The Creative Way

Curved, originally uploaded by Justin Davis Davanzo.

I have been reading the Artist's Way. My wife is the one who suggested it and for this i am thankful..i have been needing an awakening in my creative life after 5 months of hibernation...i suppose a major life change as in moving back to LA counts for some downtime, but now I am feeling as if I am waking back up...a sleeping giant...a creative powerhouse...a hungry cat...a hurricane force wind...an F5 Tornado...a Tasmanian Devil...i am opening my eyes all around me and opening my fears and doubts and looking at all things possible...a return to all things creative....

Wedding Day

Taylor's Dress...Wedding Day!, originally uploaded by Justin Davis Davanzo.

And just like that...my little sister is married...It was truly a magical day and there aren't many words that can express the overall joy and excitement in this new chapter...so I won't really try, but I will say this...

My sister is the most amazing sister in the world. I love you Tay.

A while

Blue, originally uploaded by Justin Davis Davanzo.

ok..so it has been a LONG time coming but I am finally writing again...I have been trying to figure out if I should start a new blog as I have actually moved back to Los Angeles, so the name is a bit confusing, but then I thought, this has always been more about my own journey no matter what city....so there...I'll keep it...

where do I start? First of all, Boulder was an amazing experience and it was elemental in my growth as a human being for many reasons. Without it I would not be able return to LA with a healthy perspective on life and family and myself, although I will say that the last few months has been a challenge for me as I have adjusted to a new life that at this point I am unaware of its path, which is a bit scary at times, but also the best way for me to live.

I will not go into all the gory details of my past few months, but I will say that the end result of returning to Santa Monica with my beloved wife and having the opportunity to start over here is amazing. Seeing my life through a fresh pair of eyes is the daily practice and keeping the heart open is the daily drill. I can't say i am successful yet on both accounts, but I am better than I have been before at the practice and for that I am grateful, but each day recently has been a challenge. Not from the typical challenge that some people face, from my own inward belief system that sometimes gets in the way. So I wake up each day trying to just be in that day and take advantage of the amazing support and love all around me so that I can be very clear about some of the next steps.

For those that are still here and faithful and have read my blog...thank you so much...I am excited to continue this journey with all of you...

Love and Understanding.

Bike Riding, Summer and the Unknown

Today is May 28 and summer seems to be here...a day or two early.  Yesterday I rode my bike in the weather that I love so much...hot hot hot and it made me happy.  Bike riding for me has always been a time of thought and meditation and during those rides I have usually come up with ideas, solutions, or faced fears that seem too big on the surface for me to deal with.  Right now in life I am faced with all three...some fears, some solutions, and some ideas but the progress in my mind is slow going.  There is a vast unknown aspect of life these days that is not unlike being in the Space Shuttle and drifting gently and quietly in space while looking deep into the universe knowing that there is more out there, but not being sure how to get there.  A sense of knowledge from the past and hindsight that will help with the coming future...but also the feeling of silence, the kind that one might feel on a small boat in the ocean in the middle of the night...a great journey is taking place, but at times, that journey does not come easy and will not give up its intentions of direction or winds that blow.  There is a similar feeling for me that i had when I first began writing this blog in 2007...it is the feeling of getting ready to launch and taking the time before to rest, eat, think and train for the mission at hand.  My life seems like a series of these missions, which i am thankful for.  They often occur with blinding speed and force and after each one, i realize how intense they were and how much was accomplished and only then can i reflect on the journey.  I think what I am trying to say is, life is like a series space missions...and in between we need to reflect, rest, recover and train for the next one...and never forget what we learned on the last one so each trip is more meaningful and safe and focused...but also fun.  So for now...all systems are a go, but the launch pad is quiet for a bit longer...

Love and Understanding

Snow Days

it has been a long winter...this peak still has snow on May 21 and although the day was warm, it was super windy.  It seems that even the weather these days is having some angst and some confusion.  So that makes me feel better since I am not the only one.  As of late, there is a general feeling of overall floating, which can be nice sometimes, but can also feel precarious due to its relaxed nature that brings upon a feeling of not being able to swim, or at least not wanting to.  I think it is important to have these times of floating and relaxing, but for some reason I always find it to be a huge challenge.  I get nervous and restless and sometimes depressed for small reasons, but the truth is, I am detoxing from the past few months of too much work and not enough relaxing time...so my challenge becomes, what do I do with all this time.

Good question.  Its not that I am being lazy and doing nothing, it just feels like at the moment, i have no particular direction.  I can think of many times in life that this feeling comes up and as I trust the motion, things come my way and I am open to the new experiences..sort of a life meditation.

As life brings its changes and challenges, meeting them head on can be hard work sometimes.  This work must be done though and by being aware of it, the forces will stay in line and become part of the daily process.  I asked myself last night what kind of goals i had set and realized that as of late, not many...at least not many that were specific enough to bring me forward.  Of course I meet little goals each day which is fun, but I am talking about a larger goal...and that is my challenge right now.  I am searching for the goal that will carry me forward and propel me up.  Not unlike this picture, where from far away, the mountain looms, but if I made a goal to go over it, I would simply need to go forward.  So that is what I will continue to do....Go Forward.

Love and Understanding

10 Percent of Life...

Ten percent of life is what happens to you...the other ninety percent is how you react to it...a phrase  I heard the other day which struck me and made me think of all the times I have let WAY more than 10% happen to me...I guess the idea that attitude and decisions are more important can be something we forget, and in doing so it can cause a ripple effect in our journey through the world.  I suppose it is more of a spiritual way of thinking, but it comes down to making choices about moment to moment life experiences.  How we react to the challenges and situations that come our way, to the people and things that seemingly want us to lose or not do well, or convince us that we are no good or too slow or lazy...

Practicing this is obviously easier said than done, but being aware of it is the key.  It is taking that small moment to think before acting or saying...to question why we are "reacting" in a certain way before giving it the final ok to do so...It is the knowledge that life does not lead us completely, it merely gives us a prod and poke, and just like the books we used to read as kids that asked us to turn to  page 46 or 78, we then choose and go for it.  

Our situations can vary greatly depending on the factors in our lives, and present so many different challenges and goals that we must take all of that into account and not shy away from any of it having the same weight.  Sometimes we, as humans, forget that even though someone in Haiti may have an extreme measure of 10%, our own 10% is just as extreme and important to our being.  We cannot discount each others 10% and we cannot discount our own 10%.  To do so will cheapen our drive to live and strive for the 90% we  so desire to achieve.  The trick is to value each others 10% and give it the importance it deserves by making choices to react and believe and to be good human beings.

If we can strive for being a good human being with the 90%, then we have accomplished some of what we are here for....if we make choices from love and understanding we will move through this life gracefully and softly without prejudice, hate, or self doubt...

Much of the misunderstanding in the world comes from our own insecurities.  If we imagine that the person in front of us is merely presenting a facet of intense insecurity around a certain 10%, we can then adjust ourselves to match the better side of that person and strive for an even ground of understanding by being a good human  being.

Just as we need to give them a chance, more importantly, we need to give ourselves a chance...so often I don't give myself a chance to be wrong, or tired, or slow, or sick, or sad, or angry, or excited, or scared...Would I take that chance away from a young child?  No...I would listen and talk to them and acknowledge and give them space to be...and chances are, they would come back ten fold with an abundant spirit ready for the next moment.

Giving permission to myself to be whatever it is I need to be in this moment is the lesson for today....I am moving on to the 90% right now and loving every minute of it...

Love and Understanding.