Did you ever see the Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan comedy movie — Joe vs the Volcano? It came out in 1990. It was a quirky and cute film about a depressed guy working in a crappy job and suffering from a brain cloud after he was diagnosed with a terminal illness who was hired by a billionaire to jump into a volcano in a south pacific. What’s the movie really about? The inner struggle of life and knowing what’s important… and about how we fall into that trap of making decisions based on fear rather than living a life being fulfilled.

In the video below I will play a clip from the movie where the Tom Hanks character is about to board a boat, and the Meg Ryan character is telling Tom Hanks about what her father told her about the world.. Here is that clip.

What does that mean… that 1% of the world, who are awake are in a state of constant total amazement while the other 99% are asleep? Is there something in life that the 99% may not be seeing or experiencing. Does the 1% that are in a state of constant total amazement have a special power or aliveness that enhances the quality of their life? What do I even mean by joining this 1% club and living in that state of total amazement? Is this a real thing, or just a Hollywood storyline? If it is a real thing, is it something you should be a part of? And what do you get for being a part of the 1% club? Let’s find out. Watch this.

THE SECRET TO HAPPINESS

How You Can Live in A State of Constant Total Amazement

This movie… Joe vs the Volcano was produced by Steven Spielberg, and though not a blockbuster and not even the best of Spielberg… it was great in its own way for the message it conveyed.

It’s about having the courage to prioritize happiness over all the other B.S. that life throughs at you.. and being able to see it… but there is something more here… and I want to share it with you because its important. Really important.

When we meet Joe, he’s working in the world’s worst office: the fluorescent lights overhead buzz and pop, there are no windows, and Joe’s nightmarish day consists of punching in and punching out as we hear this song playing during his tediously boring workday Joe knows the job is robbing him of his soul (“I’m losing my soul”, Joe says, in one of the film’s many, to point moments). Joe feels trapped. Where else would he go? What else would he do? Can’t pay bills without a paycheck, right?

Upon being diagnosed with a “brain cloud” — a death sentence he is led to believe, Joe finds the courage to quit his job, and is convinced — as well as given a bunch of money — to sail to an island and jump into a volcano… which is planned by the billionaire played by Lloyd Bridges, cause he wants the islands indigenous people to sign over some mineral rights.

Anyway the message is clear — you’ll never be truly free as the opening to the film tells us… if you’ve sold your soul to the company store. But there is something more than just that, and it happens in a key scene in the movie… after Joe and the Meg Ryan character’s boat is lost at sea and they are floating on some luggage tied together. Joe is almost dead from dehydration, and then the moon rises — and its huge — and he stands and sees this amazing full moon, and it hits him…like someone just flipped a switch in his mind and he thanks God for his life and for the first time realizes “it”.

That state of total constant amazement.

We are going to explore that state of constant total amazement — which is for real. The truth is 99% (or more) of the world is mostly asleep — flatliners is what I call them.

They are sleepwalking thru life and barely experiencing the majesty and gift of a beautiful tapestry of life all around them, and then there are the one percenters. Those handful of people that are awake… see and experience their daily existence on an entirely different level.

We are going to talk about what it means to be part of the 1% club, and not only what you see and experience differently than the rest of humanity only gets occasional glimpses of — but how to get there. How to pierce that self-imposed ‘brain cloud’ veil — and create a new mind. One that allows you to see, and experience a new reality right before your very eyes. As if God suddenly turned on a light switch and illuminated the world.

Hang in there with me… as its important to get to the punch line as there is a huge pay-off if stay with this narrative.

What if you had more money.. lets say all the money in the world… does that automatically make you happier and a 1% percenter? No. It certainly does not.

What is the point of having more money than you need? Security? Comfort? Sure. Those are all good reasons. To accomplish big projects — yes of course. But it doesn’t make you a 1 percenter, nor does it make you happy. Nothing wrong with having money and being comfortable, unless its an obsession and then it’s a problem. In fact it may remove you from the process of struggling and seeking, which is a big part of feeling more alive.

Let’s delve down into this idea a bit, because there is something to be revealed here, that is significant.

There Is an inventor and author who I admire greatly. You may have head of him — his name was Buckminster Fuller. He was called earth’s friendly genius. You may recognize him by of one his many inventions — the geodesic dome. Or the word synergy which he invented. His story is an interesting one and he is definitely someone worth studying. In his early career he invented lots of things, but was a failure in business. He would invent things and then try and get them funded and people would steal his ideas and the business would eventually fail. Pretty much everything he tried in his early years failed.

He reached a pivotal point in 1927 at the age of 32. Fuller lost his job, his family had no savings, and the birth of his daughter added to the many financial challenges. Fuller drank heavily and in the autumn of 1927 contemplated suicide by drowning himself in Lake Michigan, so his family could benefit from a life insurance payment.

Then something happened. As he was about to throw himself in the lake (in a way — it was a bit like what happened to our Joe Banks character in Joe vs the Volcano) he became suspended several feet above the ground enclosed in a white sphere of light. A voice spoke directly to Fuller, and said this:

“You do not have the right to eliminate yourself. You do not belong to you. You belong to the Universe. Your significance will remain forever obscure to you, but you may assume that you are fulfilling your role if you apply yourself to converting your experiences to the highest advantage of others.”

