<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52129515-untamed">Untamed </a>is an inspiring memoir of Glennon Doyle, a woman who found peace and inner strength by challenging life in all its areas, from love to parenting, personal growth, and work, after going through a powerful change that led her to discover crucial aspects about herself and allowed her to build a new life.

Untamed - Book Summary 

"Grief is love's souvenir. It's our proof that we once loved. Grief is the receipt we wave in the air that says to the world: Look! Love was once mine. I love well. Here is my proof that I paid the price."-Glennon Doyle Martin

Author Quote

If you ever don’t know what your direction in life is, you’re not alone. When <a href="https://momastery.com/blog/about-glennon/">Glennon Doyle </a>turned her life around from the roots, things became challenging. However, she knew there was no other way to escape her unhappiness. Sometimes, intuition is the best tool we have. The author herself had to learn this the hard way. After years of striving for dreams that didn’t even feel like her own anymore, she decided to follow her gut. She did away with the unfitting life guidelines she once set for herself.

Book Overview 

As such, when she met Abby Wambach, the woman she would soon fall in love with, her life started to take a twist. Her true nature showed up and she felt as if her cage broke open. Now, there was nothing holding Glennon back from being her unapologetic self.  Her memoir, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52129515-untamed">Untamed </a>, will inspire you to embrace the power within yourself and open up to new challenges, opportunities, and situations.

<ol><li>Don’t repress your true self, it will lead to unhappiness. </li><li>Putting yourself first can make you a better parent for your children. </li><li>Stop fighting what’s meant to be and embrace your true destiny. </li> </ol>

Top 3 Book Idea

There are times in life when we feel as if we’re stuck in a place where we don’t belong, no matter how hard we try to fit in. Sometimes these situations force us to learn important lessons about ourselves, such as who we are, what our boundaries are, or what we want out of our life.   This was the case for Doyle before she revealed her true identity and sexual orientation. Before meeting Abby, the author was living a picture-perfect life: she had a husband with whom she had children, a prosperous career, and a healthy family.

Lesson 1:  Your true nature will show eventually, so don’t force yourself into hiding it  .

In reality, she didn’t feel attracted to her spouse. And she was trying hard to keep up with the appearances she was presenting to her circle of friends and family. Then, she met Abby. Her <a href="https://fourminutebooks.com/the-untethered-soul-summary/">soul </a>started to feel unsettling, disrupted, and different. After careful introspection, she realized that divorcing her husband was the best choice, and she was right! Currently, she’s living a happy, fulfilled life with Abby, has a fruitful career in writing, and has a great relationship with her children and ex-husband. Although difficult at first, living up to her true identity was worth it.

Being a perfect <a href="https://fourminutebooks.com/13-things-mentally-strong-parents-dont-do-summary/">parent </a>is an impossible feat, yet every loving mother or father tries to achieve it. Frankly, many of them get pretty close, but mistakes do happen.  However, as long as you love your children and support them in their endeavors, your connection will grow stronger than ever. Doyle was the kind of parent who did everything right.

Lesson 2:  Being a good role model for your children sometimes means doing what’s best for you  .

For this reason, when she first considered getting a divorce, she felt awful. This decision could ruin her children’s lives, but staying unhappy could do the same for hers. What was there to do? As she was struggling with this decision, a thought popped into her mind.

Then, she knew exactly what she had to do. After all, what kind of example was she setting for her children? If pursuing and finding happiness was the ultimate goal, she had to achieve it, and that implied getting a divorce.  Her decision not only made her proud of herself but also strengthened her image as a role model for her children.

Just like Doyle, you too have a destiny of your own. Whether you’re directing your efforts in the right direction, or not, chances are you know deep down what it is that makes your mind, body, and soul happy.  Therefore, it would be wise to actively acknowledge that before it’s too late, and start living your life accordingly. Fortunately, the author realized that pretending to be the <a href="https://fourminutebooks.com/battle-hymn-of-the-tiger-mother-summary/">perfect mother </a>, Christian, and wife wasn’t something she wanted to keep on doing.

Lesson 3:  When it’s meant to be, it will be, so stop fighting your true self  .

