Create Our World

The wallpaper inside a classic theatre in Oneonta, NY.

“We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.” – Carlos Castenada

Don Juan.

Carlos Castaneda wrote a series of books about Don Juan.  Not the Spanish womanizer, but the Yaqui shaman.  

Carlost Castaneda

The books outline a totally different worldview than that of my upbringing in the Western Culture.  I recommend them.

I recently read the third book in the series, “Journey to Ixtlan.”

In this Don Juan teaches Castaneda how to “see”, by “not-doing” and “stopping the world.”

Carlos writes in a very anthropological style and lays out his experiences well.

I took out 4 lessons on how to live well that are applicable to everyone!  I am going to share them, how I am employing them with short excerpts from the book.

1.  Life is really a Big, Fun Game!

“Your problem now is that you’re too real.  Your endeavors are too real; your moods are too real.  Don’t take things so for granted.” (pg 15)

I get so wrapped up thinking of ideas for Create Our World that sometimes I just toss and turn at night, plotting my next big idea.  Or with having a website, it is easy to be wrapped up in my “Internet identity:” to watch the number of people viewing my website, who is clicking on what, etc.  Life should not be taken too seriously!

2.  We share the Earth with all sorts of different beings.

“As long as you feel that you are the most important thing in the world, you cannot really appreciate the world around you.” (pg 23)

Don Juan illustrates this to Castaneda by making him talk to the plants around him.  

3.  Life is Awesome, Mysterious, and Fleeting!

“The thing to do when you’re impatient is to turn to your left and ask advice from your death.  An immense amount of pettiness is dropped if … you just have the feeling that your companion is there watching you.” (page 34)

The next day I tried this in New Jersey traffic.  I pictured that if I were to die right soon was it worth being irritated at the BMW ahead of me for cutting me off.  Life is too short for small irritations!

4.  Make every decision thinking it could be your last.  No regrets!

“When a man decides to do something he must go all the way, but he must take responsibility for what he does.  No matter what he does, he must know first why he is doing it, and then he must proceed with his actions without having doubts or remorse about them.” (page 39)

Some people tell me that it is too dangerous to hitchhike in the USA today.  I really think it is too dangerous, not too.

Has anyone read this book?  What did you think?

Create Our World.

Ben

“Everything we do, everything we are, rests on our personal power.  If we don’t have enough personal power, the most magnificent piece of wisdom can be revealed to us and it won’t make a d*** bit of difference.” – Don Juan

“We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses.” - Carl Jung

From Canton, Mi.

Mind to Mind Communication

 In 1952, on the Japanese island of Koshima, a monkey named Imo washed a sweet potato before she ate it.  She and her fellow, Macaca Fuscata monkeys were given sweet potatoes by the scientists who studied them.  The monkeys like the taste of the potatoes, yet did not like the dirt.  Imo taught her mother and the other monkeys she came into contact with and over time more and more monkeys were washing their potatoes.  

Imo’s practice catches on.

Woopee, right.  

Well, the interesting observation is that after a significant minority (lets say 100 monkeys to use a number) of the monkeys were washing their potatoes, the scientists observed that very quickly after this, all the monkeys were washing their potatoes.  Like a critical mass had been reached and now all the monkeys were able to access this knowledge somehow even if they did not come into contact with Imo and her friends.  More interesting is that scientists observed that at the same time, on other islands monkeys were also washing their potatoes.

One more…

When “99″ monkeys were washing potatoes and one more joined, a critical mass was achieved and this awareness was now available to everyone.

This is known as the 100 Monkey Theory. 

“When a certain critical number achieve an awareness, this new awareness is then communicated mind to mind.” – Ken Keyes Jr.

Ken Keyes Jr. wrote a book about this theory.  The accuracy of the claims have been disputed.

You are important.

This theory made me think of Carl Jung’s theory of the Collective Unconscious.

What do you think?

Create Our World.

Ben

“In all chaos there is cosmos, in all disorder there is a secret order.” – Carl Jung

 

“Make something happen today, before you go home, before the end of the week, launch that idea, post that post, run that ad, call that customer.” – Seth Godin, from Seth Godin, the Father of Viral Marketing

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I am leaving Michigan today!

Today, I am headed South on Route 23 leaving the great state of Michigan.  Bittersweet! I will miss my family, old friends whom I have reconnected with, and all the new friends I have made.  Every time I leave somewhere, I feel sad!  Ah!

I try to keep the Buddist philosophy of Impermanence in mind, as I feel the squishy pit in my stomach of leaving folks I now LOVE.

Everything is Born and Everything must Die.

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Unleash Your Remarkableness!!!

Seth Godin, might be the most famous blogger ever.  I post his blogs sometimes on Create Our World’s Facebook Wall.  Well, about 8 years ago he released an e-book on the internet for free, Unleashing the Ideavirus.  Millions have read the book.  If you have never heard of Viral Marketing, you should click here now and read this now or save it to read later.  

This book is about more than marketing it is about power of an IDEA and how with current technology ANYONE can spread their IDEA.

This book is not just for business men and marketers, it is for everyone.  

After you read it, then read this article that the New Zealand Herald posted a couple days ago about Seth and Viral Marketing; Or read it now, but it might not make sense.

See you from the Road!!!

Create Our World.

Ben.

“Go the edge – that edge you’ve been holding back from… and do it today…” – Seth Godin