You Choose the World You Live In - The Power of Perception
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- Опубліковано 6 кві 2020
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My thoughts on perception and the power of the mind to create the worlds that we live in.
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Thank you for being such a beautiful person, Nathaniel.
becoming*
Nathaniel certainly displays a degree of power and beauty that is almost without parallel. I can't possibly describe my admiration for him, one that I possess for only a few other people throughout history.
Honestly, I'd listen to a 40 minutes podcast of you just talking by yourself. Really. Just saying.
So true he should really make a podcast of his own!!!!
I completely agree with this statement.
I think it would take away from the rest of his content, he can only do so much. I come to him for short-to-medium form content and honestly there's enough podcasts out there.
Yes yes yes
Agreed!👍💪🙌
“It is interesting how powerful and seductive the worlds we create in our minds are.” Realizing this just now gave me chills!
Fascinating that someone else feels this way. I totally relate to the idea of creating fantasies. Moving from secondary school to sixth-form, then sixth-form to university, I kept telling myself: I'm going to really put myself out there, I'm going to make lots of friends and develop meaningful relationships with them. But, in reality, the change in setting didn't influence who I was - my introversion and inward focus on my hobbies and work largely overpowered any newfound bravery or determination to connect with people. I have actually been reflecting on it quite a lot over the past year and I agree with the conclusion of this video: I have to work within the real-life boundaries I have, but I should keep pushing at them when possible to get closer to my goals.
Brilliant first video, lots of food for thought! I really admire the way you have decided to liberate yourself with this new channel, good luck with both channels!
Max Bamford I can relate completely. I was an Army brat as a kid. We moved about every two years. Being highly inwardly reflective, I’d attempt to reinvent myself, not understanding that my core personality was firmly established. I just needed to accept those aspects that others might view as a deficit.
I can relate to that as well. It is quite funny how many people as us are out there. Sometimes when I am trying to talking with someone I do not know how. I almost feel physical boundary. Real-life boundaries are stronger than a concrete wall.
Desire by itself is usually not enough. It has to be transmuted into unwavering intention. Sometimes the instrument needed to effect said change is none other than despair.
I used to be highly introverted, and I thought it was a defining feature of my personality. Most people I met casually would talk about politics, sports, drinking, and such ad nauseam, and I didn't see the appeal. I did not enjoy small talk nor large gatherings as I found them draining and preferred being surrounded by at most 3 more people who were trusted and dear friends. Then I started to force myself to change because my life consisted of just work, eating, sleeping, messaging my old close friends who live elsewhere on the planet, and watching UA-cam.
So, by June 2017, I had saved up enough money and took a Sabbatical. I traveled on my first solo road trip and went Couchsurfing in Europe. I learned that loneliness was something that affected me more than what I had expected and was one of the things that was worsening my depression. I actually wanted to have more friends more than what I thought I really wanted before, such as eventually attaining a prestigious career or more formal education or pursuing self-improvement hobbies. I thought I would ease into it by going to local Couchsurfing events that finally popped up. Then my dad died on 9/13/2018 after suffering more than a decade with Alzheimer's disease (I had not seen him during the last 4 years of his life before he died abroad), and my immense grief overwhelmed my old close friends as I developed crippling insomnia and intense anxiety. Having never dealt with less than 4 hours of sleep a night for months, I became obsessed with sleep, ruminated about my isolation ceaselessly, and was crying for hours a day. Three months in, I got diagnosed with major depressive disorder as busy periods at work became taxing. I felt a new depth of loneliness. The anxiety made it difficult to spend long periods of time alone as I couldn't even focus on a UA-cam video, which was unheard of for me. I tried many standard treatments (6 prescriptions, 9 months of therapy, CBT-i for 3.5 months, etc.), but nothing worked, and medications eventually made me suicidal. Hobbies gave me no joy and fell by the wayside.
