The Buddha once said: “The One contains the many, and the many contain the One”. The leaf contains the tree, which contains the roots, which contains the soil, which contains the earth, the air, the sun, and so on. If we can comprehend this, we will see that we cannot understand anything in isolation from its environment. How could we know the leaf without knowing the branch from which it stems? Likewise, we cannot know ourselves without understanding our environment, and the role it plays in the shaping of us. I want you to think for a moment about yourselves. Play with the idea of yourself in a different environment. What if you were raised in a third world country? How would you value the necessities of life then? What if you were born and raised in Spain, what language would you speak? If you had been born in Nazi Germany, what values do you think you would hold? Now, it is true that genes play a role in the makeup of us. However, if you study the field of sociology, you will see that environment plays the dominant role in the “nature vs nurture” debate. There is no self that is separate from the environment. Even before the influence of society, early humans were influenced by the stars above their heads. This is where our preconceived ideas of religion came from.
Technically speaking, and sadly so, not a soul on this Earth is the true meaning of Original. None of our thoughts hold any originality, for the idea of Originality loses its meaning when we understand the connectedness of all life on earth. To use my own words against me, none of these thoughts you are reading right now are originally mine. I was born in a country where I was taught to use this language in order to convey my thoughts. And these thoughts were influenced by the scientists and philosophers before me and the life experiences I have endured. Speaking of which…
I once had the pleasure of conversing with 100-year-old “social engineer” and futurist, Jacque Fresco, on the topic of sociology. He revealed to me the true essence of creativity. To quote Jacque: “Creativity is taking all known elements and putting them together in unique ways.” He explained to me that ideas do not pop into our heads simply from nothing, to which I agreed. As I said, how could one arrive something from nothing? Could a blind man paint a mural without having seen colors? He went on to explain that we humans never truly invented anything on our own and that everything we know is shown to us through nature and society. He insisted that even the invention of stairs was shown to us. I was given an example of early humans walking up hills and valleys. He demonstrated humans learning to look for flat spots because these were the areas that would enable them to plant a solid foot and ascend. Eureka, the precursor of stairs! This, he explained, is where innovation and ingenuity originate.
This changed the entire way I perceived creativity, ability, and what it meant to possess intelligence. In fact, this one experience in itself is exactly what I am speaking off; A man influenced the way I perceived myself and the world around me.
It’s apparent to me that most of us think of creativity, talent, or innovation as qualities that a person is more or less born with. Most in American culture would have you believe that success is based on innate ability. As if we humans are simply born with a set of genes, invariable, and unable to be changed. They implant the notion in our heads that say if we are not what people call a “natural”, then our efforts will be fruitless. Or, if we have hurt someone in the past, we are invariably evil. This belief of fixed human characteristics is what psychologist Carol Dweck deemed a “fixed mindset”. This mindset is the held notion that out abilities are predetermined. It is believing that our capabilities as humans are bound by genetics. However, this view is quite silly when taking a look at the achievements of humanity. If we look at the history of Albert Einstien’s academic failures or Nikola Tesla’s life struggles, we can then know that failure is nothing more than experience. Those who are afraid to fail will never gain anything.
Sadly, I once held the fixed mindset notion. But it was my environment that taught me to be afraid of failure. It took years of constant struggle and misplaced blame on others until I finally realized what it took to broaden my horizons. The fixed mindset is dangerous, and it couldn’t be further from the truth. For the first time in my life, I am starting to realize what I am capable of. And now, I can’t help but think how tragic it is that most of us never realize our full potential. We must embrace failure. Failure is nothing more than experience. A smooth sea has never made a skilled sailor.
So I now ask the questions: What is creativity? Where does inspiration come from? How does one expand or develop the mind? Simply put: Exposure. To everything and anything, you must expose yourself. As I said, our environment is us, so if we are conscious of that fact, why not change our environments? We must travel, not just internally, but physically and externally. We need to walk outside the boundaries of our comfort zone, metaphorically and literally. How will we ever know ourselves if we never leave ourselves? We need exposure to other ways of life to reflect on our own. How does a musician develop? Certainly, they need to hear an array of music and sounds. How does the visual artist develop? They need visual stimulation for inspiration. How does the martial artist develop? Engaging fully in combat. You see, the individual possesses the tools to be whatever they wish to be. However, if these natural human curiosities and dreams aren’t nurtured, they will surely wither away until they atrophy. It’s quite simple: If you want your child to be a genius, expose them to every sight, smell, taste, sound, and feeling you can. Teach them about the ways other people live. Teach them about life different from their own. Teach them how to think, rather than what to think. The canvas starts blank, we just need to find the right paint.
Speaking first on behalf of internal travel, I can not stress the importance of reading. Works of writing are the ticket to travel within. If you have a hunger for truth, literature is how you feed it. “Read like the wolf eats”. Read the books they never told you about in school. Read the works that challenge your beliefs. And if in your search you find that no book fulfills you, then write your own. Try to imagine, just for a moment, how oppressive it was for slaves to be forbidden the right to read. These oppressors knew the power of knowledge. In a modernized comparison, the elites of our time today are aware that the key to enslaving us is to keep us illiterate. If we neglect this precious ability to read and write, not only do we stunt our growth, we allow psychopaths to control the fate of our lives.
Now, on the topic of external travel, it is by far one of the most mind-opening experiences to be had. When you see landscapes so vast and delicately beautiful, you can’t help but feel inspired to try and save the world, or in my case, save yourself. In the summer of 2015, I drove a 2000 Nissan Altima 13,000 miles across the United States. I quit all my jobs and I held no regret. Starting from the capital of New York, I hit every major national park, city, and place worth visiting from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast. From cold mountain tops to flat deserts to mystical forests, I was awestruck. When I first dreamt of doing this, the daunting task of acquiring funds was always the issue on my mind. It wasn’t until I became a minimalist that I realized how tangible this dream was. They give us the notion that it can’t be done. But there is always a way. You just have to be willing to sacrifice comfort. Live homeless for one full month and you will get a new perspective on what it is you really need to live. Comfort is nice, but it is also a barrier to growth.
What I am trying to do here is inspire you to do things you never thought possible. I want to inspire you to quit your job. I want to inspire you to take a leap. You may not be ready now, but when you are at your ropes end, don’t tie a noose. Use it to pull yourself up. Do not underestimate yourself. Leave to see places foreign and unknown. What’s the worst that could happen? Think about your life expectancy. It is no more than a flicker of light in astronomical terms. The average life expectancy is approximately 80 years. How many of those years will you have to truly enjoy yourself outside of the mundane tasks you comply to? The majority of us will spend a third our time sleeping, more than a third of that working, and most of what’s left staring at a screen. Do you have thoughts of saving for old age? Do you honestly think you can retire and then see the world? Is your tomorrow promised?
There is no future. There is only now. Go taste all the flavors of life, especially the bitter ones. You will see things in a new light. You will also encounter resistance on the way. The world is still not ready for those who dare to be a wild orchid in an ugly swamp. But everything worthwhile comes with its price. And we must not forget that we are all on a strict death schedule.
Travel is the eye of truth. I hope you leave. When you do, you will come back to the place you first left and you will know it for the first time. I myself may not know where I am headed, but I know I am on my way.