Do you feel overwhelmed with the current state of affairs? Do you long for a more beautiful world that your heart knows is possible? Entrepreneur, activist and political candidate, Nicholas Pereira, joins me on the show in an informative and inspiring conversation. In this episode we dive deep into creating a life of service, transcending divisive partisan politics and seeking deeper understanding, the need for values and principles to guide us, and so much more.
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Nicholas Pereira 0:00
When you get up and you're action, what actions you take? Are they actions based upon helping and serving others, bringing something to the community, a skill, a project, an idea, just your labor, your labor is so valuable. You don't have to have this. You can be like, I don't have any skills and ideas, but I got two hands Great. Then great put them to work, make them useful. This is not just only beneficial at a high level for everyone, and we can look at GDP and innovation and you know, all these technology advances. It's actually beneficial for you.
Welcome to episode number 12 of the connected movement podcast. I'm your host, Steve Murray. Are you disillusioned with our old outdated systems and stories? Are you tired of the growing polarization in society? So am I my aim is to engage in and unpack conversations with people from all walks of life as a means of CO creating a way forward for humanity. Today's guest is Nicholas Pereira. Nicolas, a former People's Party of Canada candidate in the 2021 Canadian federal election has become one of the leading voices for traditional values and intelligent populism. Recently, Nicolas was announced as a People's Party of Canada's official candidate for his writing in the next gen Canadian election. In the meantime, he continues to build momentum and stay in action with speaking tours, rallies and interviews. Topics ranged from North America's current political challenges, the dangers of woke ism, and the need for a populist revolution. Through his latest endeavor, the newly launched Canadian Unity project, Nicholas and his dedicated team have pledged to build the largest online knowledge bank on self sufficiency for like minded individuals and families. I really hope you enjoy this episode and before we dive in a thank you to our sponsor, Karen Phytoplankton. Many daily discomforts are the result of malnourishment and you may be malnourished. If you crash in the afternoon, you have digestive issues, you get lots of headaches, have trouble sleeping, you have muscle or joint pain, have trouble concentrating and so on. The good news is the right supplementation can help with this. I've personally benefited from using Karen Phytoplankton, which has helped me find more energy in the afternoons and beat that crash. You can find Karen Phytoplankton products at Costco locations or online at the Karen project.ca. Without further ado, let's dive in.
Thanks, Nick, for coming on the show really appreciate you being here. I've been following a lot of what you've been doing and the work you've been doing to help build stronger communities. And as a point to start there, like what on your journey? What kind of got you interested in doing your own personal work to be a better human to start contributing to creating better community?
Yeah, thanks. I appreciate that. And thanks for you know, paying attention to what I do. It's quite an honor. In a world where you could pay attention to almost anything and everything, you know, when someone's like, Yeah, I've been checking out your stuff. It's just like, wow, that's, that's really cool. I appreciate it.
Now, what got me started, I mean, a little bit of a little bit of just natural disposition, natural interest, let's say, as well as you know, a lifetime so far of my thoughts and my mind being shaped in a certain way. I would say it started way back when I was in high school myself and, you know, kind of didn't really fit in, had very different perspectives about things question things, didn't really see the point of traditional school as it was laid out. I'm a huge advocate for education. But I always felt that the system itself that I grew up in, it kind of had one path, one option, you know, you're going to work, you're gonna go to school, you're gonna go to some kind of university or college, you're gonna get this so called great education, and then you're gonna go get this career. And just the very thought of it made me queasy to my stomach because I was thinking, Well, I don't want to do any of that. What I want to do is I want to go and explore the forest and I want to go and, you know, build things and create things. And I recognized a little bit maybe in my early 20s, I had a, you know, the benefit of a mentor coming into my life. And I think that this point is so important that the best education is mentorship, getting around other successful people. And so I started my first business when I was 17. In high school, because I was on this whole trip of, I'm gonna go do my own thing and I'm gonna be free. So that's why I say it's a little bit of natural disposition. I always say I embody freedom. You know, like, it's just who I am. It's my highest value is that people can be free. Now, the problem with the word freedom is that it means different things to different people. And they can be spoken about on different levels. So my first pursuit of freedom I'll call it was through finances and business, being able to set my own hours, make my own income, become an entrepreneur. And that's what I did. And I was fortunate enough, I started a small cleaning company called my cleaning guy when I was living in Toronto and Ontario. And at that time, I went to a networking event, and I met a wonderful lady, she became a mentor of mine, I still speak to her every Thursday to this day, you know, 12-13 years later, and to talk about my development, my growth, my goals. And so what I recognize is that there's two types of education. There's what I got from school, which is called informative education, and there's a value to it. And it's, you know, memorization is simply based on memorization. I give you some knowledge, you memorize it, you regurgitate it back to me. So basically, school is largely made up of informative learning. But what I recognized in the entrepreneurship wear world, which got me into personal development, and eventually into looking at spiritual philosophies and different ways of living, was that there's something called transformative education and transformative education are fundamental shifts in how you think, not what to think. But literally how to think, not what to think. But what is a thought in the first place. So rather than be like, Well, what do you think you have a thought? Then you ask, well, what is that thought? Where does that thought actually come from? Is that thought just because I thought that thought, if that makes sense, just because I had that thought, does it mean that that thought is true? Does it mean, I should act upon that thought? Can I change my thoughts? And if I change my thoughts about something, what does that do to the actions that I take or the way I perceive? So this is called transformative education? And this looks more at how you operate as an individual and your effectiveness in the world? Can you be efficient? Can you be aware, can you be conscious, so I really took a Gravatt I really gravitated towards this type of education, mainly because it made such a tremendous difference in my own life. You know, I was able to start a business, I now run a few different businesses and projects I work I set my own hours. You know, I work lots but kind of not because for me work and life and none of it, I have no separation in my life between work and play. And it's taken me years to get to this point where I can legitimately say, like, yeah, I just get up and I live my life. And you know, it, the way that I carry my day also happens to pay me also happens to be, you know, the things that I love to talk about, and the things I love to do so, but it's taken me years of what are called Lifestyle development of being very intentional, and I'm still on that process. And I'll be on that journey till the day I die. I have no plans to retire and to sit back and to kick my feet up. I just not into that. And I'm not into it, because I received a real education, which is based upon how I work, how my mind works, how to develop the most important muscle like willpower, strength, focus, concentration, and eventually that turns into good qualities like courage. So the reason I can go and speak on the comp the conversations I do, and, and do the things that I do in people say, Oh, Nick, while you seem very courageous, I don't view myself like that as all but I can understand and respect that perspective. What I am is just educated. And again, I don't have any PhD. So I'm literally saying, I'm educated. And I have no PhDs, I have no special letters behind my name. But I feel like I've gotten the best education, because I know how to create a goal. I know how to make that goal happen. And I know when problems come in my life, how to deal with them effectively. And I think that there's no better education than learning how to deal with real life challenges and problems. So as I myself saw tremendous benefits in my own life and no means am I a perfect person or that I don't have lots to learn and grow. I think once you once you really dive down the train of life of knowing life, you real you just any subject, the more you know, the more you acknowledge, you don't know, because you recognize that there's just so much out there. So in full acknowledgement of that, I still feel that I that the education I received is what is actually needed in the world. So then I started looking at the world and looking more than not just in my own life, but looking at My neighbors looking at my friends looking at my family, and started to see that many people are suffering, not just financially, not just from a material perspective, but emotionally. And I realized they're not educated about their emotions, they act from emotion rather than learning how to use emotion as simply information.
