AndrewBrunelle.com

When you go with the gentle flow of the stream, your life flows easily and you get what you want through almost no direct action other than simple tasks and good luck.  But when you start paddling upstream, everything seems to be a struggle.  But I’ve come to realize that almost nothing we all want is upstream.  And even when we do achieve one of those upstream goals, it will not be as we expected and we will want more.  But society measures us for how far we can go upstream.  Every trophy or plaque we have on our wall demonstrates a time when we went upstream.  It is simply a diversion of who we are supposed to be.  Going upstream may get you some respect in the real world, but it is just another distraction from you going downstream to your purpose.  Even if the downstream path has some hard work, it will not feel as such, but feel like joyful self-expression.  Going downstream is simply being yourself.  And it is much more authentic to be yourself than to be someone else.

It may not be easier to be yourself, but it is defintely more joyful.  When you allow yourself to be, it opens up parts of you that can only exist when you are allowing this phenomenon to happen.  It is like tapping into a higher part of yourself, or as the new age people call it, your Higher Self.  Creative name, no?  It is almost as if you have wisdom you cannot possibly fathom ever learning in the real world, but it is inside of you somewhere and moving downstream only allows you to uncover more of it and use it to greater express yourself fully.  It is almost as if you are a conduit passing messages from a spiritual realm.  Many creative people call this state flow.  And I think they’re onto something.  Flowing is much less tiring than paddlling.  When you flow, you are simply along for the ride and any creativitybecomes effortless.  But when you are paddling upstream, you need to fight for everything you have and it is often most unpleasant.  This is why, most times, I choose to go downstream.

I often wondered how so many people could have created so many beautiful things in the world.  Be it writing or artwork, I’ll be willing to bet that most of these people were in the flow state when they created their masterpieces.  But they learned to harness the flow and use it to their advantage on a regular basis as to create many works of art that we still admire today.   All we need to do to harness this amazing ability is to do the same.  We need to stop paddling upstream and start harnessing downstream.  We just need to stop paddling and allow ourselves to go on our life’s path.  Maybe some of us are stuck behind a rock and we need help getting around it.  And some of us are attached to the praise we get for going upstream.  But all of that pales in comparison to truly following our life’s path, completely surrendering ourselves to it.  We need to just allow it into our lives.  It is definitely somewhere inside of us and we just need to find it.

Whatever brings  you the most joy, you must do.  And if you cannot fathom a way to earn a living doing so, just leave that up to the universe.  If there is a will, there is a way.  Why not make the most of our time here by exploring our deepest passions and immersing ourselves in the most abundant state of self-expression known to man?  And this may seem difficult from the outside, but on the inside looking out, it is such a joy to create that it does not even feel like the drudgery of work, but more like the joy of play.  And if a good percentage of the world can get into this state of joyous creation, just imagine how amazing we could make this world.  All it takes is the belief that is is possible.  Good luck.

People are as wealthy as the amount of value they give back to society.  We all give something to society (unless you are a bum) and it is the amount of value and the quality of that value which will determine how much we are paid for it.  But it is not just about the money.  It is also about the fulfillment we get from contributing.  If someone is not contributing whatsoever and is not a narcissistic personality disorder, than they will feel unfulfilled and probably depressed.  Sure, some of us have the ability to give more while some feel that it is out of their element to give, give, give, without receiving something in return.  And I agree that one should not give until he or she has nothing left to give because that is nothing short of self-sacrifice.  So, in order to make a compromise, I say if one is to provide good value, then one should be paid accordingly for that value.  And whomever receives that value should feel no regret in paying the correct amount for this value.  I would not suggest a Value Meal from McDonald’s as something you would pay accordingly for.