When everything kicked in, her life looked pretty stable and happy. In fact, she was scheduled to go on tour with her book. Still, when something is meant to be, it will be. So the timing was only a small impediment in her upcoming journey. After careful consideration, she decided that it was time to let everyone know that she will be getting a divorce. She assured her children that their family would still be a loving place for them. And so she let her followers know what was going on in her life.

Without further hiding or excuses, everyone was on the same page ― Doyle was now dating a woman. Instead of hurting her career, the news made her book release as successful as ever. Moreover, her <a href="https://fourminutebooks.com/relationship-goals-summary/">love life </a>took off as well.  All the arrows were finally pointing in the right direction, and everything felt well in her heart. This powerful story now serves as an inspiration for people all over the world willing to turn their lives around for the better by following their intuition and dreams.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52129515-untamed">Untamed </a>will help any struggling, broken soul find <a href="https://nik.art/if-you-cant-beat-the-fear-just-do-it-scared">the courage to break out of their misery </a>and make their ambitions come true. Use Glennon’s hard-earned lessons as a wake-up call if you live under unrealistic expectations, unfit societal standards, or a life that you don’t want to claim as your own.  Reading her memoir will lift your spirit and teach you what a powerful mother and woman can do once she sets goals and boundaries and starts to respect herself truly.

Untamed - Book Review

The 30-year-old woman who feels miserable in her marriage and wants to find a way out, the 28-year-old single mother who is looking to become a better role model for her children, or the 35-year-old activist who is researching real-life stories about sexism, social injustice, or feminism.

Who would I recommend the Untamed to?

Untamed summary is an inspiring memoir of Glennon Doyle, a woman who found peace and inner strength by challenging life in all its areas.

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

philosophy

Philosophy

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

mentalhealth

Mental Health

Untamed Summary

For thousands of years, humanity has passionately pursued the Truth with a capital T—the ultimate answers to life and the universe. This perennial knowledge constitutes the answers to what are often called the soul questions:<ul><li>Who am I?</li><li>What do I want?</li><li>What is my purpose?</li><li>What is the meaning of life?</li></ul>

The Soul Questions

Religion: Religions are most often based upon the lives, teachings, and beliefs of a historical or archetypal figure (e.g., Christ, Buddha, Moses, Krishna, Muhammad).Spirituality: By contrast, spirituality is more often based upon the practical application of the founder’s teachings.

Origins of Religions and Spirituality  

Spiritual aspirants heed the advice of Japanese poet Matsuo Basho, “Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought.”

Let’s try to clear things up by taking a closer look at the most defining differences between religious and spiritual paths. Religion: <ul><li>It is an objective experience, there is usually a greater focus on externals. </li><li>It is object referral, you're completely focused on objects like house of worship , books and observances etc. </li></ul>Spirituality:<ul><li>Self-referral, self awareness of your soul. </li><li>Inward journey</li></ul>

Objective vs. Subjective Experience

<ul><li>Moral rules, laws, and doctrines, as well as specific codes and criteria, create the organized structure that contains the religion’s specific belief system. </li><li>The spiritual aspirant recognizes that he or she is on a “pathless path” of self-discovery. They are following not a set of external rules, but their own inner call to spirit. </li></ul>

Organized vs Formless

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson Said : 

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Religiousinstitutions conservatively guard their practices and values, holding rigidly to the past and the original interpretations of the founder’s teachings. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Spirituality embraces change and the evolution of consciousness. With spiritual practice, ideas and interpretations change as individuals, societies, and the world move forward.</li></ul>

Traditional vs. Evolutionary Approach

Traditional religious beliefs, sometimes based upon rigid interpretations of key teachings, can create an exclusive worldview that isolates those who may not share their views or interpretations. Spirituality favors an inclusive approach. In the recognition that pure spirit is a unifying force, no one is left out. You are part of the universal hologram, all gods and goddesses in disguise.

Exclusive vs. Inclusive

Through religion, you are taught to have faith in God or the scriptures as being the infallible and ultimate truth of reality.Spirituality doesn’t dismiss faith; however, it often leans more heavily on direct experience of the soul or divinity.

