NEWPORT NEWS, VA–Consistently, when faced with a problem, I am finding that if I just do my research and then put off fixing/deciding/acting, within a couple of days I will see something that will trigger a powerful, right-feeling, answer.

Nothing magical about it. You’ve probably heard of this before. But what I am finding interesting is how reliable it is. Before, Wayne Wirs used to feel proud when he would figure out a problem with his brain. It made him feel smart and special.

Now I find it much more rewarding (and a powerful reinforcement of our “connectedness) when I just let go and let Her show me the way.

It has happened so often over the last year that I no longer consider it mystical–just a simple, natural (though not easily explainable), aspect of life.

I love it.

NEWPORT NEWS, VA–I’ve been looking at the maps lately, looking outward. Looking toward the Road. I’m more comfortable with the truck now–more confident in her–in her reliability, her quirks and personality.

Once the ceiling vent and windows are installed (I’m having them done–I’m leery of cutting into the walls and roof), I’ll return to the Road.

Initially, I’ll travel in survival mode. I’ll lay in a plywood floor to cover the current grated metal one, toss in an air mattress, a cooler, a camp stove. A bucket for a toilet, a pan and sprayer for a shower. A camp chair to relax and read in. Some containers to stow my few possessions.

I’ll head north in search of cooler weather. Maybe the rugged Maine coastline with its small harbor towns. From there? Who knows? I’ll go to wherever She calls.

I’ll build out the interior as I go, a step at a time, learning what works and what doesn’t. Like Life, you learn it by living it, you find your way by feeling it.

I’m looking forward to the Adventure. To this next phase of my life.

I hear Her calling to me. I feel her pull.

NEWPORT NEWS, VA–(PARENTAL WARNING: If you are the parent of a stupid and/or accident-prone child, you are advised NOT to read the following article.)

As I’ve often said on this blog, I am a very lucky man. Being very lucky makes up for most of my stupidity and casual attitude toward danger. For an example of this Stupid/Luckiness Yin/Yang-type dualism, see my “Diabolical A/C Removal Project” below the break. (What does “below the break” mean?)

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NEWPORT NEWS, VA–For the last week or so, I have been running from place to place, trying to find hard-to-find parts, assemble them, realize my mistakes, return them, and repeat.

Every day I’ve said to myself (because I need the income), “Tonight, I’m going to write code.” Every night I’ve been too beat to sit at the computer and crunch out software. Instead I veg out, sleep, and repeat.

My mind just works better in the morning.

So as much as possible, I’m trying to write code in the mornings and save the grunt work for the afternoons and evenings. I may not get the truck as camper-ready as quickly as I’d like, but the balance is definitely much more healthy.

I even get bonus material: Though I shouldn’t be surprised by this (I am still amazed it happens so regularly), every time I drop the “trying to make it happen” attitude – ideas, hard-to-find-parts, and resources seem to naturally (even effortlessly) appear on their own.

STAUNTON, VA–I’m hanging out in a mall parking lot in my RV, sweating my butt off, sitting in Limbo. An ex-virtual woman I know (I just met her in the flesh yesterday) is contemplating buying my RV. I had hoped to hear her decision by now so I could know which direction my life will take. If she buys the RV, I’ll probably go grab an “extended stay” hotel room near the beach, work on my tan, write a book that’s coalescing and code software. If she doesn’t buy it, I’ll probably head out to Colorado where it’s cooler, boondock, write a book that’s coalescing and code software.

But who knows their future? Has anyone’s life turned out the way they expected it?

The Wayneness wants to know (but he’s an idiot). He wants her to buy it. He wants to get a box truck and camp stealthily anywhere his heart desires.

The Wayneness has a plan.

The Oneness on the other hand just smiles and says, “My/Your/Our future is already written.”

It’s really as simple as that.

Our future has already been written. It doesn’t matter what our little minds want. She’s got a plan.

We might as well relax, let go, and watch as Her Beauty unfolds.

Warrior’s Path S.P., Kingsport, TN–In the comments of my last post, reader Emily asked my thoughts on the oil spill. She’s talking about the Deep Horizon oil spill and I just spelled out “Deep Horizon” because, 1000 years from now, no one will know what oil spill Emily was referring to. A thousand years from now, readers will have to look up “Deep Horizon” because the memory will have been long forgotten and the effects of the spill will have effectively vanished.

