Peaceful Warrior Journey: Chapter 1

So Chapter 1 of my journey is just about set.

Please check out this short video I put together that tells you about the places I will be visiting.

For a larger video version, please click here.

Quick Look at Where I'm Going

GUATEMALA:

1) Mystical Yoga Farm www.mysticalyogafarm.com

Self-sustaining, off the grid farm that seeks to reconnect people to nature, spirituality, and the surrounding Mayan community.

I'll be part of their Apprentice Program.

For more details, please watch my first video blog or visit their site!

2) Casa Guatemala

www.casa-guatemala.org

An orphanage located in Rio Dulce, near the Caribbean Coast.

Ho

me to about 250 orphans (ages 5-16).

Most of them have either been abandoned, abused, or come from families facing extreme poverty.

I'll be working day & night with the kids. Feeding them, clothing them, playing with them, and teaching them.

Should be an incredible experience!

HAITI:

1) Sadhana Forest

-An organization focused on ecological revival and sustainable living in Haiti.

-They focus on water conservation, indigenous reforestation, and organic farming to help support the needs of the local Haitian community.

Can't wait to work with these guys!

2) Relief Team One

-A grassroots org that builds shelters, homes, clinics, and classrooms.

-They also install sanitation and water purification systems, teach English, and train for jobs to foster self-reliance.

Please SPONSOR my journey! I would so appreciate it! :-)

(There's a DONATE link at the top of the page)

What's Life Without Desire?

So now that you know WHY I'm doing this... I'd love to take you through the ideas and thoughts I've been having the last two weeks. And then in the next blog, I'll map out all the details of the journey. (if you haven't read my first blog below, please do so before continuing)

"When there is no desire, all things are at peace."

I kept thinking about this quote for days. What was it really trying to say? How did it fit into the journey I was preparing to take? And slowly I began to understand that everything that I had been taught since I was a kid was keeping me from seeing the simplicity in this message. It wasn't saying that I should do nothing with my life. It was saying that the need for personal desires kept me from my peace. And slowly I began to piece it all together...

THE AMERICAN DREAM

We all want to be somebody... the president of the United States, the American Idol, the valedictorian, the scientist that finds a cure for cancer, a great novelist, a doctor, an actor, a priest... From the second we first stepped into a classroom, we were taught that we had to go to college and be a success at something..anything! The American Dream was infused into our bones and mind through our parents. We saw how hard they worked to get us the things we needed and they expected even greater things from us.

You couldn't help but think that this was the only way. Success, achievement, credentials, grades, MONEY, power, respect! The more things you own, and the more people know you, and the higher your ranking... the more successful you are. We all await that glorious day... where we can stand in front of our parents, friends, and loved ones and BE a success. All that hard work will finally pay off! Then you will be important and people will know you and they will remember you. We all want to be remembered after we leave this Earth.

Go, go, go, go, go... keep swimming, keep trying, keep pushing, keep improving...whatever you do just don't give up on your dreams!!! Sometimes you even stop to wonder who you're doing all this for. Is this what I want? Is this the only way to my happiness? Why is this so important to me? Am I happy? And you ignore all these questions and you keep pushing and trying and FINALLY....you're there! A success!! You're at the top of the game... you've made it. You have the money, the house, the kids, the respect. You have it ALL!

But there's something missing. Something terribly missing. You realize that there's another ladder to climb. That now people expect more from you. You expect more from yourself. You don't have enough. And the wicked cycle goes on and on until your time comes to leave this world and you look back and think..."Damn, I sure did live the American Dream. I did well for myself. I could have done better, but I did my best. Hopefully they will remember me."

But your heart asks you a few questions. Did you enjoy your time here on Earth? Were you at peace? Were you happy? What did you do for others less fortunate than yourself? How did you make a difference?

And you realize that this whole need to be a great success was an illusion that kept you from your own happiness and peace. You spent 90% of your life trying to convince yourself that you were worthy. And yes, you donated to charities and gave money to the homeless. But you spent most of your waking hours worrying about how you were going to be remembered, rather than worrying about how you could really make a difference in this world. Because that's where you will find your peace. And I remembered what the 'Tao' had said to me from day one...

“The Master has no possessions.
The more he does for others, the happier he is.
The more he gives to others, the wealthier he is.”

And it all made sense. This is the purpose of my journey. To get outside of myself, my desires. To find happiness and wealth through service. Will I come back to acting? Who knows? But I know that if I do come back to it, it will be from a whole different perspective.

I don't have to prove anything to anyone. Not even to myself. My success as an actor doesn't come from a paycheck or a series regular role on TV, or even from celebrity status. It comes from how my work and passion affect those around me. I want to act to inspire, to help people see something differently, to bring joy and love into their lives. I'm not saying don't follow your passion and have ambitions. I'm saying don't spend the rest of your life judging your worth based on money and credentials and whether you will be remembered. Base it on love, on service, on compassion. And you will find peace.

