TR 378 - The Craziest Thing Just Happened

Happy Friday!

Friends, I have to share something exciting with you… get this: I saw this article this morning that said, “The Race For Solar Power From Space is On!” A Japanese public-private partnership plans on testing different ways to “beam space generated solar power back to earth.” Sounds pretty cool, right?

When I read that, my heart did a back flip and my brain lit up like a Christmas tree.

My mind exploded with a flurry of fresh neural synaptic connections, all at once reaching far back into the deep crevices of my grey matter and lighting up the prefrontal cortex with a massive hit of dopamine. Eureka!

I had that EXACT thought (and explored it thoroughly) over 15 years ago.

I could see it in my mind. I rushed to the box of journals that have captured decades of personal reflections, poetry, philosophy and mathematical ruminations. I frantically flipped through a couple of notebooks and there it was! Now, it may seem silly or inconsequential to you, but for me this was a magical moment. It was confirmation.

For all of the improbability of being where I’m at in life right now—a no name ignorant peasant with a daily podcast and weekly radio show, trying to buck the system, call out the commies, and stick it to the man—here was this little clue, a bread crumb of sorts, that gave me an overwhelming feeling that I’m on the right path.

If it were not for my morning show prep, spending hours scouring the headlines, picking through the propaganda, researching key points, then drilling down to write and deliver a thoughtful report, I wouldn’t have seen this article about harvesting solar power from space. The article itself isn’t what’s important, it’s the connection to a prior time in life that translates into some degree of continuity, despite the upheaval and disheveling life experience in the interim time. Does that make sense?

It’s not all for naught.

The pandemic pretty much shattered life as it was for everyone on the planet. It affected us each in different degrees, but it affected us all in one way or another. The disconnect between the way things were and the way things are now can be difficult to process. As a result, we each cope in our own ways.

We may stuff the stress, put on a happy face, and suck it up and drive on, but the ongoing uncertainty—that sense of waiting for the next shoe to drop—eats away at us inside. Seeing now just how corrupt the system has become, seeing how bold and lawless our political class is, learning about the “secret cabal” of powerful elites who are in fact trying to take over the world (and have been planning to do so for decades), all of this is a shock to the system for those of us who were just bee-bopping through life trusting that everything was just as it seemed—not perfect, but functional.

Then… WHAM… take that, peasant!!!

Over and over again we’ve been abused, mentally, emotionally, physically, even spiritually. After three years of abuse, there is now a light reprieve, while the global cabal adjusts their strategy and prepares the next “iterative disruption” of our lives.

This is how they build “resilience” remember?

This is also how they breakdown, ever so slowly and incrementally, the will to resist.

This is protracted mental warfare, deploying scientifically proven mind control techniques that shatter an individual’s sense of self and their understanding of the world around them. This serves to soften up the mind and prepare the individual for assimilation into the collective, wherein one’s sense of individuality is replaced by social consciousness. The result is mental slavery.

No longer does the individual think for themselves. Instead they must accept the directives of the collective. They must manifest the impulse of the hive mind.

We have discussed the details of all this at length, so I don’t want to repeat myself here. Instead, I want to shine a little more light on who I am, and why in the hell I’m talking about all of this serious stuff—it’s not like I couldn’t come up with better things to do… like playing my guitar while walking on a slack line for example. ;0)

Who am I?

Have you seen the movie Kung Fu Panda?

It turns out Master Oogway spent thirty years in a cave asking himself that question. The result was enlightenment, which gave rise to a plethora of wise epiphanies like this:

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift…

That’s why they call it the present!”

The truth is, every day is a gift; no matter how painful, no matter how stressful, no matter how truly terrible it may be, so long as we survive, as long as we’re alive, we are living the gift of life. This gift of life comes chock-full of endless opportunity and infinite positive potential, though it can be easy to lose sight of this in challenging times. However, regardless of the circumstances we may find ourselves in, there are foundational, immutable truths that can help us transcend any obstacle.

Fortunately, many of the sages throughout the ages have passed along this spiritual wisdom through stories, scriptures, and various cultural traditions. If one is willing to listen and learn, and apply this wisdom, we can greatly reduce our suffering—no matter the circumstance. Unfortunately for me, I insisted on learning the hard way.

I rebelled, shook my fists at the sky, and wrestled with God until I was exhausted. Come to think of it, I’ve pretty much gone round after round wrestling with the Divine for the majority of my life. The result was always pain in one form or another. I didn’t like the pain, but in time pain became my most powerful teacher. Pain taught me humility, it taught me to slow down, it taught me to listen to my body, stay tuned into my heart, and it taught me to keep my mind (ego) on a fairly short leash.

But I do have a very active mind. As such, I’ve learned that if I’m not using my mind, my mind is using me. It’s a very interesting phenomenon, once you realize how to identify it. If I am just “mindlessly” going about my day, my mind is driving my behavior toward the easiest possible reward. It’s like a mouse mastering the maze and getting the cheese with ease. Yet, while there may be some level of instant gratification and temporary satisfaction, the mind is always restless for more.

Why is that? It’s because we are not our mind. We think “I am doing this” and “I am doing that” and “Ooo, look at me now!” and never do we realize that this is just head level living. Why am I doing this? Why am I doing that? And who am I right now anyway? Clearly I am not who I was ten years ago. I’m also not who I will be ten years in the future. And yet, throughout it all, I’m still me… so, who am I?

Friends, I haven’t spent 30 years in a cave, but I have spent a great deal of time reflecting in this fashion. I’ve studied profusely. I’ve fasted and prayed. I’ve meditated and met with masters. I’ve chanted, sweated, and partook of the fruit. I’ve worshiped, danced, and sang God’s praises. I’ve taught and counseled in many different circles and spoken the good word to crowds of thousands… but more than anything else, I’ve learned how to surrender. It’s not about me.

It’s about serving others.

Which brings me back to the news that I’ve chosen to ignore for today.

Ultimately, it’s all irrelevant, I assure you—so why do I do it? Why do I do the daily analysis? Why put in the time and effort? Because for me, it’s an act of service.

I realize life is busy. I realize most people don’t have the time or the inclination to spend countless hours researching what the hell is going on. Fewer people still would take it upon themselves to synthesize this information and formulate a formal report designed to deliver a deluge of relevant information in a twenty minute podcast.

But that’s the way that I’m wired. Society is sick. We’ve got problems. I want to help.

Just like fifteen years ago I was contemplating how to harness solar energy from space, these days my mind swirls with potential solutions to the current geopolitical chaos. I realize I am just a lowly peasant, but I have a place in the world, just as we all do. We all bring something different to the table. As for me, my mind thinks in terms of vector calculus. When I see so many things moving so fast, in so many different directions, all at different speeds, I see a system of equations.

I see an enticing problem that needs to be solved.

I see plenty of needs that need to be met.

I see a gift waiting to be unwrapped.

Blessings abound.

It’s Friday, so I want to leave you with this friendly reminder:

Even when the world turns upside down, don’t forget to smile!

I hope you all have a very wonderful weekend!

PS: Don’t forget, now it’s easy to catch up on previous episodes by listening to The Torch Report on iHeart Radio, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or Apple iTunes —enjoy!

PPS: If you feel like you’re getting value from this publication, please consider becoming a paid subscriber to support my efforts to shine light in these dark times!