Belief vs. Spiritual Experience

Despite the best of intentions, religions can sometimes contain a subtle (or not so subtle) undercurrent of fear woven into their teachings. By contrast, spirituality typically discards the vestiges of fear and worry in favor of a more loving, compassionate approach to life—and death.

Fear vs. Love

These comparisons aren’t meant to be absolutes or an attempt to polarize one against the other. Religious beliefs and spiritual beliefs differ in the ways in which they are practiced.Whichever path or combination of the two you follow is the personal and subjective expression of your journey of awakening.

All In All

I've always seen myself get trapped in the fine line that seperates religion from spirituality, the two seem to be interconnected however when you take a deeper dive u see how seperate they are.

The line between religion and spirituality can be very fine, and they are similar in many ways. How do we tell the difference between spirituality and religion?

religionandspirituality

Religion & Spirituality

mindfulness

Mindfulness

meditation

Meditation

Religion vs. Spirituality: The Difference Between Them

“Just be yourself.” What a frustrating piece of advice, right? Actually… what if I told you it is <a href="https://giovannispezia.com/why-you-cant-be-happy/">the secret to living a happy, fulfilling, and overall better life</a>?

Introduction

<ul><li>You can’t be anybody else other than yourself.</li><li>People will always have something to say about you, no matter what.</li><li>By being yourself among others, you start to attract people who are similar to you.</li></ul>

Why You Should Be Yourself

Most people don’t even know how to be themselves, the problem here is that you haven’t been yourself for years.You have been this fake version of yourself, buying into all these limitations, not achieving what you truly are capable of, and you’ve been there for so long that you confused it with authenticity.

The Problem With Being Yourself

<ol><li>Find what matters to you. Take time to <a href="https://giovannispezia.com/why-doing-nothing-is-good-for-you/">reflect on what matters to you</a> and how you want to live your life.</li><li>Embrace your strengths and imperfections. Take the time to get to know yourself and recognize your strengths and weaknesses. Be bold and embrace both, as they make you unique and special.</li></ol>

Identify Your Values

<ul><li>It’s essential to make decisions that reflect your values and not be afraid to speak your truth.</li><li>Don’t be afraid to say no when it’s right for you. By being honest, you’re showing that you are true to yourself and that you won’t be swayed by external pressures.</li></ul>

Practice Authenticity

<ul><li>Understand why you should be yourself</li><li>Don’t fall into the problem with this advice</li><li>Identify your values</li><li>Practice authenticity</li></ul>

Wrap Up

If you're interested in the topics of personal development, mindset, and both physical and mental well-being, consider checking out my content at:<ul><li><a href="https://giovannispezia.com">GiovanniSpezia.com</a></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/GiovaSpezia">Twitter</a></li><li><a href="https://www.pinterest.it/Giovanni_Spezia/">Pinterest</a></li></ul>Thank you all for the support! 🫶

Liked These Ideas? Consider Checking Out My Blog

“Just be yourself.” What a frustrating piece of advice, right? Actually… what if I told you it is the secret to living a happy, fulfilling, and overall better life?

“Just be yourself.” What a frustrating piece of advice, right? What if I told you it is the secret to living a happy, fulfilling life?

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Communication

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Love & Relationships

How to Be Yourself and Live a Life of Authenticity - Giovanni Spezia

Whatever it is you are pursuing, whatever it is you are seeking, whatever it is you are creating, be careful not to quit too soon. As my friend Pastor Rob Bell warns: “Don’t rush through the experiences and circumstances that have the most capacity to transform you.”

Life is a labyrinth where an end could be a beginning or there could be multiple paths to reach a particular point. The universe has hidden deep jewels within us and the hunt that we must embark on to uncover those hidden jewels is called creative living. The result of that hunt is what is called ‘Big Magic’

'Big Magic'

<ol><li>Courage</li><li>Enchantment</li><li>Permission</li><li>Persistence</li><li>Trust.</li></ol>

Elements of Creativity 

Fear is boring in the sense that it manifests in the same way every day. There is no variety to it. It never changes or isn’t able to spark any interest or delight. Once we understand the true nature of fear we don’t need to be afraid anymore. We must cultivate the courage to embark on creative journey by making space for fear. Courage is not fearlessness i.e the absence of fear but rather living alongside fear by making space for it to exist but never let it take the driving seat.

