Author Virginia Mudd

Dave Korten uses this expressive photograph to illustrate his most recent article in the "Living Earth Economy" series entitled "Why the Economy Should Stop Growing And Just Grow Up." Since we consume 1.6 times what the Earth can provide, we must see and practice our economic system in new ways.

This painting, called “Break on Through,” was inspired by the flaming pink tennis shoes my acupuncturist's assistant was wearing one day. She's a cheerful, 60-something grandmother who knows how to express happiness! I recalled the lyrics of the song by The Doors; “Break on through to the other side.” For me the painting is about happiness bursting through the barrier of fear, darkness, depression, hopelessness, and repression. For many people, myself included, allowing ourselves to feel happy is a conscious choice, and a lifelong process of opening up and letting go of a sense we got from family and culture that it’s not okay to be happy. And many of us who feel deeply the suffering and pain of the world often do not think it’s okay to be happy.

Ram Dass asks, “Does knowing the sorrow of the world mean that we don't throw the Frisbee on the beach?" My answer to that question is that we both grieve for the pain of the world and we express the joy of being alive in an amazing and beautiful place.

So what makes you happy? What makes your heart dance and burst with joy? Think about one thing that makes your heart smile and then go a little deeper and ask why this makes you happy. For instance, it makes me happy when my dog lies on my lap (even though he’s 65 lbs. we have an arrangement that doesn’t totally squash my innards). It makes me happy to hang out with a being I love. In that deeper place it’s about connection, a sense of oneness with another.

In all the instances that I can think of I find the root of my happiness has to do with a deep connection with my self, with another, or with God. It has to do with living out the meaning and purpose for my being here on the planet. It is about revealing what is deepest within me that wants to be shared. It’s about seeing something good or beautiful or valuable in any moment.

Beloved Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh says, “Happiness is not an individual matter; it has the nature of interbeing. When you are able to make one friend smile, her happiness will nourish you also.” He urges us to “water the seeds of joy and happiness that lie deep in our consciousness.” He suggests aspirations such as “May I know how to nourish the seeds of joy and happiness in myself (and others) every day.”

I’ll be happy if only . . .
Fr. Richard Rohr says, “Happiness is an inside job.” I agree with this. Yet in our modern consumer culture we are led to believe that it is stuff and outer circumstances that will make us happy. We look for happiness in all the wrong places. Fr. Thomas Keating says we need to change the direction in which we are looking for happiness because some of what we do in pursuit of happiness is based on the need for security, acceptance and approval, power and control. We may find brief bursts of happiness, but how long does that last?

We need to look deeply at our own programs for happiness, and dismantle the thoughts and beliefs that will never make us happy. But (and this is big) we also need to acknowledge that the consumer culture in which we live breeds, and feeds on, our feeling dissatisfied with who we are and what we have. Through incessant advertising we are made to feel we are not attractive enough, not successful or rich enough. We come to feel inadequate, inept, and not okay as we are. So we work harder, and buy more stuff, to feel better about ourselves and our lives.

What we don’t get is that the economic system is designed this way so that the economy will continue to grow, and a small number of people will profit handsomely. We have been led to believe that the economy has to grow in order for things to be okay. But is this true? What about “sustainable” happiness? What about a sustainable economy? Sarah van Gelder, Editor for YES! magazine, has written a fantastic article entitled “A Brief History of Happiness: How America Lost Track of the Good Life—and Where to Find It Now.” She and others (notably Helena Norberg-Hodge, co-founder of Local Futures) really bring to light the direct correlation between our growth economy and our personal happiness. Both of these authors identify and analyze the problem, and point to the solutions. If we don’t realize that much of our unhappiness is the consequence of an economic system that keeps us dissatisfied, we are apt to blame ourselves for things not going well for us. But the system is based on a dog-eat-dog scramble for more money and stuff where there are only a few winners and millions of losers. Many are now realizing that most people and the planet itself are the big losers.

With self-awareness, with the understanding of our interbeingness, and with compassionate action, we can create a world that works for all.

May these resources be informative and contribute to your happiness!
“A Brief History of Happiness; How America Lost Track of the Good Life—and Where to Find It Now,”
"Climate Change or System Change?"
"Making a Difference Makes You Happy"
"Finding Happiness; 11 Simple Ways to Get Your Smile Back
"The 7-Step Morning Ritual That Will Make You Happy All Day"
Sustainable Happiness: Live Simply, Live Well, Make a Difference, Edited by Sarah van Gelder and the Staff of Yes! magazine.

In the summer of 1961 Dad took my older sister and me to the Tivoli Amusement Park in Copenhagen. As we screamed down a roller coaster mountain, Dad turned around and got this picture. We were having terrified fun! I doubt that our shrieking changed anything except to increase the amount of adrenalin in the world.

The photo is just about fun. In this Reflection I want us to consider if we can have fun, and be deadly serious about confronting the social, political, spiritual and environmental crises we face, and make necessary changes. Could it be that it would better serve our work for the planet and the greater good to have more fun?

Before we consider this question, let’s first dive into just plain old fun. How do we have fun in our lives? I’m talking about making our ordinary life situations more fun. I’m not talking about situations that are life-threatening, or tragic with great loss or harm or illness or injury where fun is not even a remote possibility. I’m also not talking about any kind of “fun” activity that would be at someone else’s expense or cause harm in any way.

