Conversations with Avant-garde Sages - The Wizard LLC

Conversations with Avant-garde Sages
okay and some feelings are not okay. That's a really, really simple
way of talking about what human beings are basically doing on a
most basic level, they're trying to escape the not okay feelings, not
okay thoughts, not okay feelings, and reach okay someday. We're
trying to escape not okay and reach okay. But the real okay that
we're looking for is actually there even in the not okay.
WIZARD: So it's the non-accepting that becomes our suffering?
JEFF FOSTER: Exactly. I'm wondering even in a toddler who's
throwing a tantrum, I'm wondering in their experience if there's
some place within their experience where they're not feeling okay,
and it's like they're screaming for okay in a way. In a way we don't
really essentially change from when we're two years old to when
we're 90 years old, in some ways we're screaming to be okay.
Where in the beginning we're screaming for mother, or as we get
older we scream for the next drink, or the next cigarette;, we find
more complicated ways, more mature ways, and more civilized
ways. You have tantrums; we have more civilized tantrums as we
get older. But I think the basic mechanism is in place from a very
early age.
TRIP: I have a question. One of the nice things about having
radio shows is you get to ask your esteemed guests your own
personal questions. And they really are helpful, the answers. I'm
thinking a lot of people could probably benefit from your answer
to this, and I don't know if there is an answer. But one area that
I'm still I have to say suffering pretty heavily is this caretaking of
my children. Okay, my kids, particularly one of my kids, is
constantly resisting what the other caregivers of the children and I
would agree are habits and things that are absolutely necessary for
like their wellbeing. So, for example, the child resists eating
appropriate foods, getting enough rest, brushing her teeth, doing
even any of the ordinary things that you need to do in order to
have a life that's going to be okay. And that's what it feels like,
right. Everyone in the world is screaming at you, you've got to
make sure this kid is dressed properly, they've got enough food, or
whatever. I can't seem to stop suffering from, and I'm locked into
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