Why Are We Here?

This question has always fascinated me. My life purpose and focus changed when I started seeking out a better way of life: less struggles and suffering, more joy and fulfillment.

I believe we are meant to be Omni-directional beings. I have experienced many different roles in my life: football player, artist, musician, songwriter, poet, storyteller, entrepreneur, business consultant, technology salesperson, unemployed, broke, in to debt over my eyeballs, debt free, landlord, financially well off, overweight, in shape, healthy, unhealthy, spiritual, depressed, a traveler, cross-fitter, yogi, tai chi practitioner, foodie, teacher, public speaker, parenting coach, life coach, good listener, cook and gardener. My life experiences are constantly evolving.

The catalyst that prompted me to evolve and improve my life was my daughter. I was 25 years old when she was born and not at all ready to be a father. I was still a child myself. Her mother and I separated when my daughter was one and half years old. It was the most chaotic and tumultuous time of my life. We set up a joint custody agreement, but, soon after, my ex moved to Ohio (where she born and raised) and took our daughter with her.

The loss of not having my daughter in my daily life was the most painful experience I have ever had. At the time, I was making a $26K annual salary with little commissions and I had a lot more debt than I could handle (credit card, student loans, auto loan, etc). None of my mid twenty year old friends had gone through a divorce or had kids at this point. I had no friends who could relate to my situation. And I got very familiar with feelings of loneliness and hopelessness. If you have gone through a separation or divorce and would like to share it with me, I’m totally here to listen. Please feel free to share your story with me as many others have done.

Music was the first thing to truly help me work through my feelings and start healing. I picked up a guitar when I was 27 and found an instant connection. I come from a farming/blue collar family where feelings are not always discussed or shown openly. For example, I have seen my dad cry less than a handful of times. The ability to outwardly express your feelings and communicate how you feel is healthy (in my opinion). I think avoiding such vulnerability makes life more difficult. Music gave me the opportunity to focus on songs that captured how I felt. I played a lot of sad country music. And through that, I was able to work through the pain and loss I felt with losing my daughter and the relationship with her mother.

I was able to make it through challenging times due to the help I sought out. I worked with professionals who could arm me with the resources necessary to guide me through all of the emotional pain. I have been working with a parenting coach for many years and it has been a God send. Fear is a great inhibitor and being able to be aware of when/how fear is distorting your perspective is such an amazing help.

If you are thinking about or currently in the midst of a divorce or court battle, please feel free to share your story with me. I would like to hear your story and offer a non-judging ear.

In the midst of the court process, I was aware of how little I was caring for myself. I had heard how healing yoga can be for your body so I decided to give it a shot. My first few tries at it were very humbling. There was no high impact component to it, just slow movements focusing on balance and breath. But every time a left one of those first few sessions, I felt like I went through a major workout. My body felt great but I would be sore for at least two days. The more I got into yoga, the more I noticed how much mental clarity it gave me. It was crazy! I felt so focused and grounded.

Soon after my start into yoga, I was introduced to 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (by Steven R. Covey). This was a book I was supposed to have read in college. I put it off as I thought it was about business management and that topic sounded like a snooze fest. A friend suggested this was not about business management, but, rather, personal management. I was in a position in my life where I was looking to change and improve my situation. So I gave it a read and, to my surprise, it was one of the best recommendations I have ever received.

7 Habits was the first book to start changing my perspective on my own life. It talks about taking ownership of your life, being proactive and responsible, defining and prioritizing what is important in your life, specifically committing time for those things, making and keeping promises, working for win/win situations with others, seeking to understand others before you seek to be understood and looking for ways to improve areas in your life that need improving.

Some time after my first reading of 7 Habits, I saw the movie The Men Who Stare At Goats. Jeff Bridges, Ewan McGregor, George Clooney and Kevin Spacey star in this movie based on true events. The movie highlights the formation of a new military division, the First Earth Battalion, dedicated to promoting peace. They accomplish this goal by developing warrior monks: people trained in martial arts who are taught to care for themselves, others and the planet. It’s a beautiful concept and perspective our military is not often portrayed as having. I have written a review of the movie here.

The First Earth Battalion was a classified program, which is now declassified. You can order the First Earth Battalion Operations Manual on Amazon. So I did. I was amazed reading through it how much of it resonated with me and followed many of my own beliefs. There were other areas I had not been exposed prior such as the psychic and telekinetic aspects. But I also don’t think those things are crazy… if data and video can travel through space to get onto your phone, what makes transference of thought from your brain such a crazy thing?

The First Earth Battalion Ops Manual gives curriculum and guidance on what it takes to become a warrior monk. Much of the teachings revolve around mind, body and spirt development. One of the things it discusses is training in martial arts. It lists Tai Chi as one of the highest forms of martial art study. So I decided to give it a try. I have been studying Tai Chi for over a year now and love everything about it. I feel a deep connection to it and I have started teaching it. I realized if I am going to truly master anything, I need to teach it.

The Men Who Stare At Goats movie also led me to Master Peter Brusso. He is the head of the First Earth’s martial arts division and he is basis for George Clooney’s character. Master Brusso developed the tool in the movie Clooney demonstrates in the desert. Clooney called the tool the “predator”. The name has since been changed to the “defender.” I have since been training with Master Brusso and am now a Black Belt in his art (Anjing Banfa). You can see and order the Defenders here: http://www.pdws.biz

I wanted to share all of this information on the First Earth Battalion and 7 Habits with others. I know lots of people are struggling and suffering just as I was. And I have seen how it has helped me. However, I wasn’t sure how to teach all of this stuff without turning people off with the psychic/telekinetic areas. Those aren’t exactly mainstream concepts.

Then a friend of mine told me about Tony Robbins. I had never paid any attention to Tony Robbins before. I saw his infomercials in the 90s and found them cheesy. Plus I was a teenager then… what teenager thinks they need any self improvement? Not this guy. Anyway, I watched a Tony Robbins video on YouTube later that night and was blown away. Everything Tony was talking about was First Earth and 7 Habits related. He has spent his career promoting those concepts and doing so on a huge scale.

That’s what led me to creating this website/blog. My life journey has led me to a point where I want to grow as a person, surround myself with others who are seeking the like and have a phenomenal, passionate and joy filled life. My hope is to use this blog to educate and inform others and myself about mind, body and spirit health.

“Go Planet!”

Lt. Col. Jim Channon