the big us Archives - Page 6 of 7 - Revolutionary Misfit

A World Without Borders

January 19, 2014 by costaricaguy 1 Comment

Okay all good things must come to an end. It’s time to leave Colombia and head back north to Costa Rica

…woe is me, right?

This almost month long Colombian working vacation has been the best yet. And to cap it off, I just returned from four days in the Colombian Amazon.

The place that I visited is Leticia…it is the southernmost point of Colombia and it borders Brazil and Peru.

But what makes it all the more interesting is that there’s really no “border” at all. You can travel back and forth to Peru and Brazil without any official crossing.

This makes for a rich cultural experience to say the least.

And what about the Amazon itself? Breathtaking in its immensity is a phrase that immediately comes to mind.

The second longest river in the world, but by far the largest in overall water-flow, my first look at this vast expanse of “river-sea” was awe inspiring.

And its banks contain the most bio-diverse tropical eco-systems on the planet.

Did I swim in it? You betcha I did.

Now, mind you, taking a dip in the Amazon is not like taking a dip in the “crick” back home. There are many dangers lurking in that murky water.

Like the Candiru, a tiny razor thin catfish that can actually swim up a urine stream and lodge itself with sharp backward pointing barbs into a man’s penis. The only way to remove it…amputation!

And then there is the fish that inspires horror even in 007…the voracious flesh eating Piranha. But in reality you don’t have to worry much about them unless you enter the water bleeding.

So, bottom line, keep your bodily fluids inside when taking a dip in the Amazon.

The cultural experience of a world without borders was amplified by the presence of diverse indigenous groups in the area. In fact, the entire area is largely populated by these groups.

I write often about the evil inspired in our world by the existence of these fictitious geographical lines in the sand called borders. But in this place, I actually got to experience a world without them.

And it was refreshing.

I saw cooperation. I saw people trying to understand the differences between them, rather than allowing those differences to inspire hate. Leticianos seemed proud of this unusual inclusiveness. In fact, they are using it, successfully, as a tourism attraction point.

Many people told me how dangerous it would be down there. That there would be people who would want to harm a gringo…that a gringo would really stand out and be at risk.

But I neither felt nor experienced the slightest trace of danger, well, other than the Piranhas and Candirus.

It was as peaceful a place as I have visited in Colombia, indeed in all of Latin America.

And what made it all the more pleasant was the presence of Don (or Tio) Medardo of the Hotel Pirarucu. The slogan of the hotel is “su casa en el Amazonas,” or your home in the Amazon.

And Don Medardo made it feel like exactly that.

Oh, by the way, the Pirarucu is the name for South America’s largest freshwater fish, which frequent the waters of the Amazon River.

I felt a slight sense of justification as we traveled seamlessly from Colombia to Brazil, Brazil to Peru, then back to Colombia. No border agents to harass. No requests for documentation. And no feeling as if there was some pent-up nationalistic rivalry that existed making those on one side peer over to those on the other with fear and loathing.

I felt justified because that’s the world of the Big US. The one impact mindfulness speaks of. It may be a Utopian and entirely unrealistic concept…but at least in this little corner of the globe…it actually exists.

I have created a 10 minute video of my Colombian Amazon experience and it is embedded below.

Would love for you to give it a look…

Oh, also, you can view my set of Colombian Amazon photos here…

image credit (pirarucu): Brian-D via Compfight cc

The New World Order

January 4, 2014 by costaricaguy Leave a Comment

I have come to the gradual and unshakable conclusion after 50+ years of earthbound existence that something’s really amiss in our world.

I look around and see people practicing anything but impact mindfulness.

I see people pursuing a form of individualism that always puts self at the forefront. Sure, in the back of our minds, there is often a desire to contribute…generally manifested most efficiently with the weekly local church tithe, or a check stroked and sent to our favorite charity.

There…done…I feel better now.

What governs our daily conduct is really not a desire for impact, but a relentless pursuit of self-interest.

I see people thinking almost exclusively in terms of the small us. I have been called a f***ing gringo enough times in my over a decade long experience of living in Latin American to know that small us thinking is not something that only affects the first world. It seems to be endemic to our species.

And the paradox is that it is also what threatens our very existence.

We confine ourselves to invisible borders and then go to war to defend them.

Why?

Because we believe that within those borders we have the greatest chance of advancing self-interest and we could give a damn about those outside of them, for the most part. They are there to be exploited for our benefit…the benefit of the small us.

