Follow your dreams.

It's really too easy to double guess the path that you have so chosen as your life.

I look at my resume, and it amazes me.  But my resume isn't my life.  My life isn't always full of totally amazing adventures, okay maybe it is.  But it's too easy to begin to see those adventures, as normal.  We often allocate adventure with exotic lands and new people and totally new things happening all of the time.  Maybe it's what media feeds us, maybe it's our own ideologies about life.  But maybe the biggest adventure is actually what we may perceive as the most dull or even normal, maybe even just stressful.  Who says a 9-5 job cannot be an adventure?  No day is exactly alike the previous.

I have been seeking that inner spark which for some reason I completely had lost site of. 

Where your current life is, has less to do with your current idea of what you ought to be doing, it has everything to do with where you want to end up in the future.  

What is your biggest dream?  Could your biggest dream be accomplished if you continue to live life as you are in this moment for the next 10 years?  Are you doing something today that is difficult and challenging and you aren't quite sure if you can make it through, but do you see it as defining you for your future intentions for your life?  It seems to me, that in this generation we have grown so accustomed to instant gratification.  Which unfortunately doesn't quite create lasting happiness.  Real joy and real beauty comes from sweat and perseverance.  Sure maybe one day these things after much much practice will be easier to attain, but in the beginning it may not always be easy.  And that's okay!  In fact, it's the way it ought to be.  

I watched this video, and somehow everything clicked.  I suddenly realized, I am exactly where I need to be.  It currently may not seem easy, but I will push through.  I will work hard.  I will figure this all out.  And I will be better because of it.  I am in completely unchartered territory, but I won't let the unknown define who I am.  And I won't turn back.  I always imagined adventures as being jungles and mountains.  But in the age of enlightenment, adventures can really only be inner journeys (even if sometimes they ARE disguised as outer journeys of jungles and tigers).  They are journeys of mind and spirit and that may have nothing to do with the outdoors.  The outdoors have defined who I am my entire life.  And it continues to do so today.  However, now is the time that I learn to explore what is in my heart and how whatever I find I can bravely share with the world.  We have a lot of work to do on planet earth, we have a thousand broken things that need fixing.  I think we have what it takes though.  I think we can do it.

In this video, she talks about the '20's, granted the 20s are important and they should be seized, but in no way should this deter those in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s++ in not going in the direction of their dreams.  I say wherever you are in life, start now.  Start going down the path that you want to see yourself on in the coming years.  Age is an illusion.  Don't worry about magically 'being' who you want to be now, take tiny steps everyday that take you closer to the goal.  Start small.   

Check out this talk, for tiny habits.  

And for just an incredible talk on living your dreams.  

Improve work productivity

So even though, I am fortunate enough to work in a field I feel very passionate about. Sometimes, it's hard not to get stressed about deadlines, projects, hours needed... etc.

I am going to school part time and I have 270 hours of work that I have to finish by the end of the semester.  I am grateful for this opportunity, however sometimes it can be a little anxiety ridden when I feel overwhelmed by assignments, tests.. etc.

My husband, offered a different way to look at it.

instead of thinking about number of hours to do... instead.. change the story.

How about 270 insights, wonderful learnings.  So I am starting now.  The grateful learnings of my internship.

1.  Iron chlorosis is a common disease affecting many utah orchards.  It can happen when the soils are kept excessively wet.  A possible remedy to this, is to plant alfalfa in the orchard, or the parts of the orchards that don't get a chance to dry in between waterings.

2.  Plants often turn yellow while soils are cool and moist and recover their normal green color as temperature increases.

http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1298&context=uaes_bulletins

3. general work tip of the day.  Stop looking at the clock! In fact, don't even look at the clock.  Unless you are 99% sure you've worked the amount you've needed to.

4. Repeat this mantra, "work is getting easier and easier, the hours are just flying by (while I'm attaining amazing productivity), I find myself getting more excited about work all the time, and it's getting funner by the minute."

5. Just because you have reached a new wall in your area of interest.  Does not mean that you have 'lost' interest in what you originally thought was your calling.  Often professionals, athletes, artists must break through new realms of their work in order to make it to the next level in their desired field.  A pianist doesn't give up after months of working and perfecting a piece of music.  It may become discouraging, and breaks may need to be made more frequently.  But success is inevitable when dedication and perseverance continues.   If you fail 8,000 times at something.  You know a lot of ways not to do something.  Keep trying, keep going. Don't give up on what matters to you.

6. It's possible to combat zinc deficiency in the intermountain west by planting hairy vetch and austrian winter pea in your orchards.  

I wrote the previous six yesterday and have started again today....
My mom always tells me, it's not really about the subjects you learn in school, it's really about all of the aspects of applying yourself to one thing, that really creates the most benefit.


7. When you set the alarm early to do work in the morning, but when morning comes and tiredness seems overwhelming. Just get up, it will take just a couple of minutes of walking around, drinking some fresh water and the tiredness will dissipate.

8.If you have many tasks in a day.  And many of those tasks are long houred projects, don't try to finish one task in one go.  It may cause burnout.  Switch it up, do something different every hour to keep your brain and body energized.  It can be tempting to not do this, but can be lead to more overall productivity by the end of the day.

