Blog Full - Maurice Leavitt

30 Nov 2022

My Intentions in the Release of Facebook

I remember the day I signed up for Facebook (Fakebook/FB). My wife had just walked out on me, abandoning our marriage and I was in the airport about to go to Colorado to visit my family for some solace. Something felt to me like the Fakebook was a way to feel connected to people. I embraced its use for a long while. Both, for a genuine use of staying connected to certain circles I belong to and a way to stay in touch with people who were at far distances. As I’m sure others have experienced, FB also has its moments of promoting untruths, being a time sucker while draining some life out of me. My choice had been to stay up until this point. Times have changed. And I need to make my own intentional changes happen. The Fakebook needs to go!

Can there be a threat to humanity in the use of social media? Does the use of social media alter peoples’ behavior? Creating corruption and misinformation to promote certain personality types as acceptable? Just look at what happened with Kanye West, Trump and now Elon Musk. When will it be possible, once again, to participate in a collaborative and cooperative environment? To have communication happen in an honest and straightforward way? I don’t have the answers to these questions but, my need to remove myself from social media must happen.

In all this time since being connected with FB I have done a lot in my life … retreat centers, workshops, seminars, sabbatical, lots of travel, classes & certifications, job changes, etc. FB has been a platform which allowed people to stay in touch, share pictures and have online chats/video. This is the part I am most ambivalent about. Staying connected with these people from all over the world. Am I just making up a story which says I am staying connected to people through a device rather than something more real? Can you feel my ambivalence in that question?

So much has changed in the last few years, both inside me and the outside world. I had a sabbatical that altered the path my life. My father had a series of strokes that directed the course of his life’s. My family completely fell apart from reasons of addiction, deceit, and betrayal. The job I had for over two decades was altered from within the organization, which I voluntarily accepted. A worldwide pandemic. Political division in the country I was born in which I no longer feel a part of. Losing friends who were unable to flow with me. With all these changes, I continued to lean on FB. After many years, I realized I was in an illusory relationship with social media, Facebook primarily. For some reason Instagram seems more tame and less tumultuous. It’s time to walk away from the Fakebook.

What’s next?

It’s what I am asking myself. Many years ago, I decided I was going write and began journaling and blogging … no matter how painful, which writing still is sometimes for this math/science mind of mine. When I am traveling it was amazing how much time I had time to write, more time than I imagined. Life is way simpler when I am traveling, and I want more of that in my everyday life. It’s time to do that now! It’s time to make that happen! Yet, something must be different. My intentions need to be the driving force. What are they going to be, Maurice?

Moving forward, my intentions are going to be (subject to change):

• Make some changes on www.mauriceleavitt.com that moves away from any attachment to how I may identify myself … chef-ing images need be balanced out with other images that represent my life a little bit better.

• Use Instagram to share some minor photos of day to day stuff, finding the humor in some of the reels like tavin_dillard, and use my website for writing.

• Stop watching video news media. Deciphering what is real and truthful news and what spin the media wants people to believe is difficult these days. It’s best just to stay away from it. I will read a few articles in the newspapers but, that’s about it.

• My writing needs to demonstrate…

Openness to life, vulnerable expressions, being who I am, presenting both my positive and negative qualities, the light and dark, all which exists in ourselves and the world
Letting go of grasping to beliefs that brings me reassurance I am ok
Write in first person… “I”, “me”, “we”, “us”, “our”, to tell a story from my perspective.
Expose hidden faults and self-deceptions I had about myself – as much as I am willing to put out there on the internet. No matter how insane or crazy I feel.
Find the open space that brings clarity of mind into my writing

Stay in the loop

I only want what’s real … Real connections to real people who desire to not be hiding behind computers and devices. To follow my photo and writing activities, I suggest signing up for my blog as I will be putting links to more complete photo albums in addition to my writing. I promise not to fill your email box with excessive junk.

Insofar as the Ultimate, or the true nature of being is concerned, there are neither Buddhas nor demons.
He who frees himself from fear and hope, evil and virtue, will realize the insubstantial and groundless nature of confusion.
-Milarepa

4 Aug 2022

The Abuse of Power – Bolivar, Colombia

by Maurice | posted in: Love, Personal Growth, Relationship, Spiritual, The Human Condition, Travel | 0

What life is…
fear, rage, desire, and love …
to stop feeling these emotions and to stop wanting to feel them…
Is death.
Take all of these feelings,
and everything that matters to you,
and fight for it!
-Sun Bak, Sense8

When I travel, I prefer to live with, interact and engage with the locals to really sink into the feeling of what it might be like to have a life like theirs and experience the things they do. I have varying degrees of success in doing that for different reasons. There can be a lot of fear towards foreigners (gringos, falang, etc.), especially in countries that are known for sex tourism and drugs. There is also a suspicion towards western capitalist philosophy, an everyman for themselves mentality. What it all boils down to is a lack of trust building in relationships. There is a primary focus on financial gain, personal gain, and selfishness on both sides of the equation. There are many examples of how humanity and the planet are exploited for profit… the abuse of power continues to be rampant around the world.

