Let's start by talking a bit about Fate, Freewill and Destiny. Fate is what you get if you don't try to change anything about yourself consciously. In other words, it is the forces of social conditioning, genetics and circumstances. If your fate is taking you where you want to go, no problems, enjoy the ride. Freewill is the ability to make conscious choices that can redirect the flow of fate into a new and hopefully more enjoyable future. Goal setting, action plans, and intent work are all examples of this. Destiny is where you actually are at any given moment. It is the combination of Fate and Freewill.
If you are intent on improving your life, it is important to focus on improving your Freewill and that is where Freewill Exercises come in. Freewill exercises consist of three basic parts: Paying attention, stopping conditioned responses, acting on new choices. I would also break these down into three levels of challenge: Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced.
Basic exercises should be small challenges with little to no risk and ideally an improved beneficial aspect. For example: Getting out of bed 5 minutes earlier, Drinking tea with your off hand, Stopping to take a deep breath before speaking, etc. Use your imagination and you will undoubtedly come up with some of your own.
Intermediate exercises may have some risk and ideally have an improved benefit aspect. For example: Saying no to people of authority in your life when you mean no, saying yes to the things in your life that you really want when you know others might not approve, confronting basic fears in a safe way, learning a new skill that you always wanted to but never have, or public speaking about some of your favorite things.
Advanced exercises should ideally be undertaken only after progressing through the basic and intermediate exercises. These can be major life changing events and are not to be taken lightly. Some examples: Quit that job you hate and find or create one you love, Break up with that abusive person and find the love of your life (or spend some quality time alone for a greater challenge), Climb that mountain, go skydiving, run a marathon, try parkour, in other words, change yourself in a major way, put it all on the line. You know what your biggest challenges are, go face them!
The benefits of these exercises include but are not limited to: an improved self-esteem, more confidence, new experiences, the satisfaction of doing the impossible, great stories to tell, having an amazing life and much more. If you start at whatever level you are comfortable at, and move to bigger and better things, there is no limit to what you can accomplish!
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
Imagination Guided Intent
There are a variety of ways to clarify your intent, and one of the easiest and most effective is to use your imagination. Our imagination is a very powerful tool that allows you to create realities for yourself and others. When we were children imagination came easily and effortlessly. That is how you want to use your imagination today. The first step is knowing what you want. Knowing the desired outcome is key to manifesting your dreams into reality. Often people use words to focus their intent, but remember, a picture is worth 1000 words!
When I talk about imagination, I am talking about using your mental imagery to create a reality that includes (but not limited to): Sight; Sound; Touch; Smell: Taste; Feeling; Emotional content and more! Do this to the best of your ability and with practice you will be able to create more and more realistic images that really powerfully manifest in your world. When using your imagination to create a reality, it is important to focus on the key moments of the event you are wanting to manifest. You don't have to focus on every boring little detail, if you feel bogged down then move on to the next part.
Typically, it is useful to start with the image of the end result (by end result I mean the final desired outcome). You may be shooting for that promotion at work, and the end result your desire is actually the amazing vacation that your raise will get you. Focus on that first, then work your way backwards from there. Imagine the promotion next. Then talking to the boss, asking for the raise and him saying yes. Then imagine your on the job performance increasing, the imagine yourself where you are now, wanting that dream vacation.
After running through it backwards, run it through forwards, letting it play out naturally, clarifying details as you go. Run it through at least three times or until you are satisfied that you have a clear image of what you want to have happen. However, if you find yourself getting frustrated or bored, stop. Imagination should be easy, fun and exciting. If it's not, you are trying too hard. you should finish off your visualization with the confident expectation of its manifestation. It should have the same feeling as if you order something at a restaurant and knowing that soon you will get your food.
The next step is to pay attention for the signs of your intent manifesting. If you are paying attention (or even if you are not), you will be able to notice when it starts happening so that way you can take advantage of any opportunities that arise. This also helps to bolster your intent, especially after the signs start to show up.
The final step is to receive your manifestation. The is by far the most important step. Complete the cycle of manifestation by allow the universe to give you what you asked for. You deserve it because you asked for it!
