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Earth Whispering

Shifting out of Dreamland

31/10/2018

19 Comments

 
You want to escape the system and find your dream space. You’ve read about it. Googled it to death. You’ve drooled so long and hard over those mud homes and natural wildernesses that you’ve run out of saliva. But for some reason the dreaming never seems to shift into reality. You’re still stuck in your hateful job. You still haven’t found your space. Do you really believe you can? Somehow you can’t pull yourself out of that stale old life, and slide into something dazzlingly and awe-inspiringly new. Why not?

“Why don’t people leap?” Is a question I often ask myself. I would. I’m a leaper. And leapers are always in good spirits when they find they’ve landed in the right place. Because you never quite know for sure, do you? It’s a risk.
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Now I wouldn’t deny, even by my standards this particular leap turned into a somewhat protracted, nail-biting flight. At times I felt I was grabbing at vines and branches to soften the descent. Air currents buffeted me in places, other times I was battling head winds. Even when could clearly see my landing space, it seemed to take an eternity to reach the ground, my heels skidding through the mud never quite coming to a halt.

This month however, it happened. I landed. And such a gratitude has been welling up in me, because my rugged beauty is wonderful. As I potter in and out of my cabanas, I marvel at how perfect these ancient structures are. How useful. How full of character and potential. Each stone is a mottled and magical being waiting to tell me his story.

When I gaze out from the stout coolness of these huts, I see the mountains folding back on themselves in rocky pleats. Each valley hides another world, and another reality. The wind blows. All about me tree fingers are releasing what they have gripped tightly onto all summer, leaves fluttering to the ground like rusty confetti. Some see autumn as an ending, but for me it is often a beginning. An opening into a cave where I find new ideas and inspiration sprouting from the humus of the old.

No longer am I lost and rootless, camping beneath the dictates of the World At Large. I am yet again queen of my domain. I can do whatever. I. like.

Yes I’m a leaper. Because once you’ve sipped from the chalice of freedom, it’s impossible to put up with the dregs convention throws at you. You will leap and leap, on and on, because you know there is nothing to lose and everything to win. Still as I breathe the clean air and feel the land join my heart, I know there are many others still drooling with hunger, still yearning. And yet for some reason unable to make it happen.

Thus this post becomes an odd mixture of whimsy and ideas. There’s an art to making stuff happen you see. And in the light of a few discussions this week, I will try to share some of what I know.
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Doing whatever. I. Want:)
How to Make Stuff Happen
Since the day I started blogging up on Mud Mountain, there has been a continual trickle of emails and correspondences along the lines of: “I’d love to do that. But...” and then out spin the reasons, like a threadbare roll of carpet underlay. This isn’t a judgement. What I hope to point out in this post is that the reason you aren’t going for your dream is not what you think it is. If you want to cling to a reason, it's your call and absolutely your right, but it's incredibly disempowering.

I know some folk just enjoy the dream, and that’s totally acceptable to me. I have dreams I have no intention of fulfilling. Imagining is fun. Whatsmore, I certainly don’t believe everyone should do what I’m doing. Who knows what’s the most fulfilling course of action for you? And there are many different ways to buck The System and be yourself: You could throw on a backpack and travel the world, buy a campervan, leave your job and volunteer in an elephant sanctuary. The most valuable thing anyone can be doing is living from their heart and soul, and if you’ve been so brutalised by The System that you no longer know what they are or yearn for, then the most valuable thing is to take time out to relocate them.

But if you do deeply and truly want a way out, and feel thwarted, then read on. Because the way out is you.
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Obstacles are there to be climbed over. Ask a goat.
The Insurmountable Obstacle
Whenever someone longs for something but doesn't go for it, there’s usually an ‘insurmountable obstacle’ lurking somewhere in their mind. This phantom issue then serves as a buffer from a deeper truth. The person may be afraid to take a chance, or perhaps don't believe they deserve any better, or just can’t muster the willpower to really commit to their dream. To leap.

By far the most common “insurmountable obstacle” I hear about is money. Most folk who come to me saying they don’t have enough funds, have more than I do. I’m not proud of that. I’m not against money either, it’s a very useful and empowering tool. I’m definitely not starting some sort of moneyless woman competition. I’m just pointing it out. Your money limitation cannot be the real reason you’re not living off-grid in nature, because this lifestyle is the most inexpensive there is. Most out-of-system lifestyles are cheap to run. It's 'normal' life that's expensive. So you can do this. That's good news.

