Who Am I?

Finding And Pursuing The Dream

By Andres Aguila

To travel the world and build a global network of self-sustaining youth ranches became my dream and my
mantra, a deep burning passionI suppose due to my own troubled childhood and youth. After a series of
bizarre events while traveling overseas, and receiving my first spiritual awakening, I simply felt the need to
share positive options with the upcoming generations. I realized that part of my mission on the planet was to
assist others in finding their own passions and purpose. I also felt a need to move away from the current world
system. I had no idea how I would finance this dream, but at age 20, I believed I was ready, and I am sure God
must have been laughing as I would laugh with admiration if my 6-year-old attempted to carry the refrigerator
up the mountainwith one pinky. I soon realized that I had much to learn and so I began the process of
preparing for this life mission. Re-enrolling in university, I also began diving in to the business world by
purchasing houses, remodeling them and renting them out. All of this while now married with my first child.
I received my Bachelors degree in social work, with a minor in fine art, began showing and selling paintings in
galleries, and had begun working with youth and children. I taught, played, and worked with kids in a variety
of venues, from a boys home for troubled youth, to church youth groups, to conducting arts workshops,
directing theatrical productions, and teaching interns at my art studio. Reading books about personal growth,
spiritual growth, and about raising and teaching kids and youth, became common, along with taking various
leadership courses and workshops.
Quickly the years began to pass, the responsibilities and distractions accumulated with the family, the
businesses - including multiple failed business ventures, and the art career. Each business pursuit I thought
perhaps would be the way I would fund my real dream, which eventually evolved into Building a global
network of self-sustaining communities, which are schools, natural healing centers, and homes for orphans and
others in need." The flame burned on, though at times seeming impossible to even pursue, much less realize,
due to the other decisions I had made. I had written down my vision many times, as the experts had taught me,
and I continued to verbalize my vision to friends and strangers alike.
Though by no means was I becoming rich, my art career was beginning to create an income, and my work was
becoming more popular, and shown in galleries internationally. I also began to have success in modeling and
acting in T.V. commercials. These successes were a perfect ego distraction to pin me down in mediocrity.
Although I tried to remain conscious of the need to always be humble, the reality is that I began to tie my
identity and my self worth to my own talents and accomplishments. Surely to help keep me humble, I also
received various failures and humiliations, including business failures and two divorces.
Through the journey, fortunately, I did remain at least somewhat focused on the inner voyage of the heart. Even
though often distracted by the ego and the cares of the world I realized at a core level that all the outer
circumstances and tribulations were only tutors to assist me in realizing my true nature as a child of the Most
High and as a part of the whole that is humanity. I also started to realize that my talents had been given to me
only to steward and to share with all of mankindnot to become some big shot egomaniac.
As the momentum had been building for many years, and the knowing had become undeniable, the time had
come. Receiving almost no support from friends or familyactually, even receiving much negativity,
judgment, and condemnationstill, I knew this to be my destiny. I could find years and years of excuses as to

why not to pursue this deep purpose, or I could dive in head first. I surrendered to the call of my heart. I
dropped the art career, sold the house, gave away my material possessions, left behind many that I loved, and
headed off to Central America to answer the call.
It worked, and is working. We call it Awakening Soul. Though the road has at times been very difficult, the
vision has manifested and is growing wonderfully. Now remarried to my true love and true partner in the
project, we purchased our first farm in Costa Rica a few years ago and are working toward organic
sustainability; have started an incredible, life-changing internship program; and have seen many people receive
healing on physical, emotional, and spiritual levels. The internships are called "Who Am I?" Our mission is to
motivate and facilitate young people toward self-discovery and global consciousness through love in action.
Oh, and the artthe talents multiplied into writing, music, and other forms, as I continue to expose the ego and
choose not to tie my own self worth to the talents or accomplishments of this little man. Most importantly, I
have continued to seek, and have and found true inner peace. The adventure continues. I believe that each of us
has - even if buried deep beneath layers of shoulds and shouldnts, powerful dreams and visions, which assist
us in realizing our individual missions, and ultimately, our destiny here on Planet Earth.
Who are you? What is your dream? What are you going to do about it?
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Andres and his wife, Zahrah facilitate internships, empowerment counseling, and natural healing on a
beautiful organic farm in Costa Rica. For more information about Awakening Soul; the vision of living
in community; and for free downloads of Awakening Soul music, books, and other articles, visit:
www.Awakening-Soul.org
also find us on facebook
or email - 1AwakeningSoul@gmail.com_