The Excellent Textbook
As a student, I’d look at the year’s textbook and easily feel awed by the amount of material. It would be all too easy to turn away, often not even realizing that I’d done so, happily enjoying a game, barely thinking of the work ahead.
But some textbooks were excellent. They’d draw me in.
Wherever I was, I felt I was getting somewhere. Or if I got lost, it seemed to have a way of saying,
“Hey, take a look back here. You may have missed something,”“Maybe this example could help?”
or maybe
“Here’s an exercise to bring it together.”
The author gave me a sense that all I needed was to be with the material in the Now. It didn’t say I needed to know everything. Instead, it seemed to anticipate at least some of my questions, giving me leads where I lacked or lost information to help me understand.
It told me what was relevant to where I was.
Even when I took several steps back, I felt I was gaining ground.
That momentum tended to permeate the rest of my studies, days, and play. For example, I could better tell where another textbook wasn’t working in my favor, but now I had greater confidence to know that and to then find another path.
Generalizing further, I began to more experientially realize that if I don’t understand something, that my frustrations were signals, my intuition trying to point me in a direction.
But I get ahead of myself.
It began with this teaching vessel of a book. Increasingly, I realize building such vessels is a practiced skill and art.
As I’ve built out the Waves of Focus, I’m fully aware of the amount of material involved and how overwhelming that might feel. The latest module, Crafting Messages, adds 2 plus hours of videos, exercises, and the like.
I do not sacrifice material, and there is no fluff.
More importantly, though, I aim to support that sense of the Now. Doing so allows a person to take things at their pace, giving them what’s relevant to the moment. Each step presents something to build on or build from, hopefully furthering a sense of growing strength and momentum.
There is no need to know everything. All that’s needed is a Visit, being here Now.
Any step, forward or backward, is still a step forward, under your guidance, attuned to the moment.
– Kourosh
PS Last week’s post, which included a piano composition called “Wooden Hills”, seemed to be quite the hit. Several of you emailed me with such kind words. If you’re interested, check out my next live performance this Monday, June 3rd, at 7pm Central. Hit the buzzers, subscribes, and all the buttons. It’ll make you feel good. At least, that’s what the dopamine tells me.
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Each moment has a beginning, middle, and end.
Each moment is both singular and infinite.
Each moment is best treated with care.
It is the only time it will be experienced.