You struggle because you want to

Summary

The video explores the concept that life's struggles are largely self-inflicted and can be stopped instantly. Drawing on the wisdom of mystics like Meister Eckhart and philosophers such as Seneca, the speaker argues that suffering stems from our attachment to external things and our desire to avoid misfortune. By accepting and even desiring what happens to us, we can transform suffering into strength. The video emphasizes the importance of living in the present and viewing challenges as opportunities for growth, ultimately advocating for a mindset shift towards surrender and acceptance.

Takeaways

• 😌 The script suggests that much of the struggle in life is self-inflicted and can be overcome by changing our perspective.
• 📚 It introduces Meister Eckhart, a German mystic, as a source of wisdom on reconciling Christian belief with transcendental metaphysics and the human intellect.
• 🧘 Meister Eckhart likens the human intellect to God's, implying we have the potential to become like God through the application of our innate abilities.
• 🌱 The concept of virtue is discussed, emphasizing that we are born for virtue but must actively acquire it, as stated by Seneca.
• 💔 All suffering, according to the script, stems from our attachment to external things and our resistance to loss.
• 🤔 It challenges the common misunderstanding that acceptance or 'surrender' is a sign of weakness, instead framing it as a strength.
• 🌐 The script draws parallels between various philosophical, religious, and spiritual traditions, highlighting the universality of the idea of accepting what is beyond our control.
• 🕊️ It advocates for the acceptance of all events as if they were desired, aligning our will with the divine will or the natural order of things.
• 🛡️ The idea of fighting against inevitable aspects of life, such as death or loss, is presented as futile and counterproductive.
• 🌈 The script encourages seeing opportunities for growth and learning in every situation, turning perceived negatives into positives.
• 🔑 It concludes by emphasizing the importance of living in the present moment and the transformative power of acceptance and surrender in achieving happiness and peace.

Q & A

What is the main message the video aims to convey about life's struggles?

The main message is that much of life's struggles are self-afflicted and can be stopped by understanding and applying the concept of surrendering to what is, rather than fighting against it.

Who is Meister Eckhart, and how does he contribute to the video's argument?

Meister Eckhart is a German mystic and theologian known for his attempts to reconcile Christian belief with neoplatonism. He contributes by offering insights on how the human intellect can lead to suffering or salvation, emphasizing the idea of accepting what is given by God or fate.

What does the video suggest about the nature of external events and our reactions to them?

The video suggests that external events are neutral, and it is our reactions to them—our attachment to them and our attempts to control them—that cause suffering.

What is the significance of the quote 'I step on to my Misfortune and as a result I stand taller' in the context of the video?

This quote signifies the idea that by accepting and learning from misfortune, one can grow stronger and more resilient, turning a negative situation into a positive one.

How does the video relate the concept of surrendering to an act of strength rather than weakness?

The video argues that surrendering to what is happening in our lives, rather than fighting against it, is an act of strength because it allows us to live in the present and adapt to circumstances that cannot be controlled.

What does the video suggest about the relationship between our desires and our suffering?

The video suggests that our suffering is often a result of our desires for things to be different from what they are, and that by accepting and desiring what is actually happening, we can alleviate our suffering.

What is the role of the present moment in the video's philosophy?

The present moment is central to the video's philosophy, as it is the only time we truly live. By surrendering to the present, we can find opportunities for growth and happiness, rather than constantly seeking relief in an ever-elusive future.

How does the video address the misconceptions about surrendering?

The video clarifies that surrendering is not a sign of weakness but rather a powerful act that allows us to accept reality, adapt to it, and find peace and opportunities within it.

What is the connection between the teachings of Seneca and the video's message?

Seneca's teachings, as referenced in the video, emphasize accepting everything as if we had desired it, which aligns with the video's message of surrendering to and wanting what is happening in our lives.

What does the video propose as a solution to the constant battle of life's desires and aversions?

The video proposes that by understanding and applying the concept of surrendering—accepting and wanting what is happening to us—we can stop the constant battle of life's desires and aversions and find peace.

Why does the video mention various religious and philosophical traditions?

The video mentions various traditions to illustrate that the core ideas of surrendering and accepting reality are universal and timeless, found across different cultures and belief systems.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 The Concept of Self-Afflicted Struggles

This paragraph introduces the idea that life's constant battles and struggles are largely self-inflicted. The speaker aims to convince the audience that these struggles can be stopped instantly through a shift in perspective. The concept may seem radical but is fundamentally simple, hindered only by a fundamental misunderstanding of the concept. The speaker plans to use insights from various figures, including Meister Eckhart, to elucidate this idea.

