tips for the Entrepreneurial Yogi

About Our Expert

Tracee Stanley was initiated by her teacher and ParaYoga founder Yogarupa Rod Stryker into the lineage of Sri Vidya in
2001. She teaches self-empowerment focusing on Yoga Nidra, self-study, Sankalpa, and Bhakti. She is the creatrix of the
Empowered Life Activation Kit, which includes a set of 72 self-inquiry oracle cards and 7 guided meditations, and
Empowered Wakeup – A 21-day Meditation and Self-Inquiry Journey. Learn more at empoweredlife.yoga

MEMBERSHIP SPOTLIGHT

Why Fast Learning and Yoga Don’t Mix

AMY IPPOLITI

Sthira-Sukham Asanam: Cultivating Comfort and Steadiness

RINA DESHPANDE

Seeking Perfection In Your Yoga Poses Can Backfire. Here’s Why

WOLF TERRY

Why Saying That You “Found” Yoga Is Problematic

WOLF TERRY

1. Read Every Day

Books are concentrated sources of wisdom. The more books you read, the more wisdom you expose
yourself to.

When you’re reading a book every day, you will feed your brain with more and more knowledge.

Here’re 5 great books to read for self-improvement:

2. Learn a New Language

As a Singaporean Chinese, my main languages are English, Mandarin, and Hokkien (a Chinese dialect).
Out of interest, I took up language courses in the past few years, such as Japanese and Bahasa
Indonesian.

I realized learning a language is a whole new skill altogether, and the process of opening yourself up to a
new language and culture is a mind-opening experience.
3. Pick up a New Hobby
Beyond just your usual favorite hobbies, is there something new you can pick up? Is there a new sport
you can learn?

Your new hobby can also be a recreational hobby. For example, you can try pottery, Italian cooking,
dancing, wine appreciation, web design, etc.

Learning something new requires you to stretch yourself in different aspects, whether physically,
mentally or emotionally.

Here’re 20 hobbies to get you some new ideas: 20 Productive Hobbies That Will Make You Smarter and
Happier

4. Take up a New Course

Courses are a great way to gain new knowledge and skills for self-improvement. It doesn’t have to be a
long-term course; seminars, workshops, and online courses serve their purpose, too.

In fact, anyone who wants to be a smarter learner should take this 20-minute FREE class: Spark Your
Learning Genius. It will help supercharge your learning ability and pick up any skill faster!

5. Create an Inspirational Room

Your environment sets the mood and tone for you. If you are living in an inspirational environment, you
are going to be inspired every day.

If there’s a room in your house that looks messy or dull, take it to the next level by putting on a new coat
of paint, buying a few nice paintings for the walls, or investing in some comfortable furniture to make it
a space that will always feel welcoming and inspiring.

6. Overcome Your Fears

Whether it’s the fear of uncertainty, fear of public speaking, or fear of risk, all your fears keep you in the
same position and prevent you from improving your life.

Recognize that your fears reflect areas where you can grow as they act as a compass pointing at areas
that need attention.

7. Level up Your Skills

If you have played video games before, you’ll know the concept of leveling up—gaining experience so
you can be better and stronger.
As a blogger, I’m constantly leveling up my writing skills. As a speaker, I’m constantly leveling up my
public engagement abilities. What skills can you level up?

8. Wake up Early
Waking up early has been acknowledged by many to improve your productivity and your quality of
life.[1]

When you wake up early, you’ll have time to dedicate to self-improvement before everyone else is up.
You’ll add extra time to your day, soak up the morning tranquility, and absorb the early-morning
sunlight that will help your brain switch into its active mode.

Not sure how to wake up early and feel energetic? These ideas will help: How to Get Motivated and
Be Happy Every Day When You Wake Up

9. Have a Weekly Exercise Routine

A better you starts with being in better shape through physical activity. I personally make it a point to
jog at least 3 times a week, at least 30 minutes each time.

