People believe too often, that their sense and rational are infallible, navigating in a mist as if in a clear-sky, sun-shining day. They cruise, until they crash. Some of the worlds greatest illusions can be found in Las Vegas, but the one's I'm referring to are not being performed on a stage. They are also found in Los Ageles, New York, Hong Kong, London and Paris. Some of the most wide spread illusions reach even the smallest towns, in the most secluded sectors of the world, because they've been hard wire into our brains, and reinforced by social conditioning. Money and wealth are powerful illusions, casting haze and distortion over those who carry it.

Walking among Paradoxes




My philosophy teacher used to tell me to reject paradoxes, he used to call it mental laziness to accept them. Yet I continue to hold that certain paradoxes can exist within us, without destroying us. Lately I've been thinking of our need to have a clear focus and intent, while being free of outcome. They're ideas or believe systems that appear to be irreconcilable, yet are necessary to what I would call a healthy and successful path in life. Without clear intent you lack commitment and true immersion. Without freedom of outcome, or being dependent of outcome, you are too focused on short term results. You forsake the process, and fail walk the path long enough to carve your imprint. Both are two sides of the coin that we neither ought to neglect or ignore.

The system




They say that the most used word in the English language is "I". I say its a bit of a nonsensical term. There is an intricate system of neuron networks, and organs working together to weave design along a web. That intricate and lovely design turns out to be us, consciousness. As no single tree, river bed, or rock could ever claim complete identity over the Amazon Rain forest, neither can a single organ, neuron, or neuron network ever completely be us. Yet at some point, if you remove enough rocks from the mountain, it ceases to be such said mountain. The concept, the idea of the mountain, rain forest, or identity only serves us as a label in a map, but we ought to not confuse the map with the territory. Consciousness is the illusion that the sum of the parts sometimes creates. As Einstein once remarked regarding reality:"...is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."

August 22 · Edited · 

Spend wisely...

Time is life's true currency. Be wise on who you choose to invest it in. Be courageous to use your own judgment in deciding who you surround yourself with. Make yourself somewhat vulnerable, open up! I promise you'll get hurt, but I promise it'll be worth it. Talk to people who disagree with your views, align yourself with people of integrity and similar values! Hang out with the crazies and the wild ones, they'll usually give you the best stories of your life! And what is life but a string of stories sown together! I'm grateful for the real friends in my life, for the ones who have brought me tears and laughter, lessons and good times! So a big shout out, to all the great friends I've yet to meet...to the great ones who have stood by me...and to the assholes, bitches and shitty ones, who've allowed me to appreciate the good ones! Salud!
#friendsarefamilyyougettochoose #bffs#thebesttimesareshared #allforoneandoneforall#capturingfriendship

 — with Michael Williams, Jaime McGhie and Regi Silva in Cedar City, Utah.

I premonition melancholy...

They tend to insinuate that there will be friends in your life that are better than others. The truth is that each friendship is different from the next, and ought to be compared not to others but to itself as time passes; and as I reminisce on all the wonderful and magical moments we’ve shared over the past few years, I find it hard to believe that I've been blessed enough to call this group of people my friends. As with so many treasures in my life, they were brought about by the wisdom and beloved person that is my sister. Thanks to her I met, one by one, these wonderful, intelligent, virtuous, beautiful, interesting, grandiose, socially-conscious, humble, loving, AMAZING group of people. I find it a great pleasure, and honor, to be referred by them as friend. It fills me with great joy to have been able to witness and share this wonderful occasion, where two people I care about so much share with the world the commitment of love they have for each other. I hope and strive to grow as their friend, and to continue to share this life adventure, for whatever the destination, I will find myself in good company.

‪#‎erinandbenatlast

The clink and clanks...

I stood in a kitchen in a friends house in Colombia, it was a overcast chilling morning, and as I was serving some Lentil soup from the night before I realized I could hear the neighbors washing the dishes. I heard it in a way that you hear things, when sound travels directly to you without having to be muffled by walls, door and other obstructions, and at that moment I smiled. I realized how much I missed that. I smiled and was genuinely happy to hear their voice and the sounds. It reminds me of my only real home, of a childhood so long gone, but so closely guarded against that bitter fight we have against time to not let loose of those memories which we so desperately wanna hold on to. You hold on to it as hard as you can, hard enough to smother it out, to suffocate it, but you don't care because you cant take the thought of it leaving you.

Sometimes that which we remember with tenderness and love, can be a very inefficient, unhealthy or in direct conflict with what we now value and who we are. Its ok and well that we took an empowering look at something that wasn't perfect, and that should never hold us back from changing improving and moving forward.

I have a past I have fiercely run away from, that I know I cant outrun. I have another past that I've been chasing and trying to get back to, but to which I can never arrive. I cant tell which I resent more.

3 Rules of Real Estate: SEX, SEX, and SEX

2 things that every single organism on this earth share in common: They want to survive and reproduce! From a bacteria or virus, to elephants and man, we just wanna pass on genes. Sexual drive is an instinct, one that has no rival (survival aside, as its sefl evident we cant reproduce if we're dead...unless you're a praying mantis or Black Widow :P). When we suppress or try to ignore, this is channel in other very unhealthy emotional ways. I know enough to know I know nothing, and in the 28 years I've been on God's green earth I have NEVER seen a girl be attracted to a guy on his "nice", "non-sexual" personality". I'm not saying they don't enjoy it, or are grateful or validated by it, but that DOES NOT create attraction. Its like the ugliest girl (whatever that might look like to you) being REALLY, REALLY nice to a guy...you want her as a friend, you'll respect her and even appreciate her in your own way. But one thing CANNOT take the place of the other. Is Sex everything in life: No...is it a BIG part...YES! If you dont believe me, ask any couple who's been married for a long time and see what would have happened without a healthy sexual life... I dont like to talk in absolutes, and I know there's exceptions (physical accidents are just one that comes to mind) but to try and eradicate the subject as trivial is just fooling ourselves. You know what the crazy thing is, we, men, are they ones who uphold this stupid rules, women just try to live by them because they know they will be ostracized by society if they dont conform.