Fuller later wrote that this experience led to a profound re-examination of his life. He ultimately chose to embark on “an life experiment”, to find out what a single individual could do — by contributing to changing the world and benefiting all of humanity.

His life experiment was basically this…he would study the principles that govern the universe and be ALIGNED to them — never against them — in such a way that it would advance the evolution of humanity in accordance with them, by finding ways to doing more with less, so that all people everywhere can have more. He saw himself as a Guinea pig for God and would document his life as experiment to see if this idea would succeed.

Just before he died in 1983 here is what he said; “I am now close to 88 and I am confident that the only thing important about me is that I am an average healthy human. I am also a living case history of a thoroughly documented, half-century, search-and-research project designed to discover what, if anything, an unknown, moneyless individual, with a dependent wife and newborn child, might be able to do effectively on behalf of all humanity that could not be accomplished by great nations, great religions or private enterprise, no matter how rich or powerfully armed.”

And indeed his life — his experiment was a huge success. As a pioneer in thinking globally, inventing things in the fields of architecture, engineering and design, his life and ideas still impact all of us to this day. His greatest discovery of all — was what he observed in nature and used it as a tool for his future inventions. This allowed him to see things from an entirely new perspective. He called this — the principle of precession… an idea that if you chose to apply it in your life, will change how you see the universe and your role in it and likewise how you are rewarded by it.

PRECESSION is a powerful idea that can change your perspective on the “Struggle of your life” as I like to call it.. and I think add to your aliveness in totally unexpected ways — that will have you going huummmmmmm a lot.

Let me get into that now.

The concept of precession developed by Buckminster Fuller (Bucky as his friends call him) is basically an observation of nature and how it functions. It’s the effect that bodies in motion have on each other — that PRECEEDS them causing an effect. (thus the terms precession) Let me give you an example.

The gravitational attraction of the sun and moon are what cause the Earth to act in a certain way. The sun and the earth are both bodies in motion… and despite the 180 degree gravitational pull of the “in-motion” sun on an “in-motion” earth. It’s ‘precession’ that makes the Earth orbit around the sun in a direction that is at 90 degrees — a right angle to the direction of the Suns gravitation pull. This effect is something we never think about, but its just how the solar system works.

If you drop a stone in water…you get a ripple effect spreading out at 90 degrees to direction of the dropped stone. Nature replicates this presessional effect everywhere.

The best story Fuller tells of it…is of the honey bee. The honey bee is out collecting nectar from plants to bring back to its home to make honey — which is the food for the hive. At 90 degrees to his body along his flight path his legs inadvertently gather pollen from one flower and then “accidentally” take this pollen to the next flower — resulting in cross pollination. This process contributes to life on earth in a very big way. The bee is completely unaware of the important role that he plays in pollination of plants, as he is very busy collecting the honey he needs for his family to survive.

This precessional affect occurs everywhere, and in most things…we just don’t see it. It happens with all of us in the modern human kingdom too. When we are out to achieve a goal in life, we are in motion and going about our business…and the side effect is there is ALWAYS a precessional effect, that is mostly unpredicted by our original actions.

Let me explain further…

Humans are creatures seeking money, like the bee does in collecting honey. When we go for a job, start a new business — its part of our survival method in society to seek out ways to create income and earn money. Like a honey bee — we go after money, which is our form of honey. We are a body “in motion” bumping into other bodies “in-motion” and as we do this, we can’t help but have a precessional effect on other things we — bump into…the people we encounter, the things we make… and the things that fall out at 90 degrees from our honey-money seeking path. We touch others lives and add to the greater good in ways we never see. Its a “side effect” of bodies in motion … our labors — our creativity stir the universe in a certain way.

This is important. Bucky saw all this — these “side effects” — as in fact natures MAIN effects. The point of the honey bee chasing from flower to flower collecting honey, oblivious to the reality of its main purpose, which is is a very important one in nature.

Once Bucky realized this — and it was a true revelation, he decided to adopt the precessional effect in reverse — making the “side effect” his prime objective for ALL the future projects in his life. In other words, rather than go after the honey-money, he decided if he supported nature as his main model for inventing new things and he was committed to doing the greatest good for humanity and nature that he would automatically be supported by the universe — in the form of whatever he needed. That his actions as a body in motion would provide the money to finance his projects and support himself and his family. Just as the honey bee operated — adding value to the system of what nature supported already — the universe will provide. He trusted this because this is how nature is designed to work. According to his theory it has to — and by simply staying in motion…and not being paralyzed by fear or depression, we can have significant positive effects on the overall system and these ‘side effects’ will provide us the individual support we need.

Get it?

This is the unseen hands idea I’ve talked about before— coming out of nowhere to lift you up just at the most desperate moment you need them.

His personal experiment he conducted on himself to prove this theory, was documented over 50 years of this life. His life was the experiement, and his operating principle to apply this precessional concept with everything he did. Was his life a success and did this theory bear fruit? I would say it certainly did — and it certainly did change the world.

