Costa Rica Guy

Impact Is the End Game

December 1, 2013 by costaricaguy Leave a Comment

Consider the following impacts…

Gandhi, through his ideas and examples of nonviolent political defiance, was able to disintegrate British imperial control over India…

Martin Luther King, via Gandhi-inspired ideas and examples of nonviolent political defiance, was able to secure equal rights for African Americans…

Mother Teresa, by showing selfless compassion to the lower castes of India was able to bring some sense of dignity to countless lives who otherwise might never have had that experience…

Nelson Mandela, by refusing to submit to the evils of Apartheid and encouraging others to do the same, even while imprisoned for 27 years, was able to bring down the system that had denied basic rights to the majority population of South Africa for almost 50 years…

Gene Sharp, through his study and writings on nonviolent political defiance, was able to influence a generation of activists whose actions resulted in the overthrow of dictatorial powers throughout the Middle East…

Scott Harrison, starting with the simple idea of “birthday donations”, created a charity that is able to bring safe and clean drinking water to 100’s of thousands throughout Africa…

So, you ask why is impact so important? Important enough to have a blog focused exclusively upon it?

Well ask any of the above whose entire lives were and are focused on impact. And we regard them as pretty important examples of how to bring good into the world…don’t we?

That’s because “good” and “impact” are more than related concepts…they are the same concept.

And I will go a step further and proclaim that in order to live a truly “good life” it is necessary that your life be an impactful one.

In order to live a truly “good life” it is necessary that your life be an impactful one.

Many things…most things even…observable in our world can be reduced to scientific explanation. However, I believe that the unique human capacity for good is not among them. For Gandhi to fast to the point of death in order to bring about the desired good he sought…to convince others to resist nonviolently in order to achieve the grand strategy of political freedom for all Indians…flies in the face of how humans are supposed to act.

We are supposed to do things that enhance the probability of self-survival…not do things that put that prospect in jeopardy in order to enhance the probability of societal survival.

But this concept of good is what connects humanity on a level that is above and beyond the grasp of science. It is where we might begin to talk about a higher power…a god.

And the good that god wants to bring about in this world is via our impact.

True, we cannot all be Gandhi and in reality we’re not even supposed to be.

I have written before that your impact is as personal, individual and unique as your fingerprint. This blog is not about telling anyone what their impact should be…only that you should have one…and it is important enough to place a priority on it…even above self interest…just as those listed above did and do…

Impact is the end game of your existence.

So high time we get started with this…don’t you think?

image credit: fritznold via Compfight cc

The Therapeutic Metaphor

November 25, 2013 by costaricaguy Leave a Comment

The Facts Examined

If you’ll remember, the trial was of a black man accused of raping a white girl. The setting was the rural south during segregation. The facts showed that it was highly unlikely, downright impossible even, that the accused, Tom Robinson, could have done what he was on trial for and that quite possibly the act itself (the rape) never even occurred. That what had occurred was that this poor white girl, starved for attention, had tempted a young black man, kissed him, and was beaten savagely by her father as punishment.

Council for the defense presented his argument convincingly to demonstrate that something was amiss…something was wrong with the picture that the state had portrayed in its prosecution.

It is often in life that we come across such anomalies. Things that just don’t seem right. So, we examine the facts. And to do so effectively, sometimes we must step outside the setting, or context…because “the setting” is often like a smoke-filled room where the haze and stench make it very difficult to achieve any sense of clarity.

Sometimes that “setting” really only exists in our own air-tight minds…

The Principle Applied

The principle was equal justice. For that jury to do something against their nature…to remove impact blinders and try Tom Robinson fairly based on the facts, rather than prejudicial-ly based on pre-conceived and hate-inspired notions.

It’s difficult to judge impartially…solely based on the facts. Because we see the world through a prism that all too often mis-directs our focus towards pre-conceived notions of the way things are supposed to be, or the way we were told they’re supposed to be, or maybe even the way we wish they were.

When in reality, they aren’t at all.

The Impact Demanded

Atticus implored, impact-fully, that in the name of god no less, the jury must do its duty. And what was that duty? To judge impartially based on the facts alone, which in this case led to the obvious conclusion that the man, despite his color (the only real “fact” that he was on trial for), was not guilty. To be color-blind deliberators and freedom liberators. It was an inspiring duty to say the least. But it was a duty that placed too heavy a burden on this jury, in that hazy and stench-filled setting.

Basically, the duty implored was to do the right thing.

Impact Mindfulness proposes the revolutionary idea that we have a duty…an impact to make…and that it is the “right thing” to focus our lives on making it. That the facts cry out for our duty to be accomplished.

And to prioritize that impact (that duty) over secondary interests…such as aspiration, accumulation and amplification of ego.

And to clear away the fog of certain “blinders” that cause us to screen out essential elements of truth.

To be color-blind deliberators and freedom liberators…as well as inspiration instigators.

