MADmusings #11: A message from a monk!

"Detachment is not that you own nothing, detachment is that nothing owns you" ~ Bhagavad Gita

No footy today as the other team cancelled (I think they're scared of us), so what does one do when they have a couple of extra unexpected hours. Get Steemy of course!

This post is based around a video I saw the other day and gave it another look now for good measure. It popped up on YouTube, and involves a guy I had no prior knowledge of but found to be articulate, intelligent and insightful… you may or may not think the same ;). 

The man in question is called Jay Shetty, used to be a monk and now an online personality among other things. 

He's being interviewed by Tom Bilyeu in a show called Impact Theory. I see Bilyeu pop up from time to time as he seems to be giving these types of interviews so is a player in this space… but he's for another day. 

So what does Jay have to say?

Here's the clip which is an edit of a longer video but this is a nice length for a Sunday snippet, explore further if you so wish! 

Cheers Jay! 

Quite a bit going on there, but let's pick out a couple of highlights…

First off, the talk of priorities and chasing fulfilment. We may have big dreams but is that actually what we really want? Are we chasing something that can (and perhaps should) be attained by another route? And are we doing it for the right reasons… or just to please others, or because it sounds right?

As Shetty points out, you can't be what you can't see, so you need exposure and experience. 

He gives 3 steps to finding your path in life…

1. Being exposed to unique experiences and role models

Test the waters. See what's out there. Expose yourself (not like that, it'll get you in trouble).

2. Find it, take it seriously, immerse

Drown yourself in what interests you. Research the subject. Shadow people you may wish to emulate. Collect data. 

3. Yes or no - does it work for me?

Decide if it's for you… or not. There is no right answer and can change over time. You won't have 'lost' from the experience, only gained. 

He points out our over-exposure and stimulation and needing that self-purification that he found in his time as a monk. Of course, that isn't necessary but gave him that window for reflection. The point is to recognise what's happening, step back and attain some clarity. 

Another interesting thing he says is that we live in echo chambers and are in fact a perception of a perception of ourselves.

Quote from Charles Cooley, who was an American sociologist. Quite a bit going on there!

Head, heart & hand…

In addition Shetty points out that for an ideal life you need your head, heart and hand working together in unison.

Head: Clarity of vision, navigating, making decisions.
Heart: Understanding intuition, connection, and deeper meaning. "You'll get to where you want in life, just not in the way you imagined".
Hand: Service, passing it on, paying it forward (or back). 'Passion' is for you, 'purpose' is for others.

Knowing how to differentiate the voices in your head is the first level of self-awareness. This he sums up in 2 systems of thinking which relates to a recent article of mine, The Chimp Paradox. This is yet another way of explaining the parts of our brain and the effect on our behaviour. 

System 1 - 

Initial, default reaction. Fight or flight (positive in an appropriate situation). Defending ego (negative, as rarely needed for survival). Conditioning. Habit. 'Child-like'.

System 2 - 

Intelligence. Like the 'parent' of system 1. Long-term and bigger picture thinking. It processes the default reaction above and decides on the course of action. 

As we know and as Shetty mentions, there is just so much noise out there. Unfortunately, you can become immune and just 'get used to it'. Like the bastard doing building work next door. You learn to integrate it into your life. You need to be hyper aware of being plugged in to the media and pushed around without your say so. 

And the final point? Upgrade your circle. Environment is everything. 

Those are my fairly haphazard notes on it all, so definitely check out the video for yourself… and let me know what you think!

~ Adam
@adambarratt

"We should plant trees under whose shade we do not plan to sit"

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