FREEDOM IS THE HEART’S CRY of every vandweller. Freedom from the restrictions and limitations placed on us by the normal consumer-oriented American life. Freedom from possessions is a wonderful, liberating experience, but for many of us it isn’t enough to bring true happiness. There is an old saying that says, “Wherever you go, there you are.” It means that you can run from your demons, but unless you deal with their root causes they will find you and attack you over and over again. I know in my life it was not enough to simply move into a van and embrace simplicity and mobility, I had to find a way to deal with the anger, fear and anxiety that drove me.
To show you what worked for me I am going to do something unusual in this post; I am going to steal a post from someone else’s newsletter by cutting and pasting it here. Doing this may be technically copyright violation, but I do it with good intent. I am a fan of the author, Rick Hanson, and want to encourage each of you to sign up for his newsletter. They come once a week and while they aren’t all wonderful gems they very often deeply move me and greatly improve my life. Last week’s post about being a blessing to others was one that touched me and put into beautiful, poetic words what I have endeavored to do with my life. This spiritual practice has done more to make my life better than anything else I have ever done, and I want to encourage you to open your heart to his words and let them touch you deeply to the very core of your being. If you do, your life will be changed.
Lately, I’ve been wondering what would be on my personal list of top five practices (all tied for first place). You might ask yourself the same question, knowing that you can cluster related practices under a single umbrella, your list may differ from mine, and your practices may change over time. [Editor’s note: I’ve deleted the first two practices.] …My third practice is bless, which means see what’s tender and beautiful, and wish well. (For some, this word has religious connotations, but I’m not using it that way.) Blessing includes compassion, kindness, appreciating, honoring, non-harming, warmth, cherishing, and love; you can see I’m using this word broadly. It’s leaning toward pain rather than away, helping rather than harming, giving rather than withholding, opening and extending rather than closing and contracting, wishing well rather than ill, delighting in rather than finding fault. You can bless others, the world, and yourself – and any parts of any of these. Blessing is obviously good for others and the world, and that’s plenty reason to offer it. As a bonus, it’s also good for you. It strengthens gratitude and gladness, opens your heart, deepens connection, and tends to evoke good treatment from others. You experience people and the world as blessed rather than threatening, disappointing, or rejecting. By blessing, you feel blessed.
How? Deliberately feel warmly toward someone while wishing him or her well—that he or she not suffer, and be truly happy. Also be aware of a benevolence toward others, looking for good things in them. Use this to know what the act and the attitude of blessing feels like, and to take in the experience of it so you can call upon it in the future.
To bless someone, see their goodness, efforts, hopes, suffering, and what’s neat about them. Let yourself be touched, moving past the idea and the should of blessing to the experience itself. Feel a warmth, a kindness. You can express good wishes with actions—a touch, a door opened, a charitable gift—or words (e.g., “may you be at peace, may you be loved”), or inside your heart alone.
Blessing means not harming, hurting, criticizing, or dismissing; if any of these is present, blessing isn’t. Don’t let blessing feed a subtle superiority, the bless-er who is better than the bless-ee. Let others be who they are, and don’t presume you know what they need. In the moment of true blessing, there’s little if any sense of self, of I-me-mine. You bless for them, not for yourself.
Bless people you know, and also bless strangers. It’s powerful to look at someone passing on the street, get a sense of the person, and then wish him or her well. See what happens when you bless people who have really helped you, friends and family, even people who are difficult for you. See what it’s like to deliberately offer compassion, kindness, prizing, or love. You can also bless parts of yourself—your pain, your darkness, your light—as well as yourself as a whole.
Do blessing deliberately. And over time, be blessing. It becomes where you come from, your ground and natural inclination.
You can be pressed and stressed and still bless. Find your warmth and good wishes amidst the mental clutter, like hearing wind chimes outside amidst storm and rain. But also take care of yourself. It’s hard to bless if you feel bad. Blessing does not mean approving; you can wish people well while also disengaging from them.
Fundamentally, blessing means treating another person as a “thou” not an “it,” not a means to your ends. Think of “thou” as a verb. To bless people is to thou them.
Just re-reading these words bring tears to my eyes. Without ever thinking formally about it, I have tried to be a blessing in my life and the joy and peace it has brought me is beyond my ability to describe. The spiritual path I follow instructs me to end each day by saying to myself, “Was I loving and kind toward all today?” Ricks post makes that practice come alive and makes it very real. Nothing I ever write in this blog, or say, or do, can be as helpful to you as this simple practice Rick describes. Consider making it a part of your life. To subscribe to the Rick Hanson newsletter, go here.
Beautiful, inspiring, and especially needed during these times of chaos. I believe if we truly live being a blessing to others, our world becomes a blessing to us!
