We are what we think.
All that we are arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts we make our world.
                                                                                                                           
Words from the Buddha


Everything that happens to you, every situation, challenge and problem, every person you meet along your unique path in life provides you with the opportunity to learn everything you need to know in order to naturally develop into your authentic and higher Self, filled with infinite love, creativity, happiness and peace.


During a lifetime of subjective experiences, learned behaviors and conditioned responses, each and every human being has developed a very unique personality with a very distinct way of looking at themselves, other people and life in general. Ultimately it is those views or realizations which have created the world, the reality we live in. Many of the realizations we hold within are negative, destructive, self-limiting and irrational, but since they are the result of our emotional, mental, spiritual and intellectual response to experience they are deeply engrained in our personality structure.


It is a very difficult task to become aware of our subconscious programming and change the patterns which lie at the foundation of the person we have be-come, yet it is this active awareness which lies at the root of effective personal transformation.
Welcome to the School of realize2actualize, a brand new, extremely practical and empowering philosophy of life and living, dedicated to the study of how we create our own reality.
More than just an abstract system of thought, r2a is a whole new way of thinking, here to guide you in the active awarenesss of how to actualize yourself based upon the realization of the person you want to be-come.
The effect of our conditioned up-bringing on our inner beingness.

When we came into this world we were all basically very innocent, fully open to the world and blessed with a great amount of unconditional happiness and love, both of which we were able to fully express and share with others. Our innate sense of wonder propelled us in the direction of natural learning and  be-coming.


This was our authentic higher Self, a state of pure beingness, oneness and active awareness.


As we 'grew' older  external pressure replaced internal activity and interest. Learning for example, a very natural and essential element of what it means to be alive became a routine, something one had to do in order to make the grade or to pass a test; it no longer stemmed from our innate interest, ceased to be something one wanted to do, but instead became a function on had to fulfill. Most all of our natural human endowments went through the process of external conditioning.

Since we are required to live up to and are measured against a great number of external rules and guidelines we began looking for what we need or want in the world outside of ourselves. An overemphasize of external goals and rewards, on achievement, producing, consuming, competing and performing, all of which are essential elements of our marketing society instills within us the dangerous and misleading idea that life is not only about the pursuit of happiness and meaning, but also the accumulation of more and more things and possessions. As a result of that, many of us develop very early in life an identity that is based upon what we have, what gives our lives meaning like certain beliefs, values, viewpoints and opinions, a life style, prestige, social status, level of education, material possessions or outward appearance.

From that moment on we basically remain unchanged, do not question anymore our views and opinions since we are busy defending that which we stand for. It is then that our primary focus about personal change has developed: We seek to change that which we do not want or like in our lives such as our jobs, earn more money, gain a higher degree of external success, find friends who are less annoying and make us feel better about ourselves, and live in a more stimulating and positive environment where we have the freedom to live our lives the way we want to. In other words, our main focus in to seek change in the external.




What we fail to see is that happiness, meaning and love are not to be found in the external world, but rather are capacities to be developed from within ourselves so that they can become part of our general attitude towards ourselves,  other people and life in general. They are a result of inner activity and productivity
The transformational process of conscious rEvolution from within.
Each and every human being possesses an unlimited, and yet to be discovered array of natural human endowments, among them our capacity for love, happiness, reason, our unique human potential, as well as a variety of human virtues such as patience, kindness, compassion, empathy and humility. The problem is that most of us are not aware of those powers within ourselves because the circumstances of our lives have never called them forth.






In order to uncover our authentic Self, filled with infinte bliss, love, creativty and happiness
we need to actively work on the following:




*  Explore our inner world of thoughts and emotions, and to develop an understanding of the underlying dynamics which are at work within ourselves.


*  Replace old, destructive and illogical thought systems with a more realistic, empowering and positive ways of looking at ourselves and the world in general.


During this process of conscious transformation from within we will discover and utilize
a new and powerful sense of personal freedom:



More than the freedom from restraints, pressure, stress, inequality and obligation,

                                                                         more than the capacity to exercise choice or free will,

                 this is the freedom to develop our potentialities and faculties to the highest degree possible,

                                                                                       the freedom to think for ourselves, and

          to be-come a fully functioning, emotionally secure, balanced, healthy, unique, creative,

                                     happy, interested, reasonable, loving, caring, assertive,  understanding and alive human "being".


This is the kind of inner freedom which cannot be granted or taken away, but needs to be generated from within.
Human nature is not a machine to be built to do exactly the work prescribed for it,
but a tree which requires to grow and develop itself on all sides,
according to the inward forces which make it a living thing.”


