Lost and Found

Can you imagine a world without strangers? Would you know what to do without a computer? Could you last a day, a week, a month without a phone?

What would you do with one litre of water? What would you do with one set of clothes? What would you do with one meal a day?

What would you do for an hour without electricity?

What an innovated person you could be! I recently started a "What would I do?" challenge. Each week I ask myself "what would i do if..." And i think of one of the luxuraies in my life. Then I try for a week to be without that luxury.

The most amazing thing has come of it, too. After the week ends, and i start to think of the next luxary I am finding I don't need to return to that old habit.

It all started when I was posed the question: What would you do for one hour without electricity? It is a great environmental campaign started in Sydney Australia call Global Earth Hour. I challenged my students too it, to great sucess. And myself too. Now At least once I week, I try to live one hour (after dark) without electricity. I go for walks, or bike rides, I do yoga, or talk with a friend under the moonlight. It has become great fun.

But after GEH, I started asking myself what other things might I give up for one hour? Well I found the time constraint less important. And tried things like, what would I do with 1 litre for bathing per day. An amazing experiement that has seen the amazing revitalization of my skin and hair, as I use far fewer commericial chemicals now allowing my body to be responsible for oil levels etc.

Then I asked, what would I do without cars, buses or taxis. While this one is difficult because sometimes my friends aren't comfortable with my "making my own way there," I have astonished myself with 10 and 20km bike trips in 30 minutes, with the development of wicked legs and improvement of overall stamina.

Next I asked, what would I do without an alarm clock. I set myself the challenge to wake up at 6:15 every morning without an alarm, and am astonished to find not only can I wake up at 6:15 without the alarm, but i can wake up at 6:30, 7:15, 5:49 and many other times fairly precicely (and well rested) simply by planning before i go to sleep when I want to wake up and what i want to do when i wake up. Of course it helps that it is summer time so I have the sunrise to help me, it will be interesting if the training will stick through the winter months (I'll let you know).

Of course there are dietary things too. I am told we only need about 8 oz of protein a week. So I tried. I left of pork, then beef, then chicken. Now i eat meat about once a week, and am seriously enjoying the improved health, weight loss, sink condition and bank account for the simple shift in diet.

Same went for alcohol, chocolate, coffee...juice, PET bottles. It is amazing how easy it is to let go of these things...just try one. Ask yourself. What would you do for one week without spinach? then experiment...and find out.

It is always the wrong choice.

My friend messaged me with a dilemma. She is one of four sisters. Third from the top. Her sisters get along like sisters, fighting as often as they play together. And she is scared to get stuck in the middle (or third from the top of) a brewing feud betwen her two older sisters).

The story: Her second sister just broke up with her long term partner. And not two days later her eldest sister has set up a date with the ex.

Ladies...this is always the wrong decision. There is only one exception, which I will get to. But please, for the sake of everyone everywhere, accept that this is always the wrong choice. In this situation, sisterly fialty wins...

Your sister needs your support. And also she needs space and time to heal after the fracture of a long friendship. Everyone needs that. It isn't fair to force your hurting sister to be happy for you and your new beau. And for those other siblings who get trapped in the feud...ie my friend, tell your sibling that they are being blinded by temporal desires and potentially creating a lifelong schism in a family to satisfy a temporary curiosity...Of course this is the place of exception.

If it turns out that your sister was dating the one true love of your life, and you marry her/him and spend the rest of your days in loving blissful paradise, make beautiful babies and bring joy and happiness through your union to those around you and the rest of the world. This is absolutely possible, and in the event that this is the case, then you have made an acceptable decision and in time the goodness of your love will heal the wounds of betraying your sisterly obligations...this is the only exception. (Oh this and if you are from an inbreeding family where the ex is also a brother or first cousin yada yada yada...)

But to the second sister, there is little to say...her relationship is ended. If the partner goes on to do whatever its not really her concern...the relationship is ended. Express your feelings, your hurt and frustration, followed by a long silence until the sister in the wrong either apologies or marries the ex and makes beautiful babies and heals all the world with her love...

Right. Enough gossip column for one day...

Giving thanks

I am not sure where it came from, but this morning I noticed it, sitting by my desk while I was wondering what to do with myself. All things are heading madly off in all directions. Life is full of bumps and jumps just now and it is really very hmm, challenging. And I was sitting at my desk, and suddenly the feeling of being watched, and then of watching.I thought for a moment I was having a dream about my mum. It felt like I must be looking at my mum. But I wasn't...I was looking at someone else. It was me. I was sitting there, but I looked so exactly like who I thought I was. It was a strange sensation. To see myself, and to see what I expected. And in that same moment be entirely thankful for the strong and beautiful woman I am becoming.

I have a big exciting move ahead of me in the coming weeks. I'm relocating from Korea to Japan. I am so sad to leave Korea. I have met some inspiring people, and really started to mak such a wonderful home here.

Last spring I had many conversation about finishing school. About how while at school my ultimate goal was to build my mind and develop my intellectual self. Further, that upon leaving school it was time to turn to my other selves, to build my emotional, spiritual and physical selves. At first, this quest created great anxiety for me. Particularly, since I moved to Asia alone, without any teachers by my side, and had to spend much energy and time finding new teachers and guides, new advisors and advesaries.

Now I am sad to so quickly leave my new friends and family, and to strick out again into the world. But in that eerie moment this morning, I knew it was right. That as this time drifts past I am who I think I am.