Let’s get into some real figures here, only to widen ideas about what is really possible: Currently I’m living a beautiful life in Europe on about 600 Euros a month, and a third of that goes on running The Mud Home website. So in fact I could be getting by on 400 Euros (well below the minimum wage). Europe. This is Europe. Not Asia. Not Turkey (because that was the excuse when I lived there, “oh you’re so lucky, you’re in Turkey, you can’t do that in Europe.”) Don’t cling to the figures though and start using them as another thing to contort your mind around. In Turkey I was getting by (admittedly not very comfortably, yet ecstatically happy) on 150 Euros. Perhaps tomorrow I'll start spending more. Perhaps I'll spend less. I'm not attempting to live the cheapest life on the planet or be better than anyone. I'm just trying to show alternative realities exist, and that the point isn't a number on a spreadsheet. The point is the vision in your soul, and breathing life into it.

The truth about money is, no one ever thinks they have enough. So you’ll never reach the stage when you think you do. Why? Because what you actually want is security, and the brutal fact is there isn’t any. Even if you have a million pounds, or Euros or dollars. That’s why these top CEOs are still raping the planet to eke out a bit more profit. Because in their minds, they still don’t have enough.

This all becomes so clear once you step outside the prison walls of The System, but from within it can be hard to imagine life without: a pension scheme (that you continue to pay into, but may or may not receive), health cover (for the myriad ailments you acquire because life in The System is so unhealthy), a regular salary (to spend on a whole bunch of things you don’t need because you are burned out and miserable).

Of course it’s not just money. There are a plethora of other ‘insurmountable obstacles’ in people’s minds. I'm not making light of people's issues here. We all have our struggles and have to overcome them. Sometimes those difficulties change our paths entirely. But the myth that you can't create a new, inspired life for yourself is both untrue, and cruelly self-limiting.

I’ve met folk who’ve left the system and begun new lives with every single limitation imaginable: Children, age, serious health issues, single, not single, woman, man, in every country in the world people hack their way out of the grind and shimmy off grid to create Edens for themselves. Did they manage it by sitting on Facebook all day? Or by saving money ad infinitum? Or by huffing and puffing and assuming everyone else has it easy? Was it a piece of mud cake for any of them? Nope. These people did it by climbing out of the soft padded cells of their minds, and into the wilderness of real life. At some point they took a risk.
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Jehane Rucqhoi is 84 and building an off-grid earthbag world in Nevada.
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Sophie and Hakan drove 4000 km from Turkey with 4 horses, 2 dogs and a cat to create a new life in Spain.
The Bottom Line
For me there’s only one question you absolutely have to sort out in your mind here. Do you want a new life? Really? If the answer is no then I very much respect you for your honesty. Good for you! Now you are clear, you can focus on what you do want, and go for that. Perhaps you already have it! But if the answer is yes, then it’s time to act. Don't dawdle any longer, because nothing in the world is secure. You have little to lose.

Next month I’ll share my own method for how I go about that. How to get from A to B. How to make big things happen in real life, step by step. Because I think perhaps a lot of the time people just don’t know where to start. It's not an exhortation, just some ideas for what they are worth.

In the meantime I’ll be pottering up on my land, a plot which cost me half the price of Mud Mountain in Turkey yet incredibly is five times larger, with running water, a spring to drink from, and three beautiful stone cabanas on it. And all this in expensive old Europe where apparently no one can do anything because of red tape and high prices. I never believed such a thing was possible, because Europe had long been an insurmountable obstacle to me. Until the day it wasn't. You see it isn’t about the numbers. This world is made of magic stardust, and anything can happen.

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The world is made of magic stardust. Anything can (and will) happen.
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19 Comments
Hazel
1/11/2018 09:21:18 pm

Well, sometimes there are circumstances that stop you short. We sold our home and possessions to travel and RV fulltime in a small caravan in spite of the fact that I was newly diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.

One year later I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Back to sticks and bricks and health care (luckily we’re Canadians). We now have a tiny 1870’s farmhouse on 1.6 acres and are involved in a small, vibrant community of friendly people. We’ve never been happier and can still travel anytime we want.

There are many ways to find freedom and enjoy life.

Reply
Atulya
1/11/2018 11:07:59 pm

Thank you for you comment Hazel. Yes there are so many ways, and all equally valid and valuable. Health is really the most profound limitation, and I notice it's often folk with health issues that take the most risks. Because the illusion of security has become all too clear, and the value of each moment so obvious.

I'm honoured that folk like you read my work, and am inspired by your ability to find happiness and freedom.

