tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74122691245998199252024-02-20T08:24:33.967-08:00Cecile AndrewsCecile Andrews is a Seattle-based author and community educator focusing on simplicity, sustainability and the slow life.Cecile is author of three books, includinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659455422428162868noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412269124599819925.post-49704073886382191062010-12-03T14:08:00.001-08:002010-12-03T14:08:54.327-08:00Health and wellbeingLiving simply is about living naturally — living in harmony with nature, protecting nature, remembering we’re part of nature. And so, as we struggle to stay healthy during the winter, it’s helpful to see how natural approaches can help.<br />
Let me mention a a few natural remedies — beyond washing our hands and covering our mouths. <br />
Let’s start with water. Use salt water in a netti pot to irrigate your nasal membranes and use salt water to gargle. Every night. Next, keep your self hydrated! Drink lots of water and humidify your air. We always have a humidifier running, and of course you can simmer water on the stove. Keep your heat low to avoid drying out! (And save energy for Nature’s sake.)<br />
Next, stay home when you’re sick! I shouldn’t have to say this, but we need to keep saying it until it becomes a cultural mandate. You’d think that employers would see that liberal sick leave policies would boost productivity with fewer absentees and healthier workers. Unfortunately we’re one of the few countries that doesn’t have a national policy giving people sick leave. <br />
The sick leave issue illustrates a major problem: many of the health issues require more than individual behavior change. They demand enlightened national policies. ( See http://www.timeday.org) For instance, getting enough sleep is crucial to your health, but our long work hours make that difficult. And naps! There’s lots of research showing that naps are good for you, but who can take a nap at work? But do what you can. Maybe at lunch hour go out to your car and put the seat back for a few minutes.<br />
Health requires even deeper changes, though. These are explored in a new book by Don Beuttner called Thrive, (author of The Blue Zones). Buettner did a study for National Geographic on the secrets of people around the world who live long lives. He explores four categories: move naturally, eat wisely, right attitude, and connect.<br />
Move naturally. For me, there’s nothing like walking! There are so many benefits — it’s good exercise, good for the planet (you’ll drive less); it costs nothing, and it can build community as you chat with friends and neighbors. And maybe most important of all, it gives us time to reflect, to make conscious choices instead of being manipulated by social pressure or marketing.<br />
Eat wisely. This is huge! (Pardon the pun — a third of American adults are considered obese.) There are really five words that are important here: Eat more fruits and vegetables! (A juicer makes a nice Christmas gift. Juicing is an easy way to consume more fruits and vegetables.) Another idea I’ve heard a lot about lately is the “80% rule:” Quit eating before you’re full. This is practiced by most of the long lived populations. <br />
Again, eating wisely is not just about individual choice. Corporations add chemicals to our food; are cruel to the animals they raise for food, and genetically modify our plants — among other abuses. We need national policies to protect us, but in the mean time, go to our wonderful farmers markets and eat organic! <br />
Of course we must move away from highly processed food and cook more for ourselves. Obviously time for healthy eating is also linked to the issue of work hours: Long work days makes cooking dinner more difficult. Still, you can bring out the old crock pot and cook up something on the weekend to eat during the week! <br />
Connect and Right Attitude: There is one thing that is more important than anything else — building social ties. So get together with friends for an evening of conversation and laughter, giving you both a right attitude and connection! Of course the biggest predictor for the health of a nation is the wealth gap, and our health continues to decline as our gap widens. Here’s where you need to get politically involved. .<br />
Natural health is really an exciting topic. Educate yourself on approaches to natural medicine like homeopathy, osteopathy, or acupuncture. Seattle is lucky to have Bastyr University, a school that not only trains practitioners, but has a clinic and pharmacy. There’s a great supply of both products and information at the Puget Consumer Coop. Finally, subscribe to magazines like YES that will help you continue to explore how we can build a culture that cares about the health and well being of both people and the planet.<br />
Cecile Andrews is the author of Less is More, Slow is Beautiful, and Circle of SimplicityCecile is author of three books, includinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659455422428162868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412269124599819925.post-35247856113879716892010-11-04T16:16:00.000-07:002010-11-04T16:16:17.936-07:00The New LonelinessFeeling depressed? A little down? Feel like you need a prescription for an antidepressant? You may actually be lonely. NO, not lonely! Not that! It seems that Americans have difficulty even recognizing loneliness, let alone accepting it as a problem. It’s just not in our world view. We think we’re depressed and that consuming a pill will cure us, but in fact, we may just need more time with people. <br />
Loneliness is increasing. An AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) study found that of people ages 45 and up, 35% are chronically lonely. That’s compared with 20% ten years ago. And surprisingly, it’s people in their 40’s and 50’s who are suffering the most. 43% of adults 45-49 are lonely, 41% or those 50-59; 32% of 60-69, and 25% of those 70 and older. Our number of friends has been on the decline. In 2004 a quarter of the population had no one they could confide in or turn to in a crisis. (In 1985 it was 10%) <br />