As a minimalist, I do not want for much material things in my life. I appreciate the quality of somethings that help keep my body in good condition like shoes, sunglasses and food but, I don’t go out looking to buy jewelry, precious stones or expensive clothing. When I am in places like I am now, Cartagena, Colombia, that can really irritate some of the locals who are looking to make a living on the tourism trade. I also appreciate and enjoy the haggling and bartering so when I am looking at the little things for gifts or reminders of where I have been, I can really beat up the locals to get the best deal.

My preference would be to move to a country where the children in some of the little villages struggle or never be able to get an education. I would feel much better spending my money raising up the impoverished people, so they have a better chance of surviving and not succumbing to the distresses of drug addiction, crime or alcoholism. That is much more important to me than to have a better car or a bigger home and all the material things that bring the illusion of happiness.

I met this kind and gentle man on the beach. He felt his family needed to escape from his country because of the problems millions of Venezuelans are facing today, unable to access basic healthcare, adequate nutrition, limited access to safe water and healthcare… due to the abuse of power by the government. This man is different than any other of the men I met on my travels. What is different about him is that he likes to talk, like I do, and he understands that “doing business” means building relationship and trust between people. I have sat with this man on numerous occasions sharing about ourselves and our life experiences. The things that I have learned from him have only validated some of my thoughts about the situation in the world. A complete abuse of power by people interested only in themselves and personal gain.

Wherever I have been in South America people keep telling me that I need to be careful which areas I walk in, not to use my cell phone in public, keep only a few dollars in my pocket, don’t wear flashy jewelry or fancy clothing… the fear is rampant. There seems to be lots of petty and small crime here like pickpockets, snatching cell phones from people’s hands, muggings at gunpoint etc.. This is partly the result from poverty, wealth inequality and lack of opportunity.

There are homeless people living and sleeping on the streets at all hours of the day unlike in USA where the government keeps them hidden from plain sight to hide the real problem plaguing society. I was even tempted to document some of this poverty in pictures but, something told me that would not be a respectful thing to do.

Corporatism has moved into Colombia and many other countries. General Motors, McDonalds, Starbucks, Levi Strauss, Motorola, Canon, too many others to even mention. Here is the problem. The DAILY wage for people here in Colombia is approximately $9 a day. Corporatism moves in, hires people at that rate and big business claims they are helping the local economy and supplying jobs. That is a big illusion they want people to believe. The reality of the situation is extremely different because businesses continue to sell their products at around the same prices you see in USA. With the extremely low labor costs, their profits skyrocket. Where do the profits go? Into the hands of a few at the top of the chain and not back to the local economy or the local people. This reality is putrid to me. If corporatism moves into a place with such low labor costs, they are obligated to treat the people and the community much better than just offering them jobs at the standard rate while their profits increase significantly.

What I am mentioning here in Colombia, is no different than what is happening in AmeriKKKa. The middle class is shrinking, and the majority of people will struggle to make a living. Thomas Piketty, in his book, Capital in the Twenty-First Century, argues that in an economy where the rate of return on capital outstrips the rate of growth, inherited wealth will always grow faster than earned wealth. So, the fact that rich kids can move aimlessly from a gap year between high school/college to an internship to a job at daddy’s bank/ministry/TV network – while the poor kids sweat into their barista uniforms and a second job – is not an accident: it is the system working normally. The working class life is killing Americans.

I know there is no perfect world or a perfect country or a perfect human. I am just tired of witnessing the ongoing abuse of power over people in my own country and around the world; politically, economically, and psychologically.

I wish I had the clean and easy answers to some of these problems. I have given money to the people on the streets, taken people to the supermarket and bought food for their families, purchased things on the street that I wouldn’t normally buy to support people, and offered some of my knowledge to help some move forward with their work. And I still don’t feel I can do enough. I have had this reoccurring thought; I can retire to a country whose values more represent my own personal values and devote myself and all the resources I can to the education of the people.

And so it is.