Reply
Margaret Stewart link
1/11/2018 11:45:12 pm

Hello Atulya. I am so grateful to you for my leap. I am in the second year of building my earthbag house in Canada. I texted you a while back about my nephew who had brain trauma and the first year he helped me tremendously. It was also a great achievement for him. This year I worked alone on my roof. My roof is a hexadecatron (16 sides) It took me three months to put cedar shingles on the roof! When you see that each row goes up only 4 inches and there is 16 segments of 14 ft you soon learn its not going to be done quickly. I love your blog and love your sense of adventure and fun. I hope you consider getting another dog. You have an amazing property for a enclosed animal to find freedom :) All the best. Margaret

Reply
Atulya
1/11/2018 11:56:05 pm

Oh Margaret, I never forgot that story about you and your nephew. It was amazing and really touched my heart. If you have photos of project, and you want me to write it up, I would love to. Just email me at atulyakbingham@themudhome.com
What you are doing isn't easy. Respect.

Reply
Janette
2/11/2018 12:56:43 am

You're new land is absolutely gorgeous. I enjoy reading your blogs as my mind prepares itself to leap out of this crumbling system and land on my bare feet...
I just haven't figured out where that somewhere is, though I hear it calling my name over and over again.

Reply
Atulya
2/11/2018 11:19:00 am

Thank you Janette! And wishing you all the power to follow the call of your place. What a journey!

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Jewel Casey
2/11/2018 08:29:04 am

You are so absolutely right! We don't manifest what we want; we manifest what we believe.

The land is gorgeous; I look forward to photos of your new home.

An editor's note: Hummus is made from garbanzos; humus is rich, soft compost. :-)

"An opening into a cave where I find new ideas and inspiration sprouting from the hummus of the old."

Reply
Atulya
2/11/2018 11:21:10 am

Ha ha thanks for spotting the spelling error, have corrected it now:)

Reply
Margo
2/11/2018 01:32:32 pm

Keep up the good work Atulya.I live close to the earth in Saladillo,Mazarron,Murcia province,Spain.I want to move up north somewhere around Oviedo in the back of beyond.Which province are you in.
I am a leaper and will be up your way soon.I train horses:natural horsemanship,or natural mulemanship,I suppose natural mulewomanship is a bit of a mouthful.....look forward to seeing you.💖

Reply
Dieter link
4/11/2018 09:27:49 pm

Hi Atulya,

Why on earth do you spend 200 Euros on running a website per month with a budget of 600 in total?

(I am an ex-webdeveloper and the most expensive thing I am running is like 40 Euros / month, which is a virtual server with enough horsepower. Maybe you can cut costs. I am not selling anything here, just want to point out this sounds quite high and maybe you just need more information from technical people out of this internet, some of them may already be readers of your blog like me.)

BTW, I just love your writing style and eagerly await every end-of-the-month for a fresh article. Thank you for taking us all with you on your journey.

Love,
Dieter

Reply
Atulya
5/11/2018 02:31:59 pm

Thanks for your interest Dieter. The server, hosting and website are nothing and cost me less than 40 Euros a month. It's the email list of 10000 plus, off-grid internet (data is expensive in Spain), the platform to hold my online courses, and some virtual assistance because I can't get online all the time to upload things, all of which all add up.

I'm always open to ideas though, as long as they don't reduce the usability of the The Mud Home services, or shackle me to my computer a minute more than I already am, because I'm at the limit of how long I'm prepared to spend online. My passion is building with mud and creative writing, not tech. So if you want to discuss it further, email me at: atulyakbingham@themudhome.com

I should point out though, I'm not really living the way I see most Westerners wanting to live. Money is not my priority. What matters to me is to be happy and fulfilled. So if I save 50 bucks somewhere but have to spend another 10 hours more messing around with tech crap, I'd rather not bother. Some may find this silly, but I find the other way silly. I'm very happy on my 600 bucks, and compared to Turkey I feel rich. No complaints from me:)

Reply
Mike C link
5/11/2018 08:29:48 pm

WOW, I know how to fix your email overload(10,000+), make us FREELOADERS, and I use the term loosely, pay-up, "It's the email list of 10000 plus, off-grid internet (data is expensive in Spain)", now, how can we/you do that, $2.00/mth seems pretty reasonable to me, so maybe your email should only be used for very personal communication and we 'EMAIL FREELOADERS' should HAVE TO sign-up on your EARTH WHISPER BLOG, with maybe a 'ONE TIME' fee of $1, (x10,000 would go along way, or $2-5 being even better)???
"If you enjoy the Earth Whispering Blog and would like to keep it running, please consider making a pledge on Patreon to support it. For just $2 a month you join my private news feed where I post photos of my land developments, and musings I don't wish to share with the world at large, plus a monthly patron-only video". Seems to me that would help relieve the load, especially your personalization of your e's? $10- 50,000+, would go a long way, even if your not interested in money. :>)

