I have a book on my coffee table called the “Selfish Gene”, and though I have not yet gone through its pages as of yet, my mind was playing around with the title and the possible ramifications of indeed, our genes are ”selfish”. I remember a conversation with someone about 3 years ago who achieved three degrees before the age of 27 and looked at the world in a very analytical way, and they dissected it all down to base level. What came out of the conversation was interesting in that we looked at the driver behind many human needs and desires, and from one vantage point it would appear that most, if not all, human tendencies are driven by a self-serving mechanism. For example, when we look at generosity, the act of giving of one’s self in money, deed or time, causes our brain to give us a little spike of dopamine, which makes us feel good, and if we feel good by acting in such a manner, then we would probably repeat the process, but for the act itself or...

I spent the first half of my life not knowing that life could be different, then spend the next portion living in fear and mistrust afraid that the worst part of me would be dragged out into the light for all to see. Even when trying to leave the ghost behind, they would show up from time to time reminding me of my unworthiness to have a better life, to be happy. Even those closest to me would remind me of my poor beginnings and the path I traveled suggesting that I had a permanent flaw that could not be undone. It wasn’t until I started to study great works from Dr. Dyer, Robert Holden and other great writers, that I discovered three important things..
1) That which others incriminate you for speaks more about their need to judge and incriminate than your supposed sin. When the actions of others bother you, it is a sign to look inside and see where your growth is lacking.
2) Life is about contrast. What I mean is simply this, we need to have a series of experiences that we can...

As I watch the setting of the sun
My thoughts drift to contemplating
Of how and why I am here
Is there really an answer to questions I pose

Life offers more questions it seems
As my thoughts turn inward
Searching my soul for answers
As to where do I belong

I know what I do
But I do not know who I am
I know the functions I serve
But is there a bigger plan

Who is the man that is
The lover and the father
The son and the scholar
The leader and the follower

The questions I ask are to small it seems
For the roles we all play
Are much larger than our small minds
Could every comprehend

So I relax into my thoughts
Knowing that the divine will always provide
The path and the tools that will take me
To the place that I belong

I already home

C. David Gilks Your Fellow Traveler

I have spent the last couple of months working my way through an amazing book called “Power vs. Force”. The author, Dr. David Hawkins is a psychiatrist, medical doctor as well as a spiritual researcher, and the content and messages derived from this amazing book seemed to pull together every book I have ever read on personal development. The book was exploring the “maps of human consciousness” and the various levels we exist in is often called the “unified field” or the natural energy system we are all comprised of and connected to. There were so many amazing pieces that I strive to remember, but one that stood out in my mind above all others was this statement was that “ 85% of the worlds population is below the critical level of 200, which is the frequency of courage, for below courage exist pride, fear, anger, apathy, grief and desire.” When we live in the low energy patterns of these emotions we cannot see the possibilities that...

I sat wrestling with the “I” in my mind
The “I” who was not worthy
The “I” who was not capable
The “I” who was not loveable

But if I can witness the “I” in my mind
Then the “I” cannot be me
For if “I” can observe the “I” that “I” am
Than “I” cannot be the observer
And the observed at the same time

I am free

C. David Gilks Your Fellow Traveler

Over twenty-two years I started studying in an effort to build a new career, a new life plan. Up till that point my life was quite empty in many ways, though it appeared I was having the time of my life traveling the globe. What I was doing in essence was running away from myself, but as the saying goes “no matter where I go, there I am”. The very first book I read was “ I am Joes Body” which was a great book where the body was describing itself and all its functions, and it was this first book that started my journey as an explorer and a researcher of everything related to human development.

My fascination grew as I realized that one, I had a unique mind that seemed to hold onto abstract ideas and concepts easily, and secondly, I recognized there was a need to share all the amazing discoveries I had discovered between the pages of all the books I had read. I remember being in a gym training and as I looked around I was aware at how many people were wandering...

Due to the extended amount time I have had alone with my thoughts here in Nicaragua and my ever curious mind, I took to wondering how much of my life actually was traumatic and how much of it was it safe. The reason for the thought process was generated by two things, firstly, I have big goals for next year and I was accepted into a master mind group of 20 individuals who are focused on creating massive impact in the world and for their own businesses. Secondly, I came across a video by Carolyn Myss, who I have been a fan of for a few years, and she punched me in the throat with her wisdom and no bullshit way of getting the point across, we truly need more people like her in the world.
Let’s start with what Carolyn Myss had provided me with, which was basically this, “Liars will never heal”. Okay, if you ever listened to Carolyn Myss you know she is a straight shooter, and her objective is to get us out of rut quickly, and she was talking about the years wasted...

A while ago I was struggling to put together some material for a leadership course I am involved in and I finally found out why. Over the years I have been an avid student of the mind ~ body ~ spirit and the journey has been incredible. What I have learned and been able to share with others has been such a joy, it has become my life’s work. Yet, despite all the knowledge accrued over these past twenty years or so there are still areas that show up where all my knowledge doesn’t help, where everything I have ever learnt seems to simply disappear like mist in the morning sun. I cannot tell you how frustrating that is, to know better but not be able to do better.
For example, I started weight training at the age of 13 but I did not step on a stage to compete until the age of 47, it took 34 years for me to get to a place where I had the courage to step on stage and be judged by others. Was that the piece, the being judge by others, the reason why we don’t do better? Or...

I had the honor to speak to a group of like-minded people last night in Sylvan Lake about the power of self-awareness and this is some of what I shared. In my studies these past 20 years I have discovered a few simple truths as I have come to understand them regarding self awareness. The first truth I have come to understand is that you cannot believe everything you think. The random impulses of ideas, concepts and judgements need to be screened as they enter our minds before we give them credence. Quiet often echoes from the past jump into the forefront of our mind and demand our attention and we are often mislead by their message of lack, fear or shame. The second truth I have come to understand is that there is a universal law that states everything must change, going from being organized and in flow to being pushed into a more chaotic state as a way to force growth to a high level of consciousness. This process happens over and over throughout our lives and is a law, not a...

I haven’t written much in a while, perhaps because I’ve been focused on getting back into reading and doing more Vlog’s than blogs, but that is something I wish to change. When I write, I feel more like a painter, and with a pallet of letters and words I can create far more expressively than the spoken word. I know that people today are so busy now that they won’t read a long article, that the average attention span of most people today prevents them engaging with anything too wordy (is that meaning books as well??) But do I want to encourage more “shallow thinking” or do I wish to encourage deeper introspection? With so much “fast food information” available, I think that many of us are losing the ability to think deeply, have a lateral imagination, and with not exercising the brain, our brain health even suffers.

The reason for digging into heavier topics is the same reason I work out, to challenge the muscles of my body, including...