Thank you for the reminder!
Yes…live a blessed live…absolutely….Bob, because you are also an intellect, look up Spinoza…..Einstein and Elon Musks spiritual interest in belief…not that I aspire to his philosophy…it’s just fascination when Spinoza relates spirituality to the vastness of nature…..In one of your videos I think you mentioned that you like to read….you just might find it rather interesting.
Hi Bob !
Love this, your philosophy of life. I have been following your blogs & videos for years I have learned @lot from them, thanks ! May the supreme spirit & universe send the rewarding karma to you. LOVE IS ALL !
Excellent, Bob, and I have subscribed to his newsletter.
We never know what difference we may make in the lives of others, and this post encompasses all the intentionality we should apply every day with every one we meet.
The power of other peoples words.
Thank you.
It’s evident you both have had a religious upbringing, in some form, because goodness comes from our Creator, and His inspired writings are what’s quoted. The fruitage of the spirit is first Love; then joy, peace, faith, patience, kindness, goodness, mildness, and self-control. – Galatians 5: 22, 23.
I don’t know why people who obviously have had a spiritual upbringing, try to deny or shy away from saying so. What’s the alternative?
We must declare our love for our Creator and his Son, because if we don’t, they will not claim us! Amen?
My thoughts exactly. Why has respect of our Judeo-Christian heritage become taboo? It is because so many “churches” misrepresent it. Knowledge of history is sorely lacking.
From: http://issuesoutline.org/#religion
“The 16th Century Protestant Reformation was about the people ending the tyrannical, counterfeit Christianity of the established Catholic “church”. People were persecuted and mind-controlled by that system of “fake news” of the Middle Ages until after invention of the printing press eventually allowed people to copy and read the Bible for themselves. Knowledge of the Bible is the basis for true liberty that led to the Renaissance and the truly progressive, classical liberalism of Western Civilization. Knowledge of the Bible is the basis for Western Civilization and the American form of government.”
Basically, what this article is about it simply God’s Law as written in the Holy Bible:
Mark 12:28–31, “‘Which commandment is the most important of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The most important is, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” The second is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’”
To love Nature, is to love It’s Creator. I believe nomads understand this and need to be close thereto.
Lovely. Thank you for sharing. I will check out the recommended writer.
In my own life – now that I’m older – I say aloud each morning and night, “Thank you for another day” (another day with my beloved dog who is dying of cancer, with my family, another day I can rise, and another chance to put “good” out into the Universe).
I’ve been practicing gratefulness for all in my life – large and small. This and the idea that each day must include making other lives easier – be it people or critters (+ in how I approach my work). I also pray…a lot. My brain and heart have been transformed.
Peace to all.
Beth, Same here, every day is a ‘ Thanks day’ for me: thanks for been able to contemplate a new sunrise, thanks for the roof is over my head, thanks for the food I can put in my belly & finally thanks because even though I have many boo-boos, I can still see, walk, talk & make sense in my head. ? ? ?
Thank you for sharing this beautiful message, Bob. It’s interesting that just yesterday I watched a talk from a Vedanta teacher that was basically about the same thing…
I have never met you, but from the many videos I’ve watched, it sure seems to me that you have been successful in your effort to be a blessing in your life and in the lives of so many others. I know that you have been a positive influence for me.
My parents lived this practice very well. They didn’t have much in the bank, but they always offered to help others in whatever way they could. Their example has guided me throughout my life, and I hope that I’ve been a good steward of their legacy.
Now that I’m retired, I have more time to enjoy and appreciate the small beauties that surround me every day, whether it’s a stunning sunset, or an amazing insect, or just my 14-year-old dog’s fluffy eyebrows waving in the breeze.
I’ve learned that each encounter with a person, animal, place, or thing is an opportunity for joy…we just need to open our eyes and our hearts to it!
Best wishes to all!
Danika, I just love U’r comment❤️
I have a single curiosity: Bob, 1) did you get your van already outfitted for living out of it? 2) If not, how long did it take for you to get it the way you wanted?
Hi Bob,
You may recall that I have contacted you on two prior occasions, most recently when your mother passed away. I continue to be a full time nomad living in my Subaru Outback in Western North Carolina. I am about to begin a seasonal job with the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation as the Interpreter in Residence at the Crabtree Falls campground near Little Switzerland.
When the job ends in September I will be heading west to begin a long term project of the creation of a book on our public lands. I would welcome the chance to meet with you.
Your works have inspired me over the years and while I know that we share very similar perspectives on many things, there is also much that I know I could learn from you. Moreover, I would appreciate being able to interview you as part of the book project knowing your relationship with public lands over the years.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Walk in Beauty,
Don McGowan