All Posts Tagged With: "vision"

Today, I am feeling very grateful to be blessed with so many inspiring friends and colleagues. Artists have a unique, passionate way of seeing the world around them. They bring us unexpected and surprising creations that help us to wake up to the beauty and wonder that’s all around us. In honor of the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday, this is my valentine to all of you.

My artist friend, Doug Retzler, is a force in the Baltimore arts scene. I always see him at street fairs and events, like the Baltimore Eco-Festival, doing amazing things that delight kids and adults alike. Whether it’s a community-constructed bamboo shelter or an Art Car for the American Visionary Arts Museum, Doug brings delight, vision, and a sense of fun to his work. In a recent email to me, he noted, “Luckily, I never let reality get in my way.”

Chris Armstrong is a client and a great photographer. She recently send me this image. Isn’t it stunning?

I loved working with Chris and her husband and partner, Jess, because they were so fearless and tireless in their quest to realize their dream. Renovating an old barn into a photography studio is one of the most romantic architectural briefs I can imagine. We used to give out projects like this in architecture school. They walked the talk in all ways possible — from salvaged materials, to solar-heating (and cooling- really!), to working with local Amish craftsmen, their studio truly is of its place. Treat yourself by spending some time with their portfolio. The engaging images of Amish country and of their many animals (including the Alpacas) are my personal favorites.

In the spirit of these artists’ passion and vision, here’s a Valentine’s Day thought for you, from “You(squared)” by Price Pritchett:

“Quantum leaps won’t happen if you’re living life with a lukewarm heart. Passion is a very important part of the process. It fires the soul and fills the spirit. . . .Passion also keeps you going when you’re hit with problems and uncertainty. But passion itself must be fueled, and you feed that flame with visions of a dream that is dramatic. The emotional intensity inside must burn hot enough to protect you against the chilling effects of doubt, uncertainty, criticism, and failure. Only deep desire can generate such heat.”

Here’s to a white-hot Valentine’s Day and to the power of your dreams.

After waiting two days for the snowplow to come and liberate us, the neighbors of Crest Road finally took matters into their own hands this morning. A handful of us starting digging out the street, working our way down the block. The idea was to hook up with another portion of the street that had already been cleared. At its peak, there were about twenty people toiling away.

This got me thinking about the key ingredients for a successful collaboration. As you read, think of how this could apply to a current or upcoming project at work.

A shared vision. Should we dig to the east or the west? A quick check on Google Earth confirmed that the eastward direction was shorter – and downhill. We all agreed wholeheartedly with this goal — dig the shortest route to freedom.

Leadership. All it took was four or five people to just get out there and start digging. A quick, three-minute discussion and we were in action.

Cooperation. In a constantly shifting dance, we each managed to dig in our own niche, making all our efforts as efficient as possible. Nobody got in anybody else’s way.

Willingness to do the dirty work. Shoveling two-plus feet of snow is hard work! Especially when you have to lift UP to dump your shovel. I didn’t hear any complaining.

Sense of humor. Laughing and joking certainly made the experience much more fun. We fantasized about sending the city a bill for our services and wondered how our mayor was enjoying her first few days in office, under a snow emergency.

Sharing of tools. Days into recovery from this snowstorm found our family with only one good shovel left. Somehow, there were plenty to go around.

New blood. As we moved down the block, other neighbors joined us, which was a tremendous lift for our morale. Not to mention our sore muscles.

Refreshment. Someone set out a couple of water pitchers and a stack of cups on the hood of their car. It was a generous and caring gesture, and reminded us to take care of the basics even while working hard.

Community. Unusual events like this storm tend to bring out that “we’re all in this together” spirit. This is a good energy to tap into on any collaborative effort – especially when your attention wanes or you get impatient with our results.

In the spirit of “All I Ever Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten,” if you found this helpful, please comment and share it around!

Have you signed up for “”How to Overcome Green Overload” yet? During a FR*EE teleclass on Nov. 12, I’m going to reveal the power of a green mindset. Not to be missed! (More details at the end of this post.)

I had to chuckle when I came across this sign the other day. Such a relief! I am by nature a thinker, and sometimes succumb to an inner battle between the thinker and the doer. Am I a dreamer only? Or someone who takes action as well? Is it possible to find an ideal balance? There’s that old adage: Vision without action is a daydream, but action without vision is a nightmare.

Lately, I’ve been studying with mentors who emphasize that it’s not WHAT we think, but HOW we think. This appeals to me very much, even while it seems impossibly daunting. That same distinction can be applied to action as well, can’t it? It’s not WHAT we do, but HOW we do it.