The dictionary defines fun as “something that provides mirth or enjoyment.” I think having fun is often a matter of seeing things differently, or taking a situation or ourselves less seriously, or dropping expectations of how things should be. For me, a big part of having fun has to do with letting my inner child out to play. Even the usual chores can be more fun if we let ourselves play a little, which can happen anywhere, anytime. I can make a doodle on the envelope when I pay bills. I can whiz my cart down the (empty) grocery aisle at top speed. I can run the vacuum cleaner around the carpet to make curvy designs or do a little jig around the mop handle. If I listen to my inner child and see things through her eyes, (about age 4-10), the possibilities are endless. We overly serious and responsible types sometimes need to set aside our adult agenda, enjoy extra-curricular activities, and let our inner 5 year old take us out to play. One friend suggested “mandatory fun time.”

While we’re looking for more fun in our lives it’s helpful to look more deeply at the situations that cause us to feel frustrated or burdened to see if we might uncover thoughts and beliefs that are at the root of our difficulty. We could then put a more positive or at least neutral spin on the situation. Many of us have been raised to think that having fun is not responsible, and doesn’t serve the greater good. This belief definitely gets in the way of having fun and I’m seriously rethinking that unspoken commandment.

So now on to the question about having fun and making change. Several things inspire me to rethink the value of having fun while “saving the planet.” I think of the TPP protesters and climate change marchers who dressed up in costumes, and carried big colorful signs. They were clearly having a great time and having a big effect on changing policy.

Then there’s Jim Hightower. National radio commentator, public speaker, writer, journalist and popular progressive activist, Hightower is dedicated to change for the common good, and he has fun doing it. His writing is as witty and playful as it is powerfully truthful and informative. I love how he always calls Members of Congress “Congress Critters,” yet I’ve never known him to be disrespectful of anybody, He doesn’t hesitate to bring us the truth of how corrupt and unjust our political and economic systems are, but he always points to how and with whom we can join together for change. He does a regular newsletter called The Hightower Lowdown, which is informative and fun to read. As he says, “Joining with others for the great possibility of America is as much fun as you can have with your clothes on.”

As author, humorist, and “cosmic comic” Steve Bhaerman says, ”Particularly in these times of crisis and evolution (both personal and planetary), whole-hearted laughter and mind-expanding humor will help us heal ourselves and be of greater use to others.”

Caroline Casey, visionary activist and mythologist, prays that “the path will open before us that we may be of maximum good while having the most serious and dedicated fun.”

Last month I asked “What ‘s Heaven on Earth for you?” This month, I ask “What’s fun for you and how can you have fun making change?” The two go well together, for as Martin Rutte says (Project Heaven on Earth), “Let’s create Heaven on Earth for the fun of it.” Let’s make change for the fun of it!

I’m having fun thinking about all the things that would be fun for me. What about you? Look, here’s Hafiz to give us some ideas. And my February Reflection on Happiness gives more food for fun.

A Suspended Blue Ocean
The sky
Is a suspended blue ocean.
The stars are the fish that swim.

The planets are the white whales
I sometimes hitch a ride on,
And the sun and all light
Have forever fused themselves
Into my heart and upon my skin.

There is only one rule
On this Wild Playground,
For every sign Hafiz has ever seen
Reads the same.
They all say,
“Have fun, my dear; my dear, have fun,
In the Beloved’s Divine Game,
O, in the Beloved’s
Wonderful Game.”
—Hafiz

Resources for Fun and Happiness
“A Brief History of Happiness; How America Lost Track of the Good Life—and Where to Find It Now,”
"Making a Difference Makes You Happy"
"Finding Happiness; 11 Simple Ways to Get Your Smile Back
"The 7-Step Morning Ritual That Will Make You Happy All Day"
Breaking These 13 Habits Will Make You Happier

It has disturbed me for a long time that we do a lot of looking at the dead and wounded bodies coming downstream, and railing at the perpetrators of the violence, but we don’t talk so much about what's going on upstream, and WHY people are committing these atrocities? What’s motivating them? While I don’t feel qualified to speak of the complexities and intricacies of violence and terrorism, I have a deep sense that our approach is not working, and that we must find another way to end violence. I know I am not alone in this. I’ve read several articles (linked below) that present explanations for and solutions to turning this epidemic of violence around that flesh out my overview.

For decades we have pushed our consumer culture, our economic and political system on the rest of the world in what Rabbi Michael Lerner calls the “strategy of dominance.” I believe this has created much of the hostility and violence toward the West, and America in particular.

The “American Dream” for the World!
Promoting our American “brand”—our fashion, our food, our lifestyle, our entertainment, our religion, our stuff, our consumer culture, our economic system, our media, our advertisements—all over the world is one force of domination. Corporations promoting our consumer culture are always looking for new markets, and have now inserted our stuff and our values into just about every remote region of the planet. Once a new infrastructure is established in “undeveloped” regions to open these new markets, cheap foreign goods become available and are made more desirable than local products through advertizing. Younger people are drawn to new, glamorized urban centers to compete for jobs while the local communities they leave can no longer be self-reliant and self-supportive. The process creates poverty, competition and tension that did not previously exist.

Helena Norberg-Hodge, founder and director of Local Futures, says, “I am convinced that becoming connected to the global consumer economy doesn’t just exacerbate existing tensions, in many cases it actually creates them. The arrival of the global economy breaks down human-scale structures, destroys bonds of reciprocity and mutual dependence, and pressures the young to substitute their own culture and values with the artificial values of advertising and the media. In effect this means rejecting one’s own cultural identity and rejecting oneself.”

