a sense of community

             Much research has been conducted on the positive influence of a good social network.  In a nutshell, good friends are much more important to happiness than money, and even promote longevity.    That is also one of the big messages we took away from our recent trip to Alaska. 

            We spoke to many non-indigenous people who had chosen to come live in this unforgiving territory for the love of nature and the majestic outdoors.  Distances are enormous, the state is sparsely populated, it's nature over culture, and winters can be dark and lonely.  Yet, the common thread in our conversations was community.  Time and again people said that one of the reasons they loved living in Alaska was the strong sense of community.  

            Friends are so important when there are no restaurants around, no movie theatres, no libraries, no cultural events.  You rely on friends and neighbors for entertainment, especially during the long dark winter months. So people get together for tea, for knitting, for story telling, for potlucks, for helping to repair things, to go shopping together, you name it - any excuse is good to get together.

            Please follow this link to another post on the power of social relationships.

learning to lose

         It is time to move aside and consider the rest of our planet's inhabitants.  It is time to shrink our economies.  It is time to leave some nature unraped. British philosopher Alan Watts wrote

".......a permanently victorious species destroys, not only itself,

but all other life in its environment."

        We depend on all other life on this planet.  Without trees for oxygen, without plants for food, without wood and fiber for building and clothing, without water for drinking, without the animal kingdom for balance of our ecosystems, we do not exist.  We have already destroyed so much of life on earth, let's not keep winning to the bitter end.

a kick in the butt

             Sometimes I need a kick in the butt.  I don't need to be hit over the head.  But some recent work shenanigans rattled me profoundly out of my self-induced writing slumber and inspired me to get my book edits finally to the finish line, pretty fast, just like that.  That was easy!  Book done, off to test readers.  After final suggestions and edits I'll figure out the publishing part.

            It's easy to fall into complacency.  When things are just too comfortable, too easy, then we stop learning, stop creating, stop being truly enthusiastic and excited about new horizons, new prospects, new possibilities. 

            Of course you can get off your butt before then. It's less painful for sure.  Be proactive and on your toes, anticipate the need for change before the universe helps you along, gently or not so gently.

life is good

             Not many things are better than breakfast outside while listening to a bird chirping concert.  Even if brief because on a weekday, it frames my day, it grounds me, it sets a positive tone, and it reminds me how perfect, how beautiful life can be when I look at it from a positive perspective. 

            What experiences reboot your mind?

going deep

      The message about my blog and upcoming book is to live deeply, slowly, with awareness and thoughtfulness, instead of skipping the surface.  By going fast we tend to miss understanding the significance of things, or make mistakes, or simply overlook the beauty of things.

            It seems to have taken some Brits by surprise that the Brexit vote actually went through.  It seems that many Brits only wondered about the consequences of the vote after the fact.  It seems that many Brits would opt for a do-over if they could. 

            Slowing down allows us to think a bit more, a bit deeper, weighing and anticipating the consequences ahead of time.  Spontaneousness has its charm in certain instances - when there are no major consequences either way.  "The weather is beautiful, I was going to do the laundry, but let's go for a walk instead."  But decisions with big consequences require several deep breaths, a looooong pause, a bit of research, taking a look from all sides, maybe sleeping over the quandary, then considering things with fresh eyes the next morning - before deciding.  Things with big consequences can't always be undone.  Take a look at an earlier post on slowing down. And another one.