Let yourself have a chance to just be

I heard a nice story a few days back about a doctor turned entrepreneur in the North East of Brazil. This region is known for coconuts, great beaches, relaxed/lazy people and a lot of poverty. The doctor bought a small handicraft company with a social focus. The people who made the handicraft did so at home and got a decent salary for a day of work. They were making R$ 50,- a day, which is R$ 1000,- a month (500 USD). Minimum wage is R$ 400,- , which is by any standard a shitty salary. So the money that the women at this company were making was not so bad, but no luxury either. If they would be the only breadwinners in their households they would need to turn around every cent to get kids to school and food on the table. It’s not a salary that sustains a “western” lifestyle.

The doctor looked at the business model and was able to gain more from his clients, cut logistical costs and found a way to start paying his employees DOUBLE. Want to know what happened? Most employees started working part-time. People didn’t want to earn more so desperately, they had all the money they needed and decided to kick back and enjoy the beach, family and friends more. Yes, the North-East is a poor part of the country in terms of income, and there are definitely people who want and need more money to live decently, but I sure feel like I can learn something from these people.

I think spirituality is very important for me, and have thought so for years. Slowly I’m doing more things to elevate my consciousness, have love and understanding for me and my surroundings. But I keep pushing myself every day to perform, to get more (more money AND consciousness), to be “better” and so I offer myself and the world little chance to just be. I rarely just sit back and enjoy all that is, that has been created and is there to enjoy. This celebration of life, be it in quietness or at a BBQ with the ones you love, is worth so much. It’s in fact the thing that I am after. But we are programmed to perform, whatever our goal; now isn’t ever good enough. The truth is our minds have no idea that the now is, it can’t lead us there as it’s beyond its reach. We have to forget all rationalization, ideas, goals and plans and just jump into the sea!