What has been happening recently in North Dakota is despicable:

Since at least March, local Native American populations have been protesting against the new Dakota Access Pipeline, which threatens to potentially poison their clean water supply, and disturb the local natural resources and sacred tribal lands.

And over the weekend, militarized law enforcement were joined by US armed forces deployed on Native land, and State oppression of those brave individuals defending their own sovereign land has turned brutally inhumane.

Thursday, the “North Dakota Tactical Operations Center” rolled out the Humvees, armored cars, riot police and snipers, and violently attacked the Native Water Protectors with Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) directional sound cannons, rubber bullets, tasers, beanbag shotgun rounds, flash grenades, and batons to force their way onto tribal land and allow the oil pipeline construction to proceed.

Alarmists in the media have been doomsaying that, if elected, Donald Trump threatens to bring tyranny and outright fascism to the United States. But, just watch these videos and witness how, our country has already become a tyrannical power over recent decades, with no meddling from Trump yet whatsoever.

Morton County, ND – Over two hundred multi-state law enforcement and National Guard personnel attacked water protectors gathered on unceded 1851 Oceti Sakowin treaty land just north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in the late morning of Thursday, October 27th. [Unicorn Riot]

Please click here for the full report, and Unicorn Riot’s ongoing coverage of the story.

Watching these images should make the stomach turn.

Who do these “peace officers” work for? Certainly not for the American people anymore.

When Big Oil corporations essentially pressure the government to use law enforcement and military as their own private security forces, something is very wrong.

This is the military-industrial complex Eisenhower warned of in 1961, hard at work administering injustice on behalf of the oil companies and the corporatocracy.

From a certain perspective, it could almost be said that the next civil war has already begun, as the United States government has decidedly turned against the American people and is attacking its own citizens on many fronts recently — not just against the Sioux tribes, but against all of us who value our sovereignty, our clean air and water, and who revere the land as sacred.

“Brimming with hubris and self-importance, the ruling Elite and mainstream media cannot believe they have lost the consent of the governed.” -Charles Hugh Smith

In my research about the Dakota Access Pipeline and other very disparate topics, I serendipitously came across the following, years-old wisdom, attributed as a “Message from the Hopi Elders” of Oraibi, Arizona — strangely enough as far back as the very early 2000s.

The message’s real origin is disputed, and may very well be misattributed. But whatever its true origins, I believe there is still great value to be drawn from this message at this moment in history:

A Message from the Hopi Elders

You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour.
Now you must go back and tell the people that this is The Hour.

Here are the things that must be considered:

Where are you living?
What are you doing?
What are your relationships?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know your garden.
It is time to speak your Truth.
Create your community.
Be good to each other.
And do not look outside yourself for the leader.

This could be a good time!

There is a river flowing now very fast.
It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.
They will try to hold on to the shore.
They will feel like they are being torn apart, and they will suffer greatly.

Know the river has its destination.
The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off toward the middle of
the river,
keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water.

See who is there with you and celebrate.

At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, least of all
ourselves!
For the moment we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.

The time of the lonely wolf is over.
Gather yourselves!

Banish the word struggle from your attitude and vocabulary.

All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.

We are the ones we have been waiting for.

The Elders,
Oraibi, Arizona
Hopi Nation

Again, this is of dubious origin and you can read here for more discussion about it’s validity. But it led me to something even more important in my search for the original source of this passage: a very real message from Sioux Elder Red Crow about the sacredness of the land.

Floyd Red Crow Westerman was known for years as a renaissance man, for his many talents, dedication and passion. A member of the Dakota (Sioux) nation, he was an accomplished actor on the big and small screen for over 20 years, a political advocate for Indian and environmental causes worldwide and a popular singer/songwriter, performing with such stars as Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Don Henley and Kris Kristofferson to name just a few.

Living Spiritually-Connected

This from the Swedish documentary Jakten på Undergångsmyten, about Hopi prophecy, a decade old:

Perhaps we should be reminded to listen to our elders here, who often may have important perspective and wisdom that the younger generations lack.

I recommend you learn more from Red Crow.