9.
"Organic materials with low C:N ratios of 15:1 to 20:1, such as legumes, will release nitrogen more rapidly, whereas materials with high C:N ratios of 40:1 to 80:1, such as grasses, may actually immobilize nitrogen during their decomposition before it is made available to the tree roots.
Sawdust, which has a very high C:N ratio and is a very fine material, can immobilize nitrogen for an extended period of time, whereas coarser wood chips are not incorporated into the soil as readily and do not immobilize nitrogen as much" --http://ucanr.org/sites/nm/files/76675.pdf

10.
"Manure, especially if
unprocessed, has very low C:N ratios, and the rapid release of nitrogen together with the salts it contains can injury tree roots."
From same link as above

11."When new trees are planted in the spring, immediate supply of adequate water is essential to settle the soil around the roots, but application of nitrogen fertilizer is not recommended.This is because the initial tree growth is mainly supported by the nutrient reserves within the tree and the uptake of nutrients from the soil is often delayed due to the damaged root system. In addition, it may even cause damage to the roots" --http://fruit.umext.umass.edu/2012netfmg/10-nutrient.pdf

12.  Get realistic about your goals, and your work week.  Don't imagine the 'best' case scenario for yourself and strive to set completely unrealistic deadlines for yourself.  The quickest way to burnout is to set the bar too high and consistently fail to meet that standard.  If it means having to work on the weekends to meet your deadline, it may make more sense, instead of trying to cram it all into a work week.

Thats all for now,  I'll post more as I continue working on my hours

Finding your path

It's interesting being married to a happiness teacher.  I get the opportunity to learn about many awareness teachers and wonderful techniques in self-discovery and living in the present moment.  We are often gifted books on the latest and most cutting edge techniques of embodying the true self.  Which despite the hearsay, isn't actually about, 'being happy'.  It's about, accepting you as you are.  And in so doing, being able to recognize the difference between the ways we experience our situation and the perception we have of it as well as the stories we tell around it.  That are often times, perhaps not so beneficial.

What I mean is, there is the bodies experience of pleasure and pain, there is also the mind's experience of pleasure and pain which can be totally different.  And then there is the observing self, which actually isn't affected at all.  It's the witness of these events.  In being the witness of these events, one doesn't have to attach so heavily to the fears that play in to the current situation and exacerbate our anxieties of the future.

It's possible to allow our bodies and our minds to experience the joys or the sufferings that they are experiencing without building stories around them.  For example, if someone has a headache, and this headache lately has becoming worse and worse and coming on more frequently.  The tendency may be, to become worried, "What's wrong with me?  Why is this happening?  It's only going to get worse, if it's this bad, what will tomorrow be like?"  This is building on to the story.  Instead of witnessing that the body is experiencing pain or some sensation in the head.

The latest book we were gifted is called, "The happiness trap."  It's a pretty interesting read, and talks a lot about what I just mentioned above, of course mentioning tools and tricks to dissociate one's self so heavily with one's thoughts.  But it asked also a very interesting question,

"If you had 1 year left to live, and if you had the complete and total love and support of everyone around you to do anything that mattered most to your heart, what would you do? How would you spend your time?"

I found this a deeply meaningful question.  Currently I am in school, and it is a lot of work, but if I only had a year left of life itself.  It would be difficult for me to say that I would actually stay in school.  The choice seems obvious to me that I would like to spend my last year, visiting family and friends and spending time in nature.

It's common to hear these kinds of questions, what would you do with your last moments on earth, or if you could do anything with the knowledge that you could not fail, what would you do?  If time and money weren't limiting factors, how would you spend your time?

It was interesting for me to play with the element of time.  How would my goals change depending on the amount of time I had left on earth?  As of now, I'm assuming that I will live a long and healthy life, which many people in the beginning of their journeys often also assume.  I don't necessarily know it to be true.  On one hand there is a lot of strength and boldness in living today as if you won't make it to tomorrow.  However, if living fully today means lounging around, watching tv, or something of the sort, the decision to live like this is rather irresponsible, it's taking the path of inaction.  It's giving up on life.  It's a misinterpretation of what living fully today, means.

But how can I justify going back to school a 2-3 year commitment if living fully today is actually my end goal?

There is a strength in realizing the impermanence of our bodies, minds and lives; however, just because we live each day as if it were our last, in fact each moment as if it were our last, enables a few things.

1. It's impossible to contemplate the future -- because it's completely utterly out of our frame-work of reality as we know it.
2. It's completely worthless to contemplate the past -- because none of it matters or has meaning today.  All that matters is the loving relationships in our lives, the relationships we have with people, animals and nature, as well as our work, our frequented places, and ourselves.

It's a tool to get us present with our lives as we know it.  To not take the love in our lives for granted.  To not take our experiences or goals for granted.  And at the same time, not attach to the idea that we will be dead tomorrow.  It may not be the case.  If we could dream any dream, what would it be.  What if that dream involved the next 50 years, 40 years, 20 years, 10 years.  How would our direct relationship with our values and goals be shifted?

Since I consider myself at the beginning of life -- essentially, I have my whole career ahead of me.  I have goals upon plans upon goals and dreams for myself.  But can I not attach to them to heavily?
Can I hold them lightly in my heart and in my mind.  Nothing is certain.

However can I live fully and embrace the positive in my life today as if I'd die tomorrow yet my dreams will continue for the next 1000 years.  I think that's what is meant by it.

It's possible that our dreams will die with our bodies.  But can we know it for certain?  Just because we are dying or not dying... doesn't mean that we are any further from our dreams or the realities of them.

Today, or more specifically this moment, is the compilation of tens of millions of dreams of tens and millions of dreamers.  We are living the reality of beautiful dreams from all over the world from all over the past centuries to experience every moment we have.  If we have the capacity to tap into that beauty, we can appreciate today for what it really is.  And we can choose to live this dream while furthering it's pursuit for those who come after us.  This is the beauty of life and the beauty that connects us all.



