Grey clouds against me
Calming my mind and soul
Strange tranquility
Blog
Considering Sustainability
Sustainability has been a significant part of my journey for years. Perhaps the most obvious element was my time at Starbucks working in environmental affairs, but that’s really only a piece. Also, my time with the Episcopal Church, where I interacted closely with the Earth Ministry greatly expanding my learning. Just two of the more significant parts of my life. I’ve been exploring this idea for decades.
My goal is greater than just understanding sustainability, but finding ways to live it. Really, defining it is the easy part. It’s living it that’s tough. I’m paraphrasing my friends Brian and Mary Natrass with this definition: a sustainable society is one that takes no more then it returns to the ecosystem. Balance. And though the term “sustainble” gets thrown about a great deal nowadays, I’m not aware of any element or system in modern society that meets that description. Our consumer economy is, actually, the exact opposite. Continued exploitation returns nothing to our systems. Single use and dispose fails, too. There’s so much opportunity to progress and grow.
All may be distressing, but not cause for despair. Humans are highly adaptable. We will adjust and survive. My goal is for something beyond survival. Rather, thriving; with a new definition of thriving. That what I shall explore now.
Lost to Busyness
Losing myself in busyness is much too easy. Over the years, I’ve developed expertise in productivity and maximising work. I get so very much done, do meant todos checked off, but then feel like I’ve done nothing at all. This brings about a sense of emptiness. Losing sight of my “why” is the root. When my tasks are simply the responses to stimulus, not connected to adding value, I fall into this funk. For there’s no value. Remembering why we want, what the things are that we value counters that. Hence, why that planning and thinking time is so critical. Sadly, it’s so easy to get caught up in the cult of busy and devalue planning. And we end up miserable and morose. So, more planning and thoughtfulness in my life. There!
Delightfully Weird
A life with weirdness
Unusual and unique
Creativity
Music
Lost within songs
Dank and dreary mist fading
Sunlight heals all things
Focus
Tunnel in now
Tune out mundane distraction
Be exceptional
Week’s beginning
Latent potential
Bubbling deep underneath
Striving to release
Easy Morning
A day starts tranquil
Into the wind, this now goes
Sunlight and blossoms
Wretched
Wretched anger’s rage
Filled with deepest misery
Joy’s destruction sought
Busy vs Effective
It’s frustrating to get lost in the tyrannical distraction of NOW. Quickly one is lost to simple, mindless reaction, weaving to and fro, accomplishing little to nothing; even though the day was full, laden with busy. The result of losing focus.
When priorities get lost by attending too much to the blizzard of demand, emptiness wins. We’re active, yet no progress made since “what matters” was left undone.
One must slow down, consider the value of each task before you act. At least get the priority work done first, the stuff that moves you forward. Even better, more powerful; learn the value of “no”. Decline to take energy away from your priorities. Doing more by doing less. Focus your energy for energy isn’t limitless.