I have always dreamt of a different world. While I have been inspired by so much greatness throughout my life, i have also found it terribly difficult at times to face and accept the changes necessary to grow towards the higher vision I imagine. Family is without a doubt the strongest link to this evolution of the self and i feel truly blessed to have been born unto a clan of such grace, strength and acceptance. hope comes from love and my family are what keeps me striving towards it. it goes without saying that the tribe started there. In 1994, When I read ishmael, i was nineteen and the world inside my head was spinning out of control. i felt scared and depressed and alone with my thoughts. the gift of my mentor, Daniel quinn, to illuminate with parable and easily explain with story, was like a beam of light shining into the dark and lonely basement of my mind. He introduced me to so many new ideas - particularly during the six months i spent with him in houston, One of the most significant is the recognition that we have evolved, like any species, through a series of trials and errors. ultimately, through countless generations, a tribal social system emerged as the most beneficial to our species. In this system, the individual acts with optimal ability towards fulfilling the requirements of the tribe. this ensures the security and stability of the group thus increasing the individual odds of survival and reproduction. we "civilized" beings may now scoff at looking back upon our ancestry with such respect but, in these times, with more and more young people growing without a sense of belonging or purpose, I believe the lessons of our past have so much to teach us about our future and the tribe is built to do just that. Daniel's books have given so many of his readers such a beautiful appreciation for the wonder of the gods and our place in this community of life and For this, I for one am truly grateful. So here I stand now, armed with a great big fat dream and an unquenchable desire to find hope. I'm setting out upon this big old world to build my own tribe. we won't need to live in mud thatched huts in some remote colony or hunt our own meals on the open plains to acheive social success. instead, I can be on this edge of the computer screen and you at the other and we can share ideas and spread good words and dream big and inspire hope. by acting in our own daily lives of complex and simple choices with understanding, respect and appreciation, we will build something new out of something old. we will push our species further than the limits of financial success. we recognize that from conception to inception a truly great idea is one that works within the laws of life that govern all species. we are but one of many that occupy this world. yes we live here but so do they, and we must learn to share. This life is a wonder and every moment a gift so while you set forth to enjoy it, Go and create something fucking beautiful.