This is one part in a series of episodes on "The Untethered Soul".

Part 6: Remove the Inner Thorn

- Imagine a thorn stuck in your skin

      - Do you remove it now or leave it & don’t touch it?

       - Not touching it avoids dealing with the pain but you end up with a whole lifetime of temporary solutions to work around the thorn & spend too much energy trying to not touch it

      - Consciousness is drawn to most distracting object which only feeds it; not dealing right away wastes energy

      - you let it run your life & become the center of your universe

      - pain is minimized but doesn't go away

      - Taking the thorn out may be painful but it’ll heal over time until you don't feel pain

- Resisting will only make you struggle more

      - Attempting to avoid problems only creates more problems

      - Having weakness only creates more weaknesses

      - b/c anyone/thing at any moment can cause great disturbance/ fear to you

- To hide your weakness you try to keep things from happening or focus on things that already happened

      - Not letting go will distort/ cloud emotions, consciousness, & objectivity. Kick survival instinct into action

      - You become defensive & justify - You have expectation for how things should be & when they don’t go accordingly, you feel like things aren’t ok

      - Accept that how life unfolds is out of your control. Don’t fight it or be afraid of it

- Life is actually trying to stimulate growth when you feel discomfort from fear

      - When that point resurfaces, let it go right away b/c it'll not get any easier later

      - embrace problems as an agent for growth instead of being defensive

      - embrace change at all times

- To live life without fear:

      - Remember that fear is a blockage in the heart; inner pain is always there just hidden deep inside

      - Fear, insecurity, weakness, are just another thing we’re capable of experiencing

      - The discomfort you feel is often concealed by shallower problems

      - Remove the thorn by finding yourself

      - Dig to the deep root thorn below

      - Ask yourself why that pain is happening and peel back the layers to dig deep to the core issue

      - When the feelings come up, just watch it; ultimately let it pass

This is one part in a series of episodes on "The Untethered Soul".

 Part 5: The Key is Letting Go

- Why do you close your heart?

      - originally primal instinct to defend yourself physically, now defend self concept & ego

- Everything little thing can trigger fear & insecurity & throw self concept out of balance

      - You’re just a small speck passing through the universe on a rock spinning around a sun in the middle of space

       - Don’t let meaningless things cause pain

- When every little thing can cause pain, you create rules for things that can/can't happen in the external world (which is out of your control) to protect yourself

      - Everything now becomes a threat. You have so much vulnerabilities

      - You are no longer free to be yourself b/c you don't have control

- To become liberated is simple: stop caring/protecting

- Start by noticing disturbances to your heart

      - be conscious & recognize that you have ability to disengage

      - Don’t change, judge, or fight it

      - Concentrating on it only feed it and make it grow

     - The moment you feel a change in energy or pull drawing you in, relax

- These energies will always be there so overcome them by learning to center yourself

This is one part in a series of episodes on "The Untethered Soul".

- Part 4 -- Tap into Your Infinite Energy

 - Every thought & emotion uses energy

      - Pushing away, holding on, controlling, recalling, generating, & disciplining thoughts & emotions all require energy

 - You have infinite supply you can draw from at any time

      - Energy != the kind from food or sleep

  - Letting energy in = rush of joy, love, & enthusiasm

      - you can feel this all the time

 - Heart is the center of this energy

      - can allow energy in or restrict/push energy away

      - Flow of energy = sun that keeps shining no matter what

      - you could sit in the sun & embrace it or sit in the shade

      - Closing off = letting love waste away

      - Being open = letting energy pass in then out; taking notice, letting go

      - Thus, life = experiencing the present moment then the next one & the next

 - Energy not let go doesn’t disappear

      - Unfinished energy blocks the heart

      - When you feel salty, you’re fixated on the past; think abt. it constantly

      - Taking away focus from the present

      - It’s all inside of you still, kept in w/ nowhere to go until they can be released

      - They will come back up whenever triggered by anything in the neighborhood of that snapshot/memory