Some people love to think that all rich people are evil or self-centered.  While this may be true for a large percentage of these people, I know of many who are not the narcissistic people we all picture them as.  They are the few that look at life as having a set of rules that they must follow in order to reach their goals.  Becoming wealthy is something positive as long as it is accomplished through positive means.  Or, for the Buddhist population, constructive rather than destructive means.  If you need to destroy another to attain wealth, it is not for the highest good of all.  But if you start your wealth quest with positive intentions and continue with those intentions throughout your endeavor, you are on the constructive path.  It is through our creative self-expression that we truly shine our best.  It is, indeed, by following our passions that we can create wealth beyond our wildest dreams.  And when we are truly in our element, we will be able to outperform most people who do not have your niche as a passion and will begin to create amazing value potential.

If you have ever been in the flow state, where the work you are creating almost seems like it is coming from a higher power, then you have found your passion.  I know, in the past, when I would write in this blog, I would often get to the point where my fingers just flowed and I wasn’t even conscious of what I was typing, but when I read it back, it was so beautiful that all I could think of was, “Who wrote this?  This couldn’t have been me.”  But then I saw the true power of passion and flow.  Wouldn’t it be great if we all could harness this all the time?  Where we not only are in our element, but are also doing so well that we create such beauty we cannot even comprehend it at first.  When I look at some of the great artists’ work, I am astounded at what amazing capabilities the human body and mind have.  We all possess this quality to a degree.  All we need to do is nurture it and we will also be able to create massive value on a global scale.

I am working very hard on getting myself in optimal health and prosperity so I can be a better contributor to this blog and to other endeavors that will allow us all to become more conscious. Raising your consciousness is about the most important thing you can accomplish in your lifetime. At least I believe this to be true for myself. It is very challenging to do this, but with a concerted effort, I believe it is possible for a mass shift in consciousness on a global or even universal level. I sense a mass awakening is upon us, be it in the next ten years or the next fifty years, I can sense it intuitively. Something big is going to happen, but I am not exactly sure what. The only thing I am sure of is that it will change the paradigm by which we currently live our lives.

I have a feeling like it could have something to do with the magical 2012 number that the Mayan calendar followed. They called 2012 the end of history. Whatever that means in their context, I am not aware. But in my context, I feel that it is a unique step in our consciousness development where we no longer have the need for history because of our newfound perspective. As I see many people awakening in our world, I am almost certain that when this transformation happens, circumstances will be infintely better than they are today because the people involved will be of a highly conscious nature. Everyone’s survival needs will be taken care of and everyone will be allowed to pursue their passions. Almost every act will become effortless because it is stemming from a source of joy. The world will finally become the remarkable place it was meant to be.

Utopia is not the right word, but it is the first word that comes to mind. There are those pessimistic people who say utopias can’t work and that people will revert back to their old ways. They often say something about human nature. But if and when we have this transformational shift into a higher state of being, this way of thinking in a pessimistic way will be forgotten. Life will be so spectacular that it will be increasingly difficult to even have a negative thought. We will all work together, collectively, to rid the planet of all wrongdoing and create what we all crave: inner peace and happiness. If we all work together, we can and will fix what is wrong and encourage what is right. Now, I know wrong and write are subjective terms, so let me use constructive and destructive instead. There will be more construction and less destruction. Eventually, there will be only construction. There will be positive reinforcement of this construction and all of us will create what this world really needs. And so on and so forth.

This is just a vision I have for the future. Words cannot adequately describe it, but I feel that we all need to have this vision in our own way and then collaborate on which version is optimal for our expansion. We might as well get prepared for this now because I have no doubt that it is coming, but the exact date of this profound event is not in my awareness. I am sure that, in time, it will be. I just ask that everyone drop all their doubts and fears about what living in a paradise would be like. If we can think it, we can create it–together. That is the true magic of human nature.