But, you might think, so what? There are lots of worse problems —like war and poverty. (Could even they be linked to loneliness? Maybe in a lonely society we lose our ability to care about others, contributing to war and poverty.) But loneliness isn’t just unpleasant — it’s one of the biggest predictors for health, happiness, and longevity. Studies have found that loneliness even increases the chances of things like diabetes and sleep disorders and Alzheimer’s.<br />
Lately there’s been a rise in depression and anxiety in young people, and loneliness may be playing a role. Some think it’s because kids are forced to pay so much attention to achievement and success instead of social ties. In highly competitive places like Palo Alto, California, teen suicides are up. In like manner, some argue that children’s depression is a result of declining free play. Kids don’t get to spend their days riding their bikes around town with their friends or playing hide-and-go-seek as so many of us did. <br />
Part of the cause of our loneliness is that work hours have increased and we’re exhausted. (Probably why the people in their 40s and 50s are the loneliest — with both careers and families they have no time at all.) But ultimately our loneliness comes from a competitive, cutthroat culture. It feels like we just don’t care for each other anymore. There’s been so much ugliness this election — something people care about, as Jon Stewart demonstrated with his Rally for Sanity. And we’re all pitted against each other because there are so few jobs. Unless we begin to have some regulations on corporations things won’t change. We’ve got to put the well being of people and the planet over the chance for a few to make egregious sums of money.<br />
In fact, studies have found that our longevity is linked to wealth inequality, and the gap between the rich and the rest of us just keeps growing. A recent study found that our life expectancy has dropped to 49th, whereas in 1999 we were 24th. (We were number one in the Fifties when our wealth gap was small.) Our greedy culture breeds the loneliness that shortens our lives.<br />
We must find ways to develop a society that encourages social ties! And actually, there is a lot happening. For instance, the “live local “ movement that advocates strong, sustainable neighborhoods. We’re lucky in Seattle because we have been leaders in the sustainable neighborhood movement with dozens of neighborhood organizations like Sustainable Wallingford, Sustainable Ballard, Sustainable Greenwood Phinney. We’re all involved in a network called SCALLOPS: Sustainable Communities All Over Puget Sound (http://scallops.ning.com/). We’re also a part of a related movement —the Transition Town movement, also strong in Seattle ( http://transitionseattle.com/). And of course, check out the activities at the Phinney Neighborhood Center, a leader in neighborhood community. <br />
The great thing about the problem of loneliness is that it’s something you can take action on immediately. It’s hard to change the workplace or get city hall to respond, but you can take a walk in your neighborhood right now! Say hello! Stop and chat! Your spirits will rise immediately! And you’ll be helping to create a new culture in which we learn to care about each other, one in which we understand that “we’re all in this together,” a culture that puts caring first.Cecile is author of three books, includinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659455422428162868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412269124599819925.post-46112049348121271052010-08-12T09:32:00.000-07:002010-08-12T09:32:32.248-07:00Funny films for happinessLIVING SIMPLY | Funny films increase happiness, well-being<br />
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By Cecile Andrews<br />
Columnist<br />
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Everyone wants to make a difference and have a good time. But it’s not always easy to do either one, let alone find ways to do both at the same time. But I’ve found a way: Have a funny-films festival for your friends.<br />
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Sure, this sounds fun, but how does it make a difference? Studies have found that social relations are one of the biggest boosters for happiness and health and that they have a profound affect on people’s involvement in community.<br />
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People who engage in a lot of social interaction tend to vote more, be better environmentalists and are better workers and parents.<br />
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So almost any social activity makes a difference to individuals, as well as to the wider society. And since the essence of community is laughter, funny films are made to order.<br />
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Amusing, appropriate films<br />
What should you show? Let me tell you about the films I’ve shown at our Funny Films on Phinney series, part of our Gross National Happiness initiative sponsored by Sustainable Greenwood Phinney (www.sustainablegreenwoodphinney.org).<br />
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First up was “Harold and Maude.” A lot of you have seen this film many times since it came out in 1971. (Some of us have seen it more the 50 times!) Next was “The Big Lebowski” (1998), a Coen brothers film, and then “The Castle,” an Australian film (1997).<br />
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I won’t give away any plots, although many people have seen the first two because they’ve become cult films.<br />
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In “Harold and Maude,” we see an audacious old woman who loves to dance and speak her mind and saves a young man from suicidal depression.<br />
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In “The Big Lebowski,” we see three slackers whose main passion in life is bowling and hanging out.<br />
