TeaTimeMorocco by WhatTookYouSoLong
The first in a four-part series of podcasts from the WTYSL North African leg of their camel cheese quest.
The What Took You So Long Foundation is a team dedicated to filming grassroots NGOs, untold stories, & unsung heroes in some of the more remote corners of the globe. They screen their work and host workshops & lectures all over the world in order to bring these messages to as many influential movers as possible.
Oriah Mountain Dreamer
It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.
It doesn’t interest me
how old you are.
I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn’t interest me
what planets are
squaring your moon…
I want to know
if you have touched
the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened
by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.
I want to know
if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.
I want to know
if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations
of being human.
It doesn’t interest me
if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear
the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.
I want to know
if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”
It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.
It doesn’t interest me
who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.
It doesn’t interest me
where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know
what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.
I want to know
if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like
the company you keep
in the empty moments. Read the rest of this entry »
Today was a great self-working Wednesday where the tribe got together, cooked together, danced, and started shipping! (literally!) Eight of us found our way to work en route a ferry where we went to sunny bar and cafe Noorderlicht near the MTV headquarters on the industrial north island of the city. Constructed from a greenhouse and secured at the base with cement bags, eclectic furniture, and an organically delicious menu and equally enjoyable staff, it has a panoramic vista of Amsterdam harbor. With painted leather sofas littered amongst old ship hull tables and cranes dotting the waterfront, this creative cafe was a buzzing hub of people working, talking, eating, and laughing. I think the tribe managed to do all of the above and then some! We split up to work on two very exciting projects that are keeping us incredibly good busy at the moment. One, from Royal Haskoning SMC and the other from KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
{A special thanks from the tribe to Roel and Ellen over at Access to Retailing for the great tip on one of Amsterdam’s hottest hangouts.}
Last week, I met one of the world’s most renowned and influential conductors in recent years. A charming and quirky Israeli gentleman by the name of Itay, a Hebrew word meaning “with me”, brought all of us together “with him” during a very lively and interactive lecture at Knowmads headquarters. I was left speechless, frankly, and if you know me you understand that this is a next to impossible challenge to tackle. True to his message of compassionate leadership, he showed a great deal of interest in each and every one in the room as we explored our relationships to music, each other, and life. I close this brief post with a link to Itay’s speech on TED and with words from the man himself:
“Joy is about enabling other people’s stories to be heard at the same time.”
I couldn’t have found a more fitting definition of true tribal leadership.
a.5 ‘the process of getting from point A to point B.’
The a.5 is the part where your morning becomes your afternoon, which then becomes your night. The a.5 is really where everything happens and those who try to jump from a to b, without thinking about the a.5 don’t always fail, but they sure have one hell of a harder time getting there when they could have been doing something better while celebrating their success and moving forward. The a.5 is simply the action that gives your process more momentum. And it’s a very important thing to take into consideration when also thinking in terms of your life. You want most of your energy devoted to the a.5, where instead of planning how to get something, you know one thing you know needs to get done today in order to bring you one step closer.
I’ve talked a lot about pursuing a life of passion. Well, the a.5 is where that passion lies and this is where you want to have most of your life sitting. I’m talking the disconnect between leading your life or letting your life lead you. Is there a huge disconnect between these two? Are you far away from the a.5 and don’t know how to make the plunge? Keep reading…
work to home, life to death, breakfast to dinner, monday to friday, night to day, inside to outside, little to big, dreaming to doing, ordinary to extraordinary, these are the moments that make up life. Read the rest of this entry »
{MOVEMENTS!}
because… “Everything has been figured out, except how to live.” – Jean-Paul Sartre
Contents: Mind, body, and spirit
Number of Players: 1
Length of play: To be determined by you, but a minimum of ten days is recommended.
Who wants to play?
Do you find yourself often confused about if life isn’t giving you everything it could? Are you often plagued with worry or distracted from being happy the majority of the time? Do you stress about financial situations, spend money, and often regret it later, or find yourself poor, in general? Do you wish you could eat better, breathe better, want less, and live a simpler, healthier and happier life? Do you think you deserve more in life and want to re-evaluate the way you’re living yours?
