1. 1-Sentence-Summary:
1.1. The Untethered Soul describes how you can untie your self from your ego, harness your inner energy, expand beyond yourself and float through the river of life instead of blocking or fighting it.
2. Favorite quote from the author:
2.1. "There is nothing more important to true growth than realizing that you are not the voice of the mind - you are the one who hears it." - Michael A. Singer
3. 3 lessons:
3.1. Your thoughts don’t define you, they’re just outputs of what your consciousness perceives.
3.1.1. We all have an inner monologue going. 24/7/365, our inner voice is talking, directing how we navigate the world, and it rarely ever shuts off.
3.1.2. The first step towards an untethered soul is realizing that this happens, because only then can you stop, pause and take a step back to look at what’s going on.
3.1.3. Your thoughts don’t define who you are.
3.1.4. For example, if you often feel sad, you might start to think you’re just a sad person in general when in reality, these thoughts are nothing more than objects flowing through you – it just so happens that your inner voice keeps picking them up.
3.1.5. This distinction is important. Singer calls it the difference between your self and your personal self.
3.1.5.1. Your self is the pure stream of consciousness, that just keeps on flowing.
3.1.5.2. Your personal self is the identity you form, based on how your inner voice perceives this stream of consciousness and the thought patterns that emerge from it.
3.1.6. Once you realize there’s a difference, you’ll look at yourself in a whole different light.
3.2. Inner energy, though intangible, is very much real and the more you can let it flow, the better.
3.2.1. If you’ve ever had a surge of energy you couldn’t really explain, or that at least didn’t seem to make sense from a physical standpoint, you’ve witnessed the power of the mind.
3.2.2. Some call it chakra, some call it chi, some call it shakti, but whatever you label it, this inner energy we all have, though intangible, is very much real and you should never underestimate it.
3.2.3. In the same way, it can empower us, it can also drag us down if we block it.
3.2.4. It’s important to learn to let such negative thoughts just pass through, so they won’t block your inner flow of energy.
3.3. Death is what gives life meaning, so reflect on it often.
3.3.1. Did you know that humans are the only beings that know in advance that they will one day die?
3.3.1.1. Imagine we didn’t know! We’d probably live our lives really carelessly.
3.3.2. Knowing that you’re going to die and that your time on this planet is finite is one of the single greatest ways to get you focused on what really matters to you in life.
3.3.3. Whatever it is you want to do in your life, if it’s worth doing before you die, chances are it’s very much worth doing right now. Don’t wait. This is your only at bat.