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In “The Castle,” we see a neighborhood fighting a big corporation.<br />
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All three films are hilarious, but above all, they have a common theme: They are a critique of life in our ruthless, corporate-consumer culture and a testimony to the importance of joy and caring.<br />
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Harold is redeemed because he loves Maude. The guys in “The Big Lebowski” stick by their buddies. In “The Castle,” the neighbors inspire each other to speak truth to power. Each film shows that wealth, fame and status don’t make you happy — relationships do.<br />
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And the Dude in “The Big Lebowski” (Jeff Bridges) becomes the epic anti-hero for our times — the nonachiever, the guy who hangs out instead of trying to get ahead, the guy who’s not worried about money and status. It’s a critique of the careerism in this country — the idea that you are what you do. As someone said, in America, we live to work, while in Europe, they work to live.<br />
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“Harold and Maude” is even more relevant today than it was in the ‘70s: As the baby boomers begin to retire, we need a new image of aging, of becoming an elder. Maude is 80 and fully alive. She is exuberant, rebellious and eccentric.<br />
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Building the Village<br />
Again, a lot is going on in Seattle around this issue.<br />
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Even though the last place some of us think we’d be interested in is a senior center, the Greenwood Senior Center, 525 N. 85th St., is sponsoring — along with the Phinney Neighborhood Association — a program called Phinney Village, which is part of a new movement around the country called “Aging in Place.” It is a program for elders to work together, watch out for each other and to help each other live fully. To find out more about Phinney Village, call (206) 297-0875.<br />
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The Funny Films on Phinney series continues in August each Monday night. This time, it’s comedies with a political message: the British film “Girl in the Café” (Aug. 9); “In the Loop,” also British (Aug. 16); and “Dr. Strangelove,” the old classic with Peter Sellers (Aug. 23).<br />
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They all show that war is madness and that we must build a more caring culture in which we realize that we’re all in this together.<br />
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All the movies are free and start at 7 p.m., in St. John United Lutheran Church, at North 55th Street and Phinney Avenue North.Cecile is author of three books, includinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659455422428162868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412269124599819925.post-24229117510498790672010-06-20T08:29:00.000-07:002010-06-20T08:29:49.347-07:00happinessAn incredible little video on happiness:<br />
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http://www.theworldinstituteofslowness.com/page4/page4.htmlCecile is author of three books, includinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659455422428162868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412269124599819925.post-20327755991569783062010-05-28T12:41:00.001-07:002010-05-28T12:41:46.141-07:00Paradise Built in Hell: Communities that emerge from disastersI recently discovered one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. It’s called A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities that Arise in Disaster. Author Rebecca Solnit writes about the caring communities that spring up in disasters and tells the stories of how people come together to help each other. Solnit uses first person accounts, and I was absolutely bowled over by the things people had to say. In describing their experiences and emotions, people used words like euphoric and ecstatic and transformative. What people felt was not just fear and anxiety from the disaster, but ultimately caring and connection with others.<br />
Solnit explores several disasters, starting with the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, but the most important stories are about Katrina and 9/11. I had no idea that anything good emerged from these disasters. And in fact, one of the most interesting —and damning — things Solnit says is that “official” accounts of disasters always stress the negative: they talk about violence, looting, or raping and the stories of compassion and caring are ignored. <br />
Why? One, the official version comes from the “elites,” the news media and the public officials. Solnit suggests that the elite viewpoint represents their opinion about human nature — a belief that people are basically selfish and that everyone is out for themselves. She argues that perhaps elites feel this way because that’s what they’re like! Being selfish and cutthroat is usually the way people get ahead!<br />
This view that people are basically selfish is the dominant view in the American culture. But there has been a lot of research lately stressing that altruism is also central to our nature. In other words, we can either be cruel and ruthless or compassionate and caring — it all depends on what your culture encourages.<br />
We have a culture that encourages us to be selfish and cutthroat. We’re taught to compete and to strive to be “number one.” We want to be winners, and we learn to do whatever it takes.<br />
It’s not only that we’re encouraged to compete and win. It’s also that we’re not given many opportunities to be caring and compassionate. For instance, our work hours make it difficult to volunteer or take time to be involved with the community. The wealth gap in our country means we’re always pitted against other citizens for resources, and rich people always seem to want even more money than they have! In more equal societies people understand that what’s good for me is also good for the greater society.<br />