Back in Morton County, North Dakota, it is being reported that the “Great Herd” of the Buffalo Nation and even the eagle and falcon spirits have recently visited the Sioux water protectors:

There are those who say that the Sacred is watching what’s unfolding in the Dakotas, and even the animal spirits are showing their support for the Standing Rock Sioux water protectors.

Meanwhile, President Obama is tweeting about baseball.

“…how apathetic and casually accepting most of us are of the most silent war ever waged, not on climate, but on people and on the planet.” Chelsea Rustrum

Nobody is going to fix the world for us. You must be the Hero of your own story, be a champion for your own community, and have the courage to do what is best for your loved ones and those around you. This also means you must live more spiritually-connected, and preserve the land, the clean air and water that sustains you. “We are the ones we have been waiting for.”

That is why I applaud the bravery of the Water Protectors, and I pray for the Sioux Nation and others in the Dakotas fighting to protect the land. Talk about Real-Life Heroes! In the face of overwhelming threat of force, they are standing their ground at Standing Rock reservation.

The rest of us cannot allow this kind of behavior from our government. They’ll be coming for YOU soon enough if we let them treat our Native American brothers and sisters this way.

Click here to support the indigenous-led resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Click here to learn more about the Dakota Access Pipeline background and rising tensions.

There have been many many attempts to polarize us in recent years. Black versus white. Red versus blue. Men versus women. Rich versus poor. Police versus civilian. But when we stand united in what is universally right, we can become an unstoppable force for good, for truth, for love.

united-movement

My sincere gratitude to all the indigenous peoples of the world, who help serve as valued and responsible stewards of the Earth, important spiritual guides and shamanic conduits to the transcendent.

The buffalo run free again! #NoDAPL

Reporting live from Chiang Mai city in northern Thailand, after the royal announcement Thursday, October 13th that His Majesty King Rama IX has passed into immortality.

Watch the video below. You won’t believe what happens at 3:33! I was recording from my balcony when this happened:

“The death of the Thai king throws the country into turmoil”

warns The Economist

“Thailand as we knew it is now at an end” – from the Bangkok Post even.

It’s true, the world’s longest-reigning monarch King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, passed on Thursday at 88 years old. He was a universally-loved leader, and revered as almost a god. With the utmost respect, I have been saddened by his passing, and I stand with Thailand and my Thai friends as they mourn this very sad time.

Please click here to read my formal announcement about the King.

This day has been coming for a long time, and many have speculated that it may plunge the country into chaos. But so far things are not so bad. There will of course be challenges in the succession process and as power is transferred, and this is the end of an era.

But don’t believe all the headlines. Especially the international (US) mainstream.

I mean no disrespect with my stunt here, and I apologize if I caused anyone momentary panic, but I mean only to call your attention to the fact that manipulation is everywhere, and illustrate with my own example.

Everything in Chiang Mai at least is fairly normal so far. There is a quiet respectful air of mourning. But as my colleague Simon Black astutely noted, “same same but different” as the Thai motto goes.

It’s mostly hyped-up rhetoric to get you to click. These old world newspapers and mainstream media organizations are dying a painful, slow death as the internet gradually, but inevitably, sweeps across the globe and transforms society.

They are losing their influence, and the old oligarchs (and new technocrats) who own these major “news” sites and media portals will do ANYTHING to stay in business, to keep the profits rolling in, to grab your attention.

Their very livelihoods, actually, depend upon dominating your attention.

They are distraction machines, really. Because if they don’t distract you from your real life, from your actual responsibilities, from what’s directly important to you, and the things you should be doing to take care of yourself, your family, and the people you care about — if they can’t distract you from that then they’ll go out of business.

Which is why you continually find them spreading alarmist, sensational, often one-sided stories, often outright propaganda — whether it’s for the state, for their affiliated organizations whose agendas they support, or simply in their biggest stockholder’s best interests.

And by the way America: you know your government made it legal to spread propaganda within US borders, to US citizens, through mass media — just before Independence Day 2013.

So don’t tell me it can’t happen in the U.S. Don’t be so foolish.