I just wanted to wish all of my loyal readers a Happy Holidays. It has been both a good and a bad year for me on different fronts and I just wanted to reflect on how we sometimes take life for granted and forget why we are here. I really want to send out good will and peace towards all living things and allow us all to experience the joy that is our natural state. We live in this world and there are so many things that can make us happy, but there are also many things that can disrupt that happiness. But we choose how we react to certain events. If an event that we did not intend to happen happens, then we can either react to it or respond to it. If we react to it, we are simply doing what we are socially conditioned and biologically suited to do. If we respond, we do what it is we find natural, what we carefully choose and what brings us closer to joy. So much of our life is out of our control and if we decide to embrace joy on a global level, then I believe it will solve quite a bit of our problems. It may also help to live in the present. Present-minded thinking helps us be where we are right now and not somewhere in the past or off in the future. I can say that this is no easy task, but once you master it, life becomes better. With that said, I just wanted to wish everyone a happy holidays and to keep joy in mind because without it, there truly is no reason to live.

I was watching comedian Bill Hicks yesterday and he was at the end of his act this particular time and he was saying something like, “Does my act have a point?” He got around to explaining the point to his act, saying that life is like a ride that we get on, thinking it will be fun, but some people forget that what they are on is only a ride and get too attached to what they have acquired. But it’s okay, because it’s just a ride. Or you could view it as a game, like Steve Pavlina did. You can check his archives for Life: The Ultimate Game. I believe the whole message here is not to take life so seriously. See it as a form of entertainment. Detach yourself from any outcomes and just enjoy the ride. Be happy.

When you are playing a game, you are usually not overly attached to the outcome because it is just a game. And when you are on a ride, isn’t your sole purpose to have fun? Then why does having fun feel so good? Why is joy everythhing we search for? Why does everyone strive to be happy? Because we know that our natural state is joy and right now, the majority of us are not experiencing this joy. We know that we were happy before and we wish to be happy again. I find my joy in small pleasures, the everyday things that many people overlook. I don’t need a big party or lots of gifts at Christmas. What brings me joy are things like nature and a good idea. I realize our stay is not permanent here and I am taking the time to enjoy life in my own way. There is no one way to joy. Our lives are all so different and joy comes in many forms. For me, just the fact that I am still alive brings me some joy every day. Gratitude works wonders towards joy.

Right now, my minimalist quest is bringing me joy as well. I make it into a game most days. “What could I possibly get rid of today that is not in line with who I want to be?” The result is that I do so much more work on accomplishing this goal, and it doesn’t even feel like work. I think of ways to eliminate clutter and the ideas keep flowing. I am not attached to organization, I just enjoy doing it. And no, I do not have OCD. But you can joke that I do if you must. I’m also not so attached to minimalism. I just practice it as of now. It is a game I play now, but maybe not forever.

This ride has so many twists and turns that makes it worth riding in the first place. There is no predictability and you could be thrown off the ride at any time. But that’s why I think people ride it. It is called dangerous fun. We all know our time here is limited and if we spend our whole lives in fear of the unknown, how will we ever know anything? Education diminishes fear. If we spend all our time fearful of what might happen if we do this or do that, what kind of a life is that? What will you have left at the end but memories of you sitting in your house, pondering your darkest fears? At least do something. Write something. Read something. Enjoy the ride while it lasts. The carnival is moving out of town soon and the ride will have to relocate to someone else. Make the best of your time in your own way and live as though joy is your ultimate goal.

When it comes to embracing my passion, it is a no-brainer for me. Comedy is my bread and butter. I am looking for new and exciting places to perform and get this off the ground floor. It is going to take a massive commitment from me to pour all my heart into it, but I know it will be worth it in the long run. If I can successfully accomplish this goal of making a living from telling jokes and just clowning around onstage, I believe it will allow me to do so much more in addition. I need to do this. This is not just a want, but it is a must. There is no other reason to live as far as I am concerned. If I do not go after this goal whole-heartedly, then I have failed my reason for existence.

