12 Favorite Problems

2022-10-05 Update

Theme: kinder to myself

1. How can I balance the drive for self-improvement and helping others against unskillful clinging to desired conditions and outcomes?
• How can I embody independence, peace, and freedom?
2. How can I share with others what I perceive may be of benefit and encourage uptake, without being a snake oil salesperson (or having the fear of being perceived as one, stop me from sharing?)
• How can I use joy and play to motivate myself?
3. How can I share more of myself with my family without the anxiety or fear of causing them suffering and worry?
4. How can I balance interactions with the wider world versus cultivating inner qualities that lead to freedom?
• How can I understand my kilesas (difficult emotions) so I can release myself from them?
5. How can I worry less about not being a perfectly enlightened being equipped to talk about spirituality, and embrace that I'm a flawed human being instead?
• How can I reach people who are receptive to/seeking spiritual discussions?
• How can I best provide spiritual care for all?
6. How can I be wise about how I spend my effort in helping others to optimize impact?
• How can I honor my own needs to introspect?
7. How can I shorten the distance between having an idea and sharing it? (Includes: better writing and storytelling skills, cultivating an audience, etc.)
• How can I be more effective in how I distribute my content?
• How can I create systems of content distribution that deliver helpful information at the right time?
8. How can I do a better job looking after myself financially so that I will not be a burden to others when I am old and/or sick?
• How can I not let fears around financial security limit my creativity and ability to positively impact the world?
9. How can I optimize my mental and physical health/energy on a day-to-day basis to reach my goals?
• How can I listen to my body and mind better?
10. What can I do to leave a lasting positive impact on the world, after I die?
• How can I truly internalize that I’m ok as I am, that I’m already successful?
11. How can I assess if I am even asking the right/appropriate questions to address a problem and adjust accordingly?
12. How can I remind myself to reflect upon these problems instead of being distracted by the problem/fire of the day? 🙂

2022-03-02 Update:

Updating with Write of Passage Cohort 8 - some refinement by identifying the core issues of concern, progress

1. How can I balance the drive for self-improvement and helping others against unskillful clinging to desired conditions and outcomes?
2. How can I share with others what I perceive may be of benefit and encourage uptake, without being a snake oil salesperson (or having the fear of being perceived as one, stop me from sharing?)
• No longer concerned about this—new question: How can I use joy and play to motivate myself?
3. How can I share more of myself with my family without the anxiety or fear of causing them suffering and worry?
4. How can I balance interactions with the wider world versus cultivating inner qualities that lead to freedom?
5. How can I worry less about not being a perfectly enlightened being equipped to talk about spirituality, and embrace that I'm a flawed human being instead?
• No longer concerned about this—new question: How can I reach people who are receptive to/seeking spiritual discussions?
6. How can I be wise about how I spend my effort in helping others to optimize impact?
7. How can I shorten the distance between having an idea and sharing it? (Includes: better writing and storytelling skills, cultivating an audience, etc.)
• How can I be more effective in how I distribute my content?
8. How can I do a better job looking after myself financially so that I will not be a burden to others when I am old and/or sick?
• How can I not let fears around financial security limit my creativity and ability to positively impact the world?
9. How can I optimize my mental and physical health/energy on a day-to-day basis to reach my goals?
10. What can I do to leave a lasting positive impact on the world, after I die?
• How can I truly internalize that I’m ok as I am, that I’m already successful?
11. How can I assess if I am even asking the right/appropriate questions to address a problem and adjust accordingly?
12. How can I remind myself to reflect upon these problems instead of being distracted by the problem/fire of the day? 🙂

2021-11-28 Update:

I am shifting my energies from “wondering if I’m doing the right thing/equipped to do the thing” to “how to keep doing the thing!”

• How can I balance the drive for self-improvement and helping others against unskillful attachment and clinging to desired conditions and outcomes?
• How can I share with others what I perceive may be of benefit and encourage uptake, without being a snake oil salesperson (or having the fear of being perceived as one, stop me from sharing?)
• No longer concerned about this—new question: How can I use play to motivate myself?
• How can I share more of myself with my family without the anxiety or fear of causing them suffering and worry?
• How can I balance interactions with the wider world versus cultivating inner qualities that lead to freedom?
• How can I worry less about not being a perfectly enlightened being equipped to talk about spirituality, and embrace that I'm a flawed human being instead?
• No longer concerned about this—new question: How can I reach people who are receptive to/seeking spiritual discussions?
• How can I be wise about how I spend my effort in helping others to optimize impact?
• How can I shorten the distance between having an idea and sharing it? (Includes: better writing and storytelling skills, cultivating an audience, etc.)
• How can I do a better job looking after myself financially so that I will not be a burden to others when I am old and/or sick?
• How can I optimize my mental and physical health/energy on a day-to-day basis to reach my goals?
• What can I do to leave a lasting positive impact on the world, after I die?
• How can I assess if I am even asking the right/appropriate questions to address a problem and adjust accordingly?
• How can I remind myself to reflect upon these problems instead of being distracted by the problem/fire of the day? 🙂

Original:

1. How can I balance the drive for self-improvement and helping others against unskillful attachment and clinging to desired conditions and outcomes?
2. How can I share with others what I perceive may be of benefit and encourage uptake, without being a snake oil salesperson (or having the fear of being perceived as one, stop me from sharing?)
3. How can I share more of myself with my family without the anxiety or fear of causing them suffering and worry?
4. How can I balance interactions with the wider world versus cultivating inner qualities that lead to freedom?
5. How can I worry less about not being a perfectly enlightened being equipped to talk about spirituality, and embrace that I'm a flawed human being instead?
6. How can I be wise about how I spend my effort in helping others to optimize impact?
7. How can I shorten the distance between having an idea and sharing it? (Includes: better writing and storytelling skills, cultivating an audience, etc.)
8. How can I do a better job looking after myself financially so that I will not be a burden to others when I am old and/or sick?
9. How can I optimize my mental and physical health/energy on a day-to-day basis to reach my goals?
10. What can I do to leave a lasting positive impact on the world, after I die?
11. How can I assess if I am even asking the right/appropriate questions to address a problem and adjust accordingly?
12. How can I remind myself to reflect upon these problems instead of being distracted by the problem/fire of the day? 🙂