Courage.

As per Gilbert, the universe is inhabited not just by humans ,animals but also ideas. These ideas are conscious and have a will be manifested by collaborating with a human. These ideas come in the form of an inspiration and if they are not tapped into they fade away and look for another human for manifestation.

How Ideas Work?

<ul><li>You don’t need anyone’s permission to live creatively. Why do you seek permission? You are entitled to live a life the way you want. You have the right to assert yourself just because you are born and alive.</li><li>The creative endeavour should not be to help others but to help one’s own self. It’s also okay to not have any motive whatsoever.</li><li>The paradox of creativity is that we need to make art as the most important thing that we do but at the same time it shouldn’t matter to us way too much. Make space in your life for this paradox to happily exist.</li></ul>

Permission

<ul><li>There is no age limit when you can make a start at something. As long as you stick around the different phases (frustration and disappointment) of the creative process you are fine. You are learning.</li><li>There is never going to be enough time and resources to make art possible but one needs to take that time out and work on their creative pursuits.</li><li>Fall in love with your creativity and you will find/make time for it.</li><li>Make your self look presentable to attract and invite creativity.</li><li>Perfection is the enemy of the good. Don’t hold yourself back because one is not perfect. Embrace imperfections.</li></ul>

Persistence.

<ul><li>We are co-creators of life and we collaborate with mother nature to create life through reciprocation of its services</li><li>Gilbert argues that you need to trust love over suffering to be artistic.</li><li>When you not feeling inspired or passionate about creativity then being curious is the antidote. Find clues to whatever interests you and creativity will find you eventually</li><li>Ego demands rewards and satisfaction which is always elusive and there is no ending to it while soul desires ‘wonder’ and when we take refuge in the soul our ego remains silent or under control.</li><li>Don’t dwell on disappointments.</li></ul>

Trust.

Gives me an insight into the creative process and what it takes to make art 🎨

The instant #1 NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller "A must read for anyone hoping to live a creative life... I dare you not to be inspired to be brave, to be free, and to be curious.” —PopSugar From the worldwide bestselling author of Eat Pray Love and City of Girls: the path to the vibrant, fulfilling life you’ve dreamed of. Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the “strange jewels” that are hidden within each of us. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work, embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.

creativity

Creativity

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Books

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Society, Arts & Culture

The instant #1 NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller "A must read for anyone hoping to live a creative life... I dare you not to be inspired to be brave, to be free, and to be curious.” —PopSugar From the worldwide bestselling author of Eat Pray Love and City of Girls: the path to the vibrant, fulfilling life you’ve dreamed of.   Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the “strange jewels” that are hidden within each of us. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work,  embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.

Elizabeth Gilbert is an accomplished writer whose work has resonated with readers around the world. Elizabeth Gilbert has published several books that explore a range of topics, from fiction to nonfiction, and has received critical acclaim for the ability to weave compelling narratives. Elizabeth Gilbert's writing style is known for its depth and authenticity, and has earned quite a loyal following of readers.

Elizabeth Gilbert

Big Magic

“Here the ways of men divide. If you wish to strive for peace of soul and happiness, then believe; if you wish to be a disciple of truth, then search.” ~<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wakitime09-20&keywords=Nietzsche&index=aps&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=xm2&linkId=39e61491bbfc532e8dcc0bb8d63120cc">Nietzsche </a>

To a certain extent, we are always deceived. For we are only human, all too human. But to the extent that we can become aware of deception—both self-deception and the deception of others—being undeceived means being ahead of the curve of the human condition.

First, it means embracing deception as an integral part of life. Then it means being strategically circumspect while creating your own meaning. It means taking everything that you’ve learned into consideration with humility and a good sense of humor. It means becoming so healthy that your very existence is a catalyst for healthy change. It means connecting courage to curiosity. It means taking a leap of courage. It means putting things into proper perspective by using health as a benchmark.