Try to mix it up by doing different exercises each day to prevent boredom and muscle strain.

10. Start Your Life Handbook

A life handbook is a book that contains the essentials on how you can live your life to the fullest, such as
your purpose, your values, and your goals. You can think of it as a manual for how to live your best life
through consistent self-improvement.

I started my life handbook in 2007, and it’s been a crucial enabler in my progress.

11. Write a Letter to Your Future Self

Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? What kind of person will you be after you learn how to
improve yourself?

Write a letter to your future self and seal it. Make a date in your calendar to open it 1-5 years from now.
Then, start working to become the person you want to open that letter.

12. Get out of Your Comfort Zone

Real growth comes with hard work and sweat. Being too comfortable doesn’t help us grow; it makes us
stagnate.
Identify where your comfort zone lines are and how you can begin to step out of them little by little. Go
hiking on a trail you’ve never been to, make a dish you’ve never tried, or say yes next time a friend asks
you to go out when you’d normally say no.

13. Put Someone up to a Challenge

Competition is one of the best ways to grow and aid in self-improvement. Set a challenge (weight loss,
exercise, financial challenge, etc.) and compete with an interested friend to see who achieves the target
first.

Through the process, both of you will gain more than if you were to set off on the target alone.

14. Identify Your Blind Spots

Scientifically, blind spots refer to areas our eyes are not capable of seeing. In personal development
terms, blind spots are things about ourselves we are unaware of. Discovering our blind spots helps us
discover our areas of improvement.

One exercise I use to discover my blind spots is to identify all the things/events/people that trigger me
in a day—trigger meaning making me feel annoyed, frustrated, or angry. These represent my blind
spots.

Once I know these triggers, I can identify ways to improve them or overcome them.

15. Ask for Feedback

As much as we try to improve, we will always have blind spots. Asking for feedback gives you an
additional perspective as you learn how to improve yourself.

Some people to approach are friends, family, colleagues, a boss, or even acquaintances, since they will
have no preset bias and can give their feedback objectively.

⌄ Scroll down to continue reading article ⌄

Know Your Learning Style Now And Learn Faster

Take Lifehack's Learning Style Assessment for Free!
 Get Free Assessment
⌄ Scroll down to continue reading article ⌄

Learn more about how to ask for feedback and become a fast learner here!

16. Stay Focused With To-Do Lists

Starting your day with a list of tasks you want to complete will help you stay focused. In comparison, the
days when you don’t do this can end up being chaotic or unproductive. You may forget certain tasks or
end up running out of time since you haven’t created a plan to tackle each item.

17. Set Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals (BHAGs)

I’m a big fan of setting BHAGs. BHAGs stretch you beyond your normal capacity since they are big and
audacious—you wouldn’t think of attempting them normally.

What are BHAGs you can embark on that will make you feel good about yourself once you complete
them? Set them, and start working on them.

18. Acknowledge Your Flaws

Everyone has flaws, but what’s most important is to understand them, acknowledge them, and address
them through self-improvement practices.

What do you think are your flaws? What are the flaws you can work on now? How do you want to
address them?

Remember to do this with a sense of self-love. Do not look at your flaws through a self-critical or mean-
spirited light. This is about finding areas you feel you can improve upon, not finding things that are
wrong with you.

19. Get Into Action

The best way to learn and improve is to take action. What is something you have been meaning to do?
How can you take action on it immediately?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lifehack for Goal Diggers (@lifehackorg)

20. Learn From People Who Inspire You

Think about people you admire, people who inspire you. These people reflect certain qualities you want
to have for yourself as you learn how to improve yourself.

What are the qualities in them you want to have for yourself? How can you acquire these qualities?

21. Quit a Bad Habit

Are there any bad habits you can work on eliminating? This can include oversleeping, smoking,
drinking, or procrastinating.

