#84 Dance – Die to Yesterday, and usher in the Gift of Today

Photo by David Hofmann on Unsplash

Rarely, if ever, do we skip to the end of the things we enjoy. 

When it comes to our favorite songs, we make it a point to listen to every beat. 

The chorus is just as important as the ending notes. 

It’s times like this where some esoteric force that’s beyond our comprehension, pulls us close to accept the present moment. 

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#82 Day of Silence – Finding Peace within is still an Underrated Concept

Image by Сергей Горбачев from Pixabay

Celebrated in March, Nyepi, or day of silence marks the New Year according to the Balinese Calendar. It’s the oldest recorded ritual celebrated in human history.

It’s a public holiday in Indonesia but celebrated mainly in the city of Bali.

During Nyepi, the entire city is closed. There is no work. The airports are at a standstill. Lights are kept low. There is no entertainment, electronics aren’t permitted, and no one cooks. 

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#80 Don’t Beat Yourself – Failure Is Not Fatal

CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

In my teens, getting in F was akin to Armageddon. 

In my 20’s, a screw up at work made me feel tense and anxious for weeks.

Now in my mid 30’s, failing to do something correctly has become an opportunity for growth.

Failure is good. It’s the litmus test needed to grow our intellects, wisdom and spirit. 

Did you screw up at work? Trust me, it’s not as bad as you think. 

Did you upset someone? Don’t worry too much. Thankfully, you don’t have the power to perceive how others think. 

Did you overeat and not exercise? Put a stamp on today and let it go. 

Tomorrow is a new beginning. 

Our failures, when acknowledged, can help us strive to be better. 

Failure is not fatal, so fail as much as you can.

Having the tenacity to get back up after every downfall builds mental muscle.

It’s failures way of working for us, rather than against us.

#78 Wash Your Spirit Clean

Photo by Pablo Fierro on Unsplash

Around the 1860s about 95% of the Redwood Forests were cut down for lumber, to be used by ranchers, developers, and loggers. 

John Muir, a disrupter of that time, as well as a naturalist, author, philosopher, and early advocate for all things nature, saw this problem and took action.

As passionate as he was about preserving nature, he needed help. 

His beautiful essays, poems, and pictures of the Yosemite Valley caught the attention of President, Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. 

When Roosevelt was 25, his mother and wife fell ill. They ended up dying on the same day. To this, he said, “The light has gone out of my life.”

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#77 Dutch Bros

Taylor Franz on Unsplash

Founded in 1992, Dutch Bros is a coffee chain started by two brothers that grew up working on a dairy farm. 

What started as pushcarts around town, is 300 locations strong in the Western United States today. 

When I moved to Oregon, it was no surprise that Dutch Bros is more than just a place to get your morning Java. It’s an institution of the highest magnitude, with a cult-like following that rivals the Church of England. 

During one of my morning rendezvous visits to this caffeinated shrine, I talked to the morning barista. 

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