Personal growth - what are you all doing?

[Thrakandor]

This is inspired by another thread somewhere started by someone I forget. Either way, it touched on 'what is everyone doing to head towards enlightenment' ? then went into maths.

So, what is everyone doing?

I've been mainly inspired by the whole 'stepping into the shadow' concept... and consequently have gained a considerably greater degree of personal willpower and control over myself.

Also been looking at what I depend on, and am at the moment trying to escape the 'making everyone happy with me' box, which is working quite nicely as I still seem to be making friends without really trying...

It's been more evaluating what I stand for and how I'm going to stand for it... but it all kinda flows into different things, so it's somewhat hard for me to break down.

I'll try a more coherent response later.

What about you guys?

[dawn]

Yeah, I'm thinkin that was my thread. I find it to be more than a coincidence that a conversation about enlightenment turns into one about math...hmmm

I try to keep my perception clear and objective. I also try to keep in tune with natures harmony. I've grown to be quite sensitive, sometimes it gets pretty freaky but it's all good.

[Thrakandor]

I think so, grrrl, thanks - it was a good idea for me to steal :-)

How did you tune yourself in with nature?

[hawthorne]

I recently read the book "Nothing in this Book is True..."
by Bob Frisell, I think. It has some pretty interesting , (and pretty outrageous) ideas about evolution, the universe, and it also has some OK meditation strategies. I think it furthur propelled me on my quest, but I'm still a ways off. If you havent read it I recommend it, if not for "enlightenment" purposes at least for entertainment value.

[seeker]

To further myself I debate with people and research when I can't debate. I find that the accumulation of knowledge, not only of facts but of vantage points as well, is very enlightening. Just go to the Eulogy forum and read how many different interpretations there are; whether you agree or not doesn't matter as long as you get to thinking.

Anyway, after an amount of time spent taking in information and wondering and thinking, I eventually go into a state of personal reflection wherein I write, draw, let my mind wander until something new has grown inside and manifested itself outside. Then after a little down time I do it all over again.

[ckm]

I used to analyze my dreams a great deal, paying close attention to symbols and metaphors. For everything that I recorded of my dreams I would ask myself, "What does that mean to me? How does it relate to my current reality? How does it reflect on myself or the others in my life?"

This practice really helped me to feel more connected in life and in who I was and wanted to be.

But recently I have taken it to a whole new level. Now I am always looking for what I call "Waking Life Symbols". Basically I look at what I see everyday in the "real" world and use the same process. It really has started to bend my view of what is real when I perceive, or imagine as the case may be, the syncrhonicity of daily life.