Heart of a Samurai
Heart of the Samurai was the true destination for this cross-country trip. The 3rd installment of my Klemmer journey. I’ve written blog posts about the advanced course in Texas I did last year, Heart was even better.
Within a month of the divorce a woman named Robin, from my church, gifted me the 3 day intro course called “The Quickening”. It helped me more than therapy ever did to take responsibility for all that’s in my control. It’s not just talking about my problems, it’s working through them. Ever since attending the 2nd installment, Advanced Leadership, I have an abundant amount of peace and joy. I thank Yahweh for this gift and for using Klemmer to help me get to this place of mental stability. It was a no brainer by the end of that week to sign up for the next week long seminar in San Diego.
They do it twice a year, I was going to goto the one in June, but Isaiah couldn’t go. He was my buddy through it all, so I decided not to goto the June one. Once he told me he couldn’t goto this one either I decided that I had to go on my own! It was Luis’s passing that inspired me to not just fly there, but make it a month 1/2 long adventure across America! So I packed my Ford Escape with camera gear, my clothes, and this time, Skis, a bed, a cooler of food, a hammock, and my skates and skate board. I learned from my trip in January how to really do it up right!
I’m not going to spoil what exactly we did at this conference, because honestly I would recommend this experience to anyone and everyone, but I will tell you what I learned about myself.
The theme I went into this conference was abundance. No “or”, but all of it. Having and doing all I desire in this life within Gods will.
The first lesson I learned was that we’re much like an orange. What happens when you squeeze an orange? It leaks out orange juice! Maybe some seeds, some pulp. The lesson it when an orange is squeezed, what comes out is exactly what’s in it. Just like us. When life gets tough or we get squeezed what comes out? Whatever is inside. It’s easy to be at peace and have joy when everything is ok. In the past few years when life was squeezing me what came out was fear, anger, anxiety attacks, depression, coping with weed and sexual gratification. The more I lean into God the more the Holy Spirit feels like a literal super power! I’ve been sober, not dependent on pot anymore, and completely celibate. Anxiety is at an all time low, depression is nonexistent and life hasn’t gotten ANY easier. It’s just simply a mindset change, a heart posture change, a renewed spirit. I finally feel like myself again. Able to be positive no matter the circumstances. This orange exercise made me realize how blessed I am to have come this far. There were many experiential exercises that showed me just how true these thoughts are. When I got squeezed I resorted back to staying calm, laughing, smiling and leaning into Yahweh and going to a place of worship and prayer. Trusting FULLY in Him. I love that this is my new default.
I went into this conference with the mindset that I would play ALL OUT. Get the most out of this experience. In the past this meant speaking as much as possible, getting on the mic and volunteering to be the teacher in the moment. This time around I didn’t feel the need to do these things. Did I play less than I expected? I don’t believe so! I got everything I needed out of this experience without being the center of attention. I found that I stand out and make an impact just being myself. Mic or no mic. Being the example or not. My true voice came out by just simply being WITH others. Connecting to them on a personal level. Allowing others who needed that from this experience to seize the moment and learning from them. This is true leverage. I will never get to where I need to go alone. Only with the help of others.
One BIG revelation I had on day 2 was that I’m going to improve living in the moment. A quote that stuck with me is “man is crucified between the regrets of the past and the anticipation of the future”. Holding both hands out wide as saying this. It’s not super profound or new, but we truly only have the here and now. I’ve allowed regrets of my, not so distant, past to create a fog around me, purposefully distancing myself from others. Living in my head allowing past programs to take away from the present. And I most certainly think about the future a lot. This was put on full blast during an exercise on a mountain top. Unable to speak to others was apart of the requirement of this experience. I raced up to the top and once I got up there I was met with an opportunity to live in the moment. What did I do? Tried to think about what would happen next! When it wasn’t what I thought it could be, I was disappointed. Upon reflecting on this I realize how often I do this! Always expecting something absolutely extraordinary and exciting to happen. When the moment isn’t what I imagine I go “well that was lame”. Taking away from what I could have felt by just taking it step by step. Living in the complete present. This is so critical in life to live a life worth living. This was last week, and tonight I got chance to workout this new muscle. As I drive up to sequoia national park I expect nothing and just live right here right now. It’s 9PM and I find my way into a restaurant right before the entrance of the park. No Internet connection, completely by myself I started chatting with some locals. I had a fantastic time meeting some new friends. The restaurant gives me a discount on the food they reopened the kitchen to serve me. It was incredible. I was planning that I would just eat the lunch meat in my cooler and by living in the moment I had a delicious hot meal laughing and connecting with other people. So much fun! More than I could have asked or imagined.