  

Fullspeed forward

I was so touched by Maggie's story.  The story I posted yesterday.  It really got me thinking about the world.

I've lived in India, New York and Utah, I've seen poverty.  My heart has broke while witnessing some of these situations where people or animals are living in terrible conditions on the street.  The best I could muster at those times, was to bless them.  Although I have given money at times, and more often I have given food.  These measures, don't create change.  And perhaps only fuel these problems?

It's too easy to blame the government, individuals and everything else who may be to blame for these conditions we dislike seeing in the world. And we go home feeling angry, sad and confused, how can we allow this to happen in the world?

That is called victimizing yourself.  It has nothing to do with the person you saw on the street or the some 'corrupt' government.  You are allowing yourself to beat up on you!  You are not embracing yourself as the fully embodied individual that you are!

If we want to live in the world we want.  WE have to create it.  There is no other way.  We can't sit around and cry about our surroundings.  We have two options.  We can accept the world the way it is, or we can actively pursue embracing love in this world.

I used to feel that the only place for me in this world, was in some remote, beautiful exotic village where I could live free of gasoline, energy, grocery stores, etc.  Where all my food was homegrown and everything I needed was in an arms grab away.

Maggie in her video talks about, creating the world that you want to see.

Life isn't about escaping into some dream world, and denying whatever reality you have right now, just waiting for the pieces of your life to fall into place.  What steps can you do today, to make where you are that piece of heaven, that you have always been looking for.

Nithya, showed me a video today about a man who stopped walking -- instead he only gets around by dancing.  This happened one day after visiting his mother, his mother's health was compromised and just before this visit he thought that she wasn't going to be alive once he got there.  Turned out she was feeling fine, and she was well.  He was so happy that he hadn't lost his mother, he was dancing the whole way home.  He said it felt so amazing, that he never stopped dancing!!  Something more interesting about his story was that before this incident he felt that he lived in such a miserable town, that everyone had miserable looks and no one was happy.  Now he says, everywhere he looks people are smiling.  His attitude changed his world.  Upon interviews with others who live in the same town, they all had positive remarks to say about this man, about how he always brightens their day and is such an inspiration, that he can always be happy like that and he doesn't care what anybody else thinks.

So, I'm here.  I live in a town with less than perfect public transportation, dependence on grocery stores, and automobiles.  But I am alive.  And I am here.  I can not go on believing that things as they are, aren't as they should be, without any effort on my behalf to create the kind of place that I would like to see.

It's complete junk to believe that you cannot make a difference in this world.

I've decided to get involved in whatever capacity I can.  I can take wild food foraging classes or join meet up groups.  I can research local greenhouses to buy winter veggies.  I can research on how to run my car on veggie fuel.  I can actively get involved on campus and see if I can promote sustainable energy sources and better public transportation systems.  I can take advantage of living in the west, by making connections and fundraising for holistic projects locally and or abroad -- for our brothers and sisters in places like Kenya, where 1 dollar goes a lot further than it can here.

Be thankful for where you are.  See the opportunities which surround and support you everyday.

It's impossible for us to go back to the way things used to be.. horse and buggy.. growing all of our own food (well maybe it is still possible)) But it's totally unlikely that all of us are capable of these things.  So what are the next steps, how can we move our human family forward?  In what ways can we support each other, both locally and abroad?  In what ways can we actively engage our neighbors and friends for the rights of those who may not have a voice, the wild areas in our towns and the animals who may be subjugated to tests and or abandoned or lost.  Whose life can we impact today, and how can we contribute to the greater good of our beautiful world.

Thank you.

Creating the world you want

This has got to be one of the most moving stories I have ever encountered.

She was 18, and wasn't feeling right about starting college yet.  She decided to take a gap year to travel the world.  She found herself in Northern India, working with refugee children from Nepal.  One thing led to another and she was opening a home and school for these children in Nepal.

In addition to this, she started noticing how poorly the women were being treated at home, she opened a center for the women to get together and learn life skills and also just to support each other.

Of course it's better to hear the story straight from Maggie, the one who lived it,

http://www.thedailybeast.com/witw/articles/2013/09/24/maggie-doyne-the-26-year-old-mother-of-40-kids.html

http://www.dailygood.org/story/536/talking-good-with-maggie-doyne-rich-polt/

I am so touched by her story.

If we could all have that courage to follow our inner most compassion.  Our inner calling and whispering.  How could that affect our home, that is, earth?

I loved the way she referred to the people on planet earth.  Our human family.  That's exactly what we are.  At 26, she has adopted 40 children.  What would it feel like to have 100% ownership of everything you don't stand for in this world, and 100% ownership to change it with love and compassion alone.

It really inspires me, to delve deep.  How can I live more compassionately?  How can pursue my beautiful dreams of how the world could be only through actions of love and passion.

Her dream is to see the day where all children have their basic needs met.

If I delve deep into my heart, I see the same image, I'd like to see no suffering.  And I have to lump all beings into this as well.  perhaps I can call it our earth family.  Our family of all beings.  I'd like to see a cage free world.  Where animals and humans love and live peacefully alongside each other.

It's interesting because I know that there are many who say, "how can we even begin to think about compassion towards animals, when we can't even have compassion for ourselves, our family, our people, or any other people of the world."  Maybe this is true.  Maybe I'm being Naive to think that growing compassion in one aspect of ones life, can grow compassion in all others.

Just because you have a soft spot for animals or nature, doesn't mean that you don't have a sense of responsibility or love for humans!  Just because you only have 1 child, doesn't mean you won't have enough room in your heart to love more.  There is always more love.

