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Personal Growth

Again and again, growth begins when borrowed measures of worth fall away.

posts
108
first seen
2006
last seen
2026

what the thread reveals

machine-assisted · human-reviewed

Personal growth is a recurring theme across the archive, with posts like 113 Thoughts from the Buddha (2007) and A Code of Conduct for My Family (2007) showcasing Matthew Williamson's early interest in spiritual development and self-reflection. Over time, this theme evolves to include more introspective and emotionally vulnerable posts, such as A Love Letter to Me (2019), which suggests a deeper exploration of self-love and acceptance. The thread also touches on the importance of mindfulness and presence, as seen in A Moment Lost (2011) and A Monk's Journey (2011), highlighting Williamson's ongoing pursuit of personal growth and spiritual understanding.

the thread through time

oldest first

2007

  1. It's Just Good Karma I have been lazy of late and not writing posts. Mainly because I have been reading more than living, there is an issue in there somewhere. Reading more about Dz... Buddhist Philosophy · Enlightenment · Inner Peace Reflection 2m
  2. The Garden, the gardener and me. I followed the path along the twisting way. Grasses and moss grew up between the loose pebbles on the path, people do not use this path anymore and slowly natur... Inner Peace · Nature Reflection 3m
  3. Perspective and Context A friend of mine prays every morning, laying in bed, holding her rosary. Her eyes are closed as she slowly recites her rosary and lets go. She lets go of the he... Enlightenment · Spirituality Reflection 5m
  4. One of Life's Questions I keep hearing this question over and over, like a mantra that others are praying for me. Kind of starts to get laughable when you hear it in strange places fro... Reflection 3m
  5. Hidden Agenda We all have a hidden agenda. Whether we want to admit it or not we are trying to make our life in our own image. Sometimes we are honest and we tell people that... Inner Peace Reflection 2m
  6. Who am I? or Who is me? My eyes were closed yesterday for a couple of hundred miles. The car was zooming along the interstate headed home. The sun was shining and the lanes were clear,... Existential Crisis · Impermanence Reflection 2m
  7. Quiet Forgiving: Loving Kindness with Chenrezig I am terrible at remaining calm and staying in a forgiving state of mind. I too quickly allow myself to become upset and angry when people, especially those peo... Compassion · Family · Inner Peace Reflection 2m
  8. Getting Fit I am going to get in to shape again; mentally, physically and spiritually too. This is my plan: Step 1 : Sculpt my body. For some reason I let my body go as my ... Enlightenment · Inner Peace Reflection 2m
  9. Everything Changes I read somewhere that when asked to sum up the teachings of The Buddha in one sentence, the Dalai Lama said, "Everything Changes." Yesterday I let my employer k... Career Change Reflection 2m
  10. The Five Precepts of Reiki I am learning more about Reiki and preparing to take classes about this healing art. So far I am loving it and what it stands for. I will be blogging more about... Enlightenment · Inner Peace Reflection 1m
  11. The Essence of Buddha's Teaching I copied in whole this document from another site; http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/96jun/buddha2.html . I did so because all too often web pages that I enjoy a... Enlightenment · Inner Peace Reflection 5m
  12. Mother's Day and Compassion Spent yesterday with the family. Most of the day was just at home with my wife and children, it was nice and quiet. We watched a couple of sappy movies, which m... Compassion · Family Reflection 3m
  13. Dreaming Dreams Sometimes I am mindful of falling asleep, aware of the various stages as I slip into the other realms of consciousness. A few nights ago I was lying in bed, I h... Consciousness Reflection 4m
  14. Six Realms and the Six Paths of Rebirth I was at lunch a few days ago with a friend and we were talking about Buddhism. I was telling her about my understanding of the Six Realms as stated in the teac... Enlightenment · Human Connection Reflection 6m
  15. A Carification About A Consternation Some one I trust just reminded me that teaching prematurely is a trap. I told him as I have told you in the past; I am not a teacher. What I write here and pres... Enlightenment Reflection 1m
  16. What Will It Take? What will it take to make me listen? What will it take to make me see with out distortion? What will it take to make me understand, to make me care, to make me ... Compassion · Inner Peace Reflection 1m
  17. Martial Arts Super Show Spent an extra day trapped in Las Vegas, thank you US Air, but at least it was a nice night at the MGM Grand again. I was out there working for Century at the M... Martial Arts Reflection 1m