John Stewart Mill
How to become aware of, respond to and develop upon those inwards forces
is the main objective of our studies together.
The 3 A’s of living enlightenment
Awareness


To live with active awareness will enable us to see things as they are, enable ourselves to perceive the truth. Important here is to not only be aware of our own needs and wants, experiences, thoughts and feelings, but it is rather important to look beyond the Self and to recognize that which is going on around us, recognize the world outside realistically and objectively. To extend our sense of awareness well beyond the Self, beyond the Ego will allow us to get in touch with a wonderful new world of new ideas, concepts, values and beliefs. Once we are able to open ourselves up more to that which is real and true beyond 'what-we-know'  are we able to get in touch with the unique human essence which lies within each and every human being. Practicing awareness will allow us to see ourselves more fully, enable us to recognize our true feelings, thoughts and behaviors more clearly, while at the same time learning to become more aware of others and who they really are. It is this kind of awareness which can allow us to live in accordance to that which is real and true within ourselves as well as in the world surrounding us.




Acceptance 


Only if we develop to a point where we unconditionally accept that which ultimately cannot be changed, regardless if we agree with it, like it or approve of can we begin to see and understand that which is true and real beyond our own subjective level of awareness. In terms of our relationships with others, active acceptance will enable us to see another person for who they really are. By practicing active acceptance we overcome our need to manipulate, change or control the other people and fully allow them to be who they choose to be. This is not about our approval of them, which is based on the ego since we compare the other person to ourselves and how we want them or need them to be, but rather it is about relating ourselves to them on the basis of who they really are. Once we practice active inner acceptance we come to find that the impression, projections, expectation, judgments and evaluations of other people are less about us, and more about them. Once we have gained this realization on a conscious level we can learn to take the actions, behaviors and comments of other people less personal, and it is then possible for us to get passed any negative feelings which only undermine our ability to have positive relationships with others.






Appreciation


Simple appreciation is such a rare quality that I think it is time to realize for ourselves how important it is to give thanks. As most of us are complaining about this or that, the boss or spouse yelling at them, or the guy who cut them off on the highway we have forgotten that there is no way to happiness, but that only genuine and active inner happiness is the way. Only by practicing unconditional appreciation will we be able to fully embrace ourselves, others and life in general more fully. Just like awareness and acceptance, appreciation is unconditional since it springs from our active personality orientation and attitude towards ourselves, others and the world in general.
LOVE YOURSELF AND BE AWAKE. TODAY, TOMORROW, ALWAYS.

FIRST ESTABLISH YOURSELF IN THE WAY, THEN TEACH OTHERS, AND SO DEFEAT SORROW.

YOU ARE YOUR ONLY MASTER. WHO ELSE? SUBDUE YOURSELF AND DISCOVER YOUR MASTER. 
                                               
                                                                                     
adapted from the Dhammapada
The root of all suffering: Attachment

The root of all argument, suffering, conflict and injustice in this word can be found in our attachment to things, to ego, the need to be “right”, attachment to certain ideologies, beliefs, traditions and values, posessions and material things. Being attached to those things which give our life a sense of security and meaning we have the 'natural' need to defend that with which we identify with, be it material (such as property and money) or immaterial (such as beliefs and values). Ultimately it is this attachment which keeps us from effectively changing ourselves.
The source of all healing: Let be and let go(d)

Once we let go of our need to hold on to our attachments, the need to get our way, the need to judge, to defend our views, values and beliefs, once we let go of our expectations, impressions and evaluations of others are able to open ourselves up fully to the greatness and wonders of life.  Instead of holding on to the very same destructive and dysfunctional patterns of thinking, feeling and re-acting we can learn to let go of our preoccupation with Self, our personal worries, concerns, frustrations, our anxiety, boredom, and depression. It is then that we can make the active effort to face ourselves, other people and life more fully, realistically and objectively.


The future of Y-Our world lies within Y-Our hands, and the future is NOW. 
               
To gain the awareness contained in realize2actualize on very personal and practical level you can chose from a variety of customized programs and services such as virtual and physical community building, study groups, workshops, seminars, classes, and consultations.

To participate in my free virtual study group please download
www.paltalk.com and find us under the category
'Learning and Universities' and 'Study Groups' in "A room for conscious rEvolution".

You can learn more about the purpose of the conscious rEvolution, and the knowledge contained in realize2actualize if you view my growing library of
free introductory video presentations.


If you appreciate the work I am doing, and if at all possible I would appreciate a small donation.
For a soon to be posted course outline, a library of related websites, study material and schedule of upcoming events please join my yahoo group
Christoph Peter Ebert
Practicing Philosopher
Teacher of Learning
(415) 374-3275
Services

Let me leave you for now with a few inspiring words by the German Humanist Erich Fromm:
Among the goals of living are the overcoming of greed, hate, illusions, fears, possessiveness, destructiveness, dishonesty, alienation, indifference, lack of authenticity, and to achieve independence, the capacity for critical thought, for giving, for loving.

Mans development requires his capacity to transcend the narrow prison of his ego, his greed, his selfishness, his separation from his fellow man, and hence, his basic loneliness.

This transcendence is the condition for him being fully open and related to the world;
to enjoy all of that is alive, to pour out his faculties into the world around him to be interested;
     in brief to be rather than to have.