Sept 11, (forgot to get this posted when I landed in Vancouver from Europe)

Airtime…what do I do when sitting for ten hours on a plane? Some may think it’s a huge bore, a waste of time, which pretty much makes it a countdown to the future. This ironically and unfortunately is how many of us conduct our daily lives, always looking forward to the next moment impatiently. But the present holds tremendous opportunity no matter where you are, and it doesn’t even matter whether you have an iphone in your pocket with wi-fi reception!

So what did I do on the flight? Here’s a quick list:

• Finished reading “Zen in the Art of Archery“
• Started reading another Ken Wilber book
• Listened to some Xavier Rudd music
• Listened to the Thom Hartmann Podcast
• Listened to the Living Dialogues Podcast,
• Ate a couple specially requested vegetarian meals (a free option for any flight with food)
• Watched “The 11th Hour” on my computer (because of course no on board plane entertainment would feature such an important film)
• Had a couple short naps
• Had a bunch of silent ‘zone out’ sessions while watching the clouds below
• And did a little writing on the computer, as seen below…

I don’t want to be entertained for the sole purpose of passing the time. Time is the most precious resource we have, though most don’t take advantage of it due to the wicked consumerism cycle. What we choose to do with our spare time (and money) is more important today than ever before. Like one quote from “The 11^th Hour”, and it was actually the closing quote from film, “The Earth has all the time in the world, but we don’t”, - Oren Lyons.

How do you want to spend your time? Stuck in traffic, working long hours to pay for the car that’s bigger, the house that’s bigger, the extra stuff you have to put in it not to mention the time it takes to find and buy all that stuff. Do you want to spend the down time you do have worrying about all the stuff you have accumulated and the possibility of losing it? How do you want to spend your time? What is really important and do your actions reflect it? Maybe you’ll have “time” when you retire, if you can just make it another 3, 10, or 30 years, then it’ll all be good - big house paid off and time to travel and finally enjoy life. Yes? …NO!!!!

I am increasingly becoming tired of our cultures rampant material lifestyles and the negative effects it has. I have been as guilty as anyone, but coming to terms with the charge is the first step, and owning this truth encourages automatic right choice. 

We have to move from the black hole of Well Having to the light of Well Being!!

Watching “The 11^th Hour” has really rattled my heart, and in a great way. I can’t say how many times this happened recently as I learn more about our human predicament. My goals are being re-shaped quite rapidly, and the more I learn, the more sure I am of the direction I would like to go, and the more I am convinced that the role I play can make a difference, as can everyone in their own unique way.

Viewing this film may be scary to some, as it was for me at times, but the feeling I have is one of elation and excitement; it’s a sense of purpose I feel that I think we all can join in on. Our generation will decide what life will be like for generations to come, and it can go either way; is there a mission that is any more important than that? Where do we start though?

I would suggest simplifying and reducing our material consumption so we can afford to buy the products that are necessities, and to use that consumer power we have to send the message that we as individuals are serious about change (buying smaller houses), serious about our health (buying organic), and serious about the planet (not buying disposable ‘stuff’ we don’t need). The majority of the stuff we buy has a cradle to trash lifecycle, instead of a cradle to cradle lifecycle which needs to be the new goal.

We do have power as individuals. The power to vote when we go to the store…and of course the power to vote politically. We have an election going on here in Canada which requires great attention, as does the roller coaster American Presidential race. The potential new American V.P., Governor Sarah Palin, denies that humans have anything to do with climate change, she is as far right as it gets; can you imagine if McCain gets elected? Scary. Please do the research and don’t rely on the media because they’re poised to gain financially if the republicans win. Yes this is a rambling post, and yes I’m battling to write this all before my battery dies, but I think we’re living in a very exciting time with huge possibilities for some beautiful transformations. There is reason for optimism, but we have to start acting now.

Our way of thinking must change before action is taken, that’s the challenge we face; action based in old paradigm thinking, no matter how well intentioned, could just make the situation worse (this is a confusing concept). Pico Iyer articulated it nicely with this quote, “Action without reflection is what got us into this mess in the first place, and the only answer is not action, but, first, clearer reflection.” 

Another example might be those acting out of fear, this has been a common response for many after “An Inconvenient Truth” was released. In a recent audio program, I heard Ken Wilber say “one of the strange paradoxes is that eco-centric thinking is often ego-centric thinking, and unfortunately Gaia is the One that suffers.” So we have to be careful. Perhaps more time needs to be devoted to expand on these concepts, so I’ll save it for another time.

In conclusion though, I will be doing everything I can to help raise that awareness and educate (both myself, then others), I will strive to spread the good word of hope. It is an important time to be alive, but we must act with intelligent haste.

Much love friends

I have been writing an article that discusses the direct link between income and material consumption (coming soon), and what it is going to take to break that link in a world where a huge number of people are now becoming financially prolific. In a world where the knowledge of our environmental impact is spreading like wildfire, our consumption of it (earth) seems to be going right alongside the salary increases. 

To give you some contrast, first check out the extravagant lifestyle of one fellow named 50 Cent. (Sorry to pick on you bud, just gotta use yah to paint a picture) 

 

Okay, now take a look at a link my friend Devin just sent to me. It’s the opposite. No one is ever 100% wrong (as Ken Wilber would say), as is the case with 50 Cent; it’s just that their worldview may not reflect the latest that science has to offer.

 

So now tell me which house you’d prefer? And no you can’t park your plug-in at the mansion, nor can you park your Lamborghini at the eco-home!

So your decision will determine whether our earth looks like the first half of this following animation, or the second. 

