The leaders of this magnificent class are Lisa of Divine Order and Leonie of Goddess Guidebook. Lisa’s an Organizer (to understate) and Leonie’s a Goddess Guide. They are both incredibly smart and loving, gentle and delightful, and I can’t even imagine a better guide for the journey of decluttering.

I thought this would just help me get rid of stuff.

I used to buy stuff because I wanted stuff. I wasn’t careful what I bought. If I wanted something right there in that moment, I’d get it. I didn’t think about long-term usage or desire.

Needless to say, I accumulated a lot of stuff. And as I grow and change, my stuff doesn’t, and I stopped wanting a lot of it… but was utterly unable to bring myself to get rid of any of it. Then, I heard about this class, and I know these two lovely ladies, and I knew they’d be able to coax me into ditching the stuff I had that I didn’t want anymore.

I happily signed up, on the basis that it was worth the money just to learn how to get rid of some of my crap.

Little did I know…

Delving into the reasons I keep things. Delving into the reasons I buy things. Learning surprising things.

I wound up in tears the first week. I was surrounded by the love and light Lisa and Leonie fill each page with, and I burst into tears as I realized that a huge part of the stress in my life is caused by the mess in my environment.

All that clutter? It piles up on me, spiritually and mentally. It prevents me from being able to work efficiently, but more than that it prevents me from feeling clear. I didn’t know how connected to my environment I am, how visual I am, or how directly related unwanted clutter is to the stress and heartsickness that I’ve been feeling for months now.

Life-changing decluttering.

Lisa the Divine Declutter-er does the declutter side of the plan. This work came into my life and stared gently shining lights on my life. I knew it probably would, but not to what degree. It’s affecting not just my environment, but my entire life.

My money issues have started evaporating. When I want to buy something, I’ve started asking myself, “Would I want this on my altar?” “Is this actually useful in some way?”

If the answers are “no”, I don’t buy it. I’m pre-decluttering - and saving lots of money. Woo!

I got rid of a ton of clothes that don’t fit or make me sad or upset. I kept thinking, “Will I wear this in the next few days?” “Will I like how I look in this?” If the answer was no, I got rid of it!

I got rid of a bunch of stuff that’s useful to someone else, but no longer useful to me. I kept asking, “Will I use this? Can someone else get use out of it right now?”

I imagined Lisa standing there with me, gently asking me these questions and helping me when I get stuck - and I can email her if I get too stuck, and then she is right there.

Life-changing magickal reminders.

Then there’s Goddess Leonie. From her, I’m learning about all kinds of interesting and magicakal stuff - but mostly, she’s reminding me that I’m a Witch, and reminding me how wonderful and powerful I am.

The first week, I wound up in tears as I looked around my house and realized how little I have that actually fuels me, and how much I have that tears me down. We had only one altar and it’s kind of stagnant and I don’t feel like I can change it.

So I walked around the house and felt like a little Faery Leonie was fluttering near my shoulder, encouraging me to see the sacred in everything I own, and if something felt wrong, I got rid of it. And then I built an altar on my desk, one that enriches my workspace and makes me feel creative and whole whenever I sit there.

I’ve learned Feng Shui and how to build crystal grids, and been reminded to get in touch with my self and my Self… and if I get scared or stuck, I know Leonie’s right there and I can email her and she’ll help me out.

Two parts of a huge whole.

I keep talking about it because it’s changing my life. I want you to take it - not because Lisa is awesome (though she is), not because Leonie is awesome (though she is) - but because it is worth every penny and every second you’ll invest.

We accumulate clutter through life, often without even noticing. We pile up stuff and create mess, and it stagnates and creates stagnation in other aspects of our life without us even being aware of it. This course gently and lovingly creates awareness, and teaches you what to do about it in sweet, easily-digestible stages that you can take at your own pace.

World-changing earth-shaking love-creating space-shaping clutter-removing treasure-making work. Even if only half of my work is this powerful and sacred, I’m well on my way to being a supernova of awesome.

The course is starting up again tomorrow, Tuesday July 14th. And to join me, all you have to do is click this link and sign up!