And, and then I realized that people are very much out of touch spiritually, largely, we've eliminated God or spiritual teachings from the society. It's definitely not in schools anymore. Even the so called Catholic schools, or religious schools are generally watered down. There's very little spiritual education. And to me, this was the most transformative education that I learned. So I became super passionate about sharing this with others and those who wanted to receive it, then it was just a few years, and I've been doing this for close to a decade on a very small scale, in my own little corner, noncontroversial, not bothering anyone. And then, and then the pandemic came, which was a game changer, not just for me, but for the whole world. Because I think what the pandemic did, I think the blessing of the pandemic is that it brought to light many things that were already there, but it just heightened it. And what really heightened through the pandemic was one how fear based and purposely, purposely conscious, the how leaders in our society are purposely using fear to shape society in a way that's beneficial. That was the first thing that I noticed. And the second thing that I noticed was probably more heartbreaking. And what really launched me into action was how much of society was buying into the fear around the pandemic and how much they were just just complying on the craziest mandates, and the craziest no logic at all mandates in my perspective, but people were going along, because they were so scared, and how little people were willing to actually just read something outside of the mainstream narrative. So basically, the means I realized how powerful you know, the media is, and the politicians are, and these entities are. And so I decided, basically out of necessity, I mean, I was literally watching myself and my wife, we were watching the news during the pandemic was something that we don't do often is watch the news and don't recommend, but we wanted to plug in to see what was going on. And I remember saying these words, literally, is anyone not going to say anything? Is there not one politician that's going to stand up and say, Actually, maybe this is going too far, there's tons of evidence to show that, you know, this is generally going to be like a tough flu. And we should just allow this thing to come in to pass through, let's protect our vulnerable, the people that are most likely going to have harm, which is our elderly or people with pre existing conditions. To me, that was a very reasonable response. I even think masks and everything were reasonable at the beginning. But once we saw and all the evidence came through that it didn't make a difference. The mandates of the MAS clearly had a different intention. And and I believe, by my research and knowledge of philosophies, that it comes from a Marxist philosophy, it's, it's meant to silence us, it's meant to divide us, it's meant to make us fearful of each other, because governments and people that aspire to power, they create those situations, so that they can transform or shift society in the way that they feel necessary. And and you know, we know that people like Klaus Schwab from the World Economic Forum, they have a vision, this great reset. And so as I started learning more about this great reset and the pandemic and I started looking into the politics of our country, I could see that the socialist, heavy government, big government, big dictatorships styled government was active, alive and taking power within our country. And I was like, not No way, not a chance, philosophically, it will be extremely detrimental. And so I decided to speak out and get involved. That eventually led to just me doing videos and knowing what I know how to do, which is do some videos and views my voice. It got a lot of attention pretty quickly from people that felt the same. And eventually that led me into running in my first political campaign. And now starting, you know, the Canadian Unity project, which is about starting a grassroots education or what we're calling Community Education Learning Centers in the community education learning system specifically how Seeing people become self sufficient, grow their own food, cook on a budget, get out of debt, learn to get out of the systems. It's something called smart or intelligent populism. It's when the general population or a section of the population anyways feels that the government is no longer doing a good job. They're no longer working for the people, but they are now bought out to support special interest groups, and big corporations. And so intelligent populism or smart populism is a term in which people themselves begin to create community systems and to self govern, and be self sufficient off the existing systems. So that's where our focus is now. So I've worked on several different projects. Again, that's still like a long winded story. But it's, you know, it's not a simple answer. Why did you do what you do? It's literally been a lifetime of discovering and pursuing this word freedom to really understand what is freedom? How do you have it? Why is it so attractive to certain people? Why are some people so afraid of it, and to be able to, you know, apply it in my own life?
Stuart Murray 16:14
That's incredible, man, it's, it's funny how, when you start to lean into those opportunities to grow that discomfort, when you start to have that courage, it becomes almost this reciprocal process of this really interesting feedback mechanism is like, Oh, that was cool. I really, that opened this door. Okay, I'm gonna move into the next. And just as you're sharing that journey, I can see, you know, from that big picture perspective, how, one step after the next kind of took you to lead in, and I really, as an educator myself, appreciate that background from, you know, schooling, traditional schooling, being teaching us what to think, in regards where the other option is teaching us how to think. And, I mean, that, obviously, is not just a coincidence that our schooling systems are designed in such a way that allow us to be good at compliance and conformity, which you can see ripple out into our public systems.
Nicholas Pereira 17:16
That's right. I mean, it's just we have to look at the history of the education system and say, Well, why why. So you got to remember, for 1000s, upon 1000s of years, you use to learn through mentorship, which again, is the best form of education, get around someone who already has the result you want. Get as close to them as possible, if you can't get to them physically take their course, by their program, get their books, read their biographies, like that's how I educate and how I, myself have been educated through mentorship. And it's the best form of education, then you look at, okay, so look at our current education system, it's run like a factory, you know, it's industrialized education, which is impersonal meaning it doesn't actually deal with the individual's gifts, talents, desires, or or struggles. So it's a very impersonal way of educating you stick 40 kids in the classroom, you send them to 12 years of school, they come out, and all they know how to do is get a loan. Well, that's by design. All they know how to do is get a job and not work for themselves or provide value in different ways. That's also by design. And because the history of our education is that it was designed to teach people how to be factory workers. That's why they look like factories, they're run like factories, you get a buzz in the morning, bam, everybody line up, you go into class, you work for an hour and a half, bam, you get 15 minutes to recess, bam, back in. Well, you know what, like, if I was a, if maybe if I was like, I wouldn't even treat animals so poorly. The fact that we would treat human beings like this, but because it's so normal. And because we've been trained that that's the way to survive. We think that that's what we need to do. But we've we've become disconnected in that fake system or human made system into natural systems, the Earth has already provided us massive, massively in abundance, to eat and to provide for our families, good home, shelter, food, all of our basics are provided by nature, essentially, for free, if you have the skills to do it, nothing's ever really for free, because there's always an exchange of your time, your work, your energy, your effort. So I came out of school 12 years did couple years of college, and what did I come out with look, and I'm very grateful. Like, I'm not saying there's not a place for it, right? It's like, you know, I'm obviously making a statement here. And I'm not saying that I want my doctor to be educated. You know, I don't want it to be like, No, I'm self taught, you know. You know, I you, right. I appreciate you know what, I don't want the guy performing surgery to be like I did a weekend course. And, you know, I think I'm good to go right? Like yes, I want him to have 10 years and a bunch The letter so we know he's credible. I'm not saying there's not a place for it. All I'm saying is that in less we reintroduce real education, life education for the masses, how to cook, how to clean, how to live healthy, how to organize yourself, how to organize your thoughts and emotions, so you can be productive and get things done, how to communicate well, so you have great relationships and family life, and instilling values as opposed to skills, skills can be learned later, when they're needed. But values and perception that's actually instilled at a very, very young age generally. And and our education system doesn't do any of that not not character development, not integrity, development, nothing. It's it's geography. Jim, it's so nonsense. Like, it's just, it's like you asked kids, you know, I asked my nephew, where do you learn school today? I don't know, to be bored. That's his answer to me. He's bored out of his mind. Most kids are bored, they don't want to be there. Who doesn't want to be at school education, learning is something that's fundamental in us all, we all get excited when and feel good when we learn something new. But we have to learn things that interest us, we have to learn things that make sense for us, when you do factory education, which is what we have now. Now, it's a slaughterhouse for creativity, it destroys individual perception and, and creativity and thought, which is what's needed for a great nation. It's one of the vital signs, it's the most important vital sign for a great nation is the education system, and the quality of people and character, not just do they know math? Do they know how to do what they say they're gonna do? Are they lazy? Or are they efficient? Are they? Are they strong in their confidence? Their their abilities and skills? Have they recognize their value to contribute? Or all that or they come out of school? And like, what do I do run to get the first job you'd like, or not even that you liked the first job that's going to pay you has nothing to do with your your $60,000 education debt.
