Happy 2011 Superforesters! The air of new beginnings is sweet isn’t it?
In this turn of the year, I stand before everyone of you and renew my commitment to contribute to my environment and I think it is apt that I start by understanding what the word ‘environment’ truly means to me.
Most of us Superforesters are familiar with the term ‘The Environment’ in the way it was documented in the SF humanifesto. I’m a believer in it too and as I was reflecting on a project that I had recently worked on called Civic Life: Tiong Bahru , it dawned into this little brain of mine that all along throughout the project, I have been learning how to see and appreciate this environment of mine.
Feeling inspired, I recently dived a little bit deeper into the now famous line: ” The environment is everything around us when we close our eyes” and applied it to the things around me and here, I share it with all of you.
**
Perhaps our environment is everything around us when we close our eyes.
Behind closed eyes, the shape and form of the buildings that surround us disappear. The geometry of the houses become faint lines in our memory. The skyline of condominiums and high-rise in the distance become a vague silhoutte. The colours on the surfaces of our world fades into a blur.
It is everything around us when we stop listening.
Gone are the chirping birds at the park or the roar of engines moving across space. The grinding of wheels on tarmac become a distant memory and the cacophony of voices at the wet market and the hawker centers is replaced by the sound of silence. The laughter of kids and the slow footsteps of the elderly with their walking cane stop sounding.
It is everything around us when we stop touching.
The coldness of the steel handrails and grab-bars is history. The slippery ceramic tiles on the market floor and the squeaky smooth laminates of the hawker center table become a figment of our failing memory. The smooth plastered walls and tactile strips on the floor start to fade into oblivion. The warm skin of our loved ones might even be replaced by a coldness in the heart.
It is everything around us when we stop feeling.
The joy from a shared laughter with our friends. The intimacy with our family members. The tenderness from our partners. The shared memories with our neighbours. The longing for certain food or beverages. The mutual trust with the shopkeeper of our favourite shop. All of it become ghosts of a past life.
Perhaps, the environment is everything around us when we stop sensing.
***
And now it’s your turn. Shut your senses, then open them again.
What is YOUR ‘environment’ like?
“The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul” –G.K. Chesterton
Every day 353,000 people are born. Every day 146,000 people die. This past year, 52 million cars were produced, 285 million computers sold. Globally we cut down 240 square acres of virgin forest (an area the size of Tokyo) each day. There are more than 1 billion malnourished people in the world and equal 1 billion who are obese. Children are starving. On the scale of global hardship and human suffering, 2010 has seemed a particularly difficult year. We’ve experienced a worldwide economic recession. A devastating earthquake that ravaged countless lives in Haiti. Another massive quake in Chile. Flash floods in Pakistan. Crippling volcano eruptions in Iceland and Indonesia. The worst oil spill in environmental history.
It’s pretty easy to focus on the negative. Everywhere you look, every news article you read seems to emphasis the harsh and terrifying brutality of life on earth.
And yet
Every day there are thousands of people falling in love, celebrating the birth of their first or fifth child, rejoicing in the inspiring life of a recently deceased beloved. There are people replanting the forests, feeding the homeless, pulling survivors from the rubble. For every disaster, every act of destruction and suffering, there are equal acts of kindness and compassion. It’s Newton’s third law of Motion, the basics that form both physics and karma: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
On this note, we have featured 34 stories of inspiration this year, all highlighting incredible individuals who are fighting to balance the positivity scale through little everyday acts that are causing big ripples of change. As we look forward into 2011 as a year full of promise, hope and opportunity to make our own positive imprint on the world, we though it important to reflect back on those stories that have moved and affected us the most. (Click the links to be taken to the full stories.)
First there were the incredibly altruistic acts of emergency relief workers diving headfirst to lend support in Haiti. People like Todd Shea, Ben Skinner and Tad Agoglia. Not to mention the United Nations raising a record $10 billion in reconstruction aid.
