Simon x
Set Your Spirit Free

Before our white brothers came to civilize us we had no jails. Therefore we had no criminals. You can't have criminals without a jail. We had no locks or keys, and so we had no thieves. If a man was so poor that he had no horse, tipi or blanket, someone gave him these things. We were too uncivilized to set much value on personal belongings. We wanted to have things only in order to give them away. We had no money, and therefore a man's worth couldn't be measured by it. We valued the exchange of love, so we did not deal in fear. We had no written law, no attorney or politicians, therefore we couldn't cheat. We were in a really bad way before the white man came, and I don't know how we managed to get along for millenniums without the basic things which, we are told, are absolutely necessary to make a current civilized society.       

 

-- Lakota Sage, Lame Deer (from John Lame Deer, Seeker of Visions)

 

Lame Deer's words seem anything but when read within a modern context. I have become increasingly aware practically in everything that I do with people in this day and age of how much we have come to contribute to the capitalist growth model just to keep a roof over our head and experience a degree of security throughout our entire life's journey, due to the sheer fear of what would happen to us otherwise. Protecting ourselves against eventualities that just would not occur within any truly loving inclusive community.  

 

Where as in the past our insurance policies lay in our brothers and sisters and their ability to hunt and gather if we failed in our own quest, or in their building skills if we were otherwise incapacitated, now we have to buy that insurance as those skills have been lost and replaced with a financial transaction. Pension schemes endeavour to protect us in our old age when we are no longer 'useful' to modern society. Copyrights and indemnity policies further go towards protecting our own brand and intellectual property. Any conflict we find with one another is resolved within the courts to the benefit of everyone but ourselves it would seem. We are supplied energy and water at massive expense to the planet as well as our own pocket and all for the benefit seemingly of just a handful of people that control those resources and not the community as a whole, just the 1% or those trying to get into that bracket.   

 

More and more I find myself in a position where I come across a person in need, of a service or gift I can bestow upon my fellow human being for their true benefit but due to the fact that I need to keep a roof over my own head and food on the table I have to charge them for this service, a payment which they often cannot afford especially as many need to tighten their belts with the rising cost of basic living. For a while no exchange between us occurred, a lose lose scenario ensued.  

 

I wondered what could I to do in this modern society I lived within to make things better, to enhance my community if I could? Within my indigenous tribe I would simply have gifted that person my service and immediately created a win win scenario evolving forward, today it has to have a commercial value to it and so I feel somewhat more restricted in my own generosity to give because of this. 

 

The answer to the problem I have found is two fold, if I am to remain living within the capitalist model I have grown up with then I have to stagger my product, create newsletters and give talks for free, write a book for a small exchange of money, run courses for a medium price and charge a more premium rate for my more personal one to one services whilst remaining open to an exchange of services Hopi style. In the process I must remain guided by spirit as much as possible and what we decide together is the best thing to do in any given situation.   

 

Long term the solution is rather different, to source a community or way of living like which our ancestors the Hopi or Lakota people were able to enjoy, where we can live again more freely, gifting our services to our fellow man and woman more easily living more in harmony with the Earth again creating the right relationship with ourselves, others and the planet. There are places within the world that are recreating this environment and I wish to do likewise, I'm sure with enough will and manifestation all still remains possible, together we can achieve it, we are what we have been waiting for.   

 

If wishing to comment yourself on any of my writing and theories why not do so via my blog that appears on my new personal website. This article is live now along with all the other articles you have received over the last two years. I look forward to conversing with you further on what we are now faced with as a modern society. For more on my own evolving personal brand look out for my next newsletter in two weeks time. Sx 

Set Your Spirit Free is a Life, Business and Leadership Coaching company that aims to inspire everyone towards a more authentic and sustainable way of living and working, that is more true to our nature, both inner and outer.

Helping us all to find our life's purpose and then come together with others to form common purposes within more inspiring organisations. Enhancing our community, ensuring our environment and enlivening our spirits in the process. 

I believe we are entering unprecedented times where the combination of various economic, environmental and social crisis are forcing us to think very differently about how we exist more authentically and sustainably. The solutions to these problems lie with more and more of us being aware of how we can uniquely contribute through our own life's purpose. I wish to help as many people as I can through all of my skills, who are already attempting to embrace this new way of living and working, or would like to, and wish to discover how their own unique products and services can help.

To find out more about my work, research my website here or to see how I might be able to help you in particular contact me now.

 

A Message from The Hopi Elders

Today two videos dedicated to the prophecy of the Hopi People that tell us what will happen if we continue to live the way of the capitalist world and don't re-establish our true connection to our wider community.