I thought of a good analogy that shows what’s going on: When my kids were little I took them to an easter egg hunt — or I should say an easter egg race. The candy was spread out over the lawn and the kids stood at the starting line and then a (toy) gun was shot and they all started running for the candy. My kids (who went to alternative schools and didn’t learn all the competitive tricks) just stood there, kind of stunned. In other words, you either raced for what you wanted or you got nothing! That’s the way our society is set up and you’re forced to compete if you want anything at all.<br />
How can we change? That’s really what the voluntary simplicity movement is about. We’re saying that we must create a society in which people have the opportunity to care for one another. Thus, the Simplicity movement advocates government policies that help people behave differently. For instance, give people shorter work hours so they have time to volunteer or get involved in their communities. Or another example: if we had universal health care, a lot of people could work fewer hours, giving them more time for their community. Further, if we created more equality people would care for the common good instead of just their own selfish interests. <br />
Most of all, we have to change our value system. That’s why the Solnit book is so important. She’s showing that our basic human impulse is to help and care for others. We need policies that give us a chance to express this basic impulse. A government should help you be the best kind of person you could be, not the worst.Cecile is author of three books, includinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659455422428162868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412269124599819925.post-51999124830718059102010-05-09T22:41:00.000-07:002010-05-09T22:41:29.357-07:00Gross National HappinessThere’s a new movement afoot! Gross National Happiness — evaluating our society in terms of happiness rather than money. That’s what the GDP, Gross Domestic Product, measures — the amount of money flowing through the system. The problem is that GDP goes up not only when good things happen, but when bad things happen as well. Things like mining disasters or oil spills can put a lot of money into the economy.<br />
Robert Kennedy said it best in 1968:<br />
"Too much and too long, we seem to have surrendered community excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things. Our gross national product ... if we should judge America by that - counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for those who break them. It counts the destruction of our redwoods and the loss of our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl...<br />
"Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages; the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage; neither our wisdom nor our learning; neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country; it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile. And it tells us everything about America except why we are proud that we are Americans."<br />
So what does Gross National Happiness measure? Happiness research finds that the things that most contribute to satisfaction involve time for family, friends, and community. Indeed, social ties are the chief ingredient in happiness. We’ve forgotten this and it’s why happiness in the United States has been on the decline for the last thirty years. <br />
The problem is that most of us grew up thinking that if we were rich we’d be happy. But the research shows that after a certain point, more money does not contribute to happiness. In fact, it can get in the way because money often becomes more important than relationships. In particular, time becomes money, and there is no financial benefit to just hanging out with friends!<br />
Essentially, we care too much about money. Some companies will seemingly do anything for money — cheat, lay people off, pay low salaries, poison the environment, make money from wars. Look at our mine disaster and the oil rig explosion. Companies cut costs on safety for the sake of profit.<br />
The central idea of Voluntary Simplicity is to straighten out our thinking out about money. Money will always be a motivator, but it can’t be the primary one. We must put people and the planet before profit. One way to get people to think differently about money is to measure true fulfillment instead of just money. Measuring Gross National Happiness is one way to get people thinking about what truly matters.<br />
This all started with the little country Bhutan deciding to measure Gross National Happiness instead of GDP. And now, cities around the world are starting to get involved. One of the first is Victoria, BC, and recently a delegation met with the Seattle City Council to begin talks about making Seattle the first American city to use GNH as a measure. <br />
What would be measured? In Bhutan and Victoria they’re using 10 indicators: psychological well-being, time use, community vitality, culture, health, education, environmental diversity and resilience, living standard, and governance.<br />
As you can see, this is an exciting idea! Imagine how fun it would be to get together and talk with others about what these indicators mean for your own happiness as well as the well being of our society.Cecile is author of three books, includinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659455422428162868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412269124599819925.post-5285353509512468422010-04-14T12:15:00.001-07:002010-04-14T12:15:59.554-07:00video of Cecile on "The Joyful Community"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia5YTifXKmYCecile is author of three books, includinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659455422428162868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412269124599819925.post-79616034932929527752010-04-14T08:56:00.000-07:002010-04-14T08:56:53.941-07:00Civil Conversationhttp://northseattleherald-outlook.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=28243&SectionID=1&SubSectionID=311&S=1<br />