Around Valentine’s Day, we explored the inexplicable beauty of human experience through the inspiring true love story of Carl Sagan & Ann Druyan.
The man with the world’s biggest heart this year must be Narayanan Krishnan who has devoted his life to caring for the homeless untouchables in India.
We also had a crop of amazingly talented individuals overcoming the adversity of missing limbs. Like Pro Surfer Bethany Hamilton and motivational speaker Nick Vujicic.
The story of Kevin Hines surviving his suicide jump of the golden gate bridge showed the power of miracles in raising hope out of darkness.
But perhaps our most inspiring stories have been those of the younger generation. There seems to be a wave of children who are dreaming impossible dreams and then breathing those dreams into reality. Teenagers like Jordan Romero who at 13 became the youngest person to summit Mt. Everest. Or Zach Bonner who at 12 walked across the entire country in order to raise awareness and money for homeless children.
Looking back like this, it’s easy to see that 2010 was actually a year overflowing with inspiration and positive change. And I am left filled with limitless hope that 2011 will only tip the scales all the way over in favor of kindness, beauty and compassion.
And this overwhelmingly inspiring year wouldn’t be complete without a groovy soulful performance from my personal favorites, Mr B and the PS22 chorus.
The last day of 2010 also happens to be the fifth friday of December, which means for my last post of the year I’ve written you all an original poem:
WHEN MIDNIGHT FALLS
What was this night before
man invented time
did hummingbirds still their wings
or crickets drop their tune
somewhere a blade of grass bent
humbly beneath an empty sky
or perhaps nothing changed
not the glittering ball
or a countdown kiss
the way confetti glimmers
in the flash of our self-made glories
outside in the silent places of the world
a river gives birth to itself from a cradle
of stone there will be no fanfare
when at last it joins lips with the sea
only the sand will remember
only to forget
while we throw ourselves again
into the night that swallows us
Hello SuperForest! I hope all of you had a fantastic holiday and will continue to be loaded with spirit into the new year and beyond.
A lot of us have had that whole “year’s coming to a close” butterflies-of-hope thing going on. I’ve been feeling it all the way down to my toenails. Mostly from nostalgia; Christmas time was beautiful back in Denver. This season has been great to me. I have everything I ever need. I have food, a loving family, incredible friends, freedom, and to top it all off the most loving boyfriend I could ask for (who I’m currently introducing to the wonderful music of SuperForester Jason!)
Life is good. Very good. Humanity is good.
I’m currently talking to one of my dearest friends. Me and him do not go together whatsoever. I’m a calm, careful person who doesn’t do drugs and listens to soft folk, he’s a reckless drop out who smokes weed daily and listens to heavy metal. I have a very strong pull to him, though. He represents a lot of things for me, like bravery.
He’s telling me about his friend, who is also a big pothead and just lost his mother, all at only 19. He’s been with a not-so-smart nor responsible girl for 4 years…
And has a daughter with her.
My friend describes said baby girl as his friend’s entire world. His face when holding her is indescribable; so much, it’s made my pal himself want a daughter all his own. When he’s older. I would have never pinned him as the type to ever want anything to do with any kid.
It made me realize just how incredible our inner will to survive and perpetuate is. This is also probably why sex feels so good, in theory, though that’s…A whole other story.
Seriously, though. That man, who hasn’t even hit his 20s yet and is in a God-awful place in life feels pretty much kept alive by what most guys his age would consider a grade-A burden. How beautiful, and heroic. I would never have the courage to step up to do that, and I’m supposed to be, you know, motherly and everything.
However, I also see that I probably– no, DEFINITELY, have all of that strength and bravery somewhere inside of me, and it’s just napping until it needs to come out. I have faith that when I do need it to come to me, it absolutely will, for the good of our species.
I am one person with infinite reserves of strength for the sake of my entire species. Everybody is the same way. Infinitely strong.
I’m no longer afraid of life.
I often tell people that everybody’s intelligent, some are just more educated. A depressing, but true, and concurrently inspiring (in a way) statement.
