Never Forget – You Are A Stranger In A Strange Land

Drought Confrontation

Have you ever gone somewhere new? (I’m hoping you answer yes)

You know that feeling you get when everything is foreign. You don’t know where anything is. You have to ask for help finding basic things, bathroom, food, shelter. Maybe you don’t even speak the language. You have to find someone that you can communicate with. You have to search for a base camp to begin your investigation of this new place. Searching this new destination hoping to find a friendly face. Seeking for common threads. Looking for a way to understand and interpret your new surroundings.

 

It can be any situation. Moving to a new home or country. Taking a new job. Talking to someone you’ve never met before. Even when you go on vacation to relax, you can find yourself somewhere new in unknown surroundings. Sometimes it can be fun, and sometimes it can be really stressful. Often it’s a bit of both.

 

It is pretty typical on day one to have all these feelings. Survival mode can kick in if you don’t find a common anchor. Where am I? What am I doing? Where will my needs be met?

 

Then you get your groove on. You figure out where you fit in in this new place. You establish patterns. You build up a list of favorite spots. Maybe you find a hiking path that you start to take every morning. Maybe you find a favorite coffee shop that you go to every day. Maybe every Tuesday you go to the same place for lunch. You establish patterns. You figure out what works for you. You lock it in.

 

You are no longer a stranger. Now this is your new home. Maybe you’ll be staying for a couple weeks. Maybe you will be here for a few years. But you’ve found a way to make it work and you’re in your groove.

 

And now, you’ve lost your edge. When you first go to a new place, everything is new. You notice everything. Everything is significant. Once you’ve been there for a while, you have established your patterns. You have decided what is important and decided what to ignore. The fresh is gone, and with it the awareness. Your acute sense of what is around you dulls down as it goes from new to familiar.

 

Our life here on earth is exactly like this. It’s astonishing for the first few years. Everything is amazing. Everything is so vivid. Everything is alive and vital.

 

We learn as we age. We figure out what to pay attention to and what to ignore. We establish patterns. But there is a lot that we’ve just learned to block out. Some good. Some bad. But we’ve lost our edge. We’ve shut down to the awareness of where we are and what we’re doing here. We may have even forgotten why we travelled here in the first place.

 

Never forget. You are a stranger in a strange land.

 

Namaste,

Kevin

Drought Confrontation

Losing My Sciligion (aka science as a religion)

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That’s me in the corner

That’s me in the spotlight

Losing my Sciligion…

 

It’s a frequent comment these days, “It seems that people have replaced religion with science.” Unfortunately, as is our tendency as human beings, we’ve been far too literal. People have literally replaced religion with science. Replacing one belief system with another.

 

Science isn’t supposed to be a belief system.

It’s not supposed to get bogged down with dogma and stigma and beliefs.

But it has become that.

 

There is a ruling class.

There are priests.

There are holy books.

There are even cults of science.

 

Science has become the new religion, and not in a good wholesome way.

 

People establish a framework of beliefs and don’t allow logic (aka science) to change their beliefs about their sciligion. We have groups of people being oppressed by scientific dogma. We have people being ostracized for their radical ideas. There are areas of inquiry that will get you laughed out of a room of “scientific” people. Areas of thought that aren’t allowed.

Does that sound like science to you?

Or does it sound more familiar, like old ways of thinking, like, for example, religion.

 

Science has become, to a great many people, Sciligion.

 

Think about some of the following statements:

“The bible says…”

“Well science says…”

“This is what C.S. Lewis says about pain…”

“This is what Einstein says about the universe…”

 

Just because Einstein is quoted as having said something doesn’t make it scientific. You shouldn’t be able to win an argument by saying “Well this is what Carl Sagan believed…” It’s belief, it’s dogma, it’s not the scientific method, it’s the religious method.

 

We are built to believe. We establish parameters and beliefs within which we process the rest of the world around us… But that is not scientific, that is psychological.

 

To be truly scientific you have to allow your fundamental concepts to be overturned. You have to allow for your fundamental thesis to be wrong. You have to allow for experiments and evidence to guide you to the answer.

