Happiness Archives - Yanik Silver

The “Silly” Cosmic Checkbox Experiment

I want to share with you something so small…so easy…and so silly that you won’t believe it’ll work.

It’s a way to be fully in flow with what you love to do most and have that open up in the most wonderful ways you couldn’t even imagine. (At least that’s been my story so far.)

What started as an interesting experiment turned into something so much bigger….

Here’s what happened….

Originally I saw a challenge online for 100 days of art. It seemed interesting, but I dismissed it because I didn’t really think I could do it with all my travel and other things going on. In fact, I distinctly remember writing in my journal about my uncertainty but then working through to a realization that I’d just do it and see what happened.

However, instead of just 100, I wanted to make it more meaningful and committed to 108.

Why 108?

In yogic traditions, 108 is a sacred number connected to the earth, sun, and moon.

The very first thing I did was to create 108 empty boxes to check off as I went along.

Here’s my actual page in the front of the journal. I started this on April 3, 2018, and each night I’d check the box as I created an illustrated picture and journal entry.

It felt incredible to check that box after I was done.

So many nights I really didn’t want to sit down and work on a new entry. Sometimes it meant a few 4 a.m. nights, but I had made that commitment. I remember one night I literally fell asleep as I was drawing a quote and my pen slipped, but the entry ended up being so much more powerful with that “on-purpose mistake.”

Sometimes I couldn’t believe “I” had written it. It just flowed through me. Normally, I’d meditate and then just see what wanted to come through me. Pretty personal and sometimes a bit out there, these were direct downloads from the Universe.

I created this Cosmic Journal just for myself and had no idea where it would lead. The only thing I focused on was checking off the “Cosmic Checkbox” each day.

Draw. Write. Check.

And this creativity spilled over into all my other everyday responsibilities in my companies and at home.

Try This Experiment

You can give it a try too with your own “Cosmic Checkbox of Joy and Play.”

Is there something you would really enjoy that you could see progress on each day?

Something that is fun, playful, and joyful?

Something that’s challenging but makes you better?

It doesn’t have to be 108 days either, but just having that silly little Cosmic Checkbox will move you along further and faster than you can imagine. You just have to create the checkbox and then mark it off day by day.

As another incentive, I noticed the more prolific I was, the better the insights and drawings became. For example, on Day #78 or so, this page came out:

Originally it was just going to be the first few words of “You don’t need to see the full path…just the next step…”

And that would be it. But I trusted my intuition and kept going. The message started blending with exactly where I was in the twists and turns of the labyrinth too. It was magical. Totally in-flow and one of my favorite checkboxes earned that night.

Now, I didn’t intend to publish my personal Cosmic Journal, but as I slowly shared a few entries with friends, they gushed about it and loved it.

Then, very hesitantly, I put a couple out on Instagram and got a great response. And then I showed them to former Camp Maverick counselor Eric Lochtefeld at breakfast one day. He looked at them and could tell this lit me up. That’s all he cares about – investing in bliss.

He said he would fund a limited-run published version, thereby ensuring I actually paid attention and made it a real book. I have to give a huge thank you to Eric for nudging this into creation.

I’ve never had a project like this or edited any type of book like this. I had no specific order to the pages when I wrote them for myself; it was just whatever showed up that night.

I sent the original journal to get scanned and got back these little 2”x 2” squares for each page. My entire kitchen island was covered in these thumbnails as I figured out where they went.

And I knew I was on the right track because I finished them at exactly 1:11 a.m. and same thing for the left-hand prompt pages – 1:11 a.m. Wow! Serious magic!

We published 888 copies of this special limited edition Cosmic Journal, available here until they’re gone: www.CosmicJournal.com.

Not all 108 entries made it in here, but you’ve got 101 in here, so if your Cosmic Checkbox is doing one journal page entry, you have time to get your copy. 😉

The Cosmic Journal can be read from beginning to end all the way through, or an even more powerful way is to use it like an oracle. Simply hold your question or intention in mind then flip to a page at “random” to see the perfect message awaiting you there from the Universe.

It’s almost uncanny how the signs, symbols, and synchronicities line up.

Even if you have tried journaling but stopped or have never done it, you’ll love the Cosmic Journal. It’s totally different because it’s like getting a direct download from the Universe.

I’ve started calling it “The galactic instruction manual you were missing when you were born to RE-remember your destiny.”

And this still isn’t the end of the story….

