With the Sun

The beautiful sunsets don’t get old. As the days get shorter and darker, it’s always nice to feel the natural beauty. It’s a reminder for how good we really have it.

The Calm Before

The Bay Area had some weird Midwest-like thunderstorms last night and this morning, which is really rare for California in August. We just don’t typically get that kind of weather. After having a bit of a lie-in, I did my routine this morning and felt that eerie quiet before the storm, or between storms. One side of the sky was turning into a clear sunny day, while the opposite remained dark and foreboding. The barometric pressure felt off—the dog even didn’t want to go on a walk. It made me think of the calm before the storm that is now—a new school year unlike any other is upon us. Autumn isn’t quite here yet but is well on its way. It feels as if there’s a shift occurring. We seem to be no closer to ridding ourselves of the coronavirus, and it’s almost as if there’s an acceptance to it. In the moments of inhalation before the plunge, it’s wise to reflect with one's heightened awareness. Where are we now as a society? Where are we going? There are no easy answers, but if we keep such questions top-of-mind, we will be more conscious of possible solutions. Remember to pause after the intake of breath, to pause before the leap. There is no fatalism to our predicament. We make our own luck, influence our own fate, and create our own destiny. Here we go.

Nature’s Influences

The differences between these United States can be simultaneously fascinating and disconcerting. Here in Arizona there is a wildness, a greater sense of freedom and self-reliance than in California. Many of the differences between the diverse states derive from the different landscapes and environments; the nation is varied and vast. The red rocks and sea of desert surrounding Sedona and much of Arizona enforces a can-do tough confidence. My home in the Bay Area of California resides in a valley between a forested mountain range and a grassy set of hills. It feels different. From the dissimilar ecological systems comes different cultures, separate histories. All these factors forge different narratives in each region. When you let go and take in all these inputs and wonderings, it’s enthralling. But we must celebrate our diversity and make common cause with the humanistic principles that keep us United. Our path forward as one people, and one day as one species, lies through reason, using science, towards freedom and equality for all. 

Acting as One

Have you noticed the most powerful things we say to each other are words of kindness, of truth, of equanimity? Think back to a time you were proud of your speech, and it won’t be one of anger or frustration. Our real power comes from love. The current conditions, as they have always done, are allowing us to learn that lesson. Whether we know it yet or not, we are one. It’s time for us to act like it. 

Color of Life

I remember when I was a young child I heard my Grandpa mention a black and white movie. Later I asked my Dad, “so when did the world turn into color?” I thought in the 1940s, at least in the 1800s, the world was devoid of all but those 2 colors.

Life isn’t black and white. There’s complexity, and diversity, and flourish. It’s the intricacy of our experience that keeps life interesting. If we periodically make sure we pause and appreciate that fact, we reset, and we recognize that it truly is one big beautiful amazing world. 

Caring Outside

There are people out this weekend. And I think that’s a good thing, if people do it safely. There’s very little chance of transmission when socially distancing outdoors. 

Getting out in nature grounds us. It reconnects us back to this very special rock we live on. There is something spiritual about walking through a quiet forest, meandering through a grassy meadow, or climbing up a tall mountain.  It’s calming, it’s soothing, it’s refreshing. 

It’s okay to take a break. Enjoy the nice weather this weekend, responsibly. Get your “Colors of the Wind” on. Let’s take care of each other, but also remember to take care of ourselves. 

Mitigation in 5

We are concerned about and reacting to the coronavirus pandemic because it is disrupting our civilization. But as terrible as this epidemic is, it’s nothing compared to the horrific effects of climate change. Covid-19 is killing thousands of people all over the world. Climate change will kill millions of species across the planet.

What kind of world do we want to leave for our children? Do we want a world for our grandchildren?

Just as we are mitigating the spread of the coronavirus, there are simple things every single first world citizen can do to mitigate the advance of climate change:

1. Eat less meat. Limit meat consumption to once or twice a week.

2. Drive less. Make less trips, walk or cycle, or take public transportation.

3. Mind purchases of goods and services. Support companies that benefit the planet.

4. Reduce consumption. Borrow and lend items. Reuse what is already owned, and recycle everything possible.

5. Discuss climate change regularly. Motivate others. Inspire.

Are these suggestions fun? No, they are not. Are they easy? Not necessarily. Are they simple? Incredibly so. We can bemoan inconvenience and lifestyle changes, or we can mourn the loss of the planet as we know it. The choice is ours, and it’s a simple one.