It is your creation, it belongs to you, so go get it!
When I talk about imagination, I am talking about using your mental imagery to create a reality that includes (but not limited to): Sight; Sound; Touch; Smell: Taste; Feeling; Emotional content and more! Do this to the best of your ability and with practice you will be able to create more and more realistic images that really powerfully manifest in your world. When using your imagination to create a reality, it is important to focus on the key moments of the event you are wanting to manifest. You don't have to focus on every boring little detail, if you feel bogged down then move on to the next part.
Typically, it is useful to start with the image of the end result (by end result I mean the final desired outcome). You may be shooting for that promotion at work, and the end result your desire is actually the amazing vacation that your raise will get you. Focus on that first, then work your way backwards from there. Imagine the promotion next. Then talking to the boss, asking for the raise and him saying yes. Then imagine your on the job performance increasing, the imagine yourself where you are now, wanting that dream vacation.
After running through it backwards, run it through forwards, letting it play out naturally, clarifying details as you go. Run it through at least three times or until you are satisfied that you have a clear image of what you want to have happen. However, if you find yourself getting frustrated or bored, stop. Imagination should be easy, fun and exciting. If it's not, you are trying too hard. you should finish off your visualization with the confident expectation of its manifestation. It should have the same feeling as if you order something at a restaurant and knowing that soon you will get your food.
The next step is to pay attention for the signs of your intent manifesting. If you are paying attention (or even if you are not), you will be able to notice when it starts happening so that way you can take advantage of any opportunities that arise. This also helps to bolster your intent, especially after the signs start to show up.
The final step is to receive your manifestation. The is by far the most important step. Complete the cycle of manifestation by allow the universe to give you what you asked for. You deserve it because you asked for it!
It is your creation, it belongs to you, so go get it!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
True healing
First of all, I like to talk about what healing is and how I used to see it. Healing was strongly associated with something new becoming broken and then needing fixing (also with a hint of never quite being as good as new). This concept of healing definitely made my job as a healer more difficult mainly because it would never allow me to get someone past 99% better. Recently while meditating on the subject, I came to a new realization about healing that I would like to share.
At the core of this is the truth that there is a permanent incorruptible nature that we all share. Some might call this inner divinity, higher self, Christ consciousness, Buddha nature, etc. This true being within us is by its very nature perfect and untouched by external events and circumstances. External in this case also happens to include our personal inner worlds. Because of this true nature, we can never truly be harmed in any way. In addition to this, it is important to realize that this external world is an illusion.
By an illusion, I mean not permanent in any real way. Everything here changes. It is a dream. It is a game. None of it is real. I know it seems incredibly real, but so does a good movie while you are watching it. After it is over then reality kicks back in. True reality. Realizing the truth of this will allow you to do amazing things. For now I will just talk about how this changes everything for healing.
To start with, I am going to change the word healing to renewal. I feel that this better emphasizes the aspects of healing that are beneficial. With renewal, you reestablish the original nature of your being. This allows your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual bodies to truly heal.
Part of the renewal process is the realization that even the "damage" that happened is not real either. When this awareness happens, it allows you to easily wipe away any unwellness for yourself or others. How do you get rid of an imaginary illness? The best was is to see through the illusion, the next is to use other imaginary solutions, the slowest is to wait it out until you forget about it. When you stop maintaining the illusion, it goes away.
When I talk about using imaginary solutions, I am referring to remembering that this reality is a dream and using a method that makes sense in this dream. This even includes normal modern medicine (if you strongly believe that it will work for you, that is.) Whatever you have faith in, you will be healed by. Remember though, that the best way is to simply realize your true nature of divine perfection. This allows you to see the impermanence of all things and give you the power to change things at will. It might take a bit of practice though. Start with some small things and work your way up to the bigger challenges (or you could just skip to the end and make it easier.)
Embrace your true nature, allow it to shine forth and all is renewed!