And then run to the fit the next check mark, and the next check mark, tell people get to places that they feel miserable lost, and they have no feeling a feeling of connection to community or nation or God. And that all comes from education, it all comes the root of it is are we training up our future generations to be self sufficient, strong? Or are we telling them that they're victims, and the world is out to get them and the system screwed them over. So it's not their fault that they're weak. And, you know, they're purposely demoralizing, and deconstructing a strong society into a weak society, so that they can shift it for political power and gain. And that's the reality. And people want to be like conspiracy theory, blah, blah, blah, I just read a few history books, it won't take you that long to be like, Oh, my God, that is actually what's going on. You just have to be you have to be educated about it. It's, again, it's education, you have to be aware of it and be at least open minded to consider that it is a possibility.
Stuart Murray 23:17
Yeah, it's so interesting, I've been reflecting on a lot of that very recently. And I mean, you know, society, writ large, has been a big mirror for that right now. And what we're seeing in this transition, that we're going through with these different policies, and these different, you know, social structures that are emerging, and I can't help but think as, as an educator who's been in the public system, and I want actually want to speak like, there are amazing teachers in this system who really do care. You know, and that's important to recognize, because, yes, what happens is your your bureaucracy is a crushing force, right. And this top down model, is the thing that can suck the life out of a lot of people who go into that with really good intentions to inspire young children. And there are people who are doing that, in spite of the pressures and in spite of the challenges to connect to what is alive in that young child and their passions and their dreams. But in general, schooling, is really a mass indoctrination system. And I believe innately as you're talking about, you know, this strong foundation and, and connecting to our values into our principles. And to us on an emotional level on a spiritual level. We are innately intuitive beings. And so this process of socialization becomes this process of disconnecting us from our intuitive nature, be that young kid that needs to get up and get out of his seat and go do something. Oh, no, you're a bad boy, you're gonna get a bad mark, you're gonna get a bad grade like, and so from such a young age, we become totally disconnected from our own intuitive knowing from our intuitive worth and that creates a pain of separation. And all of us sudden, like, where do you turn to? You can't turn inside to know what's right. So all of a sudden, you're forced to look outside for what is good, what is bad? What do I do next? I need to find some external figure of authority, or something outside of me to let me know what is good.
Nicholas Pereira 25:16
That's right. And that's what we have right now, you see, governments don't decide moral issues, like a policy, a politician is a policy maker, right? Or they they argue, or present, for or against policies, and the possible ramifications and benefits of those policies. And, truthfully, you know, politicians again, first of all, to give them a little bit of a break, too, is that they're human as well. So that's why you want to have different ideas and thoughts. You don't want to just be dominated by, let's say, total left wing thinking, you also don't want to be dominated by total right wing thinking either, right? That's why you know, the balance is there, right? It's like, it's like masculine, feminine energy, they have to go together. So similarly, in let's say, a good government, you have to have balance between fiscal responsibility, progress, moving things forward productivity, with a balance of social programs and issues looking at what are the challenges are socially, and the quality of life? It's not just about, you know, can you can we make as much money as possible as a nation, but are people generally healthy, happy? That was one of my biggest beefs with the pandemic, it was the perfect opportunity that, like if I was in the Member of Parliament, during the pandemic, I would have definitely used that that position that platform to inspire real health. Hey, hey, we've got up we've got a flu coming around. It's pretty bad. This is your chance to get healthy. Not close the gyms get to the gyms, right? Not not, you know, not locked down. But get out. Let's get healthy. Let's get in nature. Also, what can we do to to better our immune systems? Well, let's, I mean, you're gonna close down the gym, but you're gonna allow Mickey D's to stay open, give me a break. Don't tell me. This is about your health, and that you care for us when you are closing down gyms. But McDonald's is considered an essential service, when gyms were closed down. But the Weed Shop and the liquor store remained open, I thought we were staying open for essential services. Right now, I'm not judging anybody for smoking to join or having a drink or on the weekend, or whatever you do, you do your thing. You use freedom, you live your life. But when the government themselves start to create clearly ridiculous rules that don't match their rhetoric, we got to do this to protect you. You I don't need the government's protection. I have an education. I know when I have a flu, I stay home. That's something we all generally do. We don't need mandates for that. A vaccination policy, you want to provide some vaccines fine, but to the horse people into taking it, to doing something to their body that they don't want to do. That is fundamentally wrong, not just from Allah from a moral perspective that is fundamentally wrong. Now, to your point, is that most people, unfortunately, right now, because we've been indoctrinated, and so many people are dependent on the big government or big corporations, that they simply go along with whatever they say, even though in their heart they don't want to is because we have the reason that I saw so many people go along with it. And again, to to your to your point that come up, what was your point? I lost my train of thought there.
Stuart Murray 28:55
Oh, I was talking about just how we school and the process of socialization conditions. Looking for what is true.
Nicholas Pereira 29:07
Thank you, thank you for bringing me find me back in. I go on these rants, I gotta be like real then you know, so. So when when the point is that, that to that point, is that? Because our education system never taught us to look within ourselves for the answers. We are always looking outside of ourselves. And now we have at a societal level, people thinking that the government which is not is again, it's an impersonal word, what's the government people? So Justin Trudeau or whoever's in charge, that they somehow are the authority and that they know what's best for you. Justin Trudeau doesn't know what's best for me and I and if I ever one day, become a member of parliament or a prime minister or have some influence in the society at that level. I will tell you right now, I don't know what's best for you. So hence we go to smart populism. What is smart populism? It's when government actually acknowledges that we don't know what's best for actually the entire country because we're sitting here in Ottawa, making federal policies which should be about the military and foreign relations and small government, you know, and distribute the power back down to provincial jurisdiction, for instance, housing, education, and health are all provincial jurisdiction. By the way that Canada's set up in our Constitution. It should remain that way. Our current federal government is not doing that they want big government, they want big, they want to control everything. challenge with that is then you start getting few making decisions for many. And then you lose the smart populism, you lose the community groups, everybody starts to look at this central hub. Well, well, Mr. government's going to tell us what to do. Mr. Government is going to provide for us Why isn't government taking care of that problem? The question is, why aren't you? Why aren't you and a group of you and your community, looking around at your neighborhood, seeing what the issues are and getting to work? It starts with you were never educated to that's why you don't know how to do it. Right. I know how to do it. Because I was taught to how to do it, I was taught, you know, about 2526, when I met met my first mentor, and I've had many great mentors, business leaders, and political leaders now and spiritual leaders, I've had just such an opportunity to be around such amazing successful people in many different walks of life. And that's what they teach. They teach people how to be effective in the world. So to me, it's all about empowering individuals and you have an empowered society, you naturally won't have a victimized society, people won't be screaming at the government to provide them more because they're, they'll be providing for themselves and their families in such abundance, that they will be able to provide themselves for the community. And what you'll have is more freedoms, better quality of life, because things are happening more at the local level. We could call it radical decentralization. Right, the UN, the World Economic Forum, the World Health Organization, and including big government here in Canada, they all want more centralization.
