There is a joy without which the universe would cease to exist.

In this great and ever changing world, these words so often guide me
Life is meant to be lived – go forth and adventure
Our existence was made for love – go forth and love
Beauty is the highest form of truth – go forth and seek truth
Contrast is a gift that makes us value the lessons in opposites
Suffering brings the truest form of strength that knows the wisdom of pain
Gratitude is the key that opens the door to every treasure of this world
Fall in love with your days, savor your moments, seek that which lights a fire in your heart and be it in your own neighborhood, or be it worldwide, let everything around you – move you
Every song in the wind, every butterfly kiss, every phase of the moon, every power line, every bird on a wire, every passing pretty girl, every stray cat, every smile of a child, every thorn, every flower, every moment staring off into the distance remembering what was, every moment of hope for the possibility of what could come, every deep breath. Every climax, every moment that makes you feel alive.

 

This life is a gift.
How you respond to the receiving of this gift will determine your capacity to be both the gift and the giver.
This life is meant to strip you of the false stories that keep you from being your highest self.
You were not made to be a square peg in a round hole, you were meant to take every shape and form until you find which edges and curves sooth the fullest expression of you.
Don’t fear the dark. Make friends with your shadow and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Be quick to make amends, and know when it’s time to apologize. Be humble enough to know that what you might hate about someone else is a reflection of a darker part of yourself. Be proud enough to know that you deserve respect, but respect is given in clear agreements and assumptions are what make empires fall. Be bold enough to know what you want and go get it. Be gracious enough to seek opportunities to serve. Be gentle when the mood is delicate but don’t be a pushover. Be brave enough to dream: this life holds all you could ever desire and if you are daring it will give you everything you’ve ever imagined possible. Forgive yourself for where you went wrong and hold yourself accountable to who you know you can become. Love yourself enough to abstain from the torturous mind states of self pity, regret, and fear of what might have been. Let nostalgia sooth you with its melancholy but don’t live in the past. Learn from your failures with others but never play a role that isn’t yours. Be clear with who you are and what you want. Nurture the sensitive sides of you but never play the victim. This is what poetry is for, write it out. This is what movement is for, move it out. This is what passion is for, kiss it out. This is what patience is for, work it out. This is what communication is for, talk it out.

Never underestimate the power of a phone call to a family member.
Always say I love you.
Never hesitate to reach out to your homies. You’d be surprised how much life can breathe into your being with a few wild nights with some good friends.
Never be ashamed to ask for help.

When all else fails, seek god in the wilderness.

You are here for a divine purpose.

Let this first chapter of Eyes of Plato be food for thought and a call to live a wild life of your own. This is the call of the wild. This is your ladder to the next level. This is your call to take your clothes off and jump in a waterfall. This is your sign to take that trip to Europe. This is your permission slip to have whatever crazy theories you want and think for yourself. This is your sign to open your heart and free your mind. Humanity isn’t gonna be saved. So we are going to save ourselves. I believe beauty and adventure and passion and creativity are what will make us inspired enough to throw away our old stories and trade them for exciting ones. The modern world is a sullen cry baby, a hall monitor pointing fingers and everyone until there’s no one left but them, waiting for a pat on the head in the principal’s office, all the years of youth wasted seeking approval from a failed state.
The future is a garden we grow every day in our hearts and minds. The future is begging you to take that risk, to make that call, to book that flight. The future is begging you to decide what to be and go be it. The future is begging you to hold your inner child and tell them everything is going to be fine. You got this. But now the future needs you to grow up. It’s the only way you will stay forever young. Feed your spirit that soul food. Live everyday like you’re the main character in the most epic movie you’ve ever seen. When you were born the angels smiled down upon you. Make them proud. Live boldly. Love fully. And go into this world with eyes full of beauty and passion.

 

Fortune favors the brave.

 

Don’t let it go to waste.

 

 

It is my honor to present to you

Eyes of Plato: Vol. 1