At the core of this is the truth that there is a permanent incorruptible nature that we all share. Some might call this inner divinity, higher self, Christ consciousness, Buddha nature, etc. This true being within us is by its very nature perfect and untouched by external events and circumstances. External in this case also happens to include our personal inner worlds. Because of this true nature, we can never truly be harmed in any way. In addition to this, it is important to realize that this external world is an illusion.
By an illusion, I mean not permanent in any real way. Everything here changes. It is a dream. It is a game. None of it is real. I know it seems incredibly real, but so does a good movie while you are watching it. After it is over then reality kicks back in. True reality. Realizing the truth of this will allow you to do amazing things. For now I will just talk about how this changes everything for healing.
To start with, I am going to change the word healing to renewal. I feel that this better emphasizes the aspects of healing that are beneficial. With renewal, you reestablish the original nature of your being. This allows your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual bodies to truly heal.
Part of the renewal process is the realization that even the "damage" that happened is not real either. When this awareness happens, it allows you to easily wipe away any unwellness for yourself or others. How do you get rid of an imaginary illness? The best was is to see through the illusion, the next is to use other imaginary solutions, the slowest is to wait it out until you forget about it. When you stop maintaining the illusion, it goes away.
When I talk about using imaginary solutions, I am referring to remembering that this reality is a dream and using a method that makes sense in this dream. This even includes normal modern medicine (if you strongly believe that it will work for you, that is.) Whatever you have faith in, you will be healed by. Remember though, that the best way is to simply realize your true nature of divine perfection. This allows you to see the impermanence of all things and give you the power to change things at will. It might take a bit of practice though. Start with some small things and work your way up to the bigger challenges (or you could just skip to the end and make it easier.)
Embrace your true nature, allow it to shine forth and all is renewed!
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Money and Spirituality
For a long time money and spirituality have been at the opposite ends of a spectrum for me. The idea that the material world and its needs are separate and at odds to the higher calling of the spirit. The distinction between these concepts of reality are in fact, artificial. Everything is one. There is only unity. Internally however, we can become fractured in our views of reality and not see the underlying unity of life. One of the primary goals of the spiritual path is integration and alignment of our being with that of the whole. Sometimes that means temporarily avoiding whatever is considered normal in our culture in order to find what we believe.
After gaining perspective, part of integration is learning to flow with society. There is the obviously artificial world that most people I know call the "real world". Hard work, suffering in a job they hate, earning money (just enough that they can barely make ends meet), and doing what they are told. I do not advocate joining up with that team. I suggest finding a way to make what one of my friends calls "silly money".
Imagine having an amount of money so absurd that you literally have no idea of what to do with it (or maybe you do.) Let say you wanted to buy an island for someone's birthday. You can. Buy 16 fighter jets, so you and you closest friends can drag race trough the sky. You can. Have lunch flown in from Italy for you and 100 other people. You can. That kind of money.
Now let's say your a bit like me and have been conditioned to believe that those uses of money should be considered "frivolous" or a "waste". Fine. I have some other uses of "silly money". Feed and clothe all the homeless of your city for the rest of their lives. Done. Build a business that provides jobs for your whole community. Done. End world hunger. Done. That kind of money.
Perhaps that's still a bit too materialistic for you. No worries, I got some more. Build and fund a spiritual center of your choosing, that people would want to visit from all over the world because all of the enlightened beings that you are supporting there. It is so. Create an education system for children that help them become more spiritual and actually teach them useful life skills. It is so. Pay for every person on the planet to take spiritual retreats every year. It is so. That kind of money.
It's not the money, it's how you use it. It is a tool that can be used to help make the world a better place. Ask yourself how you can better use money to do that. Also, by the way, it is perfectly fine to do all of the above. :)
Money is energy, and can be used to change the world, no more, no less. Don't be afraid to have money. Think of it as a physical way to empower you, your beliefs and the people, places things you care about!
After gaining perspective, part of integration is learning to flow with society. There is the obviously artificial world that most people I know call the "real world". Hard work, suffering in a job they hate, earning money (just enough that they can barely make ends meet), and doing what they are told. I do not advocate joining up with that team. I suggest finding a way to make what one of my friends calls "silly money".
