Your "checklist for serene living" caught my attention, Diamond-Michael. There are several aspects of your checklist that resonate for me when I consider my choice to live in Jamaica and there are a few points that give me pause. I have found it challenging here to have community with like-minded people and I would say that there are gaps with cultural alignment, accessibility to essentials, and noise levels (playing ridiculously loud music and maybe even more than one person doing so at a time is common here!). When I mention cultural alignment, I am thinking about the strong desire of many Jamaicans I know to leave Jamaica for "better" opportunities abroad which has an effect on people getting positively involved in "improving" Jamaica because they just want to leave (there is also a huge amount of corruption here and some of it is obvious while I'm sure there is a lot I have no idea about and this is affecting "improvement" as well). I won't even get into the rampant homophobia on the island...There is a lot of garbage around Jamaica and I often see locals throwing it out of their cars which is disheartening to witness. I cannot go to a beach without seeing some garbage unless you are in the very tourist-y parts of the island where you have to pay a lot of money to even enter the beach (and that's not where I live). With all of that said, my soul was called here and feels the most peace and contentment here despite these challenges. For me, Jamaica embodies the perfectly imperfect life on this planet and allows me lesson after lesson to cultivate inner peace and equanimity. Perhaps the heart of serene living begins and ends in our inner world and we just may be lucky enough to find a place in the external world that meets all, most, or some of the aspects on your checklist. Thank you for giving my mind something to play with this morning with your article! A deep bow and a lotus for you 🙏🪷🩵✨
One of my favorite things about your writing is how often you can move my perspective outside of my personal experience. I fell in love with Fort Collins when I moved here in 1997 and still haven’t left. It feels more like home than my hometown of Pueblo ever did. Your eloquence reminded me of the qualities I love about FoCo. Our respect and love for nature, activity, and community, plus the youthful atmosphere. I certainly look to the nearby hills for peace and grounding my being. However, with the increased traffic and impatience I notice in many drivers, it has diminished my love for our growing city. I have dreamed of moving to smaller areas like Estes Park. As that is not possible yet, you remind me (as Debbie stated well) my inner world may need more cultivation to come back into the ‘heart of serene living’. Fort Collins is by far more peaceful and an easier place for that than Denver! Thank you for helping me see this lovely place in a renewed way again.
Will catch up with you when I have more focus to spare. My husband is newly recovering from knee surgery, which means I am on call while recovering too! I am also a great fan of Deanna Thomas, and I will also spread the word about the Chocolate Taoist to my community and friends. Catch me at Lessons from the Horse’s Mouth. I am not the horse’s mouth by the way. Ma mare teaches me.
You are so welcome. And I am so grateful for your willingness to become a paid subscriber. In the meantime, let’s catch up for coffee sometime here in FoCo so I can return the favor.
Hi Deanna. It’s always great hearing from you. What else are you discovering about life these days?
Favor to ask, any chance you could spread the word about the Chocolate Taoist to your community and friends?
I am in need of some additional paid subscribers to continue to stay afloat. Whether it’s monthly at $6.00 or annually at $60.00, every little bit counts.
Times are tough but I am in a good mindset, giving each day my all. I’m sure you’re doing the same.
I am fascinated and moved by your thoughts here. It helped dispel some of my notions of Jamaica being some sort of elysian fantasy land. So well articulated and I am forever grateful as always for your willingness to share. Peace 💕
Denver was that place in the late 80s when I moved there. Nice manageable town with all the boxes checked. I left in 2014 and can’t stand it anymore. They call it progress 🙄
Your "checklist for serene living" caught my attention, Diamond-Michael. There are several aspects of your checklist that resonate for me when I consider my choice to live in Jamaica and there are a few points that give me pause. I have found it challenging here to have community with like-minded people and I would say that there are gaps with cultural alignment, accessibility to essentials, and noise levels (playing ridiculously loud music and maybe even more than one person doing so at a time is common here!). When I mention cultural alignment, I am thinking about the strong desire of many Jamaicans I know to leave Jamaica for "better" opportunities abroad which has an effect on people getting positively involved in "improving" Jamaica because they just want to leave (there is also a huge amount of corruption here and some of it is obvious while I'm sure there is a lot I have no idea about and this is affecting "improvement" as well). I won't even get into the rampant homophobia on the island...There is a lot of garbage around Jamaica and I often see locals throwing it out of their cars which is disheartening to witness. I cannot go to a beach without seeing some garbage unless you are in the very tourist-y parts of the island where you have to pay a lot of money to even enter the beach (and that's not where I live). With all of that said, my soul was called here and feels the most peace and contentment here despite these challenges. For me, Jamaica embodies the perfectly imperfect life on this planet and allows me lesson after lesson to cultivate inner peace and equanimity. Perhaps the heart of serene living begins and ends in our inner world and we just may be lucky enough to find a place in the external world that meets all, most, or some of the aspects on your checklist. Thank you for giving my mind something to play with this morning with your article! A deep bow and a lotus for you 🙏🪷🩵✨
One of my favorite things about your writing is how often you can move my perspective outside of my personal experience. I fell in love with Fort Collins when I moved here in 1997 and still haven’t left. It feels more like home than my hometown of Pueblo ever did. Your eloquence reminded me of the qualities I love about FoCo. Our respect and love for nature, activity, and community, plus the youthful atmosphere. I certainly look to the nearby hills for peace and grounding my being. However, with the increased traffic and impatience I notice in many drivers, it has diminished my love for our growing city. I have dreamed of moving to smaller areas like Estes Park. As that is not possible yet, you remind me (as Debbie stated well) my inner world may need more cultivation to come back into the ‘heart of serene living’. Fort Collins is by far more peaceful and an easier place for that than Denver! Thank you for helping me see this lovely place in a renewed way again.
Will catch up with you when I have more focus to spare. My husband is newly recovering from knee surgery, which means I am on call while recovering too! I am also a great fan of Deanna Thomas, and I will also spread the word about the Chocolate Taoist to my community and friends. Catch me at Lessons from the Horse’s Mouth. I am not the horse’s mouth by the way. Ma mare teaches me.
Thank you Marilyn. I hope you and your husband are recovering well. In the meantime, I will stay in touch.
You jump started me this morning. Following that little trickle of shared energy.
Excellent! Keep it flowing.
You are so welcome. And I am so grateful for your willingness to become a paid subscriber. In the meantime, let’s catch up for coffee sometime here in FoCo so I can return the favor.
My pleasure. I’d love to meet you in person sometime this Fall and talk over coffee!
https://chocolatetaoist.substack.com
Hi Deanna. It’s always great hearing from you. What else are you discovering about life these days?
Favor to ask, any chance you could spread the word about the Chocolate Taoist to your community and friends?
I am in need of some additional paid subscribers to continue to stay afloat. Whether it’s monthly at $6.00 or annually at $60.00, every little bit counts.
Times are tough but I am in a good mindset, giving each day my all. I’m sure you’re doing the same.
I am fascinated and moved by your thoughts here. It helped dispel some of my notions of Jamaica being some sort of elysian fantasy land. So well articulated and I am forever grateful as always for your willingness to share. Peace 💕
Denver was that place in the late 80s when I moved there. Nice manageable town with all the boxes checked. I left in 2014 and can’t stand it anymore. They call it progress 🙄