Dysfunctional Steps to Recovery

-hate the problem

-hate yourself for creating the problem

-blame the world for creating you

-accept fundamental defeat 

-let go of the ego

-welcome the world's indifference

-suffer

   -suffer again

-ask yourself what you've learned

try not to lie in return

-become reborn

-wish yourself luck

hope to love the next problem 

-start again

Author's Note

love it or lose it

Reviews

[Janna Nicole]

I love the format of this piece. This list has so much truth in it and it's VERY relatable.

"-welcome the world's indifference
-suffer
-suffer again
-ask yourself what you've learned
-try not to lie in return"
Those are my favorite lines. 🖤

This is the first poem from you that I've read but I will definitely check out some of your other work. If any of it is as interesting as this, I can't wait. 😊

[KWP]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unfettered_Mind

.... what's doin?

[Davidgeo]

Hey liz... What's goin' on lady? It's been a while.

[KWP]

Been a while is right ... how are yo doing?

I sunk into a dill reality, but off India soon so that should inspire I guess.

You facing a big cold in recent weeks your side ... harsh

[Davidgeo]

Cold is understated. It has not been pleasant. But I've been pretty well otherwise, just enjoying the good old fashioned american mid life crisis over here.

What's going on in India?

[KWP]

Good old fashion mid-life crisis eh? I believe that is why I have just picked up the practise of meditation again - relatable ....

India - quick trip to Haryana (friends) up to Rishikesh, to Dharamshala down to Ludhiana for a modern day very over the top Punjabi wedding, then to Amritsar to visit the Golden Temple / 'langar' with the people - back to Delhi then home - very quick, just over two weeks - but it is creating a temporary partition in the mundane ...

[Davidgeo]

Yeah, I know what you mean about the mundane. Life becomes repetitive by default for pretty much everyone it seems. It's a common trait of the human experience I believe. I'm convinced most people on social media pretending to live over the top lives are going through the same things, just coping with it in different ways. Everyone is somewhat crazy I'm pretty sure though. I think being able to participate in the shared reality of human civilization requires a certain amount of mental illness... a certain amount of suspension of disbelief.

[KWP]

I would totally agree with that ... I recently had a friend go and die on me ... I didn't even know ... Never got to say goodbye ... that was a real kick to wake up, and yet here we are still in the mundane ...

[Davidgeo]

I'm trying to embrace the mundane lately. It's reality, I should learn to become better friends with it. Indifferent or not to me, we will always be there for each other at the end of the day somehow.

[KWP]

a good book is The Unfettered Mind - written in the martial arts theme by a Japanese Monk - we clutter or minds to easily we attached to quickly ... this year - I am not buying into the drama - which in a sense puts me in line with laying down with mundane ...

[KWP]

1.The mind must always be in the state of ‘flowing,’ for when it stops anywhere that means the flow is interrupted and it is this interruption that is injurious to the well-being of the mind .

2.In the case of the swordsman, it means death. When the swordsman stands against his opponent, he is not to think of the opponent, nor of himself, nor of his enemy’s sword movements. He just stands there with his sword which, forgetful of all technique, is ready only to follow the dictates of the subconscious. The man has effaced himself as the wielder of the sword. When he strikes, it is not the man but the sword in the hand of the man’s subconscious that strikes .

3.Make it a secret principle in either seeing or hearing not to detain the mind in one place .

4.The Right Mind is the mind that does not remain in one place. It is the mind that stretches throughout the entire body and self. The Confused Mind is the mind that, thinking something over, congeals in one place .

5.When facing a single tree, if you look at a single one of its red leaves, you will not see all the others. When the eye is not set on one leaf, and you face the tree with nothing at all in mind, any number of leaves are visible to the eye without limit. But if a single leaf holds the eye, it will be as if the remaining leaves were not there .

6.Not stopping the mind is object and essence. Put nowhere, it will be everywhere. Even in moving the mind outside the body, if it is sent in one direction, it will be lacking in nine others. If the mind is not restricted to just one direction, it will be in all ten .

7.If the mind congeals in one place and remains with one thing, it is like frozen water and is unable to be used freely: ice that can wash neither hands nor feet. When the mind is melted and is used like water, extending throughout the body, it can be sent wherever one wants to send it .

8.When this No-Mind has been well-developed, the mind does not stop with one thing nor does it lack any one thing. It is like water overflowing and exists within itself. It appears appropriately when facing a time of need .

9.The mind that becomes fixed and stops in one place does not function freely. Similarly, the wheels of a cart go around because they are not rigidly in place. If they were to stick tight, they would not go around. The mind is also something that does not function if it becomes attached to a single situation .

[living lavender]

a very relatable checklist indeed.
{wash. rinse. repeat.}

[Davidgeo]

I hope eventually I become too old to care before I am too old to live.

[living lavender]

beautifully said. i second your statement.
{i will drink to this. *cheers*}

[Masked writer]

Wow, this is so true, so beautiful in a twisted way... I love and hate it
100% respect
~M.W

[Davidgeo]

It's a cold world out there if you don't love your "problems". It's not always dysfunctional, but I see more of it lately. People suck at coping more and more lately. To be fair, I can't usually blame them. Something is wrong with modern western culture.

[Masked writer]

Well..It thy problems are ones we can love are they truely problems at all? I agree people seem to be more and more incapable of coping, they think to take the easy way out (selfharming, vaping, etc)..though your right, i suppose we cant blame these younger generations as some are just as lousy when coping..

[Davidgeo]

Some problems are permanent because nobodies perfect, when you accept that they are there to stay, you can learn to love what you are instead of what you want to be. The trend of pretending that everything is perfect feels nice, but in the long run will lead to extreme disillusionment and regret during late middle age and beyond.

[Masked writer]

Indeed, full agreenment on that.

[Davidgeo]

Or everyone's wrong and it's all going down... I would care more but I'll be dead before it happens. I'm not sure if that's why I smoke so much grass or I think that because I smoke too much grass.

[Masked writer]

Quite the contradictory if i say so myself..

[Davidgeo]

To the contrary, at least I don't drink alcohol at all. That s**t is legitimate poison.

[Masked writer]

Tis indeed poison for those who fail to controal themselves..though i know a few who have a drink here and there on special occasions...and i know many who've drank day in and day out... tis a drug and a real poison to the body and the mind.

[Davidgeo]

The sun is our only fuel.

[Masked writer]

well put, though the moon is a mistooken light turned to a watered down fuel, that can still burn a fire

[Davidgeo]

99% of all mass in our solar system belongs to the sun. Planets are just accidents, satellites are akin to abortion survivors.

[Masked writer]

zhow intriguing

[Janna Nicole]

"Some problems are permanent because nobodies perfect, when you accept that they are there to stay, you can learn to love what you are instead of what you want to be. The trend of pretending that everything is perfect feels nice, but in the long run will lead to extreme disillusionment and regret during late middle age and beyond."

This is an amazing comment. It encourages introspection and being honest with yourself.

I do agree, some problems are permanent, but not all of them. That's part of the challenge of being truly introspective, figuring out with ones are actually permanent and which ones you have the power/will to change...
"you can learn to love what you are instead of what you want to be."
We all should learn to love who/what we are. But first, that requires TRUE introspection and insight.
However, I don't think it hurts to think of what you want to be. Once you identify your issues and figure out what your strengths and weaknesses are, you can decide to work towards whatever goal or desire you may have in mind. Just make sure that what you want is something positive and
People should never stop working on themselves, educating themselves, and overall growing as a person.