As we go into this new year and its intricate turns and flips and do-si-dos and whaddya-knows, I want you to all believe that you are invincible. You are capable of invincibility. My friend I mentioned constantly reassures me of this whenever he’s in trouble.
I also want to ask, what have you or someone you know done that you consider an act of bravery? Let me know, guys. The funniest part is the brave will usually tell you that it was nothing, that they were just doing what they had to do.
Through the trials and tribulations of coming to terms with entering the workforce, trying to be love within a place dedicated to being one thing only: creating more of a fictional number that money represents, I have learned (and am still learning) how to maintain my SuperForesty being even against the barrage that is the ‘business’ world. Thank you for keeping me strong! SuperForest, you are a community of strength, love and calm that sustains me. THANK YOU! Thank you to all that comment, all that read the lovely posts that are sent in from all corners of Mother Earth and most of all, the dedicated individuals who are living examples of what we all wish to attain. We are not perfect, but it is out imperfections that decorate us and make us shine like the shiniest of Christmas trees. SuperForest, I Salute YOU.
(Uluwatu, Bali. Being here made me want to share the light hitting my eyes with everyone of you out there. The beauty was (and is ) astounding even as I look back at these photographs. SuperForest!)
“It isn’t the size of the gift that matters, but the size of the heart that gives it.” ~ Eileen Elias Freeman
2010 is rapidly coming to a close, and i find myself looking back on all the many stories and tales of inspiration that have flooded in, many of which I quite simply did not have time to highlight here on Superforest. And in this season of gift giving and cheer, two untold stories kept nagging on my conscience, demanding attention. Sometimes stories are shy, they need to be coerced and hand-held into the light. Others bang drums, hire mariachi bands and simply demand i give them their podium platform. So it was that these next two stories hunted me down and pushed their way to the top of my inspiration list.
First, meet Allen and Violet Large (love the names!). A retired Nova Scotia couple who recently won $11 million dollars in the Canadian lottery.
Whenever someone wins the lottery, the first question asked is of course “what are you gonna do with all that money? And how will it change your life?” For the Large’s, the answer came quick and surprising. They immediately gave (almost) all the money away.
“What you’ve never had, you never miss,” 78-year-old Violet explained. Violet is recently recovering from chemotherapy and cancer treatment. What little money the Larges kept went to covering the remaining medical costs and helping out their family. The rest was delivered in donation to a two page list of charity groups that the couple sat down and made, including the Red Cross, Salvation Army and the two hospitals where Violet underwent treatment.
“It made us feel good. And there’s so much good being done with that money.” Besides, according to the over 35 year married couple, the money was a “headache” that brought only anxiety over the prospect of greedy and crooked people who might try to take advantage of them. ”Money can’t buy you health or happiness. That money that we won was nothing,” an emotional Allen said, his arm around his wife. ”We have each other.”
It’s incredible to imagine winning all of that money and then giving it all away. It’s even more incredible that it happened not once, but twice this year…
Meet Shaw Mcbride, a Georgia native who also struck it big with a winning lottery ticket, to the tune of 152 million. And who also announced upon receiving his check that he would donate it all to charity.
“With money I can only buy things that I don’t need, and it’s not about that,” Shaw states. If you listen to his story, the factors of coincidence and serendipity are astounding. That 6 years prior, Shaw was a troubled youth who found solace and guidance from christian counselor Mitch Boatright, who talked him out of suicide and steered him back to solid ground. That they lost touch until Shaw looked him up on google and the two men met again. That in their reunion meeting with each other, Mitch ran into a minimart to buy some snacks and lottery tickets and on a whim Shaw gave him $20 bucks to buy some tickets. That one of those tickets was the jackpot winner. And that Shaw, in his gratitude to Mitch, determined to put the money toward good causes… it’s a lesson in the cyclical and miraculous power of kindness and karma.