  18. Statement of Faith Why is it hard for many people to accept miracles in a religion other than their own? Very normal, logical and sane people accept that Jesus walked on water, ch... Buddhist Philosophy · Enlightenment · Human Connection Reflection 3m
  19. Reiki Level 1 This past Saturday I began my path to Reiki healer. I met with a Reiki master and after a few hours I asked for and received the attunement for Reiki I. Way too... Energy Healing · Enlightenment · Martial Arts Reflection 1m
  20. Observations on the Human Experience Just a few quick thoughts: 1. Most people are not comfortable with themselves . To a large degree I'm not comfortable with myself either. I am not happy with my... Inner Peace Reflection 3m
  21. Motivation and Reward What motivates you? I am at a point in my life where I should be striving for a better body, a longer more health-filled, prosperous life; and yet I go home at ... Reflection 3m
  22. What Would You Do With 150 Years I watched a very good presentation by Aubrey de Grey on TED. I am going to embedd the video below and then talk a little bit about these thoughts. So this is am... Spirituality Reflection 2m
  23. Because I Love You I feel amazing and elated after watching this: http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/144 This blew me away: http://universe.daylife.com/ And this is my new favorite ... Artificial Intelligence Reflection 1m
  24. I am Angulimala I was in church Sunday morning with my family and something dawned on me: I am Angulimala. Well, I don't really think I am a reincarnation of Angulimala , but I... Buddhist Philosophy · Enlightenment · Social Commentary Reflection 2m
  25. Kids, Compassion and Life I talk pretty big about compassion. I even try to live the talk, and I think I do a good job with almost every one I come across; but I fail with my family. Why... Childhood · Family Reflection 3m
  26. Dharma Talk So much is happening right now that I am writing this one to get it all out so that I can see it. First : I had a wonderful talk with Loppön Barbara Du Bois yes... Compassion · Enlightenment · Inner Peace Reflection 3m
  27. Thank You Mom I was watching people at lunch today, sitting alone in the corner at Taco Bueno , eating my bean burritos and thinking. There was a mom feeding her son a taco. ... Compassion · Family · Spirituality Reflection 3m
  28. People Change Have you ever lost a friend? 'Lost' might not be the right term, I mean you know where the person is spatially, just not where they are as your friend any more.... Compassion · Human Connection · Impermanence Reflection 1m
  29. White Tara comes to Oklahoma City Lama Dudjom Dorjee came back to Oklahoma City this past weekend for another Dharma Talk at Windsong Dojo . He mainly spoke about the Bardo , compassion and unde... Compassion · Enlightenment Reflection 2m
  30. Dreams May Tell Us For the last two nights I have had interesting dreams. Two nights ago: I was on the rocky beach of a fast moving, dark water river. The water was that lush, dee... Consciousness · Enlightenment Reflection 6m
  31. The 4 Reminders and Buddhist Books A while back I read some articles on the Four Reminders and they made a lot of sense to me. They are the a way to think about ourselves and our place in the uni... Buddhist Philosophy · Enlightenment Reflection 3m
  32. Healing This Reality This one may be too squishy and goody-goody for some of you. It might sound too 'out there' and too 'new age' for most of us stoic westerners, but it resonates ... Compassion · Consciousness · Inner Peace Reflection 2m
  33. Ideas That Drive Us I recently wrote that ideas can change us at the very core of who we are. I was on TED last night and I watched the below presentation by Dan Dennett which rein... Compassion · Enlightenment · Inner Peace Reflection 2m
  34. Turning Chinese This might be the most important posting you ever read on my blog; and it is only a link to another blog. Before I send you there I wanted to share my comments,... Human Connection Reflection 1m
  35. Reiki II This Sunday I will be giving Reiki treatments at an event here in Oklahoma City. I am excited and nervous about the whole situation; will the people line up to ... Energy Healing · Inner Peace Reflection 2m
  36. A Code of Conduct for My Family This is a list of thoughts, actions and ways. It is written to help you, and all of us to be kinder, more compassionate people. I believe that our job in this l... Compassion · Family Reflection 2m
  37. The Trial of Jyoti: Part 1 He sat there, watching the judge for what seemed like an eternity. He could feel the minutes slipping away, minutes that would never come back again. The defend... Enlightenment · Nature Reflection 5m
  38. Atalanta’s Quest, Part One For a timeless moment she stood there, swaying to and fro, dizzy, and disoriented. Her toes dug into warm sand and she could feel a gentle breeze upon her skin.... Reflection 5m
  39. 113 Thoughts from the Buddha 1. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection. 2. He is able who thinks he is able. 3. Believe nothing, no matter ... Enlightenment · Inner Peace Reflection 16m

