Episode 114

Awakening Practices from PRACTICAL WORK ON SELF, "Work Wish", Part Two

In this episode, THE THREE-HEADED MAN discusses the challenges of maintaining mental clarity and spiritual discipline in daily life.

Freddy shares a metaphor about getting new glasses, comparing the sudden sharpness of vision to the rare moments of heightened awareness that occasionally interrupt their typical "fuzzy" state of mind. The conversation transitions into their struggles with a "sacrifice" exercise, where they attempt to give up personal vices like blaming others, sugar, or physical impulses to benefit a higher purpose. They candidly describe the "negotiator" within themselves—a mental voice that creates excuses and loopholes to avoid true discipline. Ultimately, the participants reflect on how difficult it is to sustain the inner force required for these practices once the initial novelty fades.

Through these personal anecdotes, the group explores the gap between fleeting insights and the rigorous effort needed for lasting self-observation.

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The Three-Headed Man
Talking To Ourselves For Over 25 Years

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About your host

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Fred M Schill

I like to do. I like to make things. And, I like telling stories. I tell stories to myself and to others.

First, a short biography, which is, of course, is a story. I was born in Cleveland, played sports, and attended university. Later, after a few years in the radio business, I returned to university to study education and literature.

With a teaching certificate in my file folder, I began working in high schools, first as a strike-breaking scab substitute teacher in Cleveland's far suburbs, and then in Chicago, mostly in private high schools.

Cleveland and Chicago. My two main towns, and I escaped them both. Presently, I live in a tiny, isolated, mountain village in Spain. I am reluctant to write the name of the town because I don't like tourists. When the tourists arrive, they look at me as if I am an animal in a zoo.