Wow. Clay, this is great. You have to expound on this whole concept in the future. What about a 7 part series focusing more in depth on each point?
My grandfather taught us from the time we were very small that two weeks in the wilderness surviving, not comping, is needed for a man to refocus and realize his fundamental purpose. Thanks to him, I now do this when I can. You take off with the bare minimum needed to survive and let Creation provide the rest. It is an amazing time of clarity and seeing things for what they really are because of the absence of external distractions.
Again, great post. What a read to start off my Friday!!
The Financial Philosopher
· 1 year ago
I believe what you are saying is that self-awareness and mindful attention to the present moment will help prevent "outside noise" from filling in those "gaps in reality" in forming the complete picture that we see...
It is truly a learned skill to separate "illusion" from reality. Often it is our emotions that fill in those gaps in reality. In my investment advisory practice, as you may imagine, I observe how emotion fills in those gaps...
With that said, illusion can be quite fulfilling and entertaining. In fact, humans don't mind being "tricked," especially if the illusion brings some type of joy, such as with art and motion pictures...
"Illusions commend themselves to us because they save us pain and allow us to enjoy pleasure instead. We must therefore accept it without complaint when they sometimes collide with a bit of reality against which they are dashed to pieces." ~ Sigmund Freud
Tom Stine
· 1 year ago
What are you missing? Retreats. Adam King described one type, a nature retreat. There are retreats of the personal growth variety and the more spiritual. Go hang out at a Trappist monastery for a few days. Go spend a week with some Zen Buddhists. Do a yoga retreat.
For the past two years I've been a retreat junkie. I've been doing one about every 3-4 months. They have changed my life profoundly. My personal favorite are Sedona Method retreats, which are a combo of personal growth & spiritual.
Clay, you are correct. How to take the red pill is THE issue. In many ways, it isn't easy, but the truth resonates deep inside far better than illusion.
Wendi Kelly
· 1 year ago
Red Pill Girl Here. Ask questions. Question everything. All the time. Don't assume that just because something was the right answer last year or the decade before is the answer now.You are in a constant state of growth and evolution and your truth is going to grow and change with you. Don't get stagnant with your answers.
And I agree that the daily check-in ( or as often as possible) with your own personal silence is key. We are on the same page with this, I wrote about that a few posts ago.
I am really enjoying how this blog is evolving and growing. It is getting better all the time.
Vered - MomGrind
· 1 year ago
I love the idea of taking a sabbatical. I wonder if taking a one-day-per-week sabbatical where you completely remove yourself from the daily grind might also do the trick.
Rolf F. Katzenberger
· 1 year ago
Just to play the devil's advocate: leaving "the Matrix" comes at a cost, too. Why exactly do you think that this cost is less, in the end, than the cost of doing what everybody else does?
Or in the words of Neo's opponent Cypher (while he is enjoying a "fake" steak projected by the Matrix): "I know this steak doesn't exist. I know that when I put it in my mouth, the Matrix is telling my brain that it is juicy and delicious. After nine years, you know what I realize? Ignorance is bliss."
Jonathan from JonathanMead.com
· 1 year ago
I'm with Wendi on this one.
I too have a habit of questioning everything. This habit of questioning everything has had the single biggest impact on my life by far. More than anything else.
Want proof? It's gotten as far as this level:
"Question Everything."
Jonathan: "Why?"
Khurt Louis Francis Elliot Wil
· 1 year ago
I think I can summarise in one sentence: "Live in the present".
Kelly@SHE-POWER
· 1 year ago
Come on fess up, Clay.... you love The Matrix, don't you? The red pill reference has been used a bit now.
I'm with you because The Matrix is one of my absolute favourite films! In fact, I saw it in Mexico on one of my own sabbaticals and when I left the cinema all I wanted to do was turn aroudn and go back in for a second viewing.
I've found numbers 1, 4 and 7 are the most important for me. And Vered, you can definitely take a day length sabbatical. You can also take a holiday at home. I've done this and it's a great way to recharge and shake yourself up a bit to see what's going on inside your head and your world.
A big part of taking alone time I think is learnign how to say "no" to the insistent barrage of invitations, obligations and requests that seem to come our way these days. The world has become very fast and inundated with lots of useless ction. Step away from that, say no thanks and you'll feel saner and better for it.
