A note to subscribers who receive these posts via email: To hear the audio, please CLICK HERE. Hey Beauties! Welcome to the 13th Episode of the Empathic Writing Journey Podcast. I recently followed my heart to Miami Beach for some sunny inspiration, and I got the bonus of a complete System Reset. I send thanks and love to each of the very special people who made the past week so wildly rich beyond imagination: Eslie, Clara, Gus and Alexis. I celebrate all that had been before, and all that flows forward. And to you, sweet listener, I thank you for the gift of your attention. I am always very interested to know what's on your mind, so do reach out to me either in the comment section of my blog at empathicwriter.com, on my Facebook Page at facebook.com/empathicwriter, or leave a voicemail message up to 5 minutes at 206-202-0217. The 4th Permaculture Design Principle. According to David Holmgren who conceived the 12 design principles of permaculture that we've been reviewing, the 4th one is to "Apply self-regulation and accept feedback." "Self-regulation" is critical to get our consumptive lifestyles into a state of sanity and health. The rate at which we burn through natural resources is not only appalling, but is also causing our 6th mass extinction. Hellooo? How can that knowledge not radically and immediately correct our out-of-control buying behavior? How can we be more upset by the discontinuation of a sitcom TV show, than we are grieved by the discontinuation of an entire species life?! We have got to get a grip on ourselves, and self-regulation is a mature, responsible way to do so. I invited my Facebook friends and page fans to consider this principle along with me, and I gratefully acknowledge Nancy Grayson who shared this gorgeous metaphor of how she applies self-regulation in her life: "Meditation is to a paddle as a canoe is to my life. When I put the paddle into the water, it propels my canoe forward. Without it, I would only see the same shoreline. As I become a stronger, better paddler, I can navigate rough waters with greater ease. I experience the thrill of digging deep, rising to the heights of challenging waves and the joy of sailing down the other side. Like any wild woman adventurer, If I were to capsize, I have the life jacket of my indomitable spirit and a self rescue plan with my favorite emergency supply - the appreciation of all life. This is how I apply self-regulation." And this is how she accepts the feedback from that self-regulation: "A giant mirror of cosmic proportion, made of light and sound of All That Is shattered into trillions of pieces. Tell me! Tell me! so I can see your light, hear your beauty and learn more of our reflection of who we are as individuated consciousness of the One that is in All." Thank you, Nancy, for sharing some of your meditative practice with us! I invite each of you listening to add your own thoughts about self-regulation and the acceptance of feedback in the comment section at empathicwriter.com "The Secret" to how we evolve. As I considered and lived with this 4th design principle of practicing self-regulation and applying feedback, it occurred to me that this is the demystified process of EVOLUTION:
The complexity of all this does not give us a Free Pass of Avoidance. We have to build our level of ecological awareness, no matter how weak it might be right now. This is not a hippie movement. Or a cause that only impacts liberals, progressives, new-agers, or any other compartmentalized excuse we may like to hide behind. Any and all who enjoy breathing unpolluted air, drinking uncontaminated water, eating nutritious food and protecting biodiversity -- (all of which is essential to our own physical existence) -- must cultivate some degree of ecological literacy. Mmmm good, ear-candy! A year and a half ago I wrote an e-book about an inherited neurological trait I was born with called Sensory Processing Sensitivity. This trait endows 25% of all living organisms with a nervous system that is more sensitive and, therefore, receives more sensory data than "regular" nervous systems do. The name of the ebook, which is available on Amazon.com, and can be easily found by searching my name, is titled "The POWER of Your Intense Fragility: What culture hasn't told you about being sensitive AND strong." Many of you have asked for an AUDIO version of this, and it should be available by May 10th! Thank you so much for your interest and support.
To our gradual and steadfast development, Erika XO
Wisdom Seeker
5/8/2014 04:44:07 am
Just as we commit to brushing our teeth, showering, driving kids to soccer/violin practice, or watching NBA or Stanley Cup play-offs, WE SHOULD COMMIT TO INCREASING ECOLOGICAL LITERACY OF OURSELVES AND OTHERS. If we've already 'arrived' personally, we should be making sure that family, friends, and neighbors also are on board. Each person evolving even a 'little bit' can make a massive difference -- collectively.
Wisdom Seeker
5/8/2014 04:52:01 am
P.S. 5/16/2014 03:20:51 am
Thank you, again, for sharing your very thoughtful + supportive comments, Wisdom Seeker!
As an eco-photo journalist, this fourth principle is such an internal one, that I have not found a way to capture it visually. I am open to suggestions! 5/16/2014 03:27:29 am
Very nice synthesis, Jill! I likey :-)
I think you are right! I work about a block away from Bryant Park, which is behind the 42nd Street Library in mid-town Manhattan. There is a huge lawn in the center of it and they have different kinds of activities going on there throughout the year. Comments are closed.
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The question "How are you?" is PROFOUND. But it has been watered-down to a synonym for "Hello." Forced or fake auto-responses of obligated okay-ness are expected. (And if you are going through something tragic, it really doesn't matter! Every social encounter OPENS with this well-established Ritual of Insincerity.) The question "How are you?" prompts an answer that begins with "I AM _____________." This means many times each day, you are invited to SPEAK THE MOST POWERFUL STATEMENT that can be spoken of yourself. And the socially-expected thing to do, is be QUICK + SLICK with your answer. For a change... TAKE YOUR TIME, and tell your truth. ✍🏾 |