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Things are really out of control. What started as just plain rudeness on the part of the Tea Party has escalated into death threats. Civil talk is on the decline. It looks like it’s up to us, the citizens, to call a halt to this, and things are happening.<br />
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Most of you have heard about the new Coffee Party, where people come together for civil conversation. To start with, people take a “civility pledge,” which says, “I pledge to conduct myself in a way that is civil, honest and respectful toward people with whom I disagree. I value people from different cultures, I value people with different ideas and I value and cherish the democratic process.”<br />
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Taking such a pledge and coming together to talk is great, but we need more.<br />
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Building social ties<br />
Conversation has been on the decline for a long time because people just don’t take the time to talk with others. (I’m involved with the Take Back Your Time Campaign, and we’re starting Decaf Coffee Party gatherings, where people exchange ideas about how to live more slowly, savor and enjoy their lives.)<br />
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It’s so important to take the time to talk with others. Research shows amazing results when people come together and build social ties: People are healthier, happier and live longer. One study found that social isolation is as bad for you as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.<br />
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My favorite study is one that was published recently. It found that people who have substantive conversations are happier. We have certainly found this to be true in our Simplicity Circles, where we talk about ways to cut back on our consumerism, live more in harmony with nature, get involved with community, slow down and enjoy life more.<br />
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As we come together each week we essentially explore the questions, “What matters? What’s important?” Our Simplicity Circle conversations are always substantive and satisfying.<br />
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But, still, a lot of people are not having these kinds of conversations, so conversational skills are getting rusty. Stop and think about it: What do you want in a conversation? You want to be heard, to be recognized, to be accepted, to be affirmed, to be appreciated, to make in-depth contact, to be enlivened.<br />
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How to talk with others<br />
First of all, we want others to notice that we’re there. Some people just start talking about themselves, and you feel you could just give them a mirror and walk away.<br />
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When we’re talking with others we need to make sure we pay attention to them. We need to watch their faces and make eye contact — nod, smile and notice if we’re connecting.<br />
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Next, we’d like to be heard: Conversations must be two-way. How often have you asked someone a question and he or she just starts talking, treating the interchange like an interview? Watch yourself in conversation, and make sure it’s going back and forth.<br />
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Next, we want to be recognized — that is, we like people to see our essential selves. Here’s where we need to risk being honest and authentic and drop any false poses. Don’t say things you don’t really mean; don’t echo popular sentiments you haven’t really thought about. Be forthright and honest (in a nice way, of course).<br />
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After being recognized, we want to be accepted, to not feel judged, to not feel that the other person is ranking us as a 2 on a scale of 10. Drop the games; don’t try to prove you’re superior. Respond as an equal.<br />
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Even better, people want to feel appreciated and affirmed. Let people know how much you value them, how much you appreciate their unique qualities.<br />
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But even after you have done all of this, you may not really make contact. You must reveal yourself. You must tell your stories and talk with authenticity, enthusiasm and emotion. Too many people try to conceal their true feelings instead of revealing them.<br />
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Finally, take a risk and talk about some of the big things: Talk about your values, your goals, your hopes, your worries. Make it into a substantive conversation.<br />
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Ultimately, you must enjoy yourself. Be an easy laugher — there’s nothing better than laughing together.<br />
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CECILE ANDREWS is author of “Less is More,” “Slow is Beautiful” and “Circle of Simplicity.” For information about joining a Simplicity Circle or a Decaf Coffee Party, contact Cecile at cecile@cecileandrews.com.Cecile is author of three books, includinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659455422428162868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412269124599819925.post-54713766793515749782010-03-20T19:55:00.000-07:002010-03-20T19:55:52.635-07:00substantive conversationsSome new research has found that people who have substantive conversations are happier. It always seems strange to need research for something like this, something that we should know anyway, but it's nice that someone is seeing the significance of conversation with depth. Lately I've been leading group discussions after a film series we've had and when people get in small groups to talk about the films, they love it. You can just feel the energy go up in the room. <br />
