The Status Quo Crusher Revolution: A Call To Arms For The Emergence of Humanity 2.0

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LIVE WITH PASSION. LIVE WITH PURPOSE. CHANGE THE WORLD.
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By Deb Ozarko
1
YOU NEVER CHANGE THINGS BY FIGHTING THE EXISTING

REALITY. TO CHANGE SOMETHING, BUILD A NEW MODEL
THAT MAKES THE EXISTING MODEL OBSOLETE.
- Buckminster Fuller
The Status Quo Crusher Revolution: A Call to Arms for the Emergence of Humanity 2.0
Copyright 2015 Deb Ozarko. All rights reserved.
Written and designed by: Deb Ozarko
Cover photo: Patrick Nelson
Images on pages 29, 33, 44, 50, 69, 73, 81, 82, and 84: Deb Gleason
debozarko.com
LIVE WITH PASSION. LIVE WITH PURPOSE. CHANGE THE WORLD.
CONTENTS
Disclaimer 4
Who is this Written for?
The American Dream...
10
The Culture of Addiction
16
Breaking Addiction
24
The Power of Grief
26
The Journey to Crusher
30
What Ive Learned...
35
The Old Story (chart)
45
The New Story
46
The Birth of the Status Quo Crusher
51
Old Story vs. New Story Chart
54
Who is a Status Quo Crusher?
56
Purpose 60
The Choice
62
The Meaning of Life
67
Status Quo Crusher Declaration of Independence
70
The End...and the Beginning
74
Now What?
77
You Say You Want a Revolution!
78
The Unplug Podcast
80
About the Author
82
Acknowledgements 83
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DISCLAIMER
If reasons, excuses, opinions, judgement, people-pleasing, fear, and hand-me down belief systems are your modus
operandi, the words on the following pages will be meaningless to you.
If surrender means resignation to indifference, these words are not written for you.
If being means parking yourself in front of an electronic mind thief, this manifesto is not for you.
If likes, retweets, and followers are what define your self-worth, you will find nothing of value in this document.
If slogging your way through life in a meaningless job that pays the bills so you can buy crap that you dont need is
the reality youve accepted, this is not for you.
If your life is defined by outdated stories that keep you trapped in victim pain, this manifesto is not for you.
If the culturally conditioned illusion of the external world trumps the truth in your heart, youve handed your life away.
Please pass this on to someone who hasnt lost their raison dtre.
Lastly, if Truth offends you, better leave your head in the sand.
The real you is not a puppet to be pushed around by the stories of a false reality. By reading on you agree to reclaim
ownership of your life because dammit, you matter!
YOU CAN NEVER CROSS THE OCEAN UNLESS YOU

HAVE THE COURAGE TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE SHORE.
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- Christopher Columbus
DISCLAIMER
NOTE: This manifesto was not written to define or convert you. Its a simple invitation to explore a more expansive
worldview aligned with truth. The words on the following pages have been written to remove the blinders and expose
the reality of a world gone sideways. What follows will piss off, challenge, and arouse those who are ready to become
more whole. This manifesto aims to inspire critical thought and selfless action for a more authentic world congruent
with the essence of what it means to be truly human.
This is not a how-to manual with a passive supply of dumbed-down answers. Instead, this manifesto was written
to energize important questions. Anything in this document that may appear as an answer is simply a step towards
another question. You already have everything needed in your heart to engage your truth. To assume otherwise
is arrogant and perpetuates the co-dependent insecurity that comes from looking outside of yourself for what is
desperate to emerge from within. This manifesto was written to activate the emergence.
As you read through this document, you will notice the repeated mention of overlapping concepts such as scarcity,
addiction, and separation (self explanatory but explained in greater detail throughout the document). The only way
to transform the world and ourselves is to understand the roots of the disease responsible for such immense
personal and global destruction. By approaching disease from various angles, its possible to dismantle it from a
broader perspective.
It is time for each of us to reclaim our essential nature and evolve from the immature adolescent consciousness of a
toxic paradigm into the wise adulthood of the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible.
This is the way of humanity 2.0 the status quo crusher.
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NOTHING IS MORE POWERFUL THAN AN INDIVIDUAL

ACTING OUT OF HIS CONSCIENCE, THUS HELPING TO
BRING THE COLLECTIVE CONSCIENCE TO LIFE.
- Norman Cousins
Photo: Jessie Culzon via Flickr
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WHO IS THIS WRITTEN FOR?

Lets start with something really important.
Status quo sucks!

Its a self imploding paradigm meant to keep us small and separate based on the crumbling foundation of conformity,
consumption, judgement, scarcity, fear and indifference.
Its also a paradigm that robs us of our passion, our presence, our sense of purpose and also our fundamental need to
act on our dreams for a better world.
Yuck!
So if youre fed up with todays selfish, unfeeling world of mindless groupthink, this manifesto was written for you.
If you know theres more to life than a paycheque, Facebook and reality tv, this manifesto was written for you.
If the deluge of dogmatic mind-leech messaging in todays culture pisses you off, this manifesto was written for you.
If the empty gossip of celebrity cellulite, twerking, and shallow vanity makes you crazy because you crave meaningful
conversation that inspires positive change, this manifesto was written for you.
If you see beyond the false promises, scarcity tactics, and hype of mainstream culture, this manifesto was written
for you.
If youre fed up with seven-step life hacks, four minute workouts, and three steps to insanity, this manifesto was
written for you.
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WHO IS THIS WRITTEN FOR?

If you know that your body deserves more than the latest fad diet, tight buns, hot abs, and gluten-free water, this
manifesto was written you.
If words such as Prozac, Lexapro, and Zoloft elicit thoughts of soul numbing zombie food, this manifesto was written
for you.
If you are completely fed up with the separation in todays world, this manifesto was written for you.
If living an intentional life of paradigm-altering purpose ignites your fire, this manifesto was definitely written for you.
Still with me?
Then lets crush status quo cause in the wise words of Winnie the Pooh, Youre braver than you believe, stronger than
you seem, and smarter than you think.
And the world needs you!
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A LIE IS A LIE EVEN IF EVERYONE BELIEVES IT.

THE TRUTH IS THE TRUTH EVEN IF NOBODY BELIEVES IT.
- David Stevens
Photo: frontrowpr.wordpress.com
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THE AMERICAN DREAM...

We live in a world of delusional illusion.
In 80 short years, the American Dream has morphed into the most devastating global nightmare to infect the minds
of humanity. Freedom through material prosperity and self-serving success has caused global oppression, rampant
greed, rapacious consumption, runaway climate change, and widespread unhappiness. As a species, weve become
an indomitable infestation of destructive parasites paving the way for our own demise. Conformity, consumption,
judgement, fear, addiction, lies, and indifference have separated us from everything that matters including ourselves.
With over seven billion homo sapiens currently inhabiting planet earth, we should feel anything but separate, but the
widespread epidemic of depression and loneliness clearly shows the extent of our collective insanity. Weve lost our
capacity to care.
This is not the end of it though. The outer world as we currently perceive it is a direct reflection of the collective
inner world of humanity and its evident on a more personal level that weve lost our intrinsic ability to discern
truth from lies.
Lets dissect this a little further.
As a species, we no longer know how to care for our bodies. Six-pack abs, tight buns, shapely thighs, and fat-busting
life hacks are the paragon of wellness as the fitness-meets-porn industry would have the gullible masses believe.
Contrast this with the metaphoric couch potato growing sicker and fatter as life passes by in lonely anonymity and the
collective mindset is poisoned by warped extremes. Culture has taught us that the body is something to narcissistically
pride or venomously loathe. Either way, weve disconnected from ourselves in ways that permit the carte blanche
objectification of all bodies, regardless of race, gender, or species. The body as an object bodes well for no living being.
Were the only species on the planet who has lost its instinctive ability to properly feed itself. The corporate food
monoliths feed us unfathomable animal cruelty, pesticides, genetically modified organisms, processed junk,
confusion, and lies. Add to this a multi-billion dollar diet industry skillful in the art of manipulative hypnosis and the
gullible masses eagerly jump on the latest and greatest weight loss trend even if it means identifying as a modern
day cave dweller.
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10

Mainstream media has created the kingdom of fear. It poisons the mind by sensationalizing the minutia of all of the
worlds pain. It is the most powerful tool to manipulate the minds of the masses. It shapes beliefs and attitudes and
defines what is acceptable in order to maintain the status quo. We now have wars on terror, wars on drugs, wars on
cancer, wars on poverty, wars on germs, and wars on one another. Wars create fear. Fear creates compliance. Numb
the minds of the conforming masses, keep them running on the treadmill of fear and compliance is a sure win for the
profiteers of this madness.
Technology has nullified all possibilities for inner peace. We live in a perpetual state of impatient distraction under the
guise of busy. We now have so many devices to escape ourselves that weve become hopelessly lost in the mental
purgatory of progress. Our minds have been iFried into obscurity. Technology may have given us everything we
thought we wanted but it has stripped us of everything that we truly need.
The new age self improvement movement preys on our low self worth with empty promises for salvation. For the
right price, you too can become an enlightened gazillionaire! The endless stream of books, programs, seminars, and
workshops have reaped material bliss for the gurus of abundance but theyve done little to return us to wholeness. We
manifest, attract, and affirm with the devotion of hope in our minds as lack lingers on in our hearts. We can talk the
talk, but the walk still fills us with pain. Weve mastered the feng shui of our furniture but have conveniently forgotten
that the roof still leaks.
Like a devious pusher, the advertising industry hypes the mindless consumption of unnecessary stuff to feed
addictive behaviours that create insecurity, unhappiness, debt, and planetary destruction. Weve been taught to want
more than we need as we chase after the latest and greatest shiny new toy. The strategic planning of obsolescence
has created the selfish culture of iWant and in the process, our spirits have been stripped of their significance. Weve
become the zombie apocalypse we so deeply fear.
All this while the medical-pharmaceutical complex waits in the wings ready to medicate the anxiety born from the the
appearance we will never have, the food that poisons our bodies, the fear that never leaves, the sense of worth we will
never feel, the technology that numbs our minds, and the consumption that destroys our souls.
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11

As long as we have a cultural narrative that suppresses the essence of who we are - love, compassion, and unity - in
favour of negative human traits such as greed, selfishness, and fear, we will always exist in opposition to one another.
Opposition breeds separation and ensures that we are exploitable by the cultural entities who prey upon these negative
characteristics. Todays prevailing paradigm is one that celebrates, aggravates, and stimulates the ugliest qualities
of humanity. By inculcating these characteristics and rewarding them financially, weve been seduced into a cultural
hysteria that has caused us to mindlessly destroy the planet and each other.
This cultural narrative is the soul thief known as status quo. This is what we call normal.
But what if our beliefs about health are what harm our bodies?
What if our beliefs about food are what makes us sick?
What if our beliefs about love are what prevent us from loving?
What if our beliefs about self-worth are what make us feel insignificant?
What if our beliefs about relationships are what perpetuate loneliness?
What if our beliefs about emotions are what prevent us from feeling?
What if our beliefs about knowledge are what prevent us from wisdom?
What if our beliefs about work are what make us feel anxious?
What if our beliefs about intimacy are what make us feel unworthy?
What if our beliefs about money are what trap us in scarcity?
What if our beliefs about dying are what prevent us from living?
What if our fear of discomfort is what traps us in pain?
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12