There are many facets to Christmas from the spiritual symbol of nativity to the quality time with family to the inflated consumer accumulation of material products. It’s a season of heightened emotion, full of joy, sensitivity, close proximity to the people you love the most (and often the very same people who drive you the most insane). But at core, the very essence and spirit of Xmas is one of giving. So in this glut of gifts, in our wealth of presents, remember that giving is more important than receiving. And that money is nothing as long as we have each other.
With the New Year rushing to meet us like that Auntie who’s dutifully armed and loaded with a cheek-pinching greeting, it’s time to ask that always hopeful question…
What are you going you do to make next year a happier, simpler and lighter year?
We all hope 2011 is your best year ever…but what are you going to do to make sure that rings true?
To borrow some wisdom from William E. Channing
Will you…
Live contentedly with small means
Seek elegance over luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion
Seek to be worthy, not respectable
wealthy, not rich?
Will you choose to listen to stars and birds,
babes and sages?
Study hard, think quietly
act frankly, talk gently?
Await occasions, hurry never?
Let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious grow up though the common?
Will you stop being busy?
Stop hiding who you really are?
Stop taking it all so seriously
Start something (anything)?
Start scaring yourself?
Start getting rid of the crap
Stop following the rules
Choose being happy over being right~
Personally, this is the year for me to step out the door, into the light and get my hands dirty instead of living vicariously through my laptop. One of my favorite things to do was to dream up all the ways I could make a difference in the world. There are thousands of ways to impact the world positively and just as many ways to waste time and energy lost in those thoughts.
What matters to me — what is real to me — is inspiring and helping people. That is something I find extraordinarily fulfilling. And the fulfillment I get from doing this is so great that it trumps all the external stuff. It doesn’t matter how much money I make. It doesn’t matter if people reject my ideas or poke fun at what I enjoy doing.
The real trick, my resolution if you will, is to find something that can change the world and actually feels possible– something that doesn’t require you to do the insurmountable to actually succeed. Positive change doesn’t come from sitting on your ass in some remote place and meditating about the Zen-ness, it comes from ACTION. So here’s to a new, experience-driven year, a little less writing about it all and a lot more Doing~
We two, how long we were fool’d,
Now transmuted, we swiftly escape as Nature escapes,
We are Nature, long have we been absent, but now we return,
We become plants, trunks, foliage, roots, bark,
We are bedded in the ground, we are rocks,
We are oaks, we grow in the openings side by side,
We browse, we are two among the wild herds spontaneous as any,
We are two fishes swimming in the sea together,
We are what locust blossoms are, we drop scent around lanes mornings
and evenings,
We are also the coarse smut of beasts, vegetables, minerals,
We are two predatory hawks, we soar above and look down,
We are two resplendent suns, we it is who balance ourselves orbic
and stellar, we are as two comets,
We prowl fang’d and four-footed in the woods, we spring on prey,
We are two clouds forenoons and afternoons driving overhead,
We are seas mingling, we are two of those cheerful waves rolling
over each other and interwetting each other,
We are what the atmosphere is, transparent, receptive, pervious, impervious,
We are snow, rain, cold, darkness, we are each product and influence
of the globe,
We have circled and circled till we have arrived home again, we two,
We have voided all but freedom and all but our own joy.
When Jackson writes in the humanifesto: “The Environment is everything that disappears when you close your eyes“, this poem is what I see. We are the environment.
Recently I had a lovely chat with SuperForesters Jackson and Melissa, and as we were sharing, one of the subjects that came up was the fact that I take the bus. So, taking SuperForester Jackson’s suggestion, I decided to write a post about taking the bus or any type of non-car transit. Thus, the top 10 reasons I take the bus, (plus a little bit about biking and walking). Disclaimer: I don’t hate people with cars!
Top 10 Reasons Why I Take the Bus:
1. “I have to. I don’t own a car.” I used to say that I had to take the bus because I don’t have a car. Now I say that I choose to take the bus because I choose not to have a car! During the many years that I lived in Toronto, I simply didn’t need a car. That city is just beautifully equipped to get you from A to B via public transit, and you can hop on a bus, a train or a plane to travel anywhere in the world from Toronto. Now that I live in Ottawa, it’s not as transit-flawless, but I find that the bus generally takes me to most places I need to go. If I need to go further, I rely on the generosity of others who own cars!
