Conversations with Avant-garde Sages - The Wizard LLC

Conversations with Avant-garde Sages
BENJAMIN SMYTHE: I can feel worn down by my beliefs that
the world should be different, which I think is very different than
saying I'm actually worn down by the resistance.
ROBERT SALTZMAN: John and I are giving each other the
thumbs up on that. That's it. I've got this little thing I like to say
to myself when I need a talking to [Laughing]. What I say is,
Robert, in this moment things are as they are, and cannot be any
different. And it's immediately soothing and calming.
BENJAMIN SMYTHE: Cool.
ROBERT SALTZMAN: And that's what you were just saying, yes.
BENJAMIN SMYTHE: I think so, yes. I know the difference
between the world and my mind, I guess, is a way to say it. I know
the difference between my beliefs about what's happening and
what's happening, and so any time there's a resistance or anger, or
frustration, I know that it's not actually out there, it's arising
because of something I'm thinking, because I have moments when
I'm not angry. So what's different, if it's the same room, or the
same parent, or the same partner, or the same social situation, the
same traffic jam? We all have amazing amounts of data for how
our thoughts or our beliefs are the thing that piss us off, not the
actual world, because we know many people who have situations
we can't fathom and they have a wonderful time with them. I
know that's the case, I know that if people sat down and thought
about it, they would realize very quickly, it's what I think that's
bothering me, not the world. And then seemingly in immediate
dangerous situations we respond actually very naturally, almost
without thought, if there's an actual hurricane, or tidal wave, or
flood, or robber, a mugger, whatever, we just get out of the way, or
run, or whatever we do. That happens almost without thought,
and then I tell a story about it, that's very, very painful. But I
notice it doesn't have to be, I don't have to tell a story about the
world to sit here, and I’m already here.
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