A sabbatical also delivers you number 7 as well as the best thing about travelling (not holidaying) is you get to implant yourself into another location and culture/community. Thrown outside of your cofort zone, the layers of learned behaviour and beliefs start to fall away and you get to see the real you. I'm actually writing a post about this and the importance of travel now.
Another great post, Clay.
Kelly
@Stephen | Productivity in Con
· 1 year ago
Hi Clay, I would add one of my own "re-boot" activities, which is to go to a crowded place and watch other people. I like to look closely at their eyes, their expressions, and their body language. I make mental notes about how I perceive these people to be feeling, what they are thinking, etc.
This really clears out the old cobwebs for me. I find that it is also a good exercise for observational skills, especially when I get so busy that I stop noticing the flowers and the sky.
Clay Collins
· 1 year ago
@@Stephen: Yeah, people watching is great at putting things into perspective. There's something about seeing so many other people living their lives that helps us not obsess about our own. Great observation.
Clay Collins
· 1 year ago
@Kelly: OK, I admit it! I love the Matrix. At least the first movie. It explains so much and is such a great metaphor for how the collective ego has hoodwinked us :-)
Kelly I just really want to thank you for this wonderful comment. Writing these takes time, and I've learned a lot from the things you've said. Respect.
Clay Collins
· 1 year ago
@Rolf: You're of course quite right. Ignorance can be bliss for some people (Cypher, however, wasn't ignorant). But unfortunately (or fortunately) I've never been one of the people favored by ignorance. That is to say, it usually doesn't want to help me out. Darn it!
Clay Collins
· 1 year ago
@Wendy: Thanks for your kind words. I'm glad that you think The Growing Life is getting better over time (I sometimes worry that I'm not maintaining quality standards). Please do come back!
@Vered: I really like the idea of a weekly work/computer/email diet.
Clay Collins
· 1 year ago
@Tom: I really like the *idea* of going on a retreat but I found myself getting to worried about groupthink. Maybe I'm being unnecessarily by memories of old church camps. Thanks for mentioning this. Can you really just hang out at a Trappist monastery? It sounds great.
Clay Collins
· 1 year ago
@Financial Philosopher: Great observations. Thanks for adding those words of wisdom to the discussion.
@Adam King: Your grandfather sounds amazing! I wish I knew how to survive in the woods for two weeks. Sounds great. Thanks for posting this.
Pat R
· 1 year ago
Great suggestions and new ideas I hadn't thought of. For me, living in the mountains is almost like I'm on a retreat every day. Even with that, one can become complacent.
It's not so much breaking away from the routines and treadmills of every day life, it's how to bring the feeling I get when I look out my window into what I'm doing, where I'm going, who I'm talking to. It's all around us - just learning to see it and embrace it is for me the key to living life fully.
Enjoyed your post - food for thought.
MonkMojo
· 1 year ago
Every day I walk to work, I pass a couple panhandlers, and a few more on the bus route I drive. I think it might be interesting to try panhandling for a day as an observation experience.
Plus, I could use the money. ;)
Clay Collins
· 1 year ago
@Pat R: I'm jealous of you living in the mountains. Sounds like you're living an amazing life.
@Monkmojo: You're hilarious. Where do you live? Portland or something. Anyway, I hope you do try panhandling, and then write a post about it. Could be interesting.
Mark Krusen
· 1 year ago
Gulp. Slurp. Burp. There I've taken the Red Pill! Actually I took the Red pill a long time ago. It isn't the easiest path. But in my opinion it's the only one worth taking.I like #7. I've been trying to put myself in situations that make me grow.
Tim Brownson
· 1 year ago
You know what? I love number 5 and I hate number 5, it's a real connundrum to me. Too many people (me included) spend way too long trying to figure out what other people are thinking when half the time they don't even know what they are thinking themselves. OTOH, when we can 'walk a mile in their moccasins' then it's difficult to judge anybody afterwards.
It takes a lot to really understand another persons way of thinking and as there are 6 billion people with 6 billion different opinions, maybe the better option is to simply work on being non-judgmental and more accepting. In other words, do we really need to know WHY somebody is different to accept that they have that right and it's cool?
