This is a fantastic talk by John Francis, a man who only walked and never talked for 17 years. His disdain for oil-powered vehicles and his desire to truly listen to others were the inspiration for his unusual devotion.
One more thought. When John describes the time he realized he had imprisoned himself by refusing to travel by car, it reminded me of an epiphany I had a number of years ago regarding my choice to be vegan. When I first embarked on this new kind of diet and lifestyle, I was 19 and righteous. I was militant about being 100% vegan and wouldn't allow for the smallest exception. After about 6 years or so of labeling myself "VEGAN" I began to realize that I had put myself into a box, and not a human-sized one at that. I noticed that a choice I had made in the past, a choice that had inspired me to learn more about food and our farming and manufacturing processes, a choice that had elevated my consciousness about everything, was no longer helping me to grow. I realized that my strong identification with veganism had become a self-imposed prison rather than a source of empowerment. And what's more, I realized that ANY label we use to describe ourselves (besides "human") can only leave us feeling guilty or hypocritical, since words are black and white, and we're all living in the grey...
Now I am free to navigate my journey while trusting myself to make enlightened choices. Though 99.9% of the time I still opt for vegan, the difference lies in the fact that I love myself enough to enjoy my life and this world of abundant and diverse offerings. I encourage you to reflect on the possibility that a good decision you made in your past may have outgrown its purpose and is now stunting your development. Rather than refining, it may be confining. I can tell you with confidence that as uncomfortable as shedding your familiar identity may be, there is nothing more enlivening than creating yourself anew.
Here's to the unfolding!
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