It is, paraphrasing <a href="https://www.wakingtimes.com/bruce-lees-private-letters-explain-really-meant-like-water/">Bruce Lee </a>, “absorbing what is useful, discarding what is not, and adding what is uniquely your own.” Let’s break it down…

“If everyone is thinking alike, then no one is thinking.” ~<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/074325807X/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wakitime09-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=074325807X&linkId=b41a3a37e1afa96c0efc2f500e5609d2">Benjamin Franklin </a> What is useful? Well, if your goal is not only basic survival but also progressive evolution, then what is useful is what is healthy. Contrastingly, what is not useful is what is unhealthy.

Absorb what is useful:

So, how do you figure out what is healthy or not? Through logic, reason, and critical thinking. You cannot wish something into being healthy. You cannot simply believe something is healthy and, by your strong faith alone, expect it to be valid. You can only reason through if something is healthy or not. Once you have reasoned a thing to be healthy, you free yourself to absorb what is useful.

Absorbing what is useful is absorbing what is healthy. The path is then clear to question with a good conscience. You become undeceived. In a state of undeception, you are free to wield the question mark sword, the Sword of Truth, and to use it in a way that distinguishes what’s healthy from what’s not. What is healthy is absorbed as something useful for progressive evolution. What is unhealthy can then be discarded as something useless, so as to avoid an unhealthy society.

“A fool thinks himself wise, a wise man knows himself to be a fool.” ~<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wakitime09-20&keywords=William%20Shakespeare&index=aps&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=xm2&linkId=26cbe500ba6a34a1f703948012da08f7">William Shakespeare </a> Discarding what is not useful (what is unhealthy) requires self-discipline. It requires vigilance. Most people don’t even know that they don’t know the difference between healthy and unhealthy. Especially people who have grown up, culturally conditioned and indoctrinated, in a profoundly sick society.

Discard what is not useful:

How do you know if you were born into a profoundly sick society? 1.) Any society that pollutes the air it needs to breathe is a profoundly sick society. 2.) Any society that pollutes the water it needs to drink is a profoundly sick society.

3.) Any society that pollutes the food it needs to eat is a profoundly sick society. 4.) Any society that pollutes the minds it needs to evolve with is a profoundly sick society.

You must have the self-discipline to daily question what is healthy and what is not. For health is not a matter of opinion. Health is a benchmark. Without this benchmark, you cannot discern what is useful from what is not useful.

As such, belief and certainty are the greatest obstacles blocking us from being able to discard what is not useful. This is especially dangerous when those beliefs and certainties are derived from the cultural conditioning of a profoundly sick society. Hence the importance of vigilance and strategic prudence.

In order to remain undeceived, we must remain circumspect. The Sword of Truth must be unleashed daily so that it may cut through the red tape of wishful thinking, irrational beliefs, and whimsical certitude. It is only when our naïve beliefs have been shattered upon the hard concrete of reality that we are free to distinguish between what is healthy and what is not. As we begin to piece things together, we become undeceived. We are liberated to absorb what is useful and discard what is not.

“Small minds discuss people. Average minds discuss events. Great minds discuss ideas.” ~<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wakitime09-20&keywords=Henry%20Thomas%20Buckle&index=aps&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=xm2&linkId=beaf00caa84487504931248b07abe628">Henry Thomas Buckle </a> Once you have successfully threshed the chaff (unhealthy/useless) from the grain (healthy/useful), you are free to unleash your creativity. From swords to plowshares, your Sword of Truth becomes a Pen of Truth. With it, you are free to create high art; art that shatters molds, stretches comfort zones, and initiates wake up calls. You become free to prove why the pen will always be mightier than the sword.

Add what is uniquely your own:

Here, still, we must remain vigilant. For even art can become dogmatic. In order not to be deceived, we must always be in a state of questioning what we think we know and weighing it against the nonnegotiable scales of healthy/unhealthy. Should our art become dogmatic, we would be wise to absorb what is useful from it and discard what is not. This way we will always be openminded and openhearted enough to add what is uniquely our own.

Outdated truth must die so that it doesn’t taint the updated truth of the times. God must die so that God can be reborn. Creativity thrives off the ashes of old art. Evolution progresses or stagnates in proportion to how creative we can be after having absorbed what is useful (healthy) and discarding what is not (unhealthy).