What if all that we fear is an invitation to become more whole?
What if all weve been taught is selfish is the gateway to selflessness?
What if all we believe to be true is a lie?
What if all weve been taught to believe about ourselves is the greatest lie of all?
You see, we werent born into this world to loathe who we are as we separate ourselves from all that matters. Weve
learned this. And just as weve learned it, so too can we unlearn it.
Unlearning becomes easy when we remember that everything weve been taught as truth in the status quo paradigm
of separation is an illusion. If we flip by 180 degrees all that culture sells us as truth, wed clearly see the ignorance
of this illusion. Its then that we expand into the reality of the truth that has, and always will reside within.
We are at a critical point in our evolutionary history where we must induce a paradigm shift in our collective
consciousness. Weve become complicit in a flawed system and its up to us to change it. The world as we know it
is in an overdue state of widespread collapse. Its no longer a question of if, its a question of when. In order to be
balanced, we have to acknowledge where were currently standing and it isnt pretty. The world of today is no longer
worth saving. Its far too broken. Its time to allow it to fall into oblivion so that the more beautiful world we know in our
hearts can finally be birthed.
The breakdown that is occurring is a sign that a more evolved idea is trying to emerge. Because this idea is bumping
into outdated beliefs, were living through startling crisis and breakdown. The good news is that breakdown always
precedes breakthrough. This is true both in the micro and the macro in our own lives as well as on a global scale.
These are all signs that weve been living with a world view that is too confined. A more expansive way of being has
been activated and we are collectively being called upon to wake up to our true potential.
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13

Breakdown, crisis, and challenges are evolutionary catalysts for the next stage of our conscious evolution. Whats in
the way, is the way, as pain and breakdown lead us to greater purpose and solutions that align with the truth of who we
are. The illusion we call reality is on its way out and the way out, is in.
When we shift the paradigm from head to heart, we extend our circle of compassion for all life on this planet. Its then
that we co-create a more passionate, compassionate, loving, and interconnected world that is more congruent with
what it means to be authentically human.
YOUR VISION WILL BECOME CLEAR ONLY WHEN YOU

LOOK INTO YOUR HEART. THOSE WHO LOOK OUTSIDE,
DREAM. THOSE WHO LOOK INSIDE, AWAKEN.
- Carl Gustav Jung
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14
THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE,

BUT FIRST IT WILL PISS YOU OFF.
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- Gloria Steinem
15
THE CULTURE OF ADDICTION

Collectively, our hearts and minds have been cloaked in the shroud of illusion that has separated us from all the
matters. Enslaved by the sickness of separation, the minds of the masses have been poisoned by the hand-medown belief systems that fuel addictive behaviours and scarcity fears. We no longer feel safe - in our heads, in our
hearts, and in the world. Its clear that weve been duped - not out of intended malice, but out of the willful ignorance
perpetuated by the cultural trance.
Were birthed to the world a cog in the wheel to feed the culture of addiction/paradigm of separation. Unless we have
enlightened parents, no one escapes with their authentic life. We live in a society that has set us up to fail so that we
never realize the truth of who we are.
Weve become a culture of unconsciously conscious addicts conforming to outdated belief systems, mass media,
technological trends, dysfunctional thought patterns, worn-out stories, compulsive habits, low self-worth, selfdestructive behaviours, and excessive consumption neurotically searching for distractions to ease the pain of the
longing in our hearts to become so much more of who weve always been meant to be.
Weve been taught to think rather than feel. Our thoughts are conditioned by a culture designed to demoralize us so
that we support its destructive ways. We rarely think of anything true, beautiful, and meaningful. Its appalling what
weve allowed ourselves to become.
Were enculturated into a paradigm that has been engineered to leave us feeling anxious, exhausted, distracted,
selfish, depressed, and willing to consume what we know in our hearts destroys the most sacred gift of all - life.
Existing in a haze of unease, we eat, drink, surf, smoke, text, excuse, and buy our way out of the pain that never leaves.
A hit of distraction and were in the clear. Culture rules. No questions asked.
The prevailing mindset of today is one of addiction. We stuff our feelings to feed the machine. When discomfort creeps
into consciousness, better to numb it than to feel it. The blue pill of illusion beats the rabbit hole of truth any day
because once we know, we cant un-know. With truth comes consciousness. With consciousness comes responsibility.
With responsibility comes what the sleeping masses dread - change. And so it goes on and on... samsara - maya - the
endless cycle of life, suffering, death and rebirth caused by the ignorance of illusion and the subsequent denial of truth.
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Many institutions and industries such as media, politics, religion, corporations, education, and health care have a
vested interest in how we think, feel, behave, and act. An addicted society is a compliant society. A compliant society is
a fearful society. A fearful society is a selfish society, and a selfish society is a profitable society. Addiction is fear made
manifest. Fear is the enemy of truth and the provocateur of separation.
Soygal Rinpoche, in his international bestseller The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying (pgs. 20-21) writes:
Sometimes I think that the greatest achievement of modern culture is its brilliant selling of samsara and its barren
distractions. Modern society seems to me a celebration of all the things that lead away from the truth, make truth hard
to live for, and discourage people from even believing that it exists. And to think that all this springs from a civilization
that claims to adore life, but actually starves it of any real meaning; that endlessly speaks of making people happy,
but in fact blocks their way to the source of real joy.
This modern samsara feeds off the anxiety and depression that it fosters and trains us all in, and carefully nurtures
with a consumer machine that needs to keep us greedy to keep going. Samsara is highly organized, versatile, and
sophisticated; it assaults us from every angle with its propaganda, and creates an almost impregnable environment
of addiction around us. The more we try to escape, the more we seem to fall into the traps it is so ingenious at setting
for us.
He goes on to write:
Obsessed, then, with false hopes, dreams, and ambitions, which promise happiness but lead only to misery, we are
like people crawling through an endless dessert, dying of thirst. And all that this samsara holds out for us to drink is a
cup of salt water, designed to make us even thirstier.
Todays society fosters so much self loathing that weve become ashamed of everything that is real about us our
bodies, our gender, our feelings, our sexual orientation, our needs, our purpose, our loveour essence.We may say
that we value freedom, but when it comes to our addictions, weve chosen our own enslavement. Were addicted to the
illusion. Were addicted to the lie.
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17

Addiction is so pervasive in todays world that it has been perversely normalized. Were addicted to concepts,
strategies, ideas, trends, and behaviours. Gluten-free anyone? Were addicted to our iPhones, our computers, our tv
shows, our anxiety, our pain, our fatigue, our impatience, our unease. Were addicted to busy - filling our lives with
noise and activity, however meaningless and trivial, to ensure that were never left in silence with the truth that lives in
our hearts. Weve become a culture that is so addicted that were addicted to addiction a population of automatons
desperately attached to a selfishly separate way of existing.
Soygal Rinpoche again writes from The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying (pg. 60);
We are fragmented into so many different aspects. We dont know who we really are, or what aspects of ourselves we
should identify with or believe in. So many contradictory voices, dictates, and feelings fight for control over our inner
lives that we find ourselves scattered everywhere, in all directions, leaving nobody at home.
We are so addicted to looking outside of ourselves for everything in life that weve forgotten the truth that lives inside.
Weve become so hopelessly lost that our collective ignorance has removed us from all that is real and meaningful. The
illusion may be normal, but because its based on a lie, it will never be real.
Dudjom Rinpoche speaks of the unconscious, living corpses that the masses have become in todays culture of
separation and addiction. Soygal Rinpoche in The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying (pg. 17) expands on this
by writing:
Most of us do live like that; we live according to a pre-ordained plan. We spend our youth being educated. Then we
find a job, and meet someone, marry, and have children. We buy a house, try to make a success of our business, aim
for dreams like a country house or a second car. We go away on holiday with our friends. We plan for retirement. The
biggest dilemmas some of us ever have to face are where to take our next holiday or whom to invite at Christmas. Our
lives are monotonous, petty, and repetitive, wasted in the pursuit of the trivial, because we seem to know nothing of the
better. And so our lives drift on, unless a serious illness or disaster shakes us out of our stupor.
We cram our lives with compulsive, frivolous activity in order to distract ourselves from the real issues confronting our
personal inner world as well as the collective outer world.
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WHAT IS ADDICTION?
Denial makes it easier to keep an addiction progressing smoothly along and, being a lie, its just a better form.
- Geoffrey Wood
In its simplest form, addiction is attachment. Attachment comes from the ignorance of truth fueled by the minds
habitual tendency towards distraction from the authentic Self. Addiction/attachment is at the root of separation and the
cause of the bulk of todays personal and global problems.
Attachment can plague us in varying degrees. Its a fine line between habit and addiction and habits easily morph into
addictions. The prevailing declaration of addiction can be found in two simple words - I cant.
We often perceive addiction as something extreme. Personified as the raging drunk, the strung-out junkie, the
compulsive gambler, the sex addict, what we fail to realize is how pervasive addiction truly is on the sliding scale of
I cant. We selectively label what is not socially acceptable as addiction, but heres the rub, if I cant has a grip on
the psyche, addiction is present.
What do I mean by the sliding scale of I cant? Here are a few typical examples:
I cant give up my iPhone.
I cant give up Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
I cant give up my coffee.
I cant give up my cheese, yogurt, sour cream, eggs, (name an animal secretion).
I cant give up my chicken, fish, steak, bacon, (name an animal species).
I cant give up my Coke, Pepsi, Big Mac, Whopper, Slurpees, (name a crap food).
I cant stop being busy.
I cant stop watching the news.
I cant not watch (name a television show).
I cant leave my job to live my dreams because (name an excuse). (Addiction to a story - a false psychological fear)
I know that its bad for me, but I cant stop smoking (taking tylenol, drinking Red Bull, eating donutsetc) .
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I cant run that fast, walk that far, write that well...blah, blah, blah. (Addicted to self limiting beliefs).
I cant, I cant, I cant.
Along with addiction comes a plethora of ingeniously packaged defence mechanisms designed to deflect truth. This
is what we label denial. Denial is cunning in its manifestation and wears the many masks of: excuses, rationalization,
intellectualizing, blaming, justification, minimizing, joking, agreeing, threatening, generalizing, and projecting.
Its important to note that denial differs from lying. Those who lie know whats true, but choose to speak or act falsely. In
denial, the lines are cognitively blurred between what is true and what is false. As a result, denial leads to an absolute
belief in the self-created lies.
When we peek under the hood of I cant, we see the rationalized (rational lies) resistance of I wont that accompanies the
fear of change. Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, There are many ways of going forward but only one way of standing still.
Its such a strange world
Many people sense their deep-rooted unease on some level as they hopelessly grasp for fallacious solutions outside of
themselves. Using the outer world to change our inner world only makes matters worse as it takes us further from our true
Self. As a collective, our addiction to external distraction is the most common affliction in the modern world today. Technology
is the most seductive addiction with its fast-paced, ever-changing, quick-fix thrills. We no longer know patience, compassion,
empathy, presence, or how to really listen to one another. Our attention span lasts as long as the latest tweet.
In his thought-provoking book, Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, Dr. Joe Dispenza writes (pg. 155):
When we keep the diversion up, guess what eventually happens? We grow more dependent on something outside of us to
change us internally. Some people unconsciously delve deeper and deeper into this bottomless pit, using different aspects
of their world to keep themselves preoccupied - in an effort to re-create the original feeling from the very first experience
that helped them escape. They become overstimulated so that they can feel different from how they really are. But sooner
or later, everyone realizes that they need more and more of the same to make them feel better. This becomes an allconsuming search for pleasure and ways to avoid pain at all costs - a hedonistic life unconsciously driven by some feeling
that wont seem to go away.
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Our addiction to sameness ensures the cultural of conformity. We fear our true selves. We fear our souls. Conformity
removes us from the sacred essence of who we are meant to be. It traps us in the paradigm of scared. Scared is the
sacred within our hearts forgotten.
The most ubiquitous addiction imposed on the collective psyche is found in the violent belief system surrounding the
consumption of animal flesh and secretions. We destroy animals en masse as we grasp at false truths derived through
our own arrogance. To complicate matters, the addiction to these foods alters brain chemistry and renders the mind
incapable of the critical thought required to return to the spiritual essence that unites all life. Weve become mentally
addicted to a cruelty-based belief system and physiologically addicted to the consumption-based effects that accompany
it. The machine reaps such outrageous profit from this psycho/physiological addiction that it goes out of its way to ensure
its survival. Is it any wonder why the violence inherent in this barbaric industry is cloaked in such impenetrable secrecy.
Because of our flippant cultural acceptance, weve become a relentless force of merciless violence wreaking planetary
havoc from our voracious appetite for the flesh of suffered corpses. We are fine with our beliefs as long as they support
the illusion of human superiority. Gratuitous violence can be found in every dollar spent to feed the machine. Do it
again. Kill for me so I can feed my addiction is the message conveyed as we dole out our cash for the shrink wrapped,
sanitized body parts of the brutalized corpses that line the grocery store shelves. Factory farmed vs. grass-fed, free
range, local, organic no matter how we phrase it, feel-good labels warp the mind but not the truth. Slaughter is
murder, end of story. Every dollar spent is a reflection of our beliefs a vote for the way we choose to see the world. This
vote, as insignificant as we may perceive it to be, is of critical importance. Its a vote we can collectively leverage to create
massive destruction or paradigm shifting transformation. This is the power of free will. To be conscious or not to be
conscious this is the ultimate question.
Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages. - Thomas Edison
Venerable Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in his 2010 talk titled Eating for Peace: Mindful Consumption said:
In the US, animals raised for food are fed more than eighty percent of the corn we grow and more than ninety-five
percent of the oats. We are eating our country, we are eating our earth, we are eating our children. And I have learned
that more than half the people in this country overeat.
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Mindful eating can help maintain compassion within our heart. A person without compassion cannot be happy, cannot
relate to other human beings and to other living beings. And eating the flesh of our own son is what is going on in the
world, because we do not practice mindful eating.
Every one of us can transform himself or herself into a bodhisattva doing the work of awakening. Because only
awakening can help us to stop the course we are taking, the course of destruction.
Who have we become to demand the destruction of so much life with the addiction that fuels our beliefs, choices,
behaviours, and actions?
Gandhi once said, The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
His words speak to a deep truth about the quality of our relationship with non-human animals that mirrors where we
are in our collective evolution.
Why, despite our unconscious choices, do we still gravitate so innately towards animals and nature? The answer is easy
because animals and nature are truth. They were never indoctrinated into the lie. They only become part of the lie when we
impose our separation-based belief systems on them, and then they become the tragic victims of our addiction to the lie.
Dont you think we owe it to the animals, the natural world and ourselves to evolve into the more compassionate
species weve always been meant to be?
To have compassion means to have passion for all things, not just between two people, but for all human
beings, for all things of the earth, the animal, the trees, everything the earth contains. When we have such
compassion we will not despoil the earth as we are doing now, and we will have no wars.
- Jiddu Krishnamurti
I used to think that it was the walls of slaughterhouses that needed to be demolished in order to live in a more peaceful
world. What Ive come to realize is that its the walls around our hearts that must be demolished before we are ever to
live peacefully within ourselves and with all others. As long as the walls around our hearts exist, it wont matter how
many walls of oppression are demolished because there will always be other forms of oppression to replace them.
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The human heart has the capacity to hold an enormous amount of love and compassion. We are a species that is designed
for compassion. By our very nature, we are compassionate. Anything less than that is the lie weve accepted to separate
us from all other life. The reason we do what we do to those we perceive as other is because were asleep at the wheel.
We are the only species on the planet who doesnt know who we are because weve bought into the illusion of separation.
If we were to remember who we really are, we would never be able to treat others the way we do with our choices,
behaviours, and actions. Our spiritual amnesia is destroying the most sacred gift of all life.
What can we expect from an insane culture except more insanity? We have the choice to live the lie or not. Were the ones
who created it. Were the ones who can un-create it. Just as weve chosen ignorance, so too can we choose truth. Its only
possible for truth to become the dominant force on the planet when we allow ourselves to remember the unity that lives
in our hearts. The most important thing that we can do in our lifetime is to dare to care about the sacredness of life for
all living beings.
To break free from the culture of addiction is not to use yesterdays solutions, but to dare to think the previously
unthinkable, to speak the previously unspeakable, and to act in ways that were once out of the realm of consciousness.
When I cant becomes I can we free ourselves from the mental confines of old patterns and beliefs and new
possibilities emerge. When I can becomes I will and is followed by congruent action, the paradigm is forever altered.
Once we expose ourselves to truth we break the cultural addiction and everything changes. We start asking questions that
engage critical thought as we liberate ourselves from the hand-me down belief systems that have trapped us in addictive
thought patterns created by the paradigm of separation. As we grow and expand, our circle of compassion expands, our
worldview expands and were able to see truth more clearly. As we expand, we experience more meaning in our lives.
When we set our hearts free - with no barriers to entry - we awaken to the truth that has been existent within us all
along. Its then that we heal our collective wounds and live from the passion and purpose required to co-create a more
loving and peaceful world.
Once freed from the culture of addiction, its impossible to ever conceive being a part of it. We become the status quo
crushing force of nature that the world so desperately needs.
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BREAKING ADDICTION: 8 STEPS TO CRUSH IT!