I want to tell you that a lot of what you see in the media — even on your Facebook feed or “trending” news — is manipulated, sensationalized, wildly exaggerated, or outright fabricated.

It’s called clickbait. And it’s important to know that you’re probably not immune to it.

And people can use our natural curiosity against us.

Like my man Ed Latimore, the pro heavyweight boxer who’s been dropping obscene amounts of TRUTH on Twitter recently said:

https://twitter.com/EdLatimore/status/776454488450330624

Especially the scared part. But I’ve been seeing a lot of all of the above lately.

Lots of fear-mongering and misinformation designed to keep you ignorant and powerless. Lots of manipulation, especially during this election cycle in America. The place is going mad.

But, just like here in Thailand right now, it’s not chaos in the streets — rather, it’s literal mental insanity that you’re letting the elites lead you into. (And America is suffering HARD right now from a mental health epidemic.)

And chances are, no matter who you elect President this year, there still won’t be utter chaos in the streets, nor a Hitler-like regime installed, or nuclear war apocalypse.

They’ll create a terrifying narrative out of almost thin air, repeat it a thousand times on every front page and every station, and eventually people believe it.

But, meanwhile here in Chiang Mai, with King Rama IX vacating the throne and a new King succeeding him, it is not the END of Thailand, the country is not in turmoil.

In fact, it’s still a stunningly beautiful spot to make your next vacation. I mean just go back and watch my video if you didn’t already.

I’ve seen so many people on social media panicking, spreading alarmist rumors. “Nightmare: My holiday is ruined,” said the Daily Mail! And yet, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the cows are grazing.

It’s laughable. I’d call it major exaggeration in this case, to stir up fear in people.

(If you want to follow the real situation, I recommend you find on-the-ground, local voices — here is my recommended Twitter shortlist.)

But see how easy it was for me to get your click with my alarmist headline?

You introduce a problem. Then you offer the solution.

Even if you have to create the problem.

And when you filter the happenings of over 7 billion people across the globe, looking for the very worst — the scariest  and most shocking events, the most violent, the most negative things imaginable — and broadcast that across the whole world as if it’s the norm, and repeat it over and over a thousand times, then you can easily start to deceive people into thinking the world is going to hell.

I’ve caught myself recently addicted to this distraction and fear porn and “political anxiety” as they’re calling it in America.

But the world they portray on the screen does not align with reality. And you need to know that.

Most of us, when we look outside the window, life is mostly pretty good.

That’s not to say there are no real news stories out there, but we are no longer dealing with journalism in the mainstream media, we are dealing with infotainment and, frankly, often indoctrination. Everybody wants you to think like they do, or think like they tell you to.

But be vigilant heroes, because most of the time others will coax you into nothing but FEAR or DESIRE.

There are real concerns out there in the world for sure, but it’s all about perspective.

Mostly you just need to DO YOU.

Don’t forget to go take a walk, talk to your neighbors, spend time in The Present with your family and loved ones, work on YOU, and listen to your inner voice for direction. Not the TV, or the newspaper, or Facebook, Google, Twitter, Yahoo, or even Huffington Post.

They all have a vested interest in keeping you distracted, fearful, misinformed, and worried about imaginary bogeymen.

2010 protests in Bangkok

The attached photo is actually from 2010 in Bangkok. I was in the heart of real protests and violence in Thailand in 2009 and 2010, when things did get hairy, but I also saw Thais come together afterwards in amazing cooperation

The real bogeyman is not in the headlines. He is not out there, coming for your job, or your life. You don’t need to hide your wife, or your kids.

The real bogeyman is usually yourself.

Most fears are imagined.

Start with the man in the mirror, and let everything else take care of itself.

If you’re ready to start working on yourself, developing a higher perspective, and occasionally hearing the REAL big-picture scoop from someone who’s been living outside the “Reality Distortion Field” for a while, traveling over 30 countries on 4 continents for the last 8 years, join me on the Hero’s Journey — just fill out the form below.

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds! Marcus Garvey

moonset king thailand

A cloudy night, a God-King’s final day, the moon says goodbye.

Respectful Condolences for the King of Thailand

It is with great sadness that I share the news: the day has come, as of royal announcement yesterday, His Majesty King Rama IX has vacated the throne.

