The Visit: Sanctuary and Sustainability

Dad waiting for dinner at the local tavern.

“I wish you could too, sweetie.” My dad’s voice was wistful as he agreed with me when I said I wished we lived closer so I could join him on some of his walks. Section by section, he was trekking his way across one of the West Virginia rails-to-trails. Long after our phone call ended, his words rang in my mind, echoing solemnly. How much longer will I have the opportunity to do something like this? My heart yearned to be back in the mountains during the fall and I remembered our trips exploring West Virginia’s state parks. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d experienced the blaze of colors that comes with an Appalachian autumn.

A few days later, after a tip from a friend about cheap air fares, I had cleared my calendar and purchased a ticket home.  Amazingly, my inner Scrooge remained silent. Before I knew it, the day had arrived and my plane was descending out of the white and gold heavens down through thick, gray clouds to a wet and rainy airport. Still, my heart thrilled to see patches of scarlet, burnt orange, and shining golden yellow. Finally, the plane landed and emptied out. I made my way down crowded corridors and there at the edge of the security gate with a smile as large as the mountains stood the man who had introduced me to the wonders of nature. My dad.

Sanctuary

My personal retreat.

When we arrived at my dad and stepmom’s house, tucked away on a secluded ridge overlooking the Ohio River, I paused for a moment, soaking in the peaceful aura. Wind chimes rang softly in the breeze. Inside the peacefulness continued as I entered a modern sanctuary. Hues of white and blue soothed my eyes and spirit while assorted Buddha’s reminded me to stay present in the moment. Upstairs awaited my personal retreat. In the guest bedroom the white was balanced with dark wood, making me think of a quiet forest on a snowy day. Topping it all off was a hint of vanilla scent, adding a warmth and coziness to the room. It was here that I would retreat to read or write in the evenings after days of visiting, wandering the local shops (such as Barking Dog Books), or hiking.

My other favorite spot to read or just think was the sunroom. Complete with its own small gas heater for winter days or chilly mornings, this room provided the perfect place to curl up and read. The sun shared its warmth and light as I watched the leaves fall or listened to bird song, all accompanied by the gentle tinkle of the solar-powered doll chimes.

The Hike – Tunnel 19

The day of our hike dawned with a thick, wet fog clinging to everything it touched. The chill air had the crispness of a mountain autumn, but by 10:00 am the sun had started to burn off the fog. By the time we arrived at our starting point the day had launched into a beautiful Indian summer. Although there was a big group of bikers and some hikers, they were all headed the opposite direction on the trail. We, however, were headed out to Tunnel 19, a tunnel three miles out and supposedly haunted!

Dad and I, prepared with walking stick, water, snacks, flashlight, and camera, headed down the leaf-strewn trail. At first, the sounds of the town still intruded, cars, people working outside. Soon, though, the trail quieted, broken only by the sounds of our feet shuffling through the leaves and the hum of insects making the most of the last few days of warm weather. Rounding a bend, we came upon a doe standing on the trail. For a few moments we all stood and looked at each other. I could not imagine the fleeting thoughts behind those liquid brown eyes. Then, she bounded gracefully away down the trail a bit before disappearing into the woods.

Preparing to enter the tunnel.

After we had been walking awhile, both sides of the trail began to rise steeply and the air temperature dropped. We knew the tunnel was just ahead. Suddenly, we were there. Water dripped down one side of the entrance forming a pool. The gaping darkness of the tunnel was like the mouth of the mountain, waiting to swallow us. We had arrived at the Silver Run Tunnel 19 and were about to see for ourselves if any ghosts clung to its damp dark walls.

After taking several pictures to document our historic moment and to record our location should the ghosts get us, Dad turned on his flashlight, hefted his walking stick and we ventured in. Our voices hushed as we carefully made our way into the murkiness. Still the tunnel caught our whispers and eerily echoed them back to us. Along the walls were shallow alcoves, which we

Coming out of the tunnel.

wondered about together, finally guessing that they were made for the workers to have a safe place to retreat to when the train came. After what seemed like an eternity we made it out into the welcoming sunshine on the other side. After a snack and some water we headed back into the tunnel to finish the second half of our hike back to the car.

I didn’t hear or see any ghosts. If there was any presence there, it was the ancient spirit of the mountain. Perhaps watching, waiting, wondering when humankind will grow up.