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In this book, a boy from a very spiritual culture experiences a cataclysm of epic proportions, winds up alone, and questions his gods. Then he meets a girl from a very scientific culture. They become friends, and eventually, her people show up and teach science, and the gods are abandoned.

I’m summing up and being very liberal, but that’s the gist.

What does this have to do with Kyeli?

I’m a Witch. As I said in my silly video, for me, being a Witch is like being a girl. It’s not something I particularly chose, nor is it something I feel I could un-choose.

A few weeks ago, Pace said something about being more spiritual on the blog and in our work, and I flipped out. Share my spirituality? No way. That little video is as close as I get to publicly sharing my spirituality. No way, nuh-uh, no how.

I’ve never talked about seeing Faeries. I don’t mention the visions I’ve had. I don’t talk about my Guides. I haven’t discussed how I came to be devoted to the Goddess, or what that means to me. I don’t talk about it.

And because I don’t talk about it, I don’t know anyone else who has experienced anything like anything I have.

And because of that, sometimes I have doubt.

A crisis of faith.

So then I read the aforementioned book. An epic crisis caused the spiritual nature of the boy to change and become more scientific. He started saying, “Why?” He stopped trusting in his gods, and eventually stopped believing in them altogether.

I finished the book and burst into tears. The message I’d received was, “Faith is silly and unprovable. Science wins in the end, so you might as well give up and give in.”

Then I spent a week in crisis, unable to talk about it because no one I know had read the book (and Pace hates spoilers). I locked it up and started asking “Why?” and looking for proof.

Proof that the Goddess is real.

Proof that Faeries are real.

Proof that my Guides are real.

Proof, proof, proof.

“Proof” is a science word.

Finally, Pace read the book. When she finished it, we talked. Three hours later, and my faith was not only restored, but strengthened.

What changed?

Sit down, ’cause this is really funny.

My paradigm.

I forgot about paradigm. I’m a paradigm-shifter. I talk about paradigms all the time in my work; I teach people about paradigms for a living, and I forgot.

In the book, the author made the usual error. In our dominant culture, science is the dominant paradigm, so if the events in the book had happened today in our reality, it would be only natural for the boy to turn to science.

But in the boy’s paradigm, that would have actually been completely impossible. He might have asked “Why?”, but the answers would have come from his gods. His people would have re-written their stories to explain the crisis in their own paradigm, with their own gods.

Proof is a science word. In a spiritual culture, in a gods-centric paradigm, the word is meaningless.

Imagine an Aztec boy.

He’s very smart and clever. His mother is taken for a sacrifice to make the crops grow, and he looks at his baby brothers and older sisters, and wonders “Why?” He asks his father, who tells him that it is their way. Unsatisfied, he manages to ask the tribe chieftain. Again, he’s told that it is the way of the gods.

In our scientific culture, we might write the story thus: The boy, being very smart and clever, manages to rescue his mother and run away with her. From afar, they discover that this action doesn’t anger the gods at all. Together, the boy and his mother continue rescuing intended sacrifices for a year, and they discover that the crops are no different than with sacrifice.

Eventually, they go to the chief and are able to convince him to stop sacrificing humans, and the tribes-people are safe! Hooray!

…but in reality, the boy would’ve been next on the block. Asking “Why?” was tantamount to sacrilege. And if he’d somehow managed to get to his mother, she would have refused to leave with him, because being a sacrifice to the gods meant her people would eat better for the rest of the year.

The boy had done an experiment and had been able to prove that sacrificing didn’t make a difference one way or the other. But that’s scientific, and against his paradigm - and therefore, not likely to have happened at all. And in the unlikely event that it had happened, the boy is speaking an entirely different language from the rest of his people. He’s saying “Experiments! Evidence! Proof!” And the rest of his people would be making stories to explain what the gods must’ve been doing while the crops grew without sacrifice.

In truth, it likely would never have even occurred to the boy to try and change things.

Science isn’t the only way.

So in my personal epic crisis, I was shaken and upset because I felt like, when you start asking “Why?”, science is the only eventual answer. Science can “prove” things.

And since I don’t know anyone else who lives in my personal witchy paradigm, and I can’t answer “Why?” with proven things, I must be wrong.

