Italia

I watched a Roberto Benigni movie two nights ago…  and it brought back memories of my one trip to Italy…  many years ago.   That was a package tour that my grandmother won in a contest.   She gave the tickets to my sister and I.

I enjoyed that trip, but not the overly-organized package tour method of travel.    At that time, I swore I’d return to Italy independently some day.

Well, I’m now thinking of going to Italy next Spring.    I’m thinking of renting a villa for a month…  as a kind of work retreat.   I’d plan new VIP lesson sets…  and I’d also dabble in sketching, writing for pleasure, reading, and Italian.

After a month of doing that, Id then bicycle around (northern) Italy for another month… then return to San Francisco.  I’d spend the first month in Italy training for the bike ride..   which should be enough so long as I maintain my general fitness level from the Shikoku hiking trip.

Fortune Favors The Bold

From Tim Ferris,  The 4-Hour Workweek:

There are two types of mistakes:  mistakes of ambition and mistakes of sloth.

The first is the result of a decision to act– to do something.  This type of mistake is made with incomplete information, as it’s impossible to have all the facts beforehand.  This is to be encouraged. Fortune favors the bold.

The second is the result of a decision of sloth- to not do something- wherein we refuse to change a bad situation out of fear despite having all the facts.   This is how learning experiences become terminal punishments, bad relationships become bad marriages, and poor job choices become lifelong prison sentences.

Tim is right on the money.  I find that most people are terrified of making mistakes of action… and therefore end up making continuous, horrible, soul-crushing mistakes of inaction (sloth).   People fear change far too much.

Most people will, for example,  waste years (even decades) in a job they hate…  simply because they fear making a “mistake of action” by quitting.   They imagine horrible possibilities if they quit,…  and neglect to imagine all the wonderful possibilities.  And so they stay in that same boring job year after year after year….   dying inside long before their body dies.

I have found that in my life, decisiveness itself is incredibly powerful…  even when I make lots of “bad” decisions.   In fact, “bad” decisions don’t scare me… because as soon as I realize the decision was bad… I quickly make another decision to rectify or improve the situation.   In this way, negative effects are quickly corrected… while positive outcomes grow, gain momentum, and multiply.

Inaction is the great killer of souls.   Staying with a boring job is always far worse than quitting.   There are always other jobs…. (and sometimes you can even go back to the old one if you leave nicely and stay in touch– something I’ve done in the past). There are also other lifestyles, other ways of living.  Too many people create a lifestyle (mortgage, car payments, etc..) and then let it become a prison and an excuse for doing nothing.

But you can sell or walk away from the house.  You can sell or abandon the car.   You can get rid of most of your possessions.. if you want to.  There are always options.

The point is to stay true to your vision for a magnificent life and never ever quit on it.   Never “settle”.  Never!

And any time you feel you have lost your way, that you’re not living (or at least moving towards) your magnificent life– make an immediate change.  Do something!  Don’t fear a mistake… because the biggest mistake of all is doing nothing.

This is your life….

Get out there and live my friends!

Walking

According to research cited in the book “Brain Rules”,  the human species evolved to walk 12-25 miles PER DAY.   According to anthropologists and biologists, ancient humans walked this amount every single day.  That’s 4-8 hours a day of walking.

Compare that to the activity the average “modern” human gets… and it’s easy to understand why so many people are fat and unhealthy (of course, their food is terrible too).

Most people sit on their butt for most of the day.   Some stand (in one place) much of the day.  We sit on our butts in front of computers.  We sit on our butts in front of TVs.  We sit on our butts for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  We sit on our butts while socializing.  We sit on our butts in cars, buses, trains (or occasionally stand).

We are, to be perfectly honest, a pathetic shadow of our ancient selves.

Forget all of the diet books and complex exercise programs.  The simplest and easiest solution is to walk a lot (and eat fresh vegetables as much as possible).    Walking is the most natural and effortless human activity.  No special equipment is required.

I have always loved walking,… but I’m now discovering the wonderful benefits of doing long walks every day.   It’s amazing.   As part of my training for the Shikoku, Japan hiking trip… I’m now walking three hours every day.

