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Downshifter’s Guide to Spiritual Practice

“For all my good intentions, there are days when things go wrong or I fall into old habits. When things are not going well, when I’m grumpy or mad, I’ll realize that I’ve not been paying attention to my soul and I’ve not been following my best routine.” Robert Fulghum Is downshifting a spiritual act? [...]

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Skills for a Changing World

Ever since discovering The Handbook of Sustainability Literacy, I’ve been mulling over the idea of how this fascinating book can guide me in choosing further training opportunities to equip me for the next few years. I want my learning to be enjoyable and fulfilling. I also would like to feel that I’m equipping myself to [...]

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Distractions! Distractions!

When I first decided to go self-employed, about 20 years ago, one of the benefits I imagined I would get from working this way was more focus, greater clarity and fewer distractions. How wrong I was! Well, to begin with I wasn’t wrong. Since I started off with largely paper based  business systems, with just [...]

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Are You an Activist?

Just the word “activist” can conjure up all kinds of conflicting images in our minds from violent civil unrest to peaceful, cooperative dialogue. When we consider our need to live more sustainable lives, we are being called to face some very tough challenges, personally, in our local communities, nationally and globally. How can we follow [...]

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The Anyway Principle

The Paradoxical Commandments 1. People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway. 2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway. 3. If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway. 4. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. 5. Honesty and frankness [...]

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The BIGGEST downshifting question: What can I let go of?

When I first take on a coaching client, one of the questions I ask them is “What do you want to lose?” This might be material possessions, as in having a major de-cluttering and recycling session. A little less obvious, but often just as important, are the other items that they might have on their [...]

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Antidotes to Terrorism?

One of the most disturbing realities of living in 21st century society is the presence of terrorism. Our governments currently wrestle with legislation and national security measures in order to “combat terrorism”, using methods and language that appear to stem from terrorism itself. What is there that we can do as individuals to help reduce [...]

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How do we create a life-sustaining society?

“I call heaven and earth to record this day to your account, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both you and your seed shall live. – Deut. 30.19” We know. We have more than enough scientific evidence and plain common sense to know that we [...]

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