[ye olde radio voice]
YOU TOO can be an every day Shambassador!
(tl:dr : [1] Respect the space [2] respect others [3] respect yourself)
Hello farmily!, I’m Liam Danger Park and I am a Shambassador. While it’s only my second year with the title, in spirit I have been one since my first Shambhala almost a decade ago. Part of what I found life-changing about Shambhala was exposure to a micro-cosm of culture that operated on an unspoken values system. The audience and performance blend together empowering each other with a sense of uninhibited wonder.
As a Shambassador, whether on or off the farm I believe we can spread and transmit this wonderful sense every day by living intentionally aligned with the values we find on the farm. Respect the space, respect others and respect yourself.
Pretty easy but lets dig in a bit for fun.
Respect the space.
Most of the year the farm is home to cows, that’s why we don’t bring glass in. Fish and numerous other creatures depend on the river - they do not like glitter or even organic soap as much as we do. Sometimes people accidentally litter, while maybe it wasn’t me or you who dropped it, we could probably pick it up. Part of what makes Shambhala legendary is the ability of people to do this, The Green River Collective gives out pocket ash trays for butts every year and spreads knowledge and respect for the ecosystem.
Respect others.
Say hi to strangers. Don’t judge people, seek to understand them. Be mindful of how your actions affect others. Smoking on a packed dancefloor can make for some unhappy neighbor lungs; conspicuous drug use can also trigger recovering addicts; rubbing bacon all over your body in the grove will traumatize vegans. Sometimes the most respectful thing you can do is be respectfully confrontational, if you see someone who needs help, offer it. Also consent is super sexy.
Respect yourself
Stay hydrated. Get (some) sleep. Don’t be yourself (you can be so much more here). Know your limits, and which ones are worth pushing, Play hard. More water. Seek and speak truth. Have fun. Cry when you have to. Listen.
These are not the rules of Shambhala, all of these principals are just a flexible framework through which you can interpret and align your behaviour to be an everyday Shambassador.
Maybe Ricardo (I think it was Ricardo) summarized it best with the Shamanifesto:
You don’t have to be perfect, just really good. Every problem can be solved. Stay present. Be perfectly clear. Speak your truth. Love bomb the farm. Empower. Inspire. Everyday, Shambassador