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We need to find ways to do this more. In response to the new "Coffee Party" I'd like to have a decaf coffee party to bring people together to talk about ways to take back our time and live more slowly. Apparently some people on the right have decided to have a decaf party to make fun of the coffee party, but that doesn't have to stop us. This is something the Take Back Your Time campaign can do for our Oct 24th day of observance.Cecile is author of three books, includinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659455422428162868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412269124599819925.post-64879530329917487402010-02-28T18:01:00.000-08:002010-02-28T18:01:47.073-08:00trash and triviality"If we have only trash and trivialities to sell, we must produce trashy and trivial personalities to serve as consumers."<br />
Lewis Mumford, 1944<br />
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This is one of my greatest fears: as we trivialize life around us, we trivialize ourselves. I worry that my experience of the world has been reduced to the emotions engendered by a tv sit com. Apparently sit coms evoke mild depression. But essentially, the emotions are trivial and trashy. If we have a constant diet of the trivial and trashy, can we ever feel or think deeply? If we spend our time shopping for clothes, are we able to recognize or connect with great ideas? Are we experiencing life in a mediocre fashion?Cecile is author of three books, includinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659455422428162868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412269124599819925.post-12025975189212654502010-02-25T20:16:00.000-08:002010-02-25T20:16:28.734-08:00Use it up, wear it out, Make it do, or do without.Apparently this is an old New England proverb — obviously one not used in a long time! A lot of people are talking about returning to some basic values. In fact, Simplicity is basically a values clarification exercise, asking "What's important and what matters." And what is your criterion? The well being of people and the planet. We know we have to change our ways or we'll destroy the planet. But we have to help see that simplifying is for people's well being as well. Simplicity has to be more fun or you're doing it wrong! It's not a sacrifice! And indeed, although this quote, "Use it up, wear it out, Make it do, or do without" sounds really stuffy, it's actually a fun challenge! You become creative and use old fashioned ingenuity. And the happiness research says that we need a challenge to be happy. Too much comfort just puts us to sleep. So try it!Cecile is author of three books, includinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659455422428162868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412269124599819925.post-5171097100222888952010-02-23T18:32:00.000-08:002010-02-23T18:32:18.324-08:00Dreading prosperity by EmersonEveryone seems to be starting "projects" that involve blogging (think "Happiness Project" and "No Impact Man"). <br />
I have written a book called Less is More and I own another book called Less is More: The Art of Voluntary Poverty" which has quotations from throughout history. My project is to open the book at random everyday and take the first quotation that catches my eye and respond to it in this blog. <br />
So here's today;s" <br />
"If you are wise, you will dread a prosperity which only loads you with more." <br />
Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803-1882. <br />
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Certainly the Transcendentalists recognized that Simplicity was central to a life of well being, with Thoreau it's main advocate. But Emerson was their true leader, so his words carry weight. His comment isn't about the environment, as most of ours are. He simply recognizes that more wealth does not bring more happiness. It seems that the more money you have, the more you have to spend your time thinking about money, managing your money, spending your money, worrying about your money. How much fun is this! It takes time away from the more important things, the real things that make you happy, like social ties, or pursuing your passion, or making a difference. We all need a certain amount of money, but if we're lucky, we'll "dread a prosperity which only loads you with more."Cecile is author of three books, includinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659455422428162868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412269124599819925.post-74224836553851263432010-02-21T10:23:00.000-08:002010-02-21T10:24:18.008-08:00More civil discourseWe've been hearing too much violent talk from the right! Particularly about our president. We on the left should be speaking out about this violent talk. It's not acceptable! Of course we also need to understand it as well. Tea baggers are responding to an elitism in our country, even if they many not be aware of it. These are people who have always been treated as losers. They are not successful by the measures of success in this country: By and large, they don't have professional jobs; they are not attractive; many are overweight; most haven't gone to college, let alone ivy league colleges. <br />
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Those of us who did go to good colleges must realize that our educations taught us to sneer at these people. Our education taught us that we were superior because we were able to get good grades. We learned to look down on kids in the slow reading group. <br />
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Yes, we were children who were being trained to be elitists. But now that we're adults, we should know better. We should realize what's at the root of this anger and work to create a more equal society. <br />