With so-called “free-trade agreements” (like NAFTA and TPP) governments continue to undermine cultural identity through policies promoting a worldwide monoculture for the benefit of global corporations and banks. These policies lead to more poverty, alienation and frustration for those people who are already disenfranchised.

When people who have been impoverished for decades discover that the “American Dream” is not possible (we would need four planet Earths for all people to live like we in the U.S. do), they are naturally frustrated and angry, particularly at Americans who seem to have it all, according to advertising and the media. Ironically, the “American Dream” is not even possible for most people in our own country anymore. We have cooked up a recipe for violence, and then lay the blame on “those people.”

Terrorist groups offer these disenfranchised young men, who have lost self-respect and hope, and feel alienated, a chance to do something meaningful, and perhaps change their situations. If they join up they believe they can at least regain their sense of dignity and self-worth.

The U.S. and Rise of ISIS
The second huge force driving especially young men to join terrorist groups is the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. Our invasion and the ensuing war and economic sanctions, killed over a million Iraqis. Their homes, livelihoods and family members were destroyed and killed, so why wouldn’t they want to join a terrorist group to retaliate? We showed little care and respect for the lives of those Iraqi people caught in this terrible act of war. Collateral damage we called it. Worse still, the invasion and war were justified by the falsely concocted presence of weapons of mass destruction.

In his article “The U.S. and the Rise of ISIS” Stephen Zunes says, “The rise of ISIS (also known as Daesh, ISIL, or “the Islamic State”) is a direct consequence of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. While there are a number of other contributing factors as well, that fateful decision is paramount.” He describes that interviews with ISIS prisoners show how younger recruits were drawn not by religious zealotry but by bitterness over how they and their families had suffered under the U.S. occupation and the corrupt and repressive U.S. backed government in Baghdad.

Is it any wonder that the West and America are the prime targets for attacks by terrorist groups?

The Way Forward
Many others can speak with considerable experience and expertise on ways to end violence; I stand with those who express the urgent desire to change the way we approach ending violence. It seems to me that strategies fall into two categories: spiritual and practical.

ON A SPIRITUAL LEVEL we need to understand where people who commit hateful acts are coming from. We need to put ourselves in their place, consider what grievances have motivated them to violent acts. We condemn their acts but we need to respect them as part of the human family. Peter Gabel (“Humiliation is the Root of All Terrorism”) says, “Empathy can be only about crawling inside a person’s perspective for the sake of helping to anticipate and head off future attacks.” We say we are a Christian country, but we don’t hear too much these days about loving our neighbor, much less our enemy, and rarely do we hear that we are in part responsible for the rise of violence.

ON A PRACTICAL LEVEL we can adopt what Rabbi Lerner describes as a “strategy of generosity” as opposed to a “strategy of dominance.” He proposes a Global Marshall Plan, which, among other things, would rebuild communities, infrastructure and economies of countries which have been destroyed by war and poverty. We would focus on developing local, self-reliant communities, which Helena Norberg-Hodge describes as “localization,” as opposed to “globalization." We would absolutely NOT RATIFY THE TPP, and would renegotiate existing trade treaties to benefit people and the environment rather than multinational corporations. We would GET MONEY OUT OF POLITICS. We would initiate Truth and Reconciliation processes to reconnect with people who have been marginalized and abused. We would make illegal the manufacture, sale or possession of semi-automatic assault weapons.

Obviously we need to defend ourselves from attacks as best we can, but let us also focus at least as much energy on preventing them in the first place so we start decreasing the number of bodies coming downstream.

The world is in a transition and these recent acts of violence are painful reminders of the need for transformation at all levels of society, from personal to planetary.
Stephen Dinan. The Shift Network

RESOURCES
These are all excellent articles.
I especially recommend “Globalization and Terror” by Helena Norberg-Hodge
for her broad and insightful view of the problem.

"Initiate Truth and Reconciliation Processes", YES! magazine

The following articles can be found at Overcoming Isis; An Ongoing Tikkujn Forum:
"Introduction to Tikkun’s Approach," by Rabbi Michael Lerner
"Humiliation is the Root of All Terrorism," by Peter Gabel
"The U.S and the Rise of ISIS, "by Stephen Zunes
"Empathizing with ISIS: An Unthinkable Necessity Explained," by John McFadden
"Fighting Terrorism with Love," Philip McKibbin

Photograph: "The Knotted Gun" by Carl Fredrik Reutersward

Can we discern the truth from a con? Can we tell the difference between an honest statement and spin? Up until recently most of us believed that “free trade” and a “free market” were good things for us, things that would benefit and enhance our lives. But we’ve discovered, with the help of organizations and people who are working to analyze and expose what these words really mean, that these two ideas and practices are not at all good for people or the planet.

In her book Getting a Grip, Frances Moore Lappe´ discusses how a market should be “open, competitive and trustworthy.” These days only community farmer’s markets fit that description. Nationally and globally our economy is run by a few large corporations. She calls our system the “one-rule economy,” namely, highest return to existing wealth. She says, “No market so tightly controlled [by so few corporations] can fairly be called ‘free.”

As for “free trade,” yes, it is free in that it gives corporations free rein and free reign to do as they wish to maximize profits, including suing local, regional and even national governments if they have rules that infringe on corporate profits. Read Fraud Alert by David Korten to see how the spin of “free” works to hide the truth.