I'll Do It Tomorrow!

WELCOME!!

As most of you know, in one week I will be heading off to Guatemala & Haiti for about a year to do volunteer work. This blog will allow me to keep in touch with all of you and bring you along on my journey.

SO WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS....?

Many of you have been asking me, "Why are you doing this?" or "What inspired you to take such a huge leap of faith?" Well, it's something that's been brewing inside me for a while. And one day I stopped telling that little, annoying voice, "I'll do it tomorrow!", and actually took action. Next thing I know I'm sadly calling my mom to tell her I'm going away for a while. And shockingly, the first thing she says is.. "Ok. But don't be sad about it. Be excited!" But I was being asked to put my life and CAREER on hold to go out into the world and be of service to others for God only knows how long! How could I be excited? I was scared!- not because I had no idea what awaited me in these countries, but because I wasn't sure I'd be coming back to the life and career I had been building for the last ten years.

Let me take you back a bit... this whole idea was secretly planted into my mind about two months ago. My good friend Gideon (who I met on a spiritual retreat in Costa Rica) was visiting LA and we somehow ended up in Barnes and Noble on 3rd Street Promenade. Scouring through the 'philosophy' section, I came upon this book, which embarrassingly enough, I had never seen before- "Tao te Ching."- written back in the 6th century BC by Lao Tzu. It's had thousands of translations over the years, but I couldn't tell ya which translation this was...I do remember, however, that it was in English. Anyway, I open the book and start flipping through the pages, read a few passages, and right before I close it and move on to the next book, my eyes catch a little phrase...

"When there is no desire, all things are at peace."

I roll my eyes. Please.. what's life without desire? I have goals, ambitions, and dreams for myself. I'm gonna be one of the greatest actors that ever lived. I want that more than anything. Acting is my passion. I couldn't live without it. If I didn't have the desire to reach my goals, my life would have no purpose. Without that desire, I'd mind as well be a bum. Yeah...without desire, there sure is peace...as a bum! I don't want that. 'What a silly man this Lao Tzu was,' I thought to myself. I guess back in the BC times, people didn't really need desire. They just had to survive. But I was living the American Dream! How lucky for me! Little did I know, this innocent, silly phrase would change my life forever.

THE MOMENT IT ALL HAPPENED

The last few months I've been pouring my heart and soul into this acting group that I started- Inspired Artists Group. It's basically a group of passionate actors who work on their craft, hold each other accountable for taking actions to further their careers, and produce and write their own work. As expected, there were a few bumps on the road, and one night I found myself really frustrated with the whole thing, with my life, with my career. Yeah, who hasn't felt that way, right?

So, I started going off on the 'universe' and angrily demanding some much needed guidance. Once I had finally calmed down, I opened my laptop and checked the baseball scores... yeah, the Phillies had won again. I cracked a smile. I went to ESPN to read the full article on the game and then read some of the posted comments at the bottom and coincidentally enough some random sports fan quoted from 'Tao te Ching.' I kid you not! I don't even remember the quote because I immediately googled, "Tao te Ching quotes." And THIS was the very first quote that popped up...

"The Master has no possessions.
The more he does for others, the happier he is.
The more he gives to others, the wealthier he is.”

The universe had spoken, and I was not impressed. This was the guidance?! I kept reading this over and over and over again. I didn't understand what I was being asked to do. I sat there quietly, hoping it would make more sense. And then it happened... my intuition spoke.

"Step outside of yourself, and be of service to others."

Suddenly, all these ideas about going overseas started flooding into my head. India, Haiti, Sudan, Armenia, you name it. 'This is insane,' I thought. I can't just leave everything and go on this 'service trek' around the world! This can't be MY calling... my calling is to stay here and inspire people through my art. Forget this I thought, I'll sleep on it and I'm sure I'll wake up with a clearer mind- the same mind that brought me out to LA to be an actor.

I woke up the next morning and sure enough, the thoughts were gone. Silly intuition...it was a nice idea, but I'm still trying to build something here for myself. How can I possibly help others when I have nothing to show for myself? I haven't succeeded yet. When I succeed and have money, I'll do all that. I'll do it tomorrow!

And soon as I got out of bed and walked into the kitchen to eat my cereal (like I do EVERY morning), the thoughts rushed back into my mind, but even stronger than the previous night. I was being summoned. It was almost like I didn't have a choice. I took a deep breath and cupped my face into my hands. I couldn't believe this was happening. Well, I thought, I guess I did get my answer after all. Just not the answer I was expecting. Not even close. It was time to call my mother...