An intuitive message feels magnetic, compelling, and inspiring. I get the feeling like I have to do it, or else I’d be really missing out on life! It doesn’t matter how realistic or not the idea seems, with an intuitive hit, I just feel the absolute need to follow through with the inspiration.

My intuition pulled me to take a Permaculture Design Course, even if I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it professionally as a career path. I just knew it was something I had to do, even if I was going to go broke in the process. And I have to say, despite the financial challenges, it was absolutely the most life-changing experience I’ve ever had. It was so worth any and all perceived setbacks.

Angela Artemis blogs at Powered By Intuition, where she is devoted to helping people understand and strengthen their intuition, so that they can live more authentic, empowered lives and do more good things in and for the world. Her book, The Intuition Principle, is an engaging and informative primer on developing a stronger relationship with your intuition. It is full of quizzes, exercises, and tips to enhance your intuitive perception.

My favorite thing to do is making connections to the big picture, so I really loved Angela’s vision of healing our world through intuition. I wanted to ask Angela some questions about intuition and share some of this much-needed wisdom with you. I’m delighted to present an interview with Angela today!

Q1. What inspired you to write your book, The Intuition Principle? Why did you feel it was necessary to write about intuition?

Lynn, I was inspired to write The Intuition Principle because for so many years I ignored my own intuition. Ignoring it led me to make many wrong choices in my life. After my life imploded I started looking to if I could make sense of what had happened to me. When I looked back the common denominator was that I had ignored my intuition when making some of the most important decisions in my life. I vowed that from that point on I would follow my intuition 100 percent and when I did my life started to turn around.

I wrote the book to help others hear, trust and follow their intuition so that they wouldn’t have to experience a life melt down to like I had, in order to find out what had gone so wrong. In addition, I believe it’s necessary today to “reintroduce” people to their intuition.

Q2. Why do you think it’s so important for us to get in touch with our intuition and listen to it on a deeper level?

Getting in touch with your intuition also establishes a deep connection to others and to being of service. I believe this is important to balancing our out of balance world where so much of the population focuses on only themselves. We need to start thinking more communally, which is something that emerges organically when you get in touch with your intuition.

Getting in touch with your authenticity by listening to your intuition will connect you to your true path, purpose and calling in this life. When you know what your purpose is you will want to share it and to be of service to the world in some way.

Your true path is the one that utilizes all your talents and abilities. It is the path that feels effortless to you because you are innately skilled in this area.

Once you uncover what your purpose and higher calling are and how you can be of service to the world you will be led to the best opportunity to bring your skills and talents to the world. Listening to your intuition and following it is the way to create a deeply meaningful and fulfilling life.

Q3. You say that intuition originates from the World Wide Web of consciousness – can you explain this concept?

The phrase “world wide web of consciousness” is the terminology I use to explain that we – and all intelligent life – are plugged into a vast information network not unlike the way our computer is plugged into a vast network of information through the Internet.

While we may look at one another and other creatures and it would appear that we are “separate,” we are not. We are one giant network of intelligence and each of us is simply our own computer station plugged into this vast network. We are able to obtain information about anything we desire by simply projecting our minds via the “world wide web of consciousness” to the thing we desire information about.

Think of the world wide web of consciousness as an invisible infinite spider web of connections in which each of us is connected via a thread. When information travels along these threads “we” are aware of it because we are all inextricably interwoven and linked together within this web. So, if I want to focus on you Lynn I would simply project my consciousness towards you and information about you would begin streaming in via the web of consciousness.

Q4. What are some ways intuition has changed your life?

Essentially listening to my intuition has allowed me to live a life that is true to who I am authentically at my core. People who meet me today are stunned at how “different” I appear to be. I was an executive in the past and it consumed my life. I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t happy. I had this terrific career and many perks and lived a fine life by materialistic standards but, something was missing. What was missing was me. “I” wasn’t there – there was this other woman showing up to work each day going through the motions but, she had no heart and no soul.

Through listening to my intuition I left my career. I was able to go back to school and get a degree in writing and communications. I also left my marriage and started a whole new life being authentic to who I am at my core.

Listening to my intuition led me to become a freelance writer, which led to blogging which led to my writing three books including, “The Intuition Principle.” Had I not listened to my intuition I might not be speaking with you today.

Six months ago while struggling to finish editing “The Intuition Principle,” keep up with publishing on my blog, work full time in my financial sales job plus take care of my elderly mother, I was very near a melt-down. I couldn’t physically keep going at that pace.

I was in my office one day when I suddenly heard this intuitive command in my mind. It said loudly and strongly, “Ask for a leave of absence.” Every fiber of my being resonated with this command and I felt a sudden “sense of knowing and relief” that I finally had the solution I needed. I got up and walked into my boss’s office and shut the door. When I came out I packed up my things and went home to begin my leave of absence.

Each time I follow my intuition my life gets better and I become happier and more satisfied with my life. Who knew being true to myself could be so much fun? I wish I hadn’t waited this long.

Q5. How do you think intuition can improve our world?

Developing intuition also increases our capacity for empathy and compassion. If we had more empathy and compassion for one another we might not start so many wars and violence would decrease. When you develop your intuition you’re able to feel a person’s pain and emotions. And, when you are able to do that you feel your connection and “oneness” to all life in a palpable way.

