Basecamp for Men E220: Growing Our Courage

E220: Growing Our Courage with Special Guest

Cliff Buenavista

 

E220 Introduction

Today was a fun interview for me. Why? Because it is with an very old friend of mine. Someone who I used to sit at the pub with and talk philosophy, existentialism, God and Spirit, along with more mundane topics like who was better the Seahawks or the 49ers.

You know how fond I am of the Hero’s Journey (both individually and collectively). Not all my old drinking buddies have taken a particularly courageous path. No judgment. Just like we mention in this interview, many will be called, most will stay back in the Shire, to use a Lord of the Rings reference. Without a clear picture of the battle or even what is at stake. But the more heroic will answer the call and do whatever they can to assist humanity. These are the times we live in.

One of the questions to ask is this: Who do we need to be as men in these times? What is our most courageous path? What do I need to do in my next chapter? What does humanity and God need from me next?

My guest today is an old friend who has answered the call. What a blessing it is to know these Warriors and I am fortunate to talk to more and more of them on this show. I like to give the vibe in these discussions as two friends sitting around the fire talking about what is REALLY going on. And it is easy when you have known each other as long as I have know my guest today. Enjoy!

Cliff Buenavista Bio

My guest today is my good friend Cliff Buenavista. Cliff is a Christian, a husband and father of 2 children and is a project manager at Nvidia. Cliff has maintained his sobriety for nearly 4 years, a true Hero’s Journey. Here is my interview with Cliff Buenavista.

E220 Final Thoughts

Well I hope you enjoyed our time with Cliff as much as I did. Like I said, him and I go WAAAAAY back and have both taken the road less travelled. I hope you heard something today that inspired you and gives you courage on YOUR Hero’s Journey. And go get some swag at Stand Up Now Apparel, they are offering all you Basecampers a great deal with 10 % off and free shipping by simply using the code “basecamp”.

Thank you Basecampers and we‘ll see you around the fire next week.

Basecamp for Men E45: Free Yourself from Suffering

E45: Free Yourself from Suffering with Special Guest Sophie McLean

 

E45 Introduction

There seems to be spiritual truths that are trying to find us, you and I. One prominent one is that the ego, or sense of separation, is the chief cause of much of our suffering. This is something that echoes down through the wisdom traditions, particularly from the east.

However, westerners are also awakening from the illusion of the ego. As my guest today so eloquently states, identification with the ego creates an illusory disconnect from Source, or from the Divine.

When you start to see the workings of the ego……..its strategies for keeping itself safe;  its incessant desire to be right and make others wrong; and it’s binary thinking where we draw boundaries between me and my side of the conflict as “the good guys”  and the others on the other side of the conflict or “the bad guys, the idiots, etc”. This is ego identification in action and the primary driver of much of our unhappiness.

Would you like to be truly happier? One sure path is to learn to investigate and dissolve the ego in service to something greater than yourself. See if you can stop trying to get everyone to believe and feel as you do. Let everyone have their particular truth.  Even if it doesn’t jive with your perspective. Try to give everyone space just as you want space to figure things out as well. We really don’t need to feel so distance from one another simply because we disagree about a few things.

Any narrative that has separation built into it is driven by the ego. It’s an easy litmus test. Can we, dear listeners, drop all “us vs. them” thinking? Can we stop polarizing whoever is over there? Can we awaken from the illusion of separation?

Sophie McLean Bio-

My guest today is an exceptional wisdom teacher. Someone who has stood at the front of the room and helped usher in new possibilities and new understanding for those in attendance.

She’s been a helicopter pilot, a teacher, a designer, a relief worker, a war refugee, and a CEO.

As a wisdom teacher, Sophie has spent decades leading transformational seminars to over 80,000 people around the world, of all ethnicities, ages, religions and social backgrounds.

Her seminar topics span both human and metaphysical dimensions and touch on such topics  such as: deconstructing the ego, consciousness, the nature of fear, relationships, spirituality, the dynamics of the feminine and the masculine, and how to make a  difference in the world.

Sophie’s new book The Elegance of Simplicity is a compelling, thought-provoking work of autobiographical fiction.

Basecamp for Men E20: What Death Teaches Us

Mountain scenery

I recently came across a hospice article on the top five regrets that those who are dying have. It got me thinking about death and what it can teach us about life. Here are the top five regrets that those at the end are susceptible to have….