Yesterday I walked from my apartment (in The Mission district) up Haight Street through the Haight area,…  and into Golden Gate Park.   It was a chilly windy day, but I had a great time.   The more I walked, the warmer my body got.

And the more I walked, the more energized my body became.   My mind became energized (yet calm) too–  and I thoroughly enjoyed looking at the trees, people, and city as I strolled.

This is one of the sublime simple pleasures of life– to stroll outside, breath fresh air, take in the sky, clouds, trees,…. it’s meditation in motion.

As the weeks go by, I will be adding more time to my walks.. and soon I’ll be matching those ancient humans– doing 12-25 miles a day.

I highly recommend this kind of walking as the basis for health and fitness.

The Real World

…

The beauty and tranquility of the old-growth forests, the vistas that stretch for miles over unbroken treetops, the waterfalls and rivers, the severance from the noise and electronic hallucinations of modern existence, becomes, if you stay out long enough, a balm to wounds. It is in solitude, contemplation and a connection with nature that we transcend the frenzied and desperate existence imposed upon us by the distortions of a commodity culture.  –Chris Hedges

One of the reasons for my upcoming hike around the island of Shikoku is stated in the above quote:  “severance from the noise and electronic hallucinations of modern existence”.

It is amazing to me that the vast majority of people seem to live their whole lives lost in the “electronic hallucinations of modern existence”.  In other words, they live their whole lives focused on the bullshit presented by TV, radio, movies, etc…   They believe that this electronic hallucination of human society is the sum total of “life” and “the world”.    They live according to the programming presented to them.

Most modern people are asleep.. hypnotized by media.

Luckily, there is a cure..  a sure way to wake up…  and Chris Hedges points it out:  Nature.    There is a reason that saints and holy people throughout human existence have left human society… and gone into the wilderness.   They needed to escape the bullshit of human conditioning and get to the essentials of life and existence.

When you go into nature, the bullshit and programming and fake drama quickly fade away.  You quickly gain a wider and wiser perspective on both your own life, and on human society as a whole.   Your mind clears.

Nature is healing.   Compared to it, human society is insignificant.  It’s important to remember that..  because you are bombarded every day with manufactured dramas to entertain and distract you.   To be sane and healthy and whole, you must unplug.

Unplug from the TV.  Unplug from movies.  Unplug from music.  Unplug from newspapers and magazines.  Unplug from books.  Unplug from the internet.

Return to the direct experience of your life, now.

The best way to do that is to put on a backpack, and walk into the mountains.  Or the desert.  Or the forest.  Or sail into the ocean.

That’s where you’ll discover what is real, what is essential… and who you really are.

Femi Kuti

Here’s the musician (and his band) that I’m going to see tonight… the great Femi Kuti:

Outsource Everything But Your Soul!

“Outsource everything but your soul!” is a quote from Tom Peters.   It’s an idea echoed by Tim Ferris in “The 4-Hour Workweek”.

What they mean is…  identify ALL “non-core” work tasks and pay other people to do them.   The truth is, most entrepreneurs spend vast amounts of time trying to do everything.  I’ve been guilty of this.

As the business grows, you soon become overwhelmed by details….  and lose sight of the big picture.. the truly vital things that make your business special and great.

Well, the Shikoku88 pilgrimage is providing great discipline in this regard.  I must now prepare to be away from a computer.. and all contact with my company.. for 45 days (or more).   That means the company must keep running smoothly completely without me… for 45 days.

And that means that I must get honest about what tasks I really need to do personally.   In fact, when I’m clear-minded about it, I realize that virtually all of the day to day tasks of the business can (and should) be done by others.   And the core tasks of the business (recording lessons and newsletters) can be done ahead of time… and then scheduled for release at the appropriate time.. automatically.

We pay a terrible price for trying to be in control of everything.   But if we just let go…  we can create the life of our dreams.. a life in which we work only on what inspires us most…  and we do that work when, where, and how we choose.

So that’s my new goal for the business during the next few months–  outsource all of the tasks I don’t personally need to do!   That means finding and training people to do all of the day to day operating tasks.  And it also means freeing me from all of the maintenance business tasks to focus exclusively on the creative and leadership projects I love most.

