My city of 115,000 people is considered one of the fastest growing in the country… and the people are hungry.

I was on duty with the fire department’s crisis response unit, refueling at the municipal gas station, when a beat up Chevy Cavalier drove into the lot. Out of place, we asked if he needed help. He was looking for food.

Next to the fuel station is the city’s food bank. Mr Cavalier had simply turned into the wrong lot. But the food bank was closed. People surely don’t get hungry during weekends.

Now, Mr Cavalier came off as a proud man and deeply ashamed that he needed just a couple days of food for he and his wife until his paycheck. Looking at him, appearance disheveled and mismatched, you wouldn’t be surprised to learn he was a man down on his luck.

Figuring we could help we began making calls to various food banks throughout the valley. All closed. Of course. While waiting for a return call from the Red Cross to see if they offered emergency food assistance another vehicle pulled up…

This one was a newer SUV driven by a young pretty woman, hair done up, baby in the rear car seat. She, too, was looking for food. Looking at her you never would have guessed it.

The Red Cross called us back. They no longer provide food assistance. We had nowhere to send these folks to get the food they needed. All we could do was tell them what time the food bank opened on Monday morning.

As you can imagine, it was frustrating not being able to provide the resources these good folks needed. It became even more so when we returned to the fire station to learn that the US had just launched 125 missiles at Libya, each costing about $1 million a piece. And here in my community, within the span of 45 minutes, I encountered two families in need of food. And our food banks can’t afford to keep their doors open on weekends to feed them.

there’s something about mud that appeals to the child-like nature in all of us. maybe it has something to do with the wanton disregard for cleanliness…

You gotta look sparkly white in your Sunday best!

or maybe, hey, mud is just freakin’ fun when it squishes through your toes, your fingers, gets in your shorts, in your hair, and…

yeah, you guessed it, i got completely submerged in mud recently. i’m talking the need for a snorkle. but it wasn’t just mud, it was also a 4 mile run complete with obstacles (yay! more fun!) all leading to the infamous mud pit at the Phoenix Mad Mud Run. check out the video below…

Click here to view the embedded video.

and here we are in all our dirty glory…

they contacted me after asking around on Twitter and other social networks. we got together for about an hour of shooting footage and here’s the story they ran…

Here’s the full story on their website.

question: would you take health/fitness advice from that doctor?

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.” -Gandhi

it’s because of this quote – more accurately my realization of it’s depth – that i’ve turned my back on and walked away from my internet millions.

son, internet millions are the future. i’ve got a home study course to sell you that proves it.

for the past several years i’ve written copy and consulted on marketing campaigns for some big name folks, ones you’ve undoubtedly heard of. i’ve also helped solo-preneurs, those who lay it all on the line every single day to make things happen.

i’ve done this all from the comfort of my living room, while lounging on a beach, and while trekking through exotic rainforests. that’s the beauty of an internet business – i get to choose when, where, and how i work.

thankfully it was because of this location independent lifestyle that i ended up in a remote village in Thailand where i was just the third foreigner to ever enter. i lived with them for 10 days and it was during this time i realized the weight of Gandhi’s quote.

when you got millions, you can do whatever the hell you want. buy whatever the hell you want. you do want to own more things, don’t you? you’d be unamerican if you didn’t.

as i viewed what i did – marketing – i was helping people achieve their dreams by making their businesses more successful. basically, helping them make the money that supported the lifestyle they wanted.

so, it was in in a rice field surrounded by the kindest, most welcoming people i’ve ever had the honor of knowing that my view began to change.

i witnessed how an entire village came together to raise their young and care for their sick, handicapped, and elderly. how they would first tend to another’s rice field before they tended their own.

these folks were dirt poor rice farmers with very little personal possessions but witnessing the way they came together as a community you’d say they were rich where it really counts.

i then had a painful revelation…

what i had to offer these people in the way of marketing meant nothing. and that all my marketing services did was contribute to a problem that i deeply despised – a world driven by the lure of the dollar.

people are always chasing the dollar. that’s what powers the mighty machine of capitalism and makes us fat cats fatter. these people are fueled by the belief that once they have more money all they’re problems go away. LOL.

so, to see the change i want in the world i need to be that change. i needed to change.

to make real connections with real people and in doing so strengthen my own community.

as i write this i’ve sold parts of my consulting business, closed other parts down, and i’ve stopped accepting clients.

also, i’ve learned that for me to have the greatest impact on my own community i need to be involved on a more fundamental level. one that truly affects the life and health of my community…

i’ve gone to school and become an EMT working towards being a paramedic. i’ve just recently received my license to practice medicine and am hustling to get hired at an ambulance service or fire department.