What we're saying is, what we need is a radical decentralization of power to reestablish checks and balances in the society, the media needs to be cut away from the government, the government and the judicial system need to be cut away from each other, meaning they can't all be the same parties. Right now. It's all the same companies, it's all the same players running all the major influential institutions of our society. So that's why they can coerce people, they have way too much power. And unfortunately, they've trained up the population to believe that's a good thing. But the population will wake up, it always does during these times, you know, when inflation is at 60%, we're seeing it right now. Inflation is the highest it's ever been in Canada, I think we're at 6.7%. That's what they report. But that's not the true inflation, we already know. It's 10 15%, we can all see our grocery $100 at the grocery store is no longer buying what it used to buy, not just years ago, I'm talking weeks ago, weeks ago. That's how fast we're moving down this train. And, and then and they're doing it on purpose. It's a consolidation of power. This is what's happening. And so the solution in my opinion, yes, we can fight you know, I ran with the People's Party of Canada will again and I'll continue to support the PPC at at any way that I can, politically, however, I do truly see that it's more of a grassroots solution. It's more about smart populism where the people themselves start their own organizations like we've started the Canadian Unity project, to fulfill the needs of the community. And you know, what, if you're an entrepreneur out there, you're a small business owner, there's tons of opportunity, there was what we need small business owners, community leaders to step back up and, and take responsibility for their communities and neighborhoods, and bring your skills to the table. This is how we win our country. And it's how people prosper. The small business sector provides more jobs than any other sector, more than the government more than big corporations in the country. But who is being stifled right now who's being hurt the most right now? Canadian small businesses. They're the ones who suffered the most during the pandemic. They're the ones who continue to suffer under the amount of taxation and fees and everybody who has a hand in their pockets and in their bank accounts. That's why they can't hide Are people that's why they can't, you know, so we have to have a balance back to the community taking care of itself and letting the government go reducing the government, reducing its power, reducing its influence. The government at the federal level should just be taken care of a few issues, which is like military protection of our borders, border crossing international relations, foreign relations, and what kind of deals and pacts we signed with other nations. Right. Right now we're signed on to, you know, the Paris accord the the these different environmental pacts that are extremely detrimental. Canada, I think is not it's not even on the top 10 of carbon produce producers in the world. China is the number one carbon producer in the world, 10 gigabytes or can not gigabytes, whatever the measurement is 10 GB of of carbon, the next country underneath them, they are literally double the second they are that clearly by far, they have zero policies on environment. But guess what they fund a large amounts of the UN gets their funding from China. Same with the WHO Same with the World Economic Forum. And guess what? They're providing all of these, they're saying, You guys need to chill out on your carbon footprint. We're we got smokestacks all day go and run and 24/7 no policies around invited, they have zero environmental policies. They just do whatever they like over there. Like Canada here, we continue to see increasing carbon taxes, why? It's a corporate it's a corporate move. It's it has nothing to do with environment, it has nothing to do with what's best for the people. That's just the rhetoric that they give us so that we go along with it. What it is, is it's a money grab, it's a power grab it's certain industrial giants, looking to stifle other industrial giants through power through the law. Because what is the government? What is what is what is laws? There? It's legalized power. It's legalized violence in a way it's like its power is about is is the government is a legalized power, we agree that someone has to have power. So we give governments power, we give people power, to make decisions that are supposed to be in the best interest of the people. What we have now is corporations have taken that power structure, and are simply making laws that are beneficial for themselves. They're fighting each other out through governments, and we the people who are like caught in the mix are just being exactly that caught in the mix. We're being caught up in their greed.
Stuart Murray 37:38
Yeah, you're so right. And that's what one sad thing that I've witnessed a lot in this time is, you know, it's like, when you're in your power, you don't put up with this, you don't put up with somebody walking all over you, you've got to have an open heart, but as Trump's spine and what like you said earlier, like, the weaponization of fear and hatred against each other in society, from these, these leaders from these higher ups has been absolutely devastating to see because the reality is that us in our little communities, we have so much more in common. And then we do that divides us, we all need food on our plate, we all need shelter, we all care about having a strong thriving economy. And and to see us just be at complete odds with each other were really like, fundamentally, we have the same needs, we have the same desires, we all want the same thing. And you know, I don't x I don't even accept that version of what a leader is like, to me, a leader is not somebody who occupies a position of hierarchy or authority. But a leader is somebody who brings out the best in people and processes. And that is what we have to come back to.
Nicholas Pereira 38:54
Yeah, I love it. I think that definition is, is bang on, you know, a leader essentially creates other leaders. And that's what it is leadership is not a position. It's not Oh, I'm a member of parliament. So now I have permission to do good in my community. No, you have permission to do good in your community now because you're alive. That's it like you, you have permission to to go and contribute and serve and help. In fact, that's what you're here for. Right? Like this is again, this is a to me, it become down to an education or philosophical battle. What is the fundamental purpose of life is the purpose of life for you to sit back and everybody to be of service to you and you try to be the king and everybody serves you? Or is the purpose of life to be the servants right to go out and serve to contribute? My values and the way that I've been brought up and raised says that life is about service. So my job every morning when I get up is to serve, you know, and that takes on different forms. You know, I serve God through the form of prayer. I have a You know, you know, meditations and prayers that I do each morning to to connect me and remind me of my, my first and foremost duty in my in my belief systems I'm not saying anyone else has to subscribe to this. My My system is that my belief is that we're here to serve God. And then how do you serve God? Well yes through prayer in these types of forms, and then in a very practical way you serve God by serving others. By helping others. You might someone might be listed as they don't really believe in God or you know, that's fine. Still, you'll see that there's a fulfillment when you help someone, when you do the things that you when you can get passionate about something, when you believe in something, you you get up and you go to work every day. And when I say go to work, I mean, maybe you go to a job, maybe you have your own business, maybe you you go getting up and getting to work means cleaning up your house. And maybe maybe your work right now not used specifically but someone listening is your work is to stop drinking at 9am in the morning, maybe your work is to put down that bag of chips and get to the gym or start going for a walk. When I say go to work. I don't equate work to a job, I quit with the word work to what do how do I spend my day. And if I believe that, that I'm entitled that the government somehow owes me something, whether it's protection, money, house, see, I don't believe the government owes me anything, I don't want anything from the government because I don't, I don't really want to owe anybody anything, I don't want people to feel like they owe me something. And I don't want to owe them anything. Because right away we have we have a freedom is then cut. Right? So when you get up and you're action, what actions you take, are they actions based upon helping and serving others bringing something to the community a skill, a project, an idea, just your labor, your labor is so valuable, you don't have to have this, you can be like, I don't have any skills and ideas, but I got two hands great. And great, put them to work, make them useful. This is not just only beneficial at a high level for everyone, and we can look at GDP and innovation and you know, all these technology advances, it's actually beneficial for you. Because you yourself will feel good about yourself, when you put your head down. At the end of the night, you're gonna say yeah, I put it in today, you know, I got I got, I got, you know, nine out of 10 things done off my checklist. And I got, you know, I was able to pay those bills, and I was actually able to put some money aside. And you know what, I've been so productive, that I've actually been able to, you know, give a gift to a friend. And then I was able to maybe maybe take a phone call and and help a community member out with with the challenge they're having? Or help my sister out? Or my brother out or my nephew out? Or doesn't matter? Are you spending your day engaged in life and with people and getting things done and contributing? Or are you spending your day consuming, you're eating too much, drinking too much. You're maybe you're maybe watching too much Netflix or YouTube or social media. So most people, unfortunately, and again, it comes down to education, we can change our life at any stage of life, whether you're 16 or 68, you can transform your life, because you can transform your habits. But why not make it really easy, and started at a young age, so that the young the younger we are, the more we can instill that idea of community spirit. And that no, we don't expect the government to provide for us, we We the People are part of this nation. We contribute everyday by getting up and helping others and helping and bringing our ideas and our art and our businesses and our labor to the community. We exchange that for some money for some value, which then we use for other things. And and when we do that, when you do that, and that's the way that we operate culturally, you'll see that many of the challenges that we face economically as well as socially will begin to decrease because we will have an engaged population. We just don't have an engaged population too many people are sitting around watching way too much TV watching way too many YouTube videos. Totally.