To put this in non-business terms…   you’ve got to let that which does not matter truly slide (Fight Club).

What distracting and dissipating details do you obsess over in your own life?   What do you really hate doing?   Do YOU really need to do those things?

And what core projects should you be working on instead?  What are the projects that would truly change your life?  Are you squandering your time and energy on trivia… while neglecting big life-changing actions?

Be honest

Faith

One important element of my Shikoku 88 hike is the element of planning.  Obviously, I am doing some planning.  I have planned my physical training and planned what I’m going to take.

But equally important is what I’m NOT planning.  As this is a pilgrimage route, I think it fitting that I not plan too much of the trip… and be open to what Hakim Bey calls “sacred drift”.  Sacred drift is the idea of being open to, and flowing with, whatever comes.

And so, I will not be planning where I will sleep each night.   I know that there are various kinds of accommodation along the route:  temple accommodation,  ryokan (traditional Japanese inns), hotels, and campgrounds.  There are also shelter huts for pilgrims.. and the woods and fields.   I’m taking a tarp and sleeping bag.  I’ll take things as they come.

To obtain the deeper benefits of travel, it’s important to exercise a degree of faith.   Too many people over-plan their trips.  They know exactly where they will stay every single night.  They know the bus and train schedules.  They know the exact route, the exact sites they will see.   This kind of obsessive planning is a form of fear.. fear of the unknown, fear of being out of control.  How can you learn or grow much when you are trying to rigidly control everything?

The magic of travel usually happens when plans fall apart… or are abandoned.   That’s when you discover unknown magical places.  That’s when you meet wonderful new people.   That’s when you are challenged… and rise to the challenge.

These days, I rarely bring a guidebook when traveling.   I might scan one BEFORE the trip… but don’t usually take it along.  I prefer to let things unfold… to practice sacred drift.

When you do that, you build your faith.   You begin to rely not on outside resources,… but on your own resourcefulness.  And you begin to realize that, in fact, the world generally is NOT a hostile place.  In fact, most people are nice.   Neither nature, nor animals, nor most people are out to get you.   And when you do encounter the occasional con-man or bastard… you handle it… and gain more faith in yourself.

The media is turning so many of us into fearful boring little cowards… afraid to encounter the unknown, the uncomfortable, or the uncertain.  The only cure for that is to turn off the TV…  and get out there!

“Failure of nerve is really failure to trust yourself”  –Alan Watts

Shikoku88 Equipment

I’m a strong advocate of ultra-light backpacking.   So I’m trying to keep my pack as light as possible for the 20 mile days I’ll be doing in Shikoku.

Here is my probable equipment list:

Shoes:  Mizuno Elixer4 Running Shoes  (Roomy toe box, very light, quick drying)

Golite Jam Backpack (very light)

Ultralight Backpacking Tarp

Backpacking Down Sleeping Bag

Z-Rest Camping Pad (cut to 3/4 length)

Golite ChromeDome Umbrella (very light, sun/rain protection)

Storm Rain Jacket (from Golite)

“Down” Windproof Jacket (super light but very warm)

Nylon Hiking Pants

(2) Nylon Shirts

(2) Spandex/Compression Shorts (underwear for hiking)

Thermal Underwear

(3) Sox  (nylon and/or poly/wool blends)

Nylon Cap

Capilene Top (light and warm)

Headlamp

Simple 1st Aid Kit

Journal & pens

Waterproof Stow Sacks

(1) Golite Aluminum Pole and (1) Wooden Walking Stick:  for pitching tarp

Toothbrush, small soap, small camp towel, glasses

………………

And that’s it!    In list form, it still looks like a lot.   The walking stick, of course, isn’t really necessary…. but apparently it’s a traditional part of the Shikoku 88 Temple pilgrimage…  And knowing how the Japanese love tradition, I thought I’d join in and do it right.   I’ll also be wearing white shirts, and maybe a white vest over everything… again this is a tradition of the pilgrimage.  Originally, white signified the pilgrims readiness for death… as centuries ago, this was quite a dangerous trip and many pilgrims died.   It’s pretty safe now    But the tradition continues as a symbol of dedication and pure intention.

