LIFE ON URTH - Episode 116

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It’s my last week in Rosenheim, where I lived for almost three years. The coming days will be filled with goodbyes and lots of packing. I know that it’s going to be exhausting; nevertheless, I am excited about it. Not just about being done with it and arriving in Berlin, even the tasks themselves vibrate harmoniously in my mind.

This shows us that 1) exertion isn’t only bad because 2) how we feel depends on our interpretation.

My excitement comes from the interpretative stance I take towards the days ahead. At the core, it is something like “challenges are opportunities to practice heroism“. It acknowledges that part of the experience will be unpleasant, while still appreciating it as a whole.

The one thing we can all agree on might be that well-being depends on our interpretation of the world. But there is an important detail that needs to be taken seriously: Not all interpretations are the same.

There are better and worse interpretations—not just according to taste, but according to the effects they have on lives. We may not be able to measure goodness like matter (yet), but we can still approach it scientifically: observe what an interpretation does to experience, test alternatives, and keep what brings more truth, beauty, and gratitude into the world. In fact, that is our greatest quest and responsibility as adults.

All of this might sound intimidating, so let me clarify something: It’s easy.

Easy, not in the sense that it won’t require effort and time. Easy because the central mechanic necessary to make progress in this project is surprisingly simple:

P A Y
A T T E N T I O N

You can’t change your interpretations if you don’t even notice when you’re interpreting (spoiler: all the time). If you don’t train your attention, it will automatically default to whatever interpretations life has taught you so far—and you know where that has gotten you.

The good news: with practice, your mind can become less distracted, and pain will be only a reminder for awareness, to observe consciousness clearly as a whole. Then the shackles of outdated beliefs will melt away in the bright light of your attention.

There’s another important piece of knowledge implied by the idea that attention is our most important tool.

It’s a truth that can be understood, but will only unfold its full power when it’s been acted out and experienced firsthand. And powerful it is! It’s the kind of knowledge that separates the real avant-garde from those trying to keep up by imitating their moves.

How can it have this strong effect? Because it sits at a fundamental level of our interpretive structure. It influences all other, more superficial interpretations, which in turn prompt our behaviour and emotional landscape in each moment.

Before I reveal the central building block I’ve been talking about, let this picture give you a moment to pause. Empty your mind, and bring your full attention to this text.

When you’re ready, let what you read next reach the very bottom of your soul and wreak havoc there.

Here is the secret:

There is no experience life can throw at you that your consciousness isn’t strong enough to hold.

Sure, life still hurts. Actually, it’s devastating: People you love will suffer and die, then you will suffer and die. The universe has a nasty right hook, and there is no escaping it.

But through all the tragedy, there is this eternal truth to always stand on:
The contents of consciousness, however catastrophic, cannot endanger consciousness itself.

Understanding this deeply basically grants invincibility. But only reading it isn’t enough, which leads us right back to the imperative of training your attention. To embody this truth means bringing your full attention to each moment, no matter how painful it becomes.

It means becoming the hero of your world. Here’s the only catch:
Practice is the only way.
Doing it is the only way.

Isn’t that an interesting paradox? The only way to learn a stance is to take that stance. The only way to practice heroism is to act out your heroic beliefs, no matter how unattended they’ve been. The only way to develop faith in your heroic competence is to pretend that you’re already a believer.

Act heroically to become a hero.

You need to prove it to yourself: There is no experience life can throw at you that your consciousness isn’t strong enough to hold.

Here are seven ways you can approach this project right now. Pick one that’s resonating with you and apply it to your day:

Use pain as a reminder. The next time discomfort appears, don’t immediately solve, explain or escape it. Just let it remind you to pay attention.
Name the interpretation. Make it a habit to check in with the story you tell yourself. Then ask what kind of world that interpretation creates.
Practice opposite action. When you notice an outdated emotional pattern, check what it urges you to do. Take a step in the opposite direction.
Collect corrective data. Choose a prediction your mind treats as fact and test it against reality by bringing clear attention to a challenging situation.
Enter the unknown voluntarily. Approach one conversation, task or feeling you have been avoiding—before life forces you to.
Audit your attention. At the end of the day, ask: What received the best of my attention today, and what kind of person is that training me to become?
Cast one vote for the hero. Do one small thing today that your future self could use as evidence of who you are becoming.

Let me know which one you will test and how ✍️

Best,
Adrian

✒️ Quote of the Week: “Enlightenment is: absolute cooperation with the inevitable.” -Anthony De Mello

🎧 Song of the Week: SILSAN | Fusion Festival 2024 | Extravaganza

Now I’d love to hear from you!

Did something in my writing catch your attention?
Was there an idea you found particularly intriguing?
Or is there a question that’s been on your mind related to these topics?

Just reply to this email or write to me at mail@urth.blog 👈

All the best,

Adrian / Urth

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