I do my own thing up there on the stage and I am outside what anyone would expect. I am still working to perfect my craft and be able to go for more than 20 minutes at a time. One liners are hard to memorize. But I find it is easier to put them into little stories or relatable categories and just flow from there. I take Jerry Seinfeld’s advice to leave the audience gasping for breath…because of the laughter, or maybe the laughing gas. I truly feel more alive when I do that than any other time and time seems to stand still. Writing a joke and performing it is one of my greatest joys and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I believe you know it when you have found your passion. For me, it is unquestionable.

I study comedians religiously and I know what works and what doesn’t. I know the whole format. I understand what audiences are looking for. I can market myself to a certain crowd, one who has intelligence, humor, and a bit of sarcasm left in them. I know the value of laughter. It is worth more than any money I will ever make. But it would certainly be great to do what I love and make enough money to go around. I am setting this intention in stone, putting it on my wall or on my laptop’s screensaver and reviewing how I can get closer to it every day. My mission is now in motion.

I put this on hold for awhile as I dealt with a health problem I was having as a result of the brain tumor I suffered with five years ago. But I learned something in this experience. I can’t let anything hold me back. I can’t let anything, no matter how debilitating, obstruct my dreams. I have a unique story to tell, one from the eyes of a survivor, and one that bears repeating. And it is always better to tell a story with humor and possibly some exaggerations, purely for comic effect. Whether it be a white lie about my lactose intolerant milkman, or a funny story about how my Amish friend never calls me anymore, it is a fun ride worth enduring. And I invite you to take your passion into full gear this week as well. What other reason do you have for getting out of bed every morning? To get the daily news?

Why can’t I just be normal? Probably because I do not want to be a carbon copy of conformity. I don’t want to become a victim of groupthink. And I certainly do not want to be susceptible to dogma. I don’t buy into the wisdom of crowds, nor do I accept consumerism. I don’t let fear shrink my perspective, nor do I use cliché terms to describe my life. I am unique, just like everyone else, but it is that uniqueness that separates me from the rest of the world. According to the type of brain cancer I had, I truly am one in a million. And I embrace that fact every day. I live in the present, not in the past or future because the present is all we truly have. The future does not exist, and when it does, it will be the present. And vice-versa for the past. I disrespect authority and challenge conventional wisdom. I am not a sheep, nor am I a sacrificial lamb. This is my creed. I take the road less traveled and the path those are afraid to navigate. And even though I may not be at the top of my game yet, I can see the forest for the trees. Well, I guess I use some cliché phrases. I think about death and where we are going in an associative way, not the dissociative way those Goth kids do. And this is why I simply don’t fit in. But I don’t justify my behavior from external approval. I can see the bigger picture. I know my lifestyle is worth something to me, and that it will help ease the burden on our ecosystem and I allow for myself to be.

I loathe politicians and know they only give us the illusion of freedom of choice. I think the education system is meant to just get us smart enough to be obedient to a system that is screwing us over big time. I embrace that fact and resist it to its very core. And I completely understand why our government thinks they need to wield more and more power over us because they are scared of a revolution. They are in a good position and if I were there, I’m not saying I would behave the same way, but I don’t think I would be willing to give up all my power, But I am not there, so I am not so attached to power. I am more attached to unconditional love, but I feel attachment is the root of all suffering. I am an Eastern man living in Western culture. I am a minimalist whose only interest is maximizing joy. I believe laughter truly is the best medicine and the side effects are a lot less severe than prescription drugs. But more importantly, I just am.

My inner child is still alive, my shadow self is running rampant, and my consciousness is on the rise. My mind is clear, my perception is in the present, and I take a universal perspective. I’m an optimistic nihilist who enjoys reading dark novels while looking at the lighter side of life. I’m an avid fan of dark comedies and think suicide can be funny. Take this for instance. “I’m suicidal, but I’m also a procrastinator, so I don’t think I’ll ever do it.” It is a joke I am currently working on. I can laugh at myself without my ego or pride getting in the way and I discount social conditioning. I am independent while at the same time interdependent. I believe Zen is basically sitting around doing nothing, but it feels good, so I run with it. I think the iPod must have been created by Satan and the iPhone, some people are too dependent on technology. I don’t derive my happiness from external circumstances, but rather bring happiness to them. I am a survivor who has no fear of death. As Forrest Gum once said, “Mama says that death is a part of life.” So true when you think about it. I believe in South Park’s reasoning that either it’s all okay or none of it’s okay. And if someone gets offended, well, they need to realize it is all a joke. You shouldn’t take life too seriously; no one gets out alive.