Universally adored across Thailand for his dedication to his people and their unique culture, I pray he rests in peace after a lifetime of hard work and commitment to bettering his society. With great respect, and heartfelt condolences, I stand with my Thai friends and the country as a whole as they go through this important time of mourning.

I have spent many years as a guest in this remarkable community thanks only to the generosity of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and been treated with absolute grace and love by the vast majority of its beautiful people.

Though I will never fully know what it’s like to be born Thai, the country and its people will forever hold an immensely special place in my heart, and I am forever grateful for the profound spiritual and personal growth opportunity this has given me, and thankful to have come to understand a fair bit about the Thai culture and their love for a great leader who many looked up to as the father of a societal FAMILY — the Dhammaraja, Chao Chiwit.

This will be a time of reverence and ceremony that may very well be difficult for many Western viewers to comprehend. Start here for a good introduction.

The coming days, weeks, and months will likely be different for many of us. I highly recommend as foreigners that you show respect, and more importantly empathy for the mourning of the Thai people, have patience as shops may be closed, events canceled, entertainment zones/nightlife is downplayed, and some things may become a bit more inconvenient.

If you want to follow the local situation on the ground here in Thailand, here is my recommended Twitter shortlist.

There is no reason for alarm, though it may be expected to wear black, or dark, muted colors for the coming 30 to 99 days depending where you are, pay attention for official announcements, news updates, and cultural cues from your Thai friends, but let’s all remember that we are guests here and right now is a time for quiet reflection, humility, sympathy, and love.

In His Majesty’s own words:

“A good person can make another person good; it means that goodness will elicit goodness in the society; other persons will also be good.”

I’m bookmarking this page to return to soon for further research on the Theravada Buddhist concept of the Dhammaraja (ธรรมราชา) and the Ten Guiding Principles for a King (defined as the virtues of a righteous ruler):

King Bhumibol and His Enlightened Approach to Teaching

Thai father's day

Celebrating the King’s birthday and Thailand’s Father’s Day holiday on December 5th shortly after arriving in the country in 2008.

Thai King Bhumibol Benny Goodman

His Majesty the King is playing jazz with Benny Goodman

Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej

Long Live the King

The 1980 song “Once in a Lifetime” was one of the Talking Heads’ most iconic songs, still puzzling listeners over 35 years later.

But damn if that tune ain’t catchy! The mesmerizing music video used to run on repeat on MTV eons ago when the M actually stood for music, and the song become so popular even Kermit the Frog sang a rendition on The Muppet Show.

First released on their album Remain in Light, there have been many varying interpretations of the song’s lyrics over the years — with verses written by David Byrne, and a chorus written and sung in part by the hugely influential pop producer of the time, Brian Eno, who also produced the entire album.

Lead man David Byrne, in a tight-fitted suit and wire-frame glasses, seems to tumble over and over, “letting the days go by”, perhaps playing equal parts middle-class everyman struggling to catch his breath running the hamster wheel of “success”, and soapbox preacher inviting the listener to reflect on his own life critically.

“And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack…”

Alongside a handful of similarly introspective soundtrips of the affluent 80s, the song’s lyrics revolve primarily around themes of impermanence and the fleeting nature of happiness, as time keeps marching on uncaringly. We’re raised to believe our lives will turn out a certain way — to have certain expectations. We’re shown certain symbols of achievement and prestige on the television, and the promise of wealth, happiness, and success are constantly dangled in front of us by our consumer culture. But many people work hard for decades, they chase the carrots they see in popular culture, only to find they wake up one day, like Byrne’s character in this song, questioning how the hell they ended up where they are, not happy with the things they have.

“And you may find yourself in another part of the world…”

It turns into an existential crisis, as Byrne questions his entire reality, and whether it is futile to even try to “remove the water at the bottom of the ocean”. Trying to push against the forces of nature, like the passing of time, and the underlying truth of life, may be impossible, but I believe the song points to a once in a lifetime chance to truly “wake up” to reality — to realize how you’ve allowed yourself to be carried along by life, to snap out of the mindless routine, take stock of your life, how you got here, and to commit to being more conscious of your journey.