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But working for equality is a long hall. We can make a difference day to day by creating situations in which people come together with affection and respect rather than anger and disrespect. We have to create situations in which people come together to laugh and enjoy each other. Keep conviviality alive! And then, maybe the angry people will sense that they're missing something and want to join in. <br />
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I think that one way we can do this is to have events with our neighbors. Even in Seattle we have conservatives in our progressive neighborhoods, but the genius of neighborhood events is that we're coming together for other reasons than political organizing, and we can avoid political divisions. Maybe it's disaster preparedness or a garden circle or learning about someone's backyard chickens. These are things we can do. Just start talking to your neighbors!<br />
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If you want ideas, take a look at the movements for sustainability and community. In Seattle check out the SCALLOPS group: Sustainable Communities All Around Puget Sound. http://scallopswa.org/<br />
Nationally, and even internationally, is the Transition town network.http://www.transitiontowns.org/ http://www.transitionseattle.com/Cecile is author of three books, includinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659455422428162868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412269124599819925.post-75271170081390607232010-02-20T18:42:00.000-08:002010-02-20T18:42:53.605-08:00Elders and SimplicityI spoke with a group of older women the other day about the subject of elders and simplicity. My question was, is there a connection? Do elders have some special insight on simplicity? The most important idea that emerged was about bringing back civility. Most of us there had grown up in the 50s and 60s, a time when there was very little of the uncivil dialogue we're hearing today, with the right wing calling for violence against Obama or talkshow hosts endlessly attacking progressives. And the snide way people like Sarah Palin talk. (How's that hopey changy stuff doing for you" she asked Democrats.) And of course there's the actual violence -- like someone crashing their plane into an IRS building as a way of protesting!<br />
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South African Breyton Breytonback says that "Americans have mastered the art of living...with the unacceptable." Gradually we have accepted poisoned discourse. Maybe it's the job of elders, those of us who remember another way, to bring back congeniality, conviviality, and a concern for community and the common good.Cecile is author of three books, includinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659455422428162868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412269124599819925.post-89613551668575798062010-01-03T20:36:00.001-08:002010-01-03T20:36:51.205-08:00Ecoshock RadioAnother radio interview:http://castroller.com/podcasts/RadioProjectFront/1393045Cecile is author of three books, includinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659455422428162868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412269124599819925.post-44021374204458900242009-12-30T17:50:00.001-08:002009-12-30T17:50:59.982-08:00podcast from radio ecoshock!http://www.ecoshock.org/2009/12/simplicity-movement.htmlCecile is author of three books, includinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659455422428162868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412269124599819925.post-40623664849406871182009-12-28T15:18:00.000-08:002009-12-28T15:18:43.688-08:00The Slow LifeA message on the slow life from Alan Watts:<br />
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http://www.theworldinstituteofslowness.com/page4/page4.htmlCecile is author of three books, includinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659455422428162868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412269124599819925.post-31619120156282259742009-12-12T17:51:00.000-08:002009-12-12T18:15:25.888-08:00Simplifying Your LifeMore and more, people feel that they are working too much, consuming too much, and rushing too much. There is no time for friends and family, no time for community and creativity, no time for a sense of connectedness<br />
with the rest of life.<br />
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The Simplicity movement is a response to this dilemma. It is about living consciously in order to live more fully, thinking through the effects of our behaviors in terms of the consequences for the well-being of people and the planet. It's about asking what's important, what matters. Its about redefining the good life.<br />
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<i>Voluntary Simplicity</i>, an age-old philosophy explored throughout human history, has once again captured people's imagination as we struggle to build lives of high fulfillment and low environmental impact.<br />
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The concept of Simplicity is not, as some might think, a life of self-deprivation. It is a turningaway from activities that have failed to deliver satisfaction — activities such as shopping and scrambling up the career ladder; in order to embrace activities that bring true joy and meaning; creativity, community, and the celebration of daily life.<br />
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Simplicity is <i>the examined life</i> in which we explore not only what creates fulfillment in our personal lives, but we ask which public policies create societies of justice and environmental well-being. Simplicity touches all aspects of our lives, including the issues of time, work, vocation, community, spending, consuming, health, social justice, and spirituality. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">"Do not fear mistakes--there are none." <i>— Miles Davis</i><br />
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</i><br />
<br />
</div><span style="color: blue;"><b>Simplicity Study Circles</b></span><br />
