Ben Greenfield reflects on the idea—attributed to Michael Singer—that every encounter and experience (victories, struggles, small interactions, mistakes) contributes to personal growth if one adopts a mindful philosophy. He argues that treating events as purposeful (no coincidence) helps transform failures into lessons; he recommends practices like dream journaling and present-moment awareness to notice ongoing personal renewal and increase resilience.
Let's talk about encounters. I believe it was Michael Singer who wrote the Untethered Soul and the Surrender Experiment. Two very good books, by the way, that I first came across the idea from him that everything you do, every person you meet, every encounter, every victory, every struggle you experience ultimately makes you a better person. Now, this is particularly true if you are living your life with the philosophy. The failures and mistakes are fantastic lessons that bring you that that much closer to significant learning and success. Paired with the philosophy that everything happens for a reason and there's no such thing as chance, coincidence. In other words, God has the entire story of your life already written and planned out for you. Every month, every week, every day, every hour, every minute, every second was preplanned, meant to be, and has a specific purpose. So that argument with your lover or your spouse, you can walk away as a better person. A failed business. Well, you've grown. A flunked test, you've learned. A brief exchange with the barist at the coffee shop. You've realized something about yourself and how you interact with others. A wrong turn and 10 minutes lost driving around. You've perhaps discovered something new about your environment. A repetitive or even a troubling dream.
You wake up, you write it down, you ponder what it means. Now, incidentally, I've been using and enjoying something called a Wander Dream Journal for this. So in the same way that the cell lining of your skin and your gut and your liver is constantly dying and renewing every second of every day, you become a new person. Putting off the old you and bringing in the transformed you, you just have to be present and mindful of to recognize how each experience is changing you. Right. For example, I'm sitting in the hot tub, the bubbles go on, and everything goes wild while I'm shooting a video for you. It changes me, makes me resilient to stress, able to move on the fly, able to flow with my environment. So you also be present and mindful enough to recognize how each experience is changing you. If you are, your daily transformation will be remarkable and your resilience will increase by leaps and bounds. Savor every encounter and find the meaning in it.
It.
The Solution to Aging Might Be Closer Than Anyone Realizes - With Ben Goertzel