Right?

Absolutely not.

Absolutely not.

In my paradigm, there are Faeries. I can see them. I talk to them and sometimes, they talk back.

In my paradigm, I pray to the goddess in many forms. I walk in the hands of the gods, talk to them, and listen when they talk to me.

In my paradigm, I was born a Witch. It took me a while to get there, but I found myself and my path.

In my paradigm, science is fun. It answers questions that we curious humans want answered with answers that sound and look right - and to some extent, they are right. And I’m a philosopher - I ask questions all the time! I love to learn and I seek out knowledge.

But “question everything” doesn’t mean “believe nothing”.

Just because a planet is made of gas doesn’t mean there are no gods there.

Just because we can see the entire forest doesn’t mean no unicorns live there.

Just because we think we know everything doesn’t mean we understand anything.

I am a Witch.

I am an Edgewalker. I choose to live a magickal and spiritual life, full of mythical creatures and Guides and gods and discovery. I choose to ask and to seek, and to listen to what my soul says is true. I choose to be both spiritual and seeking, a Witch and a Philosopher in harmony. I choose to dance in the moonlight and cast circle and create sacred space and trust my intuition and leave milk out for the Faeries.

I choose to believe.

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Chapter 26: What do I get out of being right?

Our desire to be right can cloud our judgment. It can make us act harshly, unfairly, or angrily. It can even make us follow through with something we no longer want to do, simply so we can feel right. At times like this it helps to ask yourself, “What do I get out of being right?” The answer might surprise you and you might end up making a decision that will make you happier in the long run.

As with most things, it’s a matter of perspective. We’re taught that being wrong is bad and shameful. We learn to maintain an illusion of infallibility even when we’re insecure on the inside. It’s no wonder we get attached to being right — or more precisely, to being perceived as right.

…and here’s the rest:

• Read The Usual Error ebook, Chapter 26: What do I get out of being right? (web page)
• Listen to The Usual Error audiobook, Chapter 26: What do I get out of being right? (MP3)

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I was wearing too many hats, and contimplating hiring a mythical beast to help me out. I’ve been trying to be eight or nine different full-time things, and I’m only one person.

I can’t be more than one person.

I spent two years trying to be more than one person. After I left my ex, I took on all of her responsibilities - but I didn’t take off any of mine. In addition, I didn’t have much autonomy due to the nature of that relationship, so I was floundering pretty hardcore.

And on top of all of that, she was my trusted system, so I now have two years’ worth of open loops in my head - and I couldn’t stop thinking about them. I don’t have another trusted system (a way to remember things and plan things and get things done), so I’ve been trying to keep it all in my head.

In my one head.

This is not feasible or sustainable.

But, woah did I try. I tried until I stopped being able to try, until I burned out, until I was making myself sick. I wound up spending more time staring at my screen and trying not to cry than accomplishing anything. I got angry. I got snippy.

That’s when I realized it was time to change something. I didn’t yet know what, but good gods, I knew something had to change or I was going to fall completely apart.

And then I kept going.

And then I fell completely apart. I held on for a few more weeks - but I started planning a retreat.

I had to fall completely apart to start caring for myself.

That was just stupid. I’m not helping anyone if I’m not helping myself first. If I don’t take care of me, there won’t be any me left to take care of anyone else.

But I’m the easiest thing to ignore, you know? I know my limits, but I’m not sure of Pace’s. I know my limits, but I don’t want to push my kid’s.

Turns out, I didn’t know my limits. And pushing myself so far past my limits made me a basket-case, a ball of sorrow and stress and ineffectiveness.

No good.

So I went on a retreat, at home.

Once I realized how desperately I needed a break, I started planning one. I kept it simple. I looked into going away, but decided to stay at home. I cleaned the house and added a few touches to it that created a more spiritual and calming atmosphere: simple things like curtains over my bookcases and the TV, so I only see them when I want, candles and stones in the bathroom, and several CDs of healing, relaxing music.

I made a list of things I’ve been wishing I had time to do. I made a list of fun things I wanted to do. I didn’t want “down time”, I didn’t want time to sit on my butt and do nothing. I needed to be recharged. I needed healing. I needed high quality me-time.