Here’s some great advice from Lifehack’s CEO on hacking your habit loop to break bad habits and build
good ones: How to Break a Habit and Hack the Habit Loop

22. Cultivate a New Habit

Some good habits to cultivate include reading books, waking up early, exercising, reading a new
personal development article a day, and meditating.

Are there any other new habits you can cultivate for more self-improvement?

23. Avoid Negative People

As Jim Rohn says,

“You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with”.
Wherever we go, there are bound to be negative people. Don’t spend too much of your time around
them if you feel they drag you down.

24. Learn to Deal With Difficult People

There are times when there are difficult people you can’t avoid, such as at your workplace, or when the
person is part of your inner circle of contacts.

Learn how to deal with them as you’re learning how to improve yourself. These people management
skills will go a long way in working with people in the future.

25. Learn From Your Friends

Everyone has amazing qualities in them. It’s up to us how we want to tap into them.

With all the friends who surround you, they are going to have things you can learn from.

Try thinking of a good friend right now. Think about just one quality they have that you want to adopt.
How can you learn from them and adopt this skill for yourself?

26. Start a Journal

Journaling is a great way to gain more self-awareness. As you write, clarify your thought process and
read what you wrote from an outsider’s perspective. This will help you gain more personal insight.

27. Start a Blog About Personal Development

To help others grow, you need to first be walking the talk of self-improvement. There are expectations of
you, both from yourself and from others, which you have to uphold.

28. Get a Mentor or Coach

There’s no faster way to improve than to have someone help you achieve your goals.

Many of my clients approach me to coach them in their goals, and they achieve significantly more
results than if they had worked alone.

If you’re looking for a mentor, don’t miss these tips: What to Look for in a Good Mentor

29. Reduce the Time You Spend on Messaging Apps

Having messaging apps open as a default results in a lot of wasted time. This time can be much better
spent on other self-improvement activities.

The days when I don’t get on chat, I get a lot more done. I usually disable the auto start-up option in the
chat programs and launch them when I do want to chat and really have the time for it.

30. Learn Chess

Chess is a terrific game to learn strategy and hone your brainpower. Not only do you have fun, but you
also get to exercise your analytical skills.

31. Stop Watching TV

Many programs and advertisements on TV are meant to distract you instead of empowering or
educating you. This time is better spent elsewhere, such as with close friends, doing a hobby you enjoy,
or exercising.

32. Start a 30-Day Challenge

Set a goal and give yourself 30 days to achieve this. Your goal can be to stick with a new habit or develop
a new hobby.

30 days is just enough time to strategize, plan, get into action, review, and nail the goal.

33. Meditate
Meditation helps to calm you and be more conscious while improving your overall mental health.
Meditation can also help you sleep better, be more productive, and be kinder to those around you.

Have a go with this 5-minute Guide to Meditation: Anywhere, Anytime.

34. Learn Public Speaking

Interestingly, public speaking is the #1 fear in the world, with #2 being death.

Public speaking can help you learn how to communicate better, present yourself, and engage people.
These skills are helpful both personally and professionally, as you’ll do better in meetings and
presentations.

35. Network With Experts

These people have achieved their results because they have the right attitude, skill set, and know-how.
How better to learn than from the people who have been there and done that as you learn how to
improve yourself?
Gain new insights from them on how you can improve and achieve the same results for yourself.

36. Let Go of the Past

Is there any grievance or unhappiness from the past which you have been holding onto? If so, it’s time
to let it go as part of your self-improvement.

Holding on to it prevents you from moving on and becoming a better person. Break away from the past,
forgive yourself, and move on.

37. Start a Business Venture

Is there anything you have an interest in? Why not turn it into a venture and make money while
learning at the same time?

Starting a new venture requires you to be learn business management skills, develop business acumen,
and have a competitive edge.

The process of starting and developing my personal development business has equipped me with many
skills, such as self-discipline, leadership, organization, and management.