The art of being undeceived is more like the juggler’s art than the interrogator’s. It should be flexible and adaptable to meet results which are sudden and unexpected. The undeceived understand that the self is masks all the way down perceiving delusions all the way up, and they have the acumen and the wherewithal to juggle both masks and delusions into a state of high humor and even higher art.

Gary ‘Z’ McGee - To a certain extent, we are always deceived. For we are only human, all too human.

The Art of the Undeceived

It takes strength to be good, and it takes more than courage to be powerful. You know how they say power corrupts, no it doesnt, it just exposes. Power amplifies and exposes cognitive and behavioral predispositions that already exist within us.The traits and characteristics required to excersise power are not the same ones required to gain it. Temperence is the ability to moderate our actions, thoughts and feelings, and is the virtue required to keep the lust for power under control. Allow me to dig deep into that mechanism..

Power Amplifies 

Emotional power or power excersised from the heart is directly proportional to our capacity for emotional regulation and acceptance; and rational power or power excersised from the mind is directly proportional to our capacity for applying logic and intuition.Any imbalance between mind and heart and the power expressed becomes either bias towards coercion and control or emotional manipulation. Power for the sake of power is basically the mind feeding off the heart or the heart feeding off the mind..

Emotional & Rational Power

Exercising power from a place of strength is virtue, and contrary when power is saught after to fill a void it originates from a lack or weakness. That lack is either rooted in the heart or mind, and one gain is at the expense of the other.For example, your own reasoning can utelise or feed off fear to suppress or avoid expressions of unregulated emotions, and the backlash is usually guilt or resentment. Likewise, a lack of confidence may feed off the rationale of the ego to avoid confrontations by a fake sense of control, and the backlash is usually shame or a lowered self esteem.

Strength

We need to align our behaviour and cognition to make it easier to realize our intended goals when excersing our power. Seeking power for the sake of power feeds our ego, no matter how powerful we may seem, if it originates from a lack it will need to feed on the weak and is only powerful in that said contrast.Weakness has no virtue, choosing when to excersise power takes strength, choosing how to excersise power takes courage, and choosing who to excersise power on takes humility and modesty.

Weakness

Gaining power is an endeavour, wanting it is not wrong, but in order for it to be balanced it needs to draw from feelings, emotions and imagination as much as observation, analysis and logic. It takes both control and a restrain of impulses to be able to do something powerful, in other words, most of our bad habits are due to a lack of willpower.Temperence is the ability to moderate our actions, thoughts and feelings, can you see the link?

Will Power

Power amplifies and exposes cognitive and behavioral predispositions that already exist within us.

history

History

strategy

Strategy

politics

Politics

Power As A Virtue

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30659.Meditations">Meditations </a> by Roman emperor <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Aurelius">Marcus Aurelius </a>was probably never meant to be published, but in 1558 someone at Heidelberg University in Germany decided that these 12 books full of wisdom were too valuable to remain hidden from the world – and printed them.

Meditations By Marcus Aurelius - Book Overview 

Opposite to the Epicureans, who sought as much pleasure as they could in the here and now, for tomorrow they could die, the Stoics believed in the goodness of things, no matter how bad they were at any given time.

"Put an end once for all to this discussion of what a good man should be, and be one."-Marcus Aurelius

<ol><li>True “logic” doesn’t always make sense, but everything happens for a reason. </li><li>Life is too short to complain. </li><li>The only pain you suffer is the pain you create yourself. </li> </ol>Excited about stoicism? Let’s begin your training, young philosopher!

Top 3 Book Lessons

The word logic as we use it today originally stems from ancient Greek. The word “logos” means “reason” and to the stoics, it was the force of life.Logos gives everything its form and its order. It flows through every plant, every tree, every building and every human being. It is the essence of all life and the underlying master plan for everything that happens in the world . Therefore, every single thing that happens, whether good or bad, happens for a reason.

Lesson 1: The true meaning of “logic” is not something that always needs to make sense — but it’ll always have purpose.

