PHILOSOPHIES OF when to try harder, and when to let go. 🪨↔️🧘‍♂️

(Basically eastern vs. western rules of life)

0.) House keeping

-Leave a copy of STANCE

————————————————————————————————

1.) OVERVIEW 📋

a.) PROBLEM: *Chinese finger trap*

I noticed that trying harder at the wrong things just makes this worse

“If you’re a hammer….”
———

b.) EXAMPLE in a recovery setting ❌

“Self Will run riot” - I heard that term from my Dad as a kid.

Dad why do these people cus at church?

Bottom: The problem has to get worse

first before it gets better.

The cliché is that addicts have a weak will.

But maybe its makes more sense that they have a strong will.

——-

c.) MY QUESTION?

How do we make a problem worse by misunderstanding The problem?

“A problem well understood, is a problem half solved.”

“Wrong doing is ignorance”

———

d.) GOAL TODAY:

Share some of the best tools I’ve collected

From western and eastern philosophy (casting a broad net) to help solve problems more effectively.

—————————————————————————————————

2.) A quick illustration with grappling / jiu jitsu. 💪

When I make my arm rigid, Matt can move me

When I relax, Matt can move me in the same way, there’s nothing to move.

Timing is king (it’s the ultimate efficiency.)

If you miss your timing…

It costs you no energy.

You just act at the right time.

If anything it makes things way easier.

—————————————————————————————————

3.) PHILOSOPHICAL FRAMEWORKS

TO UNDERSTAND

EACH APPROACH 🗺️

—

a.WEST

In Western philosophy, we have the story of Sisyphus,
and even more popular, the story of Christ.

The more rationalized traditions.

Like the Stoics, the Christians, the cynics, the epicureans.

“Take up your cross and follow me”

“Only two things you can control.”

—-

b.EAST

In Eastern philosophy you have the Buddha.

And more mystical traditions.

“What could be easier than life?

“There’s two ways to get what you want, get more, want less”

c.END WITH THE STORY OF THE BUDDHA

the middle path. (see bottom)

—————————————————————————————

4.) Source Materials: 📘📙

We have two books to represent those traditions today,

and I’m going to attempt to extract the best tools from each of them

-Epictetus’ “discourses” (progress)

-Allen carrs “easy way to mindfulness” (presentness)

READINGS

————————————————————————————

5.) The Story of the Buddha