Thursday, October 31, 2013

The Bigger on the Inside part

So when I titled this blog, I labeled it "bigger on the inside".  What does that even mean really?  Am I going to be eating more, filling myself with helium?  Nope.

If you know me, you'd know that I am a dude that has always loved to explore, and see new things, through my own eyes.  Well, that exploration has been both an outward journey, but also increasingly an inward one.  I always remember an ancient Chinese proverb I once heard:

"big has no outside, small has no inside".

We keep finding more and more stars at the edge of what we once thought was the frontier of space, and the particles that make up stuff seem to just keep breaking down into smaller and smaller parts.  Gotta love the proverbs.

Now I am not saying that I am going to take a look at my atoms, but I am going to work in essence on that which makes up my innerworld.  When I say bigger, I am referring to my essence, my spirit or soul even.  It is MY belief and opinion that this innerspace can be transformed.  Furthermore, I believe that when that inner space is expanded, optimized and nurtured, that it reflects outward into what we can call the material world.

So this innerspace, what is it comprised of?

For most of us its thoughts, and for most of us, these are repetitive thoughts.  For most of us.  Repetitive.  For many, it's feelings and emotions, again, many times triggered by thought.  (Can you see the repetitiveness?).  As I have learned from a great many teachings, we are also in a constant state of craving and aversion, thus many of our actions are based on fear and desire.

Underlying all of this is our own existence; it's the hum of universal vibration, the electricity which powers your circuits, your chi, prana, or lifeforce.  It's the right thought at the right moment that saves you.

You know what I am talking about.

It's that voice, seldom heard but always listening.  This is what I am hoping I can connect with more in the coming months.

There is a lot going on inside of all of us.  And I don't know about all of you, but I feel a little lost.  I feel a little overwhelmed sometimes as I am sure all of you out there do (and even more so if you have the next crop of humans to tend to).  Like you, I come from this planet, it's soil, air, water.  I am a carbon based life form, made up of the elements around me. We are all made of the same stardust.

I hired a dude who lives on Salt Spring Island to help me on my one year inner voyage.  His name is Brad and he is the CEO and founder of Cowabunga Life (http://cowabungalife.com/) and I've hired him as my life coach.  That's right, I said it, life coach.  So far his influence has had some great impacts.  He has reminded me to breath, and be grateful, and I have to say, after one month - I feel pretty terrific.  I do feel like I am getting bigger on the inside, maybe it's just that I have more air in my lungs...



Wednesday, October 30, 2013

This is what this is about

So a couple of years ago I decided to travel Canada on a budget of 1000 dollars.  I got into my Honda Civic with way more gear then I needed and began to make my way east, as far east as I could go in North America.  When I hit Cape Spear, Newfoundland, I swung around and began to head west.

After 10 weeks and over 15 thousand kilometers, I spent my last $20 getting to Tofino, on Vancouver island.  It was a journey of friendship, kindness, charity and clarity that redeveloped the way I see the world.  The world portrayed in the media and particularly the news, was not the one I had the pleasure of exploring.  People opened their hearts and their homes and even their wallets to make my One Grand Adventure a reality.  To all of you fine humans, I thank you from the bottom of my heart..

you can enjoy the Journey here:
http://theonegrandadventure.blogspot.ca/2011/06/t-minus-seven-days-and-counting.html

Well, my next endeavor is to explore living in a camper for one entire year.  It's an eight foot camper, that sits on the back of a truck.  I can attach and detach it which means it can be left stationary for brief interludes.  In a world where so many have so much more then they need, it makes perfectly logical sense.  Of course I don't have kids, I am single and am comfortable without a bunch of stuff.  So in essence it's not too hard.



I am hyper aware of the resources I have, and use pretty much everything I own on a regular basis.  I have to outsource for laundry and the odd shower, but the unit has a bathroom and kitchen.  There is an outdoor shower, with hot water heated via propane.  I'll get more into what specs the camper has in my next posts..

Why the hell am I doing this you ask?

I think the trend to living small is catching on as many of us in the western world realize what a waste of our lives it is to own large homes that cost a lot to power, heat and maintain.  Not to mention the time and energy required for cleaning and upkeep.  How many rooms get used fully?  How much space is designated for stuff that no longer has purpose?  Space is a luxury on a planet where entire generations of families in many countries live in one room structures that most of us in the western world wouldn't let our pets live in.

And selfishly this is a creative project to just keep writing, and journeying in my world of written word.  

Does this space cushion bring us more happiness or peace of mind?  Or does it push us further away from each other in a world where it seems we are increasingly facing more isolation because of the impacts of the digital world. Is the Ikea nesting instinct in full effect?  I am going to try and find out.