Life is Out Of Your Control

“the more we value things outside our control, the less control we have”

Predictability is an illusion

It is really impossible to tell whether anything that happens is good or bad.(It is really impossible to tell whether anything that happens is good or bad.)

Circle of Control

Outcomes are mostly out of our control.

Let Go – Accept you have limited control

You can and should try to direct your life towards positive outcomes but ultimately you are not in control.

Life is a series of problems to be solved

Problem and to-do’s.

You will never complete them.

You have to accept and enjoy the process.

Focus on The Inner Life

Essential to the Good Life

The inner life is the most important
	You can cnotrol this
	You need a freedom to persue mastering teh inner life
Externalisties (they cost!) don’t work in the long term
Freedom
	Freedom From
		Desire
		Work
	Freedom To
		Choose

Master The Mind

The quality of your mind dictates the quality of your life.

Everything is downstream of the mind. Your self-control, [[Beliefs]], and ability to control your moods, thoughts and emotions all impact your health, wealth and happiness – every aspect of your life.

Create an environment that encourages a quality mind, X, chemicals ([[Nutrition]], Drugs, Fitness)

Inputs, and learn how to manage your mind.

You are not your thoughts.

Emotions are choices.

X mindfulness

Only the inner life is in your control. All thoughts, emotions, experiences, and behaviours are downstream of the mind.

Be the observor and understand that you are not your thoughts.

our feelings come directly and exclusively from our thoughts. Any feelings we have in any given moment will always reflect our thinking in that moment.

thought is the sole contributor. Not lifestyle, not a spouse, not money problems, not conflicts, just thought.

positive thoughts, they will have happy feelings.

A rich inner life removes the need for a rich outer life

Optimise To Your Values

Freedom

Freedom From…self: thought, desire, suffering, negative emotion, environment: conditioning, expectation, unquestioned norms; work

Freedom To…explore the inner and outer world, learn, adventure, and stay healthy.

Simplicity

TBD

Tranquillity

TBD

Love

Joy – creating joy in yor life and in others

Balance

Enough

The Currencies of Life

Visual

Inputs > Outputs

Ultimate goal: Time + Energy + Attention (then you can do x)

Left: Fi/Money/wealth = Time/Freedom

Right:Health Body/Mind = (provides) Energy

Top: Mindfulness = (provides ability to) Attentions

Pyramid?

Health, Time, Freedom, Money

What about Attention

See 2021-05-20: Be Here How = Sensory experiences, the ultimate goal?

The Great Meal Example

You Need the Time

But You Need Money

Time

The Value of Time

“Were all the geniuses of history to focus on this single theme, they could never fully express their bafflement at the darkness of the human mind … No person hands out their money to passersby, but to how many do each of us hand out our lives! We’re tight-fisted with property and money, yet think too little of wasting time, the one thing about which we should all be the toughest misers.” —Seneca

Your time is limited, think carefully what you are willing to exchange it for.

“The greatest obstacle to living is expectancy”

Riches are won at the cost of life.

Other than your age do you have proof of a long life?

Time is your only true possessions. (MQ: but without attention it is not enough)

You can give it away by working or chasing external things.

Or you can own it.

Attitude & Gratitude

Attitude is Optional

Rename Choose your attitute/other

Be Grateful

Acknowledge

I have more than [[What is Enough?]]

I have everything I need, and most of what I always wanted.

I am in the 1%  – globally and historically. The richest person alive 50 years ago would choose my life. 

Externalities cost time(life) & money, plus they don’t work long term. Desire leads to suffering

Be Grateful

Be Kinder

There are virtues that don’t come naturally to me that I need to [[Work]]

Being and Doing

Everything we do generally falls into these buckeyts.

There needs to be a balance.

There is a time for striving, improving, planning and in general getting things done. They come naturally to me. What I need to develop is the ability to just be. To be in the moment, to do wthings that have no purpoose beyond the activity. Reading for the enjoyment and story, not for taking notes & imporvmement. Exercise for the enjoyment, not just for the fitness.

There are times when we need to examine, plan ,improve ourselves but it should be done intentionally at certain times, not X.

Being

Living in the Present (Aka Mindfulness)

• Actively Noticing
• Being interested
• Being Aware
  

Doing

Treating the present as a means to an end

Be intentional on what you choose to do and prioritise.

Living in/For The Future

• Planning
• Working
• [[Functional Thought]] – planning, thinking, creativity

Ideally the doing and being align, aka flow.

Living in/For The Past

• Remembering
• Replaying good or bad experiences
• Refelcting – Learning from past experiences
  

Wasting

Is this a thrid category or a subcategory of Doing

Rename – Dying, Mindlessness?

• Mindless consumtion
• Distracted
• Bored (Understimulated / Oldness)
• Stressed (Overstimulated / Newness)
• Uninterested (
  

Bring & Doing

It is possible to do many of these ‘Doing’ activities while also ‘Being’, so they give you a happy ‘present’ while also improving your chances of future happiness.

Choose one thing

Stress happens when you want to go in two directions at the same time

Creating, flow, expereincing

Experience meaning in each moment  – [[Be Here Now]] is the best advice. Focus only on what you doing in the present, don’t think about other things you need to do, and don’t worry about the future or the past. Give yourself 100% to the present experience – be it reading a book, walking in the woods, or talking to someone. Empty the mind of everything else.

)

The Direct Path

visual of hedonic adaption, treadmil , work etc and how you can skip the work and consumerism parts by mindfulness and inner wellbeing

Be Here Now

Be in the moment.

The experience of presence is the only experience – There is nothing else.

Stop constantly seeking more, creating and trying to fill desires – for that place inside us that never feels complete, which we have created.

Nothing ever happened in the past, it happened in the now. Nothing will ever happen in the future. It will happen in the now

Anywhere, Anytime

You don’t need to meditate to be mindful, it applies to the dishes.

Give you complete attention

When you are eating, eat. When you are reading, read. Give total attention to what you are doing.

Presence is required to be aware of and appreciate