What is your dream?  What can you do today to act on that?  What breaks your heart to see in this world?  What initial step could be taken to change one life, to help 1% or .00000001% of that problem.  Go ahead fearlessly and ferociously with the power of love within you.  And never ever ever give up.  Be the change you wish to see.  Allow the empowerment of divine compassion to take you forward.  

11 ways to motivate yourself

After struggling with this myself for the past couple days, I've decided to explore my internal world to find the answer.  I had been so busy with school and work last week that this week suddenly I have found myself with empty time.  Within those empty moments, my mind has been racing of all the things I need to catch up with.  Yet, I don't seem to have motivation for any of it.  Maybe I just need to allow myself to rest, or maybe it's an opportunity to explore what get's me motivated.  Maybe it's a little of both.

1.  Clear your mind.  Watch what the emotions are inside, open a window, listen to the wind, the rain, traffic, birds, whatever it is.  Allow to be in a state of observation for 10 minutes.  Start with a deep breathe and end with one.  Allow yourself to become a blank canvas.

2.Write a list of 100 ways to motivate yourself!

3. Get straight about your goals.  What is it that you see yourself doing in 10 years?  How will this help you on your journey there?  Does this track help benefit yourself and those around you?  Does it benefit the world as a whole? 

4. Allow yourself a break.  Take an hour.  Cook, read, relax, do what you've been wanting to but have been holding back because you are too stressed about whatever, 'it' is.  Motivation will come, but maybe now isn't the time.  Don't be so hard on yourself.

5. Turn on Pandora.  Type in your favorite artist.  Or grab your favorite soundtrack, even better, make your own soundtrack of uplifting inspiring music.  Unless you happen to be a musician and you can actually make music yourself.  Let your emotions come out.  Make up a song. 

6.  Take out your old .. or current drawing supplies.  Whether you are actually an artist or not, most people have at least a pen and some paper at home.  Or if you are on the computer, you can always use , Paint :)  Take it outside, or grab something in the vicinity to draw.  Don't focus too much what it looks like or how 'good' it should be or could be or would be.  Just focus on the lines, the angles and the shades of light on the 'object'.  Allow the pen and the eyes to move across the object and the paper with no judgment, just allowing it to flow.

7. Call a friend.  Ask them what their most inspired days have been in their life.  Ask them where they seemed to get the energy to accomplish what they did.  If this seems too serious of a question, tone it down, ask about their day, just allow yourself to connect. 

8.  Imagine the worst case scenario.  The image that you never get this project/ or whatever it is  done.  Hold this image in your mind for 5 minutes.  How does it feel... Just notice.

9.  Listen to the Traveling Wilbury's, "End of the Line"  :)  It's perfect. 

10.  Get out of your comfort zone, your personal space.  Maybe you brain needs a switch of scenery.  Go enjoy the fresh air, go on a hike, take a bike-ride, volunteer at your local children's hospital.

 11.  Just do it.  Don't think about it.  Don't give yourself the opportunity to question it or think about what it is you are doing or the implications that it may entail.  Forget it.  Just dive in. 

Interconnecting the Globe.. Really

As I was writing about the eco-friendly careers, I wrote a section on translators/anthropologists.   At first glance it doesn't seem like they really have anything to do with greening the world, but I think they play a very important role.  And it doesn't have to be people who have actually studied some odd number of years and have PHD's.  Basically it's about getting out there, living amongst a people who you never would have dreamed to live amongst before.  Learning a language and spending time in a place with a culture completely different from your own. 

All of our stuff is completely interconnected, not to mention a few common foods routinely shipped from respective parts of the world to every other part of the world.  We've connected ourselves through transportation, tourism, computers, STUFF, food.  The one last thing we haven't seemed to manage is understanding.  Understanding what it is like to be living in a place other than where you actually live.  Understanding the real issues behind the scenes of all of the items we routinely buy from the store without even thinking twice about what is inside of them and what kind of destruction happens half way around the world due to this product's production or extraction. 

Of course, maybe environmental pollution or destruction may seem small to some, compared to much scarier things in the world like war, and the atrocities which go along with it.  But actually, it's really all connected.  In the end, it's a lack of understanding, what it means to be in someone else's situation.  I know this is quite oversaid.. but at the looks of things, it still hasn't been said enough.  Those who have the ability to ship off the pollutants to some other country, haven't connected that country as a part of their own world.  That same person who chooses to fight against that other country for some reason or another, hasn't connected that country as connected to their own world in any way.  In reality, it all comes back to haunt us.  That division between countries is completely made up.  It's completely non-existent.  The more we can learn about it's non-existence.. the more we can actually live in harmony.. together. 

The more we can get out of our comfort zone, or the more we can volunteer for a great cause either in our town or half way across the world and the more we can take the time and effort to be interested in other cultures and ways of the living, the better off we will all be.

After all, it's not my country against yours.  It's not one person's wealth against anothers.  It's one world.  One people.  Our problem is your problem and vice versa.  Pollution has made it's way to all of the corners of the earth.  Over fishing has negatively affected all sorts of remote wildlife.  Filthy waters have found their way to places, people haven't even had the chance to explore.  Your forest helps our air quality, and your lack of forest debilitates every individual on earth's ability to breathe, period.  The same holds true with any other forest or lack of forest throughout the world, we all benefit from forests on earth, and we all suffer in their disappearance, no matter where they are.  It's all the same. 

We can't continue to think of a "globalized world", of course it is, but the meaning of these words are completely diluted of an essence which we ought to be grasping for.  the word currently has both negative and positive connotations depending on where you are from and what your values are.  The meaning I get from these words, is somewhat negative, a watering down of tradition while taking on a culture of waste and a lack of understanding. 