Imagine having an amount of money so absurd that you literally have no idea of what to do with it (or maybe you do.) Let say you wanted to buy an island for someone's birthday. You can. Buy 16 fighter jets, so you and you closest friends can drag race trough the sky. You can. Have lunch flown in from Italy for you and 100 other people. You can. That kind of money.
Now let's say your a bit like me and have been conditioned to believe that those uses of money should be considered "frivolous" or a "waste". Fine. I have some other uses of "silly money". Feed and clothe all the homeless of your city for the rest of their lives. Done. Build a business that provides jobs for your whole community. Done. End world hunger. Done. That kind of money.
Perhaps that's still a bit too materialistic for you. No worries, I got some more. Build and fund a spiritual center of your choosing, that people would want to visit from all over the world because all of the enlightened beings that you are supporting there. It is so. Create an education system for children that help them become more spiritual and actually teach them useful life skills. It is so. Pay for every person on the planet to take spiritual retreats every year. It is so. That kind of money.
It's not the money, it's how you use it. It is a tool that can be used to help make the world a better place. Ask yourself how you can better use money to do that. Also, by the way, it is perfectly fine to do all of the above. :)
Money is energy, and can be used to change the world, no more, no less. Don't be afraid to have money. Think of it as a physical way to empower you, your beliefs and the people, places things you care about!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
True power
Sometimes when searching for the truth, it is not uncommon to look for the latest, greatest thing. This is often a way of avoiding the truth. Why not look within to find the truth that resides inside you and all things. Deeper understanding does not require knowledge, only observation and awareness. By increasing your awareness of reality, you come to understand reality in all its glory. Don't be afraid to see what is present with you at all times.
By focusing too much on the new, we can become sidetracked by things instead of essence. Essence is what is important. Appearances can vary but the truth of what is in everything is always apparent, just waiting to be recognized. We often cloud ourselves to truth, often because it means taking responsibility for our own lives. As long as there is another guru, another teacher, another parent, another brother, sister, friend, authority figure, there will always be an excuse to absolve yourself from personal responsibility. If you choose to take responsibility for yourself and the world around you, you can find great freedom and the opportunity to create the life you want to live.
Step up to the challenge. Bring forth that which is yours to create. Feel the flow of the endless stream of life moving as you direct it to build wondrous things! What are your dreams? What is your passion? You have the power to manifest them all. Choose to believe in the divine power that courses through your veins. It is a part of you as you are a part of it. One seamless whole. Let it flow and amaze yourself!
The place to begin is now. Choose one thing, for now. Align your will and purpose. Allow the universe to manifest your creation. Continue until you feel it click. You will know when it does. If you aren't sure, it hasn't clicked yet. When it does, be ready, because you will have that which you chose faster that you imagined possible. Give yourself fully into the process and nothing will stand in your way. Do not be afraid of your own power. Even though it is greater than you imagine, you will only do what is in the highest good.
The collective consciousness of the universe will guide and direct you to that which is best. It knows everything that everyone and everything knows. It's wisdom is limitless. Let it guide you and flow through you like a raging river and it will pull you along with it's current and you will find yourself in the ocean of life, able to go anywhere, do anything and be anyone you choose to be. Dare to dream, but dare even more to create the reality of your dreams, here and now.
By focusing too much on the new, we can become sidetracked by things instead of essence. Essence is what is important. Appearances can vary but the truth of what is in everything is always apparent, just waiting to be recognized. We often cloud ourselves to truth, often because it means taking responsibility for our own lives. As long as there is another guru, another teacher, another parent, another brother, sister, friend, authority figure, there will always be an excuse to absolve yourself from personal responsibility. If you choose to take responsibility for yourself and the world around you, you can find great freedom and the opportunity to create the life you want to live.
Step up to the challenge. Bring forth that which is yours to create. Feel the flow of the endless stream of life moving as you direct it to build wondrous things! What are your dreams? What is your passion? You have the power to manifest them all. Choose to believe in the divine power that courses through your veins. It is a part of you as you are a part of it. One seamless whole. Let it flow and amaze yourself!
