Keep calm and be Zen!

Tuesday April 28^th

I have been thinking a lot about structure and in particular the structure of my life for the next year.   

Whilst I don´t want to create a new strait-jacket that restricts me I do want to have the opportunity to maximise my opportunity.

Once I decided that for all sorts of reasons that change was an absolute necessity, and that I wanted to take time out to deal with some issues I also realised that here was a great opportunity to experiment.

I have taken a small house in Cehegín, consisting of small living/dining room, kitchen two bedrooms, shower room and terrace. As with most rental properties it is basically furnished as you can see from the pictures.  And this is just dandy!

I have been reading a lot recently about the simple life, simplifying life and frugality, not in an Ebenezer Scrooge way, but more ascetic, more ZEN.  

De-cluttering from mind, body and spirit. Having given away or sold 95% of what I owned back in 2011, the task is relatively easy for me, although Nick and I have established a lovely home here, I leave Perú in two weeks with only two pieces of luggage and a carry-on bag.  Just as I arrived.  And I am determined that I will not be pushing at the boundaries of my 50kg allowance.  Knowmadic-mike is back.

I am amazed at how many blogs and website there are devoted to the simple life and simple living. Actually, I am not surprized, this life where we are connected to technology 24/7 is killing us as social animals.   Nobody talks anymore. Nobody reads anymore. We live inside a bubble and the reality of what is before our eyes is missed as we stare at a screen. Instant food, Instant communication,  instant gratification …… instant, instant……..

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Google map of the area here :  https://goo.gl/maps/zFH5v

Frugal living:  simple living:  rich living:  cheap living. What I want to achieve is a “simple-rich” life based on freeing up time and energy for what is fundamentally important (to me) some of which I know and most  of which I don’t. AND very rich in the things that matter.

This diagram is both exhilarating and frightening in equal measure. I have taught and discussed this idea so many times, in my incarnation as trainer, coach and management consultant, now it´s my turn to do it!  For real.

I realise that back in 2011 I did much of the hard stuff and today, I am really looking at refinement and going deeper not wider.  It has been gratifying to receive comments about what I plan and they are food for thought.  
Going back in order to go forward.

The exploration of the past is not for everyone, and I fully understand the notion of just looking forwards and not back and I agree with that to some extent with caveats:

1.        My creative mind imagines all sorts of future scenarios in great detail, but they are not reality; no matter how comforting or exhilarating. But they contain the seeds of what is possible or hoped for.

2.       Getting the most out of today has to be the number one priority, living each day to the full and not regretting another day wasted.

3.       When your past disables your ability to live and exploit the present and holds you back from that bright future he has to be dealt with.  I feel aspects of the past as an insidious worm gnawing away deep inside my personality. No more.

Once dealt with it is on to green fields and pastures new.  

Time is such a precious gift and I have given myself that in abundance, now I want to use it more wisely.

I have just read an article about 50 things to do in order to simplify your life, I reckon I have already achieved about 60% of these! But I am horrified at how many of these simple living websites (mainly from the USA) seem to miss the point, especially when it comes to the simple joys of eating. Part of simple living for me is to have more time to cook, not less. Easting simple healthy food, home prepared, of exploring new tastes and regional foods; balanced with the joy of eating out (though less often).

On August 24^th, 2016 I will be 60.  I celebrated my 50^th birthday is some style (understatement) and I intend to celebrate the start of my 7^th decade in some style, though I suspect a somewhat different style.  Anyways the great work now is to get there and to enjoy the journey. And to achieve my goals for this part of my journey. I have 16 months to do it.

It is very interesting, I have just read an article entitled: 12 Essential Rules to live like a Zen Monk ……. Not that I am proposing a return to any monk-ey business but the rules are:

1. Do one thing at a time with full concentration

2. Do it slowly

3. Do it completely

4. Do less  (you have to in order to be able to incorporate 1 -3)

5. Put space between things (allowing time to do things incorporating 1-4)

6. Develop rituals (rituals make even mundane things have importance)

7. Designate time for certain things (eating, walking, shopping, reading, painting, writing, thinking….)  to ensure regularity.

8. Devote time to sitting or other meditative activity to concentrate on being “in the moment” 
9. Smile and serve others, even if it´s just a greeting in the street

10. Make cleaning and cooking become meditation and to enable mindfulness, concentrate on every aspect of it

11. Think about what is necessary for living and remove the rest(I am along way there with only my two bags of possessions!

12. Live simply..............

 

And to me they make perfect sense, as I fill my days, in doing what has to be done. But of course for me there also has to be time for spontaneity as it is important to me.  But of course I am in charge, so no problem!  It would be so easy to fritter away the time ……. And that is not going to happen.