What’s true? Much as we want to, we know we can’t rely on companies or government to tell us the true or whole story about any given idea. We need to take the responsibility to inform ourselves by going to sources that have nothing personal to gain, sources that are advocating for and serving the common good. Find people and organizations you can trust to tell you what’s a con and what’s the truth. Also, trust your gut and your instincts. You know when somebody’s lying, saying what they know we want to hear, not what’s true. I listen to corporate media knowing they have their particular agenda. I make sure to get other news as well.

There are thousands of great organizations and people who are working to co-create a world that works for all and the planet. Seek them out. Here are some I rely on.

NEWS SOURCES
YES! magazine
CommonDreams
Truthout
The Huffington Post
The Optimist Daily

SOME FAVORITE CHANGE-MAKER GROUPS
Public Citizen
Small Planet Institute
Network of Spiritual Progressives
The Next System Project
The Shift Network
Local Futures
Project Heaven on Earth

What would a Love Army look like? Pictured here is one example. On October 15, 1983 a corps of about 17,000 people joined hands to encircle Rocky Flats nuclear weapons facility near Denver. It was the culmination of five years of activism against this nuclear facility. It was finally closed in 1992.

What would it mean to be in a Love Army? Van Jones, commentator, actives and author of Rebuild the Dream, calls us to be part of a “massive Love Army” to retake our democracy, to restore the values of justice, kindness, equality and dignity that America stands for. It’s a beautiful image and I‘ve been thinking about what enlisting in such an army would mean.

Boot Camp training in this Love Army would look a lot different than in our conventional military. Rather than exhausting physical training for recruits—like crawling at top speed through mud with heavy packs on—it would be strenuous spiritual chin-ups and mental push-ups. I would need to train my mind to see the positive, because it’s much easier to focus on what's negative. Fr. Richard Rohr (Center for Action and Contemplation) says, "The positive is like Teflon; the negative like Velcro. If you concentrate on what’s wrong, it just sucks you in.” And, it just gives energy to what we don’t want, and in many cases makes protests counter-productive.

Another training: If I stand against hate, I can’t be hateful to anyone! I would have to do my best to bear no ill will toward, let’s say, President-elect Trump or his “cabinet of horrors” or the people who voted for him. It doesn’t mean I wouldn’t resist the behaviors or actions that abuse people or the planet in any way I could. But I’d better not be slinging daggers at anyone or I’m no better than those who are hateful.

What if I encountered a situation where someone was abusing or hateful to another person? As a member of this Love Army I would try to intervene if it were possible. I would keep in mind this quote from James Baldwin: I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain. It’s been said, “Hatred is the bodyguard of grief.” Here are some useful ideas about strategies for such a personal intervention. 8 Ways of Confronting Hate.

The practice of Critique and Bless: We must be able to discern, analyze and call out injustice when we see it. What we don’t normally do, however, is offer a blessing so that a better situation or action might unfold. For example, in a letter to North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple I condemned the use of excessive militarized police force against Standing Rock protectors. I also sent him a paper peace crane and said, “May you cause no harm to yourself by harming others or the Earth.” It’s a practice I learned from wisdom teacher, trickster and astrologist, Caroline Casey. I especially like this practice because I am not just trashing what a person thinks or does, but offering an antidote, a prayer for something better. (This blessing is also her inspiration.)

Keeping your heart open in hell. This is how Fr. Richard Rohr describes the spiritual practice we in this Love Army would need to engage in on a daily basis lest we become closed down, depressed, hopeless, self-centered, negative and grumpy. We would try to keep an open heart and open mind, and do our best to bring peace and harmony into whatever situation we are in.
Read Fr. Richard’s Daily Mediation for December 29th for more.

The protectors at Standing Rock are my models for what it means to be a courageous, peaceful warrior and member of a Love Army. I would do whatever I could in thought, word and action to fight for justice, and do least harm in how I lived my life, particularly in terms of my impact on the planet. Principles the protectors aspire to and practice are humility, honesty, compassion, generosity, kindness and wisdom.

I would also keep in mind something else Fr. Rohr says about love: “Love is not imposing, manipulative or demanding. Love is seductive, inviting, attractive.” Let us make our vision of a just and healthy planet so attractive, so desirable, so doable, that all will flock to create this vision like people storming the mall for Christmas shopping.

We can wave this song—"Get Together" by The Youngbloods—like a banner over our Love Army as we march into the new year. Here's the opening verse:
Love is but a song we sing, fear’s the way we die
You can make the mountains ring, or make the angels cry
Though the bird is on the wing and you may not know why
C’mon people now, smile on your brother
Ev’rybody get together, try to love one another right now.

What do we mean by "limits to growth?" I first read the book Limits to Growth published by the Club of Rome in the mid-seventies. It was the first of many eye-opening books I read beginning with Frances Moore Lappé's Diet for a Small Planet, that shook the foundations of all I believed and had been told by my parents and my culture. I was shocked to find out that the very comfortable material life most Americans were enjoying was not sustainable and that we were destroying the very thing that gives us life—Earth. For the last forty years I’ve been working to understand how we’ve gotten so far out of synch in our relations with ourselves, each other and the Earth, and how to find our way back into balance. In this month’s column I want to focus on THE ECONOMY, and the beliefs about it that are jeopardizing our planet.