The place to begin is now. Choose one thing, for now. Align your will and purpose. Allow the universe to manifest your creation. Continue until you feel it click. You will know when it does. If you aren't sure, it hasn't clicked yet. When it does, be ready, because you will have that which you chose faster that you imagined possible. Give yourself fully into the process and nothing will stand in your way. Do not be afraid of your own power. Even though it is greater than you imagine, you will only do what is in the highest good.
The collective consciousness of the universe will guide and direct you to that which is best. It knows everything that everyone and everything knows. It's wisdom is limitless. Let it guide you and flow through you like a raging river and it will pull you along with it's current and you will find yourself in the ocean of life, able to go anywhere, do anything and be anyone you choose to be. Dare to dream, but dare even more to create the reality of your dreams, here and now.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Having Goals
It is sometimes difficult to recognize your own goals. With so many different people telling you what you should do, who you should be, and even what you should want, thing can be rather confusing at times. If you want to recognize what you really want in life, there are a methods for clearing away other peoples goals for you and finding your own.
The first method that I share with others is the "Do what you want and don't do what you don't want to do." Simple right? Well, most of the time. People tend to argue this one before they even try it, usually because they misunderstand what it is that they would actually want to do. It is often imagined that doing whatever you want would lead you to doing all sorts of horrible things. The truth is: most of the time you end up doing what you normally do plus a few nice things that you've been putting of to take care of yourself. Like take a nap or go for a walk outside, or get a new job. Down deep, we're not monsters, we're good people.
Maybe in following this, you decide too immediately take it to an extreme, my suggestion is don't. Unless you are prepared for the logical consequences of your actions. Doing what you want does not stop others from doing what they are going to do in response to what you are doing. Not doing what you don't want to do may cause people to give you a hard time. Take it slow and with small steps and then you will see positive changes in the way you live. Eventually you will come to understand the difference between what you feel like doing and what you really want to do.
Another method I suggest to people is the Guilt Reversal method. If doing something make you feel guilty, odds are that it is something that you actually want to do (that some of the people closest to you don't approve of). Likewise if it is something that you would feel guilty for not doing then you more than likely don't want to do these things. The key to this one is recognizing the difference between guild and remorse. Guilt is the feeling of outside pressure applied to you in order to control your behavior. Remorse on the other hand is the feeling you get when you recognize that you in fact did something that you know is wrong or unintended.
The next method is by far the simplest yet hardest. I call it the Truth method. It goes like this: never lie to yourself. Most of the time we become confused on our path because we end up lying to ourselves about what we really know. If you are brutally honest with yourself, you can't be confused at all. Sometimes this method becomes a combination of the first two methods. Sometime you won't like what you find. However, seeking the truth relentlessly in all situations will allow you to act out of perfect clarity.
An example situation: Your mother want you to go visit aunt Bertha in the hospital. You feel resistance to going even though you know you should go visit her. If you look at the situation truthfully you may find that you don't like aunt Bertha and the only reason you would go is to make you mother happy even though you would be miserable the whole time. Also this is the sixth time your aunt has been in the hospital and this is the weekend you planned on going on a vacation that you have been planning for over a year. The other five times you visited and each time you got really sick afterwards. What should you do? Seems obvious when you are honest with yourself.
Usually when we are conflicted about our path in life it is usually because of the people close to us. Listen to what you have to say to yourself first, make your decision, then act. More than likely you already know what the have to say. Trust yourself and do what you think is best. It is better to do what you want and be wrong, than to do what others say you should and always wonder if you would have been right. Try it and see.
The first method that I share with others is the "Do what you want and don't do what you don't want to do." Simple right? Well, most of the time. People tend to argue this one before they even try it, usually because they misunderstand what it is that they would actually want to do. It is often imagined that doing whatever you want would lead you to doing all sorts of horrible things. The truth is: most of the time you end up doing what you normally do plus a few nice things that you've been putting of to take care of yourself. Like take a nap or go for a walk outside, or get a new job. Down deep, we're not monsters, we're good people.