My dad and I finished our walk. A few days later I headed home. Sitting on the plane, I realized that my visit was one of the best things I had done for myself, for my dad, and as part of my quest for a sustainable life.

“Appalachia is a bad taste in mainstream American’s mouths. Because it’s vast, it’s stark, it’s real. We’re not this plastic society that Americans thrive on now, this materialistic place. We don’t put on a show, don’t put on airs. We’re unhomogenized. We’re not Photoshopped. We’re unretouched. We’re real people. And I don’t think mainstream America likes real and stark and raw. That’s my opinion of it.”

~~~~~~~~ Judy Bonds, activist, in Something’s Rising: Appalachians Fighting Mountaintop Removal

Stop Mountaintop Removal

iLoveMountains.org

You might also like:

Appalachian Voices Spotlight: Wanda Darlene Campbell

Struggling Towards Sustainability – Part II

I ended my post on Part I discussing money.  Although, I was trying to maintain a more light-hearted tone in that post, I would have to say that money probably ranks highest on my list of obstacles, or perhaps challenges would be a better word, towards leading/creating a more sustainable life. I also mentioned that I find it very difficult to write or talk about money. Last week’s post, the public comments, and the private emails have encouraged me to try to move past my discomfort and discuss the issue of money a bit more. Why?  Because there others like me who struggle with it and because of the impact money has on creating a sustainable life.

1. Secrecy – I think this is a huge contributor to my and our problems with money.  It is not considered polite to ask someone how much they make. Additionally, some companies discourage or even threaten their employees to keep them from discussing what their salaries are. This works to keep some employees underpaidEven in families we tend to be evasive or secretive about money. From aging parents who refuse to talk about their financial situation or plans to schools that no longer offer basic money management classes to divorced spouses hiding their assets, talk about money is anything but honest, open, and informative. Although it is hard to change the way we think about money, maybe it is time we tried.
2. Responsibility – Most U.S. citizens (and many others around the world) operate with the great American bootstrap myth that “personal success is solely a matter of hard and independent work.” (Carol  Bartlett) However, not everyone has access to the same resources and not everyone runs afoul of the same dire circumstances.This doesn’t mean I think individuals don’t have any responsibility. Certainly, we all carry responsibility for our fiscal health, but from time to time, depending on circumstances, we may need help. I think this especially important to remember in our current economic situation.
3. Desire/Dissatisfaction – Our desire for new things or dissatisfaction with what we have is another contributor to the money issues. This is another area where I think the individual shares responsibility with society. Maybe no one is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to go out and buy the latest and greatest flat screen TV, but the constant bombardment of advertising and messages is hard to ignore. And this isn’t a recent phenomenon or one we “accidentally” stumbled into. Check out the Orion article The Gospel of Consumption by Jeffery Kaplan.Still, there are some ways to combat it. Simply being aware of the manipulation of advertisements is start. Turning off the TV is another step. You don’t have to quit watching your favorite show, but try cutting back the amount of time in front of the boob tube. Another thing I did was to remove my name from various catalog companies. Not only does it save paper, but I am not tempted by those glossy pictures of shiny baubles.

These are a few of my thoughts on the subject of money. Now, I’d like to hear some of yours.

Other posts you might enjoy:

Wanted – A Sustainable Life

Reading & Thinking about Sustainability & the Workplace

Wal-Mart, Sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Hangnails

Need a little pick-me-up after reading this? Try this jaunty tune by ABBA

Struggling Towards Sustainability – Part I

I had intended to have a lovely post up first thing this morning about peace, nature, sanctuary, and my small adventure. Apparently, it was not meant to be. Instead, today, I am struggling to maintain a sustainable life and my progress towards a more Zen attitude. Perhaps, dear reader, you are wondering what is causing this struggle. The answer would be a variety of things from the small to the not-so-small.

1.  Dawdling (small) – I will accept some of the responsibility. I should have written this post as soon as I got home. Instead, I dawdled putting things in order, finishing a book (People of the Earth) I was reading, and reorienting myself to my so-called real life.

2.  The State (larger) – Yesterday I found out that I will missing about a third of my monthly paycheck due to a screw up with benefits, which I did not receive nor use. This was compounded by the fact that the month before I received a letter from another entity of the state informing me that they had overpaid me in August and would I now please pay them back. I go could on about my issues with The State, but this is a blog and not a novel, plus I could just see them suing me or some other silly thing.

