How I tapped the source and other notes on the good life

When something moves you, makes you feel good, renewed, alive, nourished-- these are signals about your calling. If you listen and allow yourself to be awakened by the pull toward a golden-hued source, you will be rewarded. Seeking the joy, meandering toward the beautiful- this is what life is all about. 

Hopefully you will be lucky enough in your lifetime to savor the lovely moments. A sun-streaked mountainside, honey from the hive, the delicate soul of Donny Hathaway singing Jealous Guy... a kind gesture, the sweet succulence of a peach ripened in the sun and right off the vine... Those magnificent moments- they will come and go fleetingly. They will be rainbows and waterfalls you will always be chasing. But, if you become undeterred by obstacles and challenges that meet you as you attempt to revisit the pure and delightful things this life has to offer, the only possible outcome is that you will find prosperity. 

To put it simply, I am convinced that this is the rule of having a good life: along your path, you have learned what makes you feel good, loved, and grounded; you already know how to get there, you just need to quiet the mind enough and awaken the heart enough to take swift, sure action. You've had many  experiences, so you have begun to recognize the agony of love, the fear of death, the great human condition of suffering. But you have also absorbed the quiet warmth of a loving body next to you, the sweet aroma of springtime, the colorful brilliance of genius alive and well in the world. And so, you must gather the clues, and follow what your soul knows is best for you. You must seek and cultivate the good. Build the love and never give up. Practice loving yourself no matter what. 

Furthermore, there are a select few of life's blessings that will not lead you astray. They will contribute to healthy eco-systems, nourish cultural vitality, sustain systems of justice and equity, and build resilient, and adaptive communities. They are the source; they are the good life. 

Below are descriptions of the tools I've picked up in this wild, unruly life, that help me to create prosperity. I'm grateful for the people and situations in my life that have shown me these lessons, and looking back, I wish only that I had come to realize their importance sooner.

1. Honor, enjoy and actively choose to eat and share nourishing, healthy food. 

 

• “You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food.” -Paul Prudhomme
• “It’s difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.” -Lewis Grizzard
• “There is no sincerer love than the love of food.” -George Bernard Shaw
• “If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with him… the people who give you their food give you their heart.” -Cesar Chavez

Discovery of the simple, organic, local delights that farmers, farm workers, family members, neighbors have to offer will absolutely change your life. The gift of good food is a magical blessing-- one that requires you to actively cultivate and support local food sovereignty and food prosperity. You must make an effort to feed your soul as well as your belly; to put items into your mouth that rejuvenate your senses and are healthy for you and the world, that honor where your food comes from. Exploring a local farmers market, buying fruit or veggies from a small food stand, growing vegetables in your back yard- these are all ways to dip your toe into the pool of food blessings. 

The specifics of a rewarding food journey could include a few of the following steps:

• If you have access to local food vendors (ability to visit farms, farm stands, farmers markets), look up a recipe that sounds delicious to you and then spend some time actively seeking local, pesticide-free ingredients. Compare ingredients from one vendor to another; take note of the smell, size, color, shape, and price of each item. Even if you don't buy your favorites, simply taking the time to recognize what you're drawn to has value. For so long I did not examine my food, did not think about where it came from, didn't notice who cared for it, and didn't read the ingredient lists. I simply ignored the detailed specificity of items so precious and integral to the health of my body and our world. 
• Consider starting a small patio garden. Collect the following supplies: heirloom seed packets (if you can find them), a sunny spot in the house that warms up during the day to enhance seed germination, a small batch of nutrition to feed your soil (compost, compost tea, manure, seaweed, water from a pond, or any other rotting organic matter), and potting soil. Salvage pots or other planters by thoughtfully perusing thrift stores, consignment stores, garage sales, abandoned lots, or even craigslist. Using found objects such as old wooden boxes, plastic food containers, worn out wheelbarrows, watering cans, or discarded plastic pots will bring the magic of a "second life" to your garden. Your garden need not be big, and even if it just takes up a windowsill, that's enough space to grow edible herbs for your kitchen (such as basil, chives, sage, or others). Take on a few mottos/mantras/affirmations for your garden: 

1. if you have a pest problem, treat the soil not the plant (building healthy soils will allow your plants to fight off pests and emerge more resilient in the long-run than spraying),
2. check on your plants often to take note of change/growth/needs, 
3. don't over water just because you're following an assumed schedule- instead make sure to dip your finger in the soil to check for dryness or wetness and pick up the pot often to feel for heaviness/remaining moisture before watering
4. do a bit of research on best practices for each plant before it goes in the ground or gets planted (read about spacing, anticipated maturity size/timing, whether it will climb or bush out, companion planting, feeding, and harvest techniques). 