Atulya
9/11/2018 10:13:29 pm

Thanks Mike C for your kind interest and input. I didn't want to put it all behind a paywall or charge for email membership for a number of reasons: 1. Some folk in far flung places just can't for one reason or another manage credit cards or financial commitments (in some places people only earn a couple of dollars a day, and some locations' cards are not accepted in international payment systems.) 2. Some folk who appear to be 'freeloaders' may have larger networks and actually share a lot, which spreads the Mud Home posts wider. 3. The public parts of The Mud Home I consider to be in the more general public interest, either for increasing sustainable living awareness or for encouraging a deeper, more thoughtful connection with the natural world. So I prefer, as long as I can, not to reduce their availability. There are more reasons, some to do with web traffic and visibility, which I covered in my Medium article here:https://medium.com/@atulyakbingham/patreon-a-year-on-should-creatives-ask-for-funding-e170763207a3?fbclid=IwAR1E_jSE08eE4IUjaTkDVO88XLxK0nnwce9lejhGQaTOtZ6upm6yjfAPYdQ

Darren Bagley-Heath
5/11/2018 08:17:01 pm

Darling your words resonate so clearly despite the fact that our lifestyles appear so many worlds apart.

Reply
Atulya
7/11/2018 08:03:36 pm

Ah Darren! Indeed we are both leapers:)

Reply
Dee Brown
6/11/2018 12:12:55 pm

I'm ecstatic for you Atulya. What an exquisite piece of heaven you have there and I cant wait to see the alchemy happen; you are amazing.
I've been tottering on the edge of stepping out of my comfort zone for ages now and embarking on the alternative lifestyle that I've followed on social media for so long. When I read your Shifting out of Dreamland last night I knew instantly that I have reached my cut-off point and I'm ready to fly the coup. This has happened before and then in the cold light of the next day I find my courage has been sucked out of me overnight. Not this time - I am brimming with excitement and know with every cell in my body that I am ready to do this and follow in your footsteps. Yippee! Your words must have carried the magic potion that I needed to hear, right at that moment and I thank you for that, Atulya.
I've been waiting to hear what Brexit will bring but I'm not going to wait - there will always be something to delay me and come what may, I know that I will not only survive, but thrive.
So ... in March it will be farewell South Africa and hello Europe. (I feel like The Fool in a deck of tarot cards; I'm going to hold my nose and take the big leap). I may even meet you in Spain!
You have been my greatest inspiration for years now - thank you.

Reply
Atulya
7/11/2018 08:06:18 pm

Good for you Dee! Yes there's never a time anyone feels 'ready' to step out of the comfort zone. But there is a right time. And it's really important not to miss it. I support your intent to create a new and beautiful life.

Reply
T
14/11/2018 12:38:26 pm

Too many choose not to leap because there are 300,000 thousand tiny threads holding them in place. Each thread represents an item of ones stuff in the average American home. I undertook a three year journey of cutting each thread and can attest to you the decision time and the time required to actually eliminate, donate and sell your stuff is immense! (Seriously, do the math! IF it took you only one second to DECIDE how many hours are in 300,000 seconds??? Then you must ACT on the decision which requires how much more time?) When my friends contemplated what I was doing, I could see that the task of unraveling their life in order to leap drained the dreams right out of their eyes. It is a problem of our own doing. It took a personal trauma for me to wake up and realize that the effort to break free actually meant freedom. I am now reentering the system to build up funds again, but I have my piece of land and have filled my senses with new cultures and travel. Upon my return I will live life very differently in anticipation of a more permanent leap in the near future. Blessings to you who seek a new path, It is possible.

Reply
Pat
20/12/2022 12:02:44 pm

An inspiring post, thank you. Money is a big blocker, but planning regulations are bigger IMO. Still, if there is a way out I hope to find it.

Reply



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    Atulya K Bingham

    Author, Lone Off-Gridder, and Natural Builder.

    Books: Ayse's Trail (OBBL winner 2014) Mud Ball and Mud Mountain, Dirt Witch.

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