<pre id="line100"><span style="color: blue;">
</span></pre><pre id="line100">Across the country, people are joining simplicity study circles. The study circle is a small group, peer-led egalitarian form of self-education and social change. It's a form of social innovation used extensively in Sweden where study circles are referred to as "education by the people, for the people, and of the people." Sweden has been called a study circle democracy, and indeed research has found that people who participate in a study circle are apt to be more involved in the common good, regardless of the topic of the study circle.</pre><pre id="line100"></pre><pre id="line100">Simplicity study circles are designed to help people discuss the idea of Simplicity and to make concrete changes in their lives. Simplicity study circles are at once a support group, a discussion group, and a method of behavioral change. They focus on building community, creating support for personal change, and engaging in critical thinking for societal change. Topics addressed include Finding More Time, Creating Community, Finding Your Passion, Transforming the Workplace, Reducing Your Consumerism, Creating Healthier Life Styles, Linking Simplicity to Social Justice, Exploring and Defining One's Spirituality.</pre><pre id="line100"></pre><pre id="line100"></pre><pre id="line109">Simplicity study circles are designed for maximum participation and a minimum of competitiveness within an ethos of acceptance and caring.</pre><pre id="line109"></pre><pre id="line109"></pre><pre id="line109" style="text-align: left;">"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." — <i>Margaret Mead</i></pre><pre id="line109" style="text-align: left;"><i>
</i></pre><pre id="line109" style="text-align: left;"><i>
</i></pre><pre id="line109"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Finding and Living Your Passion</b></span></pre><pre id="line109"><span style="color: blue;"><b>
</b></span></pre><pre id="line109"></pre><pre id="line109">People today often experience their lives as lacking vitality or purpose and are looking for the experience of aliveness and depth. Too often people's spirit has been broken; their uniqueness suppressed. By reflecting on their own lives, people can discover their own particular <i>passion</i>; something they love to do, and something that brings them a sense of direction, a sense of joy and fulfillment, and maybe something from which they can earn money.
</pre><pre id="line122">"The plain fact is that the planet does not need more successful people. But it does desperately need more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of every kind. It needs people who live well in their places. It needs people of moral courage willing to join the fight to make the world habitable and humane. And these qualities have little to do with success as we have defined it." — <i>David Orr, Ecologocial Literacy</i></pre><pre id="line122"><i>
</i></pre><pre id="line122"><i>
</i></pre><pre id="line122"></pre><pre id="line122"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Creating Community / Rekindling Conversation</b></span>
A basic human need is the experience of community; feeling valued, accepted, cared for and recognized for your true self. Without joyful, exuberant conversation we feel isolated and depressed and pursue the empty paths of shopping and watching television. When you learn to care for those around you, you start to care for all of life.</pre><pre id="line122">"The problem is the spirit of our age: denial of transcendence, the vapidity of values, emptiness in the heart, the decreased sensitivity to the imponderable quality of the spirit? The central problem is that we do not know how to think, how to resist the deceptions of too many persuaders." — <i>Abraham Heschel, Barefoot Teachers and the Connected Universe</i></pre><pre id="line122"></pre><pre id="line129">Thoreau said, "We are schoolmasters and the Universe is our School House. At heart, we are all teachers; born to encourage, guide, and inspire others. But we aren't conventional teachers. We're barefoot teachers; just as China transformed its health care by training thousands in the basics of medicine, so we must inspire thousands to be barefoot teachers, people who inspire others to understand that they are a part of a connected universe. Through telling stories, asking questions, listening, and creating conviviality, barefoot teachers inspire others to become involved in saving the Earth and her people.</pre><pre id="line129"></pre><pre id="line129"></pre><pre id="line129"></pre><pre id="line129"></pre><pre id="line129"></pre><pre id="line129"></pre><pre id="line129"><span style="color: blue;"><b>About Voluntary Simplicity and Cecile Andrews' work</b></span></pre><pre id="line129"><span style="color: blue;"><b>
</b></span></pre><pre id="line129"></pre><pre id="line129"><a href="http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2001/novdec/features/simplicity.html">"Enough Already," Stanford Magazine</a></pre><pre id="line129"></pre><pre id="line129"></pre><pre id="line129"></pre><pre id="line134"><a href="http://www.seedsofsimplicity.org/cecile.asp">Seeds of Simplicity</a></pre><pre id="line134"></pre><pre id="line134"></pre><pre id="line134"></pre><pre id="line134"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1260663002957">"</a><a href="http://www.uuworld.org/1999/0999feat2.html">The Best Things in Life Aren't Things" — The World, The Journal of the Unitarian Universalist Association</a></pre><pre id="line134"></pre><pre id="line134"></pre><pre id="line134"><a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/2000/0131/p11s1.html">Keeping it Simple, The Christian Science Monitor</a></pre><pre id="line134"></pre><pre id="line134"></pre><pre id="line141"></pre><pre id="line141"><a href="http://www.commondreams.org/headlines/021000-04.htm">Too Much Stuff? San Francisco Chronicle</a></pre>Cecile is author of three books, includinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659455422428162868noreply@blogger.com0