“And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile…”

I think it’s an artful expression of just how easy it is to get caught up in the monotony of life, to live your days on autopilot, and to forget just how precious our time here is.

Even as someone who’s built a location-independent business, traveled and lived across four continents, and had my fair share of wild fun, living by my own rules, I still got caught up in unconscious patterns that robbed me of my health and wealth, that undermined my true purpose and fulfillment, and that left me wanting so much more. It’s as if I had been asleep at the wheel, and suddenly woke up. Sometimes I wonder if our whole species is slowly undergoing a gradual awakening right now…

“And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife / And you may ask yourself – Well… How did I get here?”

After spending the summer in California finally introducing my 2½ old son to my family, and spending time supporting my mom through her breast cancer treatment and surgery, we’ve finally returned to Asia, and I find myself seemingly living inside this Talking Heads song.

Somehow I find myself in a beautiful home beyond my wildest dreams, and I am fortunate to have an incredible, beautiful partner Jam Milcah, who’s an amazing mother to our son Christopher.

Jam Milcah

Chiang Mai condo

Chris Radio Flyer

“And you may tell yourself – This is not my beautiful house! / And you may tell yourself – This is not my beautiful wife!”

How in the world did I end up with a 2½ old!? My friends are always asking why I’m not in the bar! When did I become such a grownup?

Is this even the life I wanted?

I used to think I was chasing something different, and I spent far too long desperately running away from the responsibilities of fatherhood and adulthood, until I finally realized that I had the most perfect life I couldever imagine, already in my hands.

It took me two or three years to really dig deep inside, examine my fears, expectations, values, and desires, and really understand who I am and what I’m here to do.

Now I can look back with clarity and see how in my pursuit of certain goals, in getting caught up in what other people wanted from me, and in trying to portray myself in a certain way, I forgot who I really was.

I found myself hopelessly lost for so long, feeling purposeless, overwhelmed with the expectations of others, and confused by the deluge of distraction around me.

I felt imprisoned by my own business, by technology, by the constant firehose of email and social media, by the negative news, and all the things violently trying to hijack our attention these days. And I caught myself participating in and even perpetuating this system of enslavement.

I didn’t even feel human anymore. I felt buried alive, letting the water hold me down.

So I finally had the epiphany: I desperately needed to change everything — my whole business, my behaviors, and myself, from the ground up.

I’d been accepting a certain level of mediocrity from myself, and I didn’t even realize it. I was letting outside influences tell me what was important, rather than following my inner compass.

I blamed all my problems on outside sources, and on other people. But it was me who unconsciously created a life that felt so draining. I had irresponsibly built a disorganized business that became unmanageable and I neglected to do the things necessary to keep the mission aligned with my own purpose.

I had gotten so negative, and thought that everything and everyone was such a mess, when really the mess was inside me. Turmoil is the appropriate word here.

It took me three years to really understand that I had built my own invisible prison cell. But the bars and the door took so long to even see.

I had become so out of touch with who I really am deep inside. I was letting the days go by, and ignoring the deep river of life inside me, that “water flowing underground” in the Talking Heads’ song.

So it took me more than a year of dedicated soul-searching and WORKING on myself to reconnect with that deep purpose inside, to re-learn how to really go with the flow of life (“how do I work this?”), rather than trying to pushagainst and attempt to do the futile.

Sadly, I’ve put a lot of important things on the back burner in the meantime — neglecting important friends, lagging months behind on my email inbox, failing to provide the kind of customer support my community really deserves, missing out on lots of opportunities, and upsetting many people along the way. I’m certainly not perfect, and I’ve been unable to sustainably juggle the many responsibilities I got myself wrapped up in. But it has been a truly enlightening journey, examining my own inner demons, uncovering many important truths for myself, and reawakening the real, authentic me.

As David Byrne told NPR when asked about the meaning behind Once in a Lifetime:

“We’re largely unconscious. You know, we operate half awake or on autopilot and end up, whatever, with a house and family and job and everything else, and we haven’t really stopped to ask ourselves, ‘How did I get here?'”