My friend Jeff Walker introduced me to the president of Hay House Publishing (the same people that publish Wayne Dyer), and after a quick breakfast meeting, he said he’s never seen anything quite like this. So I immediately got a book deal for the Cosmic Journal and an oracle deck. They’ve fast-tracked it for November of this year…and if you know much about traditional publishing, that’s super fast!

The revised Hay House version will be out soon, and you can already pre-order it on Amazon, BN.com, or any other bookseller online. (Save your receipt because we’ll be doing special bonuses for pre-orders.) Also, I’d really love your voices/help getting this out more.

We’ve had a lot of people buy multiple copies of the Cosmic Journal as gifts for their audience or their team. You can buy them in package sets on the site. Or if you are interested in more than 100, let us know as we can do something special or custom for you.

Give the “Cosmic Checkbox of Joy and Play” a try, and see how it goes. I’d love to hear what happens as a result of your experiment.

Why Drinking Could be Derailing Your Destiny of Greatness

by April Reyes 8 Comments

I feel like I’m going to get some slack for this, but it’s worth it.

First off, I’m not going to make an “always” or “never” statement here, but if this strikes a nerve or triggers an emotional response, there’s something here for you to examine.

So here goes….

Most highly talented entrepreneurs I know are drinking way too much to cover up for NOT doing their most important work here.

By drinking and partying, we don’t have to examine what our REAL purpose is or what our greatest expression of who we could become.

This really struck me when I took 33 days off from drinking a few summers ago.

I was drinking too much (at least for me) because I realized I hadn’t strung together more than two days concurrently without having a glass of wine, bourbon, beer, etc. It was never a lot, but it was enough that I couldn’t recall a long period of time spent not drinking.

No doubt, I had already cut back a bit on my hard-drinking days, but I wasn’t totally beyond it. And I noticed that at some events I attended or was a part of, the vibe was actually too much of a party. I used to love drunk conversations with smart friends, but I realized I was just fooling myself.

I was using alcohol to help me “loosen up.”

To help me socialize more. To assist me with getting my ideas flowing.

Or whatever excuse you want to use.

Frankly, drinking is just woven into so many social situations.

I get it. I play men’s league hockey, and after each game, we have beers in the locker room or parking lot. I meet up for drinks with friends. I have wine with dinner. I want something when I head to a restaurant, etc. The list goes on and on. But that’s not even the deeper issue. What I’ve seen is that some of the smartest and most talented individuals I know get hammered!

Why?

Perhaps it’s because we want to forget our “responsibilities” for a little while.

I’m not talking about responsibilities like putting the sheets in the dryer but more like our Destiny of Greatness and true Dharma. Yep, the BIG stuff!

I knew I had to change something because I was drinking so regularly. I didn’t have a problem necessarily, but I hated the feeling that something could influence me more than I could influence it.

So I did a little experiment…

I like 33 days for the length of time to experiment with because it’s a specific number, it forces you beyond just one month, and 33 has become quite symbolic for me in the last few years. (It actually shows up in some really synchronistic ways that are hard to explain as simply being coincidences. More on that another time.)

The 33-Day No-Drinking Experiment

About 3 weeks in, I had “amnesia” about what date I said I’d stop. I knew the date, of course, but was considering if I had somehow miscalculated. Finally, at midnight on the final night, I was so excited to drink again that I grabbed a semi-cold hard cider and sat on my front steps.

Hmm…moving into an observer role here and realized I hadn’t really changed too much, but I was still proud for completing this experiment.

The next summer I tried again. This time after the 33 days, I did cut back on my drinking a bit. It eventually took one more 33-day period to really get this to stick and for me to develop a new practice. I’ve realized I can be much more mindful, intentional, and conscious about it. Previously, it was just habitual. Of course you have a glass of bourbon at 5 p.m. after back-to-back meetings because that’s what you do.

It’s fascinating watching your friends react in social situations. The big question is always “WHY?” I play ice hockey, so the boys never got it, but I stood my ground.

Now I’ve become more aware and exacting about when and what I’ll drink.

If I’m having a great meal, I might (or might not) want to pair up a good wine with it. Or if there’s a big celebration, like the BVI Art Reef sinking, I’ll have some champagne. On a recent trip to Necker, Richard wanted to do our signature shot. I had never actually done shots with him over the many years we’ve been together, so I figured this was a moment I wanted to share. (We have a special shot called the “BBG” on Necker that’s become a Maverick tradition.)

Or having shots of Patron with John Paul DeJoria, the co-founder, at his family’s ranch with other Mavericks a few years back? To me, that’s a good moment to enjoy this spirit.

It’s interesting that the word “spirit” references both the alcohol and our inner essence.