Thankfully, I had an epiphany one day and realized that I needed to make new friends fast. I went to different Meetup events, joined friendship apps, befriended people on Reddit, and attended grief workshops and even a meditation Sangha. I pushed myself to talk with people with whom I had no real shared background nor many overlapping interests. It was agony with the exhaustion from the insomnia, but I was desperate (e.g. I even offered to help a couple of different people I had met less than three times to move some of their furniture just so that I would "have a reason" to talk with someone). I noticed that as I talked with people, I would calm down enough for the depression to stay at bay, even if the anxiety was still overwhelming. We would talk about whatever, and if they were open to it, I would vent about what was affecting me and ask them about their own life struggles, and I would aim to connect that way. I felt less alone that way. Once I got what I needed out of my system, we could do other things, no matter if I wasn't fully awake nor rested. The process was not comfortable nor effortless at all, in fact it was frustrating and aggravating, but I was relentless. Although it felt highly artificial and contrived, I didn't have other options as my relationships with my family members were also frayed at the time. No matter the exhaustion, I had to be outgoing. Through sheer force of will and many, many attempts, I started to make new friends. I pushed myself to ask for people's phone numbers and invited them to meet up. Once I reached a critical mass of friends, it became easier to meet new people and befriend others. It took 2 months to build that momentum. I went from not talking with another person for multiple days when work was slow to having at least 3 or 4 social engagements that lasted several hours (the longest combined total was over 13 hours). I went to potlucks, karaoke, board game events, conversation groups, ultimate frisbee matches, rock climbing walls, walks and hikes, and simply hanged out with people at their home or at outdoor patios and parking lots late into the night. Due to the depression, insomnia, and anxiety trifecta, I derived little pleasure from many of the interactions, but it was better than when I was a medicated zombie.and infinitely better than enduring panic attacks at dawn each day, lol. I did befriend local insomniacs and night owls, which was helpful.
Despite that, the whole process continued to feel unnatural, inauthentic, and, in a way, deceitful because I was using social interactions for a temporary mood boost. I confessed that sentiment to several of my new friends, and they were surprisingly understanding and sometimes felt the same way. Lol, to be fair, I was connecting with these people on the basis of having mental health disorders, which was ludicrous at the outset, hahaha. For a while, I also felt that the connections I was making were not as deep as the ones I had before, which was making me resentful and embittered. I was indiscriminate about who I talked with and forced myself to listen and ask about everything, which would have only made sense before if I was already invested in a person. I often joked that my new anxiety trumped my old social anxiety. I guess it was a hyper tumor of sorts, hehe.
Thank God, I found something that cured my insomnia and depression through UA-cam and Reddit recommendations. It allowed me to calm down independently from people. Again, this new process took sustained and intense effort and a leap of faith before it bore fruit, but I learned new things about myself. I faced the parts of me that had been wounded and neglected by myself and others, the ones I had chastised for not being enough to meet expectations on demand, and that had lashed out in pain. I allowed myself to remain present with my suffering over all that happened and began to forgive myself as I learned this new way to relax. I started to treat myself with the patience and compassion I had reserved for those I had held so dear, and I developed a persistence fueled not by fear, but by affection toward myself and a commitment to be there for me no matter the external circumstances. Eventually, the shift was permanent, and my mood stabilized. As a side bonus, I could now enjoy those new friendships I went out of my way to find and make, especially with those whose schedules match up more readily with my own. During quarantine, we were doing video chats every night and playing online games, which was so much fun! :D
Even though it was awful to go through, I became my own best friend at the end of this, and my life has never been better. That was the most meaningful relationship I needed to develop, and from there, everything else was cake. I am consistently the happiest I have ever been, and things in general don't stress me out as much anymore because I allow them to be, acknowledge them, and gently shift my awareness to something else. By not reacting like I did before, they change by themselves to something I prefer. It's night and day really. I have regained my focus and memory that had been impaired by the insomnia, and now, I can just as easily enjoy total solitude as I can interact and have fun with large groups of people (it's astronomically easier when I am not dead tired). I am considerably less neurotic, far more extroverted, and more aware of my internal states of being than ever before.
Nathaniel is right in parts. In order for your fantasy world to become your actual reality, first accept your current circumstances and responses, even if they are not pleasant nor desirable, and then adapt. By being patient, persistent, and self-compassionate, you can definitely change yourself and achieve what you desired all along.
I can totally relate.
I feel that my introversion is fixed. I would love to be a social person, a leader, an influencer and a person people can look up to in a social group or setting. But no matter where life takes me, I cannot shake my limitations.