All this boils down to a fundamental care taken in all that we do. What is that care? It’s compassion, respect, love, and truth. No matter what challenges face me, whether they be the most practical concerns about my business’s profitability, where my next client is coming from, or how to communicate my message most effectively, I can always tap into an expansive sense of possibility by remembering why I am doing all this in the first place. If I am not acting out of compassion, respect, love and truth – for myself, my clients, and the earth – my work will not be as meaningful and rewarding as it can be.

Today, ask yourself, How can I embrace thinking as a form of action with a problem that’s currently taunting me? Don’t be surprised if it leads you to wonder afresh, why do I do what I do?

I’d love for you to join me on my upcoming FR*EE teleclass, “How to Overcome Green Overload in Your Small Business: 5 Steps for Cutting Through the Clutter.” This call is on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 4:00 p.m. EST. This is your chance to learn all about:

• The essential questions you MUST ask yourself before you go green
• The 4 must-haves of creating a sustainable green vision for your company
• My ground-breaking 5-step model for creating a green business

AND I’ll work with you to create your first green business plan right on the call! Register now.

I’ve been wondering lately — why do some people shy away from embracing ambitious goals? What’s the hesitation? I don’t think it comes from a lack of vision, because I’ve worked with some visionary people who still balk at publicly declaring an audacious goal. Is it fear? Lack of trust? Worry about falling short?

I have a wonderful client who shyly asked me to dial back on an energy model that was showing some pretty impressive projected energy savings from relatively straightforward measures. The numbers just looked too good to be true; the savings were "unbelievable." While I do understand the potential gulf between computer analysis and real-life performance, what we were proposing wasn’t rocket science. It should be very achievable, given good attention to construction details and sound building science.

In another instance, Baltimore’s Sustainability Plan process last summer went through rigorous community involvement, the working groups were loaded with rock stars in their respective fields, and the recommendations were so exciting I kept having to pinch myself at the meetings. In the end, what emerged is a comprehensive, workable plan — without a bold vision. I know it’s easy for me to second-guess, but I kept wishing we could have something as cool as Portland ‘s: Everyone can see Mt. Hood and every child can walk to a library. It’s so memorable, vivid, and dense with possibility.

Was it the fear of being held accountable by some stickler member of the general public? What if Baltimore set an ambitious goal and didn’t make it? Would it turn into a political firestorm? Was it not wanting to disappoint people, if the city somehow fell short of a big goal? I always see a bit of red flag when people start talking about getting "realistic." That word feels VERY limiting.

The other day I joined my colleagues for a radio interview about our experiences creating and competing LEAFHouse in the 2007 Solar Decathlon. It was wonderful to relive all the best stories about those two years, especially to be reminded of the importance of setting audacious goals. Very early on, we had a big team meeting with engineering and architecture students, mentors from several disciplines, the three faculty advisors, and alumni from the 2005 solar house team. One of our big touchstones was Kennedy’s speech on September 12, 1962 at Rice University, where he announced that we would be landing a man on the moon within the next decade. Continued

I recently posed this question on several LinkedIn green groups and was surprised to get so many answers with a wide range of opinions. Most of them advocated systemic expressions of sustainability: green business, policy and regulation, economic incentives, standards, strategic planning, and simple common sense. A few mentioned awareness-building: education, marketing campaigns ("green is good"), and mission statements. The rest championed tools like directories, handbooks, and websites. One outlier suggested that sometimes the answer is just in a state of mind.

In the spirit of Ken Wilber and Integral , in one sense they are all right. Just not 100% right, to the exclusion of the others. I found it intriguing that the majority of them oriented towards systems, technologies, and policy, and only one touched on the metaphysical. Yet, consciousness of our innermost motivations, values, and beliefs is critical to the success of any greening initiative, whether personal or organizational.

As we make the transition from short-term, fear- and anxiety-based motivations to more long-term, optimistic and effective motivations, it’s important to bring greater consciousness to what’s behind our behaviors. Shining the light of awareness on how and whether our needs are being met can be transforming.

At GOforChange, we believe strongly that eco-friendly strategies are far better at meeting the full range of our needs than tired, wasteful consumerism. We are designing a process to help people bring that awareness to their own lives, called Your EcoBlueprint . One clear benefit is that it eliminates the mismatch between people’s "shoulds" and their actual behavior, giving them a fresh perspective on which green strategies actually work for them. Your EcoBlueprint is as unique as your fingerprint!

We invite you to give us your thoughts and feedback. What are the struggles or challenges you have with making green a priority? Is big-picture visioning a distraction from necessary action, or a helpful North Star? How are you negotiating the glut of information out there? We would love to hear stories of your ah-hah moments, successes, roadblocks, and your favorite awareness practices! Drop us a line through the contact page, or comment here.