2008

  1. The Free-fall The free-fall had always been her favorite part. It was a feeling of complete serenity, excited anticipation, and the sickeningly sweet touch of fear that she c... Artificial Intelligence · Social Commentary Reflection 20m
  2. It's Simple Really, Animals Are Not Food On January 3, 2007, the leader of the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, made a strong statement against eating me... Animal Welfare · Buddhist Philosophy · Spirituality Reflection 3m
  3. For Meleia I was dreaming about tomorrow Floating to the ground on a parachute of cellophane Trees in my face as I try to put my feet down Leonard Cohen singing in my head... Consciousness · Inner Peace Reflection 1m
  4. 312 Any Street Love was walking away again, chasing it wasn't an option this time. For maybe the first time since he could remember, he was worth more than this. He was worth ... Compassion · Spirituality Reflection 2m
  5. Atalanta's Quest, Part Two (This is part two in a three part story line. Atalanta's Quest Part One is here .) Atalanta stood alone on the beach, watching the ship sail from the shore, whe... Animal Welfare · Female Empowerment Reflection 5m
  6. What Makes Us Special? I was sitting in my office today and I wondered what it is that sets me apart from you or the rest of the planet. My name is 'Matthew Williamson', but how many ... Enlightenment · Human Connection Reflection 2m
  7. Amazing Talent Pat sent me a link , after watching it I decided to post it and share what I think is an amazing talent. I wish I could do that... it always makes me wonder whe... Reflection 1m
  8. Watch These... [caption id="attachment_181" align="alignleft" width="206" caption="Woman's Face On The Desert"] [/caption] I first found this clip on YouTube and I was blo... Artificial Intelligence · Enlightenment Reflection 1m
  9. Everyday Magic Technology Whoa, this is amazing. I will not give you my thoughts yet, but rather, I would like to read your comments. Cultural Exchange Reflection 1m
  10. The Dark Sea On my knees, in prayer position, I closed my eyes, and began to see... The crown of my head becomes sand, like a dry sand castle I crumble and my body falls awa... Enlightenment · Inner Peace · Spirituality Reflection 2m
  11. Dreamstate Dialogue Bubbles race up and past me as I fall deeper into the dark below. I should feel the water around me, crushing against me, but there is nothing - no wetness, no ... Consciousness · Existential Crisis · Inner Peace Reflection 4m

2009

  1. The Dyer Dozen Today I watched Dr. Wayne Dyer's PBS presentation called The Power of Intention with my family. My mother-in-law wrote down the "The Dyer Dozen" for reconnectin... Enlightenment · Inner Peace Reflection 5m
  2. Meditation is Important! Because we all need to do it, and most of us have never even tried. Begin your practice, learn who you are, learn who you are not. Learning to Meditate /::/ Sak... Reflection 1m
  3. Military Spending vs. Compassion I am not happy with our society and the values that it seems to promote. Everyday I read about new military efforts around the world, and of course, new 'terror... Compassion · Human Connection · Social Commentary Reflection 3m
  4. Just Imagine i watched this video and tears came to my eyes. i am crying. crying. our world is so screwed up. we dont have the money to teach arts in schools, because we nee... Human Connection · Social Commentary Reflection 1m
  5. The Prince, a Monk, and Tea There is a kingdom called Sukhavati, the Realm of Bliss, it is land of light and magic, prayer and chanting, knowledge and compassion. Within it there dwells a ... Enlightenment · Existential Crisis · Inner Peace Reflection 4m
  6. Dragonfly Magic A true story. It was late afternoon, and clouds had been building from the northwest all day. The heat from the Oklahoma plains had pushed the clouds high earli... Enlightenment · Family · Nature Reflection 4m
  7. Desolation He stands nude before the translucent pod.  The pill shaped container may as well be on fire for all the enthusiasm he has to enter its embrace again.&nbsp... Spirituality Reflection 2m

2010

  1. Be My Friend Just some random reasons that make me a good friend. I know how to treat people. As long as you are a decent person, hey, me too! strong work ethic. no kidding,... Compassion Reflection 4m
  2. Who Are You? There are times in life when you simply are at a loss. Moments when nothing seems to make sense, when nothing you have known is what you thought, when nothing y... Reflection 1m
  3. Die To One Life "All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter a... Career Change · Spirituality Reflection 1m
  4. Eternally Old, Shared Among To look into the blue diamond to wander through the fields of gold to smile at the moon and see her smile back To listen to the birds of paradise to speak with ... Enlightenment · Nature · Spirituality Reflection 1m
  5. Forgotten Meaning What if... What if an entire planet had lost the meaning of their purpose? What if the whole race had fallen asleep and awoke without knowing what their duty wa... Reflection 1m
  6. Midnight Moksha The crescendo, a calamity of sound and light, deafening and silent as it rose into the air above his head.  Rays of azure light shot out of the mist a... Consciousness · Enlightenment · Inner Peace Reflection 1m
  7. Hanuman and Reality Hanuman tells Rama: ‘when I think of myself as a body, I am your servant; when I think of myself as an individual soul, I am part of you; but when I realize I a... Buddhist Philosophy · Consciousness · Enlightenment Reflection 1m
  8. Internal Yoga I spend a lot of time talking about and practing yoga, the traditional asanasa that we all asscoiate with yoga. Slow, methodical movements coupled with mindful ... Reflection 1m