A concept that goes along with this, is the privilege of perception. How the same situation can terrorise one person but someone else could be completely comfortable in it because they don't perceive anything negative. It's crazy how past experiences can influence perception and how one good experience can confer the privilege of perceiving something positively and one bad experience can strip this privilege
True, but even in the aftermath of an undesirable experience, you can cultivate awareness through repetition and become a witness to your thoughts, feelings, and emotions in order to shift your attention before a strong reaction is imminent. By allowing the memory or trigger to be there and learning to not react but respond in a patient and self-compassionate manner, its grip loosens, and you become free from the shackles of past experiences.
Let'sDoMath woah beautiful words thank you!
@@remasalhawari8077 It's a skill I had to learn last year when my life was crumbling. Once I had it down, everything improved by orders of magnitude. 😁
Really good point. Let's be honest - the world has changed drastically and it's important to have the awareness that all of us have to make an important choice. This situation will not end quickly, so we have to accept our position.
PS. In the end of the video I started to hear the background music and I don't know why but for a moment there it felt poetic.
I'm looking forward to the next video!
You're one of a kind, man. Pure gold. I became addicted to your videos and your way of living. Keep being such an inspiration, because you already change so many lives without knowing it. :)
They say we are the product of the 5 people we most admire and/or live with. Nathaniel is for sure one of those people for me and l know l'm not alone on this situation.
Nathan man thank you, I can't explain how your videos trigger my inner soul to keep being aware, with every video of your's this power gets stronger, you're changing so many people's life's, keep being the same kind of Nathan on youtube:)
I feel as though I do the same, in a way. I imagine that in a few years, I will have the perfect life, with the most perfect circumstances that lend themselves perfectly to my goals. I decide that the obstacles I have right now are unattainable because I don't yet live in that perfect situation. I connect with what you said about having to adapt to a new situation, to let go of the world you had idealised. True success is only achieved by reaching a goal in an imperfect world.
This applies to people as well. We sometimes conceal the reality of their being behind our perspective of them. Whether we have concealed their beauty, their treachery, or even their existence, we have hidden them from ourselves: "I painted her colors she never was."
Mason Smith thank you!
And this channel is for the "quantity" of him yet it it still incredibly good. o.O
You're winning this quarantine, man.
As an introvert, my own experience is pretty much the same: I realized that I was living in my own reality. Being in my thoughts during parties, I noticed that people were not living the same thing as me.
This is literally the first time I’ve ever commented on a UA-cam video. I’m too much of a perfectionist and never feel like I have the right words....ugh. Anyway thanks for being so uniquely you. It’s a pleasure to watch your videos both in the raw as well as when polished.
Hi Nathaniel! I've been following you for about a year and half now and just wanted to say your videos have always inspired me, made me think, and stirred up a lot of self reflection. I'm a current medical student caught up in the daily grind of studying and memorization and watching your content has been somewhat of a source of calmness and freshness as often I feel so detached from reality even though ironically a lot of your videos deal with this concept but in such a real way. I'm really happy you made this channel :)
“Children have neither a past nor a future. Thus they enjoy the present, which seldom happens to us.” - Jean de La Bruyère
Thanks for being genuine and honest
"Between stimulus and response, man has the freedom to choose." - Stephen R. Covey
I am grateful for you, Nat.
I am really close to you.
Even in my country we don’t have any quarantine policy right now, but this video still remind me that I really need to focus on what is happening in the real life, but not trying to make my life always align with my romantic fantasy...
I'm so excited for your new project and really loving this type of content Nat! The simplicity and calmness really helps your ideas come through.
Thoughts don't necessarily always need to lead to conclusions, and I think bouncing ideas off and using this medium for expression is very beneficial; for both the creator and the viewers.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences, you really are inspiring.
