You are an idiot. … Animals, plants, and all the fruits of this world were put here for our use by God. It seems to me that you are not only missing this point, but also Jesus in your life. Get help.

– Anonymous beekeeper, 26 March 2009

If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.

– Jesus, The Gospel of Thomas


As Kickstarter projects are clearly about the people involved as much as the projects themselves, I wanted to share why this project is important to me, hopefully having already explained its significance in general.

Until now I've had trouble sharing this because if I want to explain why this project is important to me, I first have to admit that it is. But if I admit that it's important to me, then all of the sudden we're into the territory of my life's purpose and "what I'm here to do" (my Personal Legend for The Alchemist fans) and other heady things...by which I mean: it's terrifying.
Running from my purpose
If I'm doing one of those exercises that asks you to recall a time when you felt most energized by your work, I always have to respond with working on the honey site as it is when I have felt most alive. Embarrassing, perhaps, but true. It's sort of like how I wake up at 4:30 a.m. drafting animal rights essays in my head. Part of me knows that writing about animal rights is what I am supposed to be doing, and yet....

I go back and forth. I worked up the nerve to start this funding campaign, but it's a constant struggle to mentally welcome and accept the pledges. Because what if the project actually succeeds, and I actually get to write about bees for three months, and I actually create a really awesome site and I actually begin to align my life with my purpose instead of constantly running from it? As Marianne Williamson says, "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."

The funny part about that beekeeper's comment is that I do have Jesus in my life; the Jesus action figure on my desk and Jesus magnets on my fridge are not ironic – I'm a big fan of Jesus. Unfortunately, I know all too well what he was talking about in that quote.

I could sit here and not put any more work into this project and let it end without reaching the goal. Then I could just go back to my cubicle and mindlessly click click click away at my temp job that requires nothing from me. Which is really safe and sounds tempting but for the fact that I left that job without a backup plan because it was – how to put it nicely? – making me want to die.
Aligning my life with my purpose
I figured that leaving that job would force me to get on track and not allow me to hide anymore. It worked and led to this project. It just seems to me that if someone would pay me to perform a senseless task that requires no special talent on my part and adds no real value to society, it has to be possible to make a living (for a few months at any rate) doing something that requires me to give something of myself and that actually creates value for people.

I recently wrote in one of those early morning essays:

It is my hope that writing about animal freedom will give me some peace. That is first and foremost. If it gives others comfort, I am honored. If it helps someone to uncover long-buried truths inside of them, then I am happy to be the one holding the mirror. And if it should actually assist some nonhuman animals in their liberation, then I am truly blessed and grateful.

I think that that statement qualifies as my purpose in life. And so the beekeeper is right – about Jesus and about getting help. Bringing forth what is within me is exactly what this project is about, and I hope to be able to do so with your support. Thank you!

(And if you too are working up the nerve to pursue your dreams, let me know, and I'd be happy to direct you to the inspirational folks who've helped me get here and on whom I continue to rely for encouragement.)