A challenge like losing weight, learning Ham radio, even just managing to get through day-to-day stuff isn't a big enough challenge.
For me, I need something bigger than myself to challenge me and push me.
One might say: "what's wrong with just being"?
And there's nothing wrong with just being.
I need something bigger than just getting through day-to-day stuff.
For many years the challenge was internal deprogramming of myself.
It caused profound changes in my psychology and my outlook and my perspective. Changes which seem to persist to today.
If you've been reading the blog, you've read that over the last few years I've gotten involved with what's going on currently in the economy, ecology and energy fields, watching as our industrial civilization collapses.
Initially I found myself in the apocalyptic view, wanting it all to collapse and just fall apart on our heads.
But that's not how civilizations collapse. They tend to collapse in steps, ratcheting down to lesser and lesser levels of complexity.
So recently I feel called to a new challenge. I'm getting interested in sustainability, renewable energy, resilient systems, farming and Echotechnic lifestyles - lifestyles that are appropriate for current technology, economies and ecologies.
I'd like to begin shifting where I get my income from: from corporate sources to more direct local community sources.
It's a big step and I don't see it to happening overnight, but it's a start. It's a big challenge so I am returning to this blog and plan to chronicle what I'm going through and share with you as you share with me (complete with video).
It's kind of funny. This has a lot of the same feel as the internal shift: the work, the newness, excitement, intensity, depth and breadth, fear, the scary bits, sharing with others.
And it's natural that I wonder if I'm just not content to just be still, sit still and just be calm. If I'm always looking for "what's next"? Oh Look! Bright Shiny Object!
And there may be some truth to that. But am I just doing it to avoid where I am now? That I don't see happening.
So my goal is shifting to a more "collapsed" lifestyle. Farming, home/cottage industries, renewables, sustainable technology. A new lifestyle.
There are plans in the works. Stay tuned.