I look forward to hearing from you again. Stay safe
This is a one of those channels where I feel somewhat normal because I'm a deep thinker myself and I'm always fasinated by these new ideas and perspective that he gives✨
I was thinking about this some days ago. I think a lot can be learned and created out of chaos. While some people will choose to deny their reality or lay in bed not doing anything out of fear, some others will choose to come out of it a better version of themselves knowing that their future will be defined by how they (re)act and live their present moment. Funny to think that one specific situation or event can be experienced in so many different ways. I think that those who learn how to adapt and adjust their wants , needs, and desires to their present reality have better changes of being, in a way, more successful in life. I truly believe the capacity to see beyond what lies ahead of us is, although hard, definitely powerful. I also believe it all comes down to accepting what you can't change and taking action to create a new beginning. That's how I understand why someone people come out of a bad situation stronger and do everything in their power to make the most out of it. It's about perspective, and also resilience. Thanks for your beautiful thoughts and ideas.
You put my thoughts into words and that is the most powerful thing anyone can do. Thanks so much.
I like how he does give this calm and comfortable vibe.. there is no music to increase heart rate where we can see in motivational videos. This is beautiful channel. And his previous
You hit the nail in the head. It's how I feel/see things also.
it's good to see you just reflecting without pressure.
I am looking forward to the next video!
Thank you Nathaniel, You're by far the person I feel I most connected to even though you don't even know I exist ❤️
same :)
When I was a kid I would imagine living in a fantasy world, create stories of myself as a different character (i.e. a spy, magical heroine, etc) and just have fun daydreaming. My imagination would run wild. I'm 24 and find it hard nowadays to continue or daydream about these stories. I don't know why - perhaps real life distractions and responsibilities are distracting me. But these days, I have this urge to have fun daydreaming again, as I find it helps me avoid negative thoughts that are so easy to think about and feel sad or guilty over.
You may like the concept of our 'inner child". There is a book on it by thicht naht hahn :)
I'd like to add to this that one should remember that the mind and our thoughts are malleable, self-defeating and many times just plain wrong. What helped me was the realization that we are not our thoughts, we are *observing* our thoughts, and can therefore choose to view them or act upon them as we wish. Everything starts with a change in mindset.
This have been a mainn key in our lives. Before we used to live in our bubbles thinking we needed more, life was never enough for us. Everyday we needed to work a little bit more, try a little bit harder...
To me this has spotted in my mind in a way I never thought it would. Personally I don´t think that will get into"that world" again, but what I´m sure about is my personal wroght. Now I´ll choose my way, and fight for it, no matter what.
Amazing reflection there, hope you all well!
I’m a communication student, we speak about an objective vs a subjective reality which is what you’re referring to. A subjective reality is the way we experience the world, from our standpoint. With this mindset, we are living in different worlds, it’s unique and quite beautiful I’d say. There’s no right or wrong, it’s solely our perspective. Very insightful video!
Carl Jung has a lot of interesting ideas on perceiving. I think what your speaking of is your internal intuitive world that dominates over your life and your suppression of the external sensory experiences. I love the easygoing flow of this video! Nice work Nathaniel :)
This is so true. Once your perception on the inside in your mind changes, your perception of the world on the outside also changes.
Yes, I've realized the past few months, or years, that I've been living my life thinking, or assuming, that whatever I wanted would happen in the future. That I am not "good enough" yet to achieve what I want. But really, how am I gonna be any better in the future if I don't start working on it now? It's like I always see myself, and the world, as under qualified for my goals. And it's only when I realized that I thought of my current world, my current reality, as not "good enough", or not "quite there yet", that I understood that I would never achieve that vision of a perfect life I've always had. I have to work with what I have, with the world I live in, we live in, to achieve anything I dream of. Because the word is not going to change for me. But my perception of it can.
I have an immense amount of faith in any of your projects, including this one. I am looking forward to it!
This is super interesting. I feel like whenever I create a fantasy image in my head of what's going to happen in a situation, it never goes to plan. But if I stop myself from imagining and focus on the present moment and just take everything as it comes, then I find that I'm a lot happier, because I'm not placing any pressure on myself to conform to this unrealistic image in my head.
So true
The situation we're all facing right now has highlighted the fact that we really don't have control over everything; life is unpredictable. Adaptability of mindset is essential to still live life to the full.
Wait, you mean I can watch my favorite UA-camr on 2 channels now?! 😵 How can 2020 become more crazy?
Xenia He had an old channel but stopped uploading there to focus on his main channel. So it’s like 3 channels now lol 😆
4 channels dearssssss 😉 main one, this one, spanish one and french one!