Stuart Murray 44:39
It is interesting and you know, it's like, be that TV or YouTube or whatever insert whatever distraction there right, from the pain of, of separation, that we all feel that pain of disconnect that we're all living in an age of disconnection despite, you know, that paradox of being more connected than ever or having a tool was to connect more than ever. And I really love what you say about being of service man like that is I was living in an ashram, in India at that time that was founded on self on selfless service. And there is a sign in the ashram. And it said, in a world full of hate and separation, selfless service is that the only soap that can purify. And, you know, it's like, we, we almost forget, and I like this analogy that like, for me, everything outside of us, our relationships, the thing we see are mirrors, right? And they're going to reflect what we love about ourselves. And our, you know, our connection with that with that spirit, or God or whatever, they're gonna reflect the beauty in life, and it's going to reflect the things we don't like. And, you know, to shift away from that victim mentality from like, oh, life is happening to me, this person is out to get me that system. Oh, you know, Irving's cutting down all the trees, oh, these you know, all of these people are doing things to me or to us, where it's like life doesn't happen to you, that's there to show you something that's shared there to show us something of growth. And so if we can move into life happening through us, and then using that mirror as a way to step back into our own power and, and feedback mechanisms for how we can intuitively move forward.
Nicholas Pereira 46:21
Yeah, I love it. I think that you really like just hitting the fundamental challenge that we're facing right now as a society. And I don't think it's just right now, I think this is the challenge of human life. I mean, I've read books that were written 1000s and 1000s of years ago, you know, you talked about spending time in Indian and an ashram, right, I'm part of the Hari Krishna community. So we, you know, study a lot of different books from from India and the wisdom there and their, their origins are in India, it's not Indian, it's for life. It's just and but these are 1000s of years ago, these, these, these these books were written, and they were dealing with the same questions that we're dealing now. So you can see that there are fundamental human questions that we all go through, which also reveals a little bit about how nature has designed the human form like it's, it is a bit of an introspective form. It's not. It's designed to nature has given us enough intelligence to ask the big questions of life, who am I? What am I? What is the purpose of life? Where am I going? What am I supposed to be doing? These are great questions. To me, that's when true education starts. You know, true education starts by asking good questions by asking questions like, why, you know, well, who are you? Are you your thoughts? Are you your sexual identity? Is your whole identity wrapped up? On whether you're gay or straight? Or bi? Or whatever? You know, is that is that what defines you? Is that it that? Is that it? Okay, great. You know, is there any more do you I bet you there's way more to you than just your bodily identification? I bet you you have ideas? I bet you have emotions. I bet you have a soul. And that soul wants to love and to serve and to spark right. So the idea that identity politics, where we're wrapping up are all of our identity in just small aspects who we are will always cause suffering, because we can never encompass our full identity and delight. Nick, you're a politician? No, I'm not that politics is something I do. Nick, you're an entrepreneur, no, I have businesses and I do business. I am not a politician. I am not an entrepreneur, I am if you ask me who I am, I am soul. What I am, is I am a soul. I am a spark of life. I'm a spark of this universe. I'm a spark of God. You know, and, and I am not God. But I am I am part and parcel of God, just like you are in every living entity on the planet is and the whole universe is. So the bigger questions of life, also get us to bigger consciousness or bigger perspectives, where we then could see things from from a higher level from a higher awareness. And then we can say, oh, yeah, you know, what I can see where we're going off a little bit where we're going off is that we haven't instilled any self knowledge, you know, and again, whether someone's like, Well, I'm not, you know, I'm not going to do the Indian thing because I'm Christian. Great. The Bible has all the same information. So does the Buddhist sutras. I've read many of the Buddhist sutras, I've read the Bible. I've read the Bhagavad Gita, and parts of the Srimad Bhagavatam some of the ancient teachings from India, I've read about esoteric Christianity, as well as some of our native traditions and our indigenous people. They're all saying pretty much the same things with their own cultural twists and vibes and ways. But again, once you get to the essence of it, it's all up about service. And it's all about self knowledge. So education, when we have leaders who who operate by those values, you'll see that that will trickle down in the society, it will, it will have a trickle effect into the society. Right now our leaders are essentially atheistic. I mean, take a guy like George Soros, for example, if people are familiar with George Soros, he's a big investor. And he finances you know, he's the money behind a lot of our political movements that we see. Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ bubble, blah, blah, blah, how many other letters they got now, right, all of these things are largely funded by by, you know, a gentleman named George Soros. And he is a self proclaimed public atheist. So and he's literally said, because he's been asked, well, you your policies have destroyed nations, your investments, and the way that you've manipulated markets have literally destroyed nations. And he has literally said, Well, that's, that's, I don't consider the moral aspects of what I do. I'm there to make money.
That's an atheistic viewpoint on life. Yeah, his purpose is to make money, he doesn't care that he's destroyed a nation and therefore millions of people. And he's active in Canada. And, and he has to be stopped, we and the way to stop them is not to fight them is just to educate, they can only operate when the population isn't feeling empowered. When the population has a subtle entitlement issue. When the population fundamentally thinks, well, the government will provide it, we will see our population become weaker and weaker. Now add social media, add Netflix, add tons and tons of ways we can distract ourselves and not be engaged in our own lives. And we have a recipe for disaster. And that's what we're living right now.
Stuart Murray 51:53
Yeah, you're so right, man. And, you know, I'm sure some people listening will will hear the atheism thing and be like, Wow, well, you know, he's going at it and say it and say, again, I think some people turn to atheism, because of scars that they've had with, with religion with different things. It's like, it's not even necessarily, you know, I personally have a connection with a higher was something bigger than myself. And I know that what I do to myself sends a ripple into this cosmic ocean, I know that, you know, that is a truth to me. And I don't need to argue anybody or challenge anybody on that. And I respect fully where everyone stands. You know, living in India was very healing for me in terms of religion, because I grew up in a tough background with that, but there was a temple and a mosque, and, you know, church all on the same corner, and that all represented the same thing, it all represented something bigger. And even in atheism, I think you hit at it even more, it was like the morality underneath like you can be, you can believe there's no God in my perspective, but you must have fundamental values and principles that guide the work that you do, and the way you live your life. Because without that, then you're cut the cord and lost out at sea. And you're floating in a sea of irrelevance and looking outside of you always for what to do. So if you can root down into those values and principles, that's got to be that thing that that brings us back.
Nicholas Pereira 53:23
And that's and that's what we lack in schools right now. It's what we lack in society. We think laws are values laws aren't values, laws are shaped through values or principles. Right. So, you know, at free, for example, the PPC has four basic principles. So all of our policies are based upon these principles, which are individual responsibility, freedom, fairness, and respect. So, so an example how does that shape policy? Well, let's take the principle of fairness, right? A lot of people say this is not fair. That's not fair, blah, blah, blah. So for example, the more broader you make things, the more fair it becomes. Let me give you an example. So let's say the government wants to have an entrepreneurship program as an example. While they do have an entrepreneurship program, the federal government has an entrepreneurship program, but it's only for black entrepreneurs. So they have a black entrepreneurship problem, a problem program, excuse me. And so you may think, and the way they present that, is that okay, well, that's that's it's to make up for injustice is that perhaps the black community is faced? No doubt the black community has faced a very hard times and injustice is in the Western world. However, we cannot continuously punish people today for things that they weren't that happened when they weren't even alive. Right. I grew up amongst black people, about gay people among Sikh people amongst different religions. I grew up in Toronto, arguably the most multicultural city in the world. So, to me, that's an unfair, that's not fair. What would be fair is okay, we the federal government are going to have an entrepreneurship program to stimulate entrepreneurship and businesses in the economy. That merit the most fair thing. We're not to be have to because you're black, or you're white, or you're gay, do you get the money to know? Do you have a good business plan, it's an entrepreneurship program, you should be valued at your business plan, your entrepreneurship skills, the the the research, you've gone behind your idea, not based upon your color of your skin, that's actually racist. So in the disguise of we need to not be racist, we're creating racism, because it's not fair. So now what a white entrepreneur can access that program, why not? You're not because of his entrepreneurial skills, but because the color of his skin that's racism. So that's one of many examples where we are where, where the value system is all external, you're making your judgments based on external circumstances, whether the color of their skin is they're not whether they're a good entrepreneur or not. Now, they're not whether they're a person of integrity or not, now that whether they're trustworthy or not, because they're black or white, that's racism, because they're gay or straight, that sexism. So the more that we scream for equality, the less we'll have it, the more that people believe that somehow the government is going to solve those social issues, the more social issues we have, because governments will respond to the people, we need more equality. So the government is going oh, well, how do we give them more equality? Well, the government doesn't give equality, the government simply sets the parameters in which our society the infrastructure in which our society can operate, if a certain sector of society, whether it be the black community, the white community, the Muslim community, the Jewish community, the Christian community, any community within our nation, says we are somehow being treated unfairly, then great, then they can lobby, and they can make their voice be heard. And they can start movements, and they can create social change through grassroots cultural change. See, that's what I'm doing with the Canadian Unity project. I don't expect the government to solve the issue. I'm also running for parliament, because the government has a role. But culturally, it should happen at the grassroots level. And oftentimes, something that you said too, is that, you know, when we work from within outwards, as opposed from outwards within, then we also see the government as reflective as us and not our authority. The government right now is reflective of the cultural mindset and spirit of the people.
