Without getting into too many particulars (long, honkin' story!), when my life circumstances changed bigtime last Spring (and then again last Summer), 2 very important people in my life helped me out and provided a place to land and – once the dust had settled – begin to rebuild the life I had carefully constructed over the last ~ 8 years (and which, over Spring and Summer, had become utterly 'rubbleized'…).
A few months ago, I was having a conversation with one of these two people who'd been so instrumental in setting my feet on solid ground again. She and the other one thought they were "saving" me when they helped me out. Turns out, my presence (I moved into the area in which they lived) also led to major sea-changes in the way their lives were rolling along, all of them good.
So – when she said, "We thought we were saving you," I replied, "That's how it goes when we're doing it right, I think: we all save each other…"
I'm glad to see this sort of article come back to the fore again. (did he say "back to the fore?" ;o) )
Lately it seems we've gone down the rabbit hole of gold manipulation, stock market manipulation, gold pricing, gold supply, gold…
I've got about a dozen sites in my favorites that I can go to for that kind of information. It's good to see it on this site as well, but THIS is the sort of information and community that drew me here in the first place.
As suggested above by KeithM1116 I was also just thinking the site seems to be getting too focused on the financial side of resilience and I found myself avoiding it for that reason and was about to send a message reflecting this so for me the timing of this type of article was spot on.
I would like to add a reference, for those interested, to the research of Deci and Ryan, University of Rochester, on Self Determination Theory. I think their research is extremely relevevent to understanding human well being. Their research (I believe over 30 years now with other schools now folowing their lead), covers the areas of human motivation and basic psychological needs which they define as the need for competence, autonomy, and relatedness (particularly relevent to the theme of this article).
Other areas that they explore include the idea of minfullness and awareness (e.g., living in the now), including techniques (e.g., meditation) towards achieving these states. I have not been able as yet to fully explore these techniques myself so I can not attest to their efficacy, but I do believe it is extremely important to explore techniques towards training your mind (after all that is our reality). I also believe our western culture can be very limiting when it comes to training our brain compared to training our body, so extra effort to overcome our conditioning may be warranted (it certainly is for me).
I hope I'm not stepping on any religious toes (these statements were purportedly spoken by the Buddha), but I've always thought these were wise observations for anyone. They seem to be concepts promoted here at PP (other than Nibbana) and, I hope, add to this discussion. Thank you Adam for an excellent article and a very pragmatic site!
I've been a meditator for 10 years and can attest to the changes it can bring. There are lots of neurological studies going on that seem to indicate physiological changes in the brain. Cool stuff! I recommend it highly.
I find refuge in extreme sophism when contemplating our predicament.
The implications of the two slit experiment are that we live in a hologram. That is not quite true. I perceive my hologram. (Two opposing interpretations).You are a bit player who reads his lines and then disappears.
There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.Bill.
It takes a lot of practice. But it is possible to achieve disengagement.
Does anyone have a formal name for such a philosophy? I do not know where to start looking.
Great article,
We do need to spend time building relationships.
One simple activity I have been doing with my family for the past year is inviting a neighbor over for dessert on Sunday evenings 1-2 times a month. It’s always been good.
I am glad I have taken the time to do this one simple thing
I too have appreciated and related to your reflections on the importance of putting relationships at the top of the priorities list. I made a commitment years ago to make one really good new friend a year, to make up for friends who leave my life. My latest favorite new person is coming to dinner soon. So many wonderful people out there, so little time. Adam, your column has been a real blessing. And your graphics are always eye-catchingly wonderful.
By Loa-tzu written about 2,500 years ago, one of my favorite books. Sounds like it would be right up your alley, if your not familiar with it already. Many of your posts remind of it.
Adam - this is a great post, just what I needed to hear (again). Earlier in Chris' writings, he emphasized the importance of being in a community or aroung supportive people. This is a great reminder. Given my last name, I Love the concept of loving others. I now use - "Loving Works… for all of us." Loving Works was the name of my wife's compnay. Guy McPherson's "Nature Bats Last" blog previously said "Only Love Remains." Or from one of my favorite movies, Gladiator - "Whatever comes out of these gates, we've got a better chance of survival if we work together. Do you understand? If we stay together we survive" - Maximus. The good news, there are many initiatives (like Peak Prosperity) that are repeatedly reinforcing the power of community in building greater resilience. Community is about building stronger relationships - "Bowling together" vs Bowling alone. Thanks, Jim Loving, Silver Spring, MD.