Thank you so much for posting this. It came at a time when I really needed to hear it. I have a feeling it's resonating with a lot of people at this moment, given our current predicament. It's so easy to get engulfed in a spiral of thoughts that compares your perceived life (most often comprised of the aspects you desire most) to your current reality, almost making you miss the present moment and what it can potentially teach us. I've also gone through the frightening experience of leaping into a new life, a new country, a new community - although I've never had to face a pandemic one month into that muddled courage. Yikes! Kudos to you for finding a way to adapt to this global shitshow and for inspiring fellow creative vagabonds to use this time to reshape our perceived worlds. I've followed your main channel for months now - it gave me clarity as a sometimes petrified, sometimes exhilarated ex-pat in Bangkok. But I have to admit, despite your other channel's undeniable artistry... I find this raw version somehow more relatable. Thank you for your continued effort to put valuable, introspective, and dare I say it, vulnerable content into cyberspace. Wishing you well during these unprecedented times!
I agree. I often create stories inside my head. Moving in to the 7th city in 5 years wasn't an exception. But one thing I am learning these days is how to be flexible inside my own head and kind of trying to see the light on the other side. We cross our paths often in life and wonder how similar are our stories to that of others, no matter who we are, where we live and what language we speak. I guess it happens because how well we started connecting; largely due to all the technology out there and the whole globalisation thing. I'm not making the point that our ancestors weren't connected but they definitely lack a ton of options like what we have right now, just like this video. Corona is definitely a hard hit on the world. But I guess we are learning to adapt and maybe this could turn out to be a great survival story to brag about in the future. I'm fascinated by a time where no luxury of life looks important but just basic survival needs! Well, what a nice beginning Nathaniel!
Those thoughts are really well developed in the book "mastery of love" which is the BEST BOOK
When I was in middle school I suddenly realized we are all I our own worlds. It made me feel very alone and so decided to become a Psychologist because I felt that it was a rare opportunity when people allow others to see into their personal world without all the barriers and walls usually deflecting entry and that critical connection
As an aspiring psychologist (will be doing an MA soon in counselling psychology and later in positive psychology), I find Nathan's videos quite intriguing. It is interesting to see how you had this experience in middle school and it has shaped your life into becoming a psychologist whilst Nathan had this experience and makes youtube videos. Perfect example of how you perceived this idea that we are all in our own worlds and decided to do psychology and Nathan decided to make a video about it.
It’s very comforting seeing you speak raw, and off the top like this. Very happy for this channel.
I LOVE what you said and totally agree with you! I'm always fantasizing about my future, I think we do that to give us comfort during the present, that if we're living a hard/boring/unfulfilled life, surely one day it'll change. And glamourising our future that way gets us through the present every-day moments.***I wrote that before you said the denial part, and that's exactly it!*** And then you get to "the future" that you're thinking, "this is what I've dreamed of, it's here," but it's completely different. We think once we attain that part of our life we were missing in the past, our life will completely "fit" together finally, and we forget that there will ALWAYS be a missing piece that we want but don't/can't have. Life is full of expectations vs disappointments, I feel like I'm always the one who's leading myself on lol. "One day I'll be travelling and life will make sense," "One day I'll have my dream life and I'll be happy," but happiness isn't circumstantial it's a state we have to train ourselves to practice! So excited for this channel! Hope everyone is doing good :)
It is so beautiful to listen to you talking about all of those complex thoughts. I sometimes feel like I’m the only one who feels and thinks so complexly
I’m Peruvian and for me it’s difficult to understand you in all your videos but I’ve been waiting for a channel, which wake up in myself emotions like you. Now, I love listen to you and practice my English at the same time. Thanks a lot!! :)
I too have contemplated this EXACT idea. And this video for some reason sent a shock through my system, because you explained it oddly so specifically as to how I’ve explained it to my family and friends about my beliefs on perception. But never have I heard someone reiterate it. The more I watch your videos the more I feel less alone on what felt like my own madness. But you turn it into brilliance and show thousands of people who think in unique ways that they’re not alone. Your work is exhilarating, and your mind is phenomenal. I felt like I just had to say that...