I caught up on my work so I could have a few days off without guilt or more open loops. Pace, sweet girl that she is, offered to be my butler so I could really rest, so I could focus on myself without having my normal, day-to-day responsibilities drag me down all the time.

And then I started stopping.

Regular self-care will prevent burn out.

The moment I set aside real time for myself, I stopped stressing out. Less than an hour into my first day, I was already relaxing. All I did was plan to relax, to really let go and take care of myself, and I started feeling better.

My inner Kyeli, that scared and terrified little girl who’s been neglected these past long months, started breathing again - and as soon as she was breathing, I was breathing. Deep, long breaths. Stress-relieving breaths, healing breaths, recharging breaths.

If I’d been taking care of myself all along, I wouldn’t have gotten to a place where I needed the world to stop so I could take care of myself.

If we build in self-care to our regular daily lives, we won’t burn out. We won’t get so stressed. We won’t get sick as often, won’t get angry as much.

Self-care includes…

…reading. We’re so busy, we’re reading less and less. But reading enriches our imagination and gives our brain a vacation and lowers stress levels. Curling up with a book is a great way to spend an afternoon - and the quiet is a dramatic change from the loud, bright hustle and bustle of our everyday lives.

…masturbation. Taking time out to go on a date with yourself, including having sex with yourself, is a very powerful thing to do. It sends your inner self and your body the message that you’re important to yourself and worth your own love and care. Plus, it’s nice, fun, and relaxing.

…making a list of abandoned projects. You don’t even have to finish them, but having a list of the things you wish you had time for will help you decide where your priorities are. Having a list also clears up things that might be stale - things you used to want to do, but don’t really care about anymore. Cross those things off!

…having fun. We spend so much of our time on the go, working, driving ourselves mercilessly from one task to the other, that we forget to have fun. Spending time doing activities that are purely fun reminds us to laugh and enjoy our lives.

…connecting with the divine. Prayer, song, ritual, church. Whatever you do that reminds you that you’re not alone, that you’re part of something bigger. Our souls are constantly crying out in our scientific world, begging for time to shine and be noticed. Take time out to reconnect with that.

…connecting with yourself. Spending time being yourself sounds simple, but often isn’t. We wear so many masks in our daily lives; maybe we’re one person at work and another at the club and another with our parents and another with our kids and still another with our lover. Remind yourself of what you like to do, and then do it for a little while, just for you.

Don’t forget to breathe.

In all this, I’m learning that the most important things are the ones that are the simplest. Breathe. Love. Laugh. Spend time with myself. Spend time with my partner, my kid, my friends. Take walks, read, sing. Play. Listen to my heart, follow my heart.

Live.

And really, isn’t that why we’re here?

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When I sing, mainly when I sing when I’m alone in the car, I tend to experiment with trills, harmonies, and various vocal varieties. At one point, I was grinning hugely, because I was really enjoying myself. I was playing with my voice and some of my favorite music, and I was having a huge lot of fun.

Then I realized that this is something new. I wouldn’t have done this a few months ago. I would have been singing along, sure. But I wouldn’t have been playing. I wouldn’t have been experimenting. And I wouldn’t have been having anywhere near as much fun.

I used to identify as a singer. I sing. I have a good voice. I was in choir for eight years, took private voice lessons for four. I’ve performed alone and as a group. I’ve won competitions and medals. I took it all very seriously. I wanted to be a professional singer, but was told that I’d never make a living that way; it wasn’t possible, it wasn’t easy. It was yet another in a series of things I was told I couldn’t do - and I didn’t believe otherwise. I was discouraged. I gave it up. Dropped out of classes, and, eventually, stopped singing.

And somewhere, I dropped the label. And the enjoyment faded along with the dream.

I took the label off - but I couldn’t get the song out of me.

After a while, alone in my car, I started singing. I started putting my voice out there for my ears to hear. I started humming in stores, whistling while I work. Music wound her way back into my heart. I was reminded of how much I enjoy singing, even if I’m not “serious” about it.