 

Please don’t get me wrong, belief it important. Belief is powerful. But belief is belief, it is not science. Even if your beliefs are based on science at some point you’ve gone off the rails of fact and wandered into the fields of belief. Everybody has. But the scientifically minding is willing to accept they have done this. The Sciligious on the other hand believes they are above this failing and incapable of being wrong. Sound familiar? Perhaps the Pharisees of the bible could teach a thing of two to the Sciligious of today.

 

The next time someone challenges your foundation. Don’t correct them. Don’t tell them they’re wrong. Thank them for shaking things up a bit and do the research. Look into the facts. Don’t rebuttal with your beliefs. That’s just the blind leading the blind. If you think you’re scientifically minded, then be scientific.

 

If you want to operate out of your beliefs, that’s perfectly okay, but don’t call it science. Call it sciligion.

 

Namaste,

Kevin

Hooded figures in barren landscape

The Path To the Dark Side

needle and injection in bottle

“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” – Yoda

 

There is a lot of fear going around right now. It’s epidemic and people don’t even know they’re suffering from it. In some ways it feels like we’re moments away from an outright rebellion where they drag the heretics out into the street and demand they repent or feel the wrath of the sword.

 

Who the heretic are, and the nature of the religion being pushed, is subject to change. It seems to shift every 6 months or so, but the goal always seems to be the same. To redirect energies and channel fear, to funnel hate at a group that is perceived as messing up things for everybody else. It can be fun, or at least academic, when you’re on the outside and can choose which side to judge, the haters or the hated. It’s an interesting mental exercise when you get to walk around treating it as a philosophical argument. But when public attention shifts, and your group is being thrown under the bus of public derision, you suddenly realize how non-academic it is.

 

Today it’s people screaming for the heads of anti-vaccers. Throw them out. Make them do it. Why should we suffer for their freedom?

Yesterday it was Homosexuals seeking marriage. Throw them out. Don’t let them do it. Why should we suffer for their freedom?

Before that it was illegal immigrants. Throw them out. Don’t let them back in. Why should we suffer for their freedom?

 

As a loving individual where do you step in? What do you do as a kind and caring individual to defend the right of others to exist and expect equal treatment? When can you take the time to realize that the argument being put against these individuals is driven by fear. When do you accept that your love needs to step in for all instances and say “Enough is enough, stop the hate!”

 

Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

We need to stop our descent down the path to the dark side. You’re being eaten up by a disease far more insidious than measles, it’s hate. There is no vaccine for hate. There is only one known cure, love.

Give someone a hug today and tell them, “I don’t care what you believe, you’re special and loved.”

Namaste,

Kevin

needle and injection in bottle

Become a Creative Force

What is art? What is novel? What is creativity?

Usually, when I come up with a neat idea for something new, I talk myself out of doing it. There is a little voice of ‘reason’ in my head that guide me through the thought process.

It starts with an idea, (bing) the lightbulb in my mind clicks on.

Then the nerd chorus in my head jumps in, “That would be so cool!”

Then the lawyer kicks in, “That’s really just derived from this other idea, so you’d have an intellectual property issue and would get sued.”

Then my politician kicks in, “Everything is really just derived creation. All new ideas come from variations on a theme.”

Then my critic kicks in, “That’s really not creative. It wouldn’t benefit anyone. No one would (read it/buy it/like it/engage with it). You really shouldn’t bother.”

Slowly my beautiful, bright lightbulb begins to fade, word by word. My enthusiasm drains as my lightbulb dims and my excitement withers and disappears.

By the time I’m done with this mental board meeting I’m usually pretty tired. And I’m usually ready to just move on. Once again, no actions have been performed. No creation has happened. Nothing comes out of this but me spinning my wheels…

The voices in my head are all right. They are also all wrong. Or maybe a better way of saying it is, that they are right, after a fashion, but that I also need to start ignoring them. I need to just create, because creation brings life, joy and wonder. It doesn’t really matter in the end if you are doing something never seen before, or if you are doing something that 100 people have already created in the past. You bring something entirely unique to your creation, you.