3.  Split Personality (mid-size) – I did try to go ahead and write the post I had planned. I started it last night. I wrote a few paragraphs and looked at possible photos to use. I even pulled out my ginormous dictionary. Well, only part of me was trying to write that post. Another part was sitting there drinking a diet Coke and wishing for something stronger while fuming about the State’s various screw ups and screw overs (I told you I have quite a few issues with it/them.) While Nature me was trying to write about the tranquility of the woods, Pissed-Off, The-Pen-Is-Mightier-Than-The-Sword me was busy scratching out what Nature me wrote and plotting to write a scathing post that would bring the State to its knees.  Meanwhile, Peacekeeper me  was attempting to mediate some sort of Buddhist settlement between the two. Needless to say, it was a crowded writing session, especially since I think there were a few other me’s involved as well. Finally, Cranky-Without-Sleep me stormed in, threw the pen across the room, and told everyone to shut up and go to bed.

4.  Microsoft Word (smaller) – This morning Nature me was ready to try again, this time with the help of Buddha me. However, when Microsoft Word (damn you, Microsoft) kept crashing Pissed-Off (she dropped the Pen part) me decided to go look at the money situation…

5. Money (huge) – Is it really the root of all evil? I don’t know, but I do know that worry about money is the bane of my existence. It is also something I have a very difficult time talking or writing about. It is a strain just to get these words typed out. Debt, layoffs, unexpected events (like major roof repairs, car problems), and divorce take their toll.  Add to that the fact that I have always been a money worrier and you get mondo amounts of stress…

And now, I am out of time. But don’t worry, I’ll finish this crazy story in Struggling Towards Sustainability – Part II where I will write more about money (or try to), the value of expressing negative emotions, and more. Hey, at least I’ve already got the title, right?

Going Green When Living with a Techno Geek

Note: I’m off on a small adventure, but I hope you will enjoy this post, which was originally published on GreenZone Online when I was working as a blogger there.

I want to be greener, but I keep wondering how when our entire house is wired with enough blinking, glowing gadgets to light a small town.  My first thought was to get rid of my techno geek who had installed all the gadgets.  That would surely lower the electricity bill and cut the amount of technology clutter.  But then I thought, who would fix the computer?  The Tivo?  Plus, I would have to turn up the heat at night since my heat-generating techno geek would be gone. My second thought was to throw out a bunch of the gadgets, but I knew there would be so much moaning and groaning I would be fined for noise pollution. I would also be responsible for cramming the landfill with more stuff.  So instead of getting rid of my techno geek or throwing out the gadgets here are some other ideas that crossed my mind. I thought I would share these with others who may be facing the same dilemma.

• Make the techno geek help create the electricity he or she (yes, women can be techno geeks too) uses. Remember how Fred Flintstone powered his car? Now you can use the same technology!  Hook your techno geek up to the Human Power Generator.  This little gem may not generate enough power to run all of those gadgets, but it can certainly help your techno geek better appreciate the amount of energy needed to run them.  Plus, if you can get the kids interested in it as a game, you could potentially generate enough power to sell back to the utility company!
• Buy the techno geek a solar power backpack like the one shown at Leafing Through. How handy would that be for the techno geek in your life to tote and recharge his or her laptop, iPod, and cellphone?
• If you are really ambitious and have room in your backyard, think about a residential wind power system (also shown on the same page as the backpack).  If I could get this in our backyard, it might offset a quarter of the electricity used by my techno geek. Okay, maybe I am exaggerating a tad. It would probably offset at least half, not to mention we would be the coolest house on the block.

My techno geek voted for options 2 and 3, but our checkbook has said no, at least for now. So you can do what I did and talk with your techno geek about other possible adjustments, which create less groaning and moaning, but still help us green our household.  We started by setting the computer monitor to power off after ten minutes of disuse.  We also unplug the laptop when it’s not in use.  Additionally, we  started using power strips so that we can turn off items like the TV and cell phone chargers and keep them from being energy vampires.  Finally, my techno geek has also graciously agreed to eliminate at least one computer by donating it to a group like Computers for Schools.  What more could a woman ask for other than some earth-friendly chocolate?

Have You Read the Earth Charter?

I hope you take a moment to read this amazing and interesting document. I particularly found the 11th principle to be very interesting. What do you think? Are there any that surprised you? Did they forget anything you thought should be included?

THE EARTH CHARTER

Preamble

