The first day she expressed already two times in the morning her wonderful remembrances of her youth, living in as small village with only about two thousand inhabitants somewhere in Russia near the border with Japan. This time, walking with me through our (much smaller) village to our village temple, she called it 'Paradise'. It made her happy and longing for that time she was a young girl.
And she is not the only one. Many people who come to our 'one stop destination for healthy living', to work on or to connect with (holistic) health call our place and environment paradise. They like it so much but all have an excuse not to live in a healthy place so for them not the right habitat.
During her Mandarin study, my daughter had to study at a university of Being. Actually she could not stay because she got all kind of physical problems caused by pollution. People pay a tremendous amount of money for a small apartment or house. And they stay... It's the place to be to earn lots of money. They still live the (more and more) lie that money makes you happy. So they earn a lot of money, pay a very high price for their 'living', make themselves sick and need to spend that money to make themselves healthy again. Going on believing in the idea (their general excuse) there is no other option. It's a must to run life...
What a difference our paradise.
Everybody knows me here, everybody says hello to me and want to connect. It feels home, no it is. Not because people want to know everything about you but because you cooperate in village life and try to be friendly to the people living and working there. Cows sometimes blocking the road. No traffic jams. Sounds from nature you still can hear.
It is me who has to adapt, it's me who need to respect. I am 'the intruder' in this village, in this culture. People are willing to connect.
Even the school-bus driver, who every morning comes to our village to pick up the children for the primary school in the next (main) village, just waves his hand. The children in the back of the car scream and laugh loud; "Hello, good morning!".
I am the bold "Farang" (man from abroad) with the Thai dog on his three wheel scooter, walking in white cloth with our guests through the village and everybody knows me. I even have an USB stick with English Karaoke songs to join the Thai parties in the village and perform on stage. For me it's normal, so common. No stress, not wanting to be better, not wanting to achieve more, just and only living.
How different it was in my former life and the places where I lived. There were just only a couple of people, for instance next door neighbors, who said hello. Most of the people only live for themselves. Not to much face-to-face connection. A feeling of fear to connect. Sometimes even anxiety. If you say hello to a stranger you do not get an answer or the person looks at you with eyes: "Do you need something from me?".
In our habitual running life more and more we are lost. Missing the real interaction. Following what we think our environment, our family, our economy wants us to do. Believing marketing to make us temporary happy.
Happy to live in my village. Yes, many people (I am one of them) call it paradise and... for me it is.
Just take some time to contemplate on your habitat (living and working area). Does it help you to LIVE life completely? Do not think in threats and general excuses but in opportunities. Isn't your health the number one in your life?
Frans Captijn
Host / Catalyst / Talenteer at Captijn Insight
Captijn Insight: “Catalyst in your process to new sustainable flow in life and work. Whether you are an individual, couple, team or an organization.”
captijninsight@gmail.com
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