Category: Inspiration

Week 11

Enough is as good as a feast. ~ Mary Poppins

This speaks right to my heart as a North American, so used to getting whatever I want, whenever I want it. Some say that sustainability will only be possible when those of us in developed countries dramatically dial back our consumption. Polls show that, even with all our stuff and wealth, our happiness quotient has dropped steadily since the 1950’s. Humans need so little to be truly happy. This week, notice when you are content.

More: Learn about positive psychology and happiness.

Read the Weekly Green from Week 10 here.

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Week 10

We face a series of great opportunities disguised as insoluble problems. ~ John Gardner

I like the notion that the seeds of solution lie at the very heart of our most intractable problems. The Buddhist practice of Tonglen is “poison as medicine.” Going right into what causes the most suffering and finding the gold within it. This can be applied on a personal level, in a company, a community, even a nation. How can you see the opportunity in a tough problem this week?

More: Listen to a 4-minute talk about Tonglen practice (on MP3)
Read an article about Tonglen

Read the Weekly Green from Week 9 here.

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Week 9

Any fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage — to move in the opposite direction. ~ Albert Einstein

Simplicity is a radical idea. Sometimes I think the complexity of human systems is just a smokescreen for a lack of clarity or confidence that we know what we’re doing. I often find myself longing for a world where nobody tolerates the confusion of our man-made complexity. When we use models, analogies, stories and metaphor, we can simplify and understand systems. This week: where can you move towards simplicity and away from complexity?

More: Explore the Santa Fe Institute, which researches complexity theory.

Corollary: Make everything as simple as possible, but no simpler. ~ Albert Einstein

Read the Weekly Green from Week 8 here.

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Week 8

There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace. ~ Aldo Leopold

When we connect with what is real in this physical world, we are so much the richer for it. The land, the soil, the rain, sunlight, heat, cold – these are all conditions of life on earth that we might ignore or take for granted. There is a great, mysterious engine behind all of this, which quickly leads to the spiritual. When we connect with this source, our awe and wonder deepens. This week, connect with wonder by asking: where does your breakfast come from?

More: Find a farmer’s market anywhere in the U.S. by visiting Local Harvest.

Read the Weekly Green from Week 7 here.

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Week 7

When you turn to the Sun all shadows fall behind you. ~ African proverb

What does turning toward the sun look like in practical terms? Sure, it’s easy to despise and rail against a company like BP for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. But what happens when we look inside and honestly see our own complicity in this disaster – and others? Blame is a form of domination, and it prevents us from shedding light on our own truth. Where are you judging, and how can you transform that into compassion this week?

More: Cultivate compassion daily with these 7 practices.

Read the Weekly Green from Week 6 here.

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Week 6

There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still. ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

When faced with so many challenges – or even choices – we can become paralyzed. This reminds me that there is no one right answer. The important thing is to keep moving, trying new things, and adjust course when necessary. Where are you standing still, and what small step forward can you take this week?

More: Franklin D. Roosevelt entry in the Encyclopedia of Earth.

Read the Weekly Green from Week 5 here.

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Week 5

It is impossible to care for each other more or differently than we care for the earth. ~ Wendell Berry

In our modern world, the importance of care is undervalued, ignored, considered irrelevant. While this is slowly changing, we are yet part of a culture that sees people and the earth as objects to be conquered, subdued, and used for our own ends. Our fate is intertwined with that of the earth – whether positively or negatively. How can you contribute to this cultural shift by practicing care and respect this week?

More: Watch Riane Eisler speak about a caring economics and leverage points for the shift from domination to partnership.

Read the Weekly Green from Week 4 here.

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