I believe the semicolon has its uses and the single quote is overrated. I believe email hurts the economy and also damages our spirit. I believe the best way to contact someone is through a hand-written letter. I hate phones and cell phone especially. I believe the best communication is face to face. I guess I’m just old-fashioned. I don’t even know what to call this post. Is ita mission statement or a manifesto? I’ve never been big on labels. Labels are very limiting. Just like judgments. I don’t judge people anymore than I judge myself. Who am I to judge? Even if I was a judge, I wouldn’t feel right. Who am I to say how people should live their lives? People need to make their own choices and live with the consequences, whether they are good or bad. I’m not here to save anyone. Let the Christians do that with their evangelical nature. I’m looking forward to the Rapture because I know I’ll be left behind. And I don’t think Jesus could leave anyone behind anyway. And I don’t want to say he’s not coming back, but I think when and if he does, he will get an iPod. How else is he going to listen to all the Christian rock music?

I believe that life is nothing but a dream, so peaceful and serene. I have been trying to become lucid in this dream. I believe if you cannot laugh at a situation, then you need to broaden your perspective. I live moment to moment and I have no regrets. This was fun. I’ll have to write something like this again. Until next time, do whatever you feel is right. Don’t become one of those robots I see running around like a chicken with their head cut off. Become what you aspire to be. What else do you have to do?

I wrote in my last post that I feel our species is headed for our ultimate destruction at an accelerated pace. And I am fine with it. I feel that the way our nature is, there really is nothing we can do to stop it. And that is completely all right with me. If we take a good look at all these things we’ve created in an attempt to discover some sort of meaning in our lives, we will be utterly shocked at how much destruction we’ve caused to the beautiful planet. It was fine for awhile. It really was. There weren’t so many of us, you know? But the accelerated pace at which we have reproduced, a quadrupling of the population in 150 years or so, we have to step back from our printing presses and our construction crews and take a good look at what we have done. We need to see the big picture. How far are we willing to go? How far will Planet Earth let us go? We see the temperatures spiking and it is almost like the Earth has a fever. Our home is getting sick. Yet we keep on clearing out forests and swamps to build minimalls and Wal*Marts. But I don’t think it will be for long.

But I have a distinct feeling the planet will be fine. The people, not so much. The Earth has tried to control our population, but we outsmarted it. We have protection against almost any disease it can throw at us. I’m living proof. A brain tumor growing from birth was an ultimate death sentence 100 years ago. Now, we have overstayed our welcome. And we can’t help ourselves. It is our nature to destroy the world around us for our own gratification. And it is not our fault. We grow up so detached from nature, from the environment, that we view it as something separate from us, something “out there,” instead of in our bones. I can totally see why people don’t have compassion for nature. They haven’t really experienced it very much. Living in cities and apartment complexes is hardly a naturalistic scene. And who even knows what we are doing. Is building more and more plazas and multiplexes going to make us feel better? In the short term, yes. But in the long run, I believe it will be the cause of our extinction.

I’ve heard a statistic, and it may be dated, but it stated that every eight seconds an acre of trees is cut down. Every eight seconds. That’s almost 400,000 acres of trees a year. Trees are vital to most life on Earth. Trees take in carbon dioxide and spit out oxygen for us to breathe. They also absorb a lot of the carbon dioxide from our car emissions and provide shade, a necessary entity. And it’s fine if we cut some trees down on a small scale, but this is ridiculous. But no one ever sees the big picture. You know why? Because no one is a part of the whole thing. It is all compartmentalized. It is like the Manhattan Project. Everyone does their part, but only a select few know the entire blueprint. And our inability to know how to fix this problem, and the amazing apathy about global warming I see every day when I look on message boards or Youtube videos is astounding.

