Flowing With Focus #1: Storytelling
I’ve always loved stories. I remember as a child, listening wide-eyed to my dad recount tales of his time in the Israeli military, or sitting with my mom over a cup of earl grey tea, as I interviewed her about her childhood in Iran. I solicit endless stories from my friends about how they met their significant others, and I’m insatiably curious about the path that led my co-workers to working for our company.
So as I sit here in reflection of my 25th birthday, I let it sink in that after getting a 4.0 GPA in high school, graduating early from one of the best colleges in the United States, and working a few great jobs in San Francisco (the most expensive city in North America), I’m now homeless and unemployed. There’s got to be a story in there, right?
I believe that on a collective level, the stories we tell as a society create the culture that we live in. And on an individual level, the stories we tell ourselves install a cognitive map of the journey our lives have taken; how our life events have created meaning and significance, imbued feelings of progress and purpose, hope and faith, love and loss.
In figuring out how to shape the path of my journey ahead, I’ve recently begun identifying patterns in the stories that ignite my heart.
As someone whose life changed profoundly when I lost 30 pounds in high school, I’m electrified by stories of a journey to better health. As a meditation teacher, I get chills when I hear anecdotes of superhuman compassion and benevolence. As an event planner and community builder, I’m warmed by stories of creative friendships and a newfound sense of belonging. As a hot sauce enthusiast, I experience schadenfreude when hearing stories of people who eat spicy peppers above their paygrade. And in recent years, one type of story has stood out above the rest, giving me a deep sense of inspiration and intuitive calling.
It’s when someone shares their story of finding purpose and channeling flow in the pursuit of wild and spontaneous travel. Someone who starts a trip farming in an eco-village in Costa Rica, before joining a tribal ceremony in the mountains of Mexico, and then learning to scuba dive in the crystal blue beaches of the Philippines, subsequently falling in love in France, only to end up opening up a children’s school in Nepal… and somehow finding time in between to meditate with some monks in Bhutan.
Truth be told, I haven’t done any of these things and don’t know anyone who has. But it’ll never happen if I don’t try, right?
In March 2018, I read a book called The Five Invitations; a collection of stories and insights from a Zen Buddhist teacher named Frank Ostaseski who started the Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco. In a sequence of incredibly touching narratives, Ostaseski shares with his readers the final reflections of countless people who he guided through the dying process in an intimate and fulfilling way. He summarizes these reflections into five “Invitations”, the first of which is Don’t Wait. Over and over, Ostaseski heard from patients that they held deep regret for waiting to do the thing they always wanted to do, whether it was starting a business, getting clean from drugs, or amending a relationship with a family member. An illusion of time had given them the false sense that they could always complete their mission at some point in the future. But that future never came, and these people died with a song stuck in their hearts. It reminds me of something my old friend Will used to say… “too often, we trade aliveness for comfort, joy for pleasure, and our dreams for security.”
As William GT. Shedd said best,
My dream is to weave a web of interconnected communities, that collectively celebrate conscious living, global culture, and stewardship for the outdoors. The song in my heart sings out most loudly when I’m able to amplify human connection and spark the flame of group flow in a setting that’s intentional, and even better, full of tacos.
So how does this all lead to being homeless and unemployed? I’m taking the next step of my life (timetable undefined) to travel the world and get a better understanding of how community is built and sustained in other cultures around the world. Whether that’s a tribe in Central America, a Buddhist monastery in Southeast Asia, or a cooking school in France, my intention is to flow with this focus in mind.
Along the way, I hope to become a student of international wisdom communities, and immerse myself in the presence of people and cultures that nurture spiritual curiosity.
Less practically, I’ve also got to scratch the itch for my chronic case of wanderlust (sorry mom and dad), try some amazing food around the world, and climb some cool mountains.
But more than anything, I guess I’m just looking for a good story to tell.
If you want to hear how the story unfolds, this blog will be part travel tales & pictures, part meditations, and part reflections on the lessons I’ve learned.
I want to hear from you along the way!
+1 5165104282 (Whatsapp)
May the journey begin,
Nate
PS: You can read a short excerpt from The Five Invitations, the book that helped inspire it all, right here.
And to see the rest of my travel writing, click here.