2. It’s better for the environment! Many city buses these days are hybrid vehicles. Yay! Also the choice to opt for communal transportation versus driving one-head-to-a-car is a better choice.
3. Music and Reading! When you’re driving, you can’t read a good book or fully relax to the music you’re listening to, because you need to be alert. Sure, you need to stay alert on the bus to be ready for your stop, but if you take the same routes all the time, your brain will be on auto-pilot and tell your body when it’s time to ding that little bell.
4. No Drinky, No Drivey! After a night out on the town, I don’t have to worry about a DD or an unsafe situation — I can still have a few glasses of wine and make it home safely courtesy of my friendly neighbourhood bus driver. This was easier in Toronto since it has 24 hour transit, but it’s still very feasible on most occasions.
5. Efficient in snowstorms! The other day at work a lot of people arrived late because there was a massive snowstorm. I, however, made it on time thanks to my trusty bus! On days where the weather is causing havoc and drivers are freaking out, those of us on the bus are usually sitting pretty.
6. People watching and trendspotting! People watching. It’s a fascinating past-time of many of us. Need I say more? I also use this time to do some serious trendspotting. I was blessed with many talents in this life, but fashion sense was not one of them. I suppose I have my own sense of style, but I really get inspired by seeing what other people are wearing and how they’re styling themselves. Bus travel provides ample time for this activity.
7. Financially affordable! Simply put, taking the bus is cheaper than owning a car. Wallet win!
8. Bus flirting! From time to time, while on the bus, you will see a dashing young man (or gorgeous young lady, depending on your preference), and the bus can be a cute location for some flirting! Glances, smiles, checking out what they’re listening to on their iPod, even the audacious giving of the business card as you exit are all fun ways of flirting on the bus!
9. Halloween and New Year’s Eve! These are the best evenings to take public transit. When else could you travel with a bunch of zombies, Lady Gagas and people in ironic Halloween costumes? It’s great fun to see people dressed up, just sitting there acting very nonchalant, while really they have a fake cleaver slicing through their brain, or they’re dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow. New Year’s Eve can be a fun night to take transit as well. Let’s just say everyone’s usually feeling pretty good that night! Random, spontaneous conversations abound! Also, see #8.
10. Walking! With most bus-taking or subway travel, there is usually a pre and post walk involved. This is great for the heart, lungs, and those few extra pounds you’re trying to lose! It’s also a great energy boost for your day, or a great stress release after a long day of work.
Notes on Biking and Walking:
When your destination isn’t too far away and the sun is shining bright, biking or walking are also great transportation options! I tool around my neighbourhood or travel to the public pool on my little bikey, and sometimes I choose the heel-toe express. Just the other day, I walked downtown to do some errands. Most people in my city would gasp at the fact that I walked 40 minutes downtown when I could have just hopped on the bus. Well, it was snowy that day so bikey wasn’t an option, but I had two feet and a heartbeat so I thought, why not? It resulted in a really amazing, energizing walk that boosted my mood and allowed me to listen to some of my favourite tunes!
In short, walking is rad. Biking is rad. Buses are rad. Subways aren’t too bad themselves. Streetcars are my favourite.
I thought I’d share with you a pretty sweet poster I found cruising tumblr last night:
Tumblr user idea-obscura made this beautiful poster and even included a link to download it as a PDF file so you can print it out as a 11×17 poster to hang on your wall. I know I will be doing so once I have a bit more free time on my hands. Not a bad idea for a last minute holiday present for you or a loved one!
I’m particularly drawn to “Without action you aren’t going anywhere.” I have a tendency to plan, plan, plan…and then struggle on the follow through. Which fundamental are you most drawn to? Which do you think is the most important?