05:01

🧠 The Wisdom of Meister Eckhart and Seneca

This paragraph delves into the teachings of Meister Eckhart, a German mystic and theologian, who emphasizes the importance of the human intellect. Eckhart compares human intellect to God's intellect, suggesting that by embracing this gift, humans can achieve a higher state of being. The speaker also references Seneca, highlighting the universal nature of wisdom across different philosophical and religious traditions. Both Eckhart and Seneca teach that suffering arises from attachment to external things, and by accepting everything as willed by a higher power, one can find peace.

10:01

🌊 Embracing Life's Challenges with Acceptance

This paragraph discusses the futility of fighting against inevitable challenges such as death, disease, and financial loss. Using metaphors like a 40ft wave at the beach, the speaker explains that resisting such forces only leads to more suffering. By accepting and even embracing these challenges, one can find a way to live well. The speaker quotes Epictetus, who suggests that understanding and accepting death is crucial to living a good life. The concept of surrendering to life's circumstances is presented as a strength rather than a weakness.

15:01

🛠 Turning Misfortunes into Opportunities

In this paragraph, the speaker encourages viewing misfortunes as opportunities for growth. They discuss how people often magnify their problems, leading to unnecessary suffering. By learning to accept and even love the challenges life throws at us, one can draw valuable lessons and advantages from them. The idea is to stand taller on misfortunes rather than being crushed by them. The speaker emphasizes flexibility and adaptability, suggesting that true strength lies in bending to life's will and finding peace in the present moment.

🔍 Living in the Present and Finding Happiness

This paragraph focuses on the importance of living in the present and accepting life as it is. The speaker argues that constant fighting and battling against situations prevents one from inhabiting the present. By surrendering to and wanting what is currently happening, one can start living fully. The speaker uses examples like waiting in line at the DMV to illustrate how acceptance can transform even mundane situations into opportunities for growth and happiness. The overarching message is that living in the moment and wanting what life brings is key to true happiness and understanding universal truths.

📅 Upcoming Live Stream and Future Plans

The speaker concludes with an announcement about an upcoming live stream where they plan to interact with viewers, answer questions, and share future plans. They express excitement about the journey and growth of their audience, inviting viewers to join the live stream for further discussion and community building. The live stream is scheduled for Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Central Time, with more details to be announced in a community post.

Keywords

💡Struggle

Struggle refers to the ongoing efforts and conflicts individuals face in trying to attain desired outcomes or avoid undesired situations. In the video, it is depicted as a self-inflicted condition that people can overcome by changing their perspective on what they face in life.

💡Self-afflicted

Self-afflicted means caused by oneself, particularly in the context of suffering or problems. The video emphasizes that much of the struggle and suffering people experience is self-created, suggesting that recognizing and changing this mindset can bring immediate relief.

💡Meister Eckhart

Meister Eckhart was a German theologian, philosopher, and mystic. His teachings are used in the video to illustrate how understanding the nature of human intellect and aligning it with divine will can help alleviate suffering. Eckhart's insights into suffering and intellect are central to the video's message about overcoming life's struggles.

💡Acceptance

Acceptance is the act of embracing situations as they are, without resistance. The video advocates for accepting life events, whether perceived as good or bad, as a way to reduce suffering and find peace. This concept is linked to the teachings of Eckhart and other philosophical traditions mentioned.

💡Intellect

Intellect refers to the faculty of reasoning and understanding objectively. In the video, Eckhart's view of the human intellect as a reflection of God's intellect is discussed, suggesting that properly using one's intellect can lead to a better understanding of life and reduce suffering.

💡External vs. Internal

External refers to outside influences and possessions, while internal refers to one's inner state and responses. The video argues that loving and depending on externals leads to suffering, while focusing on internals brings peace and resilience. This distinction is crucial in the teachings of Eckhart and Seneca.

💡Surrender

Surrender in this context means accepting and embracing life's events without resistance. The video redefines surrender as an act of strength, suggesting that it allows individuals to live fully in the present and find opportunities for growth within challenging situations.

💡Seneca

Seneca was a Roman Stoic philosopher. His ideas about accepting and even desiring what happens, because it is willed by a higher power, are used in the video to support the concept of embracing life's events. His teachings highlight the importance of aligning one's will with the natural course of events.