Congratulations!! This project will make you better and feel in contact with yourself! It's gonna be awesome :)
exactly! i think about it a lot, it's YOU who chooses which things are good and which are bad
nothing is objective
All I want to say is that I'm very grateful for your presence on UA-cam
I think this relates heavily to the idea of creating expectations for oneself. I think this is a common theme of your channel throughout your process-focused brain. There are many interesting ideas about this and I agree there is no necessary conclusion. We create expectations for ourselves which can be helpful or detrimental depending on how attached we get to these expectations. As a general rule, I think that a GOAL is better than an EXPECTATION in that a goal is something we can strive towards rather than something we expect to happen on its own. Another concept you touch on in this video is delusion. We may delude ourselves that the world is a certain way and convince ourselves to believe in that, but who is to say that is wrong? Delusion also encompasses perspective and perception and I wouldn't say those are "wrong". Boddhidharma says that there is no difference between "awakening" and "delusion", and, in referring to the famous butterfly dream passage, he is saying that the fantasies we create in our head are as real as the world we see around us. This gets somewhat sticky and philosophical. Anywho, to be deluded is to be human, but to realize that we are deluding ourselves is important in an attempt to understand ourselves. The power that a mindful or clear-minded individual has, is being able to choose what they want to be deluded about. Thanks for touching on this topic and I think reading more eastern philosophy could help you to explore these ideas further. Keep being curious.
P.S. This is the butterfly passage: www.learnreligions.com/butterflies-great-sages-and-valid-cognition-3182587
I have lists and lists of ideas for blog posts and UA-cam videos that have been building up for years now, but I never actually started in fear of judgement, low quality, trouble articulating my ideas, etc...
One thing on my list is very similar to what you spoke about in this video, and I found myself nodding along to all of it. I so relate, and think about this a lot.
I am planning to start a channel this summer, and just go with it. It's super exciting to see No Backup Plan and someone close to my age with this type of project like one I have always wanted to start, and explaining these ideas so amazingly.
Super excited to continue following this new channel, as well as your other one!
It's nice to hear someones honest thoughts. I know how it is to be rejected because of it, but I think you also connect especially with people who - even though they might not agree with you - listen and consider what you are saying. For me it is always a chance to find a new perspective on things, expand my knowledge and view. And it's nice to know, that you are not the only one.
When it comes to the situation we all have to face right now, I see all the problems we are facing. The news are filled with them. But deep within me there is the hope or the thought, that this could also be an unique opportunity to create changes. A global crisis that forces you out of your comfort zone, that you have to face life with a new form of awareness. I pray and hope that beside everything it will take from us, it maybe can give us something back and people will start listening.
All my love and wishes to you and everyone on this still beautiful and magic planet.
I find your mind incredibly fascinating.
I've always been the type of person to fantasize about the "perfect" future and would always be let down because none of that ever happened.
It would always end up being the complete contrast to what I'd imagined and just like always, I'd re-imagine a "perfect" situation again and end getting pulled into this spiral of imagining and re-imagining a perfect world that would never exist!
But, just like you said, we should all learn to adapt to the changes and live in the present and try our best to reach our goals in this ever-changing, imperfect but beautiful world.
I am so excited to see where this channel goes! You have inspired me in ways I never though one could!
You are truly amazing!
Thank you for putting out such amazing content! Hats off!
Thank you for this! I just moved from Virginia to California in February with very much the same thought of making friends and connections and settling in. Really struggling with accepting the new world we live in, and the idealistic world I wanted to live in. All we can do is take it day by day until things get better. There's always an end to crisis and we will prevail and adapt.
Wow. This is a very thought-provoking video for me. I personally find myself in my head a lot or idolizing future selves and fantasy selves. It very much takes away from real-life experience and present moment which is ironic because then I look to the past and reminisce. I was asked once, "are you okay with just being okay" and although I was going to reply yes, I thought about it and realized I am so fixated on self-improvement or a glamorized fantasy destination that I never really let things be/ fully enjoy things as they are. Recently, I am starting to find joy in very simple activities just because I can acknowledge that I am living in my current reality. It used to make me existential being so aware of myself, but I think that is because I was still stuck on the world created in my mind. Thank you for this video
So excited and happy for you. Keep up the great work😌
Super excited for this channel, you really are my favorite youtuber. There is always a meaningful takeaway with the pieces you create and you just seem so down to earth and relatable, highly appreciate your content!