Being the youngest of 10 children, I seemed to have felt the need to constantly reinvent myself to ensure that I wouldn’t get lost in the crowd. So over the years, I have studied and worked in a variety of different areas, which has made life really interesting.
After graduating from the University of Sydney at the age of 20 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree under my belt, I secured a job in the cut-throat corporate world of finance and banking. After some years though, I needed to shake off the creative restrictions of being behind a desk and phone all day, so my husband and I decided this would be a great time to start a family.
When my two precious babies were a bit older, I completed a Diploma of Beauty Therapy in order to start my own business. I ran a successful Beauty Salon for 6 years and loved every minute of it. I was honoured to be instrumental in making women feel beautiful on the outside, but loved encouraging them to also value their beauty within.
Since I love a challenge, I was soon on the lookout for my next career move, so I went back to University to complete a Diploma of Education (Primary). I was fortunate to get a full-time teaching position immediately upon graduating. I loved my job and finally felt fulfilled being in a role that was giving back to the community and hopefully positively impacting kids’ lives.
After being diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2009, my teaching career has had to be put on hold for a while. I guess the fight that ensued can be seen as my next life challenge. I’m proud of the fact that I put up a pretty good fight and am now loving life and enjoying trying to be the best wife and mum I can be.
On my cancer journey, I have experienced some of the toughest times of my life. I’ve had a number of surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation treatment and even had to deal with a broken ankle in the middle of my treatment. It has certainly been a couple of challenging years.
What has helped me get through has been firstly, my faith. My faith in God has been the one certain thing that I could rely on. I chose to take all the medical treatments offered by my doctors, but they can’t give me a 100% guarantee that my breast cancer will not come back. However, my faith gives me the guarantee that no matter what, nothing can take away my hope, joy and love of life. My faith gave me the strength to live one day at a time, rather than be fearful of what was ahead. That’s how I got through my worst days.
The second thing that has helped me is the love and support of my family and close friends. There is nothing better, when you’re down and out, than knowing that you are loved unconditionally. I will be forever grateful to those special people in my life.
It used to amaze me when I would hear of people being grateful that they’d experienced cancer. But now I know what they mean by that. I believe it’s the new lease on life that they appreciate. That’s how I feel about it. Of course, there are so many negatives with cancer, but I like to focus on the positives. I have learnt so much about myself – I’ve discovered a strength and a fight within me that I never knew I had; I now acknowledge the many blessings in my life that I will never again take for granted; and I enjoy the freedom of an unleashed passion for life.
When I think of what I would say to help others, it would be to love your life. If you love your life, then you will do whatever it takes to keep it. That means you will look after your body by eating right, exercising and resting. You will love the people around you, really appreciate them and tell them you love them every day. And you’ll think positively and believe in yourself – you’ll believe that anything is possible!
My family has always been my passion, but if I had to pinpoint some other things, they would be cooking, writing and books. I love love love reading, so I’m really enjoying being able to spend time on this, as well as my other passions. I especially love cookbooks and I’m sure my husband wishes that I would cook more than collect!
Recently, I watched “Meet the Robinsons” again with my kids and was reminded of how much I love the song “Little Wonders” by Rob Thomas. It reminds me of how important it is to treasure the “little wonders” in life. Like a kiss from your lover, a hug from your child, a meal with family or friends. These are some of the precious and defining moments in life that bring so much joy. I especially love the line “it’s the heart that really matters in the end”. In the end, it’s not status, money or material possessions that really matter, but the things of the heart….it’s how we are loved and how we love that really matters.
It’s nothing new that surviving a trauma can bring an urgency to fulfil one’s life dreams. There are many things I would love to experience – I dream of travelling, becoming an exceptional cook, seeing my kids grow up and make something beautiful of their lives, and growing old with my husband. I am so grateful that cancer did not equate to death for me. I have a second chance at life and I intend on living it to the full.