2013

  1. In Adoration The gods are as real as you or me, I assure you of this fact*. They deserve your adoration and acknowledgement, your practice and meditation, but they cannot gr... Compassion · Enlightenment · Human Connection Reflection 2m
  2. What (Who) is Chenrezig to me? Last night a friend asked me to describe Chenrezig to him. So I tried like this: To me, Chenrezig represents the open path to Buddha Nature. He said, 'say more'... Compassion · Consciousness · Enlightenment Reflection 2m
  3. Living Forever [caption id="attachment_781" align="alignright" width="300"] Who Wants To Live Forever[/caption] A friend of mine said this to me: Lets do it. Lets live forever... Enlightenment · Spirituality Reflection 1m
  4. Hanuman Ji [caption id="attachment_792" align="alignright" width="300"] Sri Hanuman[/caption] How do I express this in words when words fail me? Sanātana Dharma,The Eterna... Enlightenment Reflection 2m
  5. A book review of The Joyous Cosmology: Adventures in the Chemistry of Consciousness The Joyous Cosmology: Adventures in the Chemistry of Consciousness by Alan Watts, oh man, where do I begin? I found the words of Alan Watts a decade ago when I ... Consciousness · Enlightenment Reflection 3m
  6. Dreams of Church, Revelations, and Bhagavan Das My wife and I woke this morning and while laying in bed we started to talk about our dreams, nothing unusual there. I told her about my dream of being back at O... Buddhist Philosophy · Consciousness · Enlightenment Reflection 3m

2015

  1. Nisargadatta Maharaj Explains I found this on a Facebook page devoted to Nisargadatta Maharaj. It isn't easy to understand, and I am not claiming that I understand it all, either, but I want... Consciousness · Enlightenment Reflection 10m
  2. Karmapa's Wisdom on Visualization His Holiness The 17th Karmapa spoke of how when we express devotion to a visualization or painting of a deity, that deity is not external to us; we are honoring... Buddhist Philosophy · Compassion · Enlightenment Reflection 1m
  3. Keep Going - Advice from the Karmapa "You keep going. That is the bodhisattva’s way. As long as it benefits even one being you have to, without any sense of discouragement, go on." ~ His Holiness t... Buddhist Philosophy · Enlightenment Reflection 1m
  4. Realization Shall Be Acquired "If a person observes the whole sky, they will realize that space has neither locality nor boundary. Thus they will dispense with such concepts. So when mind an... Consciousness · Inner Peace Reflection 1m
  5. Promises from Yeshe Tsogyal [caption id="attachment_1094" align="aligncenter" width="236"] Guru Yeshe Tsogyal[/caption] "What we understand to be phenomena Are but the magical projections ... Reflection 1m
  6. Are you ready to meet God? [caption id="attachment_1098" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Mooji[/caption] Are you ready to meet God? Then, right now, don't touch anything, not any idea—ne... Enlightenment · Inner Peace · Spirituality Reflection 2m
  7. Journey To The Temple You are walking up a gently sloping trail, the trail is covered with dirt, soft green grass, and small smooth stones. The grade is easy, and your feet fall ligh... Enlightenment · Inner Peace Reflection 6m
  8. Stages of Mahamudra [caption id="attachment_1143" align="alignright" width="200"] Tilopa[/caption] At first a yogi feels his mind Is tumbling like a waterfall; In mid-course, like ... Enlightenment · Inner Peace Reflection 1m
  9. Enemies     No matter how many outside enemies you destroy, whenever you destroy one enemy, another appears. It goes on and on. There is no end to it. On the ... Compassion · Inner Peace Reflection 1m
  10. The Magician's Quandary I am more than a magician. Well, more than what the commoner would call a magician. I am not wearing a pointed hat with stars and the moon adorning it. There is... Enlightenment · Nature · Nonconformity Reflection 1m