An Open Letter to CEOs Who Make and Sell Stuff
[Editor's Note: If you would like to use any or all of this for the CEOs in your life or as the basis for a letter to the editor of your local paper or even a blog post, feel free to do so.]
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Dear Sir/Ma’am,
I am taking the liberty to write to you on behalf of every single thing that calls this planet home. Most don’t know about it, but I’m sure they won’t mind. Their best interests are at hand.
In respect of your time (I know you are extremely busy) I will cut right to the chase: You are killing us.
In body, in spirit and everything in-between; breaking us down one little widget at a time. We have suffered so much in the pursuit of that which you create, by what you so cleverly market to us as being absolutely necessary to survive.
Where you see raw material we see a beautiful balance in need of sustaining, not destroying. Where you see innovation we see needless waste. Where you see market share and profit we see exploitation of our families, communities and culture. Where you see shareholders we see the rest of us—every living thing creeps, crawls, walks, runs, swims and sits on this planet—trying to exist and thrive in the most basic way. Read More
Sowing the Seeds of Happiness (Or the View From My Patch of Peace)
“The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses.”
~ Hanna Rion
This is the first of several new posts over the coming weeks where I will share a bit more of the ‘doing’ side of how I am trying to live deeply each day.
Before I begin, some full disclosure: I am a wanna-be farmer. I also have delusions of homesteading grandeur from time to time.
Maybe that’s why I love trying to grow more things better.
Talk about a journey! Gardening is a life-long pursuit. One of never-ending learning and refinement; a ripening of know-how and determination to grow the most beautiful things that the Earth allows to spring forth. There is such a connection to Nature when you try your hand at growing things. And so many lessons to be learned, especially for kids.
Growing Memories
We have always had something growing. When I was a kid, I remember my mom growing a hodge-podge of tomatoes, squashes, cukes and herbs in pots out on the deck. When my wife and I first married, we turned the astro-turf backyard at our apartment into a tiny growing oasis complete with veggies, flowers and a little outdoor cooking area. Read More
Going Deep With “Inside-Out Simplicity”
“Simplicity is clarity, purpose, and intentionality. It is marked by the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it. It is a life lived in unity. And once you find it, you will never go back.” ~ Joshua Becker
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Long-time readers of The New Pursuit know that I have been up and down when it comes to talking about and promoting certain ‘products’ out there. For me, it’s about finding balance between supporting others, remaining true to what I feel inside and achieving some personal/professional career-change goals. It’s a complicated thing.
Joshua Becker is the real deal though. And his new e-book, Inside-Out Simplicity proves it once again.
It’s taken me some time to get through the 108 pages and digest everything. I’ve read and re-read certain sections, taking in the message and exploring my feelings and reactions.
It hits home on many fronts.
Why? I identify with Joshua as a husband and father of young children dealing with the ups, downs, ins and outs of these roles and responsibilities; as an individual working to de-clutter my life and live deliberately each day; as a seeker of deep connection with the world. Read More
The Three Spheres of Love
“I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.” ~ Mother Teresa
Why is it we love? Why is it we don’t? Our selves; the billions of other beings (not just human) we share the planet with; the life-giving Mother Earth herself?
I’ve been thinking a lot about Love of late. Dwelling on it. Thinking it through and tossing it around. Picking it apart one little thread at a time.
I guess it started when my friend, Raam, posed this question on Twitter a while back:
What is the purpose behind each action? Is it about you or them? Is it consumption or creation? Balance is vital. Are you imbalanced?
I replied with the following:
Love needs to be the purpose. At all levels: Love of self, love of other beings, love of the planet that gives us everything.
Far and away, love is the central theme of the universe — the ‘special sauce’ of the cosmos, bringing together and binding all that swirls above and below.
It knows different forms but knows no bounds. Love triumphs; Love humbles; Love even hurts sometimes.
The contemplative nature of Love could be as old as consciousness itself. Yet, I don’t know if we’re any farther along in our understanding of it. Day in and day out I observe so many things that make me wonder where Love is, where it is going and just how deep it should extend as we watch the world go by.
