Fear

Sometimes ancient words are helpful in our current world. Rebbe Nachman of Breslve taught that the whole world is a very narrow bridge, but the main thing is not to be afraid. So much the is wrong right now is due to our fear. We are afraid of losing jobs and money and stuff. We are afraid that we have made bad choices or not enough choices or too many choices. We are afraid that our future is in the hands and whims of others.

It is true that we are not the conductor or in charge of the world. It is true, however, that our brains evolved to deal with change and variety. Fear keeps us from believing that we can adapt to change. Fear keeps us from using our strengths. Fear keeps us spiraling downward.

The most important thing is to not be afraid.

Trying out a new service from Ping.fm that links all my networks. Hmm, I feel like a GenY

Destiny

The word destiny is a sailor's term; it has to do with aligning your ship with nothing earthbound, with pointing yourself in the direction of the starts. pirates know that every moment is rich with information sent by destiny to guide them, and they steer by nonphysical markers. Pirates see the world as miraculous rather than threatening, serendipitous rather than capricious. This perspective keeps them from letting the part of them that is afraid make their decisions. Pirates never let their fears steer the ship. Rather than resisting what life brings them, pirates are astonished by nothing and find wonder in everything.

Open to the world

Over the past few months I have had more and more synchronistic events in my life. It seems that that more I believe that the world will open up for me, and the more I open myself up to experience the unfolding of my journey, the more the world opens up around me.
Maybe that is what made Pirates so successful. They knew they could not control the wind or the sea; they could only respond by adjusting the sails and the rudder. They could focus on their final destination, but had to let many of the daily details unfold in front of them. They had to be open to opportunities that appeared on the horizon, and be willing to change tack on their journey.
It seems like a partnership. If I am willing to really show up for my life, be present and aware, bring my best self forward, then I have done my part. Life unfolds in front of me because I am ready and open.
As a pirate I need to sail the ship well, but I do not need to plan every adventure.

Pirating your life

All we hear about is the economy and how bad things are. Maybe the end of days is coming. More fear. What if we realized that this is just another roadside attraction distracting us from following our dreams?
If I make my decisions based on what people around me fear, I am never following my inner guide, my personal beliefs, or my dreams. I see students who major in business when they love art, or go into nursing when they want to be a medical researcher. They are listening to the people around them who say "do something safe."
We cannot live life fully when we make choices based on the fears that surround us.
We can only be a pirate in our life when we are willing to sail away from the known shore into unknown seas.

Stop believing the fear Mongers

I was watching yet another end of the world show last night based on ancient the Mayan calendar and Nostradomus. None of this is actually based on science or reality, only our interpretations as we look for something else to be afraid of. Or pehaps a way to justify our religious beliefs or actions. All of it is about living a life based on fear, full of problems we cannot solve and sign that all is lost.

Again, I wonder about Pirates, people who did not live in fear, but lived fully in the moment. They were not afraid to sail out to sea, or weather a rough storm. Most of them had very lttle, but were willing to share what they had. Pirates believed in sharing the wealth equally, and providing for disabled pirates. They had very little, but appreciated it a great deal. I saw the same thing in Israel, people who do not have much, but feel rich.

We in America, however, so often are afraid to share what we have, donate part of what we have, or be content with what we have. We have so much, appreciate it so little, and live in fear of losing what we have.

Israel and Innovation

When I went to Israel to study innovation, I found something interesting. Yes, there is a focus on education and learning that helps. I expected that. There was also a story telling tradition, as well as great diversity that brings different ideas together. I expected to find a sense of courage, or perhaps chutzpah, and I did. All of these elements push people to move into new areas and create new possibilities.

However it was the element of hope that pulled it all together. Hope was everywhere. There was art at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum. There were messages of hope at the Diaspora museum. Everywhere we went we heard people talking about the future in positive ways. We heard people talking about building for their children, or following their faith to heal the world.
It is this power of hope that ties all the other elements together.