Welcome to an exciting September, I've got some epic goodies from travels all around Costa Rica this week - comparing mountain vs beach life (or both)! Lots of epic travel, architecture and design as per usual, but firstly... Put on your scuba gear, we're going deep (as a dear friend Stephen Brooks always says, when we're going to discuss something profoundly awesome)! So here we go amigos...
How do we design a life where we love what we already have? Where we love the life we already are living? Happiness is often said to be achieved, once we experience the absence of the need to search for happiness. So if we just take things as they are now at the present moment, is this an epic tale of a full and whole life or are there things to adjust - lifestyle, home, job etc. Being happy with what we have, being truly content with the present moment, often takes choices and then actions that lead to that state of being. It's a leap :)
The Gardens at La Ecovilla
It doesn't matter where you go, there you are! You will not change things just by moving somewhere. So as we look at life around CR, and fun adventures, remember designing your life, means looking at whats really essential to you (family, food, safety, nature, friends, fun etc). But it also means discovering your essence so you can, "Do You!" as Russell Simons said. Being yourself, your essence, means getting to know yourself. So design a life where you have that space, and you'll really begin to love yourself and life in ways you'd never expect. Okay adding a sauna and a pumping garden with cool trails and an epic watering hole helps a lot as well!
Dogs are always happy and present to life's magic!
Okay so sometimes people just see me traveling around CR, looking at cool projects, but what do I do? What does LivethePossibility.co do? Well... We ignite a lot of people's dreams, and bring them to reality. We also make sure that reality isn't another "eco-rat race" for some download they think was for them but is actually for all of humanity (Geez)! Yea we slow people down a lot to study the land, gather inputs from mother nature, themselves, and experts.
Design Concepts & Workshopping with the Team at Void
How do we do that? By putting together a soup of key ingredients - we start with an aligned Vision, then add a sound financial Strategy, and finally the right Team to execute and well, this creates a great tasting soup. We save people a lot of time and money based on years experience, and lessons learned the hard way. At the end of the day, we help bridge a lot of people to this new and emerging paradigm of living in and with nature and each other without the tax. Its pretty fucking rad, but its not easy. So sharing wisdom, advice, and connections makes it a lot smoother.
We always roll hard and bring on our team of experts to study the land carefully and see what it calls for - she's the boss! We roll with the best from - architects to do masterplanning and design, Engineers to do soil studies, topography and a lot of other stuff, lawyers and accounts to make sure everything is legit. Yea I know, we got you! I wish I had this back in the day, but all good!
Phil Powis my Bidness Partna and Homie4Life
2. Beach vs Mountain or Both
A lot of time people come to Costa Rica and go right to the coast - Nosara, Uvita, Santa Teresa and such. But once they've really seen Costa Rica, and traveled mountains like Arenal, Monteverde, Chirripo, and others - they see the real magic in the rain forest.
So in short, I don't know. I've lived here 18 years and have lived in the mountains as well as spent years on the coast, and I've loved all of it. I choose to keep my primary home in the mountains of the Central Valley for a variety of strategic reason including travel, work, temperature etc. But I enjoy the beach via rentals, hotels, and friends so I never have a shortage of both. If your a baller and want to build two homes, and use one as an income generating rental property, that makes a lot of sense as a way to diversify your assets during a hyper inflationary market cycle (like the one we are entering into now). And yea thats what peeps be doing, so get on it!
Water is healing and another constant of good livin' for me
3. Designs that caught my eye this week!
Inspiration for your creations, from the stuff that inspires me!
You can't say you are having a bad day here, ever.
Nice office set up right!
Clean materials - dark tones - epic!
Love this!
Okay, although all this talk about the new world, the old one ain't so bad when you got a spread on Lake Como & that boat to ride out in!
Ecosystem Weather Report: New Section of the Newsletter!
Okay my compadres, lets try out a new feature in the LTP newsletter. A lot of people ask me about the health of the ecosystem of projects, places and people - seeking to understand how this whole new paradigm thing is going in different regions of Costa Rica, where community and regenerative values are being adopted. Yes there are places with Waldorf Schools, and incredible humans, food options, nature etc. But each is unique and has its ups and downs. So this section will give you a taste of those nuanced differences, that have taken me years to understand, and still surprise me to date.
So overall, things are pretty dismal when it comes to humans learning how to live in community, but there's hope since we're learning and evolving. We've nailed the whole buying land, invest in permaculture and sustainable solutions, and even while building inspiring designs and vibes. But after visiting Nosara, Uvita, Chirripo and other areas this last month I realized people talk a lot of shit about each other. I sometimes jump in too or feel the itch. But now I catch myself and try to abstain and don't add wood to the fire. So what kind of community do we have when people got beef, and instead if sharing it with each other, they talk to other friends about it? Its called Rumorville and it sucks. If you hear someone talking shit, just pause them and say - hey, wassup wit you? Seriously, being a silent bi-stander is being a collaborator in that negative juju. If you see something, say something!
This Week's Curiosities
First Curiosity: There are many paths to choose...
There are so many paths to choose, choose your own unique path and walk it confidently and bravely. Do you, the authentic you. My grandma turned 90 this week! When asked what one piece of wisdom she could impart after 90 years on this planet, she said, "Live a life that's full." So come alive, don't fall asleep, don't numb, and experience all of life, live fully, take risks, leap, adventure, stumble - it doesn't matter, it ends in a flash. But live this life fully! Thats what we are all about here at Live the Possibility :)
Maya walks the path with me a lot!
It looked like a road on Google Maps haha!
Sometimes you have to make your own Path!
Second Curiosity: Things you see in the new paradigm...
Cool Farms, Sauna's, Smokers, Tubs and other random shiz. Tying together all the places in this post from the coast to the mountains, as well as designing an epic life, there are a couple of constants that make it all that much better. Amazing nature, animals to love up, family and friends, health and wellness activities and some old fashioned ingredients to good livin'!
Copper Soaking tub - a must!
S & S - Sauna and Smoker - Key to good Livin'
Taking a walk down the road with the fam (and no cars).
Homesteading is rad
Just take it easy. Yep saw this on the way to a friend's house :)
Third Curiosity: Weekly love from a man's best friend.
It's always a great day on Planet Earth for her
Who We Are Celebrating This Week: Gordy Bal
This week I'm celebrating a dear brother and homie, Gordy Bal. You see Gordy has been a Spiritual Gangsta before that brand even existed! We met at my house in Nosara when I was hosting a little event back in the day, and we quickly looked at each other and were like, "Brother?" Yea it was soul fam recognition. Later I went on to learn that Gordy did a lot of rad impact based work and although part of the old world, he held new world values and principles. A family man above all else, and a person who invests his time and energy to see projects that better humanity get the resources and support needed to bring on this next renaissance.
"At this moment in human history, we are better positioned than we have been at any other point in time to lead the mind-expanding, heart-opening, soul-nourishing lives of our dreams. Imagine a life where everything is possible and you are able to manifest reality on your terms. Where your measurement of success is impact, not money. Health is wealth, financial abundance flows as you live your purpose, and you feel a sense of peace." - Gordy Bal
