That feeling you get when you are being appreciated can be such a healing vibration. When we are able to truly appreciate one another is when we can get shit done! We cannot allow personal baggage and emotional dysfunctions to interfere with being able to appreciate anyone.

I felt I was being appreciated today. I was being appreciated because of my work ethic, positive energy, and just being me. I was also in turn able to emit gratitude to all of them. Which creates this blissful cycle of appreciation, and in my mind, the ideal way to live.

On another productive note, I was able to share with my ETC friends some resources I had in a flashdrive sent from Green Fire EcoMinistry headquarters. The mastermind behind this center even showed one of videos I had given him. It felt good to be able to share this information with everyone. For they have given me much in return. I will have a heavenly sleep under the trees tonight.

We rallied up to get some cleaning done around the grounds for the solar power workshop tomorrow. We also got to learn and build a chinampa (Nahuatl: chināmitl [tʃiˈnaːmitɬ]) which is this wonderful Mesoamerican agriculture. Artificial Mounds or Islands are evenly spread apart in a shallow pond. In doing this you are able to grow your crops and maintain a healthy fish supply with the Canal’s. I was fascinated on this subject. Following that we dove into some videos on aquaculture and permaculture.

When the daily schedule was completed for the day, we begin preparation for a beautiful birthday dinner. A lovely spread was made along with a elegant chocolate vegan birthday cake with vegan ice bean. As we all circled up to begin our feast one of the interns suggested we go around the table and say something we appreciate about the birthday girl. We went around and gave genuine heartfelt love and appreciation to her. Resulting in a authentic expression of gratitude in response. The cycle of gratitude never ceases to amaze me. We were all drunk on community. The night was filled with good laughs and deep conversations, until we all exchanged hugs and retired to our domains for the evening. I feel I have grown in many ways today, and I look forward to growing more tomorrow.

Since Sundays around here seem to be focused on getting your personal things in order. That was just what I got to do. I even took a bike ride down to the swimming hole and I treated myself to a couple dips while soaking up the Sun for a couple hours.

After I returned I was able to share some resources with people at the ETC on a flashdrive that I had received from Green Fire EcoMinistry headquarters.  Later on I was invited to go to the sauna with our team leader. Unfortunately she had forgotten that it was the ladies night down at the sauna. So I had a few options to pick from while I waited or found my own ride back. I decided to wait in the car and write this post. I probably wouldn’t have done this post tonight if this opportunity didn’t present itself. I could have totally been irritated at the fact that I’m having to wait or that I have to find my own ride back. Instead I found a great solution to my dilemma. I was able to cultivate a opportunity within misfortune. The universe works in mysterious ways. I just have to open my senses to language of the universe, and let it guide me.

Today was the day of the community potluck. I had spoken with a farmy about helping him move some speakers too the Dome (giant steel beam dome with a canvas tarp for roofing by the Farm store). To set up for the Grateful Dead cover band that was playing at the potluck.

Me and two other friends broke a sweat hauling all the gear to the stage, it was a good time. After that another farmy asked me to help him set up for the potluck. We went and collected and set up items for the feast. Then it began. From all directions in a gradual flowing stream, the people were started to gather. As soon as the music started to resonate throughout the land, more of the community came to meet their beloved neighbors in peace. They came with hugs, kisses, and food. I could feel the love that these people had for each other.

As I sat back to observe my environment, a  nostalgic feeling flowed through me. I see before me a wonderful example of the possibilities. It is possible to cohesively exist with one another on this planet. I also feel that we have done this before on a large scale, before our modern civilization occurred. Something very primal within me and all other life helps us remember how important it is to live in harmony with our own kind and live in balance with all life. What I experienced today was only a taste of what could be possible when this is applied to the masses. In returning to our roots, we will find harmony.

Today was pretty relaxing to start off with. The team leader gave out all the interns here some time to work on personal project. Which left me having to improvise other task I can do when necessary.

Early afternoon I had got a call from one of the ‘farmy’s’ asking for my help in planting sweet potatoes. I of course accepted his request in a heartbeat. I caught up with the ‘growing fire‘ intern and told him the news. He was definitely interested in helping to. Since he has a automobile he could just take us to the garden about a half of a mile away.

We arrived to the garden to be embraced with a warm and genuine hug. This farmy had a very interesting personality. What I have grasped from my time with him, is that this man has been exposed to alternative cultures and lifestyles throughout his life. I have gotten the opportunity to work with this man before so we hit it right off and begin showing love to these little slips of goodness. 2 hours into planting mulching and watering we had finished. He asked us if we had the energy to help cardboard and mulch his squash bed. We gladly accepted his offer and knocked the squash bed out. He gave us his gratitude for are services, and he gave us is gratitude for our services, and proceeded to inform us of a gathering for a birthday tonight. We exchanged hugs and left back to the ETC.