in the meantime, i’m hustling as a bartender at a local restaurant. quite the change from living the internet lifestyle with it’s glitz, glamour, and generous income. but… it’s me being the change i want to see in the world.

most folks think of DRM as something that applies to DVDs or the music they buy from iTunes but that’s just one small way corporations and governments use DRM to levy control. where it really gets fucked-up is when you realize how much DRM has infiltrated and impacts your daily life.

the day against DRM

today is the Day Against DRM, or Digital Rights (Restrictions) Management. DRM is a means to control technology and how it’s accessed, to inhibit use of the content not desired or intended by the content provider.

the reason DRM exists is to allow the seller to control the product, and how we use the product, even after we have paid for it.

your money, your ownership… or is it?

i designed and built this here widget and i’ll happily take your money and even let you take it home. but i’ll be damned if it ever truly belongs to you.

while DRM has been around for years the public has mostly written it off as “copyright protection”. however, Amazon has recently made it very apparent to folks how deep DRM tendrils extend into your life.

Amazon has a cool digital book reader called Kindle that, previously unbeknownst to Kindle owners, is heavily fortified with DRM. see, Amazon thought George Orwell’s book 1984 was in the public domain and sold it as a Kindle book. oopsie, the book wasn’t in the public domain so Amazon utilized their DRM to go onto the Kindles of everyone who’d “purchased” the book and summarily remove it.

nobody had realized Amazon retained that amount of control over the products (both the Kindle unit and the Kindle book) that people had “purchased” from them.

clearly, it’s not a purchase. people expect that when they buy something, they now own it. DRM undermines that fundamental belief because it keeps the product or content solely under the control of the seller.

it’s control over your dollars

DRM helps us preserve our way of life. we decide how people use our products and it preserves that decision… and it preserves our fat-assed bottom line.

Apple is recognized as one of the most egregious purveyors of DRM, especially with their iTunes, iPhone and their infamous app store.

want the app from Nobel Prize winning cartoonist Mark Fiore? tough shit. Apple didn’t like it so they banned it from the app store. Apple doesn’t want his material on their phone… even though it’s your phone because you bought it, right? think again.

use Verizon? they’re no better. Verizon disables native features (GPS, bluetooth, custom ringtones, etc) of the phones they sell…. in order to sell the features/services back to you. tell me that’s not dodgey shit.

since when did we decide my best interest?

we know better than you. and with DRM we can better control your experience with our product.

don’t you just love it when someone else decides what’s best for you?

that’s claim of Apple, Amazon, Verizon and others as to their stringent controls and if you buy into that schtick then you’re probably still using AOL as your internet service provider.

squarely under their thumb

what’s important to realize here is that by allowing companies to retain control over the products and content you’ve purchased, by you not being able to use these products in your lifestyle as you see fit…

these companies are effectively controlling you by eliminating any other options. without options – freedom of choice – you’re railroaded in the direction of their choosing.

not to mention the constraints DRM puts on the creative evolution of the products. technology and it’s uses will only go so far as the company can see, never mind your ability to see a different or better way of using the technology.

the simple fact you’ve read this article proves you love technology and the freedom it can provide. therefore it’s time to demand freedom on your terms… because “freedom” on somebody elses terms isn’t freedom. fuck DRM.

it hit me somewhere between a mouthful of bamboo shoots and insects and the hissing aggro-monkey mugging me for my orange juice bottle. a moment of realization that can change a community.

how travel is like a good book

just the other day i came across a quote from Seth Godin.

Lend/give books that have changed you to a friend. They’re not earning interest unless other people are reading them.

books do have that incredible ability to wrap a person up in a story and deliver insights from different points of view. creating opportunity for growth and change.

when i travel i always have a book with me and when finished reading, leave it for the next person to find and enjoy.

travel is similar to a great book in that it deserves to be shared.

you see my photos on Facebook? they each got, like, a hella lot of likes

this involves more than simply posting your photos on Facebook and whipping up a blog post. that’s all fine and dandy but the greatest testament is yourself.

what to do with your travels

what i’m talking about is the kind of sharing that can only happen as a result of you getting actively involved with people. and the best place is in your own community.

i’m a traveler, man. i’m all location independent. the world is my community.

if you are location independent or into lifestyle design, there’s one thing i know about you and it’s that you believe in people. along with that, you recognize the beauty of culture and community.

and the thing about culture and community is that they can only stengthen and grow through the participation of their members.

this is about you

that’s where you come in. there comes a point where you need to head back home and get involved in ways that allow you to actually put what you’ve learned elsewhere to use.

see, the truest way to honor your experiences is when they become something more than just a story to tell…. when you take the lessons and apply them.

