013: The secret to how we evolve.

5/5/2014

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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:

Evolve: "develop gradually, especially from a simple to a more complex form."
Develop: "grow or cause to grow and become more mature, advanced, or elaborate."
Gradual: "taking place or progressing slowly or by degrees."

As evolutionary beings, we are iterative. We are designed for graceful growth... emerging from one version, to another more glorious version. Even bacteria and mold do this without much fuss or assistance. So surely we homo sapiens sapiens are capable of maturation and the beautification of ourselves, our relationships and our surrounding environment. Perfection is not our ultimate goal. Gradual development is. This is the secret to how we evolve -- through gradual development. Can you feel the gentleness and non-overwhelm of that? We can walk a reasonable road between the foamy-mouthed fanatical activist, and the comatose commerce-addicted consumer. But the time to apply the feedback we've received about the devastating consequences of our exploitation and depletion of natural resources is now. The choice is ours, Beloved: evolve or expire.

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

6 Comments

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.

As plastic grocery bags increasingly become banned, we do not have to 'kick and scream' because we have nothing (free) with which to line our household-trash-cans or to pick up dog poop during walks. We will simply need to factor-in expense for the
r-e-s-p-o-n-s-i-b-l-e disposal of our personal waste;
BIO-DEGRADABLE, COMPOSTABLE BAGS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE MARKET. .. Regarding the issue of paper-grocery-bags being exposed to the elements of rain/snow (or just ripping), durable, water-repellent, cloth bags can be kept in the car/or the bike bag for unexpected grocery-store stops.

WE MUST I-M-M-E-D-I-A-T-E-L-Y STEP UP TO THE PLATE TO BEGIN THE GRADUAL PROCESS OF EVOLVING AND TRANSFORMING PRACTICES THAT IMPACT OUR ECOLOGY !

Thank you, Erika, for being the voice that is 'crying out in the wilderness' ! Hopefully, those who hear will help the cause.

5/8/2014 04:52:01 am

P.S.
I loved the sharing of Nancy Grayson's beautiful thoughts on Self-regulation and Applying Feedback.

Erika Harris link

5/16/2014 03:20:51 am

Thank you, again, for sharing your very thoughtful + supportive comments, Wisdom Seeker!

I REJOICED over Chicago's recent banning of single-use plastic bags, and am confident in our collective ability to adapt to that change... or, as biz-owners, be fined $300-$500/day! (http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/chicago-city-council-passes-ban-plastic-bags-n94546)

P.S. I agree that Nancy's feedback was beautiful :-)

Jill link

5/12/2014 12:17:41 am

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!

However after reading "The First 20 Minutes" by Gretchen Reynolds (which presents a slew of recent research on how movement and exercise affect not only the body, but the mind/brain) and attending an energy healing class a couple of months ago, I am beginning to see how this 4th permaculture principle might be personally applied.

My take-aways from both resources, is that there is an intricate, dynamic **two-way**, dialog or "conversation" between the brain and the body. Through various biological/electrical/chemical **feedback loops**, they **regulate** each other! At a conscious level we are mostly unaware of this ongoing conversation. However It appears that movement, exercise and meditation, combined with breath/breathing are several ways that might allow us to "join" and impact the outcomes of this conversation.

Through self-regulation and feedback we can shape our inner terrain for health and well-being, and in turn fuel regard for the external communities we are a part of.

5/16/2014 03:27:29 am

Very nice synthesis, Jill! I likey :-)

As I read your words, I "saw" the progressive physical changes that happen to a person when they, for example, wean from the Standard American Diet (SAD) to a more plant-based one. Skin clears. Eyes brighten. Nails grow. Pounds drop. Smiles widen. And twinkle. I can imagine a very powerful photo-series along those lines.

5/16/2014 12:20:36 pm

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.

One night on my way home, I was walking through the park and this huge grassy area was packed with people doing yoga! Of course I took a picture.

I think images of people moving or exercising within such a setting (which is to say yoga, in an bit of green carved out within the heart of bustling Manhattan) is a good example of Permaculture Principle #4, and now I will know what to look for and try to capture in the future.