Another reason I feel it’s important to reintroduce people to their intuition is due to the disconnect modern humans have from the living ecosystem of our planet. I believe this disconnect and disregard for our planet has taken place because we – the cultures most in control of the Earth’s resources were disconnected from their intuition.

If we weren’t so outwardly focused and so intent upon chasing “things” in order to find fulfillment we could not have plundered and polluted our planet as we have in the last 200 years. Had we been “going within” for guidance all along we would have felt and heard the Earth screaming at us to stop or never started down the road toward the eco-system’s destruction in the first place. We would have been mindful and conscientious from the beginning that civilization ought to grow in a manner that is sustainable by our planet.

Q6. How do I know if it’s my intuition speaking to me, or just my head or ego? 

When your intuition speaks you feel inspired! You feel excited and enthused about taking action. You also get a gut feeling or feel a deep sense of “knowing” and a certainty about it – and even at times that it is “destined.” When it comes from your intuition you feel the matter is “settled” and you will also feel “relieved.” Notice this is all about your “feelings.”

When an idea comes from your ego you will think that you “should” do this or that. Or that you are obligated to do it. You will also be aware of the outcome from the start. When you think of it you rationalize that if you do this – it will lead to this – which will lead to this – which will lead to the outcome you want. Notice that this is a process of rationalization. It is pure intellect and not based on “feeling.” Whenever you feel you “should” do something or that doing something will lead to a certain outcome that is not your intuition; it’s your head /ego trying to get you to do the rational or “right/safe/sure” thing.

Q7. Can you elaborate on the idea that we are multidimensional beings?

When you realize that in order to receive information about another being that, we must be connected somehow, you will also realize that it could not be true if we existed only on the three dimensional physical plane. In order for us to be connected there must be another dimension in which we are not constrained by our separate “physical bodies” where we are pure consciousness and in a form that is a part of a greater whole.

When your intuition opens up it is normally one of the first signs of an expanding awareness and spiritual awakening. Through your own experiences with intuition you begin to acknowledge that intuition is a valid sensory channel for receiving knowledge and information about not only your own life but, the lives of others and for tuning into the intelligence that pervades the eco-system.

For example, someone who is awakened spiritually will have great empathy and compassion for all living creatures including the ecosystem we call home; Earth. This person may feel very protective toward animals and the environment. They might also feel strongly about ending violence and wars. A spiritually opened person finds it hard to tolerate the suffering of any living organism for their consciousness has expanded so greatly that they actually intuitively “feel” the pain that other living beings suffer including the suffering of the intelligence that is our eco-system.

As you grow more spiritually awakened you become aware of the spiritual truth that all of life is connected. When you begin to actually “feel” this connection you’ve gone beyond a purely intellectual understanding of the concept to experiencing it. In experiencing your connection to the “all of life” you become the “multi-dimensional being you really are.”

***************

Thanks so much for your work, Angela! I hope your book reaches many many people who are looking for deeper meaning, authenticity, and empowerment in their lives. I totally agree with you that intuition is an important piece in creating our ideal world, and I so enjoyed the comprehensive exploration of intuition you offered through your book!

If any of you are interested in building a better relationship with your intuition, I highly recommend The Intuition Principle.

Disclosure: I received a pre-release version of the book for this interview. No affiliate links were used.

It’s probably pretty obvious by now the mess we’ve made as a species of our home planet. It isn’t any one person’s fault that we’ve arrived at this place, or any one person’s responsibility to clean everything up.

So you don’t have to bear that burden. You can see it as simply incorporating even more mindfulness into your life.

If sustainability feels like a chore, think of it like a game you’re trying to play. It’s fun and exciting to lower your impact. If you forget your reusable bags, it’s okay. Just try to remember next time. And if you can connect with some open-minded people, you can share the journey of lowering your impact together.

With that, here are 10 of the easiest ways to live more sustainably today:

1. Buy less stuff. In the industrialized world, most people spend their off time going shopping. It’s kind of strange how shopping has become the #1 hobby for most people. Acquiring more possessions will not up your happiness one iota. It may feel good for a fleeting second, or day, but beyond that, it will likely just take up space and you will go back to feeling how you always feel. When you do need to buy something, make sure it is a necessary purchase, and if possible, buy secondhand. Take advantage of swap meets and  libraries.

2. Watch less TV. Instead, pick up a hobby such as knitting, crafting, sewing, art, reading, sports, board games, etc. Mainstream TV, at least in the US, definitely does not promote sustainability or mindful living. Watching more TV will probably make you want to buy more stuff made from questionable sources and methods.

3. Bring your reusable bags! There are a huge variety of reusable bags now available, many designed so that you can stuff them anywhere and therefore always have a bag with you. I use Chicobags, which are made of a thin polyester fabric that is easy to stuff into a small pouch. They are really easy to throw in your bag or purse, or stuff in your pocket so you’ll always have at least one bag with you.

4. Use a steel or glass water bottle. Disposable, plastic bottled water is essentially the same as filtered tap water, except it’s in plastic and costs way more than filtering your own tap water.