Not to say that it is all bad.  Bad doesn't come alone, no matter how dire a situation, there will always be some glimmer of light.  The beautiful thing about this world is the persistence of people.  The persistance of people in trying to get it right, not giving up, and continually facing their fears, hopes and dreams.  Re-thinking systems and societies to be more fair and as safe as possible.  I just believe that if we are going to be globalized, it can't be without understanding.  Many may not have access to teachings of the value of local foods and not letting go of culture and language, but for those of us who have seen the impact of processed and industrialized foods and goods on a society, we can at least know to choose healthier options for ourselves and our planet, by avoiding these "goods". 

And maybe many of these eco-costly products we are already addicted to.  Which sucks.  But the more we can learn about the effects of our actions not only in our 'own' country but in all of the other countries that our addiction affects the easier it will be for us to make healthier decisions, for our own sake and our world's.  For example it's possible for us to learn about the effects of these industries in the places that aren't near us, to get out of a comfort zone and volunteer across the globe to be involved with issues we perhaps would have still been contributing to, had we not gone out and seen for ourselves the effects.   We have this amazing opportunity to learn languages not our own, and the more we dedicate our time to doing so the more likely we will to visit the places where they are spoken, and the more likely our world view will open up.  And we will feel more connected.  The more connected we feel, the less likely we will to designate a difference between,' my problems' and 'your problems'. 

There it is, another dream.

I pray that we all continue to learn from another, and we never stop expanding our borders and our hearts to include everything that happens in our world.  I pray that one day we will not only consider the effects of all people and places in every decision we make (especially purchases) but also animals, plants and the general health of soils and water as well.  How do the decisions we make effect everything which surrounds us?  How do those things come back to haunt us? And how we can most effectively change so we do as minimal damage as possible? 

More than seeking for solutions which have minimal damage, we need solutions which have positive inputs for our surroundings.

I think it's possible.

We just have to think bigger, expand our borders, expand our hearts.

100 ways to help the planet

Here are some of the ways in which we can do our part to help out some of the pollution, global warming.. etc. 

1- Eat whole plant based foods - not only will your body, mind and soul thank you for the added nutrients to your pallate, you are helping the world more significantly than any other one thing you do.  You reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, anxiety, arthritis, obesity - saving that many medications from being made and also being eventually flushed down the toilet.  Connecting to whole plant foods, releases our support on factory farms and the suffering caused to thousands of animals daily in those concentration camps.  A reduce in the demand on animal foods reduces animals on the farms and their emissions- methane - a compound 20x more of a greenhouse gas than CO2.  The consumption of plants supports wildlife and forests, as animal farming has taken up more than 70% of the amazon rainforest either by directly raising cows or raising grains for animal feed on its soils.  (check out the documentary, "Eating" by Mike Anderson).  Eating plants is great karma!  It feels good on the conscious and the soul!

2- Buy less -  Be a conscious buyer, everything you buy leaves an impact on this world, are you supporting people who are respecting the earth and its resources, who use re-usable, recyclable material?  Who don't take advantage of indigenous cultures or developing countries?  Is there product in order to better the world or your health?  What kind of impact does the production of that product leave on the earth, is there a lot of pollution involved in it's creation? 

3- Make it yourself!  Develop your talents, make you own gifts for people.  Experiment with making, rice milks, soy milk ( I just bought a nut milk maker, amazing!), make your own breads, experiment with homemade pickles, cereals, homemade salt (I actually just made some tonight, cut up celery into teeny pieces and dry it in a dehydrator for a few hours!  An amazing salt substitute and great for the health!)  Can you sew?  Can you knit?  Can you paint?  Use material laying around the house, get creative. 

4- Fix it yourself!  Why throw anything away!  Superglew it, tape it, re- sew it, cut it up and make something new.  Get creative.  I keep so many jars and glasses, I use them for all sorts of things!  They are handy to have, and eliminates my need to go buy stuff!

5-Buy Local!  Support your farmer and your community!  Help your neighbors, get to know your farmers, tell him your interest in sustainable farming, ask him/her about how he/she grows his/her crops, offer your help to increase the man power on the farm and reduce fossil fuel needs! 

6- Buy organic and sustainably sourced foods - non gmo - support those doing it right!  alleviate the pollution load on the planet!

7- Avoid products that contain known products which are extremely damaging to the environment - for example - palm oil.. most peanut butters contain them, most butters, check twice, read your labels!  If you don't understand the ingredient.. forget it, find a more natural solution.

8- Use alternative products - for example use olive oil for lotion instead of lotion.. actually it feels great on the skin and maybe even moisturizes much better than lotion, use tooth powder or tooth soap instead of toothpaste.. its more natural and better for your teeth!  Use natural clay instead of baby powder, make home made food for your pets rather than buy it.  Get creative!  I used flax seed as shampoo before and its absolutely amazing for the hair!  It takes a bit to get the seeds out.. but hehe maybe if they are ground finer it wouldnt have been a problem.. however it is a great soap substitute :)

9- Don't take medicine if you dont have to.  Use medicine as your last resort.  If there is any way you can experiment with nutrition, alternative treatments, do it!  Don't support big industry support local healers and your own bodies ability to heal itself, learn to listen :)

10- Get out of the house! Exercise - the more active you are the less likely you will be spending excess amount of time and energy in front of energy consuming devices.  Enjoy the Earth!  The more active you are the more you will realize how beautiful the world is and how important it is for us to preserve it in a way in which humans can thrive :)

11- Work less - give up your monetary goals, spend more time with family, prioritize people and happiness rather than money.  The more focused we are on money the more we miss the big picture.. LIFE.. being alive :)  The more we miss our compassionate side and our ability to help each other out when needed.  Let's take a breather, let's have a good time. 

