What is enlightenment? How to become enlightened One of the problems in explaining enlightenment is that we have to use words. Words are only symbols and don’t give the real understanding. The letters of a…
Posts Taggedself awareness
Projecting Emotions
A woman lived near the forest. She would look at the forest and say to herself that it looks really scary in there. The forest looked like a dark and scary place. It felt like…
Controlling Your Mind
Hi Gary, I’m sorry that I e-mail you again. But I have this big problem that might be hard to explain but I’ll try. Your whole course depends on the belief that you can control…
Unconscious Beliefs
I was sitting in the back yard with a friend a few weeks ago. The moon was out and almost full. I had read that when the moon rises as the sun sets, it will…
Becoming The Observer
Becoming the Observer is more than just thinking about yourself. It really is a different state of mind. Whether you are doing meditation, mindfulness practices, therapy, or other personal development work, becoming the observer is…
#48: Becoming the observer – mindfulness practice
When we act in the way of a neutral observer we notice different things. We notice when thoughts are arising from parts of our ego and the emotions they produce. We can also notice the idealized version in the background of our mind being used as comparison.
Resistance to Change
There is supposed to be Resistance to the process. I didn’t set out to teach happiness directly, and if you follow what I teach you will probably notice that I don’t. I don’t focus on…
The Glass Is Your Life
Do you look at the glass and see it as half full, or half empty? It’s a question about the thoughts you think and the emotions you create because of the thoughts you tell yourself. …
Voices In My Head
Is it normal to have voices in my head? Actually, yes. It does not mean you are crazy or need medication. From a separate interview about her backround: Jon Ronson: Let’s back up a…
What Is Worth Fighting For
Recently a client asked me, “Are there some things worth fighting for? It seems like all this work is about acceptance, and making peace, and being grateful. Do you just kind of roll over and…
Five Stages of Happiness – Part 5
Authentic Happiness – Stage 5 (Read from the beginning) This is where the words like authenticity, genuine, humility, unconditional love, enlightened, and wise have meaning. The person that has transcended the conditional happiness modes they…
Five Stages of Happiness – Part 4
Transition to Authentic Happiness – Stage Four Read from beginning At 20 something it is easy to be optimistic and have lots of positive thoughts about our self and the future. We confidently believe…
Five Stages of Happiness – Part 2
Transition to Conditional or Socialized Happiness – Stage Two (read from beginning Happiness Stage 1) From the time we are able to talk and understand the word, “NO!” we begin to get socialized. Growing up…
The Five Stages of Happiness
Five Stages of Happiness and Emotional Development At different stages of a person’s life the principle sources of happiness change. What worked to be happy when we were 5, doesn’t work at 25, and changes…
What is the Ego ?
The ego is the mind’s identity of our own construction, an identity which is false. We are more than just the mind. If we take all the beliefs of what we are – beliefs about…
Holding Myself Back
“I’m holding myself back.” A Self Reflection Process Some people notice a thought or behavior and they recognize that it is self-sabotaging. That shows good awareness. But the next thought they have is a criticism…
Where Do I Start On My Path
Dear Gary, My problem now is that I can not understand what is my way. What is correct and what is incorrect, what should I do and what I shouldn’t do. I really would like…
Love is Not Enough
I know the song by the Beatles, “Love is All you Need” but I’ve learned to stop looking for truth about life in song lyrics. For me personally, to be happy in life and relationships,…
Is It Easier To Give Up on Conscious Awakening ?
The Lies are in the Details As we work to stay consciously aware and maintain positive emotions of happiness we can become tired of the process. When that happens, the thought, “Sometimes it just feels…
#40: Self awareness and mindfulness
Understanding how your mind creates emotional reactions is key to making personal change. This understanding of the mind is done through mindfulness, also know as Self Awareness.