The recommended eight glasses of water a day, at U.S. tap rates equals about $.49 per year; that same amount of bottled water is about $1,400. [Ban the Bottle]

Avoid plastic reusable water bottles because they often contain BPA, a known carcinogen and endocrine disruptor. Though most brands like Nalgene now use non-BPA plastics. Avoid aluminum because it often contains a BPA epoxy liner. Steel and glass are your healthiest choice for water bottles.

5. Ask for your coffee or tea “for here”, or bring your own mug or thermos. If you frequent the local cafe, as I do, eventually you’re going to use up a huge pile of paper cups, lids, and insulation sleeves. If you go to the cafe every day, you use 365 paper cups each year. You can save on all that waste by simply asking for your drink “for here” or bringing your own mug or thermos. Easy, right?

6. Shop at your local farmer’s market, or subscribe to a CSA. Support your local farmer and shop directly from the source of your food. The farmer’s market is a great place to be for fresh, colorful, seasonal food, good people, and oftentimes some charming local music. Some farmer’s markets also have artisan craft goods like handmade jewelry and clothing.

CSA stands for Community-Supported Agriculture, which is a subscription of seasonal organic food from your local farmer. Often, you have the option of a weekly box of fresh veggies, fruits, a mix of veggies and fruits, and sometimes pastured eggs. There are also CSA’s popping up for grass-fed meats and dairy products. Grass-fed and pastured generally imply that the animals were grazed outdoors in a cage-free setting. These animals are healthier and happier than factory farmed ones, and produce more delicious eggs and meats (in my humble opinion). You can search for a local CSA through LocalHarvest, or Farmigo. Farmigo is a new concept that centralizes the marketing and sales for all farms, giving both farmers and consumers an easy-to-use and engaging platform for doing business.

7. Walk, ride your bike, or take the bus. It probably goes without saying that driving less uses less gas and produces less emissions. Biking is really great for your health and is really fun too! When I commuted to work everyday via bicycle, I was in the best shape of my life. There’s no need for gyms anymore when you’ve got a bike.

8. Volunteer in your community. Whether it’s a soup kitchen, community garden, daycare, mental health facility, or youth center, volunteering strengthens your community. None of these programs would be able to continue without the help of volunteers. A strong community is more likely to make the right choices when it comes to sustainability. And if you’re volunteering at a community garden, you’ll be growing your own food, another very low-impact thing to do.

9. Eat less meat. Factory farming is incredibly pollutive, not to mention inhumane. Manure lagoons release methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and pollutes the waterways. All meat takes more resources to produce than fruits and vegetables do. You might find it difficult to eat less meat, but even if you’re a serious carnivore, it’s possible to at least go one day a week without meat. For support, consider following the Meatless Monday trend.

10. Pick up some litter. Try it, it’s harmless, I swear! Stick with litter that’s dry and doesn’t look contaminated with anything. It’s like taking a risk that expands your courage and is good for the environment. Win-win!

What do you think? Are these things easy to do? What are some challenges you face in living sustainably?

“The heart that breaks open can contain the whole Universe.” ~ Joanna Macy

So many of us dream about building and growing a beautiful community around shared visions, values, and purpose. And yet so many of us encounter deep challenges in connecting with people on such an intimate level.

One of my dreams is to live in a sustainable intentional community, supporting some form of equitable, consensus-based decision-making around a collective vision and purpose.

Community is the key to greater transformation. But groups are so often rife with competition, sore egos, conflict, and lack of resolution.

I let go of many old friendships in order to create new ones more fitting and more loving. And yet, I find I encounter my old wounds when I try to create new connections. Old fears rise up again, and I find myself wandering down the same halls, meeting the same demons, as I did many years ago.

So how do I create community from this place of barely even being able to form new friendships?

I’ve been casually studying this topic of creating sustainable community for the past few months, and here are some ideas I’ve received:

1. Unconditional Love and Unconditional Peace: Individuals within the community must embrace unconditional love and unconditional peace, or else there is no way of transcending conflict and discord. Conflict cannot be overcome with more conflict, just as violence cannot be overcome with more violence. The consciousness of conflict and violence must be transcended in order to be stopped.
2. Sacred Arts & Culture: Art, music, and dance are all ways of growing community. Art and music are mediums of self-expression, connecting individuals around shared stories and experiences. They are a whole other way of looking at ourselves and our lives. They are a way to create meaning. We are most vulnerable in dance, as we let go of pre-conceived notions of what we should look like. Allowing our bodies to move as they feel inspired to is pure courage. There is also a collective energy that emerges from a group of people dancing their heart out to the same music. Shared experiences of self-expression are incredible vessels for collective connection and emergent oneness.
3. Shared Vision, Values, & Purpose: Tribes form around shared visions, values, purposes, or interests. We seek to associate with those we identify with on some level. Coming together strengthens those visions, values, and purposes. Not everyone’s visions and values will be exactly the same, but there should be a core thread of commonality running through each person.
4. Sharing Differences, Honoring Individuality & Diversity Within the Collective: History has shown time and time again that fascist monocultures don’t survive in the long run. When individual freedom is suppressed, revolt is the only outcome. Can you have a cohesive community while sharing differences and honoring individuality? The core of the community is timeless and generally unchanging. As long as you uphold the collective vision, values, purpose, and embrace unconditional love and unconditional peace, then you are free to do whatever you please. This means that differences must be respected, honored, and shared.
5. Authenticity: To honor individuality and diversity, we must honor our own authenticity. Without doing so, it will be difficult to honor authenticity in another person, and it will also be difficult to discern whether or not your community is acting out of authenticity.