We stand at a critical moment in Earth’s history, a time when humanity must choose its future. As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile, the future at once holds great peril and great promise. To move forward we must recognize that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny. We must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. Towards this end, it is imperative that we, the peoples of Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations.

Earth, Our Home

Humanity is part of a vast evolving universe. Earth, our home, is alive with a unique community of life. The forces of nature make existence a demanding and uncertain adventure, but Earth has provided the conditions essential to life’s evolution. The resilience of the community of life and the well-being of humanity depend upon preserving a healthy biosphere with all its ecological systems, a rich variety of plants and animals, fertile soils, pure waters, and clean air. The global environment with its finite resources is a common concern of all peoples. The protection of Earth’s vitality, diversity, and beauty is a sacred trust.

The Global Situation

The dominant patterns of production and consumption are causing environmental devastation, the depletion of resources, and a massive extinction of species. Communities are being undermined. The benefits of development are not shared equitably and the gap between rich and poor is widening. Injustice, poverty, ignorance, and violent conflict are widespread and the cause of great suffering. An unprecedented rise in human population has overburdened ecological and social systems. The foundations of global security are threatened. These trends are perilous—but not inevitable.

The Challenges Ahead

The choice is ours: form a global partnership to care for Earth and one another or risk the destruction of ourselves and the diversity of life. Fundamental changes are needed in our values, institutions, and ways of living. We must realize that when basic needs have been met, human development is primarily about being more, not having more. We have the knowledge and technology to provide for all and to reduce our impacts on the environment. The emergence of a global civil society is creating new opportunities to build a democratic and humane world. Our environmental, economic, political, social, and spiritual challenges are interconnected, and together we can forge inclusive solutions.

Universal Responsibility

To realize these aspirations, we must decide to live with a sense of universal responsibility, identifying ourselves with the whole Earth community as well as our local communities. We are at once citizens of different nations and of one world in which the local and global are linked. Everyone shares responsibility for the present and future well-being of the human family and the larger living world. The spirit of human solidarity and kinship with all life is strengthened when we live with reverence for the mystery of being, gratitude for the gift of life, and humility regarding the human place in nature.

We urgently need a shared vision of basic values to provide an ethical foundation for the emerging world community. Therefore, together in hope we affirm the following interdependent principles for a sustainable way of life as a common standard by which the conduct of all individuals, organizations, businesses, governments, and transnational institutions is to be guided and assessed.

Principles

I. RESPECT AND CARE FOR THE COMMUNITY OF LIFE

1. Respect Earth and life in all its diversity.
a. Recognize that all beings are interdependent and every form of life has value regardless of its worth to human beings.
b. Affirm faith in the inherent dignity of all human beings and in the intellectual, artistic, ethical, and spiritual potential of humanity.

2. Care for the community of life with understanding, compassion, and love.
a. Accept that with the right to own, manage, and use natural resources comes the duty to prevent environmental harm and to protect the rights of people.
b. Affirm that with increased freedom, knowledge, and power comes increased responsibility to promote the common good.

3. Build democratic societies that are just, participatory, sustainable, and peaceful.
a. Ensure that communities at all levels guarantee human rights and fundamental freedoms and provide everyone an opportunity to realize his or her full potential.
b. Promote social and economic justice, enabling all to achieve a secure and meaningful livelihood that is ecologically responsible.

4. Secure Earth’s bounty and beauty for present and future generations.
a. Recognize that the freedom of action of each generation is qualified by the needs of future generations.
b. Transmit to future generations values, traditions, and institutions that support the long-term flourishing of Earth’s human and ecological communities.

In order to fulfill these four broad commitments, it is necessary to:

II. ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY

5. Protect and restore the integrity of Earth’s ecological systems, with special concern for biological diversity and the natural processes that sustain life.

a. Adopt at all levels sustainable development plans and regulations that make environmental conservation and rehabilitation integral to all development initiatives.