12.  Donate - it doesn't matter how little or how much you earn, billionaires have billion dollar problems, and beggars have zero dollar problems.  Give whatever you can to organizations you care about.  Share the love, help keep beautiful places, help support indigenous people and their knowledge, support people who work to expose the truth, who care about the health of people, happiness and peace in this world. 

13. Be nice -  one bad comment has its effects, one bad comment can ripple the whole world 'round till it comes back.  You never know what those kind of ripples can eventually create.  Don't take the chance.. be nice, even if you feel bad on the inside.. don't be afraid to ask for help.  Let's spread peace.  It always comes back.

14.  Care more than what you think the other deserves.  Everyone deserves a chance, everyone deserves to be listened to and to be cared after.  The more we can care, the more everyone else will care, and the more everyone else cares, the better of a place we can create to live in everyday. 

15.  Don't give in to temptation.  Just one more brownie, just one more cookie.. Just that new car, just one more ... whatever it is.. so what.. everything is impermanet.. don't let greed get the best of you.  Bless your neighbors who decided to move into a bigger 'nicer' home.  Who cares, be grateful for what you have.  It's okay.  In the end, it's gratitude that will get us further ahead.. not bigger and better stuff. 

16.  Don't give up.  Never give up your goals, your passion.  Your passion will inspire others to live their passion.  Do what you love, do what makes you want to get up in the morning happily!  Don't live your life in a cubicle.. express yourself.  Express your dreams.  It has the capacity to change the world!  Don't doubt yourself!

17.  Be adventurous! Get outside of your bubble.  Try something new!  Take that new class being offered at your local college.  Try something different, try something opposite from what you ever thought you could do!  The more we understand that which is different from us, the more well rounded we all become.  The more open minded we are and the more we are open to alternative solutions!  Break free!

18.  Pray.  Pray everyday in everyway that you know how.  Pray to your ancestors, to god, to the universe, to the animals, for your friends for your relatives for the planet.  Give thanks for your life and your gifts, for your friends gifts and your families gifts and the gifts of the world.  Pray for a happy, peaceful planet. 

19.  Set goals for yourself.  Everyday write down your goals, your dreams your motivations.  Check them off throughout the day.. throughout the weeks.  Go out of your comfort zone to make sure they happen!  Accomplish small things and maybe even big things!  Actually the smaller the better, small goals gather momentum to push big goals along!  Strive for your best :)

20.  Make everyday fun and exciting.  Do something crazy, do laundry in your bathtub, take a shower in the rain, build a compost toilet, start composting in your kitchen, make a recipe you have neverrrrr tried before, take your cat for a walk.  Be crazy.  Gathering fun experiences in your life, will create a life you will never forget and many stories that are much cooler to talk about than what you saw on tv last night.

21.  Don't believe anything you hear or see. This is said so often, that we don't even realize what this means anymore.  We are inundated with messages from the media every single day.  They do not have our health on their minds, they are catering to our weaknesses in order for us to support their businesses, never take anything at first glance.  Don't trust their recommendations for our lives, don't believe what they say we need or what will make us cool or sexy.  It's all rubbish.  Develop you, develop yourself.  Don't be fulled by their tricks. 

22. Watch documentaries.  They aren't called documentaries for no reason.  These are made by passionate people who have dedicated their lives to a cause.  You may or may not agree.. who cares.. open your mind, learn something new. 

23.  Go a day without plugging one item into the grid.. See what its like!

24.  Fill up your tires  - some of these we have heard a million times, but it does make a different

25.  Use a bicycle, a scooter, a moped, something else?? How about your feet! Yes!

26.  Volunteer!  Get out there, help your community!  Do something awesome!  Don't be afraid to say yes!  The world will provide for you, don't be afraid :)

27.  Have sustainability on the mind!  Bring it to your work, bring it to your house, your lifestyle.. in what ways can you reduce consumption, help someone in need, use alternative energy.. get creative.

28. READ - read everything, don't limit yourself to your favorite novel set or magazines.  Expand your horizon, pick a random book from the library.  Learn something that previously repulsed you.  Seeing more sides to a situation can develop peace, awareness and compassion.

29.  Give away your stuff - Anything that doesnt add beauty, knowledge or purpose in your life on a regulary basis, get rid of.  Give it to your local thrift shop, sell it on ebay, ship it to a country in need.  Let's share! Make a business out of re-creating your unwanted stuff into treasures! 

30.  Stop listening to your thoughts.  Meditate more!  Realize that nothing in your brain belongs to you.  Its like a drifting cloud, don't attach to an outcome.  Don't attach to your reality.  Just be.  Allow life to flow. 

31.  Forgive.  Forgive yourself, forgive your enemies, forgive your children, forgive your partner, forgive your parents, forgive your circumstances.. you can't change it, its not worth it to fight it.  Just let it be.. allow it.  Forgive it. 

32.  How can you dedicate your life to helping others?  Do it.  Do it, regardless of what it might give you.  But don't do it unwaranted, make sure that it's actually benefiting someone else.. don't do what you think would benefit someone else.. do what you can postively be sure of the positive benefit not only in that persons life.. but the surrounding environment - nature, the world, YOU, and anything else connected. 

33.  Learn a new language.  Connect to a different culture, delve in its pecularities, its differences its similarities, enjoy the new rhythym in your mouth. 