💡Universal and Timeless Ideas

These refer to concepts and teachings that are applicable across different cultures, religions, and eras. The video claims that the wisdom of accepting and embracing life’s events is a universal and timeless idea found in many philosophical and religious traditions, reinforcing its validity and importance.

💡Present Moment

The present moment is the current point in time, emphasizing the importance of living in the here and now. The video stresses that true living happens in the present moment and that battling against situations prevents individuals from fully experiencing life as it unfolds.

Highlights

The video aims to convince viewers that life's struggles are largely self-afflicted and can be overcome by changing one's perspective.

The concept of overcoming struggle is presented as both radical and simple, suggesting a fundamental misunderstanding prevents its application.

Meister Eckhart, a German mystic, is introduced as a key figure who reconciled Christian belief with neoplatonism.

Eckhart's insights on the human intellect and its potential to alleviate suffering are discussed.

Seneca's philosophy is referenced, emphasizing the acceptance of all events as if they were desired.

The idea that suffering arises from our attachment to external things and our resistance to change is explored.

Ancient wisdom from various philosophies and religions converges on the concept of accepting what is out of our control.

The transcript discusses the futility of fighting against inevitable aspects of life, such as death and disease.

The transcript suggests that understanding and acceptance of life's challenges can lead to a more fulfilling existence.

Surrendering to life's circumstances is presented as an act of strength rather than weakness.

The transcript encourages viewers to find opportunities for growth within every disadvantage.

The importance of living in the present moment and the futility of constantly seeking future relief is highlighted.

The transcript argues that by accepting and wanting our current situation, we can find peace and happiness.

An invitation to a live stream for further discussion and announcements about future plans is extended.

The live stream is scheduled for Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Central Time, with the possibility of further announcements.

The transcript concludes by emphasizing the universal and timeless nature of the discussed concepts.