b. Establish and safeguard viable nature and biosphere reserves, including wild lands and marine areas, to protect Earth’s life support systems, maintain biodiversity, and preserve our natural heritage.
c. Promote the recovery of endangered species and ecosystems.
d. Control and eradicate non-native or genetically modified organisms harmful to native species and the environment, and prevent introduction of such harmful organisms.
e. Manage the use of renewable resources such as water, soil, forest products, and marine life in ways that do not exceed rates of regeneration and that protect the health of ecosystems.
f. Manage the extraction and use of non-renewable resources such as minerals and fossil fuels in ways that minimize depletion and cause no serious environmental damage.

6. Prevent harm as the best method of environmental protection and, when knowledge is limited, apply a precautionary approach.
a. Take action to avoid the possibility of serious or irreversible environmental harm even when scientific knowledge is incomplete or inconclusive.
b. Place the burden of proof on those who argue that a proposed activity will not cause significant harm, and make the responsible parties liable for environmental harm.
c. Ensure that decision making addresses the cumulative, long-term, indirect, long distance, and global consequences of human activities.
d. Prevent pollution of any part of the environment and allow no build-up of radioactive, toxic, or other hazardous substances.
e. Avoid military activities damaging to the environment.

7. Adopt patterns of production, consumption, and reproduction that safeguard Earth’s regenerative capacities, human rights, and community well-being.
a. Reduce, reuse, and recycle the materials used in production and consumption systems, and ensure that residual waste can be assimilated by ecological systems.
b. Act with restraint and efficiency when using energy, and rely increasingly on renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.
c. Promote the development, adoption, and equitable transfer of environmentally sound technologies.
d. Internalize the full environmental and social costs of goods and services in the selling price, and enable consumers to identify products that meet the highest social and environmental standards.
e. Ensure universal access to health care that fosters reproductive health and responsible reproduction.
f. Adopt lifestyles that emphasize the quality of life and material sufficiency in a finite world.

8. Advance the study of ecological sustainability and promote the open exchange and wide application of the knowledge acquired.
a. Support international scientific and technical cooperation on sustainability, with special attention to the needs of developing nations.
b. Recognize and preserve the traditional knowledge and spiritual wisdom in all cultures that contribute to environmental protection and human well-being.
c. Ensure that information of vital importance to human health and environmental protection, including genetic information, remains available in the public domain.

III. SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE

9. Eradicate poverty as an ethical, social, and environmental imperative.
a. Guarantee the right to potable water, clean air, food security, uncontaminated soil, shelter, and safe sanitation, allocating the national and international resources required.
b. Empower every human being with the education and resources to secure a sustainable livelihood, and provide social security and safety nets for those who are unable to support themselves.
c. Recognize the ignored, protect the vulnerable, serve those who suffer, and enable them to develop their capacities and to pursue their aspirations.

10. Ensure that economic activities and institutions at all levels promote human development in an equitable and sustainable manner.
a. Promote the equitable distribution of wealth within nations and among nations.
b. Enhance the intellectual, financial, technical, and social resources of developing nations, and relieve them of onerous international debt.
c. Ensure that all trade supports sustainable resource use, environmental protection, and progressive labor standards.
d. Require multinational corporations and international financial organizations to act transparently in the public good, and hold them accountable for the consequences of their activities.

11. Affirm gender equality and equity as prerequisites to sustainable development and ensure universal access to education, health care, and economic opportunity.
a. Secure the human rights of women and girls and end all violence against them.
b. Promote the active participation of women in all aspects of economic, political, civil, social, and cultural life as full and equal partners, decision makers, leaders, and beneficiaries.
c. Strengthen families and ensure the safety and loving nurture of all family members.

12. Uphold the right of all, without discrimination, to a natural and social environment supportive of human dignity, bodily health, and spiritual well-being, with special attention to the rights of indigenous peoples and minorities.
a. Eliminate discrimination in all its forms, such as that based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, language, and national, ethnic or social origin.
b. Affirm the right of indigenous peoples to their spirituality, knowledge, lands and resources and to their related practice of sustainable livelihoods.
