Since 2017 my chronic despair over NOT living in ‘The more beautiful world your heart knows is possible’ (Charles Eisenstein) increased daily as the limbo bar of truth, morality, freedom and justice for all was lowered to subterranean levels fast approaching Dante’s Nine Circles of Hell! In my now chronic grief, I recalled the stages of Denial -Anger-Bargaining- Depression- Acceptance per Kubler-Ross. But her model mourned the dead. My dream was not dead – yet there was staggering transformative work to be done. The deniers and dreamers needed to be awakened and those tolerating acceptance needed to move into Action!
I’ve always sought support groups and found one in PachamamaAlliance.org. I took their online course “Awakening the Dreamer” and their free Eight week “Game Changer Intensive”. (Twice!!) The game is rigged. It needs to change. It would not be easy, yet they provide incredible global resources and support. I needed to Act Locally. I reconnected with SustainableHudsonValley.org (SHV) that introduced me to the work of Joanna Macy 20 years ago. She speaks of “The Great Turning”- a time of evolution to a Sustainable Society after the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions had failed to secure that. That time is now. As Jimi Hendrix said: “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, there will be PEACE!” Only love will overcome the fear that hascreated the culture of hoarding and greed orchestrated by a miniscule few powered by Dark Money that hide the truth of the reality that there is MORE than enough for all IF the flow of energy/currency can triumph! We just need to Share. Remember Kindergarten!
The SHV director recommended “Put Your Money Where Your Life Is” by Michael Shuman. I became a SHV Senior Fellow in 2021. My project was to replicate ProjectNinety10, a carbon neutral greenhouse, at Catskills Regional Harvest – a food hub of now 350 LOCAL producers 10 miles from my home. I donated one fourth the cost and the local IDA wrote 4 grants for the remainder. Every grant was fully funded by December. We’ve located sites for 3 more greenhouses. There’s so much more joy for me in living a culture of generosity – leaving a positive legacy; local connections; shared passions; learning; and co-creating rather than in a 5% return on a Wall Street investment. I have all I need and so much more.
In 2020 I facilitated a workbook group around Julia Cameron’s “It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again- Discovering Creativity and Meaning at Mid-life and Beyond”. Fifteen months after the class ended, we’re still meeting to support our creativity and keep asking the critical question: “What do you really want?”