V
BREATHE
STOP
TELL
YOURSELF
THE TRUTH
FEEL
WHAT IS
REAL
DARE
TO
CARE
ACT
FROM
TRUTH
1. STOP: The stories, excuses, habitual

patterns. STOP the mental noise!
4. FEEL WHAT IS REAL: No labels,

judgment, or edits. Let it out!
6. DARE TO CARE: Connect to your heart

and let it lead the way.
2. BREATHE: Intentionally. Eyes closed,

into your heart.
5. ACT FROM TRUTH: Be authentic and

congruent with what is real for you.
No excuses.
7. INSPIRE OTHERS: The power of

example - be the change.
3. TELL YOURSELF THE TRUTH: Truth

begins with you.
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REPEAT
INSPIRE
OTHERS
8. REPEAT: Enough said!
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SO ITS TRUE, WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE,

GRIEF IS THE PRICE WE PAY FOR LOVE.
- E.A. Bucchianeri
Photo: Huffington Post
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THE POWER OF GRIEF

Why write about grief in a status quo crusher revolutionary manifesto?
Because grief is something we all share - whether were conscious of it or not.
Grief is a taboo word in the status quo paradigm of separation. In an unfeeling world where the labels of good and
bad pervert what is perfectly natural (i.e. feelings and emotions), grief is considered a social faux pas. Its suppressed,
repressed, oppressed, stuffed, analyzed, downplayed, medicated, and ignored. Left unattended, it finds ugly ways to
express itself through the likes of chronic depression, fibromyalgia, tumours, anxiety, emotional paralysis, addiction,
and a host of other unpleasant maladies. There are no shortcuts from pain to peace.
Grief is a complex beast deserved of the utmost respect. It cannot be controlled, comforted, or rushed. It must be
honoured for what it is - an intricate visceral response to the finality of loss. We cannot think our way out of grief. Until
we allow ourselves to feel the enormity of its power, we will forever be hostage to its pain. A status quo crusher knows
that the only way out of grief is to succumb to its pain. A status quo crusher also knows that they can never become
the most fully expressed version their authentic Self with the burden of prolonged grief weighing them down. Grief is a
process with its own delicate timeline, but it was never meant to become an identity.
Grief is the price we pay for love but it should never prevent us from loving. When we allow grief to move through us as it
is meant to, we greatly expand our capacity to love. Wherever we find grief authentically expressed, love is close at hand.
One cannot exist without the other. Grief reveals to us the frailty of our humanity. When we surrender to its power, we
are transformed. When we allow it to bring us to our knees, we emerge more whole and become solidly grounded in the
core of our authentic being. This is when we no longer just feel love, we embody it.
In The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Sogyal Rinpoche writes (pg. 320):
Whatever you do, dont shut off your pain; accept your pain and remain vulnerable. However desperate you become,
accept your pain as it is, because it is in fact trying to hand you a priceless gift: the chance of discovering what lies
behind sorrow. Grief can be the garden of compassion. If you keep your heart open through everything, your pain can
become your greatest ally in your lifes search for love and wisdom.
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THE POWER OF GRIEF

So many people fear the pain of loss that they never allow themselves to love. This avoidance of love is at the root of many
of todays problems. Could this be why we live in such a spiritually desolate world so devoid of kindness and compassion?
The only possible outcome of love held back is loneliness, pain, and a lifetime of regret. The pain of the could haves,
should haves and would haves is far greater than all else because it lingers in the heart as a constant reminder of
who we never allowed ourselves to become. Our fear of pain is what creates our lack of love. Grief and pain are what lead
us to love. We can only love as deeply as we grieve.
Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the truth.
- Benjamin Disraeli
Most of us are grieving something. We grieve the childhood we never had, the loss of a loved one, the end of a relationship,
or the death of an animal companion. We grieve the clearcut forests, the billions of animals killed for food, the dying
oceans, the innocent victims of senseless wars the state of the world. We grieve what we love and lose and it hurts.
When were deep in the throes of grief, its like were trapped on a leaky boat in the middle of a turbulent ocean without
compass, paddle, rudder, or sail. We have no control over direction, and even if we did, were clueless about which way to
turn. In the fleeting moments of clarity, were ambushed by forceful waves of anguish that have us clinging for dear life to
the hope that one day it will end. Were utterly lost in the prodigious sea of uncertainty.
Loss of any kind creates an abrupt identity crisis. The identity we once knew no longer applies. Were no longer somebodys
daughter, son, partner, friend, or companion. Were no longer the person we once knew ourselves to be. Were not only
thrown into the manic sea of uncertainty, were thrown into crisis over who we are with no idea of who we are about to
become. Uncertainty can be a frightening place when the mind resists its inevitable intrusion. When the heart takes the
lead however, uncertainty is liberation.
A sense of identity is critical in how we move through the world. When this foundational component of our being is
disrupted, it forces us to search. Many remain lost as they aimlessly grasp at a false sense of hope or illusory solutions
in an external world. At best, they remain trapped in low-grade unhappiness a self-created purgatory. At worst, they
succumb to life-numbing addiction a self-created hell.
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THE POWER OF GRIEF

Paradoxically, the return to Self is surrender letting go of all semblance of control with trust in the process, faith in the
outcome, and unwavering belief that the universe will always lead the way towards the next smallest step. Its important
to note that surrender does not mean giving up. Rather, surrender is living where most fear to live. It means dropping all
thought, following the internal impulse, and free falling with faith into the unknown while knowing from what lives in the
heart that everything will be ok.
With trust as the compass and faith as the rudder, the sea of uncertainty becomes navigable as we captain our ship
towards a brave new world.
It takes courage to look within, but when we do, we reveal the essence of who we are the authentic being of presence, the
internal compass of truth, and the limitless reservoir of love. We allow our soul to emerge as it eagerly guides us towards a
more expansive way of being.
Grief helps us redefine ourselves and has the tremendous capacity to lead us towards a profound sense of purpose. The
humbling beauty of grief is how it reveals our immense capacity to love. Through surrender, were able to release the
limitlessness of our core being and evolve into the person weve always been meant to be a heart-powered status quo
crusher with a selfless mission to leave the world a better place.
GRIEF CHANGES US. THE PAIN SCULPTS US INTO SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS
MORE DEEPLY, HURTS MORE OFTEN, APPRECIATES MORE QUICKLY, CRIES MORE
EASILY, HOPES MORE DESPERATELY, AND LOVES MORE OPENLY.
-Author Unknown
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EVERYONE THINKS OF CHANGING THE WORLD,

BUT NO ONE THINKS OF CHANGING HIMSELF.
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- Leo Tolstoy
29
THE JOURNEY TO CRUSHER