This “temporariness” is a key aspect to finding inner peace and appreciation within our world. More below the break…

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Warrior’s Path S.P., Kingsport, TN–From the Tao Te Ching, Chapter 42, last paragraph:

What others teach, I also teach; that is:
“A violent man will die a violent death!”
This will be the essence of my teaching.

My thoughts on this below the break…

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POWELL, AL–Today, I hiked down a trail, took my clothes off and went skinny dipping in a stream. There is something wonderful about being naked in Nature. Nothing between you and the sun and the rocks and the water.

More below the break…

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CHEWACLA STATE PARK, AUBURN, AL–I’m not sure about this photo.

It was early morning and I was hiking a trail along a marshy area. The recent rains and a sudden heat wave made the air sticky and steamy. Something about this log, lying in the still water, caught my eye. When I removed the camera from the bag, the lens immediately fogged over.

The darkness, the harsh lighting, the steaminess, the stillness–all of them pulled at me. I could see Her lying there–ever-present, yet (as She so often is) overlooked.

I’m not sure I captured the feeling of Her though. This is one of those shots where I saw Her so clearly as I snapped the picture. I’m just not sure I captured the mystery of Her for you. The hidden yet pervasive nature of Her.

This is my third variation of this photo and I’m still not satisfied that it does Her justice.

WHITE OAK CREEK CAMPGROUND (COE), EUFAULA, AL–On the birthdays of my past, I would always call in sick to work, never answer the phone, and take the day to think about my life. All years prior, I would contemplate where I had been, where I was heading, and strategize a way to get there.

Today, as the rains poured down outside, flooded my camp and rolled off into the lake, I felt my thoughts flowing in much the same way as the water flowed. Not trying to control. Not trying to solve. Not trying to fix. Just watching where my thoughts were drawn. Listening to Her whispering in my ear.

It is so freeing to let go. To allow Life to guide you rather than trying to control it. To allow Her to carry you where She wishes.

Our minds fight this lack of control–but oddly enough–when you do let go, when you surrender completely to Her, She’ll take you right to where you are meant to be–right to where you belong.

COE EAST BANK CAMPGROUND, CHATTAHOOCHEE, FL–Though my message still hasn’t fully clarified, I’m often rewarded with glimpses of it.

It seems to me, when it comes to teachers and students of enlightenment, that there are two primary camps: Those who are attracted to the Stillness (Tolle, Adyashanti, …) and those who are attracted to the Emptiness (Maharshi, Krishnamurti, “Nondualists,” …).

Stillness draws those who seek calmness.

Emptiness draws those who favor logic.

But there is an often overlooked aspect. An aspect, ironically, that is wholeheartedly embraced by most religions: Love.

Love isn’t quite the right word though–it is too vague–but it is closer than “God,” or “Spirit,” or “The Divine.”

It is closer because Love is a verb, not a noun, and this aspect of enlightenment is a movement, not a thing.

Awareness? Perception? Too dry, too clinical.

Life? Not as in “My Life,” but as in, “The Life that moves through this body.”

The Life Force? Aliveness? Living-ness?

I don’t know what to call it, but look at any object, living or inanimate, and you will see Her dwelling there within.

Rumi saw Her. Emerson. Da Vinci. Saint Teresa. Lao Tzu. They spoke of Her, painted Her, wrote songs and poems of Her.

Do you see Her? Can you feel Her “alive-ening” you?

I know it’s a contradiction that I call this moving, living, energy a “Her,” but calling Her an “It” is way too impersonal–way too cold. Disrespectful even. Odd huh?

Am I crazy? Can you see Her in the photo above? Can you see Her in the Snail? In the Lock? In the Wood of the door? Can you see Her in the Light?

I am crazy aren’t I? I just know it.

STEPHEN FOSTER…STATE PARK, WHITE SPRINGS, FL–It’s funny how much the mind wants to control things. Why is control, why is knowing, why is being right so important to the mind?

Life is so much easier when you let go. When you stop trying to bend Her to fit into your plans.

