“It is not that we have so little time but that we lose so much. ... The life we receive is not short but we make it so; we are not ill provided but use what we have wastefully.”
― Seneca, On the Shortness of Life

It was almost 10yrs ago that I purchased a vehicle with the intent to own a reliable work horse with utility capability and enough cargo storage to cart around my friends, gear, and equipment.  I narrowed down my search criteria to sport utility vehicles with the most cost effective maintenance schedule and best reliability track record.  After making my purchase I set out to achieve my goal of reaching 250,000 miles.  In order to accomplish this task both preventative and routine maintenance would be crucial.  I learned to perform as many of these tasks as my mechanical skills would allow.  For the projects that were beyond my capability I sought help from trusted professionals.

I've learned so much from this experience.  The little time, effort, and expenses it takes to maintain something grossly out weighs the costs associated with making repairs on unnecessary and avoidable damages.  This includes the peace of mind that knowing one's vehicle is dependable and performing as it was designed by the maker.  The notion of spending significant resources on repair, replacement, and worry seems annoying and wasteful.  Almost everyone needs a vehicle to get to work, school, or to anyplace not within walking or biking distance.

I live in a city with a traffic problem.  Getting from one place to another is an exercise in frustration.  I find myself planning my day around the road congestion.  It determines which clothes I put on in the morning depending on whether I walk, jog, ride my bike, motorcycle, or drive.  With numbers like 2,000 new inhabitants each month, I fear the the growing traffic problem in Austin will only get worse.  There are already signs of resource depletion that come with increased traffic such as real estate spikes, higher apartment rates, and constant construction as more people seek shelter in the city.  With such demands Austin has implemented quite a few recycling and waste management programs to combat associated issues.

The idea of reducing waste, consumption, and leaving a smaller footprint on the environment is the goal in sharing a world of finite resources.  If we don't act collaboratively then we will see a price war on resources.  Inflation is the rate of price increase in conjunction to the loss of purchasing power on our currency.  This means that each day our savings accounts lose ground to the increased costs of the environment.  We are faced with the choice to reduce our dependence on expensive resources and to waste as little as possible.  It also means looking at ourselves to make decisions that value practicality over cosmetics.  Function over fashion.  This doesn't mean that one can't appreciate those shiny new models, it simply means learning to see the beauty in valuing what one already has.

My nephew just celebrated his 8th birthday last week.  It's such a privilege to watch him grow into the man he will eventually become.  As his Godfather, I have a special connection to him that he proudly shares with others.  Around the holidays is when children start compiling their Christmas lists, and working on their behavior so as to please their parents and the omniscient gift bringer.  A few years ago he asked me, "Is Santa Claus real?".  To which I replied, "He is as real as you want Him to be."  My nephew knows me well enough to know that I wasn't lying to him and he rejoiced in the knowledge that an adult could respect him enough to be honest (I'm pretty sure he was happy that Christmas presents were on their way).

Pantheism is the identification of divine presence within Nature and the Universe.  It does not support an anthropomorphized deity in the sense of a "white haired Zeus-like god", but rather recognizes patterns, behaviors, vibrations, and frequencies in nature as linked to a universal presence, while dismissing the phenomena of coincidence.

Discovering coinciding patterns of overlap in relation to their statistical odds of occurrence is akin to witnessing a rainbow while listening to nature.  It may be regarded as a divine sign or dismissed as an inevitable scientific probability.  Either way, the observance of such phenomena can be interpreted by one's attitude towards faith in the Divine.

I once kept a 'coincidence' journal where I began recording such instances in order to track if I was manifesting such seemingly strange and highly unpredictable circumstances.  This experiment led me to discover the concept of synchronicity, developed by philosopher/psychiatrist Carl Jung.  The concept of synchronicity deals with the occurrence of two or more events that seem significantly related without causal relationship.  In other words, synchronicity becomes the observation of meaningful 'coincidence' in complex patterns of frequency that do not seem to be randomly occurring or self-manifesting.  Philosopher and writer Paulo Coelho wrote in his book The Alchemist that synchronicity is like the communication between the Universe and man.

“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Synchronicity begins to form when one observes and follows patterns of coincidence like a trail of bread crumbs leading along a path.  Sometimes these coincidences have easily discernible meanings, and other times they are quite abstract.  Like all things, these observations of synchronicity are only as real as the energy one supplies it.  If one chooses to dismiss such occurrences in favor of scientific probability then the trail usually stops there.  I suspect that synchronicity works best with those who are tuned in to receive signals like a radio antenna.