We hold these beliefs to be true:
1) Economic growth is a good thing.
2) Earth can support unlimited growth

1) We’ve always been told that economic growth is what makes our personal and collective lives fulfilling. We also been told, and come to believe, that our primary value to modern life is as consumers. That’s how we keep the economy growing. What economist or political leader doesn’t advocate economic growth? What president doesn’t feel personally self-satisfied and responsible for increased Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and an economy that shows robust growth? If the economy is “good,” he or she will take the credit and reap the rewards of reelection to a second term.

2) There was a time—when there were only 3 billion of us on the planet—that it looked as if Earth had limitless resources that could sustain our comfortable lifestyle with no serious consequences. Now we are approximately 7.5 billion people on this planet who all wish to live as we do in the West. This is now impossible, though there are many who don’t believe this yet. It has been suggested that if all 7.5 billion people consumed as much as the average U.S. citizen, we would need 4 planets. How Many Earths Do We Need?

To expand on these two beliefs I recommend these short, straightforward essays by Jeremy Lent with Tikkun magazine (see Structural Flaws 5 & 6), and David Korten from his “Living Earth Economy” series with YES! magazine. Jeremy Lent briefly and clearly describes two gross misconceptions in our current worldview in this article A House on Shaky Ground, 8 Structural Flaws of the Western Worldview

GDP is a good measure of prosperity (Structural Flaw #5}:
“We continually hear Gross Domestic Product discussed as if it is a scorecard of a country’s success. Yet all GDP measures is the rate at which we are transforming nature and human activities into the monetary economy, no matter how beneficial or harmful. The basic fault with GDP as a measure of a country’s performance is that it fails to distinguish between activities that promote welfare and those that reduce it. Anything that causes economic activity of any kind, whether good or bad, adds to GDP.”

There are better ways to measure our prosperity, such as the Genuine Progress Index (GPI.)

The earth can support limitless growth (Structural Flaw #6):
“The world’s financial markets are based on the belief that the global economy will keep growing indefinitely, yet that is impossible. When modern economic theory was developed in the 18th century, it seemed reasonable to view natural resources as unlimited because, for all intents and purposes, they were. However, both the number of humans and the rate of our consumption has exploded so dramatically in the past fifty years that this assumption is now woefully wrong.”

We need to change our orientation from growth in consumption to growth in quality.

In his article “Why the Economy Should Stop Growing—And Just Grow Up” David Korten says, "Humans now consume at a rate 1.6 times what Earth can provide. Global GDP is currently growing 3 to 4 percent annually. Contrary to the promises of politicians and economists, this growth is not eliminating poverty and creating a better life for all. It is instead creating increasingly grotesque and unsustainable imbalances in our relationship to Earth and to each other."

Both authors, and many others, such as Kate Raworth (Doughnut Economics) focus on how we can grow quality in our lives without destroying our Earth support system.

There is enough for everybody's need, but not enough for everybody's greed. —Gandhi

What inspires us to love the Earth? What moves us to see and feel Earth as our source, or as some say, our Mother Earth? I don’t know the answer to that—it’s such a personal question—but I can see things that keep us from that kind of close, loving relationship which we need to have if the planet is to be healthy, and, consequently, if we are to be healthy.

What keeps us from loving Earth?

Aversion to looking deeply, facing reality and feeling pain: When asked what people could do to heal the Earth, Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh replied, “Hear the cry of the Earth.” That is painfully difficult because we are not encouraged or well-trained to look within. We don’t want to look at pain, our own or others' pain, or the pain of the Earth. We avoid grieving, or don’t know how to grieve without staying stuck in depression or despair. Yet if we looked at and felt the pain of the world, allowing our hearts to “break open,” as Joanna Macy says, we would release an enormous amount of energy that could be transformed into action on Earth’s behalf.

Our aversion is fueled by distractions: For many people computers, tablets and cell phones have an appropriate, useful and beneficial place in our lives. For many, however, our devices, and our focus on them, keeps us unaware and ignorant of all that isn’t healthy and just in our societies and environment. Thus we don’t get to the work that needs to be done to heal our world. If we are not practiced or helped in the work of looking squarely and deeply at our reality, it is understandable to seek refuge in our devices. No one wants to look at or feel pain. It is inconvenient and it hurts like hell. But unless we do we have little chance of creating a world that works for all, let alone a habitable planet.

A misguided pursuit of happiness: our spiritual crisis:
Advertisers tells us that stuff will bring us happiness, dignity, self-respect, acceptance, status, power, good looks, sexual gratification, relationships and connections. All advertising for stuff implies gratification and fulfillment of some kind. We all have human needs which advertisers take full advantage of, but they mislead us into thinking material stuff will fill spiritual needs. For a very extensive list of those needs—some you might not have even thought about—check out this "Needs Inventory" from the Center of Nonviolent Communications. The needs fall into categories such as Connection, Physical Well-Being, Honesty, Peace, Play. I also appreciate what Frances Moore Lappe´ calls our three essential needs: agency, meaning and connection. She says, “In societies fulfilling these needs, fear subsides and trust expands, enabling continuing growth for individuals and communities.” Trying to fill these needs with material stuff gratifies the senses but only for a short time. We need to find spiritual fulfillment to create “sustainable happiness” and a healthy Earth. (See this article by Sarah van Gelder, “A Brief History of Happiness, How America Lost Track of the Good Life—and Where to Find It Now.