On January 28, 2010, my mother died.
It was sudden. It was ugly. It was complicated.
I was denied the chance to say goodbye. I was robbed of closure.
The story is unimportant, but the remaining reality is that a dear friend, confidante, supporter, nurturer and all around
amazing human being was gone. Forever. In the blink of an eye.
Not only did I lose someone I loved so deeply that I felt a part of myself die, I also lost the privilege of caring for her as she
always had for me. Selfish, perhaps, but honest nonetheless.
My world was forever altered never to be the same.
What followed was a tumultuous period of grief, anger, self-loathing, uncertainty, and a depression that overwhelmed my
soul. A year and a half of emotional turmoil ending with a final debilitating crash. Six weeks of hell where I could barely
care for my own basic needs the dark night of the soul.
Depression was not something I knew much about.
I was hopelessly lost.
Its not news that depression is rampant in todays cultural makeup and not at all surprising in a culture that feeds the
suppression of authentic expression emotional or otherwise. The truth about depression that Ive since discovered is that
its simply a blanket term for unresolved emotions. And I was guilty of just that the suppression of unresolved emotions. I
couldnt cope. Grieving my mother brought up so many other parts of my life that I need to grieve. I was overwhelmed.
Im normally the type of person who expresses feelings without reservation, but in this case Id made the unconscious
decision to distract myself from feeling the full depth of loss by signing up for an Ironman triathlon. For those who dont
know Ironman, it is an all-consuming venture requiring immense physical, mental, and emotional bandwidth for months
on end. Ironman became the ideal mind/body distraction to ignite the perfect future storm.
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It wasnt until I crossed the Ironman finish line that I finally crashed. I thought I would discover the real me when I heard
the words Deborah Ozarko, you are an Ironman but it only highlighted the agony of my emotional pain. The emptiness felt
at this symbolic line engulfed my soul and I plummeted head-first into the emotional abyss that Id strategically dodged
until that moment. I was soon to learn that it never was about becoming an Ironman, it was about becoming so much more.
The Ironman finish line became the metaphorical start line for a whole new me.
Six weeks of tenacious depression became the universal prerequisite to jolt me into an awakening. Eventually I reached a
threshold where I was so sick of myself that I knew that something needed to change. That something was me.
Emerging from the abyss, I searched for solutions that guided me on an intensive 18 month spiritual journey of healing.
I found the courage to face the all-encompassing darkness head on as I opened my heart to the pain I once feared.
There were endless layers of grief, but as they dissolved, I felt myself expand. As my heart healed, I discovered a passion
for life that opened me up to so much more.
I unplugged from status-quo and simplified my life to what mattered most: passion, presence, purpose, gratitude,
spontaneity, laughter, kindness, compassion, service, and love.
Whether we lose someone dear to us, experience a health crisis, or are blind-sided by personal tragedy, were quickly
snapped into the reality that today this very moment is a beautiful gift that must be cherished with our full presence. A
wake-up call to feel, heal, and be real. With that, I developed an insatiable hunger to get to know the real me.
Ive always been a critical thinker with a deep connection to my core values of love and compassion. These essential values
have been the primary drivers of my life. I discovered however, that although Ive lived my life with integrity and purpose,
my deepest core gifts to the world had been seriously under-utilized. It wasnt until my world was tragically altered that
I was jolted into the stark reality of the brevity of life. As I looked at my mirrored reflection one day, I felt a palpable shift.
I knew that I was looking into the eyes the soul of the person who was ready to step up like never before. When my
mother died, my identity was altered from daughter to orphan. As I healed however, I realized that I was so much
more than a premature orphan with a story of tragedy I was a leader, a champion, a role model, an educator, and an
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inspirational force to be reckoned with. I had become part of a revolutionary awakening of consciousness sweeping the
planet. I became someone who was prompted by a calling to live authentically with a deep sense of purpose in order to
leave the world a better place where I could say on my deathbed, I lived the greatest expression of Deb Ozarko possible.
I lived my calling and didnt hold back. I became someone who could provide hope and transform lives by inspiring the
union of head with heart simply by being the best version of myself guided by purpose and telling my story.
My personal journey towards wholeness was challenging, emotional, beautiful, dark, inspiring, frustrating, humbling,
heartbreaking, and enlightening.
Ironically, the greatest gift received from losing someone I loved so dearly, was the gift of life. My own darkness, once
exposed to the light, generated more light than I could possibly imagine. It was this light that revealed a vibrant passion for
every single breath. Every single heartbeat. Every single moment.
My soul was fully alive. Death taught me to live more fully right now.
This awakening has given me an expansive worldview where I now witness the world from the lens of someone who sees
the current illusory reality as a means to a necessary end so that something more authentic to the heart of humanity
can be birthed. The possibilities for a new reality are endless - and have been all along. Ive come to discover that there
are only four things that matter - life, purpose, service, and love. With this realization, a new paradigm has already been
birthed in my heart and my mission is to enlist an army of compassionate warriors to join me as we collectively leave the
old world behind. My intention is to serve my greater purpose of inspiring others to embrace the infinite potential within
that has been culturally repressed for far too long. When we wake up to the beauty inside ourselves, we wake up to the
beauty within all. Its then that we forever alter reality.
This is the birth of the status quo crusher. A person who lives with passion, lives with purpose and changes the world by
first transforming their own world. A person who fearlessly breaks ground for an entirely new paradigm by becoming the
invitation for others to explore a kinder, more compassionate and interconnected way of being.
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I end this section with a beautiful quote by Marianne Williamson from her book, A Return To Love.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light,
not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually,
who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened
about shrinking so that other people wont feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were
born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. Its not just in some of us; its in everyone. And as we let our own
light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our
presence automatically liberates others.
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SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO KIND OF DIE INSIDE IN ORDER TO

RISE FROM YOUR OWN ASHES AND BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
AND LOVE YOURSELF TO BECOME A NEW PERSON.
- Gerard Way
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WHAT IVE LEARNED...

Many years ago a wise friend said to me that sometimes we have to lose ourselves to find ourselves. In fact, I now believe
that the only way to reveal who weve always been meant to be is to lose who weve always thought ourselves to be.
What is it that snaps us out of the comfort zone of mediocrity? For many of us, a rapid awakening occurs through
tragedy when the world we think is real is demolished by an event so sudden that were forced to examine our perceived
identity. Reality as we once knew it, forever altered, forces us to look within our hearts for the only real salvation truth.
The grounds for a new reality become fertile for growth as the previously suppressed seeds of our essential nature are
activated by the deep desire for transformation. To heed the wake up call is to never again see the world as it once was.
This equates to a quantum leap in consciousness. To use the metaphor from the movie The Matrix, to swallow the red pill
of awakening means forever leaving the illusion of ignorance in favour of the reality of truth. The truth is indeed the only
thing that will ever set us free.
Being fully alive in a world trapped in a culturally conditioned coma is not easy. The monotonous conformity of a fearful
species of voracious consumers makes me want to scream from the highest mountaintop - WAKE UP! But I know
this will only fall on the deaf ears of a humanity that has lost its desire for autonomous expression. Instead, I have
come to realize that the most potent inspiration for those with the flickering of awakening in their hearts is, in the
wise words of Mahatma Ghandi, to be the change that I wish to see in the world. To define this world is to define the
purest version of my Self. So with this I ask, what is the change that I wish to see in the world and who must I become to
embody this change? My answer: The world that I wish to see is a loving world where compassion for all living beings without exception - is the norm. The world that I wish to see is one where every human soul is expressed with unedited
authenticity; where selfless trumps selfish; where simplicity, community, purpose, and creative expression are what make
the world go around. The world I wish to see is a world where love obliterates fear and separation is replaced by unity;
where indifference is replaced by passion, and the toxicity of judgement is relegated to the history books of a primitive
species who once lost its way. To live in this world, I must first embrace these qualities and embody the powerful truths
existent in my core. Embodiment is awakening. Awakening is enlightenment. Enlightenment is remembering that there is
nobody I have to be except the most fully expressed version of who I was birthed to be. This is a deep truth that applies to
each and every one of us.
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WHAT IVE LEARNED...

Awakening emerges from transformation which takes dedicated work. Like an athlete who strives with unwavering
commitment to be the best at their sport, the spiritual athlete strives with unwavering commitment to be the most
authentically expressed version of their highest Self. Despite days where performance may falter, the outstanding athlete
never gives up. The same applies to the spiritual athlete. Being the best at anything including being the best version of
our authentic Self means conscious perseverance with purposeful passion fueled by the power of the heart.
I was once asked how I maintain such a focused attitude of inspired hope as the world we know unravels around us.
My answer I refuse to live in a world where there is no hope. I believe in the transformative power of the human heart
and have faith it will materialize in ways that alter the course of humanity. Either that or we perish. Personally, I dont
like the alternative so I choose the long shot of awakening. I recognize that Im either naive or tapped into something
greater. In my heart, I firmly believe the latter. I refuse to live in the shadows of how others live - or of what might become
should the sleeping masses continue their reckless pursuit towards self-annihilation. When we own the truth of our
potential and trust ourselves enough to engage it, miracles happen with ease. I can speak with confidence to this fact.
My journey of healing united me with truth. I connected with my heart. I found peace in pain. I found strength in faith. I
learned to welcome the absence of certainty to allow the emergence of who Ive always been meant to be. Above all else, I
focused on how I could leave the world a better place by serving in ways that inspire others to engage the limitlessness of
their own potential.
The frailty of life prompted me to ponder the end of mine with heartfelt sincerity. How could I live my life right now as the
greatest expression of Deb Ozarko so there would be no regrets on my last exhale? By living each moment with the end
in mind - essentially living backwards - I realized that there are no regrets. I know the legacy of awesome that I will leave
because Im living it now. I know how I will leave the world a better place because Im living it now. I know how people will
remember me because theyre experiencing all of me now. By living each day with the end in mind, Ive freed my soul and
liberated my mind for the daily opportunities to live more, give more, be more, and love more.
Along my journey Ive learned many profound truths that I will share in the hopes that they will resonate with you.
(Note: Ive learned the hard way so that you dont have to).
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WHAT IVE LEARNED...

1) There are few absolutes in life:

The only certainty is uncertainty.

The only constant is change.
The comfort zone will always confine.
What you dont know that you dont know will always be greater than everything that you know.
Everything in the physical world will die.
Wisdom (the heart) always trumps knowledge (the intellect).
There is only one you.
You are here to leave the world a better place.
Love is all that matters.
When these absolutes are accepted, embraced, and embodied, life takes on indescribable meaning.
2) Where fear stops us, this is where we need to go. Fear is an invitation from the soul to expand and become more.
Courage is not the absence of fear. Its the willingness to act in spite of it.
3) Theres no value in creating the future from the past. Wisdom doesnt come from attaching to what once was, it comes
from becoming better because of what once was.
4) Wisdom is the embodiment of knowledge. Wisdom has soul. Wisdom is truth. Its never about what we know or what
weve learned, its about who we become as a result of what weve learned. Knowledge speaks but wisdom listens.
Wisdom changes the world.
5) When we live life from the inside-out rather than the outside-in, we become who weve always been meant to be.
Were powered by the truth in our hearts rather than the culturally imposed beliefs of an outdated paradigm.
6) Life is simple in both its joy and its pain. Everything else is a story. Get over it. Live life - dont let it live you.
7) We are all exquisite creators. Each of us has a purpose unique to our being. It is our duty to express this purpose
without reservation. Anything less and we not only rip ourselves off, we rip the world off. The greatest purpose that we
all share is to experience the fullest glory of life by being the greatest version of who weve always been meant to be.
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WHAT IVE LEARNED...

8) We are here to be givers, not takers. Healers, not harmers. We are here to leave the world a better place because of
our existence, not because of our departure.
9) Potential isnt worth anything unless its activated from deep within the soul.
10) If we arent living the life that we yearn for then we must ask - whose life are we living?
11) Like-minded community is essential for accelerated awakening. When we connect with others on the same path, we
inspire as we hold each other accountable to be so much more than who weve been conditioned to be.
12) We will never evolve beyond our own self imposed limitations until we get out of our way. When we let go of the stories
of how we think things need to be, we move into the present so that we can prosper into the future.
13) We all thrive on inspiration. Through inspiration we discover the aspects of ourselves that are inspiring to others. Its
then that we are bold enough to begin to reveal our greatness.
14) The power isnt in the choices we make, the power is knowing that we have choices. We are growing, evolving beings
every moment of every day. We have the choice to nurture this growth or stunt it with the choices we make. This is the
ultimate choice.
15) When we claim our uniqueness, miracles happen and life unfolds in ways we could never previously imagine.
16) Feeling is the language of the soul. The soul desires all of it what we label pain as well as what we label joy. The
full range of feeling is what creates expansion. The soul is here to grow and expand so it can guide us towards the
grandest version of our true Selves. What we know means nothing. What we feel means everything. Suppressed
feelings harm the body and burden the soul. Expressed feelings aid the body and liberate the soul. The body and the
soul are intricately intertwined. Enlightenment is embodiment and embodiment means feeling without mental or
chemical suppression.
17) Love, joy, and truth are interchangeable and one always leads to another. When we live from the greatest depths of
our own love, joy, and truth, we give the collective permission to live from this empowering light as well.
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WHAT IVE LEARNED...

