A city girl's explorations into sustainable living

Recently I found myself unemployed, pondering what I should do with my life next. All the career books say, do what you love. Find your passion. Follow your bliss. As if there is an answer -- a solution that will allow you to make money doing what you were meant to do. Help the world, help yourself, and make money!

For me, it's not so easy. I'm interested in a lot of things, but nothing that I am willing to invest in enough to turn it into a career.

I'm what Barbara Sher calls a "scanner," or what Margaret Lobenstine calls "the Renaissance Soul." At least that's what these self-help books for the career-stunted tell me.

What I tell myself is that I'm a learner. And what I want to learn about right now is sustainable living. I have a feeling it's what I'm supposed to be doing -- even if it doesn't pay. Even if it COSTS money to do.

I am meant to be a student right now, exploring peak oil, the economic crisis, climate change, sustainable agriculture, community building, permaculture, natural capitalism, Transition Towns, rural sociology, and my own spiritual growth. I honestly don't know where it will lead, or what it will amount to, but I invite you to share my journey.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Just Do Something

Today I helped a friend of mine by editing an article he wrote for his co-op newsletter. The article was about the importance of supporting and growing the local foods movement.

One of the points it made was that each of us needs to do something, even if it's small, to work towards this goal. We have the power to vote with our food dollars every day, and how we vote helps determine the direction our food system will move.

My friend, Tony, did something. He took the initiative to write an article for his co-0p newsletter extolling the benefits of a local food system and outlining steps to get there. I suppose I did something, too -- I edited the letter. But Tony took the most important step by going to the effort of getting the word out to his community.

More of us need that kind of gumption.
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