• Begin visiting with all kinds of plants every day: sing to them, sit with them, notice them, wonder how they are doing, and generally put as much love and kindness into the plants around you as possible. Your edible plants will reward you with voluptuous, tender fruits and leaves that ignite your spirit when you eat them. Your appreciation of other non-edible plants will also begin to make you see your food as a precious gift. 
• If you can't (or don't want to) grow your own food this season nor do you have access to any local farms, seek out a family owned or cooperative market and look at the organic foods that speak to you. Buy the items that pull you in-- consider apples, kale, lemons, salad greens, peaches, avocados, lemon, squash, tomatoes...Consider buying exclusively from the produce section (avoiding the meat counter and the aisles of processed/packaged food), which may allow you to cut your grocery bill in half or in some cases, down to a quarter of the cost.
• Don't be intimidated or resistant to buying raw, nutritive medicinal ingredients, such as ginger root, garlic, mushrooms, honey, apple cider vinegar, mint, lavender. These items will enhance the flavor and healing nature of your foods. Raw, nutritive foods can also create a full-out and explosive sensory experience of food, while calming your physiology. As a generation, we need to recover and cherish the hidden vibrancy and healing power of food and plants that indigenous and ancestral peoples cultivated for millennia across planet Earth. 
• Share the joy of good food experiences with others. Invite family, friends, neighbors, acquaintances, co-workers to your home when you have cooked something, even if it is simple or bring them food that you have prepared to theirs. A warm cup of coffee with a kind soul can change the heart and bring it into the light. If invited to share food with someone, partake. If you grow food and have a little extra, bring it as a gift to someone you know. Extend the hand of prosperity and you will continue to be rewarded.
• Let go of any notion that you are too busy, too poor, too undeserving, or generally unable to take yourself, your family, or your community on a vivid and luscious food journey. You can. You will. Don't give up until you do. There is no more real experience of love in this world than breaking bread with loved ones and nourishing your community. 

Cultivating and appreciating good food and supporting those who do, is a revolutionary act, one that is unreasonably difficult in the 21st century. But the reward we stand to reap is so great, and dedication to this one special principle-- to eat and grow good food-- has the power to heal our tired, aching souls.

2. Committing pure acts of kindness are hidden treasures in the journey of self-discovery.

I remember standing in a long, frustrating line where the annoyance lay thick in the steamy air, where folks were itching to erupt at one another. It was probably at the DMV, or the bank, or somewhere equally agitating and tantrum-provoking, some place you hate to waste valuable time and money. In my memory, I imagine the teller was struggling with each person at the front counter, trying desperately to assess their needs but not having the information, resources, or patience to advise them well about where they were supposed to go or what they were supposed to do. Gradually, the place was beginning to feel more and more tense, more irritating, and generally, the negative energy was building and swelling all around. I had two options: actively resist the negativity and deliver those around me with kindness, compassion, and joy OR passively absorb the negativity and feed into it by losing my temper when it was my turn at the counter. I decided to go with the former, as a sort of social experiment. 

In order to enact the experiment, my behaviors included making polite small talk with my neighbors in line, asking them about their day and where they were from, and expressing my empathy to the customer service person when I finally made it to the front of the line. It was an eye-opening experience. People responded so well to me, their eyes thanking me, almost surprised but riding the luxurious wave of kindness. The practice of actively being pleasant to those around me was yielding positive results. I was moved by the agency I had in affecting the situation and those around me. It caused me to reflect about the fact in many previous cases, as a youth, adolescent, or young adult, I had lost my temper, or contributed to a negative situation. I had rarely openly addressed challenges, rarely made a conscious decision to resist the darkness, to use "the force", to cultivate joy. This experiment gave me a new tool for my toolbox, one where I could navigate situations of discomfort and create a positive outcome for myself and those around me by choosing to do so. It gave me lightness in my life, it gave me freedom.