34. Don't support chemicals - stop buying them, stop ingesting them, stop producing them, stop spraying them, stop driving with them.  They don't support life.  Period.  That's it. 

35.  Eat less - be conscious, be wise.  Most cultures who lived to be the longest, didn't indulge, and it was considered taboo to overreat.  Be mindful. 

36. Share your life!  Write a blog, tell your friends about the wonderful things in your life, share with them the secrets to your success, tell others about what you have learned.  The more we know the more we all benefit.  We all have such wisdom, let's relish in that! 

37.  Preserve your heritage. Not to the extent of becoming extremist, but to the extent that traditional values are considered, and languages are not lost.  To the extent that modern western life isn't the ultimate goal... Relish in the traditional ways.. the ones that make sense and support our neighbors, environment, wildlife and animals. 

38.  Get involved.  Write to your local leaders, politicians, share your voice!  Go to meetings, speak up about what is important to you.  Share it with school committees or other organizations in your area. 

39.  Never throw away electronics or batteries - Always always find a recycling center for these items.  Very toxic and damaging to the environment.

40.  Re-use bags.  Don't use the little bags in the produce section, or if you do.. wash them out when you finish the produce, dry them and use them again when you go back to the store.  Better yet.. if you go to the bulk section, bring your own containers! 

41.  Triple Challenge - Only buy products in the fresh produce section at your supermarket!  Try to avoid all package foods!  All packaged products.. can you do it?

42. If you happen to be in a country who uses paper products -napkins, toilet paper, paper towels - figure out ways you can cut consumption, or substitute them out.  Can you use water instead, cloth products?  Is there an option to buy from sustainably managed sources?

43.  Buy fairtrade

44. Stop using soap - they say that in order to absorb vitamin D from the sun you can't use soap for 24 hours after sun exposure.. not sure if it is true.. but I hardly use soap in the summer for that reason and surprisingly water and clay are pretty effective cleaners. 

45.  Go to a school of eyesight camp if you have glasses.  I have actually been meaning to go, because apparently its possible to improve your eyesight naturally.  I have yet to try but its something worth looking into. 

46.  Be nice to animals.  They dont have a voice, they dont have powerful weapons, lets be compassionate, they are co-habitants of this earth, lets respect them. 

47.  The less gadgets the better.  All of these little electronic devices pay a toll on our planet.  Let's be mindful about how many new phones we buy in a year.. cameras, tvs, etc. 

48. Read environmental news as often as possible. Be up to date, know the facts. 

49.  Speak your mind.  If you know something, share it, don't let it burn inside of you. 

50. If you see something you dont like, speak up.  Don't let something be passed up because of social pressures or anxieties, if it bothers you, most likely it bothers others.  The power of asking for what you want and making it clear what you like and dont like in this world. 

51.  Use local materials to build your home.. or repair..

52. Go to bed with the sun, get up with the sun.  Reduce your consumption of lighting.

53.  If you wish to have kids, really consider adopting.  Help those children who don't have other options. 

54.  Don't do things just because you think you are supposed to.  You are a free person.  Do what you want to do.. Who cares if no one else is doing it.. actually all the more reason to do it! 

55. Eat more greens!

56. Cook your food less - its better nutritionally speaking, its better for your health, its easier on the planet, it uses less resources. 

57.  Buy more fruit and nuts from trees- this supports perenial plants, which supports soil health, which supports water quality, which supports wildlife and human health.  We are all connected. 

58.  Never make a decision without considering its impact to the people who will live 7 generations ahead of us. 

59.  Move to an ecovillage - support those doing it right!

60. choose a career which serves the world!

61.  Bury your weapons.. we don't need a world with them. 

62.  Go visit a beautiful place on earth.. fall in love! 

63 Go visit a gold mine which has had devastating effects on the locals.  See first hand the destruction made by us.  Don't just read about it, experience it. 

64.  Don't support industries with no real purpose - diamonds, gold, - these are just for show.. they cause massive amounts of pain and destruction in our world.. for what reason?  To show off what we have? It doesn't make sense.

65.  Shower with a partner.. save water!

66. Drive less

67. Love more!

68.  Stop wearing perfume.  Be natural.. too many chemicals in our world as it is.  Essential oils are okay :)

69.  Get geothermal energy

70. solar

71. wind

72. or another alternative!  Get creative! 

73.  Live out of the city.. and don't commute! 

74.  Create your life in a way that what you do directly supports nature.. grow wildlife.. sell wild dandelion leaves! 

75.  Dance. 

76.  Sing

77.  Make art of waste

78.  Start a compost in your yard

79 Build yourself a vegetable garden!

80.  Better yet, allow nature to take over your yard and learn native plants.. learn native plant recipes and enjoy the abundance! 

81.  Travel to the opposite side of the globe.. to learn everything you thought you knew but didnt. 

82. Be grateful for what you have.

83.  Enjoy the little things in life.

84.  Come up with your own list and share it :) 

85. Challenge: Consume more vegetables than grains.. :)

86.  Learn about almost extinct varieties of vegetables in your region.. do what you can to bring them back! Plant them, share them, talk about them! 

87.  Do not breed animals!  We have so many animals in this world who need homes.. there is no need to bring animals into this world at this point just for the sake of a pure breed.  Forget it.. give love to what we already have. 

88.  Support wildlife.. don't litter, be mindful about hiking in nature preserves.. treat it with respect.

89.  Stop consuming milk, meat, fish and honey.. it doesn't serve your health, it doesn't serve the world. 

90.  Recycle your microwave.  Honestly , it's good for nothing. 

91.  Request companies to stop using so much packaging.. why do we need all of that stuff just to be thrown away?

92.  Don't buy bubble wrap.. if it comes to you.. fine... keep it reuse it.. but no need to add more bulk of waste in the world.