28 Jul 2022

Trusting & Allowing Guidance from the Universe – Medellin, Colombia

by Maurice | posted in: Adventure, Love, Personal Growth, Spiritual, The Human Condition, Travel | 0

The topic of “What the universe put in front of us/you/me” has been occupying some space in my head recently. My thoughts have been unclear about how to write about it and my thoughts still aren’t cohesive. Maybe that is the point with this particular topic? It’s one of the reasons I like to travel as I do. With a one-way ticket and little itinerary to follow… it allows me the possibility to stay open to other possibilities of what the universe might place in front of me… people, places, messages, desires, the physical body, intuition, spirit, dreams, etc.

If (& when) I can open to trusting and allowing the guidance of what the universe puts in front of me, I would hope to be able to pivot and reposition myself towards the life I want to live. Not the life I had expectations of living. Being open means to be aware of some of the synchronicities that happen in life. The things that may not make any sense but may have some meaning.

- Why was it so timely Ecuador had civil unrest and riots which told me it was time to leave and go to Peru?
- What is it about the synchronicity of certain music that showed up on a random playlist that Spotify makes for me every day?
- How is it that the people with the “right” qualities show up in my life at some predestined time?
- Why is it that the numbers 12/13 have continued to show up during my time in South America?
- How come I get calls from my father NOW that I am out of the country when he hasn’t called me in years?
- What is the universe trying to tell me by putting specific people on my path during this time away?

There are messages everywhere. It is how I allow myself to sit and be still, to open myself and be willing to be to see the messages and to write about them. A lot of this is very personal to me and I’m not sure how much detail I am going to get into on a public forum like this blog. There are a couple of things I am willing to share.

I made this last-minute decision to take a cruise to the Galapagos. Upon my arrival there is this man who has a striking resemblance to my deceased maternal grandfather. One look at this man and I can see my grandfather behind his eyes… his softness, his kindness, and his sense of humor. I was on the cruise with my grandfather. There was also another man who was working the bar on the cruise, at first look at him I saw my deceased friend Vaidas. This man was dapperly dressed and loved to be around people and make them laugh and happy. Just like my friend Vaidas. How does this happen? A couple of my favorite people in my life who are dead show up on my Galapagos cruise? Makes me feel a bit crazy and at the same time I felt protected and loved by having these strangers around me.

Another example was during my time in Machu Picchu. I get off the train and walk into Aguas Calientes, Perú to meet a guide for the trek. I see all of these uniformed people with official badges and patches on their cleanly pressed clothing and assume that it would be of those people. I was a bit shocked to see a man with torn jeans and regular pedestrian clothing holding my name on a sign. As we make our introductions and I ask about him and how he got to be doing this work, I am told I am meeting a 3^rd generation Peruvian shaman whose calling was to teach people about the history of the Inca people in which he is a descendant. In all my study of non-duality in the mystical traditions, I am now being presented by this Peruvian shaman teachings of duality and how approximately 800 people managed to thrive on this little piece of land. What is the message here? I believe it is to embrace the dualities and realize what Bob Marley said… One love, one heart. One earth and we are all the same.

Another example… Many of you do not know there was a change in my job responsibilities. Yes, I am still a culinary arts faculty but, I was offered to teach different classes and do some administrative work. I am going to spare you all the details of how this came about. This offer was not anticipated, and a job change that I did not want. When this offer was presented and recommended to me by my boss, I was completely surprised and needed some time to think about it and talk to some people. I have been openly expressing myself that I think my time in academics is complete after 23 years and my desire to retire at the official 25 year mark. The problem is that if I leave my job now, I would walk away from significant economic benefits because I’ve been at this job for almost a quarter century. So, I feel a bit tied down at the moment. After sitting with all of this and running it by my people… the messages were clear… to accept this new job even though there was a voice inside of me saying “NO”, don’t do it. The last year at my job has not been an easy one but, I am learning to adjust and adapt to this new way of being. I am grateful to have this situation to practice with no matter what the voices in me are trying to say.

I could keep going on with examples… so I’ll make this my last one… songs and lyrics. Music has been a driving force for as long as I can remember. Ever since streaming music began on the internet, I was a subscriber. I love Spotify and the way it creates playlists for me every day and a new discovery playlist. I get exposed to new music while I get to listen to the ones I have favorited. The other day this song came on and it was very timely. The lyrics go something like this…

I better give my heart a listen
And my preacher say …
All of your demons will wither away
Ecstasy comes and they cannot stay
You’ll understand when you come my way
‘Cause all of my demons have withered away

What is this message? Follow your desires, dreams, and pleasure, and all of your suffering will wither away.

My wish and prayer for us all is… to make the time for stillness so we are able to listen to the whispers of our desires the messages from the universe.