Let’s keep the world big, beautiful, and amazing. We can do this. Think of humanity’s future. Spread global consciousness. What kind of world do we want to leave our children?

Movement and Gratitude FTW

I’m reminded by a quote I came across from way back when I would frequent Reddit every day: “Was it a bad day or just a bad 5 minutes that you milked all day?” Yesterday I definitely struggled with the latter. And sometimes it can be hard. For as much as I talk about collectively changing the world together, there are times when I’m just not happy or just plain don’t feel well. There are 2 things I’ve found that have helped the most—exercise, and a return to gratitude. 

Sweating, and getting as close as you can to your physical limit, just helps get it out. Science has been clamoring to figure it out over the past few decades—we release endorphins, our hormones change, we actually sweat out any toxins in our body, the movement gets our heart pumping and blood flowing. All I know is movement works.

The second one, a return to gratitude—now that sounds a lot like hippie nonsense doesn’t it? But I mean ‘return’ in the sense that when we’re upset or agitated, it almost feels like our mind is in a different place. If we inch towards a place of gratitude, where we can truly feel grateful for the current conditions and circumstances of our life, we move away from that tormenting place. It requires you sit with it, and that can often be painful. But as you sit with it, you realize you can’t deny how much there is to be grateful for. You can’t deny how amazing the simple fact that you’re alive is, alive in this wondrous thing we call the universe, on this amazing planet with all its narwhals and wildflowers. And suddenly, those agitations and feelings of torment feel very small and insignificant, compared to the grand source that is physical reality.

As Alan Watts said, we are under no obligation to be who we were five minutes ago. With exercise and gratitude, we return to our basic freedom of being human and contributing to the universe. Let’s change the world.

Hope in Extraordinary Times

I had a thought yesterday—that one day, right now will be remembered as the good ol’ days. Even with shelter-in-place, with being separated from loved ones and not living the life we are accustomed to enjoying, life is still grand.

Sure, these are extraordinary times we are living in. Unprecedented. Awesome, in the pure sense of the word. Did any of us even imagine today’s world? Yes, it’s horrible. People are sick, people are dying. Coming to terms with that hurts your soul on a very visceral level. But this pandemic can also serve as a great teacher.

Look how far we’ve come as a species. Things were not perfect before Covid-19, far from it, but they were still an infinite improvement on daily life in the 1800s, or the Middle Ages, or 2000 years ago. We have made great progress. Hopefully this pandemic can shed some light upon that reality. Hopefully the pandemic also brings us closer together. Hopefully it makes plain that we are one large group of primates spread across the surface of a floating sphere in space. That we are all interconnected; this interconnectivity flows through every living thing on this planet.

This pandemic is revealing how “ordinary” people can be heroes. Our healthcare workers are proving the word ‘duty’ isn’t solely owned by the military. “Ordinary” people are demonstrating we do indeed live in communities, that it’s possible, even when it’s difficult, to be a good neighbor. I walk the sidewalks, adorned with uplifting chalk messages drawn by children, filled with hope.

Hope that we see. Hope that we learn. Hope is contagious. Spread it. We can do this. We can emerge from this global crisis stronger than before, more connected than before, more committed to our ideals than before. We can emerge with a greater sense of humanity, with more collective discipline and more resolve. We can change this world. It starts with a little bit of hope.

Rejecting Normal

Everything can be normalized, even a pandemic. Zoom hangouts galore, and we still aren’t getting our fix of social interaction. There’s the revealing power of routine in our daily lives, now that we’re conscious of it. And there’s the great struggle for balance: can you stay current on current events without becoming addicted to the media machine? Can you be productive, contribute to society and the world, and still live an interesting adventure?

It’s a strange, strange world. But it was before all of this started, and besides, it’s also a beautiful, amazing one. We are what we think about. We embody what we do. Our choices and actions encapsulate who we are.