I see impact blinders at work in practically every facet of human existence. More often than not, those blinders are the result of rigid adherence to some religious dogma. And we are willing to do some extremely destructive acts in pursuit of our chosen dogma.

Most often we didn’t choose our dogma at all…it chose us as a result of the particular circumstances into which we were borne.

Remember, 9-11 was at its core, a dogma based initiative.

And we “christians” are no better. The crusades were dogma based as well as other atrocities that we have inflicted upon ourselves in the name of something we can’t even prove to be real.

So I am writing a manifesto to express what I believe is the answer to our dilemma. You see what I don’t believe is that the answer lies in an ism, or a government program, or even in charitable acts. I believe it lies in a change of mindset. One that adopts and practices the three pillars of impact mindfulness.

Impact over interest…

A world in which people put impact over interest to me sounds like a very inviting place. A world in which we really do look out for one another. Christ himself spoke of such a world.

Even though I rail against religious dogma, I am a man of deep faith. I believe there has to be some universal intelligence that is holding all this together. And I believe to have faith in that is a key component of impact mindfulness. It is what will keep us firmly grounded on this great blue and green playing field that this universal intelligent force has fashioned for us to enjoy…

and protect.

I cannot conjure up a reason why good exists in our world that does not originate with this universal force. Good is not grounded in our DNA…self-interest is, survival is, but not good. And I see that proven in action day after day.

But there is a purpose beyond our mere existence that tugs at our souls. It is that universal intelligence calling us to do good…and we accomplish that via impact.

God = good = impact!

Or, God is real, good exists as a result of that fact and the way we manifest that in our concrete and see-able world is by our impact.

Embracing the Big US…

A new era has dawned. Seth Godin calls it the era of connectivity. We are connected across the vast expanse of planet like never before. And that connectivity is calling us to question the ideas that divide us.

It’s almost like the universe is giving us a chance to get things right.

Small us thinking has lead to big problems. We have exploited our planet to the point where our humanity is imminently threatened. This is consistently done to satisfy the insatiable materialistic desires of a few.

And we are more than willing to kill one another to maintain that capitalistic driven “right” to exploit.

I am really at a loss to understand why each of the strands of small us thought-trains suffer the illusion that they have it right and everyone else has it wrong. Where does this arrogance come from?

I believe it comes from a mindset that always puts the self…even the “group-self”…above everything and everyone else.

And if we continue to do that, we’re doomed.

But the good news is that the connection era has arrived and it gives the exploited a voice. It gives revolution a chance.

Connectivity has arrived as the platform for revolutionary misfits to emerge…and change the world!

We’re all counting on it to happen.

Embracing the Big US begins with connection and leads to compassion and cooperation.

And those are very good things for the ultimate survival of people and planet.

Removing Impact Blinders…

If impact is the ultimate good, then why don’t we prioritize it? Because for the most part we are blind, or blinded.

It really amazes me that most christians believe that their prime duty for impact is satisfied by the “tithe” to the local church…and once they have that part handled, god will reap untold benefits.

I know I heard that from the pulpit enough times for the concept to sink in.

But I am here to suggest that god doesn’t operate that way. God doesn’t want nor need your donated dollars dipped in dogma.

He wants your impact.

The way we manifest the fact that our souls are connected to each other and to god is via what we do for each other…the impact we make.

Dogmatic blinders certainly aren’t the only ones out there. Many of them are the result of cultural cultivation. You might have grown up learning to hate others who are different. To adopt the absurd belief that for some reason you are better than them.

No, not better, just different. For some reason we are often afraid of those differences. And that fear is manifested in hate…even violence.

But those differences are what make the human mosaic the grand masterpiece that it is. Life is so much more interesting because of them.

I believe that one of the most insidious impact blinders is this idea that individualism is key to actualization.

There is a concept in South Africa known as Ubuntu. It was embraced by Nelson Mandela and was the prime motivator for his legendary impact that liberated a nation.

Ubuntu tells us not that I think therefore I am, but that I am because we are. That what makes me who I am is the fact that I belong. None of us are islands to ourselves, even though we live a large chunk of our lives thinking and acting as if we were.

I know that I’m guilty of that.

When the truth is that we really do need each other. We really are interdependent. So why not stop fighting against that fortunate fact?

Removing impact blinders will lead to the realization that we really are all in this boat together.

