Painting by Lance Bifoss
The Threat of Disbodience
As a writer, world traveler and homeless person, I’ve received some scathing judgment and criticism, even by people I’d considered friends, even family. It’s been shocking. I couldn’t believe or understand it and made the mistake of taking it personally. I had to take some time out to try and make sense of it.
What I came to was this: certain people feel threatened by me, they don’t feel safe around me but are incapable of expressing it. It’s not that I’m dangerous or behave in a threatening manner. On the contrary, I’m a peace-loving creative soul in the flow of life.
And there’s the thing. Because I don’t have roots in the world, I don’t exist in a social heirarchy, I don’t play the game, I don’t subsume myself to the structure of the Western world, of having a job, of paying taxes, of owning a car, a home or even paying rent, I live by my own rules and individual sovereignty. For those whose lives, whose survival is dependent on the rules and authority of others, my very existence is a threat, more so because I live well, in abundance and the overflow of life like a King.
In other words, I’m successfully non-conformist and disobedient without being hostile or destructive. It was triggering enough being an exception in the herd, but to then go public as a writer and publish books about it wrought even harsher judgments.
I clearly touched a nerve. While people went to work struggling to make ends meet, giving a third or more of their hard-earned income to the government which effectively used their money for their own ends, while I waltzed around the world enjoying myself without a job or a trust-fund account, resentment ran high.
How dare you!
But daring is the impulse of life. I take risks others wouldn’t dream of. Living in the flow of life, at times in total insecurity, involves trust. Trust in something far greater than myself or all of us combined - something which orchestrates our lives and the world around us in perfect timing, providing for us, without fail. Call it providence, call it God, call it the Universe, it’s up to you.
I touched the nerve of regret. Regret of living a life of obedience, struggle and conformity while the wild disobedient inner self, longing for freedom and expression, lies dormant, repressed or forgotten. Ouch.
It’s time to let that wild passionate disobedient self out. I dare you!
But please, don’t tell me about balance and having both. That’s the fear of life masquerading as compromise, lukewarm tea, the devil’s own brew.
Breaking the Spell
To live in complete trust is to face death and move through to the other side where real life exists in pulsating uncontrollable passion. Fear of death is the phantom that prevents us from living and loving fully.
We’ve been bombarded over the past two-and-a-half years with the fear of death from a virus, from each other, from the climate, and now from nuclear war. Anything to keep us afraid and obedient, to prevent our wild sovereign self from living in love and freedom and radiant natural health, to prevent us from loving ourselves and one another. To prevent us from cooperating together and thriving in co-creative harmony with nature.
Collectively, we are at the crux of profound change, not just in our physical lives but in our consciousness. There are forces at work attempting to keep us in a low dense vibration of control. You may have noticed. These forces feed off hate, fear and death and they are desparate to hold onto power whatever the cost.
I propose instead of judging one another, of fighting one another, of being afraid of one another, of being afraid of death, we turn up the love and be kind and generous to one another, whatever the reaction or hostility. The fear-spell has to be broken. We have to do away with Left and Right, with all division and connect in our shared humanity. No government, no authority, no army, no one has control over love and it is love which will change the world by engaging our consciousness to evolve.
And it’s not just fear. Stop carrying the burden of grudge, of grievance, of resentment, of vengeance. It’s all corrosive. It weighs you down, body and soul, and we need to lighten and be filled with light, the light of love.
Name your foe and send them love. Not once, but over and over every day. Greet everyone with love. Open your heart and let every breath be a prayer. We can’t wait any longer. The time is now.
I dare you.
I also took off, without a home, for several years. At one point I did rent a place for a bit, but it was while I was en route to somewhere else. I'd joke that I was homeless. And it made people incredibly uncomfortable. I've often wondered what exactly was their discomfort? Why not be curious? Why not explore an interesting story of how I came to this place?
Wow, Navyo—you truly are a free spirit! Thank you for modeling what you preach and inspiring us to do the same.
You *must* watch "Nomadland" if you haven't already. It is the embodiment of everything you've written here.