PS I hated The Matrix, am I the only person in civilization that did? Probably ;-)
Kenneth King
· 1 year ago
Great suggestions, all about taking time for yourself apart from the many activities the "world" demands of us.
In response to Rolf playing devil's advocate and saying that "leaving
Rolf F. Katzenberger
· 1 year ago
@Kenneth: valid point of view! Easier to follow when you're alone, though. As Mel Gibson put it in "The Patriot" (when asked whether he would stand by his principles and help in fighting against the British troops): "I'm a father, I haven't the luxury of principles."
Daniel | Winning Everyone
· 1 year ago
Lol. I do #5 almost everyday due to the nature of my work (at least till December).
Pat R
· 1 year ago
Clay - you probably wouldn't be jealous of me living in the mountains today we have about 8-10 inches of snow and it's still snowing. Seems like old winter just doesn't want to let go. Their predicting mid 60's by Friday and 70's by this weekend. That's springtime in the Rockies.
Sara
· 1 year ago
Perhaps learning how things work is an effective part of "taking the red pill." When one knows how things work, they're less likely to be dazzled/duped by gimmicks.
So for example, let's say someone is trying to sell you a product (something that happens thousands of times a day). Well, if you're familiar with most marketing techniques and you're able to understand how to product works in a general sense, then you ignore the marketing strategies and design and actually evaluate how novel the item really is. You're therefore able to make your own decision.
Brick Andrews
· 1 year ago
You ask: "There
Designer Dude
· 1 year ago
man, you have great clarity of thought!
I'm currently on sabbatical from my day job and trying to read as many good books as I can, travel and meet new people and you've essentially distilled everything I'm trying to do in your post.
by avoiding TV (and installing adblock plugin for firefox) I've been avoiding a lot of ads. I've also avoided a lot of news so when the spitzer scandal broke out, I didn't know for 2 days!!! (thats not a bad thing!)
kudos on the post. i'm stumbling it.
Red Pill
· 1 year ago
"What am I missing?"
Jesus Christ.
Luke McNamara
· 1 year ago
Came across this post by happenstance. Ironically, I'm also half way through Tolle's "New Earth". Like a splinter in my mind, the book and this post leaves me with the following nagging questions.
Is living in the now, free of the ego and/or other interpreted societal paradigms, necessarily favourable in a world where a significant number of individuals still live by them? Just because we have the capacity to escape the mind trap of our society doesn't necessarily mean we ought to. Are we as a specie even ready to live in a world where most don't understand?
Don't kid yourselves folks, taking the red pill has dire consequences if one isn't ready to accept them. Insanity and mental dysfunction isn't all that uncommon in the story philosophy thus far. I think Socrates and his persecutors understood the consequences of taking the red pill very well.
Luke McNamara
· 1 year ago
Censorship .. sounds like the thinking of a machine to me.
All Comments
My grandfather taught us from the time we were very small that two weeks in the wilderness surviving, not comping, is needed for a man to refocus and realize his fundamental purpose. Thanks to him, I now do this when I can. You take off with the bare minimum needed to survive and let Creation provide the rest. It is an amazing time of clarity and seeing things for what they really are because of the absence of external distractions.
Again, great post. What a read to start off my Friday!!
It is truly a learned skill to separate "illusion" from reality. Often it is our emotions that fill in those gaps in reality. In my investment advisory practice, as you may imagine, I observe how emotion fills in those gaps...
With that said, illusion can be quite fulfilling and entertaining. In fact, humans don't mind being "tricked," especially if the illusion brings some type of joy, such as with art and motion pictures...
"Illusions commend themselves to us because they save us pain and allow us to enjoy pleasure instead. We must therefore accept it without complaint when they sometimes collide with a bit of reality against which they are dashed to pieces." ~ Sigmund Freud
For the past two years I've been a retreat junkie. I've been doing one about every 3-4 months. They have changed my life profoundly. My personal favorite are Sedona Method retreats, which are a combo of personal growth & spiritual.
Clay, you are correct. How to take the red pill is THE issue. In many ways, it isn't easy, but the truth resonates deep inside far better than illusion.
Ask questions. Question everything. All the time.
Don't assume that just because something was the right answer last year or the decade before is the answer now.You are in a constant state of growth and evolution and your truth is going to grow and change with you. Don't get stagnant with your answers.
