Highlights from London Real's Second Interview with Ido Portal

Yesterday I watched (yet another) inspirational interview with Ido Portal on London Real. I watched the first one several times, and will probably do that again with this one. In a future post I hope to give further background into the recent renaissance of my journey into physical practice, but for now I thought I'd just leave this here.

Below is a list of some key highlights I came away with after watching, with my own interpretations and thoughts sprinkled in. 

1. Wisdom is a process of discovering what was already there, yet hidden. 
2. There are no "basics", only basics in the context of what you choose for your practice. One can never be a pure generalist (good at everything), but as a generalist one can choose from a wide spectrum in order to sculpt and craft a personal practice, or "fingerprint".
3. Collective culture and knowledge are much more powerful forces than just one person's practice or leadership.
4. There are information brokers, and then there are teachers. Use the former as a resource when needed, learn from the latter regardless.
5. "Empty the cup." Take time to pause and become more aware (and, I might add, more appreciative). This is a concept I've reflected on and applied through my own study and practice of meditation (Tara Brach talks a lot about "sacred pauses"). Rather than simply doing more in life, add more life to the things you do by being more aware and engaged. 
6. Technology won't save us, but it can help us change our mindsets (which, on a grand scale, is what I believe can save us). Hearts and minds are the user, and technology is the tool. The former determines the use and utility of the latter. This is why I value the work of, say, Socrates in his search for a unifying theory of virtue, or the Buddhist methods of understanding happiness more than just a pursuit of more and more data, information, and technology, which, although very important, I believe modern intellectual inquiry has over-prioritized.

Overall, I came away from this interview with not only renewed inspiration, but also a sense of validation. Ido is someone who carved his own path and embarked on a journey that was authentic to him, that he believed in strongly and was passionate about. Much of what he says almost feels like he went into my subconscious, stole my ideas, and executed. That is to say, our approaches and philosophies are well aligned, though he of course has many many more years of experience in walking the path. 

I hope to continue learning from him and others, and follow the path of inspirational figures like him wherever it may wind and converge with parts of mine.