7 Questions for Joshua Rose :)

1. What's your favourite food ever? Like if you were to only be able to eat one dish for the rest of your life what would it be?

A. my favourite food that I could eat everyday would have to be cucumber avocado sushi with extra ginger and wasabi in my soy sauce.

2. What animal do you most identify with?

A. Definitely birds because we both love the summer in Canada, when there's actually a reason to go outside .. haha (not a huge fan of freezing here in the winter).

3. What is the dumbest thing you've ever done?

A. Hmmm... That would have to be cutting the top of my thumb off with a machete, opening a coconut in Costa Rica when I was 11. It actually grew back about 3 quarters of the way to its original size but it's still not the same. I like to say I left a part of me there.. Yep. I can still play guitar though :)

4. Do you work out at all?

A. I do a bit of basic exercise like push-ups and sit-ups, upside down pull ups from time to time (trying to make it more frequent), but most of my workout comes from skateboarding everywhere, especially when I go to the skatepark and actually do tricks.

5. What's the most important thing in life?

A. The most important thing in life to remember is that no one makes it out alive.. so don't take anything too seriously, and that if you have a talent don't ignore it. You will be so happy you pursued it in the end!

6. Why did you choose the vegan lifestyle?

A. I'm vegan because I don't see the point in having an animal as a pet, and then eating steak for dinner, and because it's easier on the digestive system, and it's healthy. He list goes on.

7. What would you like to leave as your mark on this planet?

A. I would like to change this world by doing the best I can to be creative whether it be through tattooing or painting, playing guitar or skateboarding. If I can inspire a few people to try something different and fun then that's some kind of change :)

Bonus Question!
Q. What's your most embarrassing moment?

A. My most embarrassing moment was probably when I had to go to picture day with a big scab on my forehead because some kid got a cut on his leg and everyone was paying him attention, so I decided I to cut my forehead on purpose... yeah I know.
Thats up there with cutting my thumb off on my list of stupid moments. Should have listened more to my mother!..

Thanks Josh! You're the best.

Coming from Lack or Abundance:

Hey guys, I've had really amazing experiences here in Costa Rica, and I thought I'd write a little about one thing in particular: approaching life from a place of lack versus from a place of abundance.

The other night I sat on the beach with the full moon beaming down on me, and even though there was a fire surrounded by people close by I chose to sit by myself and just be. I had build this circle of stones the week before and I sat in the middle of it, fixing up the stones that had been moved out of place by people walking by. I use this circle to meditate, but as I was rebuilding it I questioned whether I was building a wall to separate myself from everyone else, and old thoughts of feeling like a bit of a loser as a child and teenager crept up on me. 

I thought about it for a while and decided that it wasn't that at all. I just love to be alone to think sometimes, or to have a meaningful conversation with one person, and I often feel like groups of people are incapable of anything but chitchat and banter because in order to have meaning we must open ourselves up and be very personal, which is a lot to risk in groups. I felt a bit better, and continued to meditate, asking to meet my spirit guides.

Anyway while I was sitting there a fifteen year old boy came and sat next to the circle and started talking to me. I felt annoyed by this intrusion and I answered curtly that I was fine thank you, and then turned my attention back to the ocean. I could sense that he felt really awkward and eventually he got up and skipped away. I felt horrible. I know that everyone is our mirror, and that I had just treated this kid like he wasn't worth talking to. I wished he would come back so I could have a second chance at treating him better. 

Well about a half hour later he came back and sat on the other side of the circle. He asked me why I was sitting alone and not by the fire with everyone else. I told him I like to meditate and be alone sometimes. I asked where his parents were and he said Dominicalito, which is the next town over. He had no tent, and told me he was cold, so I went to my tent to give him some clothes that would be a bit warmer, and asked him why he was here and not at home. He said he couldn't go back because there were problems, and I asked whether the problem was something he had done or his family. He welled up, paused and said it was his family. I didn't pry him any more, but said good night and went to bed. 

The next morning I saw him walking towards me and I felt annoyed again, thinking he was going to keep hanging around me like I was his mother or something. I talked with him for a bit as I ate my salad, and realized he was probably hungry, and since I was full I handed the bowl to him to finish. He ate the whole thing, and then I told him "I don't have very much money, just enough for my food.", so he would know not to keep coming around... Then I realized that I was coming from a place of lack instead of coming from a place of abundance, and it prompted me to say "I will make vegetables and rice for dinner if you'd like some.". He said thank you and left. 

My money has been running out way quicker than I anticipated, and I have been feeling a bit stressed out about some difficulties I've been having with technology regarding a couple of programs I'm using for the Good In Tent Project here. Things are much slower here because it's hot, the wifi goes out, and I need to plug in to a source of power, which means I have to buy something from a restaurant to power up my laptop and cameras. I also have to get my water, filter it with my gravity filter, do my laundry in a bucket by hand, go to the market for fruits and veggies, and also film footage, upload it (which takes forever here), and then edit it. 

This is the breakdown: I am coming from a place of lack by worrying I will run out of money and therefor the project I created will be ruined by my need to return home to a crappy job, which means I have failed. I lose my connection to the universe when I think small like that. Thinking in an expansive way is much healthier and brings that positivity right back to us. 

I looked over at the pile of coconuts next to my tent, and remembered other food that friends have brought me, so I had plenty to share in this moment. Who knows what can happen in the next. So I decided to invite a couple of other friends to dinner as well. If I feel good about things it always attracts more good things into my life, so here's to seeing the beauty in everything and everyone :) 

I hope you all have a thoughtful, creative and beautiful day!
From somewhere on the beach in Costa Rica,

John Lewis is so BadAss. Happy Birthday, Love!

Man this pic was taken the summer of 2000- wow things were so different! I was 23 years old and had no clue what I was going to do with my life. Funny thing was that I didn't care either. 

At this point I never thought I would graduate college or earn an M.B.A. For that matter. Never thought I would be vegan... EVER. Never thought I would own my company. Never thought I would actually have a product that people love. Never thought I would help to motivate so many people to improve their lives... But with all of those "Nevers"... I never spoke that word, I just didn't have that mind frame at the time. 

I always knew that I would do something with my life and that my life was not mine alone... I knew that in order for me to have a great life I had to help others in the process! I also knew that just because at 23 I had no clue what the hell I wanted to do with my life, but it didn't matter as long as I kept pushing and stayed focused on being the best JOHN LEWIS I can be that everything will fall into place!

I share this because too many times we focus on what other people have to say, but we don't focus our own positive energy on what it takes to get where we want to be. It's not going to be easy but it is so worth it. And no excuse in the book will save you from your own self sabotage. I know it can be tough, but fuck that... You are tougher than whatever life can throw at you... And before you think I can't relate... I have been over 300lbs, lived in my car, lost loved ones, countless injuries, damn near died on a couple occasions (car accident where car was totalled) had thousands of dollars stolen from me (some so called friends have stolen thousands themselves)... You name it, I have been through it, but 3 things never changed:

1) I smile every day 

2)I work my ass of to improve everyday

3) remember that I am here to help all living things.

I hope this helps some of you, cause I know how it is! #badassvegan#badasspowercookie #vegan #tbt #wow #teambav