there comes a time when every traveler must return home and “give back” by getting involved in the happenings of his own community. your community and culture will become richer as a result… and, of course, so will you.

it’s scary enough to think that a leading pharmaceutical manufacturer is concocting an “AIDS-like” virus in their labs, but what’s just as worrisome is how big pharma shucks aside accountability when their scientists get infected with their own virus or when another of their drugs causes safety concerns.

as the Department of Justice puts it, Pfizer is “too big to nail”.

when bad shit gets worse

a scientist, one working on that lab engineered virus for Pfizer (i think that’s where things started to look wrong, don’t you?), accidentally contracted the AIDS-like virus. now, her body is all jacked up and goes into complete paralysis as often as twelve times a month. so she complains and is fired then she sues.

she wins. yay for the little guy. problem is Pfizer is being allowed to continue to chew up little guys.

smells like criminal conspiracy

previously, Pfizer was caught illegaly marketing their drug Bextra, a painkiller taken off the market due to safety concerns. a criminal case was brought against them and, if found guilty of fraud, would be barred from receving money from Medicare and Medicaid.

so, what do prosecutors (y’know, the ones who are supposed to go after the bad guys) allow Pfizer to do? create a dummy corporation to shove the questionable drug and related charges onto… thereby allowing the dummy corp to take the fall and allow Pfizer to continue their altruistic and benevolent work with Medicare, Medicaid, and everyone else.

the future of health care

the DoJ’s reasoning in allowing this? Pfizer is simply “too big to fail.”

think about this when asked about health care.

waterfalls aren’t something i’ve come across too often in my hiking explorations. especially here in the southwestern desert of the US where a trickling stream is something to get excited over.

so, you can imagine my giddiness when i learned of a nearby 11 tier waterfall while in stunning Krabi, Thailand. the following is footage from my 8 hours of trekking and playing in that rainforest… swimming in the falls, getting attacked by nasty ants, stalked by silent jungle cats, and discovering bizarre vegetation.

Click here to view the embedded video.

each of us is born with inherent power. our lives are ours to decide. problem is, as we age we relinquish some of that power to social norms, status, possessions, even time. we eventually begin to feel as if we have no control over our lives and powerless to effect any lasting impact in the world. that’s about as enjoyable as eating a crap-sandwich.

clearly, it’s no way to live a life of meaning. so, here are 7 ways to reclaim your inherent power…

money

the fact that the US dollar is fiat currency (not backed by anything of value and only worth something because the government says it is) is a clear indicator of how our relationship should be with it. namely, not much.

refuse to allow something of such little value to have power over you. get out from under money’s control by clearing your debts and living within your means.

the next time you make a purchase, support the merchant by paying with cash instead of debit/credit. with every card swipe the banks take a cut of the transaction from the merchant.

food

our food supply is controlled by multi-national corporations and they sure as hell don’t have your best interests in mind (Monsanto rated the #1 most unethical company in the world).

know where your food comes from, support your community and your health by buying from local growers. look for organically grown foods and stay away from trans fats, refined grains (white flour), and the evil high-fructose corn syrup. not only will this help you reclaim your food but also your health. double win. suck it, Monsanto!

things

George Carlin puts possessions into perspective in this classic clip. basically, the more things you have the more stress they cause and the more they drain your finances all without you even realizing it. folks tend to wrap their identity around their things, too. that’s a lot of power we give to things. instead, declutter your life and adopt a more minimalist approach to living.

download Leo Babauta’s Simple Guide to Minimalist Living for free or support the creator and buy it directly from him.

connections

for the good and/or bad, internet media is rewiring how we interact with the world. websites such as facebook, twitter, and youtube are demanding so much more of our attention their draw is now being considered an addiction or disorder.

i’m as much a geek as the next WoW gamer (for the Horde, Alli scum) but the time and attention folks choose to devote to these web-driven connections has to come from somewhere. namely, the world and the people that currently surround you. the right now, the present you currently occupy.

the world won’t change because you miss the next staus update, but you can change the life of the person next to you. (there’s a Hallmark card in there somewhere)

goals

we live in a culture where if you’re not being “productive” (which is subjective, anyway) you’re not a good human being. i used to work for FranklicCovey and can appreciate the excitement and power of goal-setting. however, as i pointed in how productivity ruins your life folks tend to set goals for things other than their most important. add the stress, guilt, and negative associations of failing to meet a made-up metric of where you think you should be and we see that goals don’t exactly make people happy.

don’t allow “productivity” to cloud your being present in the moment. instead of holding yourself to a goal, when you want something do go after it but recognize it’s okay if you alter your plan or postpone it as you see fit. and your goal is not your identity, you are much more than that.

