Simple Living
One of my favorite ways to view the world is provided by
Permaculture. It is a philosophy that can grow and move towards
sustainability. Although, at times i think some ideas have
stopped growing and have not reached out to urban dwellers
effectively. Many Permaculture teachers have latched on to
standard methods and designs as if they are the answer.
Consequently, i've avoided labeling my views as Permaculture.
This isn't a criticism of Permaculture, just a slight difference
of implementation.
The philosophy of simple living has also become somewhat
entrenched. There are many books on the subject and several
organizations. It isn't a sustainable philosophy and some authors
do not address the earth or ecology very well. What it does do is
move people to a place where they have time to think and grow.
For many people in industrial societies it is the ideal place to
start an ecopath.
The best book i've found on Simple-Living is "The Simple Living
Guide" by Janet Luhrs. Janet does spend a lot of time talking
about the earth and her 400 page book goes into earth friendly
houses, alternative energy, cooking, gardening, and much more.
Here are some fun quotes from the book:
NORMAL is getting dressed in clothes
that you buy for work, driving through
traffic in a car that you are still paying
for, in order to get to the job that
you need so you can pay for the clothes, car,
and the house that you leave empty all
day in order to afford to live in it.
-- Ellen Goodman
Simple living is about living deliberately, That's all.
You choose your existence rather than sailing through life
on automatic pilot. -- Janet Luhrs
The 28 Secrets to Happiness:
Live beneath your means and within your seams.
Return everything you borrow.
Donate Blood.
Stop blaming others.
Admit it when you make a mistake.
Give all the clothes you haven't worn in the last 3 years to charity.
Every day do something nice and try not to get caught.
Listen more, talk less.
Every day take a 30-minute walk.
Skip two meals a week and give the money to the homeless.
Strive for excellence, not perfection.
Be on time.
Don't make excuses.
Don't argue.
Get organized.
Be kind to kind people.
Be even kinder to unkind people.
Let someone cut ahead of you in line.
Take time to be alone.
Reread a favorite book.
Cultivate good manners.
Be humble.
Understand and accept that life isn't always fair.
Know when to say something.
Know when to keep your mouth shut.
Don't criticize anyone for 24 hours.
Learn from the past, plan for the future, and live in the present
Don't sweat the small stuff.