The end in mind…

I am fond of this metaphor that places humanity on a vessel at peril. If you think about it sailors at sea are in the same predicament as the collective us. They can’t leave the ship…and neither can we, at least not yet.

And they are all in charge of keeping the ship in “ship-shape.” If not, things really get messy fast.

Things have gotten quite messy on our planetary ship. We haven’t done a very good job at “battening down the hatches” or “swabbing the decks.”

Come to thing of it, we sort of operate with a Titanic-like divisive mindset.

And we all know what happened to that ship!

It’s time we started getting the ship into shape. It’s time to stop focusing on self, on what divides us and in a way that clouds our vision of that bigger picture…it’s time for a new world order…

before it’s too late.

Impact mindfulness I believe is a simple way to express the key to doing our duty. The key for real and lasting change.

It starts with you…and me…

with revolutionary misfits.

image credit: kevin dooley via Compfight cc

Impact as the Before Not Afterthought

December 12, 2013 by costaricaguy 1 Comment

I have been on a blog reading tear this entire year. I follow some really good ones. They tell me how to write better, or how to de-clutter and be mindful, or how to tap the creative genius that lies within. The underlying why is generally the pursuit of self fulfillment and success. Most are written by this new generation of career rebels who have gained a measure of fame and fortune by creative content shared online via the multitude of mediums that now exist.

And without exception there will be the occasional post that says something along the lines of, “psst…want to know the real secret of happiness and fulfillment…it’s impact…making a real positive difference for others.”

Okay, thanks for that. But if that’s the “real secret”, then why all the other stuff?

Because even though we know deep down that it is, we’d rather treat impact as an afterthought…or a byproduct along the road to success in whatever endeavor the blog is attempting to inspire.

But this blog is different. Revolutionary Misfit is not about motivating you to donate time at the soup kitchen, or point you toward any other mode of impact, or instruct you on how to do any of those things. That’s for you to decide and learn. Of course, if you have a passion to help the homeless, then donating time at the soup kitchen is a great way to have an impact. But it’s a personal choice only you can make.

No, this blog is about a change in mindset. You see, I believe “America” (I put that term in quotes because according to The Big US, it actually encompasses much more territory than the 50 U.S. states) is suffering from a disease of self-interest. It’s called “pursuit of the American Dream.” It sounds great…patriotic…almost makes you want to stand up, slap your hand over your heart and belt out the national anthem.

But there’s actually an insidious problem with it.

Below is a quote I read from a piece in Andrew Sullivan’s excellent and thought-provoking blog, The Dish. The piece was entitled What Inspires Altruism?…

Research indicates that money makes people more individualistic and less altruistic. In other words, as societies become wealthier, their citizens become more individualistic and depend less upon one another. Self-interest becomes the norm.

I don’t know about you, but for me that rings particularly true. I know it did in my own life for a long time.

This blog sets forth a novel idea for a concept called impact mindfulness. And impact mindfulness is a practice that suggests the opposite of what the quote states is the norm…it puts impact over self-interest. It promotes impact as the before not afterthought.

And it also suggests removing things that get in the way of our noticing universal calls to impact. Things like “small us” thinking and “impact blinders.”

In short, it is a mindset and a worldview…not a how-to, but a why-to.

Because I believe once we adopt this revolutionary mindset and it filters through the daily aspects of our lives, then exciting things will begin to happen.

And here’s the thing…there are plenty of historical examples of heroes whose lives exemplified this very concept. And they are some of the most beloved and famous among humanity.

On Tuesday of this week, December 10, four US presidents, royals, the pope, movie, rock and film stars and leaders from over 90 countries gathered with South Africans to celebrate the life of Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg.

Mandela did nothing to seek fame or fortune (quite the opposite as his actions landed him over a quarter decade in prison)…his impetus was impact…pure and simple. And yet he is one of the most famous and beloved human beings that ever walked our planet.

The universe works in mysterious ways, doesn’t it?

So while all those other blogs continue to discuss ways to get your slice of the “American” fame and fortune pie…this one will drone on about impact…

pure and simple.

photo credit: Rob – Road-Quest.com via Compfight cc

Pope Francis Nails It with EVANGELII GAUDIUM

December 8, 2013 by costaricaguy 1 Comment

Today I am posting an excerpt from the recent writing of Pope Francis, entitled, EVANGELII GAUDIUM.

I do this because I believe it echoes a recurring theme of this blog, strikes at the core of the struggle against indifference and offers an inspiring call to impact.

