"And what is it but fragments of your own self you would discard that you may become free?" —Kahlil Gibran

We typically make freedom an external job:

• I'll be free when I have XXXXXX amount of money in my bank account.
• I'll be free when I travel.
• I'll be free when I leave my 9-5.

In truth, every situation contains both freedom and non-freedom. Light and darkness.

There are advantages and disadvantages to every situation, so our opportunity is to choose our freedom in any moment by shifting our perspective.

This episode features @motionbalance as he chimes in with questions & comments.

Look forward to your thoughts on this one!

Most logic is actually not logical —it comes from fear and limitation.

In today's episode, I overview illogical decision making.

I discuss:

• why illogical decision making is actually critical for human happiness
• why logic is usually emotional, and
• how to access illogical thinking

This one is counterintuitive! I look forward to your comments on this one.

The holidays are a time of joy, but they are also a time of being thoroughly triggered by our family members.

In this video, I discuss four simple strategies that have transformed my relationship with my own family.

I look forward to hearing how this supports you this holiday season!

Love,

Aurora

Buying and giving is... so emotional. Entangled in it are hopes, fears, excitement, and worries.Given the context of the upcoming holidays and Black Friday, I wanted to discuss the emotional context of consumerism and how we can go about our consumption in a more "enlightened" way.I discuss four "methodologies" for grappling with this concept of consumerism: minimalism, essentialism, Marie Kondo, and —my own term— enlightened consumerism."Enlightened consumerism" is my current (aspirational!) practice. I do this by asking myself questions like:- Is this item expanding my essence (my me-ness)?- Is this expanding my ability to create? (or others' ability to create)- Am I increasing my light and the light of others through this item? Conversely, to prevent buying from negativity, I ask myself:- Am I buying to fill a void?- Am I buying out of fear, guilt, or shame?- Am I buying because I have been told to do so?I look forward to your thoughts on this one!Love, Aurora

"The question is not whether or not to take action, but how to take action from a sense of wholeness."

In this episode, I discuss how to take action while staying in the flow, in the context of the Daoist concept of Wu Wei.

I point out that the Universe itself is an agent of change, therefore action itself is not misaligned with the Dao.

However, we often take actions from a place of fear, lack, or scarcity, which creates distortions in the flow of the Dao. This "turbulence" creates negative repercussions that affect us later on.

So the work is not actually in taking action, but taking action from an inner sense of wholeness and worthiness, clearing our fear, and allowing the correct actions to arise from us through the Universe's intentions for itself.

I look forward to your thoughts on this.

Love,

Aurora

Wu Wei differs from "leverage" in that it takes into consideration Universal flow.

In this week's episode, I discuss the Daoist concept of Wu Wei, which translates to least effort. In this episode I clarify what this means for us accomplishing our goals with ease.

I point out that Wu Wei is not about not working hard, but rather about directing our hard work based on the context of the "Universe weather."

I make the metaphor of the "Universe weather" being like the currents in the ocean, our intuition being our compass & weather vane, and wu wei being the art of navigating to where we want to go while considering currents & weather patterns.

I look forward to your thoughts on this episode!

The opposite of negative thinking is not positive thinking —it's no thinking.

In this episode I share three potent techniques for transforming your internal state.

1. Eliminate scattered thoughts with 3 questions
2. One fact to clear any negative thought
3. Removing thoughts en mass through one technique

This is what I have found to *actually* work, rather than positive thinking, affirmations, gratitude lists, or meditation.

I'm very excited to hear how this affects you.

Love,

Aurora

When I experienced severe depression, in 2015, I soon realized that therapy wasn't really going to work for me. So what was I supposed to do?

What followed was about four years of looking for answers, from hiking 2000 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail, to pursuing a music career, to having mystical experiences (both with and without psychedelics).

In the end, I got way happier. Here are ten things I learned along the way.

Love,

Aurora