c. Honor and support the young people of our communities, enabling them to fulfill their essential role in creating sustainable societies.
d. Protect and restore outstanding places of cultural and spiritual significance.

IV. DEMOCRACY, NONVIOLENCE, AND PEACE

13. Strengthen democratic institutions at all levels, and provide transparency and accountability in governance, inclusive participation in decision making, and access to justice.
a. Uphold the right of everyone to receive clear and timely information on environmental matters and all development plans and activities which are likely to affect them or in which they have an interest.
b. Support local, regional and global civil society, and promote the meaningful participation of all interested individuals and organizations in decision making.
c. Protect the rights to freedom of opinion, expression, peaceful assembly, association, and dissent.
d. Institute effective and efficient access to administrative and independent judicial procedures, including remedies and redress for environmental harm and the threat of such harm.
e. Eliminate corruption in all public and private institutions.
f. Strengthen local communities, enabling them to care for their environments, and assign environmental responsibilities to the levels of government where they can be carried out most effectively.

14. Integrate into formal education and life-long learning the knowledge, values, and skills needed for a sustainable way of life.
a. Provide all, especially children and youth, with educational opportunities that empower them to contribute actively to sustainable development.
b. Promote the contribution of the arts and humanities as well as the sciences in sustainability education.
c. Enhance the role of the mass media in raising awareness of ecological and social challenges.
d. Recognize the importance of moral and spiritual education for sustainable living.

15. Treat all living beings with respect and consideration.
a. Prevent cruelty to animals kept in human societies and protect them from suffering.
b. Protect wild animals from methods of hunting, trapping, and fishing that cause extreme, prolonged, or avoidable suffering.
c. Avoid or eliminate to the full extent possible the taking or destruction of non-targeted species.

16. Promote a culture of tolerance, nonviolence, and peace.
a. Encourage and support mutual understanding, solidarity, and cooperation among all peoples and within and among nations.
b. Implement comprehensive strategies to prevent violent conflict and use collaborative problem solving to manage and resolve environmental conflicts and other disputes.
c. Demilitarize national security systems to the level of a non-provocative defense posture, and convert military resources to peaceful purposes, including ecological restoration.
d. Eliminate nuclear, biological, and toxic weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.
e. Ensure that the use of orbital and outer space supports environmental protection and peace.
f. Recognize that peace is the wholeness created by right relationships with oneself, other persons, other cultures, other life, Earth, and the larger whole of which all are a part.

The Way Forward

As never before in history, common destiny beckons us to seek a new beginning. Such renewal is the promise of these Earth Charter principles. To fulfill this promise, we must commit ourselves to adopt and promote the values and objectives of the Charter.

This requires a change of mind and heart. It requires a new sense of global interdependence and universal responsibility. We must imaginatively develop and apply the vision of a sustainable way of life locally, nationally, regionally, and globally. Our cultural diversity is a precious heritage and different cultures will find their own distinctive ways to realize the vision. We must deepen and expand the global dialogue that generated the Earth Charter, for we have much to learn from the ongoing collaborative search for truth and wisdom.

Life often involves tensions between important values. This can mean difficult choices. However, we must find ways to harmonize diversity with unity, the exercise of freedom with the common good, short-term objectives with long-term goals. Every individual, family, organization, and community has a vital role to play. The arts, sciences, religions, educational institutions, media, businesses, nongovernmental organizations, and governments are all called to offer creative leadership. The partnership of government, civil society, and business is essential for effective governance.

In order to build a sustainable global community, the nations of the world must renew their commitment to the United Nations, fulfill their obligations under existing international agreements, and support the implementation of Earth Charter principles with an international legally binding instrument on environment and development.

Let ours be a time remembered for the awakening of a new reverence for life, the firm resolve to achieve sustainability, the quickening of the struggle for justice and peace, and the joyful celebration of life.

For more information, visit:

http://www.earthcharterinaction.org/content/pages/Read-the-Charter.html

Other posts you might enjoy:

Earth’s 10 Commandments by Ernest Callenbach

Reading and Thinking about Sustainability and the Workplace

Wal-Mart, Sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Hangnails

The Slow Secret