I'm french and for some reason I kind of felt touched that you wanted to live in France for some time! I hope you can meet the people you need in your life !! And also, thank you for being such an inspiration, what you say and show through your videos keeps me motivated to continue creating things I enjoy. J'adore ce que tu fais !!!!!
It really spoke to me how you said you have this option to fight hard to go back to your old social lives or to try to adapt and create something new. You provide this great food for thought that is very engaging.
I think what I like the most about your content is that it leaves you thinking about it later. For example, my idea of a great movie is one that leaves you thinking about the topic or the characters well after you've seen the film because they made you feel something. I think you accomplish that with your channels as well. Keep doing what you do! Thanks for being so vulnerable and sharing your thoughts.
I think about this SO MANY TIMES. We all live a different life even though we are all together. It's amazing. Our world is what we believe and what we are able to do with it. Its really amazing and magical
Hi Nathaniel, congratulations on mustering the courage to start No Backup Plan. It's authentic ( just like your main channel) but it feels much more raw and organic, and I love that. Completely relate to the idea of getting swept away by the worlds we create...I had the grand goal earlier this year of being much more adventurous, exploring my city and all its beautiful sights with a fresh eye, just before coronavirus hit. This video has helped me to recalibrate my expectations, and think about how best to infuse a sense of adventure and excitement into life at home. Bloom where I'm planted. Thank you for all that you do. :)
I have noticed myself create these fantasy worlds when I feel anxious or unstable of my future, creating the "better me" in my head has always been an unconscious repeating pattern that I fall into to feel safe and secure again. Try to observe the trigger itself, rather than the repeating mind games. In my personal experience with my own crazy mind, I try to create peace with my self when I observe the trigger itself and help heal that issue with words of affirmation.
And thanks Nathaniel for the wise words you have shared with us :)
Stay safe x
OMGGGG yas! More work of Nathanial! Thanks for creating this new project
I think the idea that we all are living in own worlds can be expressed by the word microcosmos which is to say we all have small universes within us truly an empowering idea because if we understand how we are valuable even though we are different from all the other people who have ever existed we will be able to trust and believe in ourselves more and be liberated. I personally was first introduced to this idea by the Islamic warrior, poet, philosopher, and saint Imam Ali as he once said:
"Your remedy is within you, but you do not sense it. Your sickness is from you, but you do not perceive it. You presume you are a small entity, but within you is enfolded the entire Universe. You are indeed the Evident Book, by whose alphabet the hidden becomes Manifest. Therefore you have no need to look beyond yourself. What you seek is within you, if only you reflect "
in times like this the only thing that we truly have the advantage of doing is to try to get to know ourselves a bit better and as we spend more time alone learn to evaluate, accept, and deny ourselves, sort of like an internal declutter.
your thoughts are so beautiful, excited for this new project
As someone commonly labeled as too intense or too deep, thank you. I'm clearly not the only one with thoughts like this. It brings me a weird sense of ease that there are others with a deep sense of...meaning? Perception? So, thank you for this.
You are so insightful. I love how you share your thoughts so openly. Very raw, introspective, relatable and just so well put together. Love it!
wowwww!!!! and that's why we are so powerful in manifesting our own realities. that's a crazy crazy logical connection! we have to keep faith that those futures are still possible somehow and for our best interests on the next side of this, and still be willing to let go of it for something different. you express yourself so well! thank you thank you!
Yes exactly, it’s a matter of looking to the things we can control instead of worrying the things that we cannot control. A lot easier said than done but something I try to do every day
As soon as I found out you made another channel I subscribed immediately! Any content from you is sure to be an experience :)
Tus pensamientos son tremendamente valiosos, y te agradezco por compartirlos en un formato que, si bien no es perfecto, tampoco aspira serlo. Le da un toque de cercanía a tu contenido. Mucha suerte en tus proyectos
So excited for all of this!
Love love love this raw video. So excited to follow this new project of yours!