This is an invitation to look more critically at your life, to take responsibility for your decisions and your habits, to remember who you really are, accept what you can’t change, and have the courage to work on what you can, and realize that only you can take charge and build the life you really want.

If you don’t pay close attention, life will carry you down the river of time so fast and you’ll find yourself lost before you even know it.

We’re all frequently going through some crisis or another, and that’s okay. You’ll never reach some plateau of success, and there is no final happy ending in life, just the journey. In all our treadmill-running, many of us often forget who we really are. But it’s certainly a lot more fun when you climb out of your rut, open your eyes and live consciously, and make decisions for yourself, living in connection with your true purpose and values.

The song concludes with the more optimistic proclamation that “Time isn’t holding us / Time isn’t after us” (in one version, Byrne even throws in “Time is a pony ride” for a laugh) reminding listeners that while life doesn’t stop for anyone, the continual passage of time does not have to be the trap we make it out to be in our minds, and urging you to strive to free yourself from conventional societal ideas about success, from the story you tell yourself about the life you think you’re entitled to, and to escape from the invisible prison you may have built for yourself.

Many people attribute a nihilistic, negative overtone to this classic song, but the message is not that it’s futile to seek freedom. It’s simply about being conscious of your surroundings, and more importantly about showing gratitude for the good things. Once you reframe things in your mind and take responsibility for everything in your life, you just might find as I did, that you already have EVERYTHING you ever wanted, right in the palms of your hands.

As Brian Eno later said about Remain in the Light, “that record is terribly optimistic, looking out to the world and saying ‘what a fantastic place we live in, lets celebrate it.'”

Whether it’s a quarter-life crisis you’re going through, whether it’s the looming responsibilities of parenthood that you face, as I did, or even if you’re going through a midlife crisis or entering your later years right now, you’re never too old to make a change. Just because you’ve followed one path to where you are now, it does not mean you can’t change direction.

Sometimes you need to cut your losses and pursue a new path entirely, even if it feels like you’ve invested a huge amount of your time and energy into something. Even (especially) if it feels like your entire identity is invested in who you’ve been for so long, and you fear how others might respond to your change. Even if you’re 93 years old and you’ve spent your entire life living one way — if the path you’re on isn’t serving you, and it’s important enough to you to get different results, then it’s never too late to change. Screw what anybody else thinks.

Sometimes it’s okay to scrap EVERYTHING and start over from scratch.

Sometimes you need to take some time to analyze your surroundings, synthesize what works best, remove what doesn’t, and orchestrate a transformational personal rebirth.

It’s okay to become a new, different person. If the old you just doesn’t feel right anymore, then chances are you’re probably meant to become someone new. Listen to your inner voice.

Since I found out I was going to be a father, it drastically transformed my priorities, my responsibilities, and pushed me to install new values and habits. It’s been incredibly challenging, I’ve messed up a lot along the way, but it has motivated me to slowly change everything — for the better!

This major life change terrified me for a very long time. But when I finally accepted responsibility (and reality) it also gave me the real passion to finally fulfill the promise I made when I started this blog in 2006:

I called this site Thrilling Heroics for a reason.

This was supposed to be about continual learning and personal growth. About building a better future, and living life passionately.

I got distracted, confused, played the victim, and let fear slow me down many times along the way. But now I embark upon the real inner work of continually becoming the best version of myself, committing to be the role model my son deserves, and doing whatever is necessary to consciously sculpt my life and my business into something that is aligned with my real values, and that gives me and my family genuine freedom and fulfillment.

This is not a static, one-time change either. This will be a lifelong commitment.

No more settling for mediocre. No more letting the days go by.

Over the coming weeks and months, you will see significant changes here at Thrilling Heroics as I work to unveil my authentic self to you more openly, to share my own transformations with you, and try to help shed what light I can on the process of self-improvement for those of you on a similar mission.

Thank you guys for reading, for your patience with me, your understanding when I’ve fucked up, and for your support. This community means the world to me, and I’m committed to delivering the best damn insights and advice you deserve.

Are you on a similar journey?

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