Bacchus, not only the name of the lovely video above, but also the Roman name for Dionysus, the god of wine and intoxication. Now, personally I don’t drink any alcohol, but let it serve as a metaphor as of course there are many ways to open doors. I found this story easy to relate to. We all recognize this grey-ish feeling when daily life has become an repetition of behavioral patterns. Best illustrated with that moment when a picture is taken and your smile, instead of joy is nothing but an automated muscle contraction. Quite empty… You find yourself trapped and when there’s no one else to notice it, that’s can be a very lonely feeling. But then, like the lady in this video, how wonderful to discover a way out. A doorway that lets you reconnect with joy, passion and mystery. A world where daily life is a dance, grey a rainbow of colors and you feel intoxicated by just being – observing and participating. Only question now is if you dare to leave life as you know it behind and enter that door? I hope you so!
At the end of the day, inner peace is what we all seek. It’s the motivation behind all our actions, although sometimes hidden or disguised. On Wikipedia, inner peace is explained as follows: (…) Inner peace (or peace of mind) refers to a state of being mentally and spiritually at peace, with enough knowledge and understanding to keep oneself strong in the face of discord or stress. Being “at peace” is considered by many to be healthy (homeostasis) and the opposite of being stressed or anxious. Peace of mind is generally associated with bliss, happiness and contentment (…). Now who doesn’t want that, right? And so we all go out and about to do things that hopefully will give us this sense of inner peace. This makes me wonder. Why do we go out, to find inner peace? In my desire for inner peace I often find myself running after things, people and circumstances, all of which are outside myself. I then remind myself that inner peace can only be found within. Otherwise it’d be called outer peace. I immediately feel this sense of light, calm and warmth. I no longer need to run, I can relax in knowing that all I desire lies within me. It’s already there, patiently waiting for me to be discovered.
Watching this short film was like dreaming or better; like reviving memories of a magical journey through India. In my case however – since I’ve not yet had the pleasure of experiencing India – it was like remembering a journey I never made. But it made me forget western society and opened my senses to another way of life – very refreshing. Filmmaker Brandon Li: “I tried to capture daily life in the Indian holy cities of Rishikesh, Haridwar, and Devprayag. This region lies in the foothills of the Himalayas where the Ganges River descends from the mountains. I visited not knowing what to expect, and I was both awed and saddened by the experience. The beauty of nature and the Hindu ceremonies contrasted with the poverty and suffering on the streets. The people I met had a high-spirited resilience that seemed to stem from surviving and maintaining their devotion through a challenging life”.
I already knew actor/comedian Jim Carrey was not just a ‘funny’ guy. When he gave this wonderful speech to introduce Eckhart Tolle, I saw a brilliant communicator of ‘awakening’ and a profoundly inspiring and open man. The speech he delivers for the 2014 graduates of Maharishi University of Management, is one that brings you invaluable words, insights and ideas. It’s in one word: AMAZING.
People are vulnerable as individuals and as a species. And fighting vulnerability is useless. No matter how hard you try. Simply because you can’t control everything and so your life can turn upside down at any moment of any day. You may be the King of the World, the Smartest Woman in the Universe or the Sexiest Man Alive; it won’t help. You can however hide from it. And most of us do. Behind a fancy job title, nice car or house. Interesting friends, a busy agenda, designer clothes or healthy hipster life style, but sooner or later vulnerability will find you. So what can you do? Well, it’s simple.
Simply face it and embrace it. Because when you embrace it, you no longer need to fight it. You no longer need to run or hide from it, by keeping up appearances and putting energy in this hopeless attempt to avoid the discomfort of feeling it. You can now be as you are, vulnerable, instead of pretending not to be. The way I see it: vulnerability is indestructible. So by letting it in and become a part of you, in a way that makes you indestructible. Daring to be vulnerable gives you power to be.
This film is worth 16 minutes of your time. Because it’s beautiful, it will make you feel good and inspired and it might just change the way you view your life and career. The filmmakers describe the story as follows: “Disillusioned with his life, Dr. John Kitchin abandons his career as a neurologist and moves to Pacific Beach. There, he undergoes a radical transformation into “SLOMO”, trading his lab coat for a pair of rollerblades and his IRA for a taste of divinity. To me Mr. Kitchin or “SLOMO”, is a hero. A true inspiration. Because he’s a guide, showing us that underneath what we call “reality”, divinity is waiting for to be discovered. And he has the courage to do so in his own unique way, regardless of what others think of him, asking nothing in return. Now you may not need to abandon your career, maybe you can incorporate it in your career – but either way, I hope you feel inspired to find your own taste of divinity.
From time to time it’s good to ask yourself: “Am I alive?” Because it’s not uncommon to just be busy doing what you’re always doing. To be caught up in a routine. And that routine may very well result in hours, days, weeks, months or even years of living, without actually being alive. Because there’s more to living, than just breathing. Imagine someone in a coma and it becomes clear… I recently attended a re-birthing workshop and I experienced the difference between A) normal breathing: a mostly shallow, kind of mechanic and unconscious way of getting the bare minimum of oxygen ‘shots’ and B) breathing with full awareness, in a rich flow, organic and fully open to receive life’s energy in all it’s splendor. It let me experience the meaning of the phrase: “Just because you breathe, doesn’t mean you’re alive”. And so I challenge you, as I challenge myself, to wonder: am I really alive or mostly just busy breathing?
