Andrew: I had done some AFT reading last night, and in the morning, especially rereading the “peasant mentality” articles and discussions.
I decided that now I was feeling good, I would go for a walk. For the purposes of setting the scene for the success later, I am living in a rich suburb which is very peaceful and situated next to the river. Feeling that “fresh feeling” that I am learning to look out for and sustain, I was enjoying a picturesque experience as the sun and breeze enhanced the freshness. I was looking at all the extremely expensive houses by the river, enjoying looking at them and gardens, and seeing the balconies I liked, and magnificent gum trees. After a while I started to critique a few houses I didn’t like. An internal dialogue of criticism. I noticed within 50 meters that the fresh feeling wasn’t there! It was so obvious what had happened. The “tracing back to when I last felt good” was only 50 meters behind me! Identifying what ‘I’ had done, and rememorating the fresh feeling, and it was back!
I am very pleased with this event. I don’t remember ever having so obviously and swiftly affectively noticed “feeling good” ceasing, and got back to feeling good simply be identifying when it ceased.
Now, obviously, being in an affluent suburb, by an peaceful river, in the lovely late afternoon sun with Perth’s famous “freo doctor” breeze on my face, was a big part of giving me this experience. However, it still was the method as advertised!
A win is a win, as they say. (link)
Hi Andrew,
This is a great example of the actualism method in practice, and I am pleased that you can appreciate your discovery as well. It’s a recipe for success to refrain from a habit of criticising anything and everything for no good reason other than it doesn’t please your trained/ conditioned eye – or anything else for that matter which has nothing to do with your life and well-being. There is a big difference between judging/ assessing a thing, a situation, and habitually dishing out criticism.
‘Vineeto’: “As a reminder – because it personally took me a long time to really ‘get’ it – actualism is not about not feeling, but about understanding and then letting go of all the aspects of ‘me’ who generates and maintains the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’ feelings and who prevents the felicitous/ innocuous feelings. This process will in time diminish the power of the instinctual passions to a point where stepping out of the ‘self’ altogether is the only sensible choice.” [Emphasis added]. (Actualism, Vineeto, AF List, No. 66b, 1.2.2005).
Andrew: This really helps me. To sort the “big ticket” items, from the normal “dollar store” stuff. Today, was a classic “big ticket” item for me, (catching myself after going off on an internal criticism, which is a very common theme, it was in the form of an imaginary lecture of sorts to some undefined audience). I know this, because I have felt good ever since.
There has been plenty of thoughts since then, and none have reduced the mood. (link)
I see you are finding some good advice to continue to feel good and put it to good use – rather than go mooching around in neutral.
You may also be interested in this text from ‘Vineeto’ – How to investigate feelings. (Actualism, Vineeto, Selected Writings, Investigate Feelings).
It includes part of the actualism method with illuminating tool tips.
Cheers Vineeto