18) The more we are, the more we can become. The more we become, the more we can still be. Life is not a process of
discovery, its a process of creation. Its not about finding ourselves, its about deciding who we wish to be. We are not
here to create ourselves from the experiences of others. We are here to design life as we choose so we can live it on
our own terms. We are here to shape our world, not to be shaped by it. Each time we expand beyond our perceived
limits, there is endless room for growth to discover who we have the potential to still become.
19) Emotion is the power which attracts. What we are passionate about, we will experience more. What we fear, we will
experience more. How consciously we choose determines the quality of our lives.
20) Gratitude is the open door to abundance. Gratitude is profound in its magnificence. It humbles. It empowers. It
transforms. When were in the energy of gratitude, we naturally become peaceful, content and loving. In gratitude,
there is no fear, scarcity, or doubt. Simply by being thankful for what is, we instantly provide relief from any internal
discomfort or suffering - physical or mental. Gratitude is one of the most powerful energies on the planet.
21) True abundance arrives when we feel joy, health, happiness, vitality and a sense of purpose throughout our daily lives.
Abundance is the feeling that arrives when were connected to something greater that our selves. When we open our
hearts and minds to the richness of life surrounding us in every moment, we experience the reality of abundance
regardless of our current life situation.
22) When the conversations in our head match the conversations we have out loud match the actions we then take, it is
then that we are living from truth.
Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
- Mahatma Gandhi
23) Think big, dream bigger and implement. In pursuit of every dream, there is nothing more powerful than action to
make it happen.
24) We are here to live, laugh, love, and serve. We need to feel worthy. In the pursuit of self-worth, we need to know that
weve made a difference in the lives of others. By serving a purpose greater than ourselves we do it all. We live. We
laugh. We love. We serve. We leave the world a better place.
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WHAT IVE LEARNED...

25) Ive determined that my level of happiness is entirely dependent on how connected I feel to myself. I believe that we all
share this truth. Im happiest when meditating, dancing, kayaking, hiking, canoeing, swimming, or cycling. I thrive on
simplicity, spontaneity, and feeling the oneness with nature and animals. Im most effective when I feel strong, rested,
vibrant, and healthy. By knowing the needs of my soul, I determine the non-negotiables in life that keep me connected
to me. Let your soul speak, follow its lead, and youll never go wrong.
26) Our conversations shape our reality. The most important conversations are the ones we have with ourselves. Always
tell yourself the truth for if you cant tell yourself the truth, you know no truth.
27) We are never alone when we choose a more powerful place to stand for ourselves. By remaining steadfast in the truth
of our experiences, we attract others who live more consciously. Its this collective energy that lifts the world. As
Margaret Mead once said, Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, its
the only thing that ever has.
28) Life is organic. It unfolds moment by moment. Control is an illusion created by an external culture. Theres great
liberation in living without a plan and allowing life to unfold organically.
29) The more deeply we embrace the power in our hearts, the more internally referenced we become. This is what frees
us from the seductive world of illusion and empowers us to live from the truth within.
30) The path to liberation is to lose the need to know. The intellect traps us in excuses, opinions, judgements, fears,
beliefs, and stories. When we lose the need to have all the answers, we free ourselves for endless possibilities. The
intellect is the box of illusion. The heart is the limitless field of truth.
31) The body is a conduit for the soul to express itself. Its a conduit for our emotions to move through us. Its a conduit for
the subtle energy of intuition to speak to us. Its also a conduit for our thoughts to inspire us. The body is a conduit for
energy. When we remember that the body is a channel for the energy that animates it, we develop a relationship to the
body that is kinder, more loving, and respectful.
32) Energy can neither be created nor destroyed but it can be altered. The powerful energy of our authentic emotions can
be transformed into paradigm shifting action.
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WHAT IVE LEARNED...

33) When we think too much, were no longer present. When were no longer present, were no longer conscious. When
were no longer conscious, habitual patterns obscure truth. The only way out, is in. By losing our minds, we access our
hearts and expand into presence, passion, purpose and joy. This is the shift from head to heart.
34) Creativity, spirituality, wellness, joy, work, and love should all mean the same thing in life. This is the manifestation
of purpose.
35) Becoming more whole and transforming in a way that is congruent with the truth of who we are does not happen in
our heads. It doesnt happen because we have new information, new knowledge, a new book, or a new philosophy. It
happens because we allow what lives inside of us to emerge and come alive.
36) Passion is the inner fire that drives us to express who we really are. Passion is inspiration in action. If we deny
passion, we deny our soul. No passion, no life.
37) What we do for ourselves, we do for others. What we do for others, we do for ourselves.
38) Spirituality is seeking our own internal experiences rather than learning from the experiences of others. It invites us
to reject the thoughts of others in order to create our own through the truth that lives in our hearts.
39) Truth is comforting to those who do not wish to ignore it. Then, not only is truth comforting, its also inspiring. Truth is
what mobilizes the soul for action.
40) Intuition is the voice of the soul. The more we act on it, the more it serves us.
41) Every day is a new opportunity to become more. The only level playing field that we all share is the 24 hours in every
day. How we live these 24 hours determines the quality of our lives. Whenever passion trumps fear there are no limits.
When the heart leads, life rocks for ourselves and for the world.
42) The world cant be changed by being just like it. The only way to truly make a difference is to be different. In the wise
words of Gandhi, You must be the change you wish to see in the world, and given the state of the world, nothing less
is acceptable.
43) Youre not living if you avoid hard work, pain, mistakes, and screw ups. There is no such thing as failure, there is
only feedback.
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WHAT IVE LEARNED...

44) You cannot predict the future from the past. You cannot predict the future period.
45) All that matters is life, truth, and love.
46) Our pain can be the source of our greatest strengths. Do we shrink away or do we expand? If we shrink away from
every source of pain, we get smaller and smaller until we forget who we are. If we expand to remember that our
hearts are big enough to hold all pain, our lives expand, our world expands, and we reveal who weve always been
meant to be.
47) Actions speak louder than words. Words mean nothing without action. Action means everything and needs no words.
48) Truth requires no defence. Only illusion requires defence.
49) Life is a delicate balance between being and doing. Most people are so busy trapped in their heads, spinning their
wheels doing that theyve forgotten the being part of the human equation. We live in a culture of doers - which leads to
stress, unhappiness, and burnout. Its in the being that we reconnect to the truth of who we are. This is what fuels the
doing in a more authentic and purposeful way. Being is the fuel for creation. Doing is creation itself. One cannot exist
without the other.
50) When we move ourselves to the top of our to-do list, not only do we change our world, we change THE world.
51) Theres tremendous power in the word no. Rejecting cultural indoctrination is one of the greatest personal acts of
liberation that can be made to return to the authentic Self. Living from love, eating from love, choosing from love, and
acting from love is the return to the true Self.
52) We can only say YES as powerfully as we can say NO.
53) Being able to carve a path of simplicity through what is culturally complex is what transforms our lives.
54) No matter who we think we are, we are always so much greater than that.
55) Fear is what makes us selfish - 100% of the time. Love is what makes us selfless - 100% of the time.
56) If we stay in our comfort zone for too long, we begin to die. Bit by bit, day by day. Not a physical death, but a spiritual
and emotional one.
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WHAT IVE LEARNED...

57) Life is a series of one time only moments never to be repeated. The past shapes us, the present makes us, and the
future guides us to more of who were meant to be.
58) We dont need to overcome fear, we need to master love. When we master love, fear bites the dust.
59) Nothing of any great significance has ever been achieved by playing it safe.
60) Confusion and frustration always precedes growth. The discomfort means that a more expansive idea is trying to
emerge through old conditioning. Trust the process, allow it to unfold organically and great things always happen.
61) Where there is pain, there is purpose. The most life-altering gifts are found in the deepest recesses of our pain.
62) Theres nothing more exciting than discovering who we really are with the infinite possibilities that await us.
63) Believe in what everyone else doesnt - miracles. Faith is what moves mountains.
64) The more I know, the more I realize that I dont know...and the more I have yet to discover.
65) Your true authentic self if the greatest gift that you can give yourself and the world.
In the end, nobody will care about the stuff we owned, the car we drove, or the homes we lived in. Nobody will care about
our accomplishments, awards, degrees, or titles. Nobody will care if we were smart, athletic, fat, thin, rich, or poor. In the
end, all that matters is the truth in our hearts. Did we live, laugh, love, and serve? Did we share our light with the world?
Did we dare to care? Did we make a difference in the lives of others? Did we live from kindness, compassion, integrity, and
truth? Did we strive to live as the greatest expression of who weve always been meant to be?
Ultimately, what matters most is love authentic, limitless, and pure.
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43
Like the shirt? Order yours right here!

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44
THE OLD STORY

CAUSES OF SEPARATION
V
V
V
FEAR
SCARCITY
ATTACHMENT
{
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BELIEFS
Culturally conditioned beliefs based on conformity,

consumption, judgement, fear, and indifference.
Thoughts/feelings of lack: not enough time,

money, resources, self-worth, etc.
ADDICTION
Thoughts/beliefs of I cant accompanied by

compulsive feelings of attachment to beliefs,
stories, behaviours, etc.
}
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THE NEW STORY

CREATING A NEW STORY FROM SEPARATION TO INTERBEING
The cumulative effect of the collective choices that we have been making is destroying the world as we know it. Theyve
taken a dramatic toll on the life support systems of the planet. The implications of our choices have perpetuated the
paradigm of separation and this in turn is destroying the biosphere. In a culture where mass distraction is so pervasive, its
challenging to be present with the grief, fear, pain, and suffering in a way that is transformative and can be translated into
the strength, commitment and resolve to make a difference in the world.
The inability to experience our own pain as well as the pain of others is what allows suffering to continue. Separation
breeds indifference and a false sense of superiority. A collective consciousness existent in the realm of separation and
superiority creates a loss of compassion on a massive scale, and a loss of compassion is followed by a loss of conscience.
The level of consciousness in todays world has flatlined and is in desperate need of a massive upheaval.
Its clear that humanity is in a time of massive transition. The unsustainable power-based structures that drive our world
are crumbling. Mother Earth has had enough of our conspicuous consumption and were being called upon to create an
entirely new and sustainable way of life. Just as we cannot have the rebirth of spring without the death of autumn and the
stillness of winter, the birth of a paradigm based on a unified state of consciousness cannot fully take root until the old
ways, belief systems, and outdated paradigms have eroded at their roots.
The journey weve embarked on for far too long has been a journey of separation. There have been many major turning
points along the way as we collectively address the question of what it means to be alive as a human being on planet Earth
at this time. What is the story of self? For far too long, the story of self has been married to the story of separation. Yet as
the story of separation continues to play out, a new story is emerging.
The story of separation states that we are individual beings interacting with a world that is fundamentally separate
from us. We are a fear-filled mote of consciousness in a capsule of flesh interacting with other fear-filled motes of
consciousness. We are the expression of selfish genes maximizing their reproductive interests. We are a rational
actor seeking to maximize our economic self interests. Theres a belief that we can do anything to an other without
consequences that affect us. Its a dog eat dog world. Every moment that were not doing something to get ahead is a
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THE NEW STORY

moment lost in the competitive race get a piece of the shrinking pie. Were running out of time. Were running out of
money. Were running out of resources. Were running out of space. We need to get to where were going and make the
biggest impact with all of our successes and it must happen now. Trapped in our fears of scarcity and lack, we take and
take with no concern for how our paranoid imbalance affects all other life. We have alienated ourselves from the natural
world in a way that has caused tremendous suffering.
We think too much and feel too little. We talk too much and say next to nothing. Our heads are full but our hearts are empty.
We complain more than we cry. We criticize more than we care. We hate more than we help. We lie more than we love.
Our war mentality (the war on terror, the war on germs, the war on cancer, the war on drugs, the war on nature, wars on
one another) is no longer working. The story of controlling and manipulating the other that is external to us is imploding.
Each time we implement a fix from the paradigm of separation, it brings with it an even greater problem. Science,
technology, politics, and growth-based economics the holy grails of the modern world have failed us miserably. If they
were ever to save us, it would have happened long ago and we wouldnt be in the mess were in today. As we continue along
with this same approach, the problems become increasingly challenging to overcome. Like the heroine addict chasing his
fix, eventually there is no enough and what follows is breakdown.
In a world that is unraveling at an unprecedented rate, its easy to fall into hopelessness and despair. But this only
contributes to the paradigm of separation. What we need more than ever is to unite in our consciousness. We must bravely
venture into unknown territory and engage in conversations that are far removed from the box that created the problems
in the first place. We must realize the incredible power of our thoughts, feelings, choices, behaviours, and actions. How we
think is how we feel, how we feel is how we choose, and how we choose is how we act. We are all contagious. We must then
ask ourselves, what is the contagion that Im spreading?
We have the power to think, feel, choose, and act in ways that support an entirely new story. We have the choice to shape
our world rather than be shaped by it. When we live our lives authentically, we become the invitation for others to follow.
Individual actions multiplied by many have the potent potential to transform this paradigm. As previously mentioned, the
world of today is no longer worth saving its far too broken. But breakdown always precedes breakthrough and as the old
ways die off, space is made for the new to emerge.
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THE NEW STORY