In the words of Pope Francis…

No to an economy of exclusion

Just as the commandment “Thou shalt not kill” sets a clear limit in order to safeguard the value of human life, today we also have to say “thou shalt not” to an economy of exclusion and inequality. Such an economy kills. How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points? This is a case of exclusion. Can we continue to stand by when food is thrown away while people are starving? This is a case of inequality. Today everything comes under the laws of competition and the survival of the fittest, where the powerful feed upon the powerless. As a consequence, masses of people find themselves excluded and marginalized: without work, without possibilities, without any means of escape.

How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points?

Human beings are themselves considered consumer goods to be used and then discarded. We have created a “throw away” culture which is now spreading. It is no longer simply about exploitation and oppression, but something new. Exclusion ultimately has to do with what it means to be a part of the society in which we live; those excluded are no longer society’s underside or its fringes or its disenfranchised – they are no longer even a part of it. The excluded are not the “exploited” but the outcast, the “leftovers”.

In this context, some people continue to defend trickle-down theories which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice and inclusiveness in the world. This opinion, which has never been confirmed by the facts, expresses a crude and naïve trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power and in the sacralized workings of the prevailing economic system. Meanwhile, the excluded are still waiting. To sustain a lifestyle which excludes others, or to sustain enthusiasm for that selfish ideal, a globalization of indifference has developed. Almost without being aware of it, we end up being incapable of feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor, weeping for other people’s pain, and feeling a need to help them, as though all this were someone else’s responsibility and not our own. The culture of prosperity deadens us; we are thrilled if the market offers us something new to purchase. In the meantime all those lives stunted for lack of opportunity seem a mere spectacle; they fail to move us.

The culture of prosperity deadens us; we are thrilled if the market offers us something new to purchase. In the meantime all those lives stunted for lack of opportunity seem a mere spectacle; they fail to move us.

No to the new idolatry of money

One cause of this situation is found in our relationship with money, since we calmly accept its dominion over ourselves and our societies. The current financial crisis can make us overlook the fact that it originated in a profound human crisis: the denial of the primacy of the human person! We have created new idols. The worship of the ancient golden calf (cf. Ex 32:1-35) has returned in a new and ruthless guise in the idolatry of money and the dictatorship of an impersonal economy lacking a truly human purpose. The worldwide crisis affecting finance and the economy lays bare their imbalances and, above all, their lack of real concern for human beings; man is reduced to one of his needs alone: consumption.

While the earnings of a minority are growing exponentially, so too is the gap separating the majority from the prosperity enjoyed by those happy few. This imbalance is the result of ideologies which defend the absolute autonomy of the marketplace and financial speculation. Consequently, they reject the right of states, charged with vigilance for the common good, to exercise any form of control. A new tyranny is thus born, invisible and often virtual, which unilaterally and relentlessly imposes its own laws and rules. Debt and the accumulation of interest also make it difficult for countries to realize the potential of their own economies and keep citizens from enjoying their real purchasing power. To all this we can add widespread corruption and self-serving tax evasion, which have taken on worldwide dimensions. The thirst for power and possessions knows no limits. In this system, which tends to devour everything which stands in the way of increased profits, whatever is fragile, like the environment, is defenseless before the interests of a deified market, which become the only rule.

In this system, which tends to devour everything which stands in the way of increased profits, whatever is fragile, like the environment, is defenseless before the interests of a deified market, which become the only rule.

No to a financial system which rules rather than serves

Behind this attitude lurks a rejection of ethics and a rejection of God. Ethics has come to be viewed with a certain scornful derision. It is seen as counterproductive, too human, because it makes money and power relative. It is felt to be a threat, since it condemns the manipulation and debasement of the person. In effect, ethics leads to a God who calls for a committed response which is outside the categories of the marketplace. When these latter are absolutized, God can only be seen as uncontrollable, unmanage-able, even dangerous, since he calls human beings to their full realization and to freedom from all forms of enslavement. Ethics – a non-ideological ethics – would make it possible to bring about balance and a more humane social order. With this in mind, I encourage financial experts and political leaders to ponder the words of one of the sages of antiquity: “Not to share one’s wealth with the poor is to steal from them and to take away their livelihood. It is not our own goods which we hold, but theirs”.

I encourage financial experts and political leaders to ponder the words of one of the sages of antiquity: “Not to share one’s wealth with the poor is to steal from them and to take away their livelihood. It is not our own goods which we hold, but theirs”.

