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Old 08-27-2010, 02:44 PM   #76 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ring View Post
Baraka, I respectfully disagree about the taking of action as if it were a pill to swallow,
or a monster to disembowel. Some actions are only visible in retrospect slo-mo.
I don't necessarily think it's as simple as swallowing a pill, but the fact remains: without taking action (whether this is in the form of doing or actual thinking), you're putting yourself at the mercy of your circumstances. I believe in the power of Zen like the next guy, but in the end, you've got to do something. Very little positivity comes your way like a happy accident.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Eddie38 View Post
Baraka, I don't completely agree with your take on healing. I think action is counterproductive when it comes to healing. Action can prolong healing and worsen the wound. Like a person who goes running when their broken leg isn't fully healed yet. Time is the key component, along with acceptance.
I didn't give you a prescription on how to take action; I merely said that you need to do it, ultimately. So far in this thread you've convinced me that you're the kind of guy that just lets things happen to him only to somehow cope with it until the next thing happens. That's bullshit.

I know you're hurting; I've been in a similar position as you. But you know what? I've wasted nearly ten fucking years floating around not knowing what the fuck I want in life. In many ways, I still don't know. But what I do know is that I need to take action. Nothing is going to be served to me. I'm not going to wake up tomorrow and "get it" and suddenly live a happy fulfilled life. No. I have to make it happen. Success is not an accident. Take a look at most of the successful people around you. Ask them at random how they got to where they are and if they met any hardships along the way. I'll bet you dollars to donuts that at least 8 out of 10 of them will have some pretty shitty stories to tell you.

Go ahead. Take the time to heal. But part of that healing will require using your mind to figure some shit out. It's not going to be easy, but you're going to have to own up to your life. You are the one responsible for it. You're going to have to make it happen. In most cases, you only get something if you give something first—not before. You have to decide what you want and then become determined to pay the price to get it.

So far it sounds like you're waiting for a freebie.

That's not a life strategy. That's a lottery. And you're not even buying a ticket.
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Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot
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