38. Show Kindness to Those Around You

You can never be too kind to someone. Being kind helps us to cultivate other qualities such as
compassion, patience, and love.

As you get back to your day after reading this article later on, start exuding more kindness to the people
around you, and see how they react.

Also, notice how you feel as you behave kindly to others. Chances are you will feel more optimistic and
grateful.

39. Reach out to People Who Dislike You

If you ever stand for something, you are going to get haters.

It’s easy to dislike the people who dislike us; it’s much more challenging to love them back. Being able to
forgive, let go, and show love to these people requires magnanimity and an open heart.

Seek a resolution and get closure on past grievances. Even if they refuses to reciprocate, love them all
the same. It’s much more liberating than to hate them back.

40. Take a Break

Have you been working too hard? Self-improvement is also about recognizing our need to take a break
to walk the longer mile ahead. You can’t be driving a car if it has no fuel.

Scheduling downtime for yourself is important. Take some time off for yourself every week. Relax,
rejuvenate, and charge yourself up for what’s up ahead.

41. Read 1 Personal Development Article a Day

Some of my readers make it a point to read at least one personal development article every day, which I
think is a great habit.

There are many terrific personal development blogs out there, some of which you can check here.

42. Commit to Your Personal Growth

I can be writing list articles with 10 ways, 25 ways, 42 ways, or even 1,000 ways to improve yourself, but
if you have no intention to commit to your personal growth, it doesn’t matter what I write.

You are responsible for your personal growth as you learn how to improve yourself. Make the decision
to commit to your personal growth and embrace a lifelong journey of growth and change. Kick off your
growth by picking a few of the steps above and working on them.

The results may not be immediate, but I promise that as long as you keep to it, you’ll start seeing
positive changes in yourself and your life.

Personal na Paglago: Isang Ganap na Gabay Sa Pag-unlad ng Sarili

Ang personal na paglago ay ang proseso kung saan kinikilala ng isang tao ang kanyang sarili at patuloy na pinapaunlad ang
kanyang sarili upang maabot ang kanyang buong potensyal. Ang personal na paglago ay isang mahalagang bahagi ng
paglago, kapanahunan, tagumpay at kaligayahan ng isang tao.

Ano ang proseso ng paglago at pag-unlad ng Sarili?

Maaaring walang unibersal na diskarte para sa personal na paglago at pag-unlad, dahil ang bawat tao ay isang indibidwal.

Ang bawat landas sa personal na paglago at pag-unlad ay isang paglalakbay sa buhay ng isang indibidwal. Nasa sa
indibidwal na magpasya kung anong landas ang tatahakin at saan hahantong ang landas na iyon. Gayunpaman, mayroong
ilang mga katanungan na makakatulong sa iyo sa iyong paglalakbay.

What is the situation now?

Identify your strengths and weaknesses, and your good and bad habits.
Ano ang sitwasyon ngayon?

Kilalanin ang iyong mga kalakasan at kahinaan, at iyong mabuti at masamang ugali.

What’s your favorite state?

Let’s look at what you want to improve and why you want to improve that attribute.

Ano ang iyong paboritong estado?

Tingnan natin kung ano ang nais mong pagbutihin at kung bakit nais mong pagbutihin ang katangiang iyon.

What am I supposed to do? What do you need?

Find the knowledge and experience you need to get closer to your ideal self. You can find the resources to help you reach
your ideal state.” The on-going formation” is a great example of a workshop that contributes to social, emotional,
intellectual and spiritual growth and development.

Ano ang dapat kong gawin? Ano'ng kailangan mo?

Hanapin ang kaalaman at karanasan na kailangan mo upang makalapit sa iyong perpektong sarili. Mahahanap mo ang mga
mapagkukunan upang matulungan kang maabot ang iyong perpektong estado. " Ang nagpapatuloy na pagbuo ay isang
mahusay na halimbawa ng isang pagawaan na nag-aambag sa paglago at pag-unlad ng lipunan, emosyonal, intelektwal at
espiritwal.

