Short story
Note: there is a sequel to this post, Trauma is good for you: Authentic Relating and “karma acceleration”, that gets to the point faster. This here is the back-story.
This may be the most vulnerable post I have ever written, as I get “down and dirty” around the successes and failures (both stupendous) of the year I spent in Mexico, and the commune I attempted to start here.
The story is long, so read as much or as little as you want. It’s been 11 years since the bank took back the commune in Philadelphia that Rebekah and I ran for 3 years, starting in 2007. That experience was so trippy I have been trying to get back to that lifestyle ever since. The effort has, however, been something of a “journey through the wilderness”, of back-to-back business and relational failures. Or maybe something like “sound and fury signifying nothing”. But not any more. I am winning everywhere right now.
Anyway, here are some accomplishments in the last year:
- I created a lovely home for myself in Chapala, Mexico, and started a commune here. The commune was what we call a “successful failure” (aka major shit-show), but hugely developmental
- I launched my professional Authentic Relating (AR) career, and created a presence for myself in the Intentional Community (IC) movement now as well
- I figured out how to pay my bills on a Social Security income
- I became a 4.0 tennis player, with the help of my live-in tennis pro and human optimization specialist, Nick
- Became a passable vegan cook
- Formed some deep and powerful new relationships and businesses partnerships
- Got a deep and humbling education about the less attractive aspects of my characterology, and the challenges of being an Authentic Relating evangelist
- Returned to my Intentional Community dream and found a place in Vermont that just might work
- And now, returning to Philadelphia, where, a long time ago, I spent the happiest years of my life…
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