And I agree that the daily check-in ( or as often as possible) with your own personal silence is key. We are on the same page with this, I wrote about that a few posts ago.
I am really enjoying how this blog is evolving and growing. It is getting better all the time.
Or in the words of Neo's opponent Cypher (while he is enjoying a "fake" steak projected by the Matrix): "I know this steak doesn't exist. I know that when I put it in my mouth, the Matrix is telling my brain that it is juicy and delicious. After nine years, you know what I realize? Ignorance is bliss."
I too have a habit of questioning everything. This habit of questioning everything has had the single biggest impact on my life by far. More than anything else.
Want proof? It's gotten as far as this level:
"Question Everything."
Jonathan: "Why?"
"Live in the present".
I'm with you because The Matrix is one of my absolute favourite films! In fact, I saw it in Mexico on one of my own sabbaticals and when I left the cinema all I wanted to do was turn aroudn and go back in for a second viewing.
I've found numbers 1, 4 and 7 are the most important for me. And Vered, you can definitely take a day length sabbatical. You can also take a holiday at home. I've done this and it's a great way to recharge and shake yourself up a bit to see what's going on inside your head and your world.
A big part of taking alone time I think is learnign how to say "no" to the insistent barrage of invitations, obligations and requests that seem to come our way these days. The world has become very fast and inundated with lots of useless ction. Step away from that, say no thanks and you'll feel saner and better for it.
A sabbatical also delivers you number 7 as well as the best thing about travelling (not holidaying) is you get to implant yourself into another location and culture/community. Thrown outside of your cofort zone, the layers of learned behaviour and beliefs start to fall away and you get to see the real you. I'm actually writing a post about this and the importance of travel now.
Another great post, Clay.
Kelly
This really clears out the old cobwebs for me. I find that it is also a good exercise for observational skills, especially when I get so busy that I stop noticing the flowers and the sky.
Kelly I just really want to thank you for this wonderful comment. Writing these takes time, and I've learned a lot from the things you've said. Respect.
@Vered: I really like the idea of a weekly work/computer/email diet.
@Adam King: Your grandfather sounds amazing! I wish I knew how to survive in the woods for two weeks. Sounds great. Thanks for posting this.
It's not so much breaking away from the routines and treadmills of every day life, it's how to bring the feeling I get when I look out my window into what I'm doing, where I'm going, who I'm talking to. It's all around us - just learning to see it and embrace it is for me the key to living life fully.
Enjoyed your post - food for thought.
Plus, I could use the money.
;)
@Monkmojo: You're hilarious. Where do you live? Portland or something. Anyway, I hope you do try panhandling, and then write a post about it. Could be interesting.
It takes a lot to really understand another persons way of thinking and as there are 6 billion people with 6 billion different opinions, maybe the better option is to simply work on being non-judgmental and more accepting. In other words, do we really need to know WHY somebody is different to accept that they have that right and it's cool?
PS I hated The Matrix, am I the only person in civilization that did? Probably ;-)
In response to Rolf playing devil's advocate and saying that "leaving
So for example, let's say someone is trying to sell you a product (something that happens thousands of times a day). Well, if you're familiar with most marketing techniques and you're able to understand how to product works in a general sense, then you ignore the marketing strategies and design and actually evaluate how novel the item really is. You're therefore able to make your own decision.
I'm currently on sabbatical from my day job and trying to read as many good books as I can, travel and meet new people and you've essentially distilled everything I'm trying to do in your post.
by avoiding TV (and installing adblock plugin for firefox) I've been avoiding a lot of ads. I've also avoided a lot of news so when the spitzer scandal broke out, I didn't know for 2 days!!! (thats not a bad thing!)
kudos on the post. i'm stumbling it.
Jesus Christ.
Is living in the now, free of the ego and/or other interpreted societal paradigms, necessarily favourable in a world where a significant number of individuals still live by them? Just because we have the capacity to escape the mind trap of our society doesn't necessarily mean we ought to. Are we as a specie even ready to live in a world where most don't understand?
Don't kid yourselves folks, taking the red pill has dire consequences if one isn't ready to accept them. Insanity and mental dysfunction isn't all that uncommon in the story philosophy thus far. I think Socrates and his persecutors understood the consequences of taking the red pill very well.