Because of this, we are probably not going to last here on Earth as a civilized species for more than another 100-200 years. The population will reach 10 billion by 2050 and one billion Americans are projected to be living here by 2100. And then, due to our close quarters and unsustainable living practices, something is going to happen. An extinction event. Our life expectancies will go down rapidly, chaos will ensue. There will be a shortage of jobs, a shortage of places to live, a shortage of basically everything. Clean water will come at a premium. And I don’t think we’ll be able to weasel ourselves out of this situation. And that will be the end of us, the observer, the writer, the philosopher. And, like I said before, that is okay. If you look at this problem from the perspective of the entire physical universe, it is like losing less than a grain of sand. “But look at all we’ve accomplished.” It will all turn to dust. Impermanence. Everything is temporary. You cannot get too attached to anything, as it always changes. Seven years from now your body will have replaced every one of your cells.

So, to answer the age-old question “Where are we going?” I must say that we are going to our ultimate demise. It may take awhile, but it is a grim fact nonetheless. But it is the truth. As a species, I think we were too smart for our own good and found a way to control everything around us for a feeling of security that was never fully satisfied. The more land we control, the more we want to control. There is actually someone who bought space on the moon. He claimed the moon. Now real estate is going outside the planet. What does that say about our universe? Pretty soon, to steal a quote from Fight Club, there will be a Planet Starbucks. A Microsoft Galaxy. Just think how pissed the aliens from another galaxy would be if they found out they are now property of Microsoft, Inc. I would be, too.

Some people would say this is a pessimistic take on the state of the world. That is not so. It is basically a factual observation. It is facing the truth of what we have done. It is knowing that our lifestyles are unsustainable. It is knowing what factory farms are doing to our ecosystem. It is simply knowing that something is fucked up. And you can try and put it out of mind, drown out your sorrows with television, which ironically conveys a materialistic lifestyle only attainable by those who are rich far beyond your wildest dreams and only encourages you to buy more things you cannot afford and do not need at the expense of your wallet and the planet. But I don’t have any solutions. I know where we are and I know what we are doing is unsustainable, but no one is going to take this seriously. As the old quote goes, “Human beings cannot bear very much reality.” It will be our utter demise. We spend so much time trying to support a family or whatever else you do and when it comes time to worry about the sustainability of our species, no one has the time, nor the energy to put forth. It is a giant commitment. And everyone else around you is living lavishly while you are recycling aluminum cans and not buying new stuff. People start to talk about how you’ve lost your mind. And you eventually assimilate yourself back into the culture of unsustainability. Just so you can fit in again.

And every time you buy a new thing, a new car, a new stove, you get this feeling of temporary satisfaction, but then you go back down to the state I would call “normal.” And you need to buy something else to get that “high” again. And after you do that, you go down a bit below normal. And now you need more just to sustain that same feeling of satisfaction. And eventually, you have all this stuff in your house and you’re miserable because you are in credit card debt and have a foreclosure on your home. And then you’re living on the streets because you had to have that Hello Kitty desktop organizer/mp3 player. You’ve sold much of the stuff you bought and now you spend your whole life trying to get out of credit card debt, but the wages you get are so low that it seems impossible. And the planet is worse off because of all that wasted stuff you never got to use because you were too busy either working to pay for the stuff or out getting better, newer stuff. And you forgot. You forgot the key to happiness is inside yourself, not out there in some object of your desire. But now you remember. You remember that you no longer need all these things to be okay. You are okay right now. And now is all that really matters because you see the grim future ahead, and do your best to enjoy every passing moment.