How Self Growth Can Change Your Life

Personal growth can help you in all areas of your life. I hope this helps you with your work. It can change the way you think
about your work and increase your chances of getting ahead.

Personal growth can help you grow emotionally and psychologically to become a more loving, compassionate and positive
person.

It also serves as a guide to help you notice, correct and change your mistakes and negative habits.

There are many techniques to help you grow yourself, including creative visualization, repetitive speech, developing a
positive mindset, and meditation. Personal development also includes counselling, coaching, and reading.

A very simple and beneficial way to grow personally is to look at your actions and your life with an unbiased and open
perspective. In doing so, you will know what you and your life needs to do.

Paano Mapapalitan ng Sariling Paglago ang Iyong Buhay

Ang personal na paglago ay maaaring makatulong sa iyo sa lahat ng mga larangan ng iyong buhay. Inaasahan kong
makakatulong ito sa iyo sa iyong trabaho. Maaari nitong baguhin ang iyong pag-iisip tungkol sa iyong trabaho at dagdagan
ang iyong pagkakataong umunlad.

Ang personal na paglago ay makakatulong sa iyong lumago ng emosyonal at sikolohikal upang maging isang mas
mapagmahal, mahabagin at positibong tao.

Nagsisilbi din itong gabay upang matulungan kang mapansin, maitama at mabago ang iyong mga pagkakamali at
negatibong gawi.
Maraming mga diskarte upang matulungan kang palaguin ang iyong sarili, kabilang ang malikhaing visualization, paulit-ulit
na pagsasalita, pagbuo ng isang positibong pag-iisip, at pagninilay. Kasama rin sa personal na pag-unlad ang pagpapayo,
pagtuturo, at pagbabasa.

Ang isang napaka-simple at kapaki-pakinabang na paraan upang lumago nang personal ay ang pagtingin sa iyong mga
aksyon at iyong buhay na may isang walang pinapanigan at bukas na pananaw. Sa paggawa nito, malalaman mo kung ano
ang kailangang gawin mo at ng iyong buhay.

Observing Other People Life

Observing the actions and behaviours of others can help you. Thus, by identifying the positive and negative parts of your
personality and being aware of whether or not you have them, you can understand what needs to be improved within you.

Everyone is different, and what works for one person may not work for another. That’s why you need to explore different
personal growth techniques and methods to find the right one for you.

Pagmamasid sa Buhay ng Ibang Tao

Ang pagmamasid sa mga kilos at pag-uugali ng iba ay makakatulong sa iyo. Kaya, sa pamamagitan ng pagkilala sa positibo
at negatibong mga bahagi ng iyong pagkatao at magkaroon ng kamalayan kung mayroon ka o hindi, maaari mong
maunawaan kung ano ang kailangang mapabuti sa loob mo.

Ang bawat isa ay magkakaiba, at kung ano ang gumagana para sa isang tao ay maaaring hindi gumana para sa iba pa. Iyon
ang dahilan kung bakit kailangan mong galugarin ang iba't ibang mga diskarte at pamamaraan ng personal na paglago
upang makahanap ng tama para sa iyo.

Turning the dead time into a time of self-empowerment

Too many of our days are filled with useless activities. I don’t do anything at times like this. The daily commute, going to
Starbucks for coffee, going to the shower, it’s like every moment that wastes precious time not doing something really
meaningful.

Ginagawang oras ng patay ang oras ng patay

Napakaraming araw natin ay puno ng mga walang kwentang aktibidad. Wala akong ginagawa sa mga oras na ganito. Ang
pang-araw-araw na pag-commute, pagpunta sa Starbucks para sa kape, pagpunta sa shower, ito ay tulad ng bawat sandali
na nagsasayang ng mahalagang oras na hindi gumagawa ng isang bagay na talagang makabuluhan.