Renny da Rasta

I just got back from Manchonieal, Jamaica, where chickens, pigs, goats, and strays roam freely on the streets. It was a 5 day getaway where we stayed in a breath-taking eco-cabin. There was no a/c, hot water, or indoor plumbing. It was liberating in a way I can't really describe other than...life was simple there.

We were put into contact with a Rastafarian named Renny to take us the back way to Reach Falls. We were given instructions to meet him up the mountain and he would be waiting by a tree. This extremely vague description made the experience even more surreal than it already was. We finally found Renny (after profiling every man that we passed whom happened to be standing under a tree) and he led us barefoot on a mountain trail, reiterating there was nothing to fear and that everything was alright. Sure enough, he got us there and it was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my life. In the end, Renny sent us home with advice on life and 2 porridge recipes.

His take regarding the diabetes epidemic and current health problems:
"It is important to balance what you eat - make food your medicine"

His view on the work that people do:
"Don't focus on working for happiness, you need to work with happiness"

And those 2 porridge recipes? Those are a secret. You'll need to go find him by the tree.

dearblankpleaseblank

Dear cashier at Panera Bread,

Thank you for counting my change like The Count from Sesame Street. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Sincerely, made my day.

taken from:http://dearblankpleaseblank.com/

New Year's resolutto

I'm refraining from making a long list of all the things I wish to do or be for the new year. I'm trading in my New Year's resolution for a New Year's motto. It's less restricting than a checklist and it won't make me feel disappointed when I'm not crossing things off at the end of the year. Resolutions set you up for failure. Resoluttos give you a guideline.

My 2012 resolutto: To act with awareness and purpose.

I think this covers a lot of things. Mostly, it's a reminder to not live passively...but to live with purpose and passion.