Game Preparation: Your First {Movement!}
Alfred North Whitehead once said that “religion is what we do with our solitude.” Therefore, solitude, or inward {Movement!} is the key to making proper outward {Movement!} Make this first {Movement!} by listening to what your heart is telling you and answering these questions using a pen and paper. Keep these in mind throughout the game. Always remember that when you follow your bliss, spaces on the board will open up where there were no spaces before.
What went well this year? What did not go well this year? What is the best praise you ever received?
Imagine your memoir as if you were 65 years old and had accomplished everything you wanted in life. Write it. Write your obituary as if you died tomorrow. How different are they?
What do you want to get out of life? What can you offer the world that no one else can?
What is absurd in my life right now? When understanding the root of the word as deaf, begin to listen a bit more intently to your first inward {Movement!}
Remember! “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” -Goethe
That being said, are you ready for the next {Movement!}? Remove your complete self from your current life, put what you feel you need on your back, and walk. Choose a place, preferably outside your own culture, and determine to arrive by walking only. Think of a place, rooted in nature, that you’ve always wanted to see. Think back to your childhood, to a place you’ve read about possibly, or perhaps been told about.
Let’s Play!
Move your game pieces both inward and outward into available spaces to increase value. The more movements you make, the wider your perspective becomes. This increases value of your game pieces and ultimately leads the player closer to a win! Make measurable benchmarks, or rituals, to mark progress. The next village is a possibility, but so is the tree you can see ahead of you. Where you will end up at the end of the day can often be a reach.
Game Strategy: Use rituals to develop the ability to take time seriously and elegantly; intention of attention and quality curiosity are also key strategies.
How to win: Make both inward and outward {Movements!} away from how you currently live, into the life you imagine yourself living to attain ultimate synergy.
What is Synergy?
Simply put, synergy is balance. When playing, your goal is to create a balance between both inward and outward {Movements!} Think like a fish moving in current. You must be quick enough to fight the water, but smart enough to know when to be taken with the tide. Keep in mind that when seeking synergy that everything connects to everything else, and sometimes the straightest lines to what you want pass through the most unexpected but pleasant connections.
Rules:
1. Accept the fact that everything in life is the result of an action or lack of action.
2. Keep all contents (mind, body, and spirit) open in order to collect pieces in the various spaces.
3. Don’t confuse your comfort with your safety or your expectations with your intentions.
4. If a player has bit off more than he/she can chew, they may ask for help upon admitting that they need help. This is a noble and recommended action if used correctly.
5. Don’t sing victory in the middle of {Movements!} However, if you don’t stop to rest, you’ll eventually fall down. If that happens, at least take a minute to enjoy the view.
**Want a more Difficult Challenge? Do not bring money. It is always necessary not to need money, however…
The Game Pieces/Rituals:
Mind- While playing {Movements!}, prepare a daily moment to stretch your thinking by journaling your experiences. Before departing each morning, write a few sentences to meditate upon during the day ahead.
Support material: The Dali Lama’s Rules for Living, United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Body- While playing {Movements!}, prepare a daily moment to stretch your physical being. It can also help to remove outside stimulants such as caffeine, sugar, tobacco, and drugs. Record experiences using a pencil instead of a camera.
Support: Daily exercise and stretching.
Spirit- Imagine your departure as a metamorphosis. Slow down and treat each {Movement!} as part of the process. Understand that you have very few actual needs and that the world needs you to need less.
Support: patience, silence, trust, faith.
Remember! “If fate throws a knife at you, you can catch it either by the blade or the handle.” -ancient Persians
The Board: The board is comprised of spaces and pitfalls in a labyrinth-like manner. Pieces move forward from space to space in either a random or pre-planned positions. Encountering pitfalls may hold a player back, inhibiting growth and often keeping him locked in one space. The goal is to pass by spaces which you do not love. The board neither has form nor size, but moves in a circular structure. The board is your life.
