Jared

I’ve made the website for the classroom I work in. Why not have my own? I have plenty to say, learn, connect, and share. So I’ll make my own since it’s pretty easy nowadays (no coding needed).

I saw Avatar Special Edition last night and while watching the movie for the 5th time a certain aspect to the nature of why this has been such a hit dawned on me.

While Neytiri is training Jake to be one of the Omaticaya Jake’s narration covers two topics: Firstly, he needs to trust his body “to do the right thing” as he runs and jumps through the forest trees. Secondly, that the forest is full of energy that flows through everything and everyone and that the forest will take care of you.

These two concepts, when taken together, would be something like “Trust yourself, you are a part of the universe, trust the universe” and then one may come to realize one’s connection to the world around them. Yet it’s more than just a feeling of connection. A kind of intimacy with the world around you (as promoted by Zen practices) is brought to the fore.

We go through life “barely there.” Being disconnected from the world around us. Avatar invites us to stop, smell the roses, bask in the sun, and run. Feel the ground beneath you, the flow of air or stillness. It also invites you to trust your link to all that is around us, rather than to fear it. Since the norm is to fear the unknown and since we consider everything not directly controlled as unknown in purpose or essence we fear it on some level.

Instead trust yourself, you know more than you let on. You just know instinctively rather than from a book. Just so, trust the universe, it will provide if you hunt for what you need.

After years apart I recently stumbled upon my first love on Facebook. He’s running a small networking company from his Navy barracks. His goal is to inspire, and he succeeded with me. When I knew him, he was timid, unsure, and without direction. The Navy seems to have helped him, but moreover he has helped himself.

He made a video some time ago and it reminded me of things I’ve known and forgotten. Moreover I found his website and it blew my mind. Here he is, doing what he wants, feeling good.

Why isn’t that me? Well I’ve been pretty dang obsessed with feeling bad. This goes back to changing the energy goal. Choose not only in the moment to feel good or handle something well, but choose so beforehand. Wake up in the morning and dedicate yourself to feeling good, happy, well, fulfilled, and above all, true to yourself.

We all have trouble, but when these troubles are part of a good life, rather than a bad life, they’re lessons we learn to love.