What an excellent, aspirational article! It’s funny to think this way given the thesis of this piece about nonlinear goal setting, but I feel I’m a couple stages back on the path from where you’re at.
I can do a lot of the Trust/Guidance stuff (and even wrote an article breaking down my method for it while walking my dog! https://open.substack.com/pub/creekmasons/p/dog-walkin-shamanism) but maintaining that mindset consistently seems to require a little something more from me, energy-wise. Perhaps it is gatekept by a stint of skillful, effortful meditation and alchemy?
I sense that with intentional practice, I will develop the mindfulness, equanimity and concentration muscles necessary to maintain this orientation toward awakened service to the divine that you are promoting.
As you say in the article, there’s darkness to clear out to make way for the light. Im still in my shadow work phase, I think, having just spent some serious time with Pranayama—which is often said to effectively burn off karma—and more recently Pragmatic Dharma, the latter also promised by Culadasa to transmute maladaptive patterns into alchemical gold.
I vibe most with Daniel Ingram’s take on the matter: there is a TON of effortful striving we have to do before we can take the final step of letting go, finally “yoked to god’s will” as the yogis say.
Right down the fairway of what I’ve been wrestling with for some time. The path from accomplishment => consciousness feels like a one way road, but it turns out it’s closer to a pendulum, where the goal is to hold all of it at once.
Hey Scott, I resonate deeply with being on the self-reflection/improvement hamster wheel and ultimately realising it wasn't working. For me it looked like saying goodbye to the video marketing company I'd started (heart wrenching though it was) and pursuing writing and art instead. It was a HUGE step but I'm happier and healthier now than I've ever been. At that time I also found Chris Duncan's work deeply resonated—particularly the idea that I didn't need to be 'fixed' and the past self isn't going to create your desired reality.
I've also been deeply internal the last few years and now feel ready to 'step back into my “person in the world suit”' as you put it. I love this! Your approach to reflection feels a lot more freeing and wholesome. For now, I'll focusing on the 'context' and 'openness and flexibility' component. Picture it, look downstream, and it will come! Cheers to the big experiment! Thanks for another wonderful piece.
Irrespective of what we call it, the divine, greater self-awareness, it doesn’t matter but your comments how our consciousness determines our perception and thus understanding, that is something I describe as solving problems with the right problem definition. And once I looked at the world from this perspective I found solutions to unsolvable issues. I read so many books about philosophy and art. These issues are described but I don’t think one can adopt the thinking by reading about it. But at least it gets you prepared. Good stuff
Good for you for not holding back on aspirations and achievements, and I agree, the blend of accomplishment + consciousness will propel the spirituality world to the next level (and open doors to make it more accessible for so many more people). Recently, in my own evolution, I've been calling 'synchronicity' --> 'playing the hand of cards as if I dealt it myself'
Thank you – this really resonated with me. I understand completely what you're getting at, and have been trying to formulate this exact line of thinking without really being able to, until just now. It was exactly what I was looking for in this very moment.
Linear vs. Non-Linear Accomplishment
What an excellent, aspirational article! It’s funny to think this way given the thesis of this piece about nonlinear goal setting, but I feel I’m a couple stages back on the path from where you’re at.
I can do a lot of the Trust/Guidance stuff (and even wrote an article breaking down my method for it while walking my dog! https://open.substack.com/pub/creekmasons/p/dog-walkin-shamanism) but maintaining that mindset consistently seems to require a little something more from me, energy-wise. Perhaps it is gatekept by a stint of skillful, effortful meditation and alchemy?
I sense that with intentional practice, I will develop the mindfulness, equanimity and concentration muscles necessary to maintain this orientation toward awakened service to the divine that you are promoting.
As you say in the article, there’s darkness to clear out to make way for the light. Im still in my shadow work phase, I think, having just spent some serious time with Pranayama—which is often said to effectively burn off karma—and more recently Pragmatic Dharma, the latter also promised by Culadasa to transmute maladaptive patterns into alchemical gold.
I vibe most with Daniel Ingram’s take on the matter: there is a TON of effortful striving we have to do before we can take the final step of letting go, finally “yoked to god’s will” as the yogis say.
Curious to hear your thoughts though!
Right down the fairway of what I’ve been wrestling with for some time. The path from accomplishment => consciousness feels like a one way road, but it turns out it’s closer to a pendulum, where the goal is to hold all of it at once.
Thanks for the lovely thoughts Scott. I see you.
Hey Scott, I resonate deeply with being on the self-reflection/improvement hamster wheel and ultimately realising it wasn't working. For me it looked like saying goodbye to the video marketing company I'd started (heart wrenching though it was) and pursuing writing and art instead. It was a HUGE step but I'm happier and healthier now than I've ever been. At that time I also found Chris Duncan's work deeply resonated—particularly the idea that I didn't need to be 'fixed' and the past self isn't going to create your desired reality.
I've also been deeply internal the last few years and now feel ready to 'step back into my “person in the world suit”' as you put it. I love this! Your approach to reflection feels a lot more freeing and wholesome. For now, I'll focusing on the 'context' and 'openness and flexibility' component. Picture it, look downstream, and it will come! Cheers to the big experiment! Thanks for another wonderful piece.
Irrespective of what we call it, the divine, greater self-awareness, it doesn’t matter but your comments how our consciousness determines our perception and thus understanding, that is something I describe as solving problems with the right problem definition. And once I looked at the world from this perspective I found solutions to unsolvable issues. I read so many books about philosophy and art. These issues are described but I don’t think one can adopt the thinking by reading about it. But at least it gets you prepared. Good stuff
This was good ! A very good explanation of “stepping into your power” without to much visualizing very profound !
Good for you for not holding back on aspirations and achievements, and I agree, the blend of accomplishment + consciousness will propel the spirituality world to the next level (and open doors to make it more accessible for so many more people). Recently, in my own evolution, I've been calling 'synchronicity' --> 'playing the hand of cards as if I dealt it myself'
ah the synchronicity of me also writing about stepping away from goals and plans today: https://gameofone.substack.com/p/40-chainsmoking-good-days
Thank you – this really resonated with me. I understand completely what you're getting at, and have been trying to formulate this exact line of thinking without really being able to, until just now. It was exactly what I was looking for in this very moment.