Venice is for Lovers

So this is the first place on this journey where I have felt a little lonely, perhaps it's the nature of a long trip winding down, but it feels more like Venice itself - so romantic, robust, and alive. Yet, the energy feels (and appears) like a place for couples - literally thousands of them, young and old, walking the streets, riding the gondolas, packed into the ferries, staying in my hotel. I don't give much energy to mistakes, but maybe I made one by staying in the city center. The night manager at my hotel (I love this guy, he's an Italian American, now living back in Italy) told me Mestre, the train stop right before S. Lucia (Venice on the water), is the place for night life and singles whereas City Center is the place for tourists and those services, etc. established to cater to them. Anyway, gives me a thought that next time, maybe I will stay in a place that is more local in taste?

After a few comments from readers, I have been doing some thinking about rules - the ones I have been breaking during my travels - like trespassing, lol. Actually, the thoughts have been more about norms, customs, traditions - rules and laws of this nature. I am beginning to think that rules and guidelines are for the weak minds, or simple minds (hoping that doesn't sound too harsh). Unlimited options (a universe full of potential and unlimited opportunity and routes) cause confusion and disorientation for many who are not ready, capable, or able to maneuver the path of an unstructured existence. Rules give structure - what most people crave. Strong-willed, strong-minded people crave freedom - the freedom to create their own rules, codes, traditions, norms - their own structure. They are not confused by the ambiguity and chaos of the real unlimited potential within their human experience. In fact, realizing that all rules are self-imposed anyway (although most are internalized via an external force - parents, church, governments...), those who thrive in chaos are happy to discover their own, inner voice so they can develop their own structure. Rules suggested (or otherwise) by outside forces are not going to stop me, or control my experience. Society's rules of what is right, may not be right (we have learned this repeatedly throughout history - examples might include the various monarchy governments, religions claiming God's grace, failed governmental theories like communism, civil rights, slavery, lots of things...). What I want to suggest is that I believe you can absolutely opt out of DOMINANT THOUGHT, dominant thinking, to find peace in your life. Thinking will absolutely make it so. That is one of the biggest lessons history teaches us. That is why various governments, churches, parents, teachers, etc all get us to memorize and repeat things. That is why advertisements work - repeated messages make us believe something, even if it is not fact or true. You can do this in reverse. Just think it the way it should be. Repeatedly re-think thoughts the way you want, not the way others have suggested for you. You can control your experience. The people I call The Destroyers offer negative reinforcement to get you to think poorly of something, typically related to your self-body-mind-situation because they are trying to get you to accept yourself as lacking something - something they would like you to fix or resolve with their product, tool, instrument, service, etc. The Builders, on the other hand, offer positiveness and actively give constructive, positive affirmation to help affirm people during their journey. We have a choice. We can use our power to build, change, and manifest full and realized potential in ourselves and others, or we can contribute to the dominant thought pattern which operates to socialize us into common ways, means, and norms - situations that obviously push conformity and strip us of our individuality. We have created a world where dominant thought is actually operating in the opposite direction for our human-spiritual evolution. Instead of freeing us to experience the world as we should, conformity forces us into experiencing the world in the same way. And, the same way is not the way for us to evolve, grow, and unleash our potential. Only through the celebration of our individually authentic selves can we move beyond the common into the sublime.

Forcing myself into situations where I have to re-evaluate my own personal biases and prejudices has been a godsend on this journey. Each individual can provide a contrast to the prevailing opinion. Thus, free your mind and spirit from the pre-programming it has received, from a past understanding, or should I say mis-understanding. What if evil is not some devil, but a force that actually strives to keep you closed off, shut off from the magical, powerful power of having original thoughts or experiences that contradict the norms, rules, dominant thought? Maybe it is so because through these, we become more evolved, closer to our perfect state of total understanding and consciousness of the now, the moment, the essential gift of life. The now moments are the only true, real life experiences we have outside of our dreams, fears, and pre-conceived notions.

A strategy to consider is this. Always assume the opposite is true in able to discern the actual truth. Pose the question in reverse - this will help you analyze what people are trying to tell/sell you. Real truths are true even when you try this trick, because the opposites are too false or far fetched, or can be proven easily wrong or incorrect. Just because someone offers a truth, or just because you have read something, or you believe it based on what you learned from an authority figure, does not make it so. Personal proof is sometimes necessary. Proof helps facilitate the process of your evolution. You may not find that the rule applies to your personal journey. We have to be able to let people test rules on their own. We have to empower each other to reach outside conformity to find themselves, to find their voice, spirit, way.

Okay, well, see what a little wine and a bunch of lovey-dovey couples can do to a solo traveling person's mind. These are some raw thoughts. Let me know what you think.