In her book Waking the Global Heart: Humanitys Rite of Passage from the Love of Power to the Power of Love,
Anodea Judith writes:
The separation that is needed now is to take a step back from the culture itself. As long as we are unable to detach from
the incessant cries of advertising and sensationalist media, we are hypnotized into the cultural trance that is consuming
the biosphere. From that hypnotic state, we can do little to disengage from its more insidious qualities in order to imagine
something new. That means turning off the tv and breaking the hypnotic programming that tells us to consume. We need
to listen to the birds and the wind at least as often as the evening news. We need to read poetry as often as the newspaper.
We need to go online and get news stories from other sources, conducting our own investigations into truth. We must
transcend our culture in order to transform it.
To ensure that we never repeat our mistakes we must feel the anguish of our collective separation as we bear witness to
the dying of our current culture while actively co-creating the world that is more in line with who we authentically are.
We listen for guidance everywhere except from within.

Parker J. Palmer
Withour societys blinding addiction to intellect and reason, our intuition has nearly been extinguished. But with the way
of the world today, the more connected we are to our inner truth, the better off we will be in the uncertain times emerging.
Community, collaboration, compassion, co-creation, and creative expression are the foundational components of the
5-C quintant required for the birth of a new paradigm. Those who embrace the new way today are the solutionaries
responsible for the accelerated birth of an entirely new world. By transforming truth into action, we turn our back on the
old and breathe life into the new. When we reclaim the truth of who we are, we reclaim the force of creation within. Were
no longer shaped by an outdated paradigm, we create an entirely new one.
As the story of separation crumbles, a new story is being birthed. As defined by Bhuddist monk Thich Naht Hahh, this is
the story of interbeing - a more authentic paradigm based on love, compassion, unity, and the essence of humanity. As we
collectively rub the sleep from our eyes, were realizing that were not separate entities interacting in a world that
is separate from us. We are interdependent. We are realizing that the loss of one species is a loss for the collective.
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THE NEW STORY

That violence towards other living beings is violence towards all. That ecologies are wholly interconnected to have beautiful
relationships which symbiotically support one another. Were questioning the separation-based belief systems that weve
been taught to be true and are embracing what we know in our hearts to be true. Were remembering our compassion
as we give back to the planet and all of her creations. Were rebuilding community because it is in community that we
re-discover our relational existence. We are entering a co-creative partnership with the earth as we transition into the
adulthood of humanity. Were remembering our deep desire to be unique in our expression as we share this with the world
in a way that leaves it a better place. We are remembering the love in our hearts that is separate from none.
By sharing the beauty of our purest core Being, we co-create the story of interbeing.
As we straddle two worlds, we must unite in our passion to create the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible.
We must love with a greater conviction than most people hate.
We must love with a greater conviction than most people judge.
We must love with a greater conviction than most people fear.
Love is the organizing force behind all that is beautiful, joyful, compassionate, free, peaceful, creative, and true in this
world. Our world is merely a reflection of a populations levels of love or fear. But true love casts out all fear making
extraordinary revolution not only possible, but inevitable. Love is a force of nature and so are we. Love is increased through
communion, dance, creative expression, mindfulness, prayer, service, humour, forgiveness, gratitude, courage, and unity.
This is the powerful force that runs through the heart of each and every one of us.
It is through the active force of this love that we create the tipping point required for the 100th Monkey Effect to take hold.
Victor Hugo once said, Theres nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come.
When we love with a conviction that defies the paradigm of separation, we become an unstoppable force that transforms
the world.
The time has come for the reLOVEution of interbeing. It is the status-quo crusher who makes it all happen!
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DO NOT FOLLOW WHERE THE PATH MAY LEAD.

GO INSTEAD WHERE THERE IS NO PATH AND LEAVE A TRAIL.
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- Harold R. McAlindon
50
THE BIRTH OF THE STATUS QUO CRUSHER

Status quo is a passionless soul thief that snuffs out our life force. It demolishes hopes and dreams by convincing us that
a meaningful life is a mere chimera. Status quo feeds scarcity, separation, addiction, and spiritual vacancy. It is a ruthless
predator which destroys our souls. Status quo conformists look but dont see. Think but dont feel. Eat but dont taste.
Hear but dont listen. Speak but dont act.
This is not who we are.
When we unplug from status quo, we expand the lens through which we see reality. We expand our circle of compassion,
we expand our worldview, and we expand into more of who weve always been meant to be. At our core, we are love. When
we unite with our deepest humanity, we embrace the fullness of life.
As the fog slowly lifts from the cultural amnesia that has caused us to stray so far from our essential nature, we wake
up to the birth of a new Self. We wake up to a paradigm where authentic expression renders conformity obsolete, where
simplicity eliminates consumption, where truth exposes lies, where acceptance obliterates judgement, where love
dissolves fear, where selfless trumps selfish, and where passion crushes indifference.
We can envision a beautiful world of love, abundance and unity with the limitless power of our hearts and believe it to be
true, or we can choose the antiquated stories of the egoic illusion that nullify the possibility of anything beautiful. The ego
will always confine us. The heart will always liberate us.
When we shift the paradigm from head to heart, transformation occurs, miracles happen, and life takes on
powerful meaning.
To transform our lives we must hold in our hearts a compelling vision of our idealized self. Every great person in history
has done just this. Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Einstein, and Rosa Parks all lived far beyond their current
reality. Each of these people held a grander version of a greater self within their hearts. They embraced this future vision
as their current reality with steadfast conviction. They shared a magnificent dream for a better world and they believed
in a future outcome that was so real that they lived each day as though it had already transpired. This is the power of
embodied vision.
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By becoming the greatest version of ourselves, we create an entirely new reality. To transform is to think, feel, and act in
a way that defies our physical reality. Its about believing in a future that we cannot yet see or experience with our senses
but which is so alive in our hearts that we cannot live any other way. It means embracing our future life while physically
living in our present day reality. Its not only acting as if, its feeling as if, being as if, and living as if. How we think,
feel, and act is what alters reality and changes the world. The greatest change-makers in history were unwavering in
their commitment towards a better future. Their hearts were ahead of their minds because the present reality no longer
controlled them. When we hold our dreams separate from the current reality and act on them with unfaltering belief, we
carve the path for a beautiful new world. We rewire our brains to unite with our hearts and we become an unstoppable
force for paradigm shifting transformation.
This is the birth of the status quo crusher.
Status quo crushers are visionary leaders who create and shape reality. When in their presence, we know in our hearts
that anything is possible because options emerge where none once existed. Status quo crushers do not manage their lives
inside a reality that has been pre-determined for them. Instead, they create their own future for a better world while doing
everything in their power to make it happen. Life expands with their inspired reality.
A status quo crusher has moved beyond history, experience, beliefs, fears, judgements, and self-imposed limitations to
remember that they have always been so much more than they can ever imagine.
Living life as a status quo crusher is a giant leap of faith outside the box of cultural programming. When passion drives our
dreams for a better world, faith becomes our constant companion and we realize that we are always cradled in the arms of
an unseen force that is so much greater than ourselves. We connect to the authentic Self that has always been at our core.
The more aligned we are with our authentic Self, the more aligned we are with our purpose as the fears and judgments
that once held us back simply fall away.
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When we connect to our true Self, we no longer want more, we want less. Less stuff, less distraction, less advice,
less thought, less talk, less stress, less effort, less conformity, consumption, judgment, fear, and indifference less
of everything that comprises the shaky foundation of the status quo paradigm of separation. Instead, we want more
tranquility, more silence, more community, more collaboration, more co-creation, more compassion, more ease, more
inspiration, more connection, more joymore love. As we expand into our true Self, life simplifies. As life simplifies, we
continue to expand into more of who weve always been meant to be. We become more creative, more authentic, more
giving, more compassionate, and more loving. We become discerning rather than judgmental. We choose faith over fear.
We become engaged over indifferent. We love. We care. We act.
We realize that nobody is coming to save us from our thoughts, actions, choices, fears, limitationsourselves. We
remember that we are the ones that weve been waiting for all along.
When we are committed to being ourselves and telling the truth, we no longer do the bidding on the culture and it
disintegrates. Let us become the invitation to explore a kinder, more compassionate way of being because this planet is
desperate for an army of compassionate status quo crushing warriors to rock the boat even when we all feel seasick.
A status quo crusher is a critical thinking warrior of truth who lives consciously in an unconscious world by living
authentically with grace. A status quo crusher is driven by passion, purpose, integrity, and love and serves in a way that
leaves the world a better place.
This is the way of the humanity 2.0 - the status quo crushing warriors of a brave new world.
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STATUS QUO VS. STATUS QUO CRUSHER QUALITIES
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STATUS QUO
STATUS QUO CRUSHER
STATUS QUO
STATUS QUO CRUSHER
Me
We
Blame
Understanding
Separation
Unity/Interbeing
Hostile
Joyful
Conformity
Authentic Expression
Egotistical
Spiritual
Consumption
Simplicity
Proud
Humble
Judgement
Acceptance
Self-loathing
Self-acceptance
Fear
Love
Groupthink
Critical thought
Indifferent
Passionate
Busy
Focused
Victim
Empowered
Procrastinator
Implementor
Routine
Spontaneous
Reactive
Responsive
Selfish
Selfless
Confrontational
Calm
Speaks
Listens
Entitled
Kind
Doing
Being
Apathy
Action
Intolerant
Tolerant
Unconscious
Conscious
Past/future oriented
Present
Animosity
Compassionate
War
Peace
Close-minded
Open-minded
Complain
Gratitude
Jealous
Generous
Competition
Collaboration
Doubt
Trust
Unfeeling (numbs pain)
Feeling
Worry
Faith
Limited (excuses)
Purpose-driven
Opinionated
Receptive
Resentful
Forgiving
Externally referenced
Internally referenced
Intellectual
Intuitive
Impatient
Patient
Unworthy
Worthy
Exclusive
Inclusive
Rational
Creative
Scarcity
Abundance
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FROM CARING COMES COURAGE.

- Lao Tzu
Water for pig angel victims in Torontos heat wave July 2013. Toronto Pig Save.
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WHO IS A STATUS QUO CRUSHER?