And so therefore, the government, what is the government doing more government programs, printing more money, giving more to people, which means that therefore, then the people, as the as the receiver feel entitled to that? I don't feel entitled to it. You know, how many times as an entrepreneur, I could have used an entrepreneurship program to get me through noodle dinners, or no dinners or you know, crap, like, what are we going to do, especially in those lean startup days, I never read never took anything I've never, I've never taken at the beginning, I took my very first loan, I went through a government entrepreneurship program that had nothing to do with the color of my skin. It had everything to do with our business idea to start my cleaning company. From that point on. I've never taken a government loan. And there's many times I could have, but I won't, because that is not my value system. Why should the public pay for my business? It just, if I can't make my business work, then either I need to change my business model, get better as an entrepreneur, or recognize that my business may not be as viable as I thought and change what I'm doing. But you see, that's a personal responsibility mindset. Not Oh, the government should just pay me out.
Stuart Murray 58:59
Yeah, I mean, look at so many of these people we've revered in in the human, the civil rights movements that have come right, as a judge based on the character, let's judge the people hang on what they do, not the body that they were born into, are all the like, who cares, right? These things ought to be done based on merit. And we don't need to bubble wrap all these things. And I think it's important that we hold each other accountable to a high to high standard of living, that we that we identify guiding values and principles and you know, you look around the world, and everybody would offer slightly different principles and values, but you can reduce those down to pretty simple fundamental things because I believe that everybody when they're connected to their heart, when they're sitting in their heart and sitting in truth, we know, we know what's best for us. And, you know, no animal is going to go in and just intentionally take everything from every other Right, we have been sold a story of scarcity. We've been sold a story of separation and not from any particular, nefarious things. It's like, that's the inherited culture that we've received. And we've been on a trajectory for millennia of a story of separation that teaches us that there's only a finite amount of resources that, you know, when we die, there's nothing left. And so, you know, fearing death and preserving life at all costs, and our neighbor is the enemy. And competition drives everything that we do. And if more for you means less for me, and I mean, wow, like that's going to really shape the values and principles that I do that lean in versus that opposite opportunity to lean into, as you referenced earlier, which I love is living in abundance, you know, there is enough for all of us, there's enough food, my goodness, well, potential love, there's enough for all of us. And when we lean into that, there'll be different becomes more,
Nicholas Pereira 1:01:01
yeah, there's more that we could ever even capture or know or experience in our life, like, we have to have a really puffed up version of ourself, meaning our egos have to be way out of tune, to think that there is something that isn't going to be provided for within this planet, that's a necessity of life. Everything is provided for, look how abundant we live here in Canada, right? Like, we just have such a tremendous, such a grateful life. But at the same time, we've lost touch a little bit with the struggle of that, and the reality of that. And so, hence, we're going through an era where we feel more entitled than we feel like we have to get up and work. And, and again, work isn't just go to work, but it could be get up and take care of your family in such a beautiful awesome way and educate them and, and love them to death and you know, all that kind of stuff. It's getting up and doing whatever you are inclined are meant to do that's beneficial, not just for you. But for others. What we have now is just it's funny, because we're calling for more inclusivity and all this stuff, but what we are is more individualistic than ever before. Right? I mean, look at the the the some of these. These woke conferences, these social democratic conferences that happen in the US, where they can't even get the meeting started for two hours, because every single person has to tell you about, well, I've got sense problems. So please, nobody clap, everybody just wave their hand in the air, because that's going to trigger me and then the other person goes up, it says, there are too many white people in this line. And we need more black people in front. Well, the thing is, is like maybe a black person didn't have anything to say like, again, they're making issue where there's no issue. And if you have some sense, deprivation problem where you know, you can't handle people clapping, there was a time where you would just take personal responsibility, you would say, Oh, well look, I you know that that really triggers me in the wrong way, or it doesn't sit well with me triggers my anxiety. So I'm going to go upstairs, or I'm going to sit by myself or I'm going to do what I need to do to take care of myself, but nobody's ever gonna say great, you don't have to make an announcement. But now we feel entitled, like, like the whole world has to change the way they talk. And even if they clap their hands in the audience, because you have a problem with it. That is, it's a weak society. Just like as I see it, that's just your take personal responsibility. When I have an issue, I don't ask the whole society to change their rules for me, I just simply go and change the my, my my personal life, and I love about my business, right? Because I'm not looking for society to give me something in rather, I'm saying how can I contribute to society. And this is not to make this about me. But this is we're talking about fundamental principles. So this is why I do what I do. Because I operate from the value that my job, my literal job of being here in this human form is to get up and contribute to others in ways that I can. And there's only certain ways that I can because I'm one person, I'm limited. So I have certain talents and gifts and skills. So I use those, you may have a whole different set of talents, gifts and skills, use those and together we make the whole. So if everybody gets up and actually takes on the spirit of service than everybody benefits, we have more choices. We have more options economically, we have more choices, more options. We also have better prices, because we have competition. Right now there's no competition. There's a few companies create everything. It's why they're strong or willing everybody. And that's because the government's made laws to protect corporations rather than people rather than the general population. So hence, we have the rise of populism. Justin Trudeau says, Oh, we have to do something about the rise of populism and candidates dangerous. Yeah, it is dangerous. It's dangerous to the system. It's dangerous to the status quo. It's dangerous to the education it's dangerous to to the establishment politicians. So it is dangerous but it's not really dangerous. It's just dangerous to those in power. That's why they're calling it dangerous. The rise of populism means smart populism means that people are taking back power and saying, not fighting the government, they're just saying screw you, we're just going to do our own thing. We don't like this, we're not doing it. And that's the solution.
Stuart Murray 1:05:17
That is the solution. And I think now it's a perfect time to pivot and actually get into one of those solutions that you've been working pretty hard on is the Unity project. And in listening to your video, I know that one of the things that popped out is, like you said, your strength as an individual comes from your ability to be yourself, or respecting the choices of others, which is, you know, in essence, unity and diversity. And I, I love that, because that's what nature does. So well look at the most resilient ecosystems in the world. Right. And that is the most diverse dance of nature at play. And so how do we, you know, be more like nature? So, you know, could you share with us what that Canada Unity project is?