Now, today, I am a singer. I define myself. I am what I want to be, and I want to be a singer. I love singing! Even if no one else ever hears me, I am a singer for me. And when I opened up to that, when I let myself feel the possibility, when I stopped pushing myself down… that’s when I sing louder and happier and fuller, every note. That’s when I make myself laugh, when I sing with tears streaming down my face, when I hear myself and love myself and let myself shine.

I am a singer because I sing.

What do you want to be?

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Chapter 25: The lollipop

The lollipop is a metaphor we use to explain the nature of expectations, attachment, and disappointment.¹ We’ll illustrate it by comparing and contrasting three stories.

Claire’s Example: A Baseline

Claire has a lollipop. It’s about two hundred licks of tasty lollipop. So she’s standing around, licking on this lollipop, and eventually it’s gone. She’s eaten the whole lollipop, so now all she has left is a stick. She feels pretty happy; she enjoys lollipops, and she’s finished a good one. She feels content.

---

…and here’s the rest:

• Read The Usual Error ebook, Chapter 25: The lollipop (web page)
• Listen to The Usual Error audiobook, Chapter 25: The lollipop (MP3)

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]]> http://freakrevolution.com/2009/07/01/book-bonanza-wednesday-chapter-25-the-lollipop/feed/ http://freakrevolution.com/2009/06/29/i-want-money-paces-money/ http://freakrevolution.com/2009/06/29/i-want-money-paces-money/#comments Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:30:39 +0000 Kyeli http://freakrevolution.com/?p=2201 Pace and I have opposing money issues. She hoards, I spend. Mayhem often ensues.

I’m not a wild crazy stereotypical debt-accruing wife.

I’m the House Maintainer, the Logistical Manager, the Caretaker, and the Errand-Runner. I get groceries, make sure we all have clothes that fit and shoes that are comfy, keep track of eye exams and dental appointments, doctor and vet visits. I make sure Dru’s education needs are met, that he gets to take classes when he wants (when feasible), that he gets workbooks and videos. I make sure our entertainment needs are met, that we get to see a movie now and then and get to eat out on occasion, and that we’re spending quality time with our friends.

Also, my primary love language involves gift giving and receiving, so it’s important for me to be able to spend money on that from time to time as well.

But we were having major money issues. All the time.

Our biggest problem, the one thing we fought, argued, bickered, and discussed more than anything else in our lives was money. We made budgets, we made agreements, we made promises. We fell apart and reworked things and tried again and tried harder. We yelled, we cried, we struggled.

And then I solved it.

I solved it by admitting I couldn’t solve it.

One night, we had another major money battle. We were facing off; Pace was on one couch, arms crossed, eyebrows down, anger in her eyes. I was on the other, arms crossed, trembling, frustrated tears running down my face. We’d been at it for an hour at least, and I was getting weary and heartsick.

Then I took a deep breath and burst into tears. “I can’t do this alone. I’m addicted to money, I’m addicted to spending, and I’ve got all this responsibility but no power and am constantly feeling like I’m stealing from you!”

Immediately, Pace was on my couch, arms around me. We were on the same team, me and her against the problem. I cried for a good twenty minutes, and she simply held me. After I wept it all out, we started talking.

We talked until we came up with a plan.

We talked and talked and talked. We thought and thought. We discussed, we planned, we compromised, we discussed.

See what was missing? We didn’t argue. We didn’t bicker, we didn’t fight, no voices were raised. Not even for a moment, not even once.

As soon as we realized we were on the same team, we started acting like it. And it made all the difference. But we couldn’t have gotten there had I not admitted that I have a serious problem. I asked for Pace’s help, she promised to help me, and we went forward together.

I grew up in an environment where money was invisible.

We always had it. We ate out all the time, my brother and I never wanted for anything, and I never heard my parents discuss it or argue about it. The only thing missing was education; I had no idea how to manage money. I didn’t learn it when I moved out on my own, either. I would spend rent money on a trip to the movies and eating out, and then panic when I didn’t have rent money.

Over the past few years, I’ve gotten considerably better. But our budget had holes in it, and I wasn’t careful at times, and it all added up to constant strife between me (the spender) and Pace (the hoarder). It was difficult to see the problems because I’m responsible for the family spending, but we figured it out.