18 Jul 2022

Why Do People Travel? – Medellin, Colombia

by Maurice | posted in: Adventure, Personal Growth, Spiritual, Travel | 0

When I was first introduced to traveling, I was about 11 years old. My aunt and uncle in New York offered to pay half my airline ticket if I wanted to come to visit. I thought that was quite the deal and I saved up my allowance and lawnmower money and went. I was hooked from a young age. I continued to take advantage of my families generous offer many times as a teenager. I found a great appreciation for New York City as a young man.

My immediate family did not travel all that much. We did take a few vacations in my memory, but most of the trips were road trips. I think that is because I grew up in a family that had a scarcity view of life. Traveling did not give my parents a sense of abundance, until I grew up and out of the house when they felt they could travel. My parents did most of their travel through group tours where some travel agency took care of everything. A personal preference for sure.

Having an agency plan a group tour means that everything is planned out for you. Airline tickets, hotels, meals, private tours with guides who can do the translating… even with bathroom stops along the way <wink>. There is a peace of mind just knowing where you are going to and the places to see. There is a stop and start date and all you have to do is show up. A Club-Med vacation has never really been a thing for me. Group tours planned by an agency has a time and a place for sure.

For example, I found out I could swim with the sea turtles, penguins, sea lions and the hammerhead sharks… and the Galapagos Islands were the second largest marine reserves on the planet, I just had to go while I was in Ecuador. When I discovered all the rules for the Galapagos National Park, I realized the way I like to travel might possibly be a hinderance in seeing all that I could possibly see in a reasonable time frame. Sure, I could make my way to one of the main Galapagos islands and the town of Santa Cruz and plan something from there, like a woman I met on the airplane was going to do. However, a registered guide is required to accompany you everywhere in the national park. Plus, there are many islands, and you have to hire a boat to get there. It just didn’t seem very practical or economical to do it that way to get the best possible experience. I found an outfitter and a small cruise with 12 people and decided that would be the best way to do it. I did have some resistance to it which required my surrender. In the long run, I thought it was worth it.

Another example would be a rafting trip down Colorado River in the Grand Canyon which cannot be done on your own, unless you win a weighted lottery for a private permit and have your own equipment and hire your own guide. The bottom of the Grand Canyon is a harsh desert environment and many people have died making the attempt on their own. A Grand Canyon rafting trip I would recommend to everyone.

On the other side of the coin, there is something deeply satisfying for me having a chunk of time (weeks – months) to travel and buying a one-way ticket. With only a place to stay for a short time with ideas of where to go and what you want to be doing. Being your own tour guide by researching on the internet the history of the towns you are going and the places you want to see. Sometimes hiring a government registered guide for those places is beneficial, like in Varanasi, India.

Traveling this way, with a one-way ticket with not much of an itinerary brings its own set of challenges. You need to be self-motivated to do the research, face into any language barriers, get your own local transportation and find your drive to get up and go get ‘em every day. What it also comes with is a great amount of freedom. A kind of freedom that allows you to flow with what the universe puts in front of you. You never where the road may take you in life, you only have to be open to the opportunity and the possibilities.

Some of the best parts of this way of traveling is how you can reside at home-stays, hostels and meet many people you had no idea you’d cross paths with. I am typically one of the oldest people in the bunch because I think as people age, they appreciate their creature comforts of home and prefer things to be more predictable, rather than facing some of the challenges to be out of their comfort zone. When you meet different people, you never know where the roads might take you. Someone may be going somewhere you haven’t thought of going and you could pick up a travel companion for a while. Staying open and surrendering to what is in front of you, is the practice.

I arrived in Colombia after an unexpected detour in my plan and felt I needed a break. To take the day off and reflect and go grocery shopping and make a home cooked meal and settle into my new digs. I had to really force myself to stay put. There were many a voice in my head whispering… you must get out and explore because you only have so much time to do that… the feelings of loneliness creeps in as it would at times being home alone… the ambivalence and fears of the unknown, the language barriers… only to mention a few. There is not a group tour with a schedule that forces you out or gets you out of a funk… that is all up for you to get over.

Another example… I was in Quito, Ecuador and there was an outbreak of civil unrest. Roads were blocked, fires preventing travel, transportation strikes. I could not make it to the places I had wanted to go. Some people would even say it was a scary situation. Because I did not have a round trip ticket or any formal travel arrangements, I was able to adjust my plans and leave Ecuador and find another place I would like to go. I did not have to rely on travel insurance or have to deal with cancellation or change fees for hotels or airlines. It made it much easier to go with the flow. I know this is a bit of an extreme example, but it makes my point.

I am happy to talk about this with anyone and I encourage all my students that travel is the best form of education. It never ceases to amaze me how much I learn every time I step out of my comfort zone and into another grand adventure.

God Speed y’all!

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