Not only will the acquisition of the kind of material stuff advertisers tempt us with not be deeply satisfying, but it’s also ruining the planet. We’ve already passed Earth Overshoot Day on August 2, which designates what the Earth can produce for us in one year.

For those of us who are in comfortable material situations, I believe our task is to assess what it is that we want or need and make wise choices. Can we “use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without”? as Eleanor Roosevelt said. Another choice could be buying something and simultaneously giving away something. Everything we buy costs the Earth something in terms of resources, energy, people power. We often don’t know the source of those products, and who has made them and whether those companies are environmentally and socially conscious. Every choice needs to be informed by love of Earth and all life.

Seeing the Earth as a lifeless commodity that we have “dominion” over, and ourselves as separate from Earth and everything else.
Perhaps the most unfortunate language in the Bible is Genesis 1:26 where we are “to have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” We have come to interpret this has dominating and commodifying every living thing, including the planet. We have given ourselves permission to do whatever suits our fancy, and our bottom line, no matter what the consequences are to living systems and other living beings. Bad Bible! Ellen Davis, Professor at Duke Divinity School offers us another translation of dominion: “to exercise skilled mastery among, or with respect to.” We could also substitute the word stewardship or partnership for dominion and it would change everything.

How can we rekindle our connection to and relationship with Earth?
Here is a beautiful poem written by Clifford Burke (yes, the very same Clifford I am blessed to partner with in this lifetime!) that for me embodies our connection to and relationship with the Earth. It goes to the heart and soul of how we need to be in relation to all life.

Song for Salmon-babies
We never see them going out,
To sea,

Nor swim the tiny rivulets, wetlands—
Irrigation ditches! Field drains!

Doing what our own kids do,
Explore, eat constantly, & grow.

If we could pat their scaley butts
as they hit the mighty Skagit
for the first time,

how gently would we take them
to our hands & mouths & bodies
on their one trip home.

The Great Turning, the Sixth Extinction, a crossroads, a tipping point: These are ways that spiritual leaders, scientists, economists, systems thinkers and visionary leaders have described this evolutionary time in our history marked by radical changes of heart, perception, values and priorities. We are now aware of our wasteful, destructive and unjust policies and ways of living. We need to admit we’ve done many things wrong and be able to adjust and change. Millions of people all over the world are engaging in a variety of forms of activism to create a peaceful, thriving, sustainable world that works for all of us, and the planet. Millions more need to join the party. (See my columns in July 2016 and May 2017 to inspire your unique contribution to this new world.) So for the love of all life let us love Earth. Let us regain our sense of awe, wonder, delight, respect and gratitude, for the love of Earth.

Love for the world is what will save us.
—Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee

[See our monoprint letterpress broadside of "Song for Salmon-babies" at Desert Rose Press.)

Does our diet affect the health of our planet? Can we address climate change and global warming with our forks?

The answer to both questions is YES. Turns out that what we eat is a big deal when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. Raising animals for food produces more greenhouse gas emissions than all the cars, planes and other forms of transportation combined. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, carbon dioxide emissions from raising farmed animals make up about 15 percent of global human-induced emissions, with beef and milk production as the leading culprits. See the Guide on my homepage for more facts on this topic.

Can we make the essential transition from a meat-based to a more plant-based diet? Yes, but it won’t be easy for many folks. Eating beef in the US is as American as apple pie. Eating meat, especially beef, brings to mind our heritage as pioneers and cowboys / cowgirls of the Wild West. Cattle drives and roundups made the West and the rugged, independent people we identify with. For many of us putting a steak on the table is a measure of our status. It makes us feel important and successful. Our sense of personal value is embedded in that sizzly piece of meat and serving it adds to our sense of well being.

We need to find other ways to feel important and valuable. We need to know our intrinsic self-worth, a place where we don’t need to prove ourselves by what we eat (or anything material for that matter).

We’ve also come to believe that meat is the primary way to get protein in our diet. This is just not so. Plant protein gives us more than an adequate supply of the body’s protein needs. There are many sources for that kind of nutrition information and in particular there’s Frances Moore Lappé’s classic work, Diet for a Small Planet. Her research and book dramatically show the negative impact on energy, food and water of a meat diet, and how to provide protein with nuts, legumes and grains.

Meat as a mainstay of our diet also has the attraction of being convenient and easy to serve. Going to a more plant-based diet will definitely mean more energy put into preparing our meals. When circumstances don't allow for time to cook, there are also a number of companies that are now creating meatless burgers and sausages which are being sold at stores nationwide with great success. Check out Beyond Meat. We just tried their Beyond Burger and it's a winner!

We’re going to have to make the change. The planet simply cannot support a meat-based diet. We need to learn “How to Eat as if the Planet Mattered.”

There is a great deal of help to support and encourage us along this path. The article above is a great guide to begin and the articles below are excellent.

RESOURCES FOR A PLANET-FRIENDLY DIET

Are Cows the Cause of Global Warming?

What if Everyone Stopped Eating Meat?

How Does Meat Consumption Affect the Health of the Planet?

Energy Use and Food Production

The Best Diet for the Planet

Why bother to vote?! Why bother to vote when Congress is not listening to We the People, nor is it working for the common good but rather for big money, special interest groups and super wealthy individuals. So voting doesn't appear to make any difference. About two-thirds of eligible voters feel that way and so they don't vote. But just imagine if those two-thirds did vote, and if they voted for candidates that would not take money from special interest groups. Can we not then imagine the restoration of a true democracy?

