September, 2024.

Dear Reader,

Do you believe that freedom is something we achieve or uncover?

Your task is not to seek for love,

but merely to seek and find

all the barriers within yourself

that you have built against it.

~ Rumi

I’ve noticed that every challenge I want to resolve comes with a process and becomes a project—just one more project for this already busy life. Is it possible that some challenges or problems are meant to be left as they are, without resolution?

The mistake in my book and the solution

Please read from the beginning to the end, as I will be presenting a sequence that should help me frame the problem and the solution:

Look carefully at the following bold letters: Fear Enough, Deconstructing Fear and Understanding Failure. Have you spotted the problem?

Scenario 1: I realize there are moments in my day-to-day life that seem to dissolve the effects of undetected patterns of fear. These moments come when I enjoy what I’m doing—like when I’m working in my orchard and tasting an apple fresh from the tree. In that instant, nothing else matters, and my mind goes blissfully blank, even if only for a short while.

Scenario 2: In contrast, when something triggers anger or sadness in me, everything feels heavier and more difficult. My mind fills with racing thoughts, my energy drains and the weight of that negativity can last for days.

Do you notice the common denominator in these two scenarios?

It’s easier to be fearless when the mind is calm.

If this is true, learning to calm the mind may save us from having to always deconstruct our patterns. I’m not suggesting that one method should replace the other, but increasing our experience of a calm mind can certainly have a positive impact.

Yes, meditation and mindfulness have become mainstream practices, but here’s where it often goes wrong: when meditation is used as just another goal or technique to control the mind, it rarely brings the calm we seek. The truth is, that most people get stuck using meditation as a ‘mind-made’ trick. But if we meditate—or simply rest with a calm mind—without trying to achieve anything, just for the sake of observing and resting, the benefits come naturally. The time spent lost in uncontrollable thoughts decreases on its own.

Who are you without your thoughts?

If you find it hard to calm your mind, here’s a question that may help: Who are you without your thoughts? Can you see that you continue to be yourself, even when not thinking?

When we see that we are not simply a product of our thoughts—that the personality we have is a complex story, a collection of thoughts and abstractions—then we begin to expand our idea of the self. This expansion takes us beyond thoughts, concepts, and memories, opening up a calmer, more spacious way of being.

The premise of my book is Deconstructing Fear and Understanding Failure, which works intellectually and psychologically. But the book will feel more complete when I can also present alternatives for calming the mind—ways to experience more joy, more often, without the conditional mindset of “if I meditate, then I will feel better.”

I hope this message inspires some reflection. In any case, I wish you a positive end of September and a great start of October!

Jose.

One-on-one mentorship

I've been mentoring people for years, and now I'm turning that passion into something more structured. The debate between offering free mentorship and charging for it has often made me hesitant to fully commit. But this time, I'm doing things differently.

I’m offering one-to-one sessions without any strings attached, with limited slots available. Contributions are entirely optional—whether it’s through a donation or by volunteering your time to help me with tasks like translations, social media posting, or other areas you’re skilled in.

If you need someone to talk to or a fresh perspective on your challenges, I’m here for you:

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