This is important because it relates to communities built everywhere, not just real-life ones on a farm. Social media and blogs are a source of digital communities. Businesses build communities of customers, clients, colleagues, mentors, mastermind groups, etc.

The demons you find as you create connections in real life will surface in the digital space as well. So it pays to understand how you can cultivate genuine, sustainable community. We are always human beings, whether online or off.

It is easy to attract readers, high traffic numbers, and even clients. What’s more challenging is to build high-quality, sustainable relationships that honor your own authenticity as well as the other person’s. Likewise, it is easy to connect with new people – often we are just charming them anyway, to get them to like us. But it is much more challenging to grow and maintain deeper, more meaningful, intimate, and sustainable relationships.

Ultimately, it is very simple: cultivate loving relationships.

If you want to connect with other people on this level and grow a community of like souls, the first step is to connect with yourself.

Are you treating yourself with unconditional love and unconditional peace? Are you allowing yourself the freedom to be different and creatively expressive? Are you upholding your vision, values, and purpose?

If not, what stands in the way? Break through your limiting beliefs and open your heart to receive the magnificence that is this Universe.

It differs from the conventional sense of business in that it is imbued with conscious values and rests on your purpose and vision. It can serve as a vehicle for carrying out your life purpose, or it can be of service to a collective vision.

There is also an evolutionary aspect to conscious businesses, adapting along with the collective digital ecosystem.

The core elements of a conscious business form the foundation: the heart, mind, and soul. The foundation provides a framework for operating your business always with integrity and love, which naturally creates and grows a community of people who resonate on that level. This type of community is more likely to stick around and continue to work with you, building sustainable relationships and returning clients.

It is also designed to take care of your personal needs for holistic health. Feel free to have fun and take time off – this is important in fueling your creativity and inspiration.

Even if your business is focused on selling a physical product, you can create a more cohesive community by expressing your vision, values, and purpose.

What are these core elements?

1. Vision + Purpose

A business with a clear vision and purpose is less likely to fall for someone else’s vision and purpose. It is more likely to withstand fleeting trends and ephemeral desires. Instead, it caters to a heartfelt purpose that is timeless and is shared on a deep level by many people.

Your ultimate life vision is your own organic evolutionary creation. What it looks like today may differ in a year or even as quickly as a few months. Your business vision may differ from your life vision, but ultimately your business serves to support your life vision in making it a reality.

Your life purpose may also differ from your business purpose, but ultimately they should be mutually supportive and enriching. Your business should not take away from your life purpose.

Having a clear vision and purpose allows you to transcend the everyday ups and downs of conventional businesses, because you are focused on a more long-term goal, so it is more important for you to build a community that resonates with your vision and purpose than chase down the highest traffic numbers. Quality over quantity.

2. Empowered Mindset

Mindset is incredibly important as an entrepreneur. You may frequently succumb to fears of unworthiness, inadequacy, or outright failure. As a conscious entrepreneur, you are really baring your heart and soul through your business. It’s a vulnerable place to be, so it’s important to have a daily practice of empowerment. Practices like radical self-love, mindfulness, affirmations, and a support network are all tools for boosting your sense of empowerment and confidence.

If the conventional business person is salesy, arrogant, aggressive, and without concern for people or planet, then you who are concerned with our collective well-being deserve to be promoted and heard.

3. Core Beliefs & Values

Are you clear on your core beliefs and values? If you aren’t, you may be following someone else’s core beliefs and values. In situations where you find confusion or personal dissonance, take some time to contemplate the source of that dissonance – did you speak and act from your inner truth? Did you agree with something you don’t really agree with inside? Practicing continual self-reflection and mindfulness of your words and actions will help you see your beliefs and values more clearly.

It can be challenging to connect your core beliefs and values with your actions and behaviors. But if you’ve acted out of alignment, you’ll feel that dissonance inside. This is a signal to look within and understand the source of that tension.

4. Transformational Product or Service

A conscious business purposefully enhances our collective well-being, whether that’s through an eco-friendly product or a heartfelt, empowering service. What you sell must benefit the greater good in some way. It may be small, it may be indirect, but it cannot be solely for profit, and it cannot be destructive or harmful to living systems: people or planet.

I believe that each of us, by the simple fact of being alive, deserve to enjoy the comforts of life. Perhaps there’s an ecological limit to the convenience of our lifestyles, but aside from that, there are no limits.

You deserve to be paid well for doing transformational work. That’s a fact in my book.

5. Commitment

Truly committing to your vision is also committing to your life’s purpose. This deep level of commitment can seem intimidating, but it is simply a reminder to continually walk your own path. There will be times that you feel out of alignment with your core, and that is okay. The important thing is to bring awareness to this discord and continually move in the direction of true alignment.

With this framework in place, you can analyze whether or not your business and marketing practices aligns with these elements. All of these can evolve over time, but they provide a foundation to work from.