Your choice rich kid

Peace Y’all

An interview with one of my favorite authors; Ken Wilber tells it like it is, through his brilliant integral perspective which has helped me make sense of the big questions, helped me make sense of the science vs religion arguments that just can’t be ignored in todays times. If you make it through the interview, a good chance you may just pick up one of his many books for more.

Ken Wilber Interview

 

an exert….

You’ve written that there’s a philosophical cold war between science and religion. Do you see them as fundamentally in conflict?

Personally, I don’t. But it depends on what you mean by science and what you mean by religion. There are at least two main types of religion. One is dependent upon a belief in a mythic or magic dogma. That is certainly what most people mean by religion. Science has pretty thoroughly dismantled the mythic religions. But virtually all the great religions themselves recognize the difference between “exoteric” or outer religion, and “esoteric” or inner religion. Inner religion tends to be more contemplative and mystical and experiential, and less cognitive and conceptual. Science is actually sympathetic with the contemplative traditions in terms of its methodology.

When you refer to mythic religions, are you talking about the kinds of stories we read in the Bible?

Or any of the world’s great religions. Laotzu was 900 years old when he was born. According to the Hindus, the earth is resting on a serpent, which is resting on an elephant, which is resting on a turtle. Those kinds of mythic approaches aren’t wrong. They’re just a stage of development. Look at [Swiss philosopher] Jean Gebser’s structural stages of development. They go from archaic to magic to mythic to rational to pluralistic to integral and higher. Magic and mythic are actual stages. They’re not wrong any more than saying “5 years old” is wrong. It’s just 5 years old. We expect there to be higher stages. There was a time when the magic and mythic approaches years ago were evolution’s leading edge of development. So we can’t belittle them.

Where do you think the scientific worldview falls short when dealing with religion?

Conventional science has correctly dismantled the pre-rational myths but it goes too far in dismantling the trans-rational. The mythic and magic approaches tend to be pre-rational and pre-verbal, but the meditative or contemplative practices tend to be trans-rational. They completely accept rationality and science. But they point out that there are deeper modes of awareness, which are scientific in their own way.

MORE

The following article is from the current issue of Mountain Biking Magazine…

Balance, this is my favorite word, it is just so all encompassing. For me, I love to test the limits of it on my bike, and I strive to have it in my everyday life. Today’s culture seems to do everything it can to throw you off balance. Many people just sit back and let life throw them around, ignoring or failing to acknowledge the intrinsic messages and lessons those bumps are meant to provide; riders fall off the beam over and over never examining the reasons why. Balance is a skill you develop, you have to practice and be patient. You have to acknowledge failed attempts, figure out honestly what went wrong, and then try an alternative approach.

To succeed in riding a challenging balance line, I first must be balanced internally; my subjective world of mind needs to be calm and clear. Visualization is a very important step (more on that another time); once I am mentally ready, I can then proceed to balance in the objective, external world. It is always a top down approach, mind then matter. The ego can be motivated by external pressure, but the likelihood of a crash goes way up. That is why Kodak courage often ends in injury. Motivation is often temporary (except the resulting injuries from it), while true inspiration is lasting.

This ramble brings me to a somewhat bold quote from Ken Wilber, one of my favorite authors:

“Anything less than an integral or comprehensive approach to environmental issues is doomed to failure.”

Now since this quote was taken out of context, it needs some qualifying as to what an “integral approach” actually means. I highly recommend his introductory book “The Integral Vision”. To keep things simple for now, just think of it as a balanced approach between the external and internal world, much like what I described above. I found another quote that explains the first one very nicely:

“What would happen if all of a sudden everyone stopped trying to save the world and started improving themselves? Well, you already know the answer.” Peter Ragnar.

This quote really struck a chord with me.

It is clear to us that urgent action needs to be taken for human survival (Gaia will be fine); many people are reacting to this now obvious message. When we frantically react, even if the cause is noble, we may judge others and try to put our righteous ideals on them. This is what I have often done with new bits of ‘green’ knowledge. What this approach lacks is a solid internal foundation, the base of wisdom that only your heart can provide. It is a foundation that allows you to spontaneously make positive choices toward a greener lifestyle, even when you’re by yourself and no one is watching. A bit of internal reflection before sudden action is vital.

At certain points I have thought that technology is evil, all this progress and rapid development is draining our resources and killing our planet, but I think the problem is more in the mindset of the people using the technology. It has the capacity to divide the world cultures in an frightening way, or the potential to bring all humans together as one harmonious family working together on the pressing issues of our time. The quote above from Peter Ragnar starts to make good sense in this context; and the hope is that the blind romance with the flatland material world will lose its grip to the depth that a balanced, integral approach to life can bring.

Now this series of articles may a bit philosophical for some, but it can all relate back to riding, so lets end this ramble on a riding note.

I recently worked on a special edit of my segment from Kranked 6 titled ‘Trial and Error’, and it’s touring with the Banff Mountain Film Festival right now.  Here is what I say in the piece: “The location of this trail is some of the last remaining mid elevation old growth forest on the west coast…spending so much time there made me realize and really feel deeply that it just seems so wrong to take it all down. There is an analogy between my riding and what they’re doing. To me, it seems that a clear-cut is exactly like a crash. They’ve done it time and time again and perhaps haven’t learned from their mistakes. It’s my hope that some of these practices can be reworked to preserve some of these magical zones …so we all can go out and enjoy them whether it is for riding, hiking, or just hanging out in the middle of nowhere enjoying nature.”

Whether you’re on the trail or not, try to compliment your external life with a bit of introspection; it’s not just about hitting that gnarly jump, it’s also about being outside and appreciating natures gifts. As my friend Robin Coope often says, “it’s a question of balance.”