A financial reform open to such ethical considerations would require a vigorous change of approach on the part of political leaders. I urge them to face this challenge with determination and an eye to the future, while not ignoring, of course, the specifics of each case. Money must serve, not rule! The Pope loves everyone, rich and poor alike, but he is obliged in the name of Christ to remind all that the rich must help, respect and promote the poor. I exhort you to generous solidarity and to the return of economics and finance to an ethical approach which favours human beings.

image credit: Marc4577 via Compfight cc

The Final Step of Nelson Mandela

December 6, 2013 by costaricaguy Leave a Comment

February 11, 1990…I was in the final semester of my third year of law school on that day. I remember seeing the news reports of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison after 27 years of confinement. I really didn’t know that much about him. I did realize that South Africa was on the verge of civil war. And the prevailing view on this predominantly far-right leaning campus was that Mandela’s release would surely catapult the country into all-out bloody chaos. After all, Mandela was a convicted terrorist and a communist.

But we know that’s not what happened.

I am finding it hard to clearly express my feelings about Mandela’s passing yesterday. He is certainly a hero and I feel fortunate to have lived to witness his example. But that’s not good enough.

One of the reasons I feel so strongly about this idea for impact mindfulness is the inspiring example of Madiba’s life. I believe his long walk to freedom has valuable lessons for each of the three pillars of IM.

Madiba’s Impact over his Self-Interest

I was listening to CNN coverage of Mandela’s passing last night and one commentator, who knew Mandela well, said something that really made me think. He said that Mandela harbored great resentment towards his persecutors…those who had imprisoned him for so many of his years, killed his friends, oppressed his people and even refused to allow him to attend the funeral of his son. But he buried that resentment under his greater desire to see reconciliation and healing take place for the benefit of all South Africans…and for that to be an example for the entire world. And it indeed was.

If that’s not a shocking display of prioritizing impact over interest, I really don’t know what could possibly be.

Madiba’s Embrace of the Big US

I love the movie Invictus. It is intensely moving and inspiring. Morgan Freeman’s portrayal of Mandela is, as usual for this actor, stellar. If you haven’t seen it…you need to. The movie shows how Mandela used the symbology of South African rugby, a sport that was exclusively patronized by white South Africans, to bring reconciliation for South Africans of all colors.

Mandela was historically elected as South African’s first black president in 1994. A meeting had been convened under the new administration to consider disbanding South African’s national team, the Sprinboks. When Mandela heard of the action to dissolve the team, he quickly made a visit to the place where the vote was taking place and implored that it be re-thought. The team narrowly survived.

What happened next is South African sporting history. The team made its World Cup debut in 1995, when the newly democratic South Africa hosted the tournament. The Springboks defeated the All Blacks 15–12 in the final, which is now remembered as one of the greatest moments in South Africa’s sporting history, and a watershed moment in the post-Apartheid nation-building process.

What was most moving was Mandela’s appearance at the opening of the championship game wearing a Springbok’s jersey with the number 6, which was the number of the captain of the team, Francois Pienaar. When the predominantly white stadium crowd saw Mandela emerge, they began to chant his name in unison.

Now if that’s not a stunning embrace of the Big US, I don’t know what could possibly be.

Madiba’s Removal of Impact Blinders

Mandela was a fighter. He was a trained and very respectable amateur boxer. His blood simmered at the very thought of bowing to the repressive rules and regulations of the Apartheid regime. He became a lawyer and led the youth league of the African National Congress…an organization dedicated to the overthrow of Apartheid by peaceful means…initially. Mandela became disillusioned with the idea of peaceful protest against such a brutal system. He advocated terrorist action and he was imprisoned for that idea…before he was able to actually carry out any of his plans.

The man who entered Pollsmoor Prison on Robben Island in 1964 was a different man than the one that emerged in 1990. He may have entered a terrorist, but he emerged a reconciliator. What had happened during those 27 years of confinement? In his own words…

No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.

If Mandela could learn to love, to teach himself to love while suffering in prison, to take off the impact blinder of prejudicial hate, when he had so many valid reasons to harbor and act upon it…then I can think of no better example for the rest of us to do the same.

Yesterday might have been the final step of Nelson Mandela in his long walk to freedom, but his example of impact mindfulness in action will live on forever.

He is indeed free…and we all can be freer by following in his footsteps.

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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.

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