Chasing Synchronicities in the Pursuit of Wellness - An Introduction

Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.
Joseph Cambell

Hello fellow Steemians!

My name is Kai Poplar, but for the sake of artistic identity in my writing I have adopted the pseudonym @robrockly - I believe it reflects the content of my work in a metaphorical sense that I hope you will come to understand over time as you read and reflect upon my entries; its relevance unfolding and growing as I, myself grow and unfold.

Hello Steemians!

Briefly concerning my childhood, I grew up in small town southern Vermont and have lived there for the better part of my life. I suppose it could be described as a slow-living pace of existence in a bubble. It certainly is not a culturally diverse area, but there is cultural tolerance and a place for everyone so long as you found comfort in the cadence of the lifestyle and caused no problems.

I was raised similarly - so long as I cause no problems, I had my freedom of choice as to how I spent my time. The media I chose to consume was never censored, I was friends with whom it delighted me to be around and my extra curricular activities were only bound by that which I was able to reach. My parents were neither religious nor discouraging of it, save for when it obviously impeded the freedom or well being of others. Perhaps this is why I’ve always an issue with the enforcement of seemingly nonsensical rules and regulations…

My family and I in Colorado roughly a year ago

So what brings me to Steemit? In short form, I discovered it by synchronistic happenstance and would like to explore it as an opportunity to share what I distill from my relative experiences that can positively benefit those who read it, both as a form of entertainment and for the moral lessons I have found interwoven in my daily exchanges with the world. The more I reflect upon it, the more I see the fable-like quality imbedded into our daily happenings. Steemit has the potential to allow everyone within the community to dive deeper into the artistic experience of their lives in a sustainable fashion.

The long form answer includes some background into my love affair with writing and persistent personal growth. English had always been a favorite subject of mine in grade school, my favorite facet being the expository analysis, but I hadn’t started writing for my own pleasure and benefit until roughly three years ago when I was in the thick of some the most gloomily foreboding experiences I had yet to encounter in my lifetime thus far.

It had been some time since I had picked up the pen and I found myself in the depths of a significant spell of depression accompanied by a feeling of headless existence. Grasping for meaning, I saw a councilor who handed me a book entitled The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz and encouraged me to start a journal. Considering my mental-emotional circumstances, I felt like I hardly had the time to commit to a book, let alone keep any sort of consistency in a writing practice; clouded by depression I had been successfully tricking myself into thinking I only had time to feed more into my negative mindset and victimization.

In truth, I soon discovered that writing was the best possible thing that I could do for myself and in short time I recognized the tool that I now had at my disposal for what it was - a means of reflection, of emotional echolocation. I realized the choice in my circumstances and was able to see not only the big red pin labeled “YOU ARE HERE” in my subconscious, but also the sundry other areas that I may visit or reside in if I so choose.

Find peace in unlikely places

My love for writing had been revitalized in a form of its highest potential; I was writing an expository analysis concerning my own life experiences for the sake of self-help and a radical realignment from victimization to empowerment.

And the book! I churned through the pages of The Four Agreements with an immense hunger for comprehension of the wisdom it contained. For those who haven’t read the book, it can be summarized as the distillation of ancient Toltec methods for living in peace and harmony with oneself and others. It is said that the Toltec people were able to achieve this sense of harmony in their community by making four agreements as to their existence and interactions with one another.

The simplicity of these universal tenants was so astoundingly hidden in plain sight. It was information that felt more relevant that ever for our current age, yet somehow had fallen to the wayside, like a tome collecting dust in the oldest portion of the library. This part of the library soon became my favorite place to read from and I began to discover ancient wisdom from other eras and civilizations from Asia, to Greece, to Egypt and South America. A new world had opened itself to me and most importantly, a new way of life aligned with the betterment of my life experience and for all those I would interact with.

Of course the application of these truths and tenants that I have gleaned has presented me with immense challenges and I am certain that in this way, I will always remain a student. There has been and still is much to be undone in terms of negative habits and thought processes that I have developed over the years and this blog will detail my struggles and learnings as I look to apply what I continue to learn.

My hope is that these raw experiences from my adventures will help others understand that its okay that we make mistakes in the pursuit of creating something better; that as long as we can recognize a mistake or inconsistency and actively attempt to improve, that this positive growth, no matter how slow, has the power to uplift humanity and is a path towards transcending the challenges and social injustice that we face together as a race.

I hope you’ll join me on my journey by following my content and participating in conversation surrounding the topics at hand.

Serenity in my current locale - Montana

Glad to be a part of this awesome community!