THE LESSON (Nobody Wants to Learn)

[kindy64]

51 years old, diabetic, family history of cancer and heart disease...

I am grateful for every day I wake up, as I hate the alternative...

[MikeW]

51 years old, diabetic, family history of cancer and heart disease...

I am grateful for every day I wake up, as I hate the alternative...

Yes, being grateful for being alive today. It's a feeling, an attitude, an awareness that THIS, *all of this*, is temporary. NOTHING is permanent. Every moment of every day is a gift, an opportunity to BE. Life flows on within us and without us; it happens whether we're here to experience it or not.

Now, put more words on why you say you "hate" the alternative. Do you really "hate" it? If not, what do you actually mean to say? What is "the alternative" to you, in your mind? What is it that moves you to say you "hate" it?

[kindy64]

Now, put more words on why you say you "hate" the alternative. Do you really "hate" it? If not, what do you actually mean to say? What is "the alternative" to you, in your mind? What is it that moves you to say you "hate" it?

The alternative to living is dying...

I'd hate to miss out on all the fun that life can be...

[johnny196775]

i see some lyrics from a beatles song in that.

[InbetweenDreams]

The subject of death frankly is scary... it is into the abyss from which there is no return (that we know of). I think in the past I just avoided think about it...after seeing both my grandparents pass away it just sort of got me to the core. Then I had my panic attacks and I will tell you I had no idea that I was having one, I thought I was having a heart attack and for the first time I thought I might actually die. I rode in the back of an ambulance to the hospital wondering what the hell was going on with me. Still not sure what actually triggered the series of panic attacks I had but I eventually got over it.

Did that whole experience change my attitude towards life? You bet. That was 18 months ago and I stopped smoking pot, smoking cigarettes and boy did I start to feel better. The other thing was I also decided to work on the social anxiety issues (since the doctors diagnosed me with GAD) and was able to talk to a really good therapist. Is it embarrassing that I talked to a therapist? Yeah a little bit, but I thought it was a better choice than Zoloft.

Anyway... It is easy to get caught up into throwing yourself a pity party...you know the whole "Nobody likes me...boo hoo hoo" and by doing so you just lose out on things. So it is an attitude change, knowing that every breath you take and every time your heart beats really and truly is a gift.

[MikeW]

Too many distractions, emotions, needs, wants, desires, lust all sorts of things. We are observers and most aren't grateful enough to just be alive, let along be so privileged to have been born in wealthier countries to be able to lead this sort of life. If you're not going hungry or never have gone hungry you have had it made. Plenty of people a hungry in this world and it really shouldn't be happening. We're too caught up with crap like taking selfies and Facebook to take notice of the world around us.

It why I say we're a bunch of strange, illogical creatures. There's also a quote that the person in the office next to me had on their door, "Man is the only thing that refuses to be itself." Not sure if it relates, I've never been good with meanings from literature, poetry or riddles... Just doesn't really sink in, but it is very difficult for some to let go of their emotions and just see.

It's interesting to ponder what something like this, which sounds at least potentially profound, actually means. What is the author suggesting, trying to point toward with these words?

You know what's REALLY interesting about it? Google that phrase you quoted, with quotes around it, and see what you find.

We're in the arena of "philosophy". Philosophy, the love of wisdom, is a central component of man. We ALL.. every one of us alive... have our own "philosophy" of living and being. Whether we've given it much thought, pondered it or even tried to observe it operating in ourselves -- that's another question. But we all have one. It may not be fully conscious or well considered or independent of what we've picked up in bits and pieces from the world outside ourselves, from our parents or our experiences as children, from our peers, from our society, our teachers... whether it has been shaped more or less intentionally, by choice, or whether it is mostly accidental, completely arbitrary... it is there, in us.

So what would it mean TO BE OURSELVES? How would I even know whether I was "being myself" or not?

[MikeW]

i see some lyrics from a beatles song in that.

Only "some," eh?

[johnny196775]

Only "some," eh?

was it the whole tune. i did not notice?

within you or without you i think. And hello and have a nice day.

[MikeW]

was it the whole tune. i did not notice?

within you or without you i think. And hello and have a nice day.

Hi Ya! And, yeah, its Sonic Youth's cover of

[MikeW]

I have an idea about how things work. When you contemplate on life, you start to realise that you are merely just an observer. and if you observe long enough, you can see everything for what it truly is. that is when you can truly be in touch with everyone and everything. But it's very hard to observe because there so many distractions in life, like trying to feed yourself, live, have fun. And they all distract you from observing.... distract you from the truth. When you stop observing, and paying attention. It feels like you have control, it feels like you can make changes in your life, it feels like the world evolves around you and it does. that feeling can make you feel good or bad about everything, but either way, it is addictive. and I guess that's why we just live life instead of trying to observe.

Why do you say you have no idea how things work? Sounds like you do have some idea, and a pretty clear one at that. [ETA.. I see now I read that wrong, you're saying you DO have an idea how things work... and you're quite right. Sorry about that!]

As for distractions, I'd like to suggest you not think of them as "distractions"... but as "content". Frankly, I'm not quite sure how to put what I mean by this into words in a way that can be understood precisely. You understand that there is an observer, or perhaps we might better say an "observing." There is that possibility of SEEING in a new way. Then you bring forward the problem of "distractions" that take our attention away from that seeing. But if I see the distractions not as "distractions" but as *that which is seen*... IOW, if I *include* them in that which is seen... they cease to be "distractions".

IDK, does that not only "make sense" but "work" as a possibility for you?

I'll also suggest that "paying attention" and "seeing" may work something like "breathing". We don't always breath in. We don't always breathe out. But we do always breath. In breathing there is the in, the out and that moment in-between that's like a kind of pause.

So using that analogy, can I accept that I can not "always" SEE in the way you describe so well; rather it "comes" and it "goes" there's a rhythm to it. IF... if I value it and pay attention to it.

Obviously, if I don't value it, don't give it any attention, then, well, then that SEEING isn't "seen" because there's not attention devoted to it.

Does this make sense to you?

Also... lets be clear. We're not talking about "thoughts"... we're talking about the actual experiences of seeing and being, being aware, attentive, alive. Not "thinking" about those possibilities. Right?