W
Finding And Pursuing The Dream
By Andres Aguila
“To travel the world and build a global network of self-sustaining youth ranches” became my dream and my mantra, a deep burning passion…I suppose due to my own “troubled” childhood and youth. After a series of bizarre events while traveling overseas, and receiving my first spiritual awakening, I simply felt the need to share positive options with the upcoming generations. I realized that part of my mission on the planet was to assist others in finding their own passions and purpose. I also felt a need to move away from the current world system. I had no idea how I would finance this dream, but at age 20, I believed I was ready, and I am sure God must have been laughing as I would laugh with admiration if my 6-year-old attempted to carry the refrigerator up the mountain…with one pinky. I soon realized that I had much to learn and so I began the process of preparing for this life mission. Re-enrolling in university, I also began diving in to the business world by purchasing houses, remodeling them and renting them out. All of this while now married with my first child.
I received my Bachelor’s degree in social work, with a minor in fine art, began showing and selling paintings in galleries, and had begun working with youth and children. I taught, played, and worked with kids in a variety of venues, from a boy’s home for “troubled” youth, to church youth groups, to conducting arts workshops, directing theatrical productions, and teaching interns at my art studio. Reading books about personal growth, spiritual growth, and about raising and teaching kids and youth, became common, along with taking various leadership courses and workshops.
Quickly the years began to pass, the responsibilities and distractions accumulated with the family, the businesses – including multiple failed business ventures, and the art career. Each business pursuit I thought perhaps would be the way I would fund my real dream, which eventually evolved into “Building a global network of self-sustaining communities, which are schools, natural healing centers, and homes for orphans and others in need.” The flame burned on, though at times seeming impossible to even pursue, much less realize, due to the other decisions I had made. I had written down my vision many times, as the experts had taught me, and I continued to verbalize my vision to friends and strangers alike.
Though by no means was I becoming rich, my art career was beginning to create an income, and my work was becoming more popular, and shown in galleries internationally. I also began to have success in modeling and acting in T.V. commercials. These successes were a perfect ego distraction to pin me down in mediocrity. Although I tried to remain conscious of the need to always be humble, the reality is that I began to tie my identity and my self worth to my own talents and accomplishments. Surely to help keep me humble, I also received various failures and humiliations, including business failures and two divorces.
Through the journey, fortunately, I did remain at least somewhat focused on the inner voyage of the heart. Even though often distracted by the ego and the cares of the world I realized at a core level that all the outer circumstances and tribulations were only tutors to assist me in realizing my true nature as a child of the Most High and as a part of the whole that is humanity. I also started to realize that my talents had been given to me only to steward and to share with all of mankind…not to become some big shot egomaniac.
As the momentum had been building for many years, and the “knowing” had become undeniable, the time had come. Receiving almost no support from friends or family…actually, even receiving much negativity, judgment, and condemnation…still, I knew this to be my destiny. I could find years and years of excuses as to why not to pursue this deep purpose, or I could dive in head first. I surrendered to the call of my heart. I dropped the art career, sold the house, gave away my material possessions, left behind many that I loved, and headed off to Central America to answer the call.
It worked, and is working. We call it Awakening Soul. Though the road has at times been very difficult, the vision has manifested and is growing wonderfully. Now remarried to my true love and true partner in the project, we purchased our first farm in Costa Rica a few years ago and are working toward organic sustainability; have started an incredible, life-changing internship program; and have seen many people receive healing on physical, emotional, and spiritual levels. The internships are called “Who Am I?” Our mission is to motivate and facilitate young people toward self-discovery and global consciousness through love in action. Oh, and the art…the talents multiplied into writing, music, and other forms, as I continue to expose the ego and choose not to tie my own self worth to the talents or accomplishments of this little man. Most importantly, I have continued to seek, and have and found true inner peace. The adventure continues. I believe that each of us has – even if buried deep beneath layers of “shoulds and shouldn’ts,” powerful dreams and visions, which assist us in realizing our individual missions, and ultimately, our destiny here on Planet Earth.
Who are you? What is your dream? What are you going to do about it?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Andres and his wife, Zahrah facilitate internships, empowerment counseling, and natural healing on a beautiful organic farm in Costa Rica. For more information about Awakening Soul; the vision of living in community; and for free downloads of Awakening Soul music, books, and other articles, visit:
www.Awakening-Soul.org also find us on facebook email - 1AwakeningSoul@gmail.com_
About Us
The teaching philosophy at Awakening Soul is that we are all students. Staff members enjoy daily opportunities to learn from interns and children, as well as to share in the teaching process. At Awakening Soul, everyone is an intern and the lines between “student” and “teacher” are in many areas, purposely indistinct. 
RSS
Facebook
Picasa
YouTube
