There is homework & there will be an exam.

Hello family,

I've been thinking a lot about what I want to see for us all as we move forward. With this, I have been trying to determine what to do with all of the research I've done over the past decade or so. What I've come up with is this: You poor souls are going to be subjected (voluntarily and over time) to what may (hopefully) prove to be a mind-bending and reality-altering highlight reel. You are of course free to return both your seat back and flight attendant to their proper upright position and leave through one of the emergency exits (I hope you packed a 'chute).

At the risk of sounding crazy (crazier?) I will begin with some basic concepts and a few quotes.

The first point is that we can be infinitely more effective and have a much better experience of life through cooperation, rather than competition. "I not only use all the brains that I have, but all that I can borrow." (Woodrow Wilson)

Cooperative endeavors can be beneficial in ways most people never even contemplate, but examples abound throughout the world. Some easily grasped examples are carpools (which reduce greenhouse gases as well as dependence on mid-east oil), credit unions, buying clubs, business networking groups, work bees, and volunteer organizations. Less obvious, but equally compelling are ecovillages, discussion groups, non-governmental organizations, community supported agriculture, farmer's markets, neighborhood gardens, tool lending libraries, local business and economic development groups, childcare exchange networks among friends, etc. "Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination." (Oscar Wilde)

We must change our actions to change our circumstances. In order to change our actions we must change our thoughts. To change our thoughts we must first stop repeating negative and time-wasting patterns, then fill that time with exploration (and pursuit) of better possibilities. "If we simply continue doing what we've been doing we will continue to get the same results we've been getting" (unknown). As Benjamin Disraeli said "Action may not bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action."

If we are not happy (and I mean deliriously happy) most of the time, we have as I see it two options. We can fit in and lower our expectations or we can raise our standards and work to create a more meaningful life. I personally am a trapezium peg and will never fit in the round hole of mainstream (asleep at the wheel) society. "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." (George Bernard Shaw)

My experience has been that life is far simpler and much richer with less energy devoted to "stuff" and more focus on relationships and experiences. I am trying to pare down my stuff now, as I realize what a huge (ridiculous) burden it has become. In addition to being a burden the standard western model is horribly inefficient and tends to isolate us. I will illustrate the point by giving an oversimplification of the concept of trading life energy for cash; Every dollar (pick your monetary unit) we spend equates to x # of minutes (depending on your income per unit of time) of our lives traded away for what that dollar purchases. I personally have wasted huge amounts of my life on some rather silly things (education in any form is often expensive) while oblivious to this concept. Does every house in the neighborhood really need their own lawnmower, etc.? In addition to the wasted energy (time) there is an environmental cost associated with the production, shipping, and disposal of all of these widgets, some of which perpetuate unjust labor practices. Removing commercial media and advertising from my daily life has been one of the best decisions I have made. I pose this question for contemplation; "What is truly necessary to be fulfilled?". I can't find the quote so I will paraphrase Vicki Robin "What you do with your money determines what exists in the world".

I am going to develop a short (I'll try to keep it short) recommended reading and video list soon, which I will post as a feature on this site.