The Board in Detail: Spaces and Pitfalls
(1) NATURE Spaces- By displacing your pieces in nature, you are able to stand strong and better understand the world around you.
(2) URBAN Spaces- By displacing your pieces onto an urban area, you risk encountering pitfalls. However, you also are at a higher chance for encountering PEOPLE.
Pitfalls for Mind: Mass Media, mass consumption.
Pitfall for Body: Pollution, lack of natural space.
Pitfall for Spirit: Confusion, frustration, chaos; “Métro-Boulot-Dodo” mentality.
“Métro-Boulot-Dodo” is a French expression to describe urban life. It literally translates to “subway, work, sleep”.
Remember! The easy way is not always the best. Be mindful of bumps along the way. When you get stuck in a spot, there will always be a way out when it’s time for it to be over. If possible, try wearing someone else’s shoes for a day. Always choose curiosity over certainty.
(3) PEOPLE Spaces- Attempt to land on as many “new people” spaces as possible. Upon landing on a “new people” space, you will discover if it will be a “positive influence” or a “negative influence”.
Positive influences nurture your three pieces and help you continue moving. Negative influences are pitfalls and inhibit growth. For extra {Movements!}, be willing to seek out friends from other cultures and from across the globe.
Remember! You’ll eventually meet your unmet friends in the often most unexpected, but necessary moments.
Collecting “positive steps”
When one positively reacts while in a space, {Movements!} are made in collecting the positive steps. Collecting positive steps is done by following the golden rule: do unto others as you would want others to do unto you. Steps forward include:
Being generous. Saying thank you often. Complementing one “stranger” a day. Sharing good information. Praying positive. Recycling. Eating an apple from your surroundings. Imagining other cultures through art, poetry, and novels. Listening to music you don’t understand. Dancing to it. Cooking your meal from what you’ve gathered while walking. Smiling at the people you pass. Planting a tree along the way. Getting enough sleep. Doing something for nothing. Camping. Carrying a permanent water bottle.
Game-storage:
When finishing walking, ask yourself if you feel you are a different person, and is so, in what ways? Here are some other positive steps to continue playing the game:
Understand the workings of power and privilege in your culture. Act locally. Question consumption. Learn how your lettuce and coffee are grown. Look for fair trade and union labels. Help build economies from the bottom up. Become multi-lingual. Travel to people, places, and cultures- not tourist attractions. Play games from other cultures. Watch films with subtitles. Honour everyone’s holidays. Understand the global economy in terms of people, land and water. Know where your bank banks. Refuse to wear corporate logos: defy corporate domination. Question military/corporate connections. Don’t confuse money with wealth, or time with money. Judge governance by how well it meets all people’s needs. Be skeptical about what you read. Pledge allegiance to the Earth- question nationalism. Know that no one is silent though many are not heard. Work to change this. Write to people who have inspired you in the past. Learn your heritage. Never believe you have a right to anyone else’s resources. When eating, eat adventurously, and enjoy vegetables, beans, and grains. Learn where your water comes from and where your wastes go. Assume that many others share your dreams.
“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” - Leo Tolstoy
As I reflect on my experience, I recognize that while Spain first taught me to enjoy life, it has now also reinforced in me the need for balance in order to live a truly fulfilling life. It’s no surprise this lesson comes from a country that clocks in some of the highest hours of labor in all of Europe, yet still makes time for a daily siesta! I’ve stopped hiking, but I am still “on the trail.” I believe that the pilgrimage never really ends as I look at the trail ahead; a path of self-growth on all levels with an opportunity to plant some seeds for the future. Here’s my process of beginning my path as a progressive pilgrim. Give it a try with me, if you want.
When I was first here in Rotterdam, some questions began springing up inside of me. You see, it all started reading about these things called goals. I’d had some long term ones written in the back of my notebook, but had never given it much thought beyond that. So, I decided I’d write another list of goals for my travels. I realized I’d never actually given a tremendous amount of thought as to what I wanted out of this journey. I then realized that a lot of people don’t really take the time to plan what they really want to get out of life. Read the rest of this entry »