Treating those around you with kindness is a highly underestimated tool in the path to a life full of prosperity. As you spread words, behaviors, and environments filled with tolerance, patience, and respect, you will in turn become surrounded by these types of circumstances. 

Ideas for small ways to live in a kind way include:

• pay for coffee or the bridge toll for the person behind you in line 
• do a chore for your spouse, roommate, coworker or someone in your family; bonus points if you pick something you know they particularly hate to do themselves or which they wish someone would do for them-
• dishes
• laundry, plus folding and put away
• a work task they've been avoiding or asking for help with
• give them a massage
• fill their car with gas
• present them with their favorite food or favorite flowers
• call your mom/dad, aunt/uncle, grandmother/grandfather, or send them a nice note or email; bonus for including photos. If you don't have family, find an older neighbor or person in Assisted Living to regularly visit with and help with chores or with whom to share simple conversation. 
• verbally and in writing thank those you encounter during your day
• give genuine complements to people around you
• in situations that require patience, model emotionally intelligent behavior-- say a kind word, help someone who is rushing, ask someone how they're doing (and really listen to their answer), diffuse an argument or confrontation by keeping your cool. 

All of these actions will begin to bestow gems of wisdom, kindness, growth, maturity, grounding, and comfort on you and the fabric of your life. These practices will ease your suffering, and that of those around you. Show your appreciate for these gifts by practicing them. 

3. Your passions are not mistakes or coincidences-- they are your calling. 

 

Follow the things that make your brain tingle, your heart expand, your hands and feet jive as if they had an exciting life of their own. Those physical feelings of joy are not an accident. They are signals-- from the universe or god or destiny or whatever you want to call it-- telling you how to achieve success, prosperity, energy, and vitality. When you feel these things, run toward them, reach for them, be drawn to their glow. If there is an activity that turns you on to your core, practice it. Engage with it. Look at it from all angles. The things that make you feel like you, that connect you to your life are the very reasons you are alive! So cherish them and embrace them. And remind yourself that you needn't feel guilty for these gifts-- repeat: they are the reasons you are alive!

Pay attention to the physical sensations of passion, of vitality, of being alive. Use the sauna to lighten the load that your hunched shoulders are bearing. Submerse your body in crystal waters to renew your spirit, and swim through the rapids of a raging waterfall, wild and free. Feel the quiet breeze roll across your face- let it remind you of who you are and what you are about. Take the time to be physically alert to feelings of comfort and joy, and savor the sensations of peace and forgiveness. Revel in them. Wash, rinse, repeat. Bring in new joys, try them out, change it up-- just GO AFTER  behaviors that bring aliveness to your life. Don't give up. Keep trying. Try again. Practice. Don't give up. This is your purpose. 

Examples of activities that might illicit joy and passion might include:

• having a pleasant conversation with someone you love while gazing out at the horizon
• going for a long run or walk in a beautiful landscape 
• preparing dinner with family or friends and then eating it together, savoring each bite
• taking a hot bath at the end of a long day
• singing loudly to your favorite song on the radio
• writing a poem
• burning old papers/bills/mail/journals and doing a ceremony to let all that shit go
• wearing soft, comfortable clothes/socks, and cuddling up with a cozy blanket
• taking a risk on something you've never done before with the expectation that just trying it was good enough
• listening to a podcast, interview, or reading an article or book from one of your heroes

__________________

The things I've scrawled out on this page are from my deep, gnarled heart. They bear my scars of insecurity, but scrape the beginning of my joy, of what I've discovered are magnets here, on this Earth, in this moment, for a warm, whole, and blessed life. They tell the story of  my recovery, of gentle rebirth, of my salvation. Of course my life is messy too, and it's not all the good stuff-- (certainly it doesn't all make it on to my prosperity list), but writing down my tips for a good life, it helps me to stay focused on the joys, while quietly observing and accepting the turmoils. 

Therefore, in light of the fact that I am certain none of us were born to just pay bills, stress out, and die, I hope my process of sharing here reminds you that you're not alone in trying to figure this crazy whirlwind out. I hope some of these suggestions help you make your way to a full and precious adventure, and I'll continue my own quest for mine. Cheers!