The other day I was preparing some carrots and dates for my daughter for a snack. I had a few out for her that she was already eating, and as I started looking at the carrots left on the cutting board, an idea popped in my head. I could make a train out of carrots and dates. So I started carving up the carrots into axels and cutting a steamer box. I made a little cable with an upright carrot stump, for the driver and used date circles for the wheels. My daughter was delighted! She said in an excited voice, “Mommy, Daddy made me a car!” Okay, I was a little deflated that she didn’t think it resembled a train, but just a little. I had actually had fun creating something for my daughter and she had responded with delight.

There are a couple key points I took away from this:

1) Share your art

Your creation is yours till you share it. When you share it the interpretation grows. It may become something you never thought it was. The act of sharing enhances the value, so don’t keep your creativity to yourself, it is selfish to not share.

2) Expect delight from your 5 year old audience

Okay, not everyone will react to your creation like a 5 year old getting a car made of carrots. But there is an audience out there for your creation. An audience that will react like a 5 year old getting a carrot car. Find that audience and dazzle them.

I’ve come to the conclusion that creativity acts like a muscle, if you use it the creativity muscle will strengthen. Practice your creativity. Come up with ideas. Execute those ideas. Share those ideas. Follow through.

If your idea seems derivative or already done, do it anyhow. Practice doing the same thing as other people have already done. It’s okay to rehash the past. It’s okay to reinvent the wheel. Build the same mousetrap. Maybe the world won’t beat a path to your door. But your life will blossom and your creativity will strengthen.

Any time something becomes hugely popular people criticize it as derivative. I’ve often found it interesting that Harry Potter, one of the best selling book series of all time, is criticized as being derivative. It has been viewed, by some, as a rehash of classic fantasy literature from the past 100 years and deriving from ancient mythology. But at the end of the day, fans don’t care. People love Harry Potter, myself included. Its classic themes enable the story to be compelling and engaging. At the end of the day J.K. Rowling has had a huge impact on the world and her creativity has benefited many millions of people. She wasn’t concerned with using derivative ideas or where her sources of inspiration came from. She focused her energy on executing her creation and wrote her story.

Write your story. Build your wheel. Share your idea. Create.

Namaste, Kevin

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You Have Been Served

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If you are reading this, I am giving you notice. You are special. You are gifted. You have power beyond the imagination of the world. The world doesn’t understand your ability, or your power. More importantly, you do not understand your abilities.

 

Your humility doesn’t do the world benefit. You need to accept your power by releasing yourself. Your mind is holding you back. The more you think you can, the less you can. You need to know you can.

 

Every building has a foundation. The foundation keeps the building solid. Protects it from earthquakes. Keeps the building from shifting.

 

You are not a building. You are a spiritual being. Your foundation keeps you in one place. But, you need to be mobile. Many of the stories you tell yourself, upon which you base your life, are in fact holding you back.

 

The narrative in your head will lead you to the path of average you are meant to be exceptional.

 

You need to wake up. You need to become aware. You have slept long enough.

 

As you realize your capabilities will be amazing. This is to be expected, don’t get cocky. As the saying goes: They gave me a badge for being humble. When I wore it they took it away.

 

All of this will be meaningless to you, until the timing is right. When the timing is right, you will not need anyone to say it to you.

 

You have been served.

 

Namaste,

 

Kevin

 

 

Inspired by Comedian Brett Butler. Thanks Brett for your appearance on Coast to Coast.

 

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What Amazing Thing Do You Do?

Rival Toddler Teams With Basketballs In Uniform

My 2 year old walked by with a ear to ear grin on his face and a big red bouncy ball in his hands. He’s still getting his words, but I could tell from his expression what he was thinking, “Watch This Magic Trick!”

 

The magic trick, the thing  that brought absolute wonder to his eyes and an expectation that I would marvel at his ability, was throwing the ball. He proceeded to throw the big red bouncy ball across the room and then laugh and giggle at how amazing it was. The follow on look in his eyes and the happy sounds from his mouth, stated clearly, “Did you See That? That was Amazing!!!”

 

It put a smile on my face to see so much joy and wonder. But it also gave me pause. What amazing thing do I do, that I no longer consider amazing?

