I’m writing this in review upon returning home from very sunny and blissful vacation to Mexico.
However, like all good vacations, at some point, the honeymoon is over. And although I wouldn’t trade it for the world, I must also admit some defeat…
The truth is, I LOVE my work and my daily life so much, that I don’t really ever feel like “I need a vacation”… (I do yoga and landscaping, to help people live in harmony with each other on the planet.)
While on vacation, I got to relax on my normal project responsibilities and “just be me”, even more so than I already am. I was meeting people and doing my part to make the world a better place.
So where did it go wrong?
I managed to mentally turn the story of my whole trip into “The biggest Project” I’ve ever dreamed up…
By the time I was leaving Mexico, I was on my way home to Iowa and already hard at work trying to “produce it”. Which proved to be impossible. Publishing this post is my way to get something of that project jotted down. Like a napkin sketch at the bar I suppose :)
So here’s the quick and dirty version of a beautiful dream / vision that became increasingly clear and detailed as I was coming home from the trip. I was certain that I had a good idea, a good plan, that it would be fun, and would only gain momentum. But, day by day, I found things getting increasingly complex and unachievable for me to share and pull it together the way I had imagined.
ENTER:
“The Greatest Collaborative Love Story Ever Told” …
I wanted to the story of my trip to Mexico on Instagram. To share those 9 days, post by post in reverse order on instagram for the next 9 days… to tag and include all the amazing people who I had met… to show the world how fun, easy, and exciting it is just to untether, follow your heart, and to just treat people with love. To TRUST that things will “work out when we work together”.
In some ways, it would be a “real-time” netflix show for anyone watching closely enough or just a tiny glimpse into someones day for anyone just stumbling across a single post.
Why a Love story?
I would tell the story with all the layers inherent to the experience I’d had. How I set aside life in Iowa to go to Mexico for my friends wedding. To extend that time and travel beyond the resort to spending time falling in love with myself, and to meet people who are living in another country. To love them, as they are.
But yet, to propose that we work together to build a wall, “BETWEEN US AND THEM!”
The greatest wall ever in fact. “A wall that would rival The Great Wall of China”
To make it a giant public art collaboration. Pairing artists from both countries to work on segments that all blended together. A wall that would take a physical shape and morph every mile or so. But each pair had to agree on what their segment would look like. Yet, if you step on one side of the wall, it’d look different then the view from the other. Think of it like this. A picket fence… one side it white, the other side covered in graffiti.
It would be a fence that helps open your perspective. One that brings people together rather than keeping them apart.
The amount of love that had been shared in those moments was hard to portray in clips, in “bits and bytes” … It took me an entire day to publish just the layover and last few hours of my trip! I felt unbelievably limited by the amount of information I could publish and curate as just one man. I got worried but I was committed to sticking to my idea.
Actually, I became obsessed, and driven to deliver at least one part of this project.
So, I made a facebook page for “The Greatest Wall” and figured I could publish the Instagram story slowly over time, let the facebook page tell the main point and grow over time. Except. In order to “feel comfortable publishing that page” and (potentially) having people see me for who I am, I felt it was imperative to have my personal website and bio updated…
So I took another day to hone, polish and update that. I was sure that any page views from the recent people I had met or maybe just unexpected web traffic from any new organic visitors would only compound my problem. After all, this entire project was one big effort to help people expand their perspective on life by getting to know and talking to each other face to face in a world of digital communication.
Did you see the layers of eyes, (or I’s) in my newly created graphics? What a mousetrap I had made myself.
What was the real problem here? It was how I was viewing myself and how I wanted others to view me.
So set aside everything above. Drop it off… Here’s what I think I was really struggling with. At my core, I don’t believe that others will understand me. I don’t believe that they can see how my mind works. I’m like an Elon Musk but without a dime to my name. My vision, my hopes dreams and desires are as inspiring as being a “multi planet species”… But not everyone might think thats a good idea. Hell, I don’t even know if I think it’s a good idea. But I do love to dream and I do love progress. So, by the time I had my personal page updated I took a break to watch this TEDEX talk by Elon from nearly a year ago and I was reminded.
The future is now.
I’m living in it and all the technology / innovation is already unfolding. The sustainable future I have been praying for is here, all I need to do is to keep living it. The improved transportation, energy, and social networks are unfolding… The very best way for me to contribute to them is with my presence.
And so - I will do more the few small things that I did do when I stepped away from my Bio. I’ll go to another yoga class with Mathew, because I support how hard he as worked. I’ll shop local and eat healthy. And just like I did last night, I’ll shake hands and give eye contact to another human in the grocery isle.
I had freely given a milk chocolate bar to a total stranger after I had purchased it. Why? Just because he saw it, he was excited and said “where’d you get that!” I kindly pointed out the location but then said, here, I want you to have this one. I did it because, I want to live in the future I’m dreaming of, one where everyone has everything they need, one where we are helped, loved and supported for how and who we are. One where we all do our part to contribute to the good of the present moment.
Thank you Elon and your welcome Robert, it was nice to meet you, at The Gateway Market.
Love,
dm
Must See video:
The future is not boring - unless you make it so.
I don’t personally think we need to be a multi-planet species but I’m okay with the option.
The value of his companies is to accelerate the typical curve of progress.
That neither Elon or I wish “To be a Savior, only to live in a future we can be excited about.”
The reminder for me is that the value of D2MGROUP is to accelerate one core idea: That who you are matters. That you and I hold the possibility to be an Elon Musk… the only limitation is how you view yourself.