Finding our way home with the I AM Project

 I have had a nagging question that I have had running through my mind these past weeks around culture and how do we define it? My first impulse is to think of places where there has been a long history of “being” that is consistent with that region, as in “Indian Culture, Jamaican Culture, Portuguese Culture”. This could include traditional ways of preparing food, the type of food consistent with that region, the religious practices, and daily cultural or traditional rituals.

Many of these practices evolved over thousands of years and were again, consistent with a geographical region and the people that inhabited that space. We understand that from a scientific point of view that this process of consistent environmental influence over time is a powerful driver on how our biology evolves, our immunity, our tolerance for certain types of environments, right down to the type of spiritual practices we adopted as we strove to make sense of our place in the universe by reading signs in the world we could perceive around us.

So, it might be fair to conclude that culture is not something we merely a reflection of our ancestry and their rituals, but it is something that over time has become an integral part of our DNA that influences where in the world we feel more comfortable, the type of foods that work for us, and the even the driver behind our quest around spirituality.

 The reason for this introspection is that I sense a growing desire in the world, a desire for community, for rituals, as we see the word “tribe” show up more and more in the social media feed. The longing and seemingly disconnectedness so many are expressing currently is possibly much more powerful driver than just a feeling we are having collectively, it is our very DNA demanding that we return to roots for our survival.

 As I continue to explore the depth and powerful possibilities that are opening for participants through the I AM Project, at its very core is the roadmap for us to return home, home to what feels connected, safe and familiar. Welcome home!

C. David Gilks Your Fellow Traveler