If you want to read more about this I highly recommend you read his book Critical Path, by Buckminster Fuller. I think it was one of his last books where he goes into some detail about his like and the future of humanity. It’s a great read.

What does Bucky’s story say about being part of the 1% club. Humans that live in a state of total constant amazement?

I think it is this…

It’s all about the struggle. The journey. This is what stimulates creativity to solve problems — motivates your thinking and makes you more aware and alive. The payoff is living an extraordinary life. A life filled with curiosity and discovery.

Success isn’t measured by what’s in your bank account when you die. Measured by God, its all those flowers you’ve pollenated on your journey.

So how do you then cultivate the fully alive mind — and join this very exclusive club — of 1 percenters who are totally blown away by the experience of living everyday in a state of ecstasy and childlike curiosity? The trick is not having to be diagnosed with a terminal brain cloud and agreeing to jump into an active volcano — before you “get it”. Before you realize — often too late — that you can life fully right now, without any conditions.

There are 3 things that will help you get into the 1% club…and even doing these 3 things doesn’t mean you are there instantly— as it’s a constant transformation battle. A process of awakening that — until like magic everything looks different — and you go from being a flatliner to someone with a pulse — that’s fully awake.

The 3 things are first having a self realization that awakens you, from your slumber. You begin to see the connectedness of all things — how big life really is — and like Bucky and Joe did, what’s been there all along suddenly takes on a new meaning because you really see it for the first time.

This is part of creating that “new mind” you hear me talk about all the time, which doesn’t make sense until you cross over a few times and see what its like on the other side. Once you’ve experienced it — you’ve had numerous glimpses… you start to live it. And the goal is to live it — 100% of the time.. But you need to have this self-realization first — that such a place and a feeling even exists. If now you are like Joe Banks, punching in and out at the company store and losing your soul one day at a time…you may not even be aware such a life, such an awareness even exists.

How do you get this realization process going?

If you are still with me… you obviously know there is something missing or you know what I am talking about. Remember — this is not something you lack or need to acquire…its just a way of seeing. How do you jolt your system out of that ‘flatliner’ state and get a real pulse? Do something that forces you out of your skin. Shift into another gear. Go on a road trip by yourself. Go find that gigantic moon. Chase a sunset. Get out of your comfort zone. Do that research project you keep putting off. Go skinny dipping. Roll down a grass hill like you did when you were a kid. Pull off the road — stop and look around. Hold a newborn in your arms. Pull an item off your bucket list and do it. Give something valuable to someone who needs it and look into their eyes. There is magic going on all around you, you just have to go find it.

The second thing…which may be part of your self-realization — and something that will jolt you out of your slumber is this —

You are going to die. Let me repeat that. You — are — going — to — die. Shocking? Not really, but blunt perhaps. Most of us never think about it because its too frightening. I suggest you revel in it…because it will shock you awake. Look at the 2 characters I used as examples in this report. One fictional and one real. Both had transformational experiences at the moment they decided they were doing to die and something intervened. The moment of death — brought them to life. Like I said you are going to die. Realize the power in that. And then realize that today is NOT that day.

You are alive and you are privileged to live this day and do your best to soak it all up. Sounds silly. But it can be transformational. Most people are afraid to even think about it, but that’s what’s silly.

I am going to die. But not today. Today I am going live. It may nudge you into seeing and doing something you would not normally do because of that thought — and that’s what you want. To capture that glimpse and those internal feelings of aliveness. Remember when you are dead and gone, you can’t spend any of that money or vacation time in your bank account. Accept death and then accept life. Today is all you got to work with, so make it count.

And the third thing is — to Surrender. Surrender your life. Stop fighting who you are. You are unique in all the universe. There is no one like you. Stop trying to be someone else. Stop putting on airs. Stop pretending. Accept who YOU are right now, your limitations, and everyone else’s limitations. See past all your self-judgments.

You’ve heard the idea of love yourself first? Well accepting who you are and being authentic about it to the world — showing that you do love yourself and all your flaws and limitations — creates a glow. A genuine spark of life. There’s a whole other conversation about living an authentic life and the personal power that brings, and how to go about it — but it helps if you actively practice mindfulness. Soaking up the sensory pleasures that surround you.

Mindfulness is kind of a new word that gets tossed around without people really knowing what it means, but the idea is to embrace everything. Look at the birds, the leaves on the trees, look more closely than you ever have at the amazing tapestry of life all going on around you that most of us sleepwalk through. The colors and the smells are something not to be taken for granted.

What are you focusing on anyway these days? Remember its not what you look at the matters its what you see. The eyes can’t see — if the mind is blind. So open up.

And before I go, make certain you see the final clip in the Joe vs The Volcano video I shared. At the end of the movie — after they get blown out of the volcano and are floating on ocean again on those steamer trunks… Meg Ryan tells him he never really had a brain cloud — it was all a made up story to get Joe to go on the venture — and then she asks him “I wonder where will end up?” He answers…as far away from the things of man as possible. Why is that significant? Because that’s where you’ll most often find your aliveness.

Go make it so.

Successfully yours,

Dane Spotts
ZYGON MIND COACH

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