A friend brought a video to my attention (embedded blow) a few months ago. It was about a man some people call James Cataldi, some people call crazy, and some people call Birdman of Inwood. I was so moved by his story that I hung on to the video. I saved it in my email Inbox because I knew I would feature it on my blog at some point.
This week I came across two more videos I found inspiring. (Video links at the end of the blog post.) They reminded me about the Birdman video, and I thought that the three videos shared a similar message: DON’T BE LAME. DO SOMETHING TO HELP. (My apologies for using such a teenage slang word. But it just slipped out of my fingers while typing.) But there’s also another message that the videos have in common: EVERY BOLD ACTION YOU TAKE IS A RISK.
I mentioned it in a previous post, how so much of what we do is centered around money. Our whole life seems to be planned around how to make a pay check. But what happens when we start thinking in another way? It seems that communities come together, nature allows its natural resources to flow, and people feel a sense of real accomplishment & contentment, a sense of peace. But often, this is not what is wanted by the people that are still fixated on a paycheck or a monetary payoff. 
So what does one do? In my opinion, you get smarter. You don’t work harder and you don’t give up. You simply move with nature and you work more intuitively. You allow the forces (man-made or natural) to work with you and not against you. Just like water and a rock, there is a way around everything. Like Bruce Lee used to say: “Be water, my friend.”
There is also another Bruce Lee quote that is great when one is debating on whether or not to risk: “If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.” In order to go beyond the familiar, beyond the comfort zones, or beyond the lines that our culture has drawn in the sand and insists we should not cross because of dire consequences — we have to see for ourselves what is best for us. We have to live our own truth.
As you all know by the unpredictable weather, things are swiftly changing & acclimating. We are not an individual entity that can live separately from nature. Everyone must adapt and tune in. Listen. Get still. See where your heart is telling you to be. See what changes you need to make in order for it to happen. Yes, there will be risks. Yes, there will be fear. But trust that you will be fine. We are ALL going to die one day. There is no escaping that. Life, as we know it, in this body, is for a limited time. So with this precious time that we have left (not knowing if it’s days or years), why wouldn’t we go for what is important to us? Not just the stuff that our culture is teaching us is important, but the stuff our heart says is important. Go for it! What do you have to lose?
Save the Farm Documentary – The film is about 14 acres of farm land that was developed over 13 years in South Central, Los Angeles. The lot was ordered to be bulldozed over by the city officials. It was brought down to a pile of dirt — all trees removed and left like barren land. Julia Butterfly Hill, Alicia Silverstone, Daryl Hannah, Willy Nelson and lots of other (activist) celebs are in the film, side-by-side with the local people. You will be surprised to see how many people came together in solidarity to save this area of farm land. The story is very touching, discouraging & encouraging at the same time. You have to see the film to know what I mean. It’s on Netflix. You can also find it for free on Hulu. (The highlighted words are direct links to the film.)
Time’s Up Nothing Yet Community Garden Video – Just like the story about the farm in LA, on a MUCH smaller scale, it happened in Brooklyn this week. A community garden was developed on a vacant lot (under different circumstances of course), and it didn’t last long… see for yourself, watch this video. It’s just another example of people having different goals, different agendas — and select people using their power dismantle noble agendas for various reasons (not always justified).
On that note, let’s close with one more Bruce Lee quote: “Don’t fear failure. Not failure, but low aim, is the crime. In great attempts it is glorious even to fail.” Try it. See how it not only enriches your life, but the lives of others. Find a way to practice following your heart and moving in an intuitive way. Do something to help (any noble cause that appeals to you; help anyone or anything that needs your support; make your community & the world a better place). You can’t lose!
[And if you are interested in reading more about how to overcome challenges, read this blog post: Your Biggest Obstacle Doesn’t Exist. It’s full of helpful tips.]
SUNDAY IS FOR LOVERS 