They also allow you to differentiate yourself from the noise. Because you are grounded in your vision and values, you place yourself in an entirely different world than those who embrace conventional business and marketing practices, which are mostly focused on strategy and traffic generation rather than self-sufficiency and true transformation.

When the conventional business model feels constricting, you may want to find one that’s more custom fit for you. If you choose this path, then you can expect to do a lot of soul-searching and soul-digging to uncover the real truths within.

Conscious business is often tied to spiritual growth because the pursuit of alignment will require you to be perpetually self-reflective, self-aware, highly adaptive, non-judgmental, compassionate, deeply committed and yet totally detached, and truly confident in yourself and your work. Additionally, a strong connection to Spirit is an incredible source of personal power.

These are the basic elements I work through in my coaching. I also talk about applying Permaculture Principles and an Ecosystem approach to business, which is powerful because it aligns you with the forces of nature. The Internet is a human ecosystem in itself, so it will somewhat follow the rules of ecological succession. This is a good perspective to see where your business role lies dependent on the market (community ecology).

Most people have been taught not to feed their worms certain foods, and to stick to feeding them a raw vegan diet. But the truth is, it’s the bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and nematodes that break down your kitchen scraps. Your worms in turn eat the bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and nematodes.

So in truth, worms can eat just about anything. What’s more important is taking care of the microbial balance. Microbes will eat just about anything, but they also have a certain feeding rate. If you feed them too much, you will start attracting things like fruit flies and maggots.

Your worms will be happiest when your microbes are happiest. So keep the moisture content at about 60%, so that it is wet and moist, but not sopping, dripping wet. And make sure there is oxygen to breathe. If you have fed your worm bin a lot of food, be sure to mix it up a bit, so there’s enough oxygen for your microbes and your worms.

I learned composting from two places – one was a community garden, and the other was a Compost Technology course from soil scientist Dr. Elaine Ingham. At the community garden, we learned to feed our worms only a raw, vegan diet, and to skip on the onions, avocado peels, and citrus peels. At the Compost Technology course, we learned that worms don’t eat the food itself! They eat the bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and nematodes.

So if you learned to feed your worms a raw, vegan diet, now you know they eat bacteria, fungi, and nematodes. So feel free to play with feeding them things like citrus peels, meat and dairy, just be sure to feed them in small quantities so your worm bin ecosystem doesn’t get overwhelmed.

My compost course is teaching me about how the creation process is really an evolutionary process. The seed is the vision in my mind, and what I’ve done so far is lay a foundation from which to grow and blossom. The seedling needs nurturing, guidance, and dedicated work to grow bountifully to blossom. I’ve got all the basic pieces in place, now it’s time for editing and filling in the frameworks.

To celebrate my upcoming compost course, I’m offering a giveaway!

It’s The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Composting, by Chris Laughlin. She’s known as @SuburbanFarmer on Twitter and she blogs about life on a suburban homestead at A Suburban Farmer.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Composting spells out different ways of composting and how to use it in your garden with ease and simplicity. Chris touches on the essential biological concepts so you can have a good working relationship with your compost. She is simple and straightforward, so you can start building your compost pile right away. Her writing style is engaging and easy to relate to. I highly recommend it for all newbie composters.

To enter the giveaway, please subscribe to the Compost Newsletter by Clicking Here.

You can increase your chances of winning by doing one of the following actions (max 3 entries per person):

• Subscribe to my regular blog posts via email or RSS
• Leave a Comment explaining why you want to start composting
• Tweet about the giveaway and tag me @UpcycledLove
• Share this giveaway on social media and link to it in the Comments below

The giveaway ends next Friday, May 11, at 11:59p.m. I will be selecting a winner at random, who will receive a new or like-new copy of the book.

Crowdfunding is growing as a method of raising seed capital for new businesses. Often these projects are creative in nature, and various documentary films, sustainable fashion lines, and even urban farms have found success in crowdfunding.

Last November, Kickstarter witnessed the most successful crowdfunding campaign in the history of sustainable fashion. Revolution Apparel collected $64,000 to seed the production of their multi-functional garment, The Versalette, made from 100% recycled waste-stream materials.

Raleigh City recently finished its campaign with $15,000 to start an urban farm. Bard College received $13,000 to build a hands-on learning farm for their school.

One of the most inspiring projects around is the Global Village Construction Set (GVCS) from Open Source Ecology, consisting of a team of physicists turned farmers looking to create a “modular, DIY, low-cost, open source, high-performance platform that allows for the easy fabrication of the 50 different industrial machines that it takes to build a small, sustainable civilization with modern comforts.” They received $64,000 last November to support the full testing, publishing, and deployment of their construction toolkit.

The promise of GVCS is in building the foundation of a new sustainable culture, bypassing entirely the need for our current industrial framework. While the average person is unlikely to build from their designs, anyone with a knack for mechanical engineering could potentially replicate a similar project of their own.

Expanding on the principles of GVCS, Open Source Permaculture was a recently funded project that promises to teach the everyday person how to grow their own backyard permaculture garden.