The Three Spheres
In my life I believe that there are three ‘spheres’ of Love: Love of Self, Love of Other Beings, and Love of the Planet that gives us Life. Each sphere is important to cultivate in its own right, but when combined, they help define a new sense of completeness. One that allows us to dive deeper into the very essence of our individual and collective experience. Read More
You vs. Stuff: Five Strategies for Winning Every Time
“Anything you cannot relinquish when it has outlived its usefulness possesses you, and in this materialistic age a great many of us are possessed by our possessions.”
~ Peace Pilgrim
Over the weekend, we tag-teamed a huge yard sale with my in-laws. Truth be told, it looked and felt more like a bonafide flea market than willy-nilly yard sale: Table after table of stuff laid out under canopies; long lines of people meandering through like cattle through the gates; even a lemonade stand to help raise money for the local food bank.
My wife and I have been in this stuff-dumping mode for a while. Kids get older; interests change; what we value shifts with time. It’s natural. So is the process of letting go. Learning to embrace this objectivity towards our stuff has helped us stay the course and learn some important lessons along the way.
Are you considering going toe-to-toe with your stuff in an attempt to clear the clutter and turn back the tide of consumption? Here are five strategies that have helped us–and can help you–win every time: Read More
Deep Living Digest // 08.21.2010
Editor’s Note: The Deep Living Digest appears (most) every other Saturday at The New Pursuit. It captures and shares some of the best content out there on the intersections of life, nature and being — what this blog is all about. Interested in submitting a link? Please reach out to me on Twitter. Want to get future editions of the Deep Living Digest delivered right to you? Take a few moments to subscribe to The New Pursuit via RSS or email. Many thanks.
LIFE
Last night, I attended the wake of the son of a colleague of mine. He (the son) was in his early forties and his death, while natural, was sudden and unexpected. The experience was an important reminder to live each day deeply, embracing all beings, all places and all experiences that allow us to grow within, as Thomas Berry puts it, the Community of Life.
- are you ready to zenergize your life?
- But Will It Make You Happy?
- How to Find Your Light and Thrive
- In Brooklyn Store, Everything is Always 100% Off
NATURE
Sustainability is the key theme this time around. From our food to our water to our energy. It is undeniable that humans are living beyond their resource means, tipping the natural balance and harmony of this giving Earth. And while small things help put into motion a greater collective change, the reality is we have a long way to go to reach that critical mass of action. All the more reason we must endure and demonstrate great resolve.
- The Zen of Gardening: Six Life Lessons Learned
- Becoming Vegan
- Is Everett Bogue Right?
- The Surprising Hidden Facts Behind the Water We Use Everyday
BEING
I’ve recommitted myself to making sure I meditate EVERY day. Maybe you meditate too; or pray; or just find quiet time to relax. What you are doing is not as important as ensuring that you just DO it. Being able to put yourself first in this way is not selfish. Rather, I think sticking to this kind of self-development practice can only benefit others ten-fold. By helping ourselves first, we can help so many others.
- Why You Matter the Most
- The Yoga of Creativity
- The dangers of self-control and how to relax
- Medicine for the World
EDITION EXTRA: Embracing Peace
A number of stories I’ve read of late (like this) has me feeling like humans — and in particular my fellow Americans — are far from realizing the errors of their ways. Many involve politics and religion — two platforms where hatred seems to flow so easily. Anything that involves identifying with one group or ideology over another opens up the door for this kind of behavior. It’s so sad.
Why do humans, driven by culture and ideology, believe that there has to be just ONE way to do everything: to live, to vote, to believe, to love, to just be. It is only when we accept that there can be more than one means to the same end will we ever begin to move forward and realize the change that needs to happen.
- Hate: the act and the person
- Paul Lamb: A Vacation From Violence
- People of diverse faiths pursue a lofty goal in a peace hike up Mt. Baldy
Be well,
Bill
[image: mindfulness]