All of this comes to the fore when you awaken at dawn and experience the rising morning light. We are one species of millions on a planet among billions in the Milky Way, just one galaxy of trillions in the universe. Even in shelter-in-place, life is pretty amazing.

Stay away from normal. We are anything but ordinary.

Pollution Spurs

They say life is a journey. I think some days harbor more progress than others. Today was one: hiking up a mountain to some temples in Chiang Mai’s “smokey season” made me reflect critically on my worldview. I see very little give for putting so many (millions) people’s health at risk. But we only ever truly walk in our own shoes. It’s important to remember that too. Outside-in perspective. It truly is a big beautiful amazing world—and we need to take care of it.

An Elephant Day

Well I had never touched an elephant before. I guess there’s a first time for everything. I’ve seen African elephants in the wild, big bruising bulls and large herds with babies. It’s majestic when you watch them. But outside of a zoo, Asian elephants were new to me. After spending some good time with always-hungry Kamdi, insistent Kam-Noi, and laid back Samlan, I can confirm they’re beautiful, intelligent creatures. How cool is it that Earth has elephants?! They have trunks! And they’re huge! They really are gentle giants. I was pretty nervous to feed them the first time, but after some one-on-one time with Samlan and then Kamdi, I couldn’t get enough of them. After lunch and between activities I would hurry over to the elephant yard to spend time with them. I was amazed by our connection—I could feel their emotions, I could sense their mood and disposition. I know they could feel mine as well. In that sense, it was similar to the bond you develop with a dog—if your dog weighed 7000 pounds. It was utterly surreal, and I’ll always remember my day with the elephants.

During this whole experience today, something kept churning in the back of my mind. I even voiced it to Kamdi when were hanging out together. If we want to enjoy an incredibly diverse planet, with jungles and elephants, we need to halt and reverse climate change. The media already tells you how badly it will affect coastal regions and the world’s poorest humans. But it will impact these magnificent creatures, and so many others, just as much. Do you want your children to read about elephants and tigers and polar bears in books? Or do you want them to physically experience them with their own eyes? The choice is ours. Act now, or teach regret in our history books. We can do this. We can change the world. If not for ourselves, do it for those who will come after us. Do it for the elephants.

To Chase a Waterfall

Chasing waterfalls has entered the lexicon of travel sites and bloggers. It suggests people actually hunt for them as items to collect. But what is a waterfall? I see them as true spiritual manifestations of our reality. There’s something special about watching a waterfall, no matter how small. Splendor draws you in; it’s our planet’s most unique and precious resource, bending to gravity, returning back to Earth. There’s a timelessness in observing them, with how they’ve shaped the surrounding landscape. In the billions of years of Earth’s history, you are witnessing the way the water flows in this particular iteration of the environment, right now. Maybe chasing waterfalls just means you’re looking for that connection to the Earth, to the Universe. A waterfall offers that connection, a window to the magnificence of the present moment. 

The Power of Sunset

There’s something special about watching a beautiful sunset. Every one is completely unique and a one-time event, never to be seen again. You can pretty much watch a sunset from anywhere in the world. And there’s the timelessness element. Every single one of our ancestors has watched a sunset. That’s what our ancient forebears did. They were done with their work for the day by the time sunset rolled around, and simply enjoyed Earth’s natural beauty. They observed the stillness of the world, the changing from day to night. We can do it too, and doing so somehow connects us to them. It grounds us to the Earth, the only home humanity has ever known. When we enjoy a sunset, we are a part of it all—our progenitors, our planet, the elements. Sunsets provide peace through to the dawn. Let's watch more. It will bring our species closer together, and reconnect us with the Earth.

Rainforest Therapy

There’s so much going on in the news world right now—sometimes you just need to go for a walk in the rainforest.

Instead of browsing headlines and scanning articles, it was much more relaxing to search for wildlife and appreciate the scenery. 

It’s amazing how alive the rainforest is, even in the middle of the day. Birds sing and call, insects hum with activity, and there’s that constant sound of water. Even an environment as busy as the rainforest is refreshing, as if your body is telling you “you’re supposed to be here.”

Sometimes to take a break from all the noise in the world, we only have to immerse ourselves in the noise, or silence, of nature.