 - When stored energy is stimulated, it’s the best chance to finally let it pass instead of pushing it down again

      - Smile b/c you know the energy will be released now like purging toxins

      - When it’s painful coming in, it will be painful out but it’s only be temporary

      - ask yourself why you're not letting it go

 - Train to keep your heart open

      - Closing is a habit that you’ve developed because past experiences have programed us

      - Simply watch; Be aware & conscious

      - When you see yourself closing/tensing, choose consciously not to close; relax & open

      - Let everything pass through to be free, just let go, don’t trap energy

 - Nothing is ever worth closing for

      - Life can always be exciting

      - you can always feel inspired & enthusiastic

This is one part in a series of episodes on "The Untethered Soul". 

Part 3 — Train Your Awareness 

- Real awareness is being absorbed mentally, emotionally, and physically while taking notice of the world around you 

     - Like watching a movie: you’re so engrossed you forget that you’re sitting in the dark with strangers

      - Concentrating means committing your senses, emotions, and thoughts

      - Full dimensional experience requires sound, sight, taste, smell, touch, thoughts, and feelings

      - When preoccupied with trying to control thoughts, feelings, & senses, you lose consciousness of present

 - True meditation means aware of being aware

      - pull back to see the big picture

      - the whole room from the finite to the infinite

      - on a floating rock in space moving around a star in the vast universe

      - remain aware that you can create thoughts

      - The world becomes something you just watch pass by -- like a movie

 - Use meditation to train & re-center yourself

      - Be aware you’re sitting there & say hello

      - Don’t think or talk to yourself

      - Take note in consciousness of what's happening on the inside & outside

 - Create a habit of stopping to notice

     - before opening the door, picking up the phone-- act as points to center consciousness so that it’ll train to be consistent/persistent consciousness all the time

- Consciousness is a dynamic field of awareness, able to capture all or very little

     - You can concentrate on one finger or all thoughts and sensations, like capturing all details w/a single glance vs focus on one thing

This is one part in a series of episodes on "The Untethered Soul". 

Part 2 -- Free Yourself from the Voice Inside (& Reach Pure Awareness)

Your consciousness != the voice inside

- Voice inside constantly talks/ never shuts up

      - Just sit still & listen: you’ll hear it very quickly

      - Listen when you shower or any free time

- Think of it as your inner roommate

      - Start by watching as if someone was in there with you

      - Externalize that voice as another person

      - view it objectively w/o letting emotions interfere

      - It’s not you talking (b/c you’re the one listening)

      - Thus, you can’t silence thoughts you don’t like

      - Make them your best friend instead

      - If they’re a real person, wouldn’t they be so annoying?

      - Notice how often they’re wrong yet has so much control over your life

      - You often have to convince it & listen to it or else you'll have on edge, doubtful, & anxious

      - Why do you let them control your life? Why do you care so much about what they say?

- The voice inside your head is like backseat driving

      - Gives a sense of control & security over the external world that’s out of your control

      - Tries to protect you from the unknown

- When that inner voice stops talking, you can take in details (& sensations) of everything all at once w/a single glance

       - vs looking while the voice in your head pointing things out

      - When you feel that all the time, you'll be truly independent from the inner roommate

- Reclaim your life to live it how you want it, not driven by this voice

      - By no longer identifying with this voice -- recognize that’s it’s not you

- You != thoughts, only aware; You != emotions, only feel; You !=your body, only experience through it

This is the start of a new series of episodes on "The Untethered Soul". 

Part 0 -- Prologue - TUS captures philosophical & religious ideas

- Don’t expect it to solve all your problems (not a self-help book)

     - Can’t change immediately; it’s the work of a lifetime

     - Apply concepts in life & discover/learn for yourself

- Series = notes simplified based on my understanding/interpretation

- Ea. episode is made up of 1) Concepts & 2) How To (if applicable)

     - General outline of content available in each episode's description

- Don’t need to master these concepts right now, just work towards them

     - If you live accordingly, you’ll live happily