I’ve realized when I am aligned with my greatest purpose, I really, really want to be at my optimal so that I don’t miss any moments or subtle insights. Full awareness. Pay attention yourself. For me, I definitely feel less intuitive for about 2 days after drinking. It’s subtle, but these subtle energies are where the greatest “downloads from the universe” come from.

Perhaps this is an experiment you want to take on for the fall? (Let me know if you do.)

What will you say “YES” to?

by April Reyes Leave a Comment

For me, I decided to take this 100-day project challenge (The100dayproject.org) of one creative art piece per day. I’m 10 days into it now – and I picked journal illustrations as my project.

It’s funny, I wasn’t totally sure if I wanted to actually commit 100 days. Wasn’t sure if I could come up with enough of my own ideas for full pages, putting in the time each day while traveling, etc. But I decided at the end of the 100 days (actually I’m doing 108 days because it’s more meaningful to me) I’d have something really interesting regardless. It would be worth it.

Maybe I’ll publish the illustrations maybe I won’t. Not totally sure.

But I can tell I’m really enjoying this process of having a focused block of creative time each day to draw and write. I’ve already seen it carry over into other areas of my life. I feel like it’s opened even more creative capacity in my businesses and what I’m doing.

I’m including a few illustrations here if you want to check them out. Would love your comments and more importantly try the “YES” Experiment:

Write the word “YES” in a journal or calendar on a random page or date ahead.

Be open to saying “YES” that day.
Share what happens. #yesexperiment

Even bigger idea is what are you hesitating to saying, “yes” to in your own life? (Hint: Camp Maverick is one you need to say YES to!) 😉

Update: I’m sharing quite a few via my Instagram account – follow me: www.instagram.com/yaniksilver

Fully Embracing The Obstacles On Our Path as Gifts

by April Reyes 1 Comment

In my journal the other night, I drew this picture of Ganesha, the Hindu deity that is the placer and remover of obstacles.

Why?

I think I’ve been in a funk lately.

I guess I can admit it.

I had mistakenly thought I had one big dip I went through several years back when the business nearly collapsed. And when I came out the other side, I thought I was done with these downturns.

Maybe not.

As I’ve really gotten clearer on my highest purpose – to “catalyze the catalysts” – it’s become pretty apparent to me that the marketplace has only “rewarded” me when I put something out with my full heart. It’s not good enough anymore to just deliver significant value – it has to be in complete service to my greatest work or I seem to get lukewarm results.

From an elevated point of view, I can look at each setback as a course correction or a nudge for me to get back onto my true work. That’s the benefit of these obstacles actually.

Several years back, it took going through my biggest reversals in my company and $400,000.00 to originally get that lesson. That was the big enough number I needed to get my attention. Anything else and I wouldn’t have really felt it.

As we hit upon our 10-year anniversary at Maverick, I am totally grateful for having gone through that because it forced me to reevaluate what I was doing. My greatest impact wouldn’t have been from simply running an adventure travel company. That’s when I was forced to see what my biggest WHY really was. And it gave me a way to clear the decks. I wouldn’t have ever come up with the interconnected EcoVerse and our mission of “changing the way business is played.”

This has become the cornerstone for what I was meant to do.

Lately, I’ve been experiencing a few minor “setbacks” again in our businesses (nothing near what happened before) as we continue evolving how to truly fulfill the big idea of “lighting 1,000 suns who can light another 1,000 suns.”

One of our members called me an artist because I’m never satisfied with what we are delivering. And maybe that’s true.

At first, as I was seeing some of these smaller dips, I was really annoyed and even feeling shame. I felt like I’ve been through this…why hadn’t I seen this earlier?

It gets difficult when I look at some of my friends who are “crushing it.” And it’s even harder knowing some of those colleagues learned what they are doing from me. But as I tell my kids, every time you compare, it makes you unhappy. I realize I have everything I already need, and getting caught up in comparing is a losing proposition.

At my core, I do believe wherever we are, we’re in the perfect spot, regardless of what our ego might believe. And my sharing this and teaching it is just another reminder to myself.

Objectively, I am in a much different place now. In fact, I can actually welcome this situation as a way to continue aligning more deeply with my greatest work.

Normally if I feel some sort of lack, I go straight into counting my blessings and writing down what I’m grateful for. But this time I want to truly honor some of these feelings and emotions – to not push anything away but also not to let it get stuck inside me.

In the drawing, I also illustrated the words “Embrace fully” and “Play fully” – this is the idea of fully embracing everything that shows up and actually seeing it as a gift.

That makes the space to receive.