Nicholas Pereira 1:06:04
Yeah, sure. So the Canadian Unity project, its its mission is to build the largest database and curriculums. So to compile the largest database of self sufficient living in the nation. What that means is, people who know how to grow their own food, as an example is going to those folks and tapping into their knowledge, giving us some of that used to be general knowledge, right, like everybody knew how to grow their own food, because it's something that just nature does automatically, right. So we don't even have to really know anything, we just literally have to protect it and support to do what it already does. But you know, there is some knowledge there. So we're talking about growing our own food, we're talking about setting up our own community centers, we're talking about, like, for example, some good friend of mine, Cindy McDonald, she just founded the wellness hubs. So these are outside of government systems, where people can go and take care of their wellness, they've got some ailments, or they want some information. Now you have another option other than what the government institution is, because the government institution is also paid for by taxpayers, and mainly corporate interests, the money largely is being directed through corporate interests, so you're not getting good wellness or good health, you're getting just one perspective on it. So the Canadian Unity project is specifically looking at the needs of Canadians that desire to be more self sufficient, and fulfilling that by compiling the knowledge that Canada already has, and just making it easily accessible. It's a membership based model. So meaning you become a member five bucks, 10 bucks, 100 bucks, you have different tiers you can join at. But once you're a member, you basically get access to this community of like minded individuals who are also doing free trade, they're trading with each other. They're educating each other. And we, we being the facilitators of the community, myself, my wife, Sarah, Olivia, who works with us part time. And as we continue to expand our team, our job is to document everybody's knowledge and make everybody accessible to each other, doesn't mean you have to do business with each other. But now you have an option to do business with like minded people, and free market trade. You can barter, you can trade, you can figure out the deals that make sense for you. And all we're doing is facilitating real education, the knowledge. So we're also looking at things like finances. Do you know how to budget properly? Do you know how to work on a budget can you do looking at entrepreneurship, setting up people with information and knowledge on how to actually start their own business? You know, I started my own business when I was 17. Nothing really helped me until I was 27. Because at that point, I was like doing all the entrepreneurship classes in high school than I did two years of college and marketing. Then I would go to like those like, you know, kind of government city projects where they're like, you know, your local board is putting on a seminar. Well, nothing really worked until I got around a successful entrepreneur. And then they're like, actually scrap all that, here's what you got to do. I was like, oh, okay, it's a real education, right? mentorship, someone already is successful, and they're the one going up scrap all that here, do these, they could just they could save years and years off from my, my struggle in that way. So we're providing entrepreneurship training. We're also providing community, again, like minded people, members coming all across the country all across the nation, saying yes, we want to be part of a free society, a free market. We want to educate our children. We want to know how to be self sufficient. And we're also looking at Canadian history and politics. Something that's been slowly taken away from our systems is our own history. And our history is being demonized. You got people taking down statues of Sir John A Macdonald. Well, these are our national heroes that are now being taken You know, canceled? Well, that's that's, that is, that's very detrimental. It's a Marxist tactic. It's right there in Marxist political theory, disconnect people from their history and they won't know how to make decisions. Well, that's what's happening in Canada. So again, we are providing that education. We are, we are coming out of the UK, we're saying, we're coming out to the nation and saying, Look, this is your history. This is this is the skills you need to be successful. This is how you can live a life, that's prosperous. And no matter what the government does, they just won't have as much power, because we don't need them. And that's a good thing for everyone.
Stuart Murray 1:10:40
Yeah, and you've touched on this multiple times, it's like, it's easy. One of the biggest indicator of a healthy nation is is the education of the people. And, and so I love that you are focusing back on on that as a means of self empowerment as a means of these people being able to reconnect with what is important with what is true and get the tools and skills that they need to take their power back and take our collective power back is the thing that's needed to be done. And if somebody's interested in, you know, here's this, see some of the things and they're interested in supporting that. What are the ways that they could support at this point in time?
Nicholas Pereira 1:11:19
Yeah, so we have, if you just go on YouTube, and search Canadian Unity project, we have a YouTube channel, so you can start to check out the vision. And I think most importantly, is check out our Patreon page, become a member by becoming a patron. And again, you've got different tiers all the way from from $5, we're actually putting a small business package all the way up to $500 for people to contribute. And what we're doing is we're raising our initial funds, so that our team here can travel around and start to create our own platform and data and database, where we're going to put everything together. So that would be the best place you go to patreon.com forward slash Canadian Unity project. And, and you can check out our introduction video. So again, it describes the six minute video that describes the entire vision, what we're working on, and then you've got your options to get involved. And, you know, if you've got questions reach out to me, I'm very accessible, I love to connect with people reach out, maybe there's some ideas you can bring to the table, maybe there's something that you could contribute, or something that we're missing, that you're like, hey, you know, check this out. And I get tons of ideas and being fed information and resources by so many different people. And you know, we're using everything that we can that's applicable and applying it. So reach out connect, I'm on social media, YouTube, the best way.
Stuart Murray 1:12:42
Amazing, yeah, it's it's the work that needs to be done. And it is about us coming back together, and leaning into those who are already doing it, and amplifying these things. So, you know, I watched the videos that you've put out, and again, as an educator, this is this is what we need. These are the things that we need, we need education that empowers us, that reminds us of the deeper connections that we share. And the work that you're doing with Canada unity Canadian Unity project is really bringing that on along with the message that you embody, as you said, the line between all of those is, is all really one of the same. And I've been inspired a lot by the work that you do and what you say and believe.
Nicholas Pereira 1:13:28
Thank you, I really appreciate it.
Stuart Murray 1:13:31
Yeah, man. And so, you know, I've got two last questions for you. And sure being, you're clearly somebody who's who is quite connected to themselves and really strives to live in a way that's authentic. And I've often said, people will tell you when you're good, but others will tell you on your great, right. And I think correctness is a byproduct of being authentic and leaning in. And you do that really well. And so I'm curious, like in a culture that we're we're bombarded with ideas and images of what we should be and how we ought to act. How does one form an identity that remains true and authentic to themselves?
Nicholas Pereira 1:14:15
Yeah, well, I think the first thing is you have to know who you are. Right? I'm very clear on who I am. And I know I'm not this body and I'm not the mind my body and my mind are vehicles for my soul. So I My identity is soul not anything else. Now I have practical identities like Canadian, so I'd like to just keep wide broad, being Canadian as a practical identity because it's a nation. It's got its institutions and we live on this land that we now called Canada it's still in concept an idea it's still not my true identity. My true identity is beyond being Canadian. It's one with God one with the universe right. But there are practical identities are so I try to keep as little identities as possible because they need to It just keeps me very wide and broad. So from a national standpoint, I'm Canadian. And I love that identity, I love our nation, I love the way that we operate and what we stand for as a as a free country. You know, both Wilfrid Laurier, who is our seventh Prime Minister, as well, along with our 13th, Prime Minister, John Diefenbaker. One was liberal, one was conservative, you know, different political ideologies, but they both agreed that freedom is what defines Canada. And, and they both pledged to uphold that as As do I. So it doesn't, it transcends political ideology. I know, it's tough to get through that in the mishmash and messiness of politics. But, you know, it's really about being in touch with who you are. And once you know yourself to be more than your body and mind, then you already hit a certain level of freedom that most people, you know, I hope that they attain it, but you have to really want it. So I think the big question to start asking good questions like who am I? Am I my bodily 8am? I just my thoughts and my Canadian? Am I gay? Am I straight? Is that what makes me who I am? Is it my mind? Or my, my ideas? Is that who am I am? Or is that something that I possess? And then for me, I guess it's a it's a bit of a, I'm trying to give a simple answer. But it's been really a lifetime of discovery for me, right? So I've discovered freedom on three different levels. One, I'll call it material freedom. That's the ability to free markets, that's the ability to have an idea produce that idea, sell that idea, the market will will decide whether they're going to buy it or not. So material freedom means also the ability to have control over your time, your autonomy and your life. Right. A lot of this has dealt with political policies and entrepreneurship training. The SEC, but it's still not free, because even though I didn't I hit my goals of having my own business. And I do determine, you know, my own schedule. And, you know, I'm fortunate that if it's Wednesday afternoon, and I want to go camping, I'll do it. Right, you know, I can set my life up in that way. But I recognize that I still don't feel like totally free in that, why not? So it must be another aspects of freedom, this the second level of freedom, which I call freedom of expression, this is largely what like groups like BLM, and you know, LGBTQ groups, certain groups on all of them, but certain groups are fighting for, they're fighting for what's known as freedom of expression. They want to be expressed in a certain way. This is same with Christians and Jewish people and Muslim people, right? Does Matter, any any sect, right? We want to express ourselves in our way we want to live the way we want, whether that's sexually or intellectually, or artistically or right, we want to express ourselves we want to be ourselves with without, without having the fear of being, you know, attacked by it or anything like this. I don't live with that expectation that nobody's going to attack me. From my point of view, I fully well know that there are people that are opposite. I remember I was doing I think, with the Epoch Times out of Edmonton the interview where he was asking me, well, you know, what about this? What about that he was just trying to trip me up on everything, right? He was, you know, quite, you know, opposite mindset. And then I said to him, you know, fundamentally me and you just see life through different lenses, and that's okay, I'm okay with that.