The growing fire intern seemed pretty pumped for the new opportunity to socially grow as a person. He was ready to step outside of his comfort zone for the sake of evolution. I was supporting his drive. The gathering was down in the neighborhood by the swimming hole. It was a chill atmosphere. I got to meet a lot of new farmy’s, and the growing fire intern was interacting with ease. It was such a special scene. These humans living in this community were sharing time and space with their neighbors.

We must enjoy each other.
We must accept each other.
We must realize how perfectly imperfect we are.
With that comes peace.

The farmy from the garden today came in and slammed a 12 pack of brew in front of us and said “I got you some drinks for working so hard today brothers”. We gladly indulged in his gesture. Not to long after that one farmy suggested a night dip in the swimming hole since it was so close. So we all rallied up and about five of us initially took off for the water. We ran splashing in the frigid water and swam with joy.

The memories of these moments will last a lifetime. After that we traveled back to the gathering with the intent to move the gathering to the head of the roads (a point on main street where all the roads split) and sit around the fire. Many great words were spoken. The night came to a end when the fire did.

Today I embarked on getting some chores and cleaning done around the hostel. Being that I am granted access to some ecovillage training with out financially contributing as much as the interns have, I feel it is more than necessary to carry out my roles to fill in that gap.

I was able to knock out a lot of “projects of potential” (is what they call it on the chalkboard). The highlight of my day was the end if it. One of the interns had lit a fire and was going to burn some of cedar to we had collected a couple days back. The conversations that followed the lighting of the fire were that of growth.   It is amazing how when you hold positive space without any judgments people really sparkle and light up.  Deep sharing is a communication art that most people in our society do not have the opportunity to learn.  One young intern and I had a very special connection and I can see a bright evolution for him happening.   I’m extremely grateful to have been able to share with this human and to be able to hold space for his growth.   I will cultivate my continued support for him and everything around me. See you in my dreams Humanity.

The stimulation continues here today at the EcoVillage Training Center. I had a call to push myself a little bit more then usual today. we were going to the local food Forest this morning and our team leader was going to jog there. I instantly got inspired, and I decided to join her on the Run. I made pretty good time and didn’t stop to walk once in heavy boots. I was quite pleased with how much my body was able to endure.

After a sweaty couple of hours in the food Forest, we begin to pack up to go back. At that time I didn’t know if I was going to be able to run back or ride with them in the truck. In a second my body seemed to have overrode my mind and I began to run back. I was able to get back while they were walking down the driveway.

I have come across individuals with perspective that this screams that ‘I want attention’ or I am ‘trying to assert my dominance’ with my fitness to other dominant figures in the environment. It is in my experience that the quality of life that I am living now is greatly increased when I am able to push my body and mind to its limits.

One must practice humility and combine it with ability to push yourself. I am but one human, I realistically cannot create any real big positive changes in this world without my fellow humans. Which means that the social dynamics between humans co-habiting space together is of the highest priority.  We carried on with the day with finishing the bamboo lafting and earth primer on the wall, and stained some wood with a walnut Brew. After that I pest proofed a worm crate, then I helped make a dish for our pot luck dinner tonight. The food at dinner was delicious and I enjoyed the video Albert showed us on a German architect that was very creative in his design. Tonight I shall sleep like a baby.

What does it mean to thrive?

What criteria must you possess to consider yourself to be thriving?

There is this perspective that I have been entertaining today. What if thriving means to be positively stimulated in both mind and body. To be stimulated in such a positive manner that it induces evolution. In my opinion when evolution takes place, it inherently shows you what is truly important in life, therefore brings you to the awareness of what real value is.

It is my perspective that after so much space within you and around you has evolved, one begins to understand how profoundly valuable nature is. I personally consider myself to be at this level of evolution.

So what happened today in my mind is I had my mind and body positively stimulated constantly throughout the day. According to my theory I would be thriving. My thoughts tell me this is what it is like to live and breathe on this planet.

I woke up to a horn call for the 8 am rise and shine. I began to work in the garden for a hour. After that I assisted in helping put up bamboo wafting on a wall of a straw bale building.  I got to use a machete to process whole dried bamboo(machete work is one of my favorite things to do). I also helped apply earth primer to prepare the wall for the plaster.

