Happy Birthday to Me

This is my birthday, or near enough. I am taking this time to reflect, as one does on the day when one looks back upon the years gone by. 

Nineteen years ago I read a trio of books that collectively changed my life. Those books were the Tao Te Ching, Way of the Wizard, and Ishmael. Tao Te Ching is the Chinese classic by Lao Tzu, The version I read was the adaptive translation by science fiction author Ursula Le Guin. And I cannot recommend it highly enough.  Way of the Wizard is a book of self help parables by author Deepak Chopra. And while I do not recommend it, this book was useful to me where I was when I read it. 

But the book that made the most impact on my life was Ishmael, the novel by Daniel Quinn. You will see this book and author referred to in greater depth nearly everywhere throughout my work, and so I won’t belabor that here. But here we are, nearly two decades out from my my revelation (if you will excuse the term), and I am staring back at that time looking at a long and winding road. I have spent much of that time learning, and researching and deepening my understanding. 

But I fear that time is starting to conspire against me. Perhaps it is age. Perhaps it is simply the combined weight of all the calamities of 2020 weighing on my mind. But I feel as though I must take decisive action. I have learned a great deal. But what does that matter if I don’t do anything with it. 

So here is my project, my master plan, and you are welcome to come on this journey with me. Safety is not guaranteed but I promise that you won’t be bored.