One of the many memorable things my father said to me as a young girl was this: Debbie, you can please some of the people
some of the time but you cant please all of the people all of the time. Always stay with your truth because thats all that
matters. I never forgot those words. Although I didnt fully understand what he meant at the time, on a soul level, I knew. By
sharing his wisdom, he empowered the authentic me to always be me for nobody else but me. He inspired me to seek truth,
live from truth, and act from truth.
He helped shape my life in ways that he never lived to see, but which live on as a testament to his legacy. He unleashed the
cultural rebel within and taught me that to crush status quo I must be willing to stand alone in my truth without concern for
acceptance from those who conform to an outdated paradigm.
A life altering message at a sensitive age strengthens the soul for life.
With that, I share with you the qualities that define a status quo crusher (aka humanity 2.0):
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A status quo crusher is unplugged from groupthink and plugged into truth. By expressing authentically, a status quo
crusher becomes the invitation for others to embrace their own truth. This is the way of the compassionate leader.
A status quo crusher leads with their heart, implements with their head.
A status quo crusher chooses inspiration over advice; empowerment over opinion.
A status quo crusher dismisses fear as a reason to prevent purpose. A status quo crusher lives their legacy now.
A status quo crusher thinks outside the box, lives outside the box, loves outside the box, expresses authentically, thinks
critically, and acts from the truth in their heart.
A status quo crusher is as comfortable alone as they are with others. A status quo crusher seeks silence the language
of the soul as the only path to truth.
A status quo crusher knows that pain is an integral part of life and never to be denied. Pain is often the portal to purpose.
A status quo crusher rejects normal and embraces exceptional.
A status quo crusher lives, laughs, loves, and serves a higher calling that inspires the lives of others.
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A status quo crusher chooses kindness over niceness (aka conformity).
A status quo crusher has no tolerance for excuses, opinions, stories, or reasons. Truth is the only answer.
A status quo crusher lives simply and loves openly.
A status quo crusher chooses faith over fear; trust over doubt.
A status quo crusher chooses selfless over selfish.
A status quo crusher knows that love is not a radical movement and actively seeks ways to spread its powerful seeds.
A status quo crusher is spontaneous, creative, and hungry for change.
A status quo crusher lives with gratitude as the driving force in their heart.
A status quo crusher is congruent. Thoughts match words match behaviours, choices, and actions. This is the epitome
of integrity.
A status quo crusher says no when they mean no and yes when they mean yes.
A status quo crusher is deeply committed to their ongoing evolution.
A status quo crusher has an insatiable hunger to become the greatest version of their pure Self.
A status quo crusher knows that life is not a process of discovery, rather a process of creation.
A status quo crusher is a voracious seeker of truth.
A status quo crusher embraces community, collaboration, and co-creation for the formation of a better world.
A status quo crusher is the river not the rock.
A status quo crusher has embodied and activated the potential to become the best version of who theyre meant to be.
A status quo crusher feels first, speaks next, takes action, and puts it all into practice. Actions speak louder than
words. Ongoing active practice speaks loudest of all.
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A status quo crusher listens more than they speak.
A status quo crusher chooses meaningful conversations that inspire love and engage critical thought. Conversational
bandwidth is never wasted on weather, sports, celebrities, and other such trivial fluff.
A status quo crusher knows that the only way to transform the world is to first transform their self.
A status quo crusher feels without reservation. Feeling is the language of the soul. Denying feelings denies the soul.
Status quo crushers live from the soul.
A status quo crusher chooses focus over distraction (aka busy).
A status quo crusher knows that love, truth, and joy are one in the same.
A status quo crusher loves life - all life.
A status quo crusher zags when everyone zigs.
A status quo crusher knows that every choice they make affects the outcome of life - their own life as well as the
greater web of life. A status quo crusher understands the power of one.
Jane Goodall once said, You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What
you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make. A status quo crusher
impacts the world in ways that contribute to its beautiful transformation.
A status quo crusher dares to care.
A status quo crusher lives their life as a powerful message to the world!
The movement is growing at an exponential rate and you are invited. Are you ready to crush it?
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MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE.
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- Mahatma Gandhi
One of histories greatest status quo crushers.
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PURPOSE
Purpose is something dear to my heart and worthy of so much more than the space limitations in this manifesto.
Regardless, I feel the importance of weaving the basic concept into this written conversation. So here goes
The more you search for it, the more it will elude you. Purpose lives in your heart.
Denying your purpose rips you off and it rips the world off.
Purpose is your raison dtre. It is the relentless whisper of your soul.
Purpose is as unique as a snowflake on a wintery day. Nobody can ( _______ insert your name here) like you can. Youre it.
Purpose is so much greater than who you perceive yourself to be. Purpose is the pure and authentic you.
Your ultimate purpose is to be the grandest version of who youve always been meant to be so that you leave the world a
better place.
Purpose, when authentically expressed, will live on in the hearts of others long after your brief stay in this world.
Dont ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it.
Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.
Howard Thurman
Stop searching for purpose. Start living it NOW!
Enough said.
(Spoiler alert: a book exclusively on this topic is in the works for release in mid 2015. Stay tuned).
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THE TRAGEDY OF LIFE IS NOT DEATH BUT WHAT

WE LET DIE INSIDE OF US WHILE WE LIVE.
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- Norman Cousins
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THE CHOICE
Most people plod their way through life in a stupor of comfort with lifeless excuses to forfeit their dreams. When I
have more money, when I have more time, when the kids grow up, when Ive lost weight, when Ive learned
more, when I blah, blah, blah_______(fill in the excuse blank). This prompts me to ask - when is when? When will
the discomfort of comfort be too much to bear? Excusing is losing and a benighted cop-out from life. Comfortable is
dangerous. Comfortable is at odds with growth and flies in the face of truth. Comfortable is the blatant denial of everything
real that lives in our hearts.
Comfort and excuses are intimate bedfellows in the ghetto of ignorance. They are the plague of status quo. They feed
the PMS (Poor Me Syndrome) that breeds indifference, addiction, scarcity, conformity, consumption, judgment, fear, and
everything ugly in the monotonous world of unexamined sameness. No matter who we are, excuses are never cool.
Excuses are the unctuous manifestation of fear under the guise of practicality responsible for dream theft and soul
suppression. Theyre the lies that we tell ourselves to keep playing small. We were born with the gift of free will to become
whomever we choose, but if dont choose, we excuse. Who we are is reborn moment by moment with every choice that we
make. When we refuse to choose, we snooze and we lose. Its tragic what we sometimes allow ourselves to become.
But you see, dreams never die. Dreams lead us to the calling that lives forever in our hearts. Dreams speak to us in quiet
moments of solitude. They slip through the cracks of everyday conversation.They illuminate our minds as we lay down to
sleep each night.The dreams of our truth persistently seep into our consciousness - quietly, patiently, waiting for us to
take notice.
We were born to expand our sense of self to transcend the separation of the current paradigm in order to remember who
we truly are. But our lives are only as meaningful as the questions we dare to ask ourselves. So I ask of you - will you give
yourself permission to become the most authentically expressed version of who youve always been meant to be? Will you
do it now? If not now, then when?
To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.
- Oscar Wilde
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THE CHOICE
Whether its forgiving your parents, healing your life, saying goodbye to a toxic relationship, or leaving the drudgery of an
unfulfilling career everything worthwhile in life requires effort, risk, commitment, and sacrifice. Fear may become a
steady companion, but I dare you to ask yourself is the fear of uncertainty greater than the possibility of a wasted life?
Critical thought is what fuels truth, so I offer 27 questions to expand your mind.
If you knew the arrival of tomorrow was in question, would you
1) Wish you watched more television?
2) Wish you ate more processed food?
3) Wish you moved your body less?
4) Wish you consumed more sugar, meat, dairy, and alcohol?
5) Wish youd said Im sorry less?
6) Wish you concocted more excuses?
7) Celebrate the times you could have, should have, would have but didnt?
8) Wish youd listened less and spoken more?
9) Wish youd taken fewer chances?
10) Wish youd lived with less passion?
11) Wish youd allowed more fear into your life?
12) Wish youd worked more hours?
13) Wish youd blamed more?
14) Wish youd never acted on your dreams?
15) Wish youd lived less vibrantly?
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63
THE CHOICE
16) Wish you stayed in that crappy relationship/friendship longer?
17) Wish you laughed less?
18) Wish you spent less time in nature?
19) Wish you spent less time with friends?
20) Wish you were less present and more distracted?
21) Wish you contributed less to the world?
22) Wish you judged yourself and others more?
23) Wish you put up with more crap?
24) Wish youd let the opinions of others define you more?
25) Wish youd spoken your truth less?
26) Wish you were less authentic?
27) Wish you loved less?
So many of us take life for granted and before we know it, its gone. It makes me wonder why so many fear death when
they never choose life? Benjamin Franklin once said, Most people die at 25 and arent buried until theyre 75. With that,
I feel compelled to ask - at what point does the longing for the life of your dreams become regret for the life that passed
you by? Will you reach a point in life where you long for the chance to turn back the clock and beg for a re-do? Will you have
an adequate response if you are asked what you were so busy doing that you couldnt be bothered to overcome your fears,
disgard old beliefs, change habitual patterns, and become who youve always been meant to be? I dare you to ponder this
with candor.
In our collectively habituated ways of seeing the world, what would it be like if we expanded our world view to free
ourselves from the cultural conditioning that prevents us from caring for what really matters?
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64
THE CHOICE
When we reclaim the truth of who we are, we reclaim the creator within. Were no longer shaped by an outdated paradigm,
we create an entirely new one. This is not only the direction that we need to go, this is the direction that we must go if
we are ever to free ourselves from the paradigm of separation - for ourselves and for all. We are the ones weve been
waiting for.
And you are the one we all need.
Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience,
and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.
Harriet Tumban
You are the creator of your dreams and your life. Will you claim your true self and become who youve always been
meant to be?
Therein lies the choice.
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65
PEOPLE WHO SAY IT CANNOT BE DONE SHOULD NOT

INTERRUPT THOSE WHO ARE DOING IT.
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- George Bernard Shaw
66
THE MEANING OF LIFE

Ready for it?
The meaning of life is to give life meaning.
Live, laugh, love and serve with passion, presence, courage, love, and purpose.
Show up for yourself, stop making excuses, drop the stories, and live fully now
and now.
and now
and now...
You get the point.
Inspire yourself. Inspire others. Become the greatest version of who youve always been meant to be and become the
invitation for others to to evolve into the greatest version of who theyve always been meant to be. Live a life that reflects
the deep inner truth of who you know yourself to be.
The Greatest good that you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own.
- Benjamin Disraeli
Above all else, never, ever, EVER apologize for love.
Alignment with love is alignment with truth. Truth and love are what set the world free.
Love is the ultimate meaning of life.
Love now. Love hard. Love always.
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THE MEANING OF LIFE CHECKLIST

Be purely and unapologetically you.
Lead with your heart.
Implement with your mind.
Embody truth.
Create. Let Go. Repeat.
Tell yourself the truth.
Take action.
Live your calling.
Dare to care.
Inspire others.
Leave the world a better place.
Live simply.
Love hard.
Have fun!
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68
YOU MUST GIVE UP THE LIFE YOU PLANNED IN ORDER

TO HAVE THE LIFE THAT IS WAITING FOR YOU.
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- Joseph Campbell
69
QUO CRUS
S
U
HE
TAT
DECLARATION
of independence
I will express myself authentically with integrity and grace.

I will talk, walk, live, and act in line with my truth.
I will replace hopeless with faith; indifference with action.
I will live, laugh, love, and serve in a way that matters.
I will live from the depth of my heart rather than the shallowness of the mind.
I will accept full responsibility for my thoughts, actions, choices, and behaviours. I refuse be a victim of circumstances.
I will choose selfless over selfish.
I will think critically and act lovingly.
I will choose discernment over judgement.
I will pursue my dreams despite fear and perceived hardship.
I will accept myself as the unique person I am and stand solidly in my core nature.
I will listen more than I speak. When I speak, I will speak my truth.
I will allow myself to experience the truth of every moment without labels or judgement.
I will embrace my calling and express it with all of the love in my heart.
I will give more than I take.
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70
QUO CRUS
S
U
HE
TAT
DECLARATION
of independence
I will grieve as deeply as I love.