And that may be the best we can do right now. Adopt a minimalist lifestyle, do not contribute to the consumption so much. Minimize our “ecological footprint.” Not drive so much, which is not so easy because most cities are designed for driving and not walking. Where I live there aren’t any sidewalks and every grocery store is at least five to ten miles away. But I can only do the best I can right now, but so can everyone else. It may lessen the blow on our species. I don’t want to see us crash and burn so quickly. Stop having so many kids in affluent nations. I can understand a woman giving birth to eight children in Africa because the odds of them all surviving are low. But in America, it is not necessary. Stop at one. This will slow the population growth if everyone does that. But I know what you are thinking. For every person who has one child, six or seven will have more. Yes, I know. But if you spread your message to many people, then maybe they’ll pay it forward to others and the message will spread everywhere. If we cannot control our nature, we can at least try to control our population. The more of us there are, the worse life gets for most of them. That’s all I have to say for today.

In our daily lives, I feel we have an intrinsic need to be inspired. We should focus on doing what fulfills us to our very core, to the point we no longer care if it makes us money, just that it puts us in a state of joy. I’ve been doing some soul searching lately looking for a solution to an impending problem with my career in the future and now that I got clarity from people around me, asking around and figuring out what it is I really want to do with my life, I get this sort of inspiration, where everything flows effortlessly. Becoming someone who can inspire others to make the same or similar changes in their lives is something I can only hope to accomplish. Being a model for improvement, for “creative self-expression,” as Steve Pavlina says in his latest podcast, which I listened to hours after I had the same realization he did. I somehow feel like reality is telling me what to do with my life, and all I need to do is keep working to align myself with it. I can fight it, or I can embrace it and come into resonance with my true purpose.

The whole catalyst for this new event happened five years ago with my brain tumor experience. It allowed me to see things through a different perspective, a perspective that is full of joy and abundance. It is seeing life with such inherent optimism that you just want to spread it throughout the world. It is living the way we truly were meant to. I’m not sure if this sort of thing makes sense to you, but it certainly makes sense to me. It is the only thing that keeps me going in the morning. It gives me so much strength just to embrace this purpose. And it feels so wonderful.

So, I know how much I enjoy writing and speaking and inspiring others to really see what you can accomplish if you really set your mind to something. I am planning on changing my career to one in communications and no longer wasting my time on the mathematics that are starting to be a royal pain. That part of me is now gone. But a better part has taken its place. I feel that if I can actively pursue this purpose, I can change lives. I can make people live better. I can do things that I never thought were possible. And this is what brings me closer and closer every day. Just thinking about my purpose and what I need to do to align myself fully with this purpose. If I can do this, then I will naturally be able to help others and be who I need to be.

When I get into my writing, and I have complete concentration, unlike I do right now, I feel like the writing is effortless. It just flows so naturally, because I am just being who I truly am. You can’t fake that. You just enjoy it so much, you feel like your heart will burst from the amount of joy that is contained within it. Even though I love to perform stand-up comedy, it is not the best contribution I can make. I can do more. I may keep the comedy on the side as a hobby, but truly helping people wake up and live the life they’ve always wanted is something I feel I can help others do. What I really need to do is keep working towards becoming the person who can do this effectively and consistently. And it will be an enjoyable process because I will enjoy the journey and the destination. That is why I know it will be worth it. It’s not about immediate results. It’s about relishing every experience.

Well, I hope this inspired someone out there in the blogosphere. I do what I can with what I have. I’m working on developing all my skills to communicate this better, and I can see remnants of improvement every day. It’s not about your life circumstances so much, it’s more about choosing to own your feelings and taking that joy into everything you do. You internally create the joy and express it outward into all of the things you do. And it allows for some intense inner peace. It is just very Zen. Just staying in the present flow state is worth its weight in gold. Good luck.

P.S. I guess the big problem I was having was what is called social drag, where people still identify you with the person you used to be. It’s just hard to get out of that, when everyone looks at you as a math person and you have moved so far away from that you never want to see another equation again. I’m a word man now. It certainly makes more sense now than ever before.