When I first discovered Open Source Permaculture, I was in love. It was such a beautiful idea, so empowering for all people. Out of sheer excitement, I offered to help Sophia, the catalyst behind the project, with her crowdfunding campaign. At that time, I had no idea how it would be a success. I saw some things that could be re-worked in the campaign copy, she sent me a few articles on successful crowdfunding, and I simply focused on putting in my best effort.

We re-worked her elevator pitch, social media updates, and wrote several email templates. Sophia emailed hundreds of eco-bloggers, activists, and permaculturists. I reached out to my community for support.

I wrote blog posts, did an interview, and submitted stories to Inhabitat, TreeHugger, and Yes! Magazine, among many other smaller sites.

I didn’t know what would happen, I just knew I had to do everything I could think of. In the end, we made it to $16,000, surpassing her goal of $15,000. It was thrilling! To say the least.

Currently, my wonderful Eco-Warrior friends Karen Lee and Mary Kearns are running a crowdfunding campaign for their new company, Herban Crafts. Herban Crafts is a for-profit Social Enterprise that aims to create educational DIY kits that teach you how to make earth-friendly crafts like bath salts, cologne, soaps, and other personal care items. They source from the highest quality all-natural, organic, and fair trade ingredients. Each purchase also supports a job training program for unemployed women who will help manufacture the kits. Herban Crafts ties in environmental responsibility with social empowerment in a remarkable, down to earth way.

If you’ve ever wanted to make your own earth-friendly products, Herban Crafts kits are an incredible, socially conscious way to get started. Click here to support Herban Crafts.

So if you ever want to start a crowdfunding campaign, here are my tips for ensuring success:

1. Choose An Incredible Project

All sorts of projects are successfully crowdfunded. Everything from short sitcoms to serious documentaries to iMac aquariums. Ideally, you’d want to choose a project that gets people really fired up and ready to support you.

2. Create a Contact List

Draw up a list of all the people you could reach out to for help. Include people in your immediate community as well as those in your larger community – popular bloggers, authors, entrepreneurs who would be excited by your project. If you have the time, organize your list by who is more likely to donate or spread the word. Email everyone individually, with great respect and passion, for donations or marketing support.

3. Google every blogger and media outlet relevant to your project. Email them.

Would someone be excited by your project’s vision? Email them and provide them with a guest post and some social media updates to use.

4. Submit Stories to Community Hubs and High Profile Websites

Are there social networks where your community hangs out? For example, when working on Open Source Permaculture, I submitted stories to permaculture email lists and online forums. Look for where your community is and submit inquiries there.

What high traffic site would be interested in your project? Make a list of all of them, and write something unique for each. Write the best copy you can, submit, and pray.

5. Use authentic language and build real relationships.

Don’t act desperate. Sophia and I learned early on people didn’t respond to calls for “Help” and “Support”, so we changed tactics and started promoting what we truly loved about this project. Instead of “Help”, we said things like, “Open Source Permaculture can catalyze the growth of resilient food systems!” It expressed the passion behind the project, and sought to inspire action through vision, rather than action out of fear or pity.

Be real in your approach to people. This is the start of a real relationship, which should be respected, honored, and nurtured.

6. Pray.

When all the copy is written to be its best, the emails sent, and guest posts submitted, there’s little to do but pray. In the last 20 hours of the campaign, I wasn’t sure we’d make it to $15,000. I prayed we would, and thankfully 2 guest posts published on the very last day, and whatever forces of Nature pushed us past the finish line.

Crowdfunding gives power back to the people. Everyday people come up with extraordinary ideas for how they can help build a better world, and they ask their friends, family, and the global online community to contribute funds for the cause. There is no more need for ties to corporate interest grants, or the need to get loans from big banks. People can fund the projects they support, creating a democratic marketplace from which some of the most innovative and necessary projects in sustainability have been launched.

Vandana Shiva is one of my favorite eco-role models. Not only is she a renowned speaker on GMO and food issues, to me she symbolizes the highest expression of human potential. She is at once fearless, joyful, and peaceful. She is a physicist, political activist, peace warrior, ecologist, philosopher, author, teacher, and a genuine human being.

I admire her ability to hold all of this with integrity.

As she explains beautifully in the quote below, it is a combination of deep commitment and total detachment that allows her to do what she does:

“[How do I do it?] Well, it’s always a mystery, because you don’t know why you get depleted or recharged. But this much I know. I do not allow myself to be overcome by hopelessness, no matter how tough the situation.

I believe that if you just do your little bit without thinking of the bigness of what you stand against, if you turn to the enlargement of your own capacities, just that itself creates new potential. And I’ve learned from the Bhagavad-Gita and other teachings of our culture to detach myself from the results of what I do, because those are not in my hands.

The context is not in your control, but your commitment is yours to make, and you can make the deepest commitment with a total detachment about where it will take you. You want it to lead to a better world, and you shape your actions and take full responsibility for them, but then you have detachment. And that combination of deep passion and deep detachment allows me to take on the next challenge, because I don’t cripple myself, I don’t tie myself in knots. I function like a free being. I think getting that freedom is a social duty because I think we owe it to each not to burden each other with prescription and demands.

I think what we owe each other is a celebration of life and to replace fear and hopelessness with fearlessness and joy.”

Her mindset is one of true freedom – to be deeply committed to a cause of meaning and purpose, and totally detached from what is actually happening and the outcome of the situation, because ultimately it is not up to one individual.