Maybe in following this, you decide too immediately take it to an extreme, my suggestion is don't. Unless you are prepared for the logical consequences of your actions. Doing what you want does not stop others from doing what they are going to do in response to what you are doing. Not doing what you don't want to do may cause people to give you a hard time. Take it slow and with small steps and then you will see positive changes in the way you live. Eventually you will come to understand the difference between what you feel like doing and what you really want to do.
Another method I suggest to people is the Guilt Reversal method. If doing something make you feel guilty, odds are that it is something that you actually want to do (that some of the people closest to you don't approve of). Likewise if it is something that you would feel guilty for not doing then you more than likely don't want to do these things. The key to this one is recognizing the difference between guild and remorse. Guilt is the feeling of outside pressure applied to you in order to control your behavior. Remorse on the other hand is the feeling you get when you recognize that you in fact did something that you know is wrong or unintended.
The next method is by far the simplest yet hardest. I call it the Truth method. It goes like this: never lie to yourself. Most of the time we become confused on our path because we end up lying to ourselves about what we really know. If you are brutally honest with yourself, you can't be confused at all. Sometimes this method becomes a combination of the first two methods. Sometime you won't like what you find. However, seeking the truth relentlessly in all situations will allow you to act out of perfect clarity.
An example situation: Your mother want you to go visit aunt Bertha in the hospital. You feel resistance to going even though you know you should go visit her. If you look at the situation truthfully you may find that you don't like aunt Bertha and the only reason you would go is to make you mother happy even though you would be miserable the whole time. Also this is the sixth time your aunt has been in the hospital and this is the weekend you planned on going on a vacation that you have been planning for over a year. The other five times you visited and each time you got really sick afterwards. What should you do? Seems obvious when you are honest with yourself.
Usually when we are conflicted about our path in life it is usually because of the people close to us. Listen to what you have to say to yourself first, make your decision, then act. More than likely you already know what the have to say. Trust yourself and do what you think is best. It is better to do what you want and be wrong, than to do what others say you should and always wonder if you would have been right. Try it and see.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Doing what you love
There are so many things in this life that we can do. Why not make it something that you enjoy. It's easy from a certain perspective to get a regular job, work for minimum wage, and barely make ends meet. If you really think about it, it's not easier. I't hard, soul draining work. There are people who are perfectly suited for these kind of jobs and if you happen to be one more power to you. If you happen to not be this kind of person... stop trying to be one. Be yourself.
We all have things that we have talent for, even if we don't have the talent we have the desire, and desire is where it's at. You can accomplish great things with desire. True desire. Sometimes it's hard to tell what we really want because of all the shoulds in our head. Take a deep breath and let them go. Now, what do you want? Do that. Start small if you have to, but dream big! Every step you take in a direction that you want to go is a step in the right direction. It is a step that isn't wasted. It's a step that you own.
Focus on your desire and it will empower your path, manifesting all that is needed for you to make it a reality. There is something divine within us that helps us, creates for us, inspires us. Trust that inner divinity to guide your steps and your heart and all will be as it should be. Trust yourself, trust your destiny and it will be awesome!
We all have things that we have talent for, even if we don't have the talent we have the desire, and desire is where it's at. You can accomplish great things with desire. True desire. Sometimes it's hard to tell what we really want because of all the shoulds in our head. Take a deep breath and let them go. Now, what do you want? Do that. Start small if you have to, but dream big! Every step you take in a direction that you want to go is a step in the right direction. It is a step that isn't wasted. It's a step that you own.
Focus on your desire and it will empower your path, manifesting all that is needed for you to make it a reality. There is something divine within us that helps us, creates for us, inspires us. Trust that inner divinity to guide your steps and your heart and all will be as it should be. Trust yourself, trust your destiny and it will be awesome!
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Breathing Life into the past
When I was about four years old, I remember noticing that there were two different ways of breathing and I asked my family which way was right. They had no idea of what I was even talking about and ignored what I was asking as if it were a childish question. Years later I realized how important that question really was.
