I've always been impressed by the symbolism associated with wakefulness—that is to say, the power of being awake.
Wakefulness is about so much more than just getting up in the morning—it's about rising up, being attentive, alert, and alive. The process of waking up every morning is, in and of itself, a symbol for being born again. To wake up is to have a new beginning.
In my life, I have been fortunate to associate with the Anasazi Foundation. Anasazi is a pioneer wilderness therapy program that is rooted in Native American traditions. The basic idea behind Anasazi Foundation is to take participants into the Arizona wilderness for 50+ days, give them a space that is free from the distractions and noise of the world—and in so doing, help them find a new beginning.
The other day, I spoke with Ezekiel Sanchez (also known as Good Buffalo Eagle). Ezekiel is a Native American and a co-Founder of the Anasazi program. He told me that one of the primary messages of Anasazi is to give others a new beginning. His son, Lehi Sanchez, recently published a video of Ezekiel which I think is incredible. I've included it below and I hope that it motivates you to wake up tomorrow and have a new beginning.
I do a lot of work for ANASAZI Foundation , a Wilderness Therapy program for at-risk youth and I frequently visit their lobby. Now, as much as I love ANASAZI, I hated their lobby—its main wall was particularly offensive to mine eyes. Every time I thought about it, I would get an Edgar-Allan-Poe-esque twitch. The wall was driving me mad! Mad, I tell you! Something had to be done. It was either me or the wall and it CERTAINLY wasn't going to be me! I decided to paint a mountain mural over it. And so, eye-a-twitching, I waited until everyone left work—until it was just me and the wall... Then, I created THE MOUNTAIN MURAL! ~Thunder clap in the background~ Supplies Needed: Black Paint White Paint Sahara Desert Sand Paint (Wal-Mart) Warm Caramel Paint (Wal-Mart) Lots of Painters Tape (for outlining the mountains) A Few Paint Brushes (for painting the outlines of the mountains) Lots of Rollers (for most of the painting) Paint Trays (in which you roll your
As someone who suffers from depression, I was intrigued by M. Scott Peck's description of depression in The Road Less Traveled. According to him, depression is sometimes what we experience as we are giving up our "old self." “Since mentally healthy human beings must grow, and since giving up or loss of the old self is an integral part of the process of mental and spiritual growth, depression is a normal and basically healthy phenomenon. It becomes abnormal or unhealthy only when something interferes with the giving-up process, with the result that the depression is prolonged and cannot be resolved by completion of the process.” (Wisdom from The Road Less Traveled, 2001). I just read that today, but I can see where it makes sense. Part of growing up means letting go of the old and accepting the new. The times when I have been the most depressed have been the times when I have tried to hold on to the past—but the past cannot be held. As a result of my inability to rec