The Atticus Argument provides our therapeutic metaphor for doing no less…

Singing in the Storm

November 22, 2013 by costaricaguy Leave a Comment

I was sitting down for lunch yesterday in my favorite little cafe in Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica perusing La Nación. An article caught my eye that questioned whether richer nations should compensate poorer ones for the disastrous effects of global warming.

Hmm, I thought to myself…why not?

After all it is the rich nations that bear the lion’s share of producing the phenomenon that whips up a storm like Cyclone Haiyan (possibly the strongest storm ever to make landfall in recorded history) that devastates a relatively poor nation like the Philippines.

Okay, food for thought, but not the point of this post.

Revolutions need dictators…right? I mean Che had his Batista and the Arab Springers had their Mubarak, Gadhafi, and Abidene ben Ali. So, who or what does Revolutionary Misfit have as its dictator to depose?

Easy Peasy Japanesey…our dictator is greed…pure and simple…and the indifference that it inspires.

Dictators produce pain and oppression and our dreaded dictator is no exception. Who is suffering from our dictator? Young adults who are disillusioned with the concept of the American Dream, or the middle-aged who are dissatisfied with the reality of it, both seeking a clarified sense of life’s purpose

…a new why.

And the specific pain and oppression being suffered? Lack of inspired purpose and a sense of helplessness against forces that are perpetuating that lack…the forces of greed and indifference.

The answer Revolutionary Misfit proposes is a life in which impact is the impetus…not accumulation. It is this lifestyle of accumulation that inspires storms like Haiyan to blow it all away. Problem is that a stupid storm doesn’t know where it is blowing. If enough of them accidentally or coincidentally blow in the right place…then we learn (at least in the short-term) the lesson that greed and indifference don’t serve us…the hard way.

I read a great quote this morning from the book Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott on writing. She describes writing in a way that resonated with me and could serve as the rallying cry for Revolutionary Misfits…

It’s like singing on a boat during a terrible storm at sea. You can’t stop the raging storm, but singing can change the hearts and spirits of the people who are together on that ship.

Even though the storms will strike where they may…it doesn’t detract from the fact that we’re all in this boat together.

An inspired purpose of Revolutionary Misfit is to be that song in the midst of the raging storm of greed and indifference that threatens us all.

photo credit: EU Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection via Compfight cc

Impact Mindfulness without Judgement

November 21, 2013 by costaricaguy Leave a Comment

Years ago during our bi-weekly team meeting at Package Costa Rica, one of my employees nailed me for having certain non-sustainable habits…like leaving the office and forgetting to turn off the lights. He was right, there’s no doubting that. Sustainability, if you’ll remember, is about managing our interactions and impacts and it requires focused thought, or mindfulness, until you can engage in sustainable actions as unconscious habits. I admit I am not there yet, not anywhere close, but I am working on it. In the meantime, it helps to be surrounded by sustainability experts, since I am hardly one.

I wrote a lot in my old Costa Rica Guy blog on the topic of sustainability, not from a position of expertise, but from a deep love of nature that I have carried with me all of my life. Also from what I believe to be a strong sense of what is right…and sustainability is the right thing to do.

I heard Obama speak in the earlier days of his presidency about his goal to move the U.S. towards more of a “green economy,” or one in which economic activity related to creating a more sustainable world becomes a significant GDP component. He said he just felt it was the right thing to do. I agree.

But as I am more successful at becoming sustainable and impact mindful, one thing I do not want to become is judgmental.

I would never want to be one of those people who throws blood on Hollywood celebrities as they exit fancy restaurants wearing animal hide or fur. Being judgmental never wins converts, but generally only inspires rebellion. People think for themselves, well usually, and don’t really want you doing their thinking for them. They must choose to be sustainable in their own way, or else it just doesn’t matter.

Being judgmental never wins converts, but generally only inspires rebellion.

Sustainability and impact mindfulness is not about competition, but rather the antithesis of that concept…it is about being in harmony, with nature and with other people. Jesus, for example, was a decidedly sustainable fellow. He lived a low consumption lifestyle and was a pretty nature loving kind of guy…at least from biblical accounts. Yet he was never judgmental. In fact he admonished his followers whenever they began to criticize and compete.

It’s that critical, judgmental and overly-competitive spirit that has the world in the mess it’s in.

In our rush to be better, prettier, faster, stronger, richer and to have our backpacks more overloaded with useless stuff we have become completely unsustainable. Much more of that and, well, who knows, but the outlook isn’t too great.

I believe impact mindfulness without judgement is the best path to inspiration. Your practice of it should be influential, but by example primarily. Walk the walk and others may just be inspired to follow in line.

photo credit: Mr. Flibble via Compfight cc

Paying Attention

November 20, 2013 by costaricaguy 2 Comments

How can we really make a difference? Maybe even change the world (as we know it….and it knows us)? Feed the starving? End war? Cure cancer? Well, of course, all of those would be positive developments, but realistically speaking, how?

I will go out on a limb this morning and suggest something a tad simpler….paying attention.