 

I’ve thrown a ball recently, and I was pretty non-plused. But when I look back at all the hours and hours of practice I’ve had throwing a ball, I should be pretty impressed. I have fallen into a common trap that catches all of us, diminishing returns. “Yes, congratulations Kevin, you can throw a ball. You could throw a ball yesterday. What new thing can you do?”

 

In always seeking the new and exciting, we lose sight of the old and valuable.

 

What you can do today, is amazing. What you are already capable of would marvel any 2 year old. And, if you take a step back and view yourself from the outside, you should be able to take a deep breath of amazement and say “Wow, look at me go!”

 

So, as we are currently in the holiday season of giving, I invite you to give yourself a break. You kinda rock!

 

Namaste,

Kevin

 

 

Rival Toddler Teams With Basketballs In Uniform

My Problem With Sin

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I grew up with many confusing ideas about religion. When I say confusing, I mean non-logical and inconsistent. I don’t entirely regret it, because it is this inconsistency and not quite making sense that has pushed me spiritually to find something that does make sense. It has helped move me to the spiritual path that I am on today. So I can’t complain, I feel I am in a good place. At the same time there is always a nagging voice that causes me to revisit the ideas presented to me in my youth, in an attempt to understand the jumble of Christian thinking I was brought up on. With so many wonderful people living a life of faith in Christ it seems there must be something to it that I’ve missed.

 

One of the major stumbling blocks I ran into in my attempt to be Christian, was the problem of Sin. I grew up being taught that Sin was a thing, it had substance and accountability and was real. All your sins are written in the great book of life. All your sins must be paid for or repented for. And of course the primary concept of Christianity, that Christ in a moment on the cross took all the sins of humanity upon himself and paid the price for those sins. These are not the attributes of a non-entity, therefore in my mind sin was a thing. And all things, must be created. Ergo, God created sin and then made it my fault…

 

This has been a stumbling block for me. A point I cannot concede to a God that is supposed to be Love and Compassion. How is it that a God that is supposed to be Love would also create something designed to trip me up. A construct that the very nature of it’s substance causes me to be, literally, damned for all eternity?

 

In the past few weeks I’ve been undertaking treatment for Lyme Disease. My doctor has been very helpful in identifying that I have lyme disease and the appropriate treatment regiment. One evening as I was recovering from the days treatment and pondering life, I was struck by an epiphany. What if Sin was more like Lyme and less like a collection of scarlet letters? What if God was more like my Doctor and less like Judge Judy?

 

Let me explain. If sin is a created substance than my original concern with God holds up. But what if sin is more like disease? What if sin, instead of being a created substance was merely a description of the absence of spiritual health? Then, God, being more like my doctor, would be the compassionate healer that wants to help cure me of this spiritual disease. Instead of God being the sadistic judge that creates a legal snare and then catches me up in it and judges me for my failure.

 

I can’t say which is truth, but being able to identify a world model in which sin is something to get help for, as opposed to a tool of manipulation, is comforting. Seeing a God that wants to heal you as opposed to a God that wants to condemn you is a powerful change.

 

I still have many challenges I’m working through when it comes to the Christian bible and the stories I was brought up on. But it is comforting to me to find a God, behind the layers of inconsistencies I was taught, that may resemble the God of Love that I’ve heard so much about. My journey continues and my path is burgeoning with growth opportunities. But as I travel I wanted to share my epiphanies with you. I hope it helps in your path today.

 

Namaste,

Kevin

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The Natural Order

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The world is out of balance. You can feel it in when you wake in the morning. Sense it on the roadways. See it in the eyes of strangers.

 

Everything has a natural order to it.

 

But it is not our job to maintain order.

 

You cannot directly fix the world, but you can observe the imbalance. Through the observation you can see what needs go unmet and find ways to provide within this context. You can’t take responsibility for the imbalance, on the whole, but you can be a source of balance.

 

The universe has a balance to it, and that balance is maintained by universal forces beyond our control. All things naturally seek balance. Perceived imbalance is simply that, a perception. The larger system, the universe, seeks to balance. It is not a desire; it is a fact.

