I haven’t looked at this page too much since I posted it almost seven years ago, and it surprises me how much my mind then was the same, even though so much has changed. The advice to just be alive and breathe remains: I took a long break from meditation pretty much from 2005 onwards, but I’m back at it again, and the habits of mind that come from it never really left me.

I spend a lot more time with people these days—something I started to change when I returned from Japan in 2006. It’s made a huge improvement to my life, and I think it’s one of the not-so-secret secrets to happiness.

I’ve had many jobs, and more lovers. I’ve been in and out of love (but nothing “lasting and certain”).

I’ve changed my ideas about politics: freedom’s still important but now I think more about “openness.” What I want is a world where people are free to experiment with their lives, and where in themselves they are open to experience and to people, to let the world and their feelings (good and bad), flow through them unobstructed. I want people to be able to reach out to each other without fear, and I live my life with that goal in mind for myself and the people around me.

I don’t spend so much time soaking up media, and a lot more making things. Writing novels is hard work, but late last year I finally got the first part of the book out (you’ll see the Kindle and iBooks links in the sidebar).

So overall–there’s a lot more happiness and fulfilment in my life. That doesn’t mean to say there’s not disappointment and sadness. And the wonderful thing about it is that now I know it’s okay, and we’re all in this together.

If you’ve seen something in here that resonates with you, I’m glad. You’re not alone; you’re good and okay just as you are; and if you work at it and face the challenge, you’ll have greater joys and greater sadnesses ahead of you than you’ve ever hoped for or imagined. It all comes through at once, and the thing to do is just let it and enjoy the adventure.

I’ve uploaded a screenshot of the issue

If your posts are not appearing, make sure that you have enabled your shortmail address for posting in the Posterous settings. I had also failed to do this, and that’s where I was getting stuck.

Hope that works. Let me know how you go.