I am grateful to be alive and to have the opportunity to leave our Earth in a better condition than what I was born into. I am on a mission to create conscious community through compassionate action. There are several ways I do this: a Gratitude Group I founded on Facebook where members post what they are grateful for, creating and passing out handwritten Kindness Cards to people I meet to make them feel valued and brighten their day, and connecting people together who are working toward similar goals.

I founded Connection Through Compassion (CTC) in June 2018 with two friends, as an avenue through which to channel the endless love we feel into our world. Today, CTC is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to providing tools and support required to normalize kindness and create community. We have distributed nearly 10,000 Kindness Cards in the last 6 months and are excited to introduce them to local schools. Here is a static page you can visit until our website is complete: http://connectionthroughcompassion.org/

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I live at a wonderful house in Milwaukee and work as an engineer for Yaskawa in Waukegan, IL. It's a 1-1.5 hour commute each way from my home, so I'm exploring some creative solutions to decrease my commuting time/expense. I don't want to move from Milwaukee because I love it here and share a wonderful house with two of my best friends. So currently, I am on Couchsurfing to find a place to sleep near work Monday - Thursday.

Interests

I taught myself how to build various electrical devices and have been an entrepreneur since a young age. I furthered my knowledge by earning a B.S. in Electrical Engineering at MSOE. I enjoy programming and building lighting systems at home. At work, I write software programs for industrial robots used in automation, such as welding robots, and conveyor belt systems that move parts around a factory.

I particularly enjoy studying Eastern Philosophy, which has provided me with a greater understanding of our existence and my place in it. It has also provided me with tools to transmute the energy within me, in order to flow with the energy all around us.

I spend some time each year participating in music festivals around the world. One of my favorites was Envision Festival in Costa Rica, where we camped in the rainforest, danced on the beach, and learned about permaculture and nutrition from various cultures.

• festivals
• dancing
• yoga
• gardening
• traveling
• music
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• philosophy
• psychology
• art
• food
• spirituality
• longboarding
• robotics

Music, Movies, and Books

I LOVE music! It's the universal language that transcends all cultures. It has the ability to speak directly to the hearts and souls of everyone through vibration. Some of my favorite genres to listen to are chill/ambient, psytrance, reggae, folk, and psychedelic dub.
Feel free to explore my playlists on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/chipskylarkk

I honestly don't watch movies very often, mostly because I'm usually enjoying my environment in the present moment.

I love philosophy, science fiction, drama, self-growth, and books that are inspirational. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig, and Pencils of Promise by Adam Braun are a few of my favorites.

I also listen to several podcasts, my favorites being: The Joe Rogan Experience, The Gary te Roller Show, Oprah's Master Class, and The Dave Ramsey Show.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

What I am most proud of myself for is following my dreams and learning from my mistakes. I am grateful for the opportunities presented to me, my ability to work through challenges and grow into a better person, and all the gracious help along the way. As of now, I am most proud of myself for giving Kindness Cards and building Connection Through Compassion, while maintaining balance in my life.

Teach, Learn, Share

Here is some of what I have learned and put into practice during my time on Earth.

Each of our lives - the footprints you and I leave on our collective existence - consists of little decisions, made one after another, every single day. We must change ourselves in order to change the world.

For me at least, these decisions aren't usually straightforward. To make good decisions - building a wonderful reality - I have learned the following 7 step process:

Morals > Ethics > Thoughts > Focus > Intentions > Actions > Consequences

Morals are the beginning. They are the principles which define Good conduct and will ideally shine through in the result of each of your actions. In terms of a house, morals are the earth on which the house is constructed on. Do you know what lies beneath the surface of your life?

Ethics are the subjective way to link situations to our morals. Ethics are more flexible than morals and can shift based on the context of the situation. Ethics are the foundation of the house carved into the morality which surrounds it. While still very strong anchor points, they can be molded and changed as we gain new insight.

We're not in control of our thoughts. I used to think I could control my thoughts, until I realized that I was mistaking focus for thought. The truth I discovered is that thoughts appear in our minds, and we make conscious and unconscious decisions about which thoughts to attach ourselves to; and which thoughts to let go. Thoughts are the environment around the house. Is your environment negative and disempowering? Does it rain every time you want to repair your roof? If this is the case, chances are the majority of thoughts entering your brain will be negative.

When we attach ourselves to a thought, our focus follows suit. What we spend time mulling about in our heads is what we focus on. Focus is the materials which are chosen to construct the house. Are we choosing the right materials in order to thrive in our environment? Or are we just picking up whatever comes to us first?

What we focus on becomes our intention. Intentions are plans. What do we want our house to look like? Now that we are realizing what we want our house to look like, are we sure we have the right materials (focus) to construct it?

Actions are manifestations of our intentions. They are the literal building of the house. Do you know what you are building? Can you visualize it before it is built? Or, are you just building because everyone else is building?

Consequence is the result of action. If my morals are good, my ethics are good, I placed focus on good thoughts which support my vision of what I want my house, my life, to look like; then it's very likely the house (consequence) will be wonderful. It may even be better than imagined because the houses being built around mine will be able to use mine as a reference on how to improve their own.

Allies to this process are time, space, and silence. If I am rushed, overwhelmed, and distracted, my ability to follow the process and make a good decision is greatly diminished. Truthfully, there is no rush and we are all on separate journeys.

There is a Sioux creation story that says:
Long ago the Creator gathered all of Creation and said, "I want to hide something from the humans until they are ready for it. It is the realization that they create their own reality."

The eagle said, "Give it to me, I will take it to the moon."

The Creator said, "No. One day they will go there and find it."

The salmon said, "I will hide it at the bottom of the ocean."

"No. They will go there too."

The buffalo said, "I will bury it on the Great Plains."

The Creator said, "They will cut into the skin of
Mother Earth and find it even there."

Grandmother Mole, who lives in the breast of
Mother Earth, and who has no physical eyes but sees with spiritual eyes, said, "Put it inside of them."

And the Creator said, "It is done."

Happy creating!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can broaden your musical horizons, share stories, provide oracle readings, help around the house, create art with you, and share deep discussion.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Germany, Mexico

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States