Things are exactly right as they are, which includes terrible things like terrorism, death and disease just as much as it includes wonderful things like rainbows, sunny days and long, fulfilled lives.

We’ve long deviated from this concept. To us, logic has become a much more mathematical concept. 1+1 = 2. That’s logic to us. But <a href="http://fourminutebooks.com/the-art-of-happiness-summary/">when a close family member unexpectedly dies </a>, we don’t think that’s logical. It doesn’t make sense to us. It’s unfair, we get angry, we cry and resent the world. Marcus Aurelius believed that everything happens for a reason. Always. Even in the worst of times, he took comfort in the fact that everything is exactly as it’s supposed to be.

If everything is exactly right the way it is, complaining becomes utterly useless then , doesn’t it? There’s a saying I like: “For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson You could’ve spent those 60 seconds laughing. Talking. Breathing. Living. But you chose to complain to the person next to you in line at the cashier how hard life is. How much waiting at the grocery store sucks. And how stupid that employee is for making a mistake.

Lesson 2: Life is too short to waste even a second complaining.

You never know how long you have. No one knows. You could get hit by a bus tomorrow, or never even wake up the next day. Your time on earth is limited. Incredibly limited. So don’t waste it.Marcus Aurelius hated holding court, but he knew he shouldn’t spend even a second regretting his duties. Instead, he trusted in the grand scheme of things, knowing that logos had a plan for him, and right now his part in that plan was to let people waste his time with superficial arguments and small talk in court.

Complaining wastes your time and makes everyone that has to listen to it feel bad. So how about making it today’s mission to stop complaining?

Being an emperor in ancient Rome was a dangerous job. People tried to kill you, abduct you, stab you in the back and poison you at least once a week. Marcus Aurelius believed that physical pain was part of logos’s big plan as well. He also suffered a lot of psychological pain in his lifetime. Out of his 13 children, 8 died before him, including his wife, who died at a very young age.

Lesson 3: The only pain you suffer is the one you inflict upon yourself.

But he was convinced that all these things happen for good reason, trusted in the purpose, and thus remained calm even in the worst of times. After all, these deaths were external events that Marcus Aurelius had no hand in whatsoever. He believed that any harm done to a person from an external source was beyond their control and therefore, couldn’t truly harm them . The suffering only starts if you allow it to, because you start blaming yourself, questioning why things happen, or complaining about how unfair everything is.

Whatever pain you’re facing, you have a choice. You can accept it and move on without complaining. Always. So don’t make yourself suffer, it’s really all in your head.

Wow. For some of you this might all feel very abstract, but I can’t remember the last time I learned so much from a summary that’s this short (just 5 blinks). For books like these a Blinkist summary is the perfect intro, because it describes everything in plain words. As you can imagine, the original text is quite complicated.

Meditations - BookReview

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30659.Meditations">Meditations </a> is available <a href="http://classics.mit.edu/Antoninus/meditations.html">for free </a>online, but usually, professional translations by a publisher in paperback format will help you engage with the book more and digest its ideas better. I recommend <a href="https://amzn.to/2ocZX6y">the Dover Thrift Edition </a>. I also tend to do better with heavier topics, like life, death, thinking, etc., when I have something in my hand that I can mark, leave comments on in pen, and so on. If you’re new to Stoicism, this book is a must-read.

Book Ava

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius - Book Summary 

This summary of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius will explain the great Stoic philosopher's perspective. Read my Meditations summary.

Meditations Summary

The sun symbolizes the rise and fall, the importance of night and day, summer and winter; in essence, to be equally comfortable while shining and while setting. The moon symbolizes our hidden realities and emotions, shows us how to go through cycles and phases, a reminder of lifes changing nature. Everything we experience we have the urge to label. However, the labels we place on feelings and experiences don't necessarily define them.

Sun & Moon

The labeling of good vs bad experiences in our head becomes the memory of that said experience. Good is simply a point of perceived advantage and bad is a point of perceived disadvantage formulated as a labeled perception post experience. Good experiences make you happy or motivate you to carry on, bad experiences guides your attention towards what needs change.