I will leave the world a better place because of my existence.
I will trust my inner guidance and allow it to lead me to truth.
I will replace competition with collaboration.
I will not turn the blind eye of indifference and will always help those in need.
I will choose humble over haughty.
I will live more, give more, feel more, be more, and love more.
I will honour the creative force that drives my sense of contribution.
I will honour my Self with ruthless self care (i.e. meditation, time in nature, creative expression, movement, clean food, etc.).
I will continually move towards the greatest expression of who Ive always been meant to be.
I will think critically, act lovingly, and make choices that cause no harm to any living being.
I will always tell the truth - starting with myself.
I will live spontaneously with my soul as my guide.
I willingly take on new challenges with focus rather than fear.
I will say no when I mean no and yes when I mean yes.
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71
QUO CRUS
S
U
HE
TAT
DECLARATION
of independence
I will stop trying and start allowing for joy, love, and abundance to emerge from my heart.
I will lose my mind to gain my heart.
I will align my thoughts, behaviours, and actions with my truth.
I will be unapologetic with my truth-fueled authenticity.
I will express myself with clarity, love, and integrity.
If someone calls me weird, I will thank them. If someone calls me extreme, I will thank them. If someone calls me radical,
I will thank them. If someone tells me I am different in any way, I will smile, thank them, and peacefully walk away with
gratitude in my heart for the truth of who Ive allowed myself to become.
I will crush status quo and become an inspired co-creator of the paradigm of interbeing.
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72
Like the shirt? Order yours right here!

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73
THE END...AND THE BEGINNING

Many people are stopped by beliefs in their own inadequacy. They believe they dont have the skills, knowledge, experience,
self-worth, commitment, yadda, yadda, yadda (you know how it goes).
In other words, they dont believe they matter. I challenge these beliefs.
The emerging new paradigm needs everyone and it needs us now. It needs the unapologetically authentic expression of
each and every awakened soul on this planet. The world needs passion, presence, and purpose more than it needs skills,
knowledge, and experience. With passion, presence, and purpose comes immeasurable transformation where skills,
knowledge, and experience simply fall into place.
The world is starving for life and love. Passion is love. Presence is love. Purpose is love.
Love is life.
Over the years Ive come to realize that we rarely know the full impact we have on others when were just being
ourselves our 100% pure authentic selves. Whether its helping out a friend, collecting garbage along a nature trail,
a heart-felt smile for a glum-looking stranger, or walking lonely dogs at the local shelter. It all matters. Its often the
simplest actions that go virtually unnoticed that have the greatest impact on our world. We may never witness the
profound after-the-fact ripple effect, but we do know how wonderful it feels to give to others, and really, thats all that
matters. When we give to others, we give to ourselves. This is the path towards wholeness.
WHERE THERE IS LOVE THERE IS LIFE.
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- Mahatma Gandhi
74
THE END...AND THE BEGINNING

FOR A NEW BEGINNING
by John ODonohue
In out-of-the-way places of the heart,
Where your thoughts never think to wander,
This beginning has been quietly forming,
Waiting until you were ready to emerge.
Then the delight, when your courage kindled,

And out you stepped onto new ground,
Your eyes young again with energy and dream,
A path of plenitude opening before you.
For a long time it has watched your desire,

Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,
Noticing how you willed yourself on,
Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.
Though your destination is not yet clear

You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your lifes desire.
It watched you play with the seduction of safety

And the gray promises that sameness whispered,
Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,
Wondered would you always live like this.
Awaken your spirit to adventure;

Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;
Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,
For your soul senses the world that awaits you.
As I say at the end of every Unplug podcast:

May we continue to open our hearts on our evolutionary journey of awakening to the point where our heads can no longer
make sense of it all.
Live with passion. Live with purpose. Change the world!
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75
IMAGINE ALL THE PEOPLE LIVING LIFE IN PEACE. YOU MAY SAY IM
A DREAMER, BUT IM NOT THE ONLY ONE. I HOPE SOMEDAY YOULL
JOIN US, AND THE WORLD WILL BE AS ONE.
- John Lennon
Photo by Lennon Photo Archive. Yoko Ono
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76
NOW WHAT?
The new paradigm being birthed is emerging as a leaderless movement inspired by a collective awakening that no longer
tolerates the absence of truth. As the old ways break down, we are clearly able see the liars and frauds of the powerbased structures for the hopelessly lost souls that they are. It is not our job to save them. Its our job to save ourselves by
returning to the essence of our authentic humanity - love, kindness, courage, compassion, joy, service, truth, and action.
It is time for us to remember who we were before our parents, teachers, authority figures, and culture taught us to
become something that were not. The root word of courage is coeur from the French which means heart. This is
where true courage lives. Its time for a massive upgrade in consciousness built on the foundation of courage, love, and
truth. Its time to speak out as we set our hearts free and expand into the powerful life-force that drives our passion for
meaningful creative contribution.
Its time to take the risks required to transform this culture into something more nurturing and authentic to what we all
value - life and love.
The radical transformation that this world needs is for you to unapologetically claim your authentic Self, live from truth,
love like there is no tomorrow, and crush status quo in a way that forever transforms the world.
Are you ready to step up to the plate?
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77
YOU SAY YOU WANT A REVOLUTION!

Inspiration is the contagion that ignites the flames of passion.
Passion is what ignites the force of inspired action.
Action is what transforms the world.
Its time for a global ass-kicking that revolutionizes how we show up in the world.
Alone we can only do so much. As a collective we can change the world.
A revolution is a battle between the future and the past and when enough of us dare to become who weve always been
meant to be, the more beautiful world we know in our hearts will no longer be an elusive dream, it will become the reality
that has always been our birthright.
The status quo crushing revolution begins with you.
Fire it up! Share this manifesto because the time is now. Its time to live and love like your life depends on it
because it does.
Spread the word far and wide and lets rock this world!
Twitter | Facebook
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78
O
N
S
U
T
A
T
S
QUO
UNPLUG!
RECHARGE + RECONNECT
PODCAST
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79
THE UNPLUG PODCAST

INSPIRED LIVING FOR CRITICAL THINKERS WITH COMPASSIONATE HEARTS
The Unplug podcast is an inspirational show created for listeners who are fed up with the status quo world of conformity,
consumption, judgement, fear and indifference and who are ready to shift the paradigm from head to heart by co-creating
a more passionate, compassionate, loving and interconnected world for humanity, animals, the natural world and, of
course, in our own lives. Through in-depth, long-format conversations with inspiring status quo crushers we journey
together, into the infinite depths of the human heart to remember, through the power of story, who we all are at the core
of our beings. Each conversation inspires you to unplug from status quo and plug in to passion, presence, and purpose. No
sound bites, no life hacks, no nonsense.
The ultimate goal: to expand consciousness by opening hearts and minds through critical thought that is well outside the
confining status quo mindset so that you live a profoundly purposeful life that leaves the world a better place.
Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Tunein.
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80
LIFE IS PROFOUNDLY SIMPLE

WHEN YOU FEEL, HEAL,
AND ARE REAL.
- Deb Ozarko
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81
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Deb Ozarko is an activist, author, graphic designer, butt-kicking coach, Ironman triathlon finisher, and relentless statusquo crusher with a deep love for animals, humanity, and Mother Earth. Shes a no-dogma vegan and voracious truth-seeker
who lives a simple life of love and inspired action. Shes the host of the popular Unplug Podcast and blogs regularly about
connecting head with heart through passion, truth, purpose, and critical thought. She challenges people to defy status-quo
by breaking free from the cultural dogma of fear-based belief systems perpetuated by the paradigm of separation. Deb is a
provocateur of inspired, purposeful, and action-oriented living that serves all living beings. Her agenda is love.
When shes not crushing status quo, she can be found in the pool, on her bike, in her kayak, or hiking in beautiful natural
settings with her partner and dogs. She loves to sing off-key (loudly) while dancing in a manner that keeps her chiropractor
happily employed.
You can learn more about her mission at debozarko.com.
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82
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Deb Gleason - The most loving life partner on the planet whose unwavering belief in my mission keeps me grounded
in purpose. You are my rock! Without your love (and beautiful cooking), I dont know where Id be.
If youd like to learn more about how to live and eat in a way that is aligned with your core values of compassion, take a tour
of Debs website. I guarantee that youll be drooling!
Jessie, my canine soul mate - The most beautiful, loving, and inspirational soul mate to ever incarnate. You were the
greatest life guru of all. Through you I learned the meaning of life - unconditional love - how to receive it and how to
express it. My life will never be the same because of you. For that I am eternally grateful. You inspired me to be the best
version of who Ive always been meant to be because that is who you were with unwavering consistency. I miss you every
day but your love lives on forever in my heart.
Mike and Christine Ozarko - The most amazing parents who shaped who I am today. You may not have lived to see who Ive
become but your legacy lives on in bigger ways that you could have ever imagined.
Louise LeBrun - Whose no b.s. wisdom has expanded my world in ways that continue to unfold. If you dare to
become so much more than you can possibly imagine, I invite you to explore the plethora of reality altering wisdom
on Louises website. Once her work touches your soul, you will never again see the world as you once did!
To everyone who has been a part of the Unplug podcast journey of awakening. Your inspired vision and selfless actions are
making the world a better place.
To everyone courageous enough to read and engage with this document. You are the activated status quo crushers of a
beautiful new world!
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83
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CRAZY ENOUGH TO THINK THEY CAN

CHANGE THE WORLD ARE THE ONES WHO DO.
- Steve Jobs

The Status Quo Crusher Revolution: A Call To Arms For The Emergence of Humanity 2.0

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debozarko.

YOU NEVER CHANGE THINGS BY FIGHTING THE EXISTING

The American Dream...

The Culture of Addiction

The Power of Grief

The Journey to Crusher

What Ive Learned...

The Old Story (chart)

The New Story

The Birth of the Status Quo Crusher

Old Story vs. New Story Chart

Who is a Status Quo Crusher?

The Meaning of Life

Status Quo Crusher Declaration of Independence

The End...and the Beginning

You Say You Want a Revolution!

The Unplug Podcast

About the Author

YOU CAN NEVER CROSS THE OCEAN UNLESS YOU

NOTHING IS MORE POWERFUL THAN AN INDIVIDUAL

Photo: Jessie Culzon via Flickr

WHO IS THIS WRITTEN FOR?

Status quo sucks!

WHO IS THIS WRITTEN FOR?

A LIE IS A LIE EVEN IF EVERYONE BELIEVES IT.

THE AMERICAN DREAM...

THE AMERICAN DREAM...

THE AMERICAN DREAM...

THE AMERICAN DREAM...

THE AMERICAN DREAM...

YOUR VISION WILL BECOME CLEAR ONLY WHEN YOU

THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE,

THE CULTURE OF ADDICTION

THE CULTURE OF ADDICTION

THE CULTURE OF ADDICTION

THE CULTURE OF ADDICTION

THE CULTURE OF ADDICTION

THE CULTURE OF ADDICTION

THE CULTURE OF ADDICTION

THE CULTURE OF ADDICTION

BREAKING ADDICTION: 8 STEPS TO CRUSH IT!

1. STOP: The stories, excuses, habitual

4. FEEL WHAT IS REAL: No labels,

6. DARE TO CARE: Connect to your heart

2. BREATHE: Intentionally. Eyes closed,

5. ACT FROM TRUTH: Be authentic and

7. INSPIRE OTHERS: The power of

3. TELL YOURSELF THE TRUTH: Truth

8. REPEAT: Enough said!

SO ITS TRUE, WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE,

Photo: Huffington Post

THE POWER OF GRIEF

THE POWER OF GRIEF

THE POWER OF GRIEF

EVERYONE THINKS OF CHANGING THE WORLD,

THE JOURNEY TO CRUSHER

THE JOURNEY TO CRUSHER

THE JOURNEY TO CRUSHER

THE JOURNEY TO CRUSHER

SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO KIND OF DIE INSIDE IN ORDER TO

WHAT IVE LEARNED...

WHAT IVE LEARNED...

WHAT IVE LEARNED...