 

However, in the context of universal balance, there are cycles, waves if you will, of motion going toward and moving away from equilibrium. When you see the world out of balance in one direction or another you are witnessing a wave of motion around the greater center.

 

The scale of these movements can be hard to comprehend. These cycles may take months, years, or even many, many lifetimes.

 

A simple analogy, to help understand the bigger picture, is the predator/prey model. By understanding the balance sought between the hunter and the hunted, foxes and rabbits, we can gain an understanding of the larger system.

 

You need a certain number of foxes to keep the rabbit population under control. For example, if you have 1 fox for every 100 rabbits then both populations stay balanced. Each fox will eat a few rabbits. The foxes will have a few babies and the rabbits will have a few more babies and the balance maintains itself.

 

However, if one year the foxes are particularly successful at mating and have many more foxes, these new foxes will need more food. They will eat more rabbits and the rabbit population will decline. Over time the lack of sufficient rabbits will lead to a decline in the fox population.

 

Alternately, if you have too few foxes the rabbit population gets out of control, rabbits eat too much vegetation and with a lower food source the rabbit population declines.

 

Initially, from the outside, the cycles of death and birth appear random and dramatic. But a larger picture starts to form over time of the birth and death rates as you see the natural balance of the populations establish. You can even work out an equation to establish the ideal population of each creature within the system.

 

Each individual life still matters, but the picture of the larger system takes shape and balance can be observed.

 

What does this mean to you?

Should we form a foundation to protect the foxes?

Or start trapping rabbits?

Why should we care?

 

The foxes, the rabbits and the universal search for balance are all related. They all grant us a larger picture perspective on the search for balance and natural order in your own life. You don’t really have to worry about the rabbits or the foxes, the universe will take care of them.

 

For that matter you don’t have to worry about yourself. The universe will take care of you. Worry doesn’t create balance, the natural order of the system does.

 

If you learn how to flow with the universe, you ease the tension with the world around you.

 

If you continue to fight the universe in your attempt to swim upstream against the flow of balance, you will generate angst and discomfort.

 

Your destination is the same whether you flow or fight. The results are the same in both cases, but the experience is completely different. Would you rather life a life in harmony or live a life in conflict?

 

It is important to understand, even though you are subject to larger forces, you are not powerless. You are part of this system. As such you have an integral role in the systemic action and reaction. You are part of the problem and part of the solution.

 

Tap in to your intuition and awareness. Your action is still required in this world. But understanding how to apply that action can be best achieved through using your intuition and being aware.

 

Our attempts to access our intuition are undermined by the flooding of our senses provided by the world around us. The world we live in is bombarding our senses with input. It can be difficult to separate out wheat from the chaff. To retain what is valuable and release what is useless is a crucial skill. Intuitive impulses still exist, but they are drowned in the clutter of all the other input.

 

This muted awareness of our intuition leads to poor decision making. As we tap into our awareness and leverage the resulting intuitive impulses, the appropriate pathway becomes more clear. We can identify the path that will generate the least friction and align our personal goals with the actions of universal balance.

 

Living an intuitive life with appropriate awareness leads to personal balance. You can become a part of the change without feeling responsible for the change.

 

Thinking you must change the world yourself is daunting at best and impossible at worst. On the other hand, approaching your day in a way that enables you to live a balanced and fulfilled life, is liberating and empowering.

 

Be the change that you wish to see and let go of trying to alter the path of the universe. Instead become a peaceful part of the universal natural order.

 

The universe is already in motion and you are in good hands.

Namaste,

Kevin

 

Somebody Else’s Problem

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I was awoken to the sound of gushing water, it sounded like a geyser spraying out onto the road. My instincts kicked in, and I got out of bed and rushed to the window to see if I could identify the problem. I had heard this sound before at home, a broken sprinkler, but I was staying in someone else’s home. I got to the window and looked out, just as I suspected, a sprinkler head had broken off and was gushing out a geyser of water high into the air.