Our solution is cool. And annoying to the bank.

We switched to cash.

Now, every week, I go to the bank and withdraw the week’s spending money (groceries, gas, education, well-being, etc). I divvy it up and put each section in a compartment in my awesome accordion wallet.

This way, it’s impossible for me to overspend. When we’re out, we’re out. End of story. We wait til the next week for anything else. For myself, I opened my own checking account for my personal spending money, and I keep close track of that with the help of an app on my handy-dandy iPhone.

And I learned a cool thing.

Money isn’t real to me if it’s not cash.

When I’m paying for things in cash, I get it. I grok that I’m giving away our money, the money Pace works hard for in the mornings and we work hard for together in the afternoons. It’s real, and I really get it.

When I’m paying with a credit card, it’s all just numbers. Math. Invisible. Endless! We’ll never run out of numbers!

But we will run out of cash. All-too-soon, if I’m not careful. I can see it dwindle from my wallet. I can see the compartments get emptier every time I buy something.

And you know what? I haven’t run out of a single section yet.

Two weeks in, nearly three, and I’ve still got carry-overs from the previous weeks.

At first, I was accountable by giving Pace receipts for everything. But we quickly realized that wasn’t even necessary, because I can’t go over. I’ve made promises not to withdraw money without talking to Pace, and I won’t break those. I’ve given up all my credit cards. And I deal only in cash.

In the end, it was realizing that I had a problem that solved the problem. I can’t solve what I don’t acknowledge, no matter how hard I try - and I tried hard. Over and over and over. But as soon as I admitted it, when I owned up to it, I solved it.

And things are already huge lots better, and improving all the time.

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]]> http://freakrevolution.com/2009/06/29/i-want-money-paces-money/feed/ http://freakrevolution.com/2009/06/26/community-update-6-meta/ http://freakrevolution.com/2009/06/26/community-update-6-meta/#comments Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:30:12 +0000 Pace http://freakrevolution.com/?p=2343 You gave us your feedback about this blog, and we’re listening.

You asked for more open and vulnerable posts. We’ll do our best.

You asked for more audio and video posts. We’ll continue posting those occasionally.

You said that the community updates were the posts you most often skimmed or skipped. So we’re cutting down on those. From here on out, we won’t post community updates weekly; we’ll only post them if we have interesting and/or important news to share.

On the Fridays when we don’t post a community update, we’ll post something about communication, how to be awesome, or revolutionizing the world instead. So our blog schedule, starting next week, is:

Monday: something awesome and unscheduled
Wednesday: Book Bonanza Wednesday
Friday: Community Update or something awesome and unscheduled

How does that sound? Leave us a comment if you have something to say.

Thanks for experimenting with us and finding out what works best!

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]]> http://freakrevolution.com/2009/06/26/community-update-6-meta/feed/ http://freakrevolution.com/2009/06/24/book-bonanza-wednesday-chapter-24-the-william-james-zone/ http://freakrevolution.com/2009/06/24/book-bonanza-wednesday-chapter-24-the-william-james-zone/#comments Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:30:38 +0000 Pace and Kyeli http://freakrevolution.com/?p=1328 Each week we give away the next chapter of our book for free. We hope you enjoy it! Here’s this week’s chapter:

Chapter 24: The William James zone

All the clear communication you’ve been learning can be completely muddied if you don’t communicate clearly with yourself. Part of self-communication is paying attention to your emotions and your body when you get angry. This helps stop your anger from getting out of control and muddying everything up.

When you get angry, your brain sends out signals to your body. Your adrenaline pumps and your body releases hormones. Anger prods your body, saying, “Get ready to act!” Anger is an emotion, but it’s also a physical state. Once that adrenaline starts pumping, your body becomes angry. Even if the cause of the emotional anger goes away, the physical anger is still there, and it starts a feedback loop. Your brain asks your body, “How are we doing?” Your body replies, “We’re really angry!” Your brain reacts by becoming emotionally angry in response to the physical anger, causing your brain to send out anger signals to your body again, and the feedback loop continues.

