I recently became conscious that We, as human species with our inventions actually created a round planet! Freaking insane. Our general current experience is living on a flat surface with bumps and has been for countless millennia most likely since we grew feet and legs:) We also used to believe we are the center of the universe (pre-Copernicus? not sure) and now generally accept we are on a rock floating as part of the Milky Way galaxy amongst other galaxies. Something to contemplate regarding the world we are creating and want to create for ourselves. Happy contemplating and good luck with the insights!

Getting up early in the morning is usually a struggle for me, and it’s been that way my whole life. It’s easy to think “Oh I just need more discipline,” or “ my vision or life purpose isn’t inspiring enough to get me out of bed,” or any one of a thousand stories. Today when my alarm rang (in a different room), I got up to turn it off with the usual nonsense going on in my head. “This sucks. I feel like shit. My body hurts. Too cold. Too hot. Not rested enough. Why does my head hurt? blah blah blah…” And then I had this moment of realization that I’m just making things 10 times worse by having these thoughts. I decided to just sit there, and feel the shit. Just feel my body. And just experience all the discomfort. And then all the sensations just became “matter of fact,” rather than a “matter of interpretation or thought” It’s almost like “the sky is blue” or “ the table is red.” “My arm is sore.” Anything beyond the sensation of sore were just overlays of thinking that were just adding suffering to a matter of fact. The thinking was just unnecessary. I could just experience the pain of being sore in my arm without adding suffering to it. Basically, the sensations became distinct from the complaining. I decided to just sit there for two hours, if necessary, just to purposely experience the soreness or discomforts of my body but without adding thought to it. Just experience the sensations of my body, through my body and what it feels, but without adding the activity of interpretation (and therefore ) complaining about it. I intend to make a practice out of this, wake up and allow myself feel icky for 2 hours, and be in my body. No other expectations.

Last week I had a dyad session with Chapin and he mentioned that he has an uncle that had a giant breakthrough years ago, related to wondering why he suffered. After that, and apparently much work, Chapin tells me he basically doesn't suffer. (Here I'm talking about the kind of suffering we're working on in the group on Sundays, and what Peter is talking about in the book. You know, the kind that is created only in your mind. I'll just call it suffering.) I wondered what it must be like for Chapin's uncle. Then I wondered what it might be like for me if I didn't suffer anymore. After a bit of contemplation, I suddenly realized it is actually possible! (To not suffer anymore.) I then asked, why not give it a try for real? So I did. And it led to a dramatic and easily noticeable decrease in my suffering! Weird isn't it? All I had to do is realize it's possible and this alone made a dramatic difference in my efforts. Of course it helps to also know where the place is. But I already knew that. It was the creation of a new possibility that made the difference for me.

With Love From @Clint Jones

I found the experience I had in the Ending Suffering Workshop very eye-opening and different. It offered a fresh way of observing what we call “thoughts,” and I found myself seeing how surprisingly not-real they are. Instead of treating them like precious collector's items, I began experiencing them as a passing activity — more like a habit than a truth. Ironically, the sum total of these habits is what becomes our personality, as well as our daily life and story. Even though I’m still early in The Book of Not Knowing and Ending Unnecessary Suffering, the workshop gave me an experiential foundation that clarified ideas I’d only encountered intellectually, and it even answered questions I hadn’t yet formed. I also want to acknowledge how accessible the workshop was. At a time when finances are severely tight for me, the fact that I could attend without stretching myself thin says a lot about the intention behind it. It was also because I was at this juncture in my life that I needed to question "what the heck brought me here," and this was a safe space to do so. It’s rare to find something this valuable offered at a price point that genuinely supports people. Thank you to @Brendan Lea and any other team members for creating such a thoughtful, honest space for exploration.