As I have mentioned before, I am working on slowing my life down, living more meaningfully and mindfully. That also means recognizing when I need to say no, step back, or take some things off of my plate. Right now I’ve got a major leak in my roof and a hectic schedule for the next few days so I’ve decided to share this post from Leo Babauta’s blog Zen Habits for your reading pleasure today.

Meanwhile, if you’ve got some positive thoughts, magic powers, or a few extra thousand dollars lying around, send them my way.

The Slow Secret: How to Make Lasting Changes in Your Life

“Wisely, and slow. They stumble that run fast.” - William Shakespeare

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

How many times have you rushed into making changes in your life — a habit change, learning a new skill — only to have it flop?

It’s not just the New Year’s Resolution Syndrome — it happens too often at all times of the year, that we run out of steam or get discouraged and give up.

But here’s the secret, and I won’t charge you $29.95 for it: go slowly.

This little change has more power than most people realize. It will help to learn any skill, from martial arts to art to computer activities. It will help form habits that are long-lasting. Slowing down will help you become more effective and ironically, help reach goals faster.

If you’ve ever tried T’ai Chi (or Taijiquan), famous for its series of slow movements and poses, you’ve felt the power of slow. The slower you go in T’ai Chi, the better, for many reasons. One effect of this slowness is that you perfect the movements. And your body adapts, forming muscle memories that will last when (and if) you decide to speed up the movements.

It’s as if your body and mind are forming a groove through continual repetition of the movements. If you move quickly, you’ll be erratic, and the groove will be much more difficult to form. If you move slowly, you can learn to move in exactly the same pattern, in a more precise way, and a groove will form. Once the groove is formed, it becomes easier. It’s now habit, unconscious memory, and automatic.

This is habit formation, and usually it’s done without thought. When we drive home and our minds are on something else, but we make the right motions to get home anyway … this is habit, this is our minds and bodies going in a groove we’ve formed by doing these actions so many times before.

The groove is best formed by going slow, at first.

This applies to anything: exercise, eating healthy, creating art, becoming a patient parent, carpentry, reading. Slow is the secret to making it last. And no, that’s not meant to be dirty.

Some of the reasons slow works, besides forming a groove:

1. Mindfulness. When you do something slowly, you can pay more attention to what you’re doing. I highly recommend that when you make changes, you do them mindfully, with full concentration. This increased awareness is necessary in the beginning, when you’re still forming the groove. Later, it’ll become automatic, but at first it’s anything but. You need to pay attention, and you can do this better when you do it slower.

2. You hold yourself back. Holding ourselves back is often considered a bad thing, but it’s not. It’s the best thing we can do, if we want changes to last. When we start a new change, often we are full of enthusiasm. But then we go all out and use up all of that enthusiasm, and run out of motivation or energy or get distracted by something else. But when you hold yourself back, you build up enthusiasm and keep it going for much longer — through that dreaded 2-3 week barrier when people often quit. So even if you want to run 3 miles at first, start with walking and then run-walking (in intervals), and only do a mile or so. You’ll want to do more, but stop yourself. Save that enthusiasm for next time.

3. You learn it right. Doing something slowly means you can learn to do it correctly, without being erratic, and later as it becomes second nature you’ll do it the right way. The importance is obvious in something like martial arts, but it’s also true in any physical activity. And every activity is physical (and mental).

4. Increased focus. When you do something slowly, you tend to do just one thing. It’s hard to multi-task and do something slowly — they don’t mix well. When you single-task, you can focus, instead of always being distracted. This leads to increased effectiveness.

5. Calm. Slow is calmer. Fast is hectic. Go slow to get rid of the chaos, and find peace.

“Slow down, everyone. You’re moving too fast.” - Jack Johnson

All Poetry is Prayer

All Poetry Is Prayer

My husband bought this for me as a Christmas gift several years ago and it has moved from room to office to now the top of a dresser, where it resides in the company of Buddha, Bast, and a lovely, thriving, green pothos. It reminds me that poetry is, as the title of Robert McDowell’s book says, a “spiritual practice.”

McDowell’s book Poetry as Spiritual Practice is, as you can see above, one of the many books I am currently engaging with before I go to sleep.

When I think of poetry as prayer or spiritual practice, Mary Oliver’s work comes to mind.

The Journey
Morning Poem
Sunrise

Or even my own prose poem Descendent of Bast.

What about you? What do you think of?

Wacky Wednesday

Everyone needs a little humor at this point in the week. I hope this brings a little smile to your day.

Sunday Walk