---

…and here’s the rest:

• Read The Usual Error ebook, Chapter 24: The William James zone (web page)
• Listen to The Usual Error audiobook, Chapter 24: The William James zone (MP3)

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]]> http://freakrevolution.com/2009/06/24/book-bonanza-wednesday-chapter-24-the-william-james-zone/feed/ http://freakrevolution.com/2009/06/22/politics-is-a-waste-of-time/ http://freakrevolution.com/2009/06/22/politics-is-a-waste-of-time/#comments Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:30:12 +0000 Pace http://freakrevolution.com/?p=2251 Politics is a big fat waste of time.

Why don’t you get a Ph.D in engineering, then never build anything?

A lot of people consume a lot of politics, but never do anything with it. They stay up to date on current events and political news, they lose sleep over it, they talk about it incessantly, but they never do anything with it. It’s like spending a decade in college and graduate school to get a Ph.D in engineering, but then never actually building anything.

Either produce something instead of endlessly consuming, or do neither, and do something useful with your life instead.

Activism doesn’t work.

And if people do decide to act instead of simply consuming, they usually choose activism. They make a bunch of signs, get together with other people who agree with them, and stand around.

You know what? Activism hasn’t worked since the 60’s. Why did it work back then? Because it made people uncomfortable. Now it’s expected. It’s part of the background noise. Oh, activists. Oh, they’re having a rally.

We expect protesters to protest pretty much anything these days, pro or con. Activists have lost their power to make us uncomfortable. We’re jaded and we’ve seen it all before.

And so, activism is also a big fat waste of time.

Politics distracts us from what’s really important.

We get so caught up in what the politicians are going to do that we lose sight of the bigger picture.

Why have we given up our personal power to these people?

Why do politicians even have a say in our day-to-day lives?

Why are other people authorized to kill on my behalf? I don’t want that.

It’s like the manipulation trick that parents use on their kids. Instead of giving them a real choice, you give them the illusion of choice. “Do you want to take a bath now, or do you want to take a bath later?” Note that “Do you want to avoid taking a bath entirely” is conspicuously missing from the list of choices.

But without politics, we’d have no laws, and there would be lots of crime and war and stuff!

Yup, you’re probably right — but only in the current paradigm. Politics is possibly the best way to make the current system suck less. So if that’s your goal, if that’s your life’s work, then I wish you luck. You’re helping make things better for us, and that’s admirable. You keep on doing what you’re doing.

We’re doing something different.

We’re changing the world into a world that doesn’t need politics.

Why would there be lots of crime and war and stuff without politics and laws and people to enforce them? Because we’re living in a control paradigm instead of a connection paradigm. If we all lived in community and connection with one another and with ourselves, then we could come up with a better solution than politics. Politics is inherently anti- connection paradigm. It forces you to give up your personal power to someone you don’t know. Even if you feel a connection to your politician, the feeling isn’t mutual, simply because of the way the political hierarchy is arranged and the 150-person cap on any one person’s monkeysphere.

Local and community politics aren’t necessarily broken.

When you get to a smaller scale, where the number of people involved is less than 150, it’s possible to work together in community to make things happen. Moreover, it’s possible to do it without resorting to control paradigm tactics and systems that require isolation to work.

Due to the fact that we’re living in a control paradigm, these systems do often break down into petty politics, power plays, and fighting without ever really listening to each other. But they’re not inherently broken.

So what’s the alternative?

A paradigm shift.

Right now, most of the humans on Earth are playing the Politics Game. They believe that the way to change the world is by doing well at the Politics Game. And that’s true — if everyone else is playing the same game.

What we’re saying is that we can choose to play a different game.

Sounds lovely, but how exactly do you propose to do it?

Without players, a game is nothing. If enough people stop playing the Politics Game, the game becomes meaningless. The politicians no longer have power over us, because the people who enforce the rules are people too. When we create a paradigm shift, those people won’t want to play the game anymore either. The game board will have lost all its pieces, and there will be no one left to play.

After that, it’s up to us to create a new game for ourselves. Maybe a bunch of smaller games, because there’s no one right way. Maybe a game without rules but with principles instead — rules are so old paradigm!

One thing for sure, we can’t do it alone. We’re only two people.

Would you like to help?

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