As you let go and relax into Her–as you stop fighting what She’s trying to show you–it’s amazing how helpful She becomes.

It’s amazing how beautiful She is–how beautiful She’s always been.

Every photo I take, I take of Her.

One of the reasons I returned to this area was to check out the rig of one of the people who inspired me to become a nomad. Nearly two years ago I came across Randy’s website. What caught my attention was that he had converted a cargo trailer into a stealthy RV trailer. Since he was in the northwest and I’ve been considering “downgrading” to a more stealthy vehicle, I invited myself over to check out his rig – to which he readily agreed, even though he knew nothing of me…

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I love this lifestyle. I’ve been up here on this hill outside the Olympic National Forest for about a week now, finishing up the book. Tomorrow, probably, I’ll move into a campground for a couple days to recharge the batteries, empty and fill the tanks, upload some big files to the ‘net and move on.

It’s so great to just up and go when you feel like it. The freedom. I’ve been on the road a year now, and I am so glad I made this decision.

I have absolutely no regrets. I hope each of you finds your bliss, your passion, and – when those natural “what if” fears arise – well, I hope you’re wise enough to ignore them.

I awoke last night at around 3 am, and, it being a hot night, I stumbled outside. As I was looking up at the North Star, a thought popped into my head, “There’s nothing to worry about, nothing that needs to be done – the future’s already been written and everything’s happening exactly as it should be.”

Just at that moment, a shooting star flashed across the sky and was quickly followed by three others.

I went back to bed feeling both content and blessed.

A couple of days ago, while exploring the Olympic Peninsula and while reflecting on my brother’s unusual (for him) and spontaneous decision to fly out here, the thought popped into my mind, “Jeff’s here for a reason.”…

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I like opening my front door in the morning and being surrounded by beautiful, unspoiled forest.

One of the reasons that I came up this mountain, besides to escape the heat, was to find a place in nature where it was peaceful and quiet so I could shoot some videos for my book. The videos are just me doing the talking head about HDI, but I wanted a nice, serene background. Turns out it’s a lot harder to shoot video outside because the light is constantly changing, the wind blows your papers all over the place and flies land on your nose just as you are trying to make an important point.

So I ended up shooting the videos inside. Oh well – it’s still pretty damn nice up here.

I love filling my water cans early in the morning over at the state park. I love listening to the sounds of the river: the tugs, the waves and the seagulls. I love the way the wind, channeled through the gorge, gently rocks the RV and flutters the window shades.

During creative periods of my life, whether working on an interesting project or – as I am currently doing – writing a book, I often wake up around 5 am with a powerful insight, new idea, or an answer to a problem that has troubled me. I wish I could take credit for these thoughts, but they seem to come out of nowhere – gifts from the Ethereal…

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It’s been six years since I lived in Portland. Over the last couple of days I’ve noticed two big changes: There are definitely more people here and their driving has gotten worse.

When I arrived in Portland at the end of 2001, I had to constantly remind myself to “chill” my driving down. People were very polite drivers, actually letting you in when you flicked your turn signal on – something unheard of in South Florida.

Portland drivers are still some of the most polite city drivers that I’ve ever run across, but now, with more cars on the limited roads, there is definitely a lot more stress and tension in the “life” of the traffic. A symptom of population density.

Inevitable part of life I guess. Kind of says something about our future though: Peace, whether in a city or the world, is going to get harder and harder to achieve the more people we have (not that we’re all that great at getting along with each other right now).

I’ve got the Loner Archetype bad. Always have. Jung calls an archetype a “primitive mental image inherited from the earliest human ancestors.” …

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Yesterday, Quinzelle left a comment that struck me. She often leaves comments with great quotes from great writers, yesterday’s was from Thoreau. The part that resonated with me was “and life emits a fragrance like flowers and sweet-scented herbs.”

Sometimes, rarely, you meet people who “emit a fragrance like flowers and sweet-scented herbs.” Not in their scent, but in their attitude…

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As I walk the many paths I’ve been, through forests and mountains and ocean cliffs, I often think to myself, “What a lucky man I am to have lost the fear to live.”

In my meditations, I’ve been working on seeing the the ego clearly – as the illusion that it is. I’ve been practicing so much that it is starting to affect my dreams…

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