New Becomings

I was running around before Christmas trying to get it all done, going to work each morning at 5am to try to kick-start my day, trying to exercise, trying to keep up our rickety old cabin to Airbnb standards, trying to keep up my own house to my own standards, trying to join causes and aid with my voice, trying to sell a product I love with a method people hate, trying to help my family with their variety of needs, trying to create, trying to relax... try try try... After New Years, I took the cabin off Airbnb, stopped cleaning my house, stopped cooking and baking, stopped exercising, was turned down as a local leader in a political organization, stopped selling the product I love, I started playing a simple video game every day for hours just to stop myself from getting up and doing laundry or dishes. I napped instead of relaxed... and then got sick.  I haven't been sick for about 4 years. We think it was Covid, though with a negative rapid test, I kept to myself and slept for day...

  Well, my latest effort at trying for something that I felt strongly enough about to make an actual effort did not work out. I've decided to drop any effort and rest for at least the winter - but, even that takes effort. And my brain tells me how lucky I am to be able to rest in the first place, so I shouldn't do it because many people don't have that luxury (kind of like "eat all the food on your plate because there are starving children in the world") . My brain also says that resting will come when I'm dead, so why bother now? There's a nag in me that thinks I should continually try to do stuff, create things, make a difference... whatever, nag. My previous efforts at trying for things I felt strongly about were at least cloaked in reasonable outcomes, lessons learned, and no regrets. It's possible that I haven't been trying very hard over the past few years, but I don't think so - I kept it together long enough, and it's not that ...

  “ Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of civilization .” Mahatma Gandhi Unity in Diversity is an old axiom, yet it still seems to escape the common sense of our politics, policies, businesses, communities and indeed our own lives. We know that first-past-the-post voting does not account for an actual majority when many people have opted for parties that end up having no say in our democracies. We know that policies are sold to the highest bidder. We know that the almighty bottom-line has become the focus and the main reason for enterprise and commerce. We see the clutching of cultures holding no space for the benefits of other cultures. We see monocultures ravaging our lands. We see racism decimating lives... What a horrible mess - this rampant and fragmented way of humanity. People thrive on disunity because people need common enemies and some sort of allegiance, but why? Perhaps because it's easier to blame something outside of oneself for th...

 The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers        ~Ralph Nader When I was a young adult, I considered that people did not need leaders to shepherd them, but inspiring voices to build up confidence and abilities to then be strong enough to lead themselves. I still believe this to be the case, yet as I've matured, I recognize that not everyone has the confidence and ability to inspire others towards their own fulfillment, and some want to support those that do - not everyone wants to be in a position of power, instead aiming for simpler lives - still others have the confidence and ability to lead, but use them for control and self-interest. How do we identify leaders with the necessary qualities that can help shape and grow our communities, our world? How can we build up our own internal libraries of information that can filter through the guises of false leadership? The traits of false leadership can be recognized through observati...

Transformation:  -a complete change in the appearance or character of something or someone, especially so that that thing or person is improved. I woke up today realizing a few things that seem obvious to me, but that I haven't actually put into words before about the 'transformation' I'm consciously trying to invoke. Look around and notice all the "transformations" taking place - it's everywhere - advertisements, blogs, vlogs, shows, movies, books, articles, seminars... Many people are going through many changes, in a sort of Chrysalis of humanity. I believe there are myriad ways these changes are occurring, depending on where each of us are in our individual and collective journeys. At its most visible are the physical transformations people focus on - the diets, workouts, weight loss, strength conditioning, appearance... Personally, physical transformation is low on my list; however, physical health and well-being are important for energy, so I do what...

“I am learning to live between effort and surrender. I do my best and hope for what I want but do not resist the direction of the wind.” Anonymous   The problem with words is that they can have various meanings, and then when a sentence is put together, the message can branch out in different ways. I try to use sentences succinctly when direct information is being communicated, yet there's the creative side that likes to meander with meaning, where phrasing is just as important as the essences being conveyed. This is why songwriting and poetry are beautiful ways of expressing multiple ideas in simple formats. The title "Fighting for Surrender" is one of those paradoxical word-plays. Obviously, I'm not talking about picking up a sword and battling for the ability to raise a white flag in defeat. I'm talking about the internal conflict between 'action/reaction' and 'acquiescence' - that struggle back and forth with taking life by the horns and allo...

    “Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own thoughts unguarded. But once mastered, no one can help you as much...”  ~ The Dhammapada (a collection of Buddhist verses) There is no worse enemy in your life than you, but don't worry, everyone is their own worst enemy, so even if you think you have enemies, those enemies are doing a horrible number on themselves as well, so you don't have to do anything about them (like spending energy trying to trip them up or something). Focus on getting out of your own way, the rest will fall into place. Enemy-schnenemy. 1. You Have No Enemies. Stop thinking that certain people are 'out to get you' or 'not there for you'. Who cares? If you keep depending on others, for good or bad, you're doomed to a life of anxious depression and non-risk-taking (boredom). Maybe there are people actually out to get you, so what? Are you gonna live your life looking over your shoulder all the time? In reality, you're prob...