My Peyote Trip...

Flying down the tracks, Boston to NYC - heading to high school reunion. Came across some notes from Carlos Casteneda’s Journey to Xtlan.  These were my take aways, grasped concepts, captured thoughts (Summarized for the benefit of me and my mom.  Both of us read this book after the passing of my father who held it (and it's messages) up as a game-changer for him and his life):

1.     Lose your personal history – shed it from your being. What are the risks or challenges of trying to do this in an everyday world? Is the dialogue shift from “I have been…”  to now “I am…” or from “what I have done…” to “I am NY, London, Vermont, owner, starter/builder, father, teacher, ….

2.    Look for the signs.  What are they for you?  For me I see Frank’s death, now Greg’s, my daughters' mindset, Kendall's music, Oakley's speaking, Launch Money, Yoga, Boyd, Nick, Soul Degree, my wife, Darrin, Mandy, and so many more.

3.     Remodel your behavior to learn. Open up time to do what is meaningful, to read, write, be contemplative while being more efficient in utilizing hours in the day.     

4.    Don’t take yourself so seriously.  Relax, release, put ease into the struggle.  Self-importance does not add value or advantage.  Besides, you can’t appreciate the world around you if you’re focused on yourself. 

5.    Death is an advisor. Through the words of a memorial, through learning about legacy or the soul of a man, through sadness, grieving, tears?  Through forcing stark reflection on the fragility of life? 

6.    Go all the way (on something). Without any doubts, just experience what it means to fully trusting.  Accept that going all the way is worth the pursuit, that it won’t disappoint, that the ups/downs will be miracles at the least, and life altering at best. 

7.     Assume responsibility for being in this world.  Accept what has been so, but don’t dwell, rather live into what can be. 

8.    Accept that we don’t know what our best is yet.  And might never know it.  For this reason, don’t fear failure, there’s no such thing.

9.    We think we do (but we don’t) have plenty of time. The concept of time and clocks are a truth I wish was never created.

10. Don’t just agree.  Create your own personal revolution and take relevant actions. 

11.  Act as though this were your last Act. 

12. Make yourself accessible to power.  The forces that guide us, bring us together, to this situation, now in front of us.

Cheers, Chris