Passion, Purpose, and Providing

What I liked about Burning Man is that everything I saw people do was volunteer-based. What I loved about Burning Man is that every moment was about immediate connection at the moment. I recognized that at Burning Man there is no need to make sense of what appears to be rude. It made me recognize if you feel someone is rude don’t trust your thoughts, trust your gut. While I was at Burning Man, I lost my immunity to rudeness. After returning to the default world, I became allergic to rude behavior. In Burning Man, when you’re in a radically inclusive environment, you recognize that rude behavior in the default world is worse than it is. It is similar to when people abstain from processed foods for a week, you will recognize how bad the food is. I do wish those people who engage in rude behavior to find enlightenment in the value of respecting your surroundings. I hope these individuals make it to Black Rock City. What I loved about Burning Man was the people I connected with. At Burning Man I connected to people and the environment and not the phone. Disconnecting from the internet connects us to the present environment. 1000 people seeing your post on Instagram doesn’t connect us like a face-to-face conversation with one person. What I loved about Burning Man was that I focused on what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be around. Rather than putting focus on what I want to avoid. Proud of myself for not trying to fix relationships and make bad relationships work. I was gravitating towards what I wanted. The recognition vs trying to figure out what I don’t like or understand, and trying to have others bring better vibes for me. I seek the good vibes around me. It’s about connecting and not avoiding. I enjoyed connecting with everyone and not wanting anything other than connecting with anyone at the present moment. Without any focus on the future. Whether it be talking with this person hoping it can land me a date, a business opportunity, or something altruistic like friendship. After returning from Black Rock City, I was eager for Black Rock City not to leave me. Yet for obvious reasons. The energy is not the same in the default world, especially in New York City, compared to Black Rock City. Surviving with radical self-expression and radical self-reliance in the default world is like expecting to survive in Black Rock City without needing to bring water or a tent. There is a saying that you can take a person out of NYC, but you can’t take NYC out of the person. For me, you can take me out of Black Rock City, but you can’t take the BRC out of me. It’s not that easy to keep 100% of BRC in me. Especially in NYC. However, I was originally skeptical about attending Burning Man in the first place. Burning Man taught me a gifting economy works if only the overwhelming majority participate. Experiencing the feelings you get from the Playa only works if everyone participates. Yet, burner vibes don’t always happen because one is around burners in the default world. Embracing the principles of Burning Man in the default world is an active process, not a passive process. It’s impossible to expect every burner, or the majority of burners, to behave the same in the default world as they would in Black Rock City. I have recognized the way you do not conform to the default world in the default world can’t be solved by going to burner parties, dressing like a burner, surrounding yourself with burners, avoiding the internet, or even actively avoiding distractions. It’s not about activities to keep us undistracted, it’s about habits, to keep the BRC in your heart. Burning Man, I have heard that Burning Man is a test if a couple should date or break up. I can understand why. At BRC, we tend to think with our senses, rather than thoughts. Our senses keep us grounded and making the best decisions, our thoughts keep us distracted and indecisive. At BRC, the main takeaway, I learned is that distractions from the economics and structure of society will always be in existence. My monthly rent didn’t go away while at BRC, my terminally ill father in the hospital didn’t leave the hospital. Yet, I still felt the happiest I have ever been. Why? At BRC, I recognized it’s not the distractions that bring us down, it’s being distracted. World problems are best solved not through an internet connection, they can be solved through human connection. The way to not become distracted from burdens from the default world is not by avoiding distractions, but through recognizing distractions. I see a lot of people try and bring the Playa to the default world world through art, parties, etc. Yet, that doesn’t distract us from the pressures of the default world. It is the best habits that keep us undistracted from the default world. At BRC, I recognized the people I am disconnected from are not worth trying to get connected with. Only if both want to fix the disconnection. People who judge me by conversations about me, and assumptions about me, it’s not important or worth it to fix the judgment. At BRC, I felt almost no toxic judgment. Focusing on “cleaning up” toxicity is not good for mental health. Focusing on habits is the way to keep the Playa vibes in the default world. Which means thinking about a problem, doesn't need thoughts. It needs sense. Yet, it’s best to embrace a habit of not resisting uncomfortable thoughts. It is best to let the uncomfortable thoughts flow and make peace with them.