The two types of breathing I noticed were chest breathing and abdominal breathing. If my family had told me that abdominal breathing was the right one I really would have been better off. I noticed that when I was awake I was breathing using my chest like all the adults around me. I noticed also that while I was sleeping I was breathing with my abdomen. shallow breathing leads to low energy, low energy leads to stress, stress leads to illness. Deep abdominal breathing on the other hand leads to ample amounts of energy, which leads to peacefulness, which leads to good health.
Breathe a few good deep abdominal breaths and see how you feel afterwards.
The two types of breathing I noticed were chest breathing and abdominal breathing. If my family had told me that abdominal breathing was the right one I really would have been better off. I noticed that when I was awake I was breathing using my chest like all the adults around me. I noticed also that while I was sleeping I was breathing with my abdomen. shallow breathing leads to low energy, low energy leads to stress, stress leads to illness. Deep abdominal breathing on the other hand leads to ample amounts of energy, which leads to peacefulness, which leads to good health.
Breathe a few good deep abdominal breaths and see how you feel afterwards.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Time after time
I've decided that I am going to share some of the things that I have thought about in the past. A lot of these are from when I was a child. I am often amazed that some of my most interesting thoughts come from before I was formally taught anything at all.
One of the earliest things I remember is pondering the difference between things that were happening now and things that were "not now". When I was around three years old, I remember noticing that there were moments that I remembered just as clearly as the ones I was currently experiencing. The difficulty in explaining this is that I had no concept of "currently" or "remembering". To me they were exactly identical. I could look both forward and backward in time from my current position and they all seemed like "now".
The only difference I could detect was that if things were in the "past" I couldn't seem to do anything different, and if they were in the "future" things weren't here yet. For instance, I clearly saw that I was getting a bicycle for my "birthday". (It wasn't actually on my birthday... but I didn't even know what a birthday was at the time, so I guess it doesn't matter anyway.) So in my mind I saw the bike and I was excited to get it so I ran out into the front yard of my grandfather's house looking for it. It wasn't there. I saw it plain as day in my mind, yet it wasn't here. How strange! So when I asked my grandfather about it, he said he didn't have a bike for me. I told him that I say it and even described it to him. A yellow bike with a banana seat complete with training wheels.
So the next day when I got the bike, I wasn't surprised, but I was still very excited! I sure had fun riding that bike "now". It wasn't until many years later that the concepts of past, present, future kicked in. I still prefer my old way of seeing things. My more flexible outlook on time allows me to do very interesting things that I can't if I think of time more rigidly. Time is flexible, time is relative, and yet there is no such thing as time at all. Where is time? There are only moments, happenings, movements, and relationships.What you choose to do with them is up to you.
One of the earliest things I remember is pondering the difference between things that were happening now and things that were "not now". When I was around three years old, I remember noticing that there were moments that I remembered just as clearly as the ones I was currently experiencing. The difficulty in explaining this is that I had no concept of "currently" or "remembering". To me they were exactly identical. I could look both forward and backward in time from my current position and they all seemed like "now".
The only difference I could detect was that if things were in the "past" I couldn't seem to do anything different, and if they were in the "future" things weren't here yet. For instance, I clearly saw that I was getting a bicycle for my "birthday". (It wasn't actually on my birthday... but I didn't even know what a birthday was at the time, so I guess it doesn't matter anyway.) So in my mind I saw the bike and I was excited to get it so I ran out into the front yard of my grandfather's house looking for it. It wasn't there. I saw it plain as day in my mind, yet it wasn't here. How strange! So when I asked my grandfather about it, he said he didn't have a bike for me. I told him that I say it and even described it to him. A yellow bike with a banana seat complete with training wheels.
So the next day when I got the bike, I wasn't surprised, but I was still very excited! I sure had fun riding that bike "now". It wasn't until many years later that the concepts of past, present, future kicked in. I still prefer my old way of seeing things. My more flexible outlook on time allows me to do very interesting things that I can't if I think of time more rigidly. Time is flexible, time is relative, and yet there is no such thing as time at all. Where is time? There are only moments, happenings, movements, and relationships.What you choose to do with them is up to you.
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