The countdown begins.

Cehegin is to the West  of Murcia City

Sunday April 26:

The countdown begins.

In two-weeks I leave Trujillo enroute to Cehegin, Murcia, Spain where I shall be living in a small ancient house in the old Moorish quarter of the town and plan to live a simple life for up to 1 year.

The region of Murcia in South Central, Spain

As you are aware I made another big change in my life back in 2011, when I decided to become “Knowmadic mike” and I do not for one moment regret that choice.  In fact I do not think that I have regretted any choices I have made in my life, but as to whether I understand or understood those choices is a different matter. And I am not sure to what extent they were even the right choices.

The Old Moorish Town

However, there have been consequences and these have left an indelible mark on both myself and on others and now, I feel I have to take responsibility and explore root causes, motives and meanings.

I have thought about this deeply and even tried once before to deal with some of this stuff, but shelved those efforts after a few painful experiences.  The box was firmly re-locked but, the key placed where one day it could be found again. Peeling onions, or those sets of Russian Dolls come to mind in terms of what is to be discovered. 

Where did I put that key?

This is no ego-trip, I think it is going to be very hard for me, painful maybe disturbing but ultimately I have a sense of it being a journey of liberation and exhilaration.  Life demands that I deal with this whilst I have the opportunity and for some reason, to do it now.

I chose Spain because after a few years living in Guatemala and Peru, I can communicate in Spanish (at a level way below where is should be - and those limiting and critical voices in my head will also be under the spotlight), I am going to be living just two hours from two busy regional airports, Alicante and Murcia, that are well served by budget airlines to and from all over Europe (but especially the UK) and therefore I can connect as and when I need too.  Life is relatively cheap in rural Spain, the climate is good and the place sufficiently interesting to sustain me, through long walks and good simple food. This also is not a popular destination for ex-pat Brits. I wish to use my simple ability in Spanish as a shield and protection.

I will have limited internet access for skype and email, but propose to develop a disciplined routine, based on previous experience of ascetic living and in taking time to reconnect with much that I have taken for granted.

A goal is to write my auto-biography, warts and all and to explore issues that come up and to question my belief systems and find answers to why I do some of the things I do.  I will use my training as a psychotherapist and NLP, to assist me but I will balance all this navel gazing my other goal is a re-exploration of some of my neglected passions:

Cooking: Murcia is one of Spain’s bread baskets, famous for fruit and vegetables, Calsparra rice, smoked pimento, and has three excellent region wines.  Back to making bread and exploring taste!

Cehegin - regular farmers market

Reading:  I used to read 4 – 5 books a week. I think I have read 2 books in the last 3 years. This has to change, I ache for the thrill of an un-put-down-able book!  Years of unread Booker prize winners, just waiting to be read, thrillers, sci-fi, classics ……..

Listening:   I have over 11,000 items of music on my i-tunes, of all types.  This last two years I only listen to analyse and teach, I want to recapture the simple joy of listening.

Walking:  I will be living in a region with many country walks, riverside walks, hill walking.  Time to enjoy and to get a bit fitter as a by-product.

Painting:  I hope to see what comes up, I have found painting to be a great way to express myself.

Aloneness:  I have been surrounded by people and now want to have extended periods alone.   Time to think, time to write and time to simple just “be”.

So much to do in only a year!   As well as to entertain invited guests and still be open to what life offers me, off-plan and unscripted.

Blogging: I may be alone in one sense, but through my now private blog I want to share thoughts and ideas with YOU, this however comes at a price.  I need input and feedback if you are reading this you have been chosen because I value you. And I cannot achieve my goals alone, so please feel free to interact with me, question me, laugh and cry with me and generally support me.

Outcomes: I hope that the process of self-discovery offers me new opportunities for the future and I want to have dealt with some demons once and for-all and to be liberated from past actions.

I want look towards a future with renewed passion and vigour.

Of course this all comes with a huge price tag; I am putting “on hold” my relationship, I am abandoning my wonderful students, and I am once again taking a step into the unknown. But I have faith in me, science and reason and know the truth of the saying of Robert Louis Stevenson "Little do ye know your own blessedness; for to travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive, and the true success is to labour" or a the earlier Taoist saying  "The journey is the reward."

I do not believe I have chosen an “escape” or an “extended holiday” but I believe I have taken this opportunity to travel in hope, and top labour, eyes wide open and with “great expectations” but of exactly what …… Let’s see!

 KnowmadicMike   Trujillo, Perú.   Soon to be  

KnowmadicMike, The Hill of the Blacksmiths, Cehegin, Murcia , Spain

The new abode is almost in this picture!