We can all see our political system is in crisis. Congress is in gridlock. This Red vs. Blue schoolyard game is dooming our democracy, and potentially much more than that. As many are saying, it’s time to pull on one rope. For example, did you know that 80% of us Americans (no matter our party affiliation or whether we consider ourselves liberal, progressive, conservative, or none of the above) think there is too much money in politics? So for starters, why not choose that rope to pull on? Get money out of politics.

There was a time when we thought all we needed to do to have a democracy was vote. Most of us didn’t do more than vote and trusted that our representatives were looking out for our common good. We trusted where we shouldn’t have. We didn’t realize, a) what democracy required, and b) how fragile it is when infiltrated and quietly attacked by big money interests. Most of us have now woken up to the reality that we do not have a democracy anymore. We have a plutocracy or a corporatocracy—government ruled by the wealthy—and this is an extremely hard pill to swallow. So it is no surprise that many have fallen for the promise of our president and his supporters in Congress that they will take care of us. Many are in denial because recognizing the truth is really really painful.

Why bother to vote? Here’s the alternative: If we’re willing to live with the current situation, which can be described as plutocracy or corporatocracy, we have to be willing to accept inadequate health care, voting districts drawn to guarantee partisan (Republican in most cases) dominance in elections, racial injustice, wealth inequality where the three richest people in America have more wealth the 50% of the population. We will continue to have poverty, lack of environmental protection, and an economic system that brings the highest return to existing wealth. Did you know that 10% of the population would be willing to trade in their right to vote for a living wage? (See this article by Frances Moore Lappe´). Our system cares more for a few people acquiring ever more power and money than about caring for people and the planet. As Wendell Berry says, "Our only real wealth is the health of our planet."

More and more people are aware of who and how our government is run. Many people dedicated to a true democracy are emerging and running for office in all levels of government—from school boards, county commissioners, mayors, state legislators and Congressional seats. Many are refusing to take special interest money and opting for public financing where available. And all over the country there are initiatives and ballot measures that will restore a true democracy: Anti-Corruption Acts, Fair and Clean Elections, new redistricting policies, voter rights.

If we want the Democracy Movement to continue to grow and take back our true democracy here is what we can do. In the immediate future we have midterm elections to focus on. We need to get Democrats back in control of Congress in this midterm election. Why? Because Democrats, far from being squeaky clean, are more likely to stand for and act on principles of democracy—fairness, equal rights and opportunities, the common good, environmental protections, caring and justice—than Republicans who now control our government and put profits over people and the Earth.

According to SwingLeft.org, the House will be decided by a small number (78) of Swing Districts, places where the last election was decided by a slim margin. Take a look at their website and if you are moved in any way to support this effort to put Democrats in control of the House I strongly urge you to do so.

Personally I'm not willing to give up my democracy to big money and special interests without a huge fight. What about you?

If we want to live in a democracy, we have to take responsibility for it. These are the words of a New Hampshire citizen joining with others to get money out of politics.

The first truth is that the liberty of the democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism—ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. FDR

Further Worthwhile Readngs and Good Lnks
ARTICLES:
As David Korten says in his article, Who Represents Us When Our Political Parties Represent Only Corporations? “President Trump’s unintended gift to the nation and the world may be to awaken us to the reality that, far from being the global model for democracy and a community-centric market economy, the United States’ political system is fundamentally corrupt and destructive to the common good.”

"It is very hard to see us fixing the climate until we fix our democracy." These are the words of Dr. James Hansen, former NASA climate scientist in a New York Times article.

BOOKS:
These are both outstanding, clear guides to restoring our democracy.
Daring Democracy; Igniting Power, Meaning, and Connection for the America We Want, by Frances Moore Lappe´ and Adam Eichen.

Breaking Big Money's Grip on America; Working Together to Revive Our Democracy, by Bruce Berlin.

LINKS:
SwingLeft.org: Find out here where to focus midterm support to elect Democrats.
Represent.Us: "Fixing Corruption Can Fix Everything." A non-partisan organization fighting corruption in America.
BrandNew Congress.org}: A great site that will tell you where campaign money is going to and whom it's from.

What are the stories we tell ourselves about the world we live in? What do we believe? We need to take a realistic look at these stories and beliefs so that we are not deluded into thinking everything is okay, or will be okay if only. . .

It's about WE. ALL OF US. My inspiration for this exploration comes from an article about David Korten’s New Year’s Resolution, in which he focuses his, and our, attention and intention on coming together as one people. We know things are terribly wrong these days but we hardly know where to start to address the problems. It helps to begin with what we are telling ourselves that prevent us from making necessary change.

Here are some false stories and beliefs that many of us have that prevent us from moving forward for the benefit of all Life. We might believe. . .

We are not interdependent and interconnected with all life and the ecosphere.

We humans are somehow “above it all,” and don’t need to seriously consider the impact of what we do on anything or anyone else.

We can feel free to satisfy our appetites for material wealth, as well as our desire for power over other lives.

We humans are a superior species; and some of us even consider ourselves superior to others of our own species.

We may feel a sense of entitlement, with unlimited rights to go after all we desire. We may live within our personal or family budget, but we don’t think we need to live within Earth’s limits.

We can go ahead with whatever practice or innovations we create (like cloning or artificial intelligence, gene editing or robots) without consideration of the consequences.