Transcripts

to most of us life seems like a constant

battle a constant struggle to either

attain something that we desire or to

fend off things to get away from things

that we do not desire that we want to

avoid in life but by the end of this

video I want to hopefully have convinced

you that all this struggling all this

fighting all this

battling and all this push and pull that

we feel of things that we want and

things that we want to avoid

is really largely if not completely self

Afflicted and can be stopped within a

moment and I know this is a concept that

seems really

radical but in essence and that's

another thing I hope to show you is that

it's also extremely simple and that the

only thing that keeps people and that

most people come in contact with it

throughout their lives but what keeps

them from seeing it understanding it

belie leaving it and applying it is a

very simple but fundamental

misunderstanding of the entire

concept and to convince you of this fact

I'm going

to get some help from multiple people

one of them

being Meister ekart or Master

eart he was a uh

German um well here I I'll read you more

commonly known as m akart was born near

gotha in Eastern Germany in around 1260

he had an illustrious career in the

Dominican order holding senior

ecclesiastical and teaching posts all

over Europe including sexy Bohemia Paris

Strasburg and cologne eart is one of the

great speculative Mystics of Western

Europe who sought to reconcile

traditional Christian belief with the

transcendental metaphysics of neop

neoplatonism so he was very much a big

Christian figure a SC a scholar a

preacher

and he has very

interesting ideas and

insights about the human intellect and

how we suffer through it and how we're

how we can also be saved by it and he

Likens the human intellect to God's

intellect who is the intellect of

intellect and how we become can become

like God if only we apply this god-given

gift this potential that we have it's

like senaka says we are born for virtue

but we are not born with virtue we need

to acquire it

ourselves and master eart is just um

like we said he's a

Mystic so like most other Mystics both

in the Christian as well in the Muslim

tradition uh they're very poetic they're

very eloquent and they're very

emotional and get to the point in that

way rather than a purely academic or

Scholastic way you could

say and right on page 59 of this penguin

edition of some of his

work he

says now I say further that all

suffering comes from our love for what

Misfortune takes from us if the loss of

external things causes me pain then this

is a clear sign that I love external

things and thus in truth love suffering

and despair is it surprising then that I

suffer since I love and seek suffering

and

despair and that's really the heart of

the matter and just like I've called in

the help of master echart master eart

calls in the help of another friend of

ours

Sena he says Sena a pagan Master asks

what is the best consolation in

suffering and distress and gives this

answer it is this that we should accept

everything as if we had desired it and

prayed for it for you would have desired

it if you had known that all things

happen from with and in the will of God

another Pagan Master says Lord Supreme

father Master of the highest Heavens I

am ready for all that you will give me

the will to will what you

will and here we have

it and this is what all helenistic

philosophy what the Ancients talk about

what Christianity talks about what Islam

talks about what Buddhism talks about

what the bakat Gita talks about and many

other philosophers schools of thought

religions and philosophies whoever they

are if they are in

search in an

open-minded and objective

way of

meaning then they all come to the same

conclusions and you see someone like

master eart who lived in the 13th

century referencing Sena who in his own

words was a pagan Someone who lived

before

Christianity yet he finds the same

thought and he believes in the same

thought and what is this

thought we often

say in our other videos which are much

more based on people like senica than

than Christians such as master

eart

that when we do not act indifferently to

indifferent

things when we love externals

when we depend on externals and not on

internals when we try to control what by

Nature cannot be

controlled that's when we find distress

anxiety fear anger and everything else

that we commonly experience in our daily

lives that we want to get away from but

again what does senica

say he says if you knew that God willed

it you would have willed it too

everything that fortune throws at you

what we tend to do is when externals

such as say a job loss say a fire in

your house say someone gets sick say

your dog runs away it doesn't matter

what it

is when these things happen to us we

immediately label them as either good or

bad and when we do label them as bad we

think we're in a bad way and that we

need to now fight against these things

that we need to fight to preserve

something or fight to keep something

away but that is the same

thing in

essence as trying to stand up to

something to fight something that by its

nature is

invincible and not possible to fight not

possible to

overcome think of it in physical terms

if you were at a

beach and the water's nice and calm but

all of a sudden you see a 40ft wave come

toward

you you would not try to fight that wave

you would try to get out of its way if

anything you would not stand up against

it you would not try to win over it you

would not try to defeat

it yet when it comes to things like

death disease or even smaller things

such as Financial loss Financial ruin

even even if you will any of our

possessions being damaged or destroyed

we think we can prevent that by fighting

against it we think we can win over

that and especially with things like

death we think well if we never think

about it if we act like it doesn't

exist then that's us fighting against it

maybe that way we can win over it but no

as as epitus says

to learn how to live is to learn how to

die

meaning we should not try to forget

about death we should not try to ignore

it we should not try to not think about

it and act like it doesn't exist quite

the opposite we should study it if we

would study how to die we would

essentially study how to live because to

study how to die well is to study how to

live well

and look at all those people who do not

surrender and when I say surrender I

know there are lot of connotations

attached to that and this is exactly the

misunderstanding I was speaking of when

we say that we should

surrender we always have this idea of it

being an act of weakness and not an act

of strength at all but quite the

opposite I want to convince you that

surrendering that to will what God Wills

what Fortune Wills what happens to us to

want what is happening to us instead of

trying to fight it is surrendering and

it's an act of strength not an act of

weakness rather look at it this way all

those people that we sometimes hear

about who end their lives because

because something they've experienced

terrible Financial

loss or their loved ones left them even

sometimes if it's a short relationship

they say how can I go on living even

though they don't realize they've been

living quite well up to that point

before they met that person and when

they're in their lives we say we wish