Do you have eco role models? Who are they and why do you love them?

Have you made plans for Earth Day yet? This Earth Day, I plan to unplug completely from my computer. It’s been too long since I’ve fully unplugged, so this Earth Day seems like the right time.

I plan to incorporate a mix of outdoor hiking, exploring the town, writing and journaling on paper, and maybe some arts and crafts in the evening. Whatever the case, I’ll be connecting with the Universe and enjoying life offline.

Have you been wanting to unplug but find it difficult? Try some of these ideas to plan your day of unplugging:

1. What do you love to do offline?

Brainstorm or write down some ideas for things you’d love to do offline. They should inspire you and get you excited. Here are a few ideas to get your creativity going:

• Go outside. Go hiking, to the beach, to the park, or go biking.
• Have a picnic in the park. Avoid using disposable products where you can.
• Do art or crafts. Sketch, paint, sew, knit, or create a vision board.
• Play board games. If the average board game doesn’t excite you, try something different like Mancala, Carcassonne, or Settlers of Catan.
• Volunteer. There are tons of Earth Day volunteer opportunities everywhere. Just search for a few and find ones you’d like to participate in.

2. Make some plans.

Now that you’ve got your ideas, make some plans for how you’ll fit them into your day. Leave room for spontaneity and changing activities.

3. Get excited about your plans.

If you’re used to being on the computer a lot, you’ll probably feel the need to turn it on while you’re offline. You’ll feel the urge to check something, and that’s okay. Focus on feeling excited about the plans you’ve made, and practice gratitude for all the offline comforts and opportunities before you. Let these good feelings pull you up from the need to turn on your computer.

Happy Earth Day!

[photo by taivasalla]

Why do we struggle to breathe a more righteous breath when we all end up in the same place? ~ Love

I believe the essence of simplicity is to make room for that which you truly love, and strip away all else – the inessentials.

So what is it that I truly love?

When I first started blogging, I only knew that I wanted to go green.

So I did.

But what was it that I truly loved?

I only knew that I wanted to explore, that I wanted to love life so deeply and madly that I could only ever make the best choice for myself, and for the Earth.

So I did.

I was a student of life who wanted to learn and do everything. I learned about organic gardening and volunteered on farms, I attended an anti-GMO conference, I sold a bunch of my stuff, I journaled, I started a worm bin compost, I learned about science and earth-based spirituality, I sketched, I took pictures, I made healthy organic food, I made green smoothies, I met conscious people and experienced life-changing conversations. I learned Permaculture, I submitted a fellowship proposal, I communed with Nature, I hiked, I meditated, I prayed. I learned that love is the basis of all energy healing.

I connected with a heart-centered professor and through what seems like a miracle, I made it to a graduate program in soil ecology, where I will be studying things like disease suppression in compost.

I stayed true to my path of peaceful sustainability.

And I still enjoy the urban comforts of digital screen time, Americanos, and Hefeweizens.

I love sustainability. I love transcendental art. I love writing. I love exploring. I love fusion. I love novelty. I love the alternative. I love people. I love animals. I love trees. I love flowers. I love classy buildings. I love the sky. I love the stars. I love science. I love innovation. I love expressions of creativity. I love connecting. I love diversity. I love love. I love everything. I love life.

I realize that there is everything to love about life. I do not want to strip away anything that is love. I do not want to stop exploring or creating in my own way. There are no walls anywhere.

Simplicity is not repression or ruthless minimalism. It is not a competition to see who can own the least number of things, use the least number of words, or keep the shortest tiniest list of loves. For me, it is a life philosophy based on my core values, and my belief system, embracing true freedom and happiness.

I’ve sold a lot of things, and I’ve also kept a lot of things. I’ve been green and I haven’t been green.

At the end of the day, it’s not a lifestyle competition. It’s about finding a place that’s right for each of us. At the end of the day, no one person can change everything. It’s all about raising awareness and creating a collective momentum. As I rise up in my awareness, I see that co-arising is true: my family and friends naturally rise up to meet me. This is the greatest gift of my efforts.

And yet, throughout my adventures, I have struggled with feelings of worthiness. Am I worth their efforts to meet me?

Am I worthy of love? Am I worthy of this freedom of lifestyle choice?

I look to stories of those who, on their deathbed, regretted only that they had not lived more fully and deeply, and taken more action on their dreams. I look to the story of Love, which tells of a lone astronaut in an International Space Station, suspended in perpetual orbit for 7 years while wars ravaged the Earth. What loneliness and agony he felt in his isolation, is only the darkest symbol of love for all life on Earth.

Their stories transcend thoughts of worthiness, and speak to the untapped human potential, waiting for the right time to blossom.

In the end, it won’t matter so much. We are all here for a temporary time, to create what we can.

If you can focus on your love for life and experience, even if it is challenging, then perhaps you too can transcend the struggle of worthiness.

I’ve discovered that what I love more than anything are multi-faceted, enriching, and heartfelt connections with human beings. To me, there is nothing more beautiful than two completely different individuals learning to appreciate and love each other from the heart.

This is my story, and it continues to unfold in new and different ways. I open my heart and mind to continual experimentation, playfulness, and evolution.

