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******  GOING SMOL INCREASES HORIZONS  *************************
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******    November 12th 2022 6:17PM    *************************
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* For the last month or so, I have done all of my cooking on a *
* small wood stove. I didn't have to do this, but I wanted to  *
* do it as an experiment to challenge my concepts of what I    *
* need to live. At some point in the experiment, I experienced *
* a sort of matrix style download, and could suddenly          *
* understand a great deal about different food preservation    *
* methods, why certain common dishes became popular            *
* historically, and how I might go about storing and grinding  *
* various grains. The reason I mention this, is because it is  *
* not the first time I have had this kind of experience. But   *
* what i realized this time, was that the experience is always *
* preceded by challenging a perceived need, or a norm of       *
* convenience.                                                 *
*                                                              *
* For the last year, I have not used any refrigeration. I have *
* a DC current powered fridge that I could plug in at any      *
* time, but I wanted to see what it would be like to not use   *
* it. After doing this for a while, I had the same experience. *
* I could suddenly see how nature moves in cycles in the kinds *
* of foods it produces in different seasons, and how many of   *
* the foods which ripen in late fall are able to be stored for *
* long periods of time very simply, and others can be easily   *
* dried and stored for even longer.                            *
*                                                              *
* While I am not particularly recommending this specifically,  *
* as this was more of a personal experiment and challenge.     *
* What I am getting at, is that there is something which       *
* happens to the mind when you challenge fear based            *
* convenience. The subsequent removal of dependence based in   *
* fear unlocks perception and innovation. And when it is       *
* related to nature, a sort of saftey net appears, and you can *
* perceive systems of abundance which exist within nature and  *
* creation. All you have to do is learn how to follow them.    *
*                                                              *
* So there is a dichotomy in going Smol. When targeted at your *
* fear points, what often winds up emerging is not scarcity,   *
* but increased abundance, and broader horizons. I realize     *
* this sounds all very theoretical, and perhaps nonsensical.   *
* So lets make it more practical...                            *
*                                                              *
* Try it.                                                      *
*                                                              *
* Find some area in your life where you are afraid to give     *
* something up, and experiment with letting go, and either     *
* replacing it with something that provides greater autonomy,  *
* or with something simple and enriching. It can be something  *
* as simple as ditching a streaming service and replacing it   *
* with a book a week, or 1 dvd a month that you own, something *
* as challenging as getting rid of your refrigerator, or       *
* something as innovative as determining to write the software *
* you use.                                                     *
*                                                              *  
* The point is, ENGAGE your life.                              *
*                                                              *
* Break out of the slow death of passive consumerism and       *
* convenience. Not out of guilt, but out of a sense of         *
* adventure.  Challenge your fears and see if they are lying   *
* to you. You may find yourself becoming addicted to the       *
* expanding of your life and horizons, through challenge.      *
*                                                              *
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