Lessons from the Road

Being on the road in a cool van, off the internet (mostly), and immersed in some of the loveliest landscapes on earth. I ask myself, is being free to roam in earthly paradise, really the secret to happiness? Or does it lie in going beyond it all? Is it possible and desirable to live with one foot in the eternal and one firmly in the shoe of our choosing?

I’ve just spent three weeks travelling in a van, walking in forests, sitting under trees and stars, and swimming in a different river, lake or at a different beach every day. My senses soaked up the colours, sounds, textures and smells of a summer in one of the most famously picturesque places on earth.

Getting off the internet for days at a time, alone with my thoughts, I definitely felt a slow calming down, which is still with now, now I am back in my office. I am also slightly fitter and inspired to continue being more active and eating healthier.

Do I wish I could have continued my travels indefinitely? Yes, and No.

Yes, for reasons which a probably pretty obvious, waking up in a new beautiful location every day, deciding which beach to swim, which friends to meet, and living moment to moment is delightful.

But can you have too much of a good thing?

I remember years ago on another trip around New Zealand, coining the phrase, Lake Fatigue. This phenomenon sets in around about the 4th lake, when you notice, that you no longer bother pulling off the motorway for your 100th photo. Just another lake. Another beach. Another sunset. Another incredible tree. In Europe, travelers can suffer a similar case of cathedral fatigue.

Whether you are consuming scenery, fine food, high culture and conversation or gambling, booze and sex. It seems boredom will eventually kick in. As long as the mind seeks continuous stimulation and novelty, there will always be an underlying restlessness and emptiness.

I stayed one night with a friend who was housesitting. The view from the house was incredible. Probably a million-dollar view. My friend indicated that the absent wife who owned this view wasn’t particularly happy. I wondered how many women were in similar situations, mortgaged up to their necks, husbands absent with work, never ending chores. The drudgery of life cannot be cured with the most beautiful scenery.

So, what is the secret of a happy life.

I am quick to the jump to my default philosophical position, that it’s the ability to dwell in silence of being, which brings sweetness beyond compare. To travel through all the scenery of life, viewing it as a movie to be enjoyed, but never to be taken too seriously.

I have also been quick to dismiss the idea of having a purpose in life, as the sophisticated whispering of the ego seeking substance in roles, in the concept of serving or even saving others, and in identifying ourselves with our own ‘good deeds’.

Many years ago, did a short course on money management/abundance thinking, you know the type! One exercise from it stuck in my mind. The creator Alexia Neely asked us to consider what sort of living arrangements we needed to be happy. She herself was a lawyer but also a festival going hippy, and she said that she could be happy living in a tent. I felt the same. I need relatively little to be happy. But she then asked, what living conditions did we need to fulfill our potential. Fulling own potential can sound like an abstract notion, but I think of it, as using all the gifts (skills, talents, knowledge wisdom, connections) that I have in my life, to be useful to others. Yes, a happy tent dweller can definitely inspire others and dwelling in higher consciousness can change the fabric of the universe.

But a happy person with a comfortable desk, good Wi-Fi, a kitchen to cook to prepare healthy meals for myself and others, a bed which provides a good night sleep, for a productive day may possibly inspire more.

Like most people, I love a beautiful view, but owning such a view would cease to bring me much joy, if I couldn’t share it with others.

Purpose doesn’t have to be a grandiose thing. It’s not about saving the world, no one needs saving.

But since we are all in bodies, here on earth, and since we are all playing roles here whether you overly identify with yours or play it lightly knowing it to be a brief illusion. To play your role well, seems also be a secret to happiness. We enjoy watching others play their roles well too.

I spent many years in close orbit to a great spiritual teacher Dadi Janki. Not only was she a great yogi, someone who radiated spiritual power into the atmosphere. But she was also a great actress. She enjoyed playing her part, she seemed to love own character, her own story, from just another teenage member of a new spiritual group, to its worldwide leader, who lived to 101. It wasn’t egoistic self-promotion but was a clever use of all aspects of her own persona, to bring out the best in others.

And so, I return from my travels. Determined to stay aware of my being, my eternal presence, the infinite self. But also committed to make the best of the facilities currently at my disposal to make a wee dent in the universe. It’s not humility to live in tent, nor is ego to live in a palace. It’s not humility to stay in the wings, looking on, nor is it ego to be center stage.

Its ok to be satisfied with what you have in life, but is also ok, to be open to being, doing and having more to share with the world.

If you prefer to listen to me share and expand on the above thoughts, plus enjoy footage of beautiful New Zealand landscapes rolling in the background, feel free to click and watch my latest video. And if you missed the previous videos where I explored the joys of simple living, plus my experience of travelling in New Zealand sans-covid passport, you can also explore them on the channel.