Divorce, second breakup from a BPD person, meditation, tantra, yoga and ultra running. There are moments in ultra running and tantra that transcend everything, a glimpse of enlightenment and the simplicity of life that make you get through anything life throws at you.
Ask HN: What influenced your personal growth the most?
111–120 of 178 posts
Re: Ask HN: What influenced your personal growth the most?
#112Earlier quoted context omitted.
What types of books have you read that you've found helped the most with your critical faculties and such? This year I've finally got around to Infinite Jest. I don't know that I'm enjoying the book itself so much as I enjoy the mental exercise that I get from its reading, if any of that makes sense.
> What types of books have you read that you've found helped the most with your critical faculties and such? In this area, I feel I've learned the most from reading commentary in the New Yorker. For enjoyment, I've read: * Stories of Your Life and Others by Chiang * The Odyssey translated by Emily Wilson * What The F by Bergen * Blindsight by Watts
Have you read any of the other Odyssey translations? I'm very curious Wilson's translation. I read the Fagles, Latimore, and Fitzgerald translations in college and did a few weeks of translation myself in our Greek class (I went to one of those hippy-dippy "Great Books" schools).
I think I was in the minority, but I found the Fagles translation to be far and away the best. I definitely subscribe more to the school of poetic translation than literal translation, so I was intrigued by the Wilson translation. What were your thoughts?
Re: Ask HN: What influenced your personal growth the most?
#113 - self learning
- people that pushed me to do new stuffRe: Ask HN: What influenced your personal growth the most?
#114Epistemologically, the Internet:
As a kid in rural Florida, it was the 3G usb modem that allowed me to use the internet at home.
Hugely pivotal. I could browse Wikipedia, Hackaday, 4chan, etc when ever I wanted and I just started chugging.
Negative Socially: 2013, Getting wrongly charged of a crime, going to jail then having to fight it at 19. really altered my view on how just the world is. I was verifiably innocent and the ordeal was dragged out for six months. The terms of my bond made me lose thousands to drug tests and missed work, then the judge throws it out right before the trial. Still a little angry about it, but it really opened my mind to the idea of the social injustices the State can facilitate.
Positive Socially, careerwise: After that, being given the chance to run the local music store in my city. It was the Marching band and Orchestra sort. It really helped with social anxiety and learning to talk to people. Before that I would compulsively rehearse what I would say before I used the phone or approached someone. Dealing with people made me feel comfortable in my own skin.
Careerwise: At 22, I worked for one of the largest optical components and systems manufactures in the world assembling and testing lenses for the optics in one of Illuminas genomic DNA sequencers. Learned a lot about software, optics, manufacturing, Six sigma, Lean, corporate/ business stuff.
Career2.0: Starting a Startup. It's confounding, exhilarating, risky, and hard. The hardest thing I've done so far and I love every minute of it. I would shill it, but it doesn't face the public yet. I'm very proud.
It's been a journey, these are the moments I feel guided me to who I am.
Re: Ask HN: What influenced your personal growth the most?
#115An open mind.
I have many personal growth experiences, all of them candidates to be the most influential. Perhaps each was most influential at the time of the experience.
But there was one thing common to all of those experiences, having an open mind. With maybe a little discernment. One can say “No” and still maintain an open mind, if the “No” is more of a “not right now”.
Re: Ask HN: What influenced your personal growth the most?
#116Realize that what i least liked about me was me a part of me I was that person- it gave me the leeway to appreciate my humanity to put myself in your shoes
Re: Ask HN: What influenced your personal growth the most?
#117Freemasonry, which I'd describe as a sort of meta-framework for living a good, ethical and worthwhile life.
Freemasonry among many other aspects can serve as constant reminder to behave ethically and make the most of your life.
It also allows to get to know people from all walks of life and backgrounds that otherwise you probably wouldn't have met. Apart from being a great way to discover novel ideas and broaden your horizon this also helps with becoming more tolerant towards others who don't share your background or points of view.
Although the question implies just one thing I'd also mention having worked as a paramedic for some time.
Re: Ask HN: What influenced your personal growth the most?
#118Several years working freelance. Gave me the freedom to arrange my schedule to allow time for thought and introspection.
Amazing
Re: Ask HN: What influenced your personal growth the most?
#119Not 100% convinced about it, but I wanted to say: that I stopped smoking pot. Told myself well in advance that I'd quit 11 months in to my girlfriend's pregnancy (EDIT - obviously the residual effects are still there. I quit 8 months in to her pregnancy. This is what drugs do, kids.) Since then (now almost a year later) my ability to comprehend and concentrate on technical things has improved a lot. I've learn things…
Curious - did you stop 100% or do you still smoke occasionally?
Re: Ask HN: What influenced your personal growth the most?
#120What influenced my personal growth the most? Becoming aware that there is no need to be anything special.