I once heard Steve Jobs describe taking acid like touching the bubble of reality. These very early days of adding in TLTB Earth have been very much like that.
I am in deep internal query. What kind of man do I want to be? What kind of characteristics do I want to strengthen in myself? What type of father do I want to be? What type of experiences do I want to give my children before they are adults? What kind of characteristics do I want to promote incentivize and instill in them?
I don’t have all the answers, and for now I’m not necessarily seeking all the answers as much as I’m seeking better questions, questions that cut to the heart of the matter, and questions that empower me for my journey.
Spiritually, I have taken a deeper step. My studies of world religions and history have taken me all the way back to the mythology from West African and North African civilizations.
This led me to Ogun, The god of iron and war for the Yoruba people. He preceded Hephaesetus But clearly inspired the Greek God’s story. Ogun was known for innovation and technology and creating things for other gods in the same way that Hepasetus was. He is still worshipped and revered in the Yorubic Based spiritual practices like Voodoo, Vo’dun and Santeria.
To be clear, I don’t look to these ancient beliefs to adopt new gods, but more so in the way of Carl Jung. For what they say about those humans in that society at that time and their beliefs about what was important. What was necessary for survival in a world where everything was animated by spirits? What, if anything, do they say about the overall human experience?
I always find deeply human expressions in the pantheons of gods of ancient civilizations. And Ogun was no different.
What does it say about a society when their god of iron and war has a story that goes:
- When the Orishas first wanted to come down to Africa, the forest was too thick with trees. It was Ogun who used his machete to cut down the trees and make a path for the Orishas.
This story glorifies the importance of the blacksmiths who make the machetes and loggers who cut down the trees.
I digress.
TLTB has immediately added a layer of depth to what life can be. What does mastery look like in all areas of life? What does a life devoted to mastery look like? What do I want to master and why?
As a thought exercise, how would a shogun live my life? How would he accomplish the things I need to with intent and precision, without wasting a step?
I’m beginning to see my life differently.