Freedom is an Inner Game

While many people today celebrate a sold sense of freedom that very few actually experience on a deep level in our country, I reflect back to 17 years ago.

As I watched the first firework shoot into the fading daylight just outside the Las Vegas Strip on July 4th, 2000, I received a call from Hospice that my mother had passed on.

While my friends broke down in tears, I celebrated deeply knowing that my mother had found her freedom from the agony and detriment of 2 years fighting cancer.

To this day, I celebrate her life and I reflect on the journey of personal freedom that I have embarked on since her passing.

I grew up trapped by my own intellect. Trapped and caged by what I thought I was supposed to do or supposed to be.

I fought aimlessly to please.

I strived to fit in and "do the right thing."

The American Dream never made sense to me. It didn't feel free. It felt constrictive and controlled.

The only freedom I felt was when I did drugs, drank excessively or rebelled against society in one way or another. That ended up leading to even more agony.

Then I found mediation and breathing techniques, travelled the world, spent 10 days in Silent Meditation (4 Times), took on a 3 hour daily practice and began to uncover a visceral experience of deep personal freedom that existed inside of me.

Freedom is an inner game. There is truly no free person in our world when they have not found freedom inside of them.

Nelson Mandela only became free locked in a cage.

People all over the world under the most harsh conditions find freedom in prayer, meditation and gratitude.

As I reflect on my Mom, My Personal Journey of Freedom and the Freedom of so many that have found it in the most unlikely places, I pose the following questions ...

Are you truly free?

If not, what could you do to be free now, in this moment?

Then, what could you do in this moment?

How would you BE in the world if you knew that you were truly free?

America is so good as sales, at marketing. Everyone prances around in a state of conceptual freedom while they follow the conditioned laws and ways of a culture designed by control (remember, it started that way, when the first settlers arrived and controlled or killed off the natives. The "Forefathers only set the intention of freedom after that, but the very foundation was counter to the intention and then echoed through the generations with racism, sexism and other isms and still echoes to this day).

And, many people don't even know they are being controlled as the media and advertising agencies have become masters at subtle manipulation.

With that said, there is also the people that are finding their way to true freedom by looking inside. Then, when they start to go outside they relate to the world on their terms and Start businesses and systems that reflect what they truly want.

I celebrate the few that are truly making their American Dream, in their way!

We always have remember, freedom is an inner game.

To keep coming back home to the only place that you are truly free.

That place deep inside that is always at peace.

I wish you the foundational intention of America within you, everyday in every way!

P.S. In the upcoming months I will be releasing a free ebook with the working title "Be Free Now - Crucial Life Lessons for Finding Peace in Uncertain Times" - Stay tuned :-)

Having Fun in the Court Room! Is That Possible? YES IT IS :-)

OK, this is a major turning point in breaking through the fears of the past and bringing enjoyment to something that I had great deal of boredom and negative emotion tied to. Does anyone get excited to go to court? I know I never have, but after today, I am!!!

So, I got a moving violation for actually communicating with a fellow driver, that driver giving me the right of way, me taking it and then getting an “unsafe lane change” ticket. I decided immediately that I will plead “not guilty” and take this to court -:) But a bit of a back story.  

Now, while living in India, Drivers communicate with each other and make moves accordingly, here in Los Angeles, we just follow rules and pray for safety, hence the ludicrous amount of accidents on any given day in LA. When you take human communication out of operating a motor vehicle, what you get it system breakdown.

In my case, I pulled up next to a bus driver that had been stopped for a while. I needed to make a right turn, I looked at the bus driver, we smiled, he waved me on in front of him, I turned happily and then… sirens, and you know the rest.

Now, Yesterday, after dragging the ticket out to court for 8 months, was my court date. In the days leading up to it, I felt a sense of nervousness, as I remember going to court quite a few times when I was young, and it was ALWAYS an impotent and negative experience.  My stomach churned for moments throughout the day when I thought about it. What was it bringing up? Well the childhood sense of “I am bad” “I have done something wrong””I am an outcast””I am not good enough” and on and on and on. 

It wasn’t until about 10 minutes before walking into the courthouse, after a loving hug and smile from my wife, that I decided to let go and have fun, be present and enjoy the process and see what happens (as I am doing with most similar experiences in life now).

This is what happened. 

I arrived to the room to see my past, a large group of other people with the same, 'I have done something wrong complex' whom all hung their heads and failed to look in each others eyes. Not me though, I connected,. I connected with the security downstairs, the people in line, the various beautiful woman ( a must :-) all the way to the bailiff whom greeted us with one of the most beautiful smiles I have ever seen. I told him that! He smiled even brighter. Come to find out, this guy was like a comedian, super funny, sharing about listening and what happens if we fail to listen. His ever expansive smile filled our hearts as we sat and waited for the judge. Then the judge comes out and the comedy of errors begins as he darts from one person to the next with quick comedic wit of a Jester. I am smiling from head to toe, this is amazing, the whole place falls into comedic uproar, and, I feel of sense of community in the room and a great deal of support for each and every character that walks up to the judge to give a plea. Violations from Arguments on Buses, to Storage in Parks, Speeding and tinted windows. Each and every story had a story behind it and I observed the magical play of life that was in this room and the beautiful humans that paused their life to clean the slate. We all had arrived there with a purpose to move forward with something. For most, it was to clear the ticket, but for me, it was to take the next step of the journey and give my simple plea of “Not Guilty” (with a smile). I LOVE LIFE!

