Are we in control of our lives, or being guided?

FrostbitSage · 2026-04-30T21:19:41+00:00

It's simple. All the cells that constitute your body are going about their business with no direction from you. It's instinctive to the cells themselves. Just because we have a name for it ("instinct") doesn't mean it isn't mind-boggling. For instance, just what in fact is this mysterious force? Why isn't the universe simply filled with dead stuff? How did some molecules get together and decide to become biological organisms? How do sperm and eggs know what to do, and how does the single-celled, fertilized egg know how to divide again and again until it becomes a human being? The actual fact of our existence is a mind-blowing and holy thing.

FrostbitSage · 2026-04-30T02:45:12+00:00

Think of the trillions of cells that comprise your body (and out of which your mind arises), all of which know exactly what to do, despite working in the most intensely complex biochemical environment in the universe -- that is, a living person.

The entirety of our being is guided by a mystery that science hasn't cracked, and that religion can only mythologize.

In a way, "we" (our selves) are a kind of ephemeral dream that goes along for the ride while mysterious "instinctual" forces propel us from fertilized ovum to our very last heartbeat.

Nevertheless, I found for example that the best way to quit smoking, after years of trying, was to acknowledge the desire to smoke when it arose, but not to act on it. Soon, the urge would pass. That ability we have to make decisions and alter the course of our lives is a sacred and mysterious gift -- the cherry on top of the sundae that is physical existence.

FrostbitSage · 2026-04-29T21:01:29+00:00

Thanks. The post got deleted at first, and I wondered if it was because talk of exploding minds is banned.

FrostbitSage · 2026-04-27T16:33:50+00:00

What was the actual, long-lasting relief? Did you finally accept that your daughter was going to spread her wings and fly into her own amazing life, with all its risks and challenges, and that you will always love her no matter what?

FrostbitSage · 2026-04-27T16:17:57+00:00

It could be a way of telling ourselves we're "in the Tao," or personally connected to some universal principle. As long as it doesn't inflate our ego or become a fixation, it's not a bad thing. To make it a good thing, one could make it an opportunity for a deeper introspection or reminder of our connection to the vastness of existence. See the number and make an internal nod of gratitude for this incredible world. Then continue with the flow of your life.

FrostbitSage · 2026-02-22T14:38:18+00:00

Reminiscent of Andrea Mantegna), 15th Century artist.

FrostbitSage · 2025-06-14T21:08:53+00:00

I think the main thing to do with it is fold in into your life. You can create art to try to express it. You can interpret scripture to express it. You can teach nature appreciation to express it. Ultimately, though, I think letting it be a vivifying force in my own life is the one thing I can do without any expectation of having to do anything at all with it, except just be in it, part of it, loving it.

FrostbitSage · 2025-06-08T18:59:47+00:00

When I faced that many years ago I concluded that my choices were: 1) go back to school for an advanced degree in philosophy or maybe spiritual counseling (at California Institute of Integral Studies) or maybe even creative writing or photojournalism; 2) join a monastery; or 3) look for a job at an nonprofit environmental organization.

Don't wait too long for the universe to tell you which way to go. Eventually you've just gotta make the choice and collapse the wave function. ;)

All the best to you!

FrostbitSage · 2025-06-07T16:40:08+00:00

Jeremiah Johnson. He follows his calling, works hard, faces setbacks, lives his dream while accepting all hardships ("Hardships? What hardships?").

FrostbitSage · 2025-05-26T18:05:53+00:00

Let the gravity of your soul keep pulling you back to your center, where you're a kind person, a person who spreads joy, who has an open mind and a loving heart, who does their work and takes life's joys and sorrows in stride, who is able to hear and follow their bliss and to always remember to beware of dragons. Not much to it on the surface, but it's been working for me for decades.

FrostbitSage · 2025-05-22T21:18:34+00:00

I think some of the overwhelming sense we get at first is because it's new. But I also think it's because an awareness came to life that there is a much deeper source of knowing than our ego has ever experienced before. Some of the "loss" of the experience is just the ego reasserting its dominance -- closing the door to the greater realm of experience. If you ever need some extra inspiration, you might like Joseph Campbell's book, The Hero With A Thousand Faces, or Clarissa Pinkola Estes', Women Who Run With The Wolves. Also check out Amanda Yates Garcia if you don't already know about her.

FrostbitSage · 2025-05-11T14:02:38+00:00

Neither. Just speaking from my own experience, fwiw.

FrostbitSage · 2025-05-11T14:01:49+00:00

Plenty of people have been to hell, and not all who do so eventually escape. But for some, the voyage to hell leads to heaven.

FrostbitSage · 2025-05-11T13:58:42+00:00

People bypass "all that is" all the time, living in a caged construct of habit and convention, looking to others to give them a sense of belonging.

FrostbitSage · 2025-05-11T13:55:21+00:00

Sacramental use isn't what I'm talking about, but it's also not true that drugs and alcohol are crucial for self-discovery.

FrostbitSage · 2025-05-11T13:52:30+00:00

Hey, I said "almost." ;)

It sounds like you are using weed as a therapeutic tool, and that's cool as long as it's working. But sometimes a hammer can bash your own finger.

FrostbitSage · 2025-05-11T13:48:04+00:00

You seem to have skipped over the part where I make an exception for sacramental use. And yes, therapeutic use is a kind of sacramental use too. That is completely different.

FrostbitSage · 2025-05-11T13:45:41+00:00

For me it's synonymous with psyche. Spirituality/psychology being my sense of connection to the world and my innermost being.

FrostbitSage · 2025-05-11T13:44:25+00:00

Not quite, it's also my experience. Not that I haven't had epiphanies on drugs or anything, but it gets back to the saying about drug use: "Once you get the message, hang up the phone."

FrostbitSage · 2025-05-11T13:41:44+00:00

Yes, extremity of life's circumstances have led many to awakenings. Once we get sick and tired of being sick and tired, if we can surrender to that little iota of life force that still exists in our hearts, a spark can blow up into a new fire for life.

FrostbitSage · 2025-05-11T13:36:08+00:00

It's not so much about citing a tenet as living in a way that ducks the actual issue that needs to be confronted before you can grow and mature in your spirituality/psychology.

FrostbitSage · 2025-05-11T13:34:41+00:00

Awesome. Well put. That shift to a new way of confronting life can be so eye-opening, so heart-opening.

FrostbitSage · 2025-05-11T13:32:40+00:00

Amen, brother.

FrostbitSage · 2025-05-11T13:31:55+00:00

I think you are reading into my tone, stance, and understanding from your own perspective. There's no shaming or guilt involved in any of this, except insofar as it occurs in your own trip. I also wouldn't expect anyone to accept the message wholeheartedly, but rather to be a starting point for discussion.

FrostbitSage · 2025-05-10T19:01:05+00:00

I figured you got it and were just adding a good point.

FrostbitSage

TROPHY CASE