As many of you know who read this blog, I choose to live a simple life. This was a choice I made after getting ill with my brain cancer. Part of it was I saw all the trivial items that people buy as the trivial things they were. I even saw life for the trivial event it is. If you really think about it, with all the billions of people on this Earth, why is your life so special? People are born and people die every day. It is a fact of life. You could die today, you could die tomorrow, you could die 50 years from now. So, the question I asked myself was: What do I want to live for? I know I have shortcomings from the brain tumor and I am often unable to do things I once enjoyed, such as play sports and exercise without getting a headache. But I knew I could make some difference, something to put a positive spin on the life we all experience together. I feel that if I can make people feel good about themselves and help them to make the world a better place, I have done my job.

I am still in the process of aligning myself fully to this goal. There are a lot of distractions. But I have tried my best to limit those distractions. The way my mind works (now) is different from the way it used to work. My short-term memory can be shoddy at times and I have trouble concentrating if there is any noise around me. I am limited in many facets, but my ability to contribute is still there, beyond the shell that houses me. It often feels like a spirit is typing through my body, as if I am channeling wisdom from a higher source. And it is the only thing that truly allows me to forget about the limitations I have and move into the present. And that is the only time I truly have power. It is the time when I truly see everything in its true perspective. I don’t worry so much about all the things around me that could cuase stress or worry. I just tap into myself and let my fingers do the typing.

Stripping myself of all excess distractions is a work in process. There is just so much pressure to conform to societal norms. Social conditioning is just so powerful. If everyone around you still follows the script of social conditioning, then you are stuck in what is called social drag. You’ve undergone a radical shift in your thinking, but those around you still associate with the old script and the old you. For example, it is an unwritten rule that when you get out of school, you need to get a job or you are considered some kind of loser or bum. Even if the job leaves you miserable every day and you feel like there is no way out, you still need to slave at this workplace and subordinate to some guy who is just as miserable as you. But it’s not like we have a choice, right? Wrong.

If you can find a way to live comfortably without having to get a job, go for it. Understanding that meeting your needs independent of time is the most valuable commodity you can possibly imagine is the first step. You basically do what you want to do and make a great living anyway. I’ve read many books about people who follow this belief system and they are rich beyond anyone I know and they are completely fulfilled–because they are following their purpose. It is what they feel they must do. And doing it to them does not feel like work, it is an immense joy. It is a mindset rooted in abundance.

But, in order to pursue a dream like this, you need to burn bridges. You need to triage ruthlessly (borrowed from Steve Pavlina). Anything that either does not contribute to your purpose or (even worse) inhibits your purpose gets thrown or given away. You do everything you can to align yourself with the person you want to be. You start acting, looking, and speaking like the person you want to become. You start thinking the thoughts of success and a renowned faith that everything will work out okay. You put complete faith in the universe to bring you what you align yourselt with and then life gets easier. At least the part of your life that has to do with your purpose. I’m not saying doing your taxes will be a joy, but when you are in the flow state, you will just love the fact that you are alive. When you look at what you are accomplishing, you will be amazed. You will feel truly grateful that you are blessed with all these talents. You will become your purpose.

I am just so happy to be able to do this. It is a joy on so many levels. It allows me to express myself in ways I otherwise could not. This is where it all comes out and it feels wonderful. I abandon the trivial and work for principles that are everlasting. I become a man who is focused on service, rather than focused on personal achievement or stroking my ego. I no longer place my self-worth in external events because I have a sense of inner knowing that everything is all right. No matter what happens, my spirit is safe. The most fundamental part of me cannot be harmed, and that is the only part of me that truly matters. And if you haven’t made it here yet, don’t worry. Be patient. If you have the intention to do so, it will come. Things will not always go your way, but that’s okay. You have the power to choose your emotions. You have the power to respond and not react. You have the ability to invoke positive change in the world. And it will fulfill you more than anything you can imagine. Good luck.