I look at these situations as new ways for me to decide how I do want to react, how to remain centered and fully open to anything life shows me. It’s an opportunity to work through it with a clear sense of gratitude. And to have the appreciation of having another chance at watching the elevated viewpoint of how this situation will ultimately uncover something even greater (even if I don’t totally see it now).

To be in a state of “effortless effort,” truly putting everything I’ve got into what we’re doing in service of the world, like the Global Goals we’ve been aligning with.

If I trust the Universe has even more in store for me than I’ve even expected, then this situation takes on a sense of curiosity. What’s next? What will open up?

So much of this is in our beliefs.

What if we believe we have bad luck or nothing ever works out or that this is part of a bigger downfall? You can guess what happens then.

Our world seems to exactly mirror our deepest held beliefs.

If we have a choice in what to believe, why not believe we’re part of a bigger plan the Universe has in store for us? Believe in Maverick Magic and the term we coined at Camp Maverick; “Synchro-Maverick-nicity.”

And then TRUST that these obstacles are being placed in our path to nudge us toward something even better.

There are no wrong turns

by April Reyes Leave a Comment

The other night on the way to the cadre DC event in Silver Spring, I took a route I seldom take. And as I passed 16th St, I thought I recognized my very first apartment bldg my family lived in when we came to this country.

I considered stopping but wouldn’t be on time.

I pretty much forgot all about it as I left to go home. The scene outside was a bit foggy and rainy with plenty of bad traffic to contend with – not really optimal driving conditions. I missed a turn and went a different route home keeping an eye out for food to bring home to the family. I thought I was close to Parkway deli so scooted across 3 lanes….only to realize it wasn’t the right street.

Not even close.

Probably should have mapped it instead of relying on memory.

Oh well, I’ll just head back to the beltway and get something closer to home.

Several wrong turns later I was back on Georgia Ave but headed the opposite way back into downtown Silver Spring again.

At this point I was starting to get annoyed but then just as quickly I thought maybe something else interesting will pop up. I was still thinking food-wise.

Taking 16th St from a different direction, I realized I was looking at the wrong apartment building previously.

Hmmm…

I parked the car and all these feelings started welling up. I had never been back to this place for 37+ years. It wasn’t nostalgia but something else.

The bus stop out front did it for me.

To set up this story you need to understand Russian immigrants might do things a little differently. 😉

My parents headed off to work really early and I was supposed to get myself ready. There was a family friend/babysitter who lived in the same building and I’d wake up and go to her apartment before school.

Except one morning I didn’t show up.

That morning I got on my superman slippers and took my big leather European wallet/satchel with all my Hanukah money in it.

My 6 year-old self was determined to get on that bus and head to People’s Drug (anyone remember People’s before CVS?) and get markers and paper to draw with.

Plan seemed smart to me.

I got on the bus with no problem. Went to People’s and got my markers. All good.

But on the way back I had no idea things took a turn for the worse. I asked a woman for the bus to 16th st and she pointed me to some direction. As I sat on the bus looking out the window things definitely didn’t seem right. I had no clue there was a DC and MD side to 16th st.

When we came to the final stop the driver looked at me and said, “End of the line kid.”

Thankfully he didn’t let me get off when he saw the look on my face. He called the police and they took me to the station. I knew where my father worked and they managed to contact him to come pick me up. I had entertained the officers with some of my drawings.

This has always been a funny story in our family. How much I loved to draw, getting on the wrong bus, my determination, etc. but it could have turned out pretty different.

Tonight, when I sat in the parking lot all these intense feelings of unease and sadness came up as soon as I pulled in.

It felt like I was tapping into the fear my parents and family friends felt when they couldn’t find me. Talking about that incident as an adult to them a few years back they shared how terrified they were to check the metro tracks that ran behind the building for what they might find.

With my own kids now it’s painful to imagine what everyone went through for the time I was missing.

My attention shifted from forgiveness for what I put my parents through to myself. To be able to go “back” in time and provide love, protection and help for my scared 6-year old self.

As I sat there it seemed almost like I tapped into some sort of “frozen holographic slice” of time energy that had been “stuck” there. But now I had the tools to consciously navigate out.

From there with tears welling up in my eyes, I realized I was actually really close to Parkway Deli but only because of my detour and “wrong” turns.

The “Silly” Cosmic Checkbox Experiment

Why Drinking Could be Derailing Your Destiny of Greatness

What will you say “YES” to?

Fully Embracing The Obstacles On Our Path as Gifts

There are no wrong turns

Change The Way
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Change The Way
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