I love this new channel idea, and I'm loving the videos you're putting out! Your imperfection is a great brand of imperfection, and it makes a difference. ;)
There's a quote that resonates with the idea behind this new channel of yours that I really enjoy: "quick and dirty is better than pristine and nonexistent." I love that you've already adapted by embracing the "now" of your situation and reflecting aloud with all of us who are having those same thoughts. Honestly Nathan, you could post a video from a shaky flip phone and your message would be just as impactful. Can't wait to see where this channel takes you!
This is what I’ve been writing in my journal for months. Thanks for making this idea clearer for me
I had no idea you had another channel!!! Good for u. I love content on both 💕
Really great video! Love the new concept! Keep it up man x
It's such a gift to have learnt adaptability, and beyond that, a passion for rising to the challenge of facing reality with optimism and an open mind. Perception has always fascinated me as a concept - how can we expect others to react as we do, when none of us have lived the same life. Finding beauty in the honesty of your situation, even if it's not what you anticipated, is so powerful. Can't wait to see where this channel goes :)
Thank you for being so honest, this is becoming increasingly scarce on UA-cam's platform.
Here to support Nathan! I don’t know how to vlog, I’m afraid but I know I want to. Thank you for the quote “you’re a runner when you start running...” then I think I just have to start youtubing.
ANOTHER CHANNEL! Gotta love it. Great video man 😊
This is just what I needed! Thank you!
Hopefully we can all appreciate the growth of this channel, and keep supporting you in this new adventure! Congrats, Nathaniel, and great video.
Totally agree. That’s what I love talking with other people, especially people from different cultures. We are able to share different perspectives to see the world in a different way
Good advice. I love your new concept.
How much I relate to this whole thing right now is kinda mental. This is why I say innovation is not just about products, but also about how we adapt physically, which sets up some kind of “levelling up” mentality, maybe, since we become much better people for it in terms of addition to genuineness
Every time I create a life on my mind that is no real, because on my mind I want to be out and meet a lot of people and talk about my thoughts or ideas but the people is no like we think they could be. I loved your video and I really feel it
Love the new format Nathaniel, and am looking forward to more.
Thank you for sharing your mind with others, it's truthfully a blessing to watch your content and I adore this raw version of your online self.
I love and am so in awe of your ability to articulate your internal experiences! Love both channels :)
I love the message Nathan . Thank you for sharing your perspective in life 💜
Nathaniel - Please continue to share these wonderful thoughts with us all. I've been watching your videos since the start and I truly just love how curious and introspective you are. It's like having somebody put the floating intangible ideas in ones mind, eloquently into words.
Great first video for your second channel! Im really happy for you/ proud of you for taking a step towards embracing imperfection and spontaneity! Being a perfectionist myself, I also find it really hard to let go of my own standards that after awhile get toxic. I'm trying to figure out how to have a balance between structure and quality and holding space for my own inner curiosity and randomness. For me this goes for creative stuff but also life itself as well. I'm really excited to seeing whatever vlogs/ uncut videos/ random creative pieces you decide to upload here. I think perfection can also get boring after awhile.
Thank you so much Nathaniel, needed this to help me understand and observe the current world I find myself in at the moment.
I know in the future our paths will cross and I would love to meet you. Johnny Harris is a person I have been following for 4-5 years now and I started following you last year. I truly feel whenever you speak about things it resonates with my soul. We are definitely similar and different in so many ways.
Maan ! Loved the twist you did with the music when you started to talk about denial.
And well, everything you say, too. I think it’s kind of universal the feeling of friendship you give us.
Thank you so much !
I'm so glad that you created this channel; the material feels very sincere and I really appreciate hearing your thoughts in this frame of authenticity. This is the type of content that I love seeing on this platform.
Immediately hit subscribe! Had to watch the beginning twice because I got so distracted by the song, it used to be one of my on-repeat-songs a few years ago and I'm so glad your video reminded me of it! :P great job, I can't wait to see the next pieces of your video-art! :)
Thank you for this Nath 💚
Love this!! Thanks for openly sharing your thoughts, I love your regular content but content like this also has its own place. I like how you’re not trying to get to a specific conclusion, you’re just sharing and thinking this through with us. Thanks for having us on the journey!