We live in a democracy.

Speaking of myths, Dave Korten says, “It is deeply deflating to realize just how much of what we call Western civilization is built on deceptions: The myth of the lone individual; the myth of freedom without responsibility for our neighbor; the myth that societies built on the exploitation of people and nature are advanced civilizations morally superior to the peoples they devastate; the myth that rule by the richest among us is a form of democracy.” He goes on:

“The problem isn’t me. It isn’t you. Nor is it those folks over there. The problem is we. The big we, humanity: What we believe, how we live, how we relate to one another and Earth.”

It's time to put WE FIRST!

Our time starts now!

My February Newsletter, "We First! Changing Together"

It’s a poignant time of year to be writing about how we need to be changing our consumption habits and buying less stuff. We’re thinking about what we will buy for our friends, family and co-workers to show our appreciation and love for them. It’s just that we can no longer ignore the evidence that we are, and have been for almost 50 years, consuming more of our Earth’s resources that can be regenerated in that year. It’s called “Earth Overshoot.” In 2019 Earth Overshoot Day was July 29.

Since the 50’s we’ve been programmed to buy stuff not only to provide basic necessities, but also o fulfill our emotional and spiritual needs as well. Here’s what economist and retail analyst Victor Lebow said at that time of emerging abundance:

Our enormously productive economy demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction and our ego satisfaction in consumption. We need things consumed, burned up, worn out, replaced and discarded at an ever-increasing rate.

You may be asking how consumerism relates to our current social, political and environmental crises? Everything we produce and buy has an environmental cost because all products require energy to make. So whatever we buy has emitted CO2 into the atmosphere. It is likely to have been shipped great distances which adds to greenhouse gas emissions. Whatever we buy has used Earth resources that may or may not be renewable.

Everything we create and buy has a social cost as well. It’s likely that the thing we buy, especially if it is “cheap,” has been made in a country where wages are minimal and working conditions are unhealthy. The quality of the product is consequently low and will end up in the landfill in a very short time, further polluting our planet. Then we have to go buy another similar product. The only benefit is to the bottom line of the company who makes this stuff.

Simply put: Every bit of avoided consumption is a positive for the planet. We have to break the spell that the consumer culture has wafted over us, driving us to “shop till we drop.” What’s going to drop is the Earth, and we along with her.

So as we think of gifts for folks this Christmas let us think of gifts that express our affection and have minimal impact on the Earth. Let us give gifts to the Earth by buying less stuff!

Here’s what I wrote two years ago which further elaborates on this all-consuming topic:

Do you know the Story of Stuff? It begins with the Earth. The short version is that we exploit and extract all kinds of natural resources that we then turn into all kinds of stuff often with the use of toxic chemicals and cheap, hard labor. The result is stuff that is “designed for the dump.” We are glad our stuff is so cheap, but usually that is because the invisible costs to our health, the well being of workers and the vitality of the Earth are not counted when our stuff is rung up at the cash register.

The saddest part of this story is that we are led to believe, and told over and over by advertising, that it is this very stuff that will make us happy, that will satisfy our need for acceptance, self-esteem, connection, power and meaning in our lives. We’re led to believe that our primary value in society is to drive the growth economy forward by being active consumers. Unquestionably we have to consume to live, to provide essentials for ourselves and our family. But to think of ourselves just as consumers is a) demeaning, and b) destructive. It completely disregards our personal talents, gifts, creativity and true human needs for the sake of economic growth that favors only a few of us at the expense of people and the Earth.

How do we write a new story? Once we recognize the fallacy and the con job of this story we can choose to change how we live personally and change the policies that drive this wasteful and destructive system. We can change our values and priorities from worshipping money and economic growth at any price to caring for all life. In the words of the Network of Spiritual Progressives we can adopt a New Bottom Line.

A New Bottom Line is one that judges the success of every sector, system and institution of our society (economy, government, schools, health care, the legal system) based not on the old bottom line of whether they maximize money, profit and power, but instead by the extent to which they maximize love and caring, kindness and generosity, empathy and compassion, social, economic and environmental justice, peace and nonviolence, and protection of the life support system of our planet, as well as encourage us to transcend a narrow utilitarian approach to nature and other human beings and enhance our capacity to respond with awe and wonder to the universe and to see the sacred in others and in all sentient beings.

This New Bottom Line prioritizes the well-being of the planet and all its inhabitants, as well as justice and peace, over money, profit and power. We call this a New Bottom Line – Caring for Each Other and Caring for the Planet. See the Network of Spiritual Progressives for more about "A New Bottom Line."

The bottom line is that where we can consume less we should. Every thing we buy has a history of resources, labor, manufacturing methods and greenhouse gas emissions. We can learn that history and make wise choices when we shop. We also need to see the bigger picture: many people can only afford to buy cheap stuff because the system is not designed to support our collective well being. As citizens of the world we can become aware of the policies and practices that support an untenable story, work to change those that do not support Life, and advocate for those that do.

People wrote this story. People can write a new story. We are already doing just that and everyone is invited and needed to create the story the works for all.

RESOURCES ABOUT STUFF
"The Story of Stuff," by Annie Leonard. An essential film.
"Conscious Consumerism is a Lie—Here's a Better Way to Save the World."
For the Love of Earth
The Next System Project
Doughnut Economics
Local Futures—The Economics of Happiness
A New Bottom Line—The Network of Spiritual Progressive