Shikoku88 Training

I have started training for the Shikoku 88 Temples trip.  And I have also rescheduled it for October, to give myself more training time… and better weather in Japan!

My training is very simple:  this week I am walking 2 hours a day, 5-6 days a week.   Each week, I will increase the walks by .5 hours….  working my way up to 7 hour a day walks in mid-September.   I’ll then do a 2 week “taper”… where I drastically cut the mileage prior to the actual trip.   I’m training with the mindset of doing an average of 20 miles a day during the actual pilgrimage hike.

So far, it’s going very well.    On Saturday I walked for 3.5 hours around San Francisco.  Yesterday (Sunday) I walked 2.5 hours.  And today I walked 2 hours.   The great news… my legs got a bit tired at the end of the walk on Saturday… but otherwise I’ve felt fine.  In fact, I’ve felt mentally and physically invigorated.  I’m reminded what a cure-all outdoor activity is for me.   The worst possible thing for me, mentally and physically, is to be stuck inside for hours and hours every day… sitting on my butt.

In addition to the above, I’m also doing a “300″ workout 2-3 times a week.  This consists of Turkish Get-ups,  Floor Wipers,  Push ups,  Modified Pull-ups,  Jump Squats, and Dumbbell Clean & Presses.   This helps to strengthen my core and major muscles.

However, the walks are obviously the main part of the training.  And I’m already experiencing the benefits of this “slow burn” activity.   “Slow Burn” is a term used by Stu Mittleman to describe the highly energizing effects of slow aerobic activity… which activates the body’s fat burning systems and produces incredible levels of sustained energy and endurance.    A key benefit of this kind of activity is that rather than tiring you, it tends to energize you.

And I’m definitely feeling energized.  Because I’m only operating in my body’s “slow burn” fat-burning range, my body is not becoming acidic… thus no sore muscles and no exhaustion.   [Fast/Intense exercise burns sugar.. which creates acid... and thus soreness and fatigue].  Check out Stu’s book “Slow Burn” to learn more about this.

Now that I’ve got my training plan in place, my next focus is on equipment.  I’ll be going as light as possible…..

The Essentials

As I prepare for my backpacking trip to Japan, I am reminded that backpacking is an absolutely incredible activity for training yourself to simplify, simplify, simplify….

The beauty of backpacking is that you must CARRY your material possessions.   This imposes a wonderful and natural discipline.   When you have to carry everything, suddenly you evaluate your possessions (your “gear”) in a much different way.   Unnecessary items are ruthlessly discarded.

When you do a lot of long, multi-day backpacking trips, you find that this mindset begins to creep into your everyday thinking.   You see gadgets and “doodads” in a very different light.  Many “essentials” of modern life become unessential.

I suppose this is similar to the mindset that Thoreau adopted when he went into the woods to live simply in a small hut of his own making.   He found that he could live very well with much less than he had ever imagined possible.   He found what the essentials of life were (for him) and what was extraneous.

And he found something even more important.  He found that by focusing on the essentials only, his life became more free.   His mind was no longer cluttered with a thousand and one trivialities… and he didn’t spend his hours doing boring work to pay for trivial and unessential possessions.   Freed of the need to work so much, he had plenty of time to think deeply about his own life, and life in general.

Thoreau believed that all men and women could live like this… and spend the bulk of their hours developing their intellectual, physical and philosophical life.  He understood that simplicity was an elegant and powerful solution to the many ills that modern life produces.

And while mentally it’s more difficult to do this today,… practically and physically it’s much much easier.   It is quite possible, in fact, to live comfortably and happily out of a 15 pound backpack.  (You could take this even further by learning to grow or gather/hunt your own food).

When you engage in this kind of activity….  you soon find that many of the worries and desires that seemed so important quickly slip away.   As Thoreau described… life becomes a “past-time” to enjoy, not work.   Everything becomes easier.  A great weight lifts.

And so, I highly recommend (lightweight) backpacking as both an excellent recreation of it’s own… and as a wonderful means of life training.

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