I have been on kind of a mindfulness kick lately, adopting the habit of meditating in the morning and reading a lot on the subject. Mindfulness means, among other things, paying attention to what is going on in your life. To use a very well-worn cliche it means, basically, stopping to smell the roses. And that is a good habit to instill. To train one’s mind to be, well, mindful, can, I believe, enhance one’s quality of life. But this post is more about changing the quality of life of others, about making a difference. So, how can mindfulness help us do that?

It dawns on me on a regular basis that people in general just don’t pay attention. Why is that? The simple and probably most accurate answer is that they don’t want to pay the price of doing so. Paying attention takes time, energy, and effort. It can be annoying to try to do so in the midst of one’s busy day.

Let me provide an example that I experienced recently. While walking along the pristine paths that lead to the summit of Cerro Chirripo, Costa Rica’s highest mountain and one of its most beloved national parks, I chanced upon an alarming sight. Trash that some hiker who was NOT paying attention had thrown down on the ground. Maybe intentionally. Maybe not. I am not here to judge. I was tired. I had a large backpack that was making my shoulders and lower back ache and burn. I did not want to notice the trash, let alone stop, stoop and recover. After all, where would I put the stuff. I don’t want to stick someones dirty crap in my pocket, do I? But then I thought, what was the RIGHT thing to do? What would be impact-full? What would make a difference, albeit a small one, but a difference nonetheless? After considering all that in the blink of an eye, I stopped, I stooped and I recovered. In fact, by the time I reached Base Crestones, I had two pockets full of the stuff.

After considering all that in the blink of an eye, I stopped, I stooped and I recovered.

You might regard my example as a trivial one. Maybe so. But it does get right at the heart of what I am talking about. And that is, being mindful of the impacts we have. Paying attention to how our actions, and in-actions, can influence the world, or other’s experience of it. I will promise you that if you begin to pay attention, you will quickly find that throughout each waking day, there are about 1 million ways to make a difference, to have an impact, just by paying attention.

Throughout each waking day, there are about 1 million ways to make a difference, to have an impact, just by paying attention.

Once you begin paying attention, that inner voice will lead you to the right action. Oh yes, there will always be a competing voice as well. But if your goal is to be an impactful person, to make a positive difference, to live with integrity and honor, then the “good voice” will usually win the battle, as long as we are paying attention in the first place.

It is much easier to be indifferent. To rationalize that your actions really can’t make much of a difference. That there are more important things to do….things reserved almost exclusively for me and after all, you gotta look out for number one, don’t you? No, not that much. Not nearly as much as we generally reserve time for.

Paying attention is enlightening and liberating and extremely important to the quest of making the world a better place.

Why not start today?

Sanity is Overrated

November 18, 2013 by costaricaguy Leave a Comment

Sometimes I question my sanity.

But here’s the problem I face…I don’t know what sanity actually is.

Do you…really?

I know what society tells us it is. Well, I guess that depends on which society.

The society I nurtured in would tell me the following 10 things about sanity, among others…

It is working at a “regular” job and paying the bills.
It is belonging to and supporting your local “Christian” church.
It is voting republican.
It is supporting the military.
It is being heterosexual.
And monogamous.
And marrying within one’s own race.
It means not coloring outside of the lines (of accepted societal norms…like those above and many others).
It is being law abiding.
It is accepting your lot in life (don’t try to be more than who and what you are, which according to most, outside your immediate family, isn’t very much).

Oh, and it also means, never daring to question any of the aforementioned points.

According to many of the above factors, especially that “11th” one…I am unquestionably insane. And I am quite sure many would readily agree that’s indeed the case.

In my insanity, I formulated a new definition of what it means to be sane…an insane formulation of sanity, if you will…

One in which,

All human-beings share the common reality of one life’s chance worth of potential impact.
All human-beings share the common created purpose of one life’s chance worth of potential impact.
What gives a human life meaning is not its degree of sanity (measured by any societal set of standards), but its realized impact over the course of this one life.

Now I realize that, according to the previous set of standards, my newly formulated definition puts me in serious need of a straight-jacket and a padded cell.

And it’s OK. Because sanity, or at least generally accepted societal definitions of the concept, keeps our impact at bay.

Sanity, or at least generally accepted societal definitions of the concept, keeps our impact at bay.

We are taught early on that it’s not for us to reason why, but to do and die…and those who reason, go awry. Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote that (except for that last part…which is 100% yours truly), about soldiers who “unquestionably” charged to their deaths. According to my socially nurtured standards that would be considered quite sane.

I’ll readily admit to going awry. I am off the farm, so to speak, and wake up almost every day, questioning. Questioning my sanity. Questioning whether THIS TIME, I really have gone off the deep end.

But doesn’t it seem a bit odd that society tells us that sane people don’t question? It’s best not to use the brain in this manner. Just accept things as they are. I believe they call it, “being realistic.”

I respectfully refuse.

Because for me this “unquestionable” version of sanity is overrated…

and inherently questionable.

The Facts Examined

The Principle Applied

The Impact Demanded

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