you could have adapted we say we wish

you could have realized that this is not

that big of a deal that you could have

learned to live and that you would have

come back from

this and that nothing that can happen to

you is as big as you make it out to be

this fight this trouble this battle you

make it out to

be and we say I wish I could have been

there to show you that but I didn't know

I wasn't there sometimes we hear of

these people

right so that if

anything is weakness but to say no I

will overcome this I will learn to want

what is happening to me and I will learn

to live with it I will learn to even

like it and to draw Advantage from it

because we talked about earlier in every

disadvantage there's an advantage and in

every Advantage there's a disadvantage

but again when we Face these so-called

bad things negative things in our

lives if we learn to not only accept

it but to love it to see it as something

that is happening to us

and that we should not just wish to be

over and done with it but that we can

draw an experience from it a lesson from

it an advantage from it and to become

better through

it what what better thing is there I

forget who said this now but the the

quote goes something like

this I step on to my Misfortune and as a

result I stand taller and that's that's

exactly what it is life throws us all

kinds of things we are the ones that

label them as good or bad but what if we

labeled even the so-called bad things as

good things because we've learned how to

turn them into our

advantage what if we could become better

through all the so-called good things

and also through all the so-called bad

things wouldn't life be not only

infinitely be worth more living but

also would it not be a much better

life even though we're so-called

surrendering to these things even though

we're so-called submitting to

them if you try to fight something as

big as a depression an econ economical

downturn and your financial

loss or if you try to find fight disease

illness death in yourself or in

others you will lose that

battle and you will break

yourself but if you are more bending

more flexible if you adapt to the will

of

Fortune if you will to will what God

Wills what life Wills what the universe

Wills the word does the word God doesn't

matter you can replace it with the

universe or or life or whatever you

want but if you learn learn how to do

this your suffering will stop

immediately and everything will become

easier and another thing is realize that

every time you're battling something

every time you're fighting

something you wish to be out of that

situation as quickly as possible a

battle a fight a struggle is not

something we want to be in so we always

look for the future for release for

relief but not only will that future

never come because with that mentality

there was always there will always be a

battle battle there will always be a

fight there will always something

so-called negative and bad happening in

your

life and another fact is that we only

inhabit the Pres the present the the

future is not here

yet and the past is

gone so it's just a simple fact that

we're only Moment by moment living in

those very moments

and anyone who battles or fights or is

in the middle of a war cannot inhabit

the present because they don't want to

be in the present they want to do what

they need to do get over their

struggle and live a happy life

afterwards

maybe but they never get

there and that's another thing that

surrendering allows you when you try

this in in every situation from now on

that you think is a bad situation that

you think is a a negative situation try

this just accept the situation as what

it needs to be in fact want what is

happening to you

currently if you start doing that you

will look around for opportunities to

advance yourself instead of for

opportunities to exit

it this could be as simple as going to

the DMV and and having to wait in line

for hours it's a perfect example even

though it's very small of

course when we wait in a line like that

we just want to get do what we're there

to do get it over with as quickly as

possible and we're agitated the whole

time

through we never stop to think and look

around but if you accept the situation

if you say the line is what it is it's

bigger than I am if I fight something

that is bigger than I am I will lose

but ironically it seems if I surrender

to what is bigger than I am to what is

stronger than I am then I win because I

start inhabiting the only place in life

that I could possibly inhabit and that's

the present that's the

now so when I Surrender when I accept

the

situation when I even want the situation

to occur exactly as it is occurring

right this instant

then all of a sudden I inhabit the

present I inhabit the room that I am

that I'm in I look around I see things I

see opportunities maybe I can relieve

someone else's stress maybe I can put a

smile on my face and and make someone

else realize this is not that big of a

deal that we waste Moment by

moment the only moment that we

have look around for opportunities want

what you're going through because if you

start want wanting what you're going

through you start living and as long as

you're fighting

battling and hating your current

situation the current place you're

in then you're not

living and if you never start living you

will nevertheless die without ever

having

lived all right so these are just couple

of things I would like you to think

about it's one of the biggest keys to

happiness and it's also one of the

biggest keys to

understanding every thought every school

of thought that has ever existed in

including religions philosophies

everyone who is after in terms of again

a school of thought or religion everyone

who is after the truth in an objective

and open-minded

Way Comes to these ideas and that's why

we call them Universal and

Timeless and we find them everywhere

so I I would recommend you to read read

Master eart if you sort of want to dive

into that if you're a Christian

certainly you should but even if you're

not maybe you want to see how these

Timeless and Universal ideas regardless

of religion regardless of school of

thought regardless of who the person is

if they are that kind of person who is

looking for meaning in life nevertheless

comes to the same ideas it's very

interesting all right and then I also

have a little bit of an announcement for

those who are still watching at the end

of this

video um I thought it'd be maybe fun to

do a live

stream um answer some questions just

just have a chat

live and um in that live stream I think

I'm also going to have an announcement

or two for you about the the future

of the work we want to do here of the

work that we can do here

possibly and that um some maybe bigger

things are

coming and uh it also just give me an

opportunity to or us an opportunity to

reflect together of the sort of Journey

we've been on right um a lot of people

have joined I'm sort of I'm a little bit

amazed at at how many there are now in

terms of

subscribers and so we'll just have a

little chat have a couple announcements

answer a couple of questions and just

have a good time I'm

thinking I'll still announce this in a

in a community post but I'm

thinking

Sunday at uh 11: a.m. Central

Time might be a good time to do

it but I'll still announce it look out

for that

and I hope we'll have a good time and

I'll I'll see you then