 

As I looked out and considered my options my logical brain awoke to meet up with my crisis brain. The mental conference call began.  I considered my options. As I assessed the situation I remembered that I was staying at my sister’s house and the sprinkler was on community property. There was no easy valve I could shut off. It wasn’t ‘my water’, it wasn’t even my sisters water. There was a home owners association to handle such a thing. In the middle of the night they wouldn’t even care. Nor did I have a way to reach them. I also reasoned that no one was being hurt by the geyser and that it could wait till morning. So really there was nothing I could do about it at the present moment. So I went back to bed. A few moments later I was fast asleep as the soothing sound of water splashing on pavement soothed my nerves and sent me off to dream land.

 

The remarkable thing about this story, to my mind, was my reaction of allowing it to not stress me. If it had been at my house, with my sprinkler I would have gone into a panic and rallied the troops (my dogs) we would have gone out and further assessed the situation. Gotten frustrated with the broken sprinkler, found a way to disable it, possibly have gone as far as fixing it (at 3am) and then spent the rest of the night agitated that I couldn’t sleep because I was so keyed up on adrenaline.

 

This to me was notable because in both cases it would have been mostly the same situation, but my perception of control and ownership would have caused me to escalate to a whole new level of alarm. My ability to handle the physical situation would have caused me to lose control of my mental situation. I can say this because I’ve been through it enough in the last few years to realize how I would have reacted, had I perceived the situation as “mine”.

 

Perhaps my stress reaction is just part of the  burden of ownership. It appears that I can handle situations just as well, if not better, if I perceive myself as being the assistant or an extra, instead of being the lead character. Allowing myself to become a supporting actor instead of the star of the show could actually enable me to live a more relaxed and burden free life.

 

Perhaps it will aid in my efforts not to be a control freak in other areas of my life… Well, maybe.

 

I read Hitchhiker’s Guide To the Galaxy, when I was in high school. One of my favorite parts was the S.E.P. field. There was a spaceship on earth parked right next to a large public area, but nobody was seeing it. The reasoning was, that it was hidden by an S.E.P. field (Somebody Else’s Problem). This distortion field caused the viewer to not see the ship when looking at it directly. You had to view it out of the corner of your eye. If you caught a glimpse and then tried to look at it directly it would simply disappear again.

 

I believe it is a valuable concept to apply to my life. I tend to take on everything that comes my way. I end up wasting a great deal of energy trying to deal with things I don’t even need to deal with. I need to learn when to apply an S.E.P. field, so I can see past these distractions to the things that actually matter.

 

Now, to learn the skill about when it’s appropriate to apply these fields and when to keep paying attention. I guess that’s a lesson for another time. Remember, don’t sweat the small stuff!

 

Namaste,

Kevin

 

 

 

Because You Are Too BIG

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Growing up is difficult.

I recently heard my wife explain to my daughter that she was too big to do something. At the age of 3 this can be difficult to understand. She remembers enjoying laying in a baby’s bouncy seat and just bouncing. However, the cloth structure is meant for a 15 lbs infant, not a 30 lbs. 3-year-old that wants a trampoline!

I recall often during my adolescence hearing “because you’re too small” or “because you’re too big”. It’s frustrating not being able to do what I used to do, and not being able to do what the adults are doing. When you are too short to ride the roller coaster or go on the water slide, and everyone around you appears to be ready but you.

We often think the process of growing up stops when we reach adult size. But all too often we find that we can’t do what we used to do, for one reason or another. Even worse, there are other things we still can’t do yet, and may never be able to do.

I can’t run off on a luxury cruise to the Bahamas today, that requires a little more planning and budget. I can’t spend the first day of summer vacation riding my bike down the park with my friends. Which reminds me, why did we agree to give up summer vacations when we become adults? I think adults need them more than kids do!

Regardless of where you are in life, it’s important to embrace the joy of what you can and not worry about the outliers. There will always be things you’ve outgrown and  things you aren’t up for yet. Don’t lose site of the wonder of the day by introducing the dissatisfaction engendered by the things you cannot do. Instead explore the possibilities and wonder of what you can do today.

Try not to worry about your perceived boundaries. There are a lot of advantages to being exactly who you are, where you are, and the size you are. You’re kind perfect right now. Enjoy.

Namaste,

Kevin