And he just said, Well, that's fair. And that was it. Because what else can you say? I said, the truth will know me and you don't agree. And I'm okay with that. Are you okay with that? You're the one who's not okay with it. I'm okay with that. We disagree. You don't need to like me, I'm not I'm not here to win your approval. Right? So freedom of expression means Can you express yourself in any way which you choose, without, without fear holding you back? It's an illusion to think that others will always accept you or agree with you or adopt your philosophies. That would just be a foolish endeavor. And so I think try to make others do it, which is what I feel our current government is doing, they're trying to make people buy into their philosophy. I think that's fundamentally wrong. That's that's goes against freedom of expression. So we all want freedom of expression. And the more you can express yourself as you are, the more the better. You'll feel like, I am me, you know, even my mother would say, oh, Nicholas, he beats to the what does it say beats to the rhythm of his own drum or something like this. I probably butchered that. But, but the point is, is I've learned to accept myself as I am, where I am, who I am, for better or for worse, I've surrendered to who I am. I'm good. That's freedom of expression. And even with that, you can still feel trapped by your own expression and personality as I am right. I'm trapped by my personality, meaning I can't break away from it. I can't be you. I can't be Stu. Man so bad. I would want to be stupid. I just can't do it. Right. Just like Stu can't be Nick and vice versa and all that that stuff. So I recognize men. So to be actually free, I have to be also transcendental to my own self. I can't take myself too seriously, which is the ultimate identity of I am soul, I am consciousness, I am the awareness underneath it all, all of this playing all this drama that's playing out. It's just a movie. It's like a game. You play it? Well, you get some cool stuff. You don't play it? Well, you deal with those consequences. I've made good decisions, good outcomes. I've made bad decisions, bad outcomes. But ultimately, freedom comes from spiritual realization, which is a realization that I am not this body or mind, that I am soul. And that if I really want to be free, then I have to do what my soul is longing for, which is to serve, is to contribute. So to me, freedom is all about spiritual realization. But there's different levels to freedom which you can attain, based upon your first desire. Some people, they don't want spiritual realization, or they think, Wow, this is getting way too woowoo. For me, I don't, I can't really grasp that. That's cool. But I bet you you want to, I bet you want to be able to have the opportunity to earn what you want to earn and have what you earn, be good enough to take care of your family. If you want more, maybe you want the opportunity to earn more, right? Maybe you want the freedom to express yourself. I know again, that's what the transgender and LGBT they want the freedom to be able to express. And I'm with them on that. I do. But I've just not with them pushing the ideology onto the whole society, again, be you but don't necessarily push it on to others. It's why I don't publicly preach my, my religious I'm part of the Hari Krishna community. I grew up Catholic, I call myself a hearty Christian. It's like, it's like the fusion of West and East philosophies, right. And so I don't push it. I'm not out there like saying, I, I'm happy to talk about it. But I'm not saying and if you don't believe what I believe, then right to hell, you shall go or you have no, I can also be the I'll be the first to acknowledge and say, but I understand that I'm human. So I don't really know, belief and knowing are two different things. believing in something, and knowing 100% of its actual existence is two different things. Can you admit that you don't really know that no one really, really knows, you may believe, and you may have such a strong belief that inspires others to believe. Great. And I think there's real power in that. Because power to create and belief, if you don't believe in it, you can't create it. So what I believe, and what I know, are two different things. And I think that real freedom comes from always acknowledging that I also myself don't know that if I what I believe is absolutely true.
Stuart Murray 1:23:01
I love that as a starting point, I really, I really, really do. And if we can operate from that, it will give us the humility that we need to move forward in life because I, I agree with you, Nick. Change, fundamental change comes from inspiration, not from top down mandating. And that is, what we need to remember and come back to is that power is gotta be initiated from within. And we need to give people their power back so that they can step into that, and feel love, feel like they're enough and be at their best self. And that's not going to come from forcing anybody into coercing to be a certain way or believe a certain thing. And so, I think you you stand for that you live that way. And you speak to that truth. And when you're speaking, I hear you, from your heart in what you're saying. There's no script there with that, which is beautiful. And my last question for you is, what's your big vision to help see us project and move humanity forward?
Nicholas Pereira 1:24:01
Yes, so my big vision, my little small part to play and anybody who sees this vision we're asking you to join us in the Canadian Unity project and help move it forward is to set up Community Education Learning Centers right across the nation. At first, we're going to do it online and develop this platform, the largest database and compiled education on self sufficient living. And then once we have enough people, so let's say for example, in, let's say, in New Brunswick, near Monckton, we have 300 families that are part of the Canadian Unity project and that are working towards self sufficiency, well, then we would know we have enough people and resources there to set up a physical center and these will operate and like private memberships. So therefore, again, government can't mandate or anything because they're private entities and, and membership communities. And so that's my big vision. I I'm really surrendered to that vision, making it work. Putting in all the work, I think it's great. Like, it's fun, like I use the word work. And what you got to know is I think work is fun, right? Like, like, when I think about that, I'm like, Oh, my God, this is a huge vision. That's huge work on like, all Yeah, I'm pumped for this, like, let's do this, let's go out there. Let's serve, let's create this amazing platform. And let's create something that's so awesome. So that's my big vision, when I leave this planet, the Canadian Unity project will continue to live on these centers, and this database will continue to live on and can be added to and changed and shift in ways that future generations will benefit. And that's what I'm surrendered to took me, I'm 37 years old, I started working on this particular vision around two years ago, you know, it's cool to see it just in a couple years starting to take, you know, form and have members and, you know, people buying, buying memberships and getting involved, and we're just at the beginning, you know, recording this, it's just the start. We literally started promoting this just a few weeks ago, but the uptake has been incredible. But the vision has been living in me and developing, I would say, you know, since 17 years old, when I first started my own business. And over the last few years, I really saw like, Okay, this is what's needed. This is my, this is my path. So it's sort of taken me about 35 years to then finally just surrender and say, Yeah, I'll do it. I'll join the freedom fight. I'll join the fight for freedom, and really, you know, but you know, discover what that means in a bigger way. And, you know, by time I leave this body in this planet, if, if I have made a difference to to somebody or to to a group of people that say, You know what, our life is better now, because Because somehow or the other we came in contact with Nick and, and his work, then that's a success.
Stuart Murray 1:26:57
Bless you, brother. We need that energy in the world right now. And we need the leadership in the light of people like you stepping into that. So thank you for taking the time to chat. And thank you for everything you're doing. We'll make sure to link everything in the show notes so everybody can can get directed and dive into all the work that you're doing.
Nicholas Pereira 1:27:17
Awesome. Well, thank you for the opportunity. I appreciate the conversation and always a chance to connect, you know with other folks. pleasure, man.
Stuart Murray 1:27:31
I hope you enjoyed this episode with Nicholas Pereira. Once again, a big thank you to our sponsor, Karen Phytoplankton. You can subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts. You can also find me on Facebook and YouTube at the connected movement. Thanks again and see you next Monday.
