A Living in a Brave New World Moment

It is amazing to me to see the world through the eyes of compassion and love and the other day was a prime example of the Brave New World that we are already living in if we choose to see it that way.  These days I actually LOVE Bureaucracy.  I grew up hating places like the DMV, Court Houses, Government Buildings and the like.  The inner rebellion inside of me wanted to kick and scream against the system and run away, judging, clawing, biting.  These days, I SEE humans living and acting out in their lives all striving to become a better version of themselves, so, I choose to connect.  

I walked up the marble steps (after waiting for 45 minutes outside) into a lobby in which only 6 people waited in finely upholstered chairs.  A man greeted me with a helpful smile and I reflected back the same as he heard my story and informed me of the simple process of accomplishing what I needed to accomplish.  I trusted, sat down with my number and waited patiently as the TV screen flashed dozens of ways to make my tax preparation easy and free.  I like it!  I am more the kind of guy that is searching for the ways to become tax free, but, I say thank you when I do pay the taxes, trusting that my specific energy is being used to create a better land of the free.  

Before I knew it I was called to the counter of a woman whom talks loud and to the point, I was excited to meet her at her edginess, but as I arrived I was called next door to a man with a cast on his arm, a calm demeanor and a warm smile.  His presence relaxed me and we formed an instant bond.  I shared with him what I needed and we spent the rest of our time speaking about travel, perspective and the great gift of living in another country and how that can bring so much pleasure to enjoying our own home land.  His calmness was what the world needed, his peace was living in me and I walked away sharing how lovely it was to BE with him today.  I felt I had found a friend for life.  He left me with a piece of paper that described a way to get whatever I needed via the web in the future.  COOL! 

As I walked away this afternoon, I could not help to reflect on the ever-revolving topic in my life of creating our own reality.  The Brave New World in which I see is already here.  It is in the fabric of my interactions, the food I eat, the challenges I greet with ease and the wonder in which I see.  I find people helpful, skies full of clean air, fresh food and juice whenever I want, people helping each other and getting along, striving for growth and serving the moment.  I know I am living in this because in the one area where I would imagine I would be met with a harsh comment and a stiff neck, the IRS, I am met with a living Buddha, clear and concise and oh ever so nice!

A Long Time Overdue Post about My Return to Los Angeles

WRITTEN ON JANUARY 7th 2014 :-)

Arriving back to Los Angeles after 6 years has shown me what it must be like for all those people coming from various countries all over the world to settle and “make it” here in the big big city.  You arrive with eyes wide, everything is new, the air is fresh, the spirit of humanity is wide open and accepting and each moment is charges with a sense of awe and wonder.  You have a few thousand bucks in your pocket so you go on exploring and taking in the sites, acclimating yourself to the heartbeat of the culture, attempting to figure out where in this vast sea of humanity you fit in.  The clock ticks and the walls close around and somehow the city grows larger and larger and larger and larger and your perspective grows smaller and smaller and smaller and smaller and then BOOM, the crucial moment of desperation comes and one starts to think, “I need to survive, I have to my head above water, my dreams, my passion, my desire” turns into “Good morning ma’am, how may I help you?”  

And so begins the steady climb back out into the perspective that was so inherent upon arrival, the steady expansion that comes with diving into the sea of humanity and finding your wings that set you free to wander the long streets of our dreams in which we build, moment by moment, the great life we have held in our dreams for as long as we could remember.  What is the misconception of many people around the world is that people come to this city and end up achieving what seems to be overnight success.  Now if overnight was defined as 10 to 25 years of intense personal development, persistence and taking life to limits that no man has ever imagined, then yes, overnight success is exactly what it is, but I am very clear that the image that is painted in most peoples minds as a lucky break of instant success is achieved in extremely small percentages, if ever, cause even those that rise to fame and fortune (in whatever they do) quickly, it is very clear that if they do not become the type of person that is worthy of long term success in any field, then that instant gratification instantly digs them a hole of terror and self-loathing.

In my experience coming back this time, from all that I learned and even from the fact that I have been born and raised in this city, I am very clear that model of success in the west, and the far west like Los Angeles, is the ability to be grateful for all that exists here, for all the culture, all the chaos, all the perversities, all the glitz and glamour, all the beauty, all the paved streets, all the nice meals, smiles, american past times, hard times, good times, gypsies, bankers, hankers, loathers, posers, losers, choosers, movers, shakers, skaters, one night maters, haters, belaters, space invaders, collaborators, content creators, speakers, seekers, believers, high achievers, the little people, the big dreamers, the office sleepers, the ones whom reap rewards for no work, the ones whom work their fingers to the bone, the fast drivers, the north, south, east west anything goes, I love LA and whether your gay, bi, tran or straight, brown, purple red or slate green you always have a place to be here in the city of angels and if you stick around and keep on believing, everything you wish to SEE come to reality in your waking dream most certainly will be.  I choose to keep the faith and keep on believing that the Brave New Me is living in a Brave New World!