Now, I got another 4 months before trial, and oh boy, I cannot wait to see what comes to life in the next court room chronicles.  Stay tuned ….

Wait, How Cool is This?!

I am in Nazereth and Jerusalem for Christmas!  Seriously, can I mention it again???  heheh.  After 30 years of going to the Church Christmas Celebration and watching magnificent plays about the story of Christmas and Jesus's Life and all that jazz and here I am, In the place where it all took place!  WOW.  hehehe.  Yeah, it makes me laugh a little cause I am not that touched really, but, I can imagine many intensely involved Christians and Catholics would have a serious face melting experience by the thought of being here during this time.  I am really not sure much Christmas Cheer will be going on all around, probably sprinkles of it here and there, probably some super serious mass will be going on, I have no idea, I just know that I am here and when I think of it, it's pretty cool.  I would think that my friends and family in the states would think so at least.  

Anyways, as of now, we have only seen the small (extremely small, even by Israeli standards) street market in Nazareth, there is a nice big tree in the middle of the square which was cool, I also saw some lights on the street lamps, but we were there during the day.  I am intrigued and interested to find out what goes on here during Christmas.  We have such an elaborate Celebration in the USA, with all the lights and shopping and parties and shopping and dinners and shopping and then it comes and goes, but the season is so joyful and warm.  It's almost like the whole Hallmark thing did something really magical to the Season of Christmas and Hanukkah and New Years.  

Here in Israel, people keep on working, the children definitely party during Hanukkah, but, I did not feel that sense of the season that all that consumerism and Hallmarkism brings in the states.  It was sort of like a passing breath, you knew it was happening, all the signs were there that it was happening, but it naturally came and went without needing to much attention. hmmm

Anyways, this is my 5th year out of the USA for the holidays.  Maybe next year I will be inspired to go back.  But again, this year, I AM IN JERUSALEM and NAZARETH for CHRISTMAS!  WOW!! 

Big love and laughs!

A nice post about Los Angeles by Derek Sivers and my response

First of all Read this post from Derek Sivers on LA, he has a nice outlook ....

http://sivers.org/la#comment-33888

Then this was my response as I spent most of my life there.


Nice one Derek!

I have a few things to add as I spent about 15 years in the city and was born just outside.  In all honesty, it was a love hate relationship struggle for me for a long time until I turned 30 and moved into a van on the banks of Palisades Park in Santa Monica.   Yes, you have to be full of optimism to take that plunge and I was but this is what I learned from the experience ....

1. There is quite a dynamic Metro system mingling throughout the city.  There is a bus from the beaches of Santa Monica, right to the heart of downtown LA.  There are many busses that run through the lanes of all the major streets and THEY ALLOW YOU TO PUT BIKES ON THE BUS, so you can move around when you get close to a destination.  Obviously to paint that whole entire city in Public Transport would be next to impossible, but it has come along way, and there is a great Underground downtown to the valleY.  Get a map, get confused and explore, I had a blast and ended up practically mastering it in a few months as I decided I would rather sit in traffic with a book and writing materials in hand then behind the wheel.

2.  The Spiritual Smorgasborg.  yeah I spelled that wrong, but there is an enormous spiritual community resting on the banks of Santa Monica Venice that will blow your mind!  Multiple events every evening, tons of uplifting music and workshops and even more optimism then you can ever imagine!  It is lovely.  I had a chance to start a small Conscious Community called 4DALOVE.org and had a blast doing it.  Get out your yoga mat and mingle with the healthy LIFERS, it completely transformed my life and was a gateway to INDIA, which is where I reside now.

3.  Learn to accept EVERYONE as they are.  LA has more people more more cultures doing more things then I have ever seen anywhere in the world.  If you can walk the city with an open mind and heart like a child, it is an endless display of creation and collaboration.  You can learn almost anything, play any style of music, learn any language, play any sport, meet any partner from any place in the world and you can also just take up a lounge chair and watch it all unfold, truly it is magic.

4.  More on the VAN.  Now, many people may think that living in a van is shameful and ludicrous.  But let me tell you how I turned it into the good life, free of rent in multi-million dollar property.  First, I parked regularly on the cliffs of Palisades Park.  The locals new I was there, but I worked a 9-5 while playing gigs, hosting events and having a social life so I wasn't there much more then the mornings.  My front yard was the most beautiful view overlooking Santa Monica Beach.  I would host pick nick, Yoga Classes and Play Music when I could.  My toilet had the same view and my shower was a 5 star Day Spa with all the mineral baths and extras the I indulged myself in just a few blocks away.  Sometimes I would drive up the coast and find another cliff to park on.  When I needed to go to the city late and did not feel like driving home, I just got in the back and rested.  I had a bike locked to the back for freedom and I just explored like I had just come to town, even though I had been there for the last 30 years.  Truly, it was some of the most vibrant days of my life.  Full Freedom, full connection, full on life for a fraction of the price as most rentals in the area are about 1500 for a shoe box not much larger then the inside of the van.

Anyways, I could go on and on as I am yearning to go back, but the right time will come.  If now is your time, open up and enjoy!