Wee-Bo-Wha

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‎"Wee-bo-wha" is how Crosby says "I love you" and that is about the best thing ever. For some reason it has more meaning. It seams more like a specific kind of love. As we know there are all different kinds of love and our English language has not found a way to define love into specific types. So I interpret "Wee-bo-wha" as "I love you as my family" and that is the best kind of love. Especially coming from Crosby.

We are what can not be translated by words!

http://www.paintingsilove.com/artist/catherineokeeffe

I perceive that the culture we live in is one that identifies people with money and work.  Our identity and self worth has become intertwined with how we make money and / or how much we make.  Money and our work titles are important things to function in the world, but I think the real lie is the one that says that this is primarily who we are.  Who we are is so much greater and deeper.  That greater and deeper part of who we are is what I want to spend my time talking about with my friends family and strangers.

Three years ago I was going through a Challenge Course Certification and while I was going through an obstacle 30' in the air the trainer asked me if I felt challenged.  I said no because I had been doing this for about ten years.  Being up high has become absorbed into my comfort zone.  So the trainer gave me a different kind of challenge.  He told me to define myself to the group with out telling them any of my accomplishments.  This turned a normally very external physical challenge into a very internal meta physical challenge.  I said a few random things like where I grew up and things I liked to do, but once I was on the ground the meta physical challenge was not over for me.  I started on this rabbit trail of self discovery of figuring out how to really define myself.  

Here is my internal process I had at the time as I reflected on what the trainier had challenged me with:

We define ourselves and others by:

-Accomplishments

-Family

-Relationships

-Likes and Dislikes

-Desires

-Passions

-Political party

-Clothing style

-Movies and shows we like

-Hobbies

-Religion

-Education

-Job

-Amount of money

-Where we live and where we grew up

-And on it goes.........

Then it hit me.  Who I am and who we are is beyond what language and writing can describe.  Here is an example.  Take a moment and think about how you would describe me to a friend I have never met.................okay...........got it?  Good.   Now with all the ways you have used to describe who I am to your friend do you think they would really know me?  I would argue that most of you said no.  Here is why I think that is; who we truly are is the essence of us that is only experienced by being around each other.  Who are is the part of us that can not be translated by words.

Have you ever met somebody and your mind is flooded with all these judgments and assessments about that person based on physical appearance and how the person comes across to you?  Then once you spend time with that person you notice that most of those assumptions were false as you discover the deeper parts of who that person is.  For example have you ever first met someone who appeared kind of ugly to you and then as you got to know them they became super attractive?  Or the other way around.  Have you ever met someone who first appeared very beautiful and then as you got to know them they became somewhat unattractive?

What is that all about?  What gives me the greatest joy is the adventure of discovering who we truly are.  I have done a lot of physical outdoor adventure type stuff and still the most rewarding adventure, I have learned, is people!  I have spent a lot of time around people in very genuine settings and it is so uplifting.  I love piercing through all those false beliefs, identities and lies of who we think we are to experience the core of us that is beyond words.  That shared moment is an eternal moment and is the most valuable thing.  This shared moment is freedom!  Our physical limitations can not limit it.  Our lack and or list of accomplishment have no power over it.  Our false perceptions and beliefs about ourselves and others are pierced by it. 

I participate in the exercise of looking people in the eye with no verbal conversation for two - five minutes.  I remember and know more deeply all of those people than people I have had long conversations with.  Something deep is tapped into when people do this eye to eye activity.  I have seen people start crying, laughing, hugging and so on.  I have felt and seen things in myself that I did not know were there during this activity.  It is a pretty powerfully scary and beautiful thing!  Again out of all the physical challenges I have been through looking someone in the eyes for two - five minutes with out talking is the most challenging.  One will see parts of themselves and others that are ugly, brilliant, and to intense to contain!

As most of you have already experienced in the past few weeks it as been my intention to spend time with you.  Going out for coffee and things like that.  These times of genuine interaction beyond the insecure walls and ego's of fears and lies is what I seek!

The Flow

A Conversation I had with Daniel

Shadows of Imperfection

          Our imperfections cast a shadow from the light of perfection.  We can choose to look at the shadow, identify with it and even become it.  Very much like what happens in the Allegory of Plato's Cave.  Although the problem with this is that the shadow is nothing.  So by focusing on the shadow we are focusing on nothing.  Any imperfections we have seem very real to us if we focus on them.  Such as pride, bitterness, hate, jealousy and so on.  These things have been referred to as the 'sins of the flesh' or could be seen as sins of focusing on the shadows cast in a temporal world. The trick is to turn around and focus on the light of perfection itself and all shadows now seem pointless and they lose power.
            Only when we go back to the shadow, after knowing how things really are, can we become in danger of actually becoming the shadow itself and ultimately becoming nothing.  This I believe would take great effort considering how strong, abundant and real the light of perfection is.  Now facing the light one still has imperfections that cast shadows behind them but they are of no concern now.
          This also relates to ones identity. If I identify myself as my gender, nation, career, body, race, appearance, accomplishments and so on, then I will suffer once any of these temporal things fade.  I must focus on my true identity in the the light cast from perfection.  It is interesting that when one asks who God is the only reply is, "I Am, that I Am."  No other tangent of identification is given, it is simply, "I Am."  Once I realize that I am only what I am cast by the light of God then I have no attachment or value placed in any other identity. My entire world could fall apart yet I would remain free, as long as I see It all as temporal wisps of shadows.  Truly the only thing worth focusing on is eternal reality.  It is quite exciting to face this challenge. It feels like an adventure that is not draining but rather lively.  Thank You.

Interaction

              Genuine human interaction is so important. When we are in the presence of another person we are challenged to face who we really are.  We can choose to communicate our honest thoughts or put on a mask to protect who we truly are.  Either way when we interact with others it pushes us to break free from any false thoughts that we create about the outside world or even about ourselves.  Interaction with others also wakes us up from any distraction we may be asleep in.
              I would challenge that most peoples best memories or any kind of real memory has to do with interacting with other people in a genuine way.  I would also challenge that if questioned, "What would you do if you found out you had only one year to live?"  Most people would say that they would want to spend it interacting with those they love.  So if we know that the only thing worth 'doing' is 'being' with other people in a. real way why do we waste so much time not being with others.  I think it might be that in order to genuinely be with another person we must first genuinely face our selves.  This might be too scary for a lot of us so we put on a mask in order to be around others with out facing who we truly are.  We all know how draining it is to keep a mask on around others.  We hit a breaking point and excuse our selves from the group in order to be safe and alone in our own false beliefs about reality.  This seems like a very strange cycle we choose to live in.  For those of us with deep hurts it is not so strange.  But I'm convinced the more we put our selves around others and push through those first few hard times it will get easier.  After a while the cycle will transform into a craving to be around people in an honest way.  One will start to notice that others reflect who we genuinely are back to ourselves and we do the same for them.
                A true danger is being alone to long with our own thoughts.  They can turn reality into false perceptions of others and ourselves.  What will give us the freedom and strength to step out into the light to see who we are?  Please know that true discovery of oneself and others is hard but it is the greatest adventure we will experience.