Good Vs Bad

Our internal condition bias determines our observation and this 'lens' cannot ever be entirely removed from our experience. It is our emotional reaction to that perception stimulus that becomes the memory of what transpired. Sun rise to sun set, full moon to new moon, yet we cling on to labeled memories as if they are god given instructions that dictate new perceptions so we can easily define our journey and who we are. The realization of that mechanism liberates the self from the identity, and the experience from the label.

Lens Of Perception

Memories are a perception of a past reality, a probable present, and a tool to either change or fixate your future. So use your memories as data working towards the values you hold dear, rather than the identity you hold dear. In short, dont get stuck in the past, unless u really want too.

Time Loop

Dont get stuck in the past unless u really want too.

The Philosophy Of Perception

Democracy could be seen as a rational method to elect our leaders. However, a more cynical Girardian interpretation could be that:Elections are a ritual through which we come together to express our frustration towards the current administration. A cathartic symbolic sacrifice of old leaders, similar in spirit to the tribal sacrifices of our past.ex: In the 2020, one could say Trump lost the election more than Biden won them.

Democracy as a cathartic ritual

This idea seemed interesting enough to save it. Not sure if true. 

Starting from lecture IV, we will move away from psychology and into Girard’s history, beginning with the very first human societies. In times of internal turmoil, these early societies would converge on an innocent victim, attribute to him all the blame, murder this scapegoat in a brutal killing, and achieve peace through violent catharsis. These founding murders gave rise to institutions, cultures, and even gods themselves. Far are we from the comfort of social contracts. Girard’s unsettling conclusion is that peace is built on the corpses of innocent victims. Worldly order demands violence and deceit. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:04:16 The Trojan War and Reciprocal Violence 00:13:51 Oedipus and the Scapegoat Mechanism 00:15:23 Step One: Mimetic Contagion 00:25:06 Step Two: Founding Murder 00:29:22 Consensus, Deceit, and Catharsis 00:36:04 Three Marks of the Victim 00:41:18 Step Three: Divinization 00:46:30 A Revaluation of Values 00:51:26 Step Four: Institutionalization 01:03:33 The Violent Foundations of Society 01:06:39 The Hymn of Purusha 1:10:20 The Founding of Rome 1:13:10 Moral Paradigm Shifts

Starting from lecture IV, we will move away from psychology and into Girard’s history, beginning with the very first human societies. In times of internal turmoil, these early societies would converge on an innocent victim, attribute to him all the blame, murder this scapegoat in a brutal killing, and achieve peace through violent catharsis. These founding murders gave rise to institutions, cultures, and even gods themselves. Far are we from the comfort of social contracts. Girard’s unsettling conclusion is that peace is built on the corpses of innocent victims. Worldly order demands violence and deceit.

00:00:00 Introduction
00:04:16 The Trojan War and Reciprocal Violence
00:13:51 Oedipus and the Scapegoat Mechanism
00:15:23 Step One: Mimetic Contagion
00:25:06 Step Two: Founding Murder
00:29:22 Consensus, Deceit, and Catharsis
00:36:04 Three Marks of the Victim
00:41:18 Step Three: Divinization
00:46:30 A Revaluation of Values
00:51:26 Step Four: Institutionalization
01:03:33 The Violent Foundations of Society
01:06:39 The Hymn of Purusha
1:10:20 The Founding of Rome
1:13:10 Moral Paradigm Shifts

If I were not Diogenes, I wish I were Alexander.

Johnathan at Limbo

Lecture IV: The Scapegoat Mechanism | René Girard's Mimetic Theory

René Girard's Mimetic Theory - Lecture 3&4

Life’s toughest challenges can feel overwhelming. The courage to do hard things is not easy but necessary for growth and development. “Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood,” says Ralph Waldo Emerson. When faced with a difficult situation, you might ask yourself: Is this worth the risk? Is this worth my time and energy? Am I ready for this challenge? “No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility,” says Orson F. Whitney.

22 Short Rules That Will Get You Through Hard Times In Life

22 Short Rules To Get Through Hard Times In Life 

If you’ve ever been through a challenging experience , these practical pieces of wisdom can help you get through the hard times in life - and actually thrive.

22 Short Rules To Get Through Hard Times In Life | Hive

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