Day 3 I was squeezed much more and this time I didnt like so much what came out. I choose myself when it came to money and status in one game, and I didn’t choose myself when it came to staying alive during another game. I’m not going to spoil the exercise and I get how this sounds a bit confusing, but you don’t have to know exactly what I’m talking about to understand that my priorities SHOULD be flipped. It was awesome to see what I think I’m like vs what actually is inside. I value money when poverty is possible, not helping out anybody until I had way more than anybody in the game needed. Then I value OTHERS when it comes to surviving on a fictional “life or death” scenario. I realized that if I don’t vote for myself I’m actually taking away from others who believe in me. I can’t help anyone if I’m dead. The funniest part of it all is that I actually DID vote for myself but I FORGOT I DID!!! I ended up “dead” on the floor with a vote for myself in my pocket because I wasn’t focused on the present. I was too occupied thinking about what I did and what I will do. VERY interesting. Focus is my word for 2024.
One of the most exciting exercises was when we got the chance to raise $100,000 in real US currency for a real charity. Project Mercy, building houses in Mexico for people whose homes got taken away in a flood. With 123 people in the room we raised $103,875 in just 4 hours. It was incredible to witness and be apart of. This made me realize how abundant money is and how anything is possible with a team. I believed we would do it, but to actually do it was a feeling like no other. We then, later in the week, got to BUILD the houses for the people. This service project gave me so much hope that all my dreams are within reach with the right people around me.
The last big realization I had was that my #1 priority in my life is to marry a woman of God, who thinks in Bible. Raise 8 kids on a farm and homeschool them. This is what the money is truly for. This is what all my dreams lead to. I knew I wanted to do this, but an exercise showed me that this is my #1 priority. Im very patient. I’m in no rush to do it. I need to be the man worthy of this responsibility, one day at a time. My bride will come. The kids will follow. I need to prepare a place for them.
This whole week was a truly life altering experience. THIS is my college. I don’t need to go into debt or spend 4 years of my life getting a degree. Classes like this, for me, bring way more value than any professor or grade could give me. I couldn’t recommend it enough. PLUS I got a really cool samurai sword at the ending ceremony which is gnarrlllyyy. I also got to meet a lot of incredible people who are on a similar self development journey, shout out Christa.
I signed up for the 4th and final installment of this program called Samurai Camp. Advanced is like highschool. Heart is like college. Sam Camp is real life. It’s a chance to get paired up with a millionaire mentor who hold me accountable to reaching my goals, of which I have many ambitious ones. My goal for next year is to make $250,000, about $21,000 a month. This has been my dream for years, and 2024 is the year it’s manifested. I need to grow my video business by hiring employees and booking higher paying gigs. I need to go up a rank, at the very least, in Shaklee. Shaklee is my lifelong pursuit and I need to make progress on it by putting in the work. With these two avenues and with the right team I know I can smash my financial goals. If we can make $103,000 in 4 hours I can make $250,000 in 365. I will gain 10 pounds of muscle and finally consistently break 150 pounds by reaching 157. My spiritual goal is to continue the momentum and not loose myself in the pursuit of money. And finally, I WILL complete the Israel documentary.
I’m very excited for what is to come, and I don’t think it’s just momentary hype. This is real life. We’re not promised tomorrow. Nothing changes if I don’t make changes. Heart of the Samurai put this into perspective now more than ever. I fear not the future, I’m excited for it.
As for right now, I lay in the bed in my car. Up in Sequoia National park. It’s 11:03PM. Within a few hours I will get to be among the biggest trees in the world, but right now I am here. I am satisfied and very happy. Although I lay here by myself I am never alone. Yahweh is always with me, and He is the best comfort there is in the whole wide world. With Him everyday is an adventure. I’m so blessed to be right here right now. Breathing; full of life. I realize not everybody has this kind of freedom, but if you ever get a chance to taste it you’ll never want to live another way. This is what life is about. I’m on the great adventure.
