👁 Top Insights #123 - Instant Shadow Work, Challenging Scarcity & The Mystery of Religion
Using shadow work to learn from everyone, an opportunity to transcend scarcity, & questioning our understanding of religion.
“Top Insights” is a monthly newsletter that shares mind-expanding podcasts, transformational frameworks, and insightful links that help you go beyond conventional development.
Happy August.
May the end of your summer be full of aliveness, abundance, & adventure.
Instant Shadow Work 💨👤
Until we understand shadow projection we think our problems with the world are external. (For those new to it here is an intro)
Initially, people struggle with the concept of the shadow.
I remember telling a friend about it and asking him what triggered him.
He said he couldn't stand bullies.
So I asked him in what ways do you bully people?
He couldn't see a single way in which he acted like a bully.
I could.
This makes total sense considering our shadows are parts of ourselves that we can’t see.
However, with practice, we can learn to see more of these hidden aspects.
There are many ways to do shadow work but the simplest way is to look at any interaction (especially those that are triggering) and ask what does this experience say about me?
Asking this question is the easy part.
Sitting with the feelings that arise when you realize everything that triggers you is in some way a reflection of yourself is the hard part.
The deeper and the darker the shadow the more uncomfortable it will be to integrate.
Initially, we’ll only recognize our shadows after considerate reflection however as this way of seeing becomes more accessible our speed of recognition will increase.
This means as soon as someone triggers us we can see that person as a part of ourselves.
I call this instant shadow work.
In this way, we learn from every interaction particularly those that are the most challenging.
Through this process, we can develop compassion for ourselves and others, ameliorate blame, and become increasingly responsive.
With all that said, a prerequisite for shadow work is strong boundaries otherwise we risk falling into idiot compassion - a pseudo-compassion that is permissive of bad behavior.
Challenging Scarcity 👊💸
A common stance people hold towards giving back is that they have to be in a position of immense wealth to do so.
In that assumption, there is also the belief that the only or best way to give back is financially.
Of course, there are a million ways to help and give back that don’t require one to have millions in the bank.
A strange paradox is that middle-income earners often give a higher percentage of their income to charity compared to the very wealthy.
The giving percentage tends to decrease as income increases, though this is not a universal rule.
Our ability and willingness to give back are not based on income but on the frequency at which we operate.
If we function from a place of scarcity and lack we will never have enough to give to others.
I know this place and it’s an easy one to get stuck in.
Moving out of it requires us to act in a way that is antithetical to the belief that we don’t have enough.
If you feel like you don’t have enough money, donate even if it’s only five dollars.
If you feel like you don’t have enough time, help somebody even if it’s only for five minutes.
And if you don’t know who or how to help here is a suggestion.
Kabir Kadre is a spiritual friend and an ally in addressing the meta-crisis, who 17 years ago was in a devasting accident that left him paralyzed.
His life requires the ongoing help of several caregivers which costs a hefty fee.
If you can help support Kabir by donating at this link it would mean the world to me.
It’s not only a way to help a beautiful soul but also a way to challenge the scarcity mentality.
And if you can’t give back financially simply sharing this link on social media goes a long way.
May you recognize a wealth that is priceless.
The Mystery of Religion 🛐❓
For most of my life, I thought religion was a bunch of nonsense.
Jordan Peterson changed that. (Yeah yeah I get it hating on JP is cool now but that’s still my guy)
I found his biblical lectures illuminating as they revealed an unseen depth and complexity to religion.
Reading his book “Maps of Meaning” further opened my mind.
Since then I’ve become increasingly fascinated with religion and the role that it plays in our world.
Religious scholars struggle to define it.
The average person thinks they understand it.
Some see it as an outdated operating system that we can transcend while others see it as what is most fundamental to being a human.
The liminal web has been buzzing around stories of conversion making us think again do we really understand this phenomenon?
What makes a scientific-minded rationalist start praying and going to church?
Is it merely their need for comfort and certainty in an insecure world?
Or is it instead a letting go and an opening to the unknown?
I plan to spend the rest of the year diving deeper into religion and look forward to having more conversations about this topic on my podcast.
If you're open to learning more about religion you can start with this podcast that I did with Religious scholar Jonas Atlas.
P.S. Jonas’s definition of religion is one of the more interesting and expansive ones that I’ve heard.
Elevating Consciousness Podcast 🎙
In case you missed it here is the podcast episode I released this past month.
The Leading Edge of Curiosity with Tom Morgan - Tom Morgan is a former financier and founder of The Leading Edge, a media platform and transformational community dedicated to sharing world-changing ideas and facilitating life-changing experiences. An Oxford graduate with a Masters in Philosophy, Politics, and economics, he has spent 20 years navigating the finance industry, working at top firms like Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, and most recently Sapient Capital. After becoming disenchanted with finance he had an awakening experience that caused him to quit his job and explore paths of meaning leading to a challenging yet transformative multi-year existential crisis. Eventually, he was able to piece together his life, integrating finance with the pursuit of meaning & wisdom. Today he describes himself as a “curiosity sherpa” and spends his life seeking out the most interesting thinkers and ideas to share with the world. In this episode, we speak about Tom’s journey from working in finance to exploring wisdom, navigating an existential crisis, integrating left and right brain functioning, shadow work, how to connect to your curiosity, bridging money & meaning, and creating a network of transformational communities.
Insightful Links 🔗
From Naive to Authentic Progress - This conversation between Daniel Schmachtenberger & Nate Hagens is the best podcast I’ve seen all month. It explores the ideas in the Development in Progress paper released by the Consilience Project this month. The complexity and clarity of Daniel’s thinking continue to blow my mind. (Thanks for the recommendation Kabir)
Dharma Talk on Mahamudra - I love finding new teachers that elucidate the meditation tradition of Mahamudra. This short dharma talk from Lama Ole Nydahl is crystal clear & inspiring.
The God Paradox - An insightful Afterskool animated video exploring religious scholar Karen Armstrong’s ideas.
Quintessential Quote ✍️
"The fragrance always remains in the hand that gives the rose." - Hada Bejar
Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this read click the “Subscribe now” button below to subscribe. If you're already a subscriber click the “Share Insighter” button to share with a friend or the “Leave a comment” button to share some thoughts.