Life doesn’t stop evolving once you become a hardcore greenie, minimalist, whatever you want to call yourself.

Why stop when there is so much more to create, explore, and experience?

And so for me, simplicity is about loving life and experiencing it to expansive depths. It is about following your core beliefs and values without looking back. Embracing liberation in all areas of life – from material wealth, to mental limitations.

What do you think? What is your view on simplicity and happiness?

What holds you back from discovering what you truly love and making all your big dreams come true?

[photo by --Tico--]

I grew up in poor circumstances. Student stipends and odd jobs kept our little family afloat. That, and the well-honed skills of thriving off very little from my parents’ childhood spent in China. Fortunately, their hard work paid off and they are not poor anymore.

My parents are well-versed in living green, it just wasn’t called green in their day. It was called respect for all that is available. Always consume in moderation, and reuse whatever you can.

I’d like to think that it was easy for me to pick up green habits because they had already set a strong foundation. Here are some lessons they unwittingly taught me about living green:

1. Reuse Everything. Yogurt cups, glass jars, and large canisters are all worth saving and using again. Our kitchen is stocked with a healthy supply of reused glass jars from pickled vegetables, sauces, and other delights. A large Danish butter cookie tin functions as my mother’s sewing kit.

2. Cook Everything From Scratch. I grew up eating home-cooked meals. We almost never went out to eat when I was growing up. These days, money flows smoothly, and we’ll pick out the finest gourmet restaurant there is. But even so, my mother packs a lunch of leftover homemade meals for work and people think she must have so much time on her hands! When the real truth is – homemade food simply tastes better and feels better. And as an added bonus, it is healthier, and more eco-friendly than eating out.

3. Eat Healthy. Meat was a rarity when my parents were growing up. They had food stamps to ration out what they could buy each week. Usually, they ate rice and vegetables. I learned to eat a variety of green veggies early on, and learned to appreciate the inherent flavor in all veggies, so that I wouldn’t need to douse my food in thick sauces to make it taste good.

4. Take Care of Everything. Clothes, appliances, utensils, everything you’re going to use should be taken care of. Otherwise, they’ll break and you’ll have to buy new ones. That is bad for family finances. Therefore, use things for as long as you can, with as much respect as you can.

5. Work Hard. It was hard work that brought my parents up from the depths of cultural strife, into the world of academic intelligence, and finally into Silicon Valley. My mother was an eye surgeon in China, but when she moved to the USA, all recognition of her talents was lost to a new system of education and licensing. So she put herself through college and received her Registered Nursing license, all without knowing very much English whatsoever. All while raising baby me.

I was taught to work hard from early on, and while I resented it for various reasons as a child, I appreciate it wholeheartedly now, especially when working to actualize my dreams. There is no lifestyle change, no mindfulness, no making a difference, without some degree of hard work. While lifestyle gurus say it’s supposed to be “easy”, things don’t become “easy” until you do the hard work of changing your thoughts, beliefs, and habits. On a practical level it is ultimately difficult and challenging work. Because they pushed me to, I learned how to keep working and trodding through under uncertain conditions and outcomes.

6. If Others Can Do It, So Can You. My parents succeeded because they believed they could achieve what greatness they saw in others. This got passed down to me on some wordless level. When I see others living a life of complete happiness, mindfulness, and financial success, I know I can achieve the same.

7. Conserve and Be Frugal. My parents learned to save money from early on. This translated into conserving resources like light, electricity, and water. When they started making more money, they didn’t tell me about it. So I thought we were poor the entire time I was growing up. It wasn’t until later that I realized we weren’t poor anymore. I’m grateful for this because it has taught me to appreciate what money I do have, and to spend it mindfully. Because of this, I never had a shopping problem. I don’t have debt, never have, and while I may pick up a student loan here and there, I hope I will never have credit card debt in the future.

8. Image Doesn’t Matter. My parents have always been incredibly humble people who value good character and moral values more so than image. They have never been interested in fancy clothes, homes, or decor. They have a passion for nature photography and outdoor travel, so they decorate their home with the photos they have taken on their adventures. Thanks to that, I never learned to value surface image. I was a tomboy as a kid, boycotting girl fashion and trends in favor of my own style. To this day, I am grounded in the fact that it doesn’t matter what I look like on the surface, what matters is what lies within. While I have been through periods of flashy makeup and trendy accessories, those periods of time have never lasted long enough to become a part of who I am. Today, I embrace the fact that my image is ephemeral, and I am only open to changing it up in accordance with my values.

9. TV is Not Important. I wasn’t allowed to watch TV growing up. I resented it then, but I’m grateful for it now. It means I was saved hundreds of thousands of hours of advertising, subliminal messaging, and identity torture. So it’s easy for me to live without watching TV these days.

Of course, I rebelled against their teachings as a kid, wishing for parents who lived the American lifestyle of fast food, TV, and big cars. As I grew older, I came to respect and understand all of this much more. Now I appreciate it wholeheartedly. They have a lot to teach, and like Jennifer Mo, who inspired this piece, I’d love to see more immigrant ideas and cultures brought into the green movement. The more diversity, the more we learn, and the stronger we become as a human family.

What green lessons have you learned from your family? I’d love to hear about them.