Purpose, and the land
On the Australian leg of the quest, Marek and Aleksander were welcomed into a sunrise Aboriginal ceremony at Bouddi National Park on the NSW Central Coast, led by Tim Selwyn, founder of Girri Girra Aboriginal Experiences — a conversation about purpose, belonging and connection to the land. It became one of the most emotional moments of the whole year.
The ceremony meant so much to Aleksander that he wanted to experience it rather than film it — so Marek filmed it himself. It sits in Longevity Basics on the Longevity Map for a reason: long before there were clinics or clocks, the world’s oldest living cultures understood that a life lived with purpose, in community, connected to place, is a longer and fuller one. Similar to the lesson we saw at the Blue Zones.
Tim describes himself as “an Aboriginal man dedicated to honouring the ancient lore of the land and the spirits of his ancestors through art, storytelling and cultural education.” Tim’s people come from the Wongaibon of Central West New South Wales; his mother was born on Wiradjuri country in Dubbo, and he was born on Wailwan country at Gilgandra, New South Wales. Tim currently lives on the Central Coast of New South Wales. Through Girri Girra, the 100% Aboriginal-owned business he founded, he leads Walks on Country, Acknowledgement to Country and smoking ceremonies.
Tim’s presence on this page is a mark of respect: proof that the quest listened not only to scientists in labs, but to healers, elders and keepers of knowledge who have been thinking about how to live well for tens of thousands of years.