Next I got to sit in a class with Albert (the mastermind behind this center) and have my mind blown yet again on how great of a solution permaculture is. I had lengthy breaks in between all of these activities. With a wonderful solar shower and a meal made with mine and a friends love to cap things off for the day…I was thriving.

I am thriving.

Now I’m going to give my body a stretch and possibly open up the 5th Anastasia and the Ringing Cedars of Russia series of books. I sit here with a attitude of gratitude breathing out the negative, and breathing in the positive.

Today I lived.

Today I thrived.

With the sunshine on my face and the birds singing away, I couldn’t ask for a more delightful way to wake up.

As I walk into the Community Kitchen I am giving a warm greeting by three of the fellow interns. I sat down to have some breakfast and engage in some conscious and thoughtful conversation. Even the way one communicates in an EcoVillage is vastly different than how one would conduct communication in the mainstream world. It is as if people in EcoVillages take on empathetic traits when conversing with one another. Also they are more prone to entertaining an idea without accepting it, which is in my opinion essential for harmony to take place between humans.

Since today was Sunday, which is a personal day for the people here, I thought I would enjoy a long walk in the woods to the swimming pond nearby. I was fired up with excitement on my walk to see all of the life around me in this woody environment. I got to the pond to find a few people there relaxing soaking up the Sun. I decided to join them and spent a few hours embracing the cosmic rays with a few dips in the pond to cool off.

I then found my way back to the Eco Village Training Center to more clearly observe this environment and all it has to offer. I got to have a wonderful conversation with one of the leaders of the center. I had some questions answered and got informed on many realities that take place here. Talking with her cultivated more comfort within myself for being here.

I decided to take a long bike ride to check out the farm on my terms. It was so fulfilling to have the wind blow against my skin while I got to smell the Aromas of wild flowers everywhere. When I returned I introduced myself to the mastermind behind this center, Albert Bates.  I did not get to talk to him much, but I could feel the love in his voice and presence. The energy he has devoted to this place is clearly shown. I am looking forward to connecting with him more.

Now I lay here in my simple new home listening to the voice of the forest. Today was a very relaxing day, but tomorrow is when I get to experience what this place is truly about. It is now time to let Mother Nature sing me to sleep.

The time has finally come.

I will be embarking to my first destination on my tour tomorrow morning. I will be sharing space with the oldest intentional community in the nation. It is safe to say that this is a path I will be on for many years to come.

I would like to reach out and give my humble gratitude to a few humans that have impacted my life. I believe I wouldn’t be who I am today without their influence.

First I would like to thank my family. They don’t fully understand what it is that I am doing, but they are in full support of my happiness. Which is all I could ever ask for.

Next I want to give my deepest gratitude to Dakota Dickson . When she came into my life many years ago, she brought with her a plethora of conscience ideas. These ideas that she exposed me to facilitated my Awakening. The love and support she has given me played a major role in the birth of Apollo.

It is my honor to give a special acknowledgment to Quinn Eaker and The Garden of Eden. Being exposed to this man and everything he believes in has shaped my perception into what it is today. Compared to where I was at before I meant him, to where I’m at now. I feel I have evolved so much in so many ways.

 

 Last but certainly not least, I want to send great love to Green Fire EcoMinistry and the people behind The Rocky Mountain Sustainability Center for all that they have done and continue to do for me. Everything I am about to experience from this point on would not have been possible without their support. Their continued involvement in my life is going to play a vital role in my growth to becoming the man I envision myself to be.

 

Everyone else that I didn’t name and that have shown me love. From the bottom of my heart, I honor all of you. Now it is time to give all that I am to support a world I want the next seven generations of life to exist on. It is no longer about me, it is no longer about my happiness. It is now only about what is Honorable and responsible to this planet and everything living on it. This is the beginning of the rest of my life.

Green Fire Ambassador Apollo Mission launches in May.  Apollo will be landing first at The Farm in Tennessee to get a full inoculation at the EcoVillage Training Center where master JSun DaGreen, Green Fire cohort, will be guiding his education.

Apollo will be learning many skills while at The Farm that will help him to land and navigate the communities that he will be setting his navigation coordinates for during this upcoming years Green Fire Communities Tour.

Apollo has been loaded up with resources that he can share with these communities and will be writing reports that will be posted on this Green Fire blog to kick off the official relaunching of the Green Fire EcoMinistry.  Apollo was ordained as a Green Fire Minister which empowers him to represent Green Fire EcoMinistry and ‘share the resources with the resourceful’….as well as other clergy duties.

If you would like to help support the Green Fire Apollo mission directly please visit Apollo’s GoFundMe page where you can give some Green Fire support to his journey!