thinking

this list couldn’t be complete without telling you to kill your television. or, at the very least, cut back to just watching Sons of Anarchy seriously, reduce your consumption of television and other corporate mass-market media. the more you consume the same talking points as others the more your thinking and views resemble that of the masses (and the creators of said news).

instead, replace these with alternative and independent sources to get different perspectives. you’ll be surprised at what isn’t covered by the major outlets.

and a lo-tech way to reclaim your mind… get physical with a book. be aware, there will be thinking invovled.

time

for most folks morning usually starts with an alarm followed by a rush to reach work by a certain time. time plays a huge role in people’s lives, constantly measuring success based on their ability to perform against the clock. obviusly we still need to be accountable to our obligations and agreements but we don’t need to allow the clock to preside over our actions as much as we do.

i believe i learned this from minimalist blogger Everett Bogue and it has quickly become a favorite ritual of mine. when i wake in the morning, instead of jumping up and racing the clock, i lie in bed in silence. i listen to the quiet and meditate for about 15 minutes. it’s a practice that’s allowed me to break free from viewing my life in minute or hourly chunks and instead approach it as if walking towards the horizon.

there are more, but everything here are things you can start doing today without much effort.

it goes by many names. Blair Singer calls it your “little voice.” Seth Godin calls it your “lizard brain.” i prefer to call it what it really is… your inner terrorist. and if you’re reading this and are human, you’ve heard this guy before…

you’ll never make it. you’ll make a fool out of yourself. people will laugh at you. you’re not good enough. in fact, you’re a hack and people will see you for what you are.

he starts talking whenever you get a bold, fresh idea, or when you’re about to do something challenging, or when you set out to achieve a worthwhile goal. he can get pretty loud and he’s awfully good at his job.

your inner terrorist is an asshole

terrorists seek to undermine a society by creating an environment of fear.

how many times have you kept yourself from doing something you thought would be cool, worthwhile, or were passionate about because of your inner terrorist? yeah, me too.

he’s such an asshole. unfortunately, he’s tough to kick out of the house. hard-wired into our brains. the good thing is, there’s some things you can do to fight back…

you’ll never succeed. all your dreams belong to me and they’re pretty foolish. everyone but you seems to know that.

STFU.

every single reason not to

a while back i wrote every reason under the sun why you should not travel because, when i was headed out to hike Thailand, folks voiced their reasons (read: fears) why i shouldn’t go. heck, i even had a few of my own.

i was in the midst of a mental jihad.

in that post, i wrote about a technique to battle back…

write down every single reason (fear) why you shouldn’t do something. basically, we’re letting the inner terrorist run loose. let him have his say but write it all down.

when he starts to quiet down, poke him in the ass and tell him to keep talking (he has plenty more to say, believe me).

eventually, you’re going to reach a point where you say to yourself, “this is ridiculous.” ahh, yes it is, isn’t it?

now you’re getting past the terrorist smoke screen. look at that list and ask yourself how true any of those statements are or what the real likelihood is that any of those things will actually happen. you’ll find none of the bullshit your terrorist was spouting off has any real merit.

next step is to write down everything you hope to gain by doing whatever it is. that right there is how you kick your terrorist back into his cave and you find the fuel to keep going.

perturbation: more than just a funny word

now, i’m no scientist. i don’t even play one on TV. but, i’m going to get nerdy on ya anyway.

perturbation is term used by labcoat jockeys to describe “a change in an object’s state due to external or internal stimuli” (talk nerdy to me). it’s also a fun word to say.

pertrubation is what causes your inner terrorist to run around yelling in tongues. interestingly, it’s a sure way to silence the bastard.

let’s take a look at the graphic i cooked up in my fake laboratory.

for us, perturbation occurs whenever we attempt to venture out of our comfort zone. the inner terrorist would rather have this zone be smaller than bigger so just about anything that challenges your comfort level is fair game for his attacks.

so, your desire to do something different is the stimuli that pushes against the boundary of your comfort zone. this causes perturbation. as you recall from your physics class, there’s an opposite reaction that has to occur. that reaction is your inner terrorist in attack mode. that bastard is going to fight as hard as he can to keep you in status quo.

sounds fun, don’t it? the good thing is that when you fight against your inner terrorist you actually increase the size of your comfort zone. the more you win the larger your comfort zone becomes and the less active your terrorist.

so, shut him up by doing things that cause you to perturbate.

your newfound freedom

your inner terrorist views it as his duty to keep you under his control in a prison of your own baseless fears. time to break free from his reign. do something crazy fuckin’ cool and live a life without constraints.

got any tips on defeating your inner terrorist? share them because this guy can get noisy.