I’ve always loved writing, but have never had the confidence to share it with others. Although I don’t have a professional qualification in writing, in addition to good food and life, I do have a passion for it. Writing, along with my food fixation, has become a therapeutic part of my healing journey. My blog, “Life is like a Cupcake!” is a culmination of this and is an avenue to share my experiences relating to creative and culinary delights. I love bearing my soul and sharing my thoughts. I love the therapy of getting the clamour of injustice out of my head. I love touching the heart and conscience of other humans. I love putting passion on paper, as well as passion on a plate! This is the reason I first started writing my blog and relating life to the ultimate feel-good food, cupcakes! I was encouraged to keep going after my blog was chosen for a live review on Radio Hope 103.2 by Katrina Roe and Blog Enthusiast, Carla Gee Schneider. (There is a link to the podcast on my blog site).
I’m also encouraged every time someone actually reads my blog and tells me that I’ve inspired them or helped them in some way. It’s truly humbling. Through my blog, I’ve also discovered how much I love cooking and baking, as well as writing! As mentioned, these passions have been therapeutic in my healing journey and are now a life-long pursuit. Just as reading is able to take you to other lands and transform your mind, I believe cooking and writing has begun to take my life to new heights.
I never smoked cigarettes, took drugs or drank alcohol, always ate healthy food, exercised regularly and lived a happy existence … but I got breast cancer. There is no history of breast cancer in my family….but I got breast cancer. I was only 39 years old…but I got breast cancer. This tells me that cancer can happen to anyone. It’s just one of those terrible things. But my hope for the future is that my daughter will never have to go through what I went through. My hope is that cancer will be eradicated once and for all…the world has enough tragedy to deal with.
When I think of the greatest mentor in my life, it would have to be my gorgeous husband. I met him when I was just 15 years old. He started out as my best friend and ended up becoming my eternal soul mate. He loves me “warts and all”; I treasure his unconditional support, even when I come up with another of my hairbrain ideas (which I’m well known for!); I admire his wisdom; and I trust him with my life.
Jen’s green resolutions for the New Year
1. Continue to buy organic food wherever possible, or locally grown, seasonal foods. We’ve started shopping at our local grower’s market this year, but I would like to do it more regularly in the New Year.
2. Commit to less waste … our family have already started by using stainless steel water bottles rather than buying plastic, eating at home most of the time (with take away being a very rare occurrence nowadays), and really thinking about any new purchases, rather than haphazardly buying up and then discarding what we didn’t really need in the first place. I’d like to find many other avenues of “eco-consciousness” in the New Year.
3. Further reduce the use of toxins in my home…I’m already on the “eco-friendly cleaning” bandwagon … it was very therapeutic throwing out all of my toxic cleaning chemicals and replacing them with “eco-friendly” alternatives, but I want my husband and kids to be as fanatical about it as me. I still haven’t convinced them that products such as “fluoride and chemical free toothpaste” or “aluminium and paraben-free deodorant” are better for them than their chemical counterparts, even though they’re starting to use them begrudgingly. I’m hoping that the “green” seed already planted in my family will blossom in the New Year!
Buenas Dias Mis Amors! Just flying across the river and through the woods to Grandma’s house for Christmas, thinking about the story I saw on 60 Minutes last night. It was a story about individuals, one of which was Marilu Henner, who can remember EVERYTHING about their lives, a condition called Superior Autobiographical Memory. While it was just simply interesting to watch them recall minute details about things that happened to them on specific dates, the one thing that struck me, towards the end of the interview, was this:
When asked if her extreme memory is a good thing and if she’s glad she has it, Owen said, “I am. I mean, sure, there are times when it’s difficult. But I feel like it makes me live my life with so much more intention and so much more joy.”
Asked what she means by “more intention,” Owen said, “Because I know that I’m gonna remember whatever happens today, it’s like, all right, what can I do to make today significant? What can I do that is gonna make today stand out?”
I wonder, how would I live my life if I knew I was going to remember EVERY MOMENT of it? How would YOU live your life? Should we live our lives that way regardless? Interesting ideas to ponder…
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