Here are a few photos from our misty, Sunday afternoon walk.

We saw this little guy bobbing amongst the greenery.

A tiny surfer stuck.

Although the day was gray and misty, there were spots of fall color cheering us on.

A cheerful, yellow flower.

Can anyone tell me what this is?

Fuzzy!

It was very peaceful.

The fruits of fall.

More fruits…of a different sort.

Appalachian Voices Spotlight: Wanda Darlene Campbell

Today I am pleased to introduce you to Wanda Darlene Campbell, who has graciously agreed to share three of her poems with Red Raven Circling’s Appalachian Voices Spotlight series.

I have always believed that poetry is much more than an entertaining rhyme collected in some dusty books on the back shelf of the library. Poetry is about telling the stories of people’s lives, stories of the world whether that be literally or metaphorically. Poetry is also about changing the way things are, speaking out  against wrongs, giving a voice to those who are voiceless.  In the last stanza of Pray for the Hillbillies, Wanda says that we need a powerful voice motivated by love. I would tell Wanda that she needs only to look in the mirror to find one of those voices.

Pray for the Hillbillies

Used to be honor was life and a man
lived by what he said, or died. Look
at us now, welfare recipients.

Drug dealers with medical degrees
hand out Lortabs like government
cheese in the 80s.

Coal companies give us toxic
water to pipe into our children’s
schools.

We don’t need political leaders
with polished smiles and pretty words,
telling us

how ‘backward’ we are. We don’t want
any television reporter telling the world
how sorry she feels

for the children of this land who
who speak with wild honey
twang,

sing of Jesus and pray
that their mommies will get
off crack.

What we need is a powerful voice,
motivated by love instead of
dollars.

The Killin’

They’re gray,
the house, the car,
the flowers in our yard,
all gray.

Sometime after while
the sun’ll come up
over the mountains
and slice the dirty fog.

Our noses burn.
Our eyes sting.
At night we cough and wheeze
and a body’s hair is never clean.

Yesterday,
Daddy said, “This here killin’
is how we make our livin’.
These dark holes
light the nation.”

We buried him this morning.

First of many appearances in Rogue Scholars 2005

Poet’s Note: Written in honor of my friend, R.T. Hensley who gave his life to black lung in order to support his family and to his wife, Lily, whose beautiful quiltwork graces my bed and to all miners’ families. This poem has appeared in various Appalachian publications, including Coal: an Anthology by Blair Mountain Press and Coal Country by Sierra Productions.

Sawmill Man

Daddy wears sawdust
on his cap, powdered
with timber dandruff

as he walks home,
across the soggy bottom
then pulls his shoes off
and sits barefoot on the porch

to smoke and drink black coffee,
to watch us catch lightning bugs
and put them in fruit jars.

Behind him she rises,
that old haint, Sparks Ridge,
looking over the holler
like she’s laying claim

on all our lives,
the way that rich oil man
laid claim on our land
rooting up the trees,

taking them down,
taking them down.

Poet’s Note: Our small town has known its fair share of those who’ve gained wealth by immoral means then used it to buy out anyone who would sell and swindle, cheat or steal [legally, of course] from those who wouldn’t. That’s what this poem addresses, the never-ending, global truth that the wealthy often ride to power on the backs of the poor.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Wanda Darlene Campbell lives and teaches in the Upper Cumberland region of Southern Appalachia where she was born. She shares her home county with Mark Twain’s mother and Kentucky authors, Henry and Janice Holt Giles. The country and people of Southern Appalachia color all her memories and identity, therefore the proceeds from her poetry go to fighting mountaintop removal and improving the lives of the peoples of Southern Appalachia.

Her articles on Mexican-American heritage and education have been published in New Madrid and Instructor Magazine. Her poetry has been published in multiple national and international magazines and journals as well as Other Voices International, StorySouth, Riverwalk Journal, Tipton Poetry Journal, Mid-South Review, Rogue Scholars, and COAL: An Anthology by Blair Mountain Press, aimed at halting mountaintop removal. Her work is also to appear in Coal County, by Counterpoint Press in conjunction with Sierra Productions as an accompaniment to the fall release of the television documentary [narrated by Ashley Judd], also entitled Coal Country. Wanda attends the Appalachian Writers’ Workshop at the Hindman Settlement School.

You can read more of Wanda’s work over at her blog, Raven’s Shadow.

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Interested in being part of Appalachian Voices Spotlight? Send up to 3 poems or a 700 word story or essay to morgan_dot_redraven_at_gmail_dot_com along with a short bio, including where you currently live and your connection to Appalachia if you no longer live there. Put Appalachian Voices Spotlight Submission in the title of your email.

Related posts you might like:

Appalachian Voices Spotlight: Kelli B. Haywood

Appalachian Voices Spotlight: Pauletta Hansel

Appalachian Voices Spotlight: Marilou Awiakta

Coming Soon: Appalachian Voices Spotlight

The Poetry Corner: Appalachia