Psychology teaches that people form mental schema(s) or schemata that are like large networks of categorized information or maps that serve as a decision matrix.  These mental schemas are like shortcuts our brain uses to help us make quick choices about our behaviors in a new situation.  In ancient days, our ancestors relied on the knowledge of hunting patterns of various animals so as to seek protection or know when to hunt themselves.  They learned the patterns of the seasons to know when to plant or harvest their crops.  In other words, they had to develop strategies for quick thinking when making survival decisions and to keep them out of trouble.  Today when people are confronted with a situation where they must make a decision, our brains process the information and elect the best option for behavior like picking directions on a map.  Each choice brings a new path which can lead us off course or bring us closer to our destination.

Symbols are assigned value based upon what they represent to an individual. With enough energy given to a symbol by enough people, these emblems become powerful messages that convey stories of information within a simple design.  Jung coined the term the "collective unconscious" in reference to the energy given and shared by the people who assign value to symbols.  It suggests that all humans share structures of the unconscious mind populated by instincts and archetypes or universal symbols.  These symbols have a profound influence on an individual as they clothe their representations in meaning.  These symbols can serve to remind one to stay focused on the path they wish to follow.  Each of us are on our own respective journey; therefore, the symbols we value may differ from the symbols that others use so it becomes important to recognize the equal sanctity each symbol represents. (For example, the cultural greeting of 'Namaste': My divinity recognizes yours).

We use symbols and schemata to help us with our decision making to keep us on course to reaching our goals and destination.  These signs, symbols, and coincidences may be found everywhere.  They take practice to identify and accept.  In the children's story of Hansel and Gretel, the children left a trail of bread crumbs in the forest to lead them back to safety when they were abandoned.  Instead of birds eating the trail of 'crumbs', the Universe leaves a trail of 'coincidence' or synchronicities for us to find and if we so choose to follow.  The notion that there are no coincidences implies that a level of predeterminism exists.  It suggests that everything happens for a reason and all that has been, is currently, or will be is part of a cosmic plan.  Some are uncomfortable with the idea that free will and choice cannot exist concurrently with the concept of destiny; however, one way of seeing things is to understand that all souls are on a journey to a destination that humans instinctively feel to a place without suffering.  This journey may be masked in the form of evolution as our soul-bound bodies continue to change and grow throughout time, and the destination may not be an actual place, but a state of being where our collective unconscious may transcend into one collective soul.

“God does not play dice with the universe.”
― Albert Einstein, The Born-Einstein Letters 1916-55

Parachutes are deployed to help save a person's life when leaping from high in the sky.  They are safety sails that catch air and lower one safely back down to earth.  Their usage depends on managing risk at high altitudes or speeds.  These safety nets allow one to experience the magnificent feeling of "skyfall" and the sweet brief experience of gravity's hold on one's body without the earth pushing up from below.

For many of us leaping from great heights started as children when we discovered how thrilling it was to play on stair cases, play grounds, and in trees.  It's been said it's not the 'fall' but the 'landing' that hurts.  Measures such as safety harnesses and parachutes may be used to experience the thrill of leaping from great heights.  The thrill comes from surrendering oneself to the laws of physics and nature; in other words, one makes a conscious decision to relinquish control over their life in good faith that their safety and security will be assured when they touch the ground.

I've met people who have experienced sky diving for themselves and noticed how fearless they were in other aspects of their lives.  I wanted to live that way myself and so I too sought the experience of free falling.  I remember learning the theoretical knowledge of sky diving in a short class before getting suited up to perform the practical application.  I boarded a small propeller air plane with some friends and took off into the sky.  I distinctly remember working to feel calm before a noticeable spike in adrenaline surged in me once the jump door was opened.  We had reached 15,000 feet in the air and it was time to make our descent back down to earth.  I moved into roll position to tumble out of the plane, captured a mental snapshot of the earth from the air, and began the countdown to sky fall.  It happened so quickly, I barely had the time to process the experience.  For a few brief seconds I recall seeing the plane drift away as I tumbled in the air and felt a sinking feeling in my stomach that told me I was at the mercy of gravity.  The falling sensation was short lived before being replaced with thrill and excitement.  The earth seemed so far below.  I couldn't perceive the ground getting any closer, and for the minute of free fall my senses felt pure exhilaration, chaos, and the turbulence of wind.  I was living in the moment, accepting reality, and awaiting my destiny.  When the parachute was deployed I experienced time moving much slower; I became calmer,  more peaceful and felt gratitude wash over me.  This was truly a sweet surrender.  My leap of faith was rewarded with the experience of skyfall and the safe return back down to earth.  I joined the ranks of the fearless few who have boldly taken the opportunity to conquer their fear and leap from the sky.  I feel the gratitude of being present in the moment whilst living life on my own terms. I feel connected to the source of creation responsible for the gravity that we experience every day, a force that can go unnoticed and unappreciated until we challenge it, defy it, find peace with it, embrace it, and love it.