93.  Tell your loved ones what they mean to you on a regular basis. Life is too short to not express yourself or your love fully.. Let them know.

94.  turn off lights..

95.  Start a monthly stuff swap with friends, family or neighbors.. host it and tell others to bring things that are nice but they don't use anymore.. set up everything nicely in your home.. whatever doesn't get taken home by somebody else.. give away to charity.

96.  If you hear something you don't believe, look it up.. you might be surprised to find it may be true. 

97.  Take public transit

98.  Remember to walk your dog on a regular basis.. he/she depends on you! 

99.  Give atleast one hug a day!

100. Remember to smile.  Don't be too hard on yourself.  It's okay.. Don't take life sooo seriously. 

All the best.

100 ways to know you've made the right decision, or have been making a string of the right decisions.

So yesterday I had a lot of fun making the list of 100 things, I decided to make another one.

It's interesting to me, that the more learned, the more you realize you actually don't really understand it.  I mean, there is an understanding, but really diving into one field, it's as if knowledge is a tree, and every time you think you've zoned in on a specific aspect of that tree- perhaps one branch, it's as if that branch becomes another tree, and every time you further specify your search, you notice dozens of little branches actually coming out of that branch, and each smaller branch containing just as many smaller branches connecting to it.  Life is really amazing that way, everything is so connected that trying to only learn one thing, is either very disconnected from the entire picture, or learning one thing means actually learning many many things.

I'm learning the art of making decisions.  So I decided that this would be a nice topic to try and go for a list of 100 in.  looking at it now, I'm going to pretend I know 100 ways to know if you've made the right decision, but we will soon find out if I can off the top of my head, list some!

1.  You feel at peace.
2. Maybe no one else agrees with what you've decided, but your inner determination is so strong that no other voice but your own matters.
3.  You feel free.
4.  You feel excited and ready to start every day.
5.  Even with the thoughts of all of the worst possible outcomes of that decision, your heart is happy and singing regardless.
6.  Your brain may still be in a bit of turmoil, but despite it's attempts to sabotage your happiness, you cannot stop yourself from making this decision.
7.  There is no doubt in your heart, that this choice was 100% in line with your most innermost values.
8.  People may not agree with what you've decided, but some of them really can't help but notice the sparkle in your eye!
9.  Suddenly the choices of others don't really bog you down, or phase you even, because you feel so content with where you are, and the choices that you are making.
10.  Getting out of bed every day, is as enjoyable as a date with your best friend.
11.  Even if the body may be experiencing some health challenges, your mind is clear.
12.  Even if the body is experiencing some pain, the mind doesn't attach suffering to it.
13.  Not only can you see the benefits for yourself directly, but you see the positive effects of this decision actually also benefiting others - either directly or indirectly.
14.  Whether you are aware of it or not, you've become an inspiration to others.
15. Even the seemingly most daunting task, doesn't seem so serious.
16. All the negative remarks you may still be getting from others, hardly phase you.
17. Previous addictive behaviors you may have had, have either vanished or have significantly reduced.
18.  That inner yearning for appreciation from others isn't quite there anymore.
19.  You can feel the compassion for yourself, ever expanding.
20.  Your happiness feels one with others happiness.
21.  There is a bubbly bursting feeling inside of your gut.
22.  An excitement for life is full, and everything has become interesting!
23. Your ability to focus your attention has increased!
24.  Despite some fears, you don't allow them to get in the way of what you really want.
25.  Any worry over money is gone.
26.  Any worry about how you are spending your time, is less or absent.
27.  The smallest things, become fascinating and life changing for you.
28.  Your skin has taken on a bit of a glow
29.  You find yourself craving fresh fruits and veggies.
30.  Somehow time seems to be expanding.
31.  Insight starts to come in a different kind of way, which you could never have expected.
32. Synchronicities seem to be in full bloom
33.  Laughter happens more often than not.
34.  You find yourself surrounded mostly by people who are joyful to be around.
35.  People who you typically didn't associate with or who weren't really your type, suddenly you are able to find so much in common with them!
36.  Every moment of your day, seems to be in line with your higher most values.
37.  The thought of your family, brings a smile to your face.
38.  Sometimes you are so much in the present moment and enjoying, mealtimes are no longer the central feature of your day, you even find yourself forgetting that a meal time had come and gone!  Yet, no hunger pangs!
39.  The quality of the air that fills your lungs, brings you joy.
40.  You feel complete.
41.  Instead of seeking so much advice, you start noticing people seeking you for advice.
42.  It's joyful to tell your story.
43.  It's inspiring to tell your story.
44.  Your story connects to the hearts of everyone who listens to it.
45.  You feel great appreciation for your journey.
46.  You feel great appreciation for each and every person in your life.
47.  You see the truth in any words spoken.
48.  The need to impress is gone.
49.  The need to show off any material wealth is no longer needed.
50.  You feel comfortable being you.
51.  There is absolutely no other place that you would rather be.
52.  There is absolutely no other feeling, that you would rather be feeling!
53.  There is absolutely no other journey that you would have rather taken.
54.  There is absolutely no person in your life that you wish would disappear.
55.  The blessings in all of life, are clear.
56.  All of your challenges, seem more like opportunities.
57.  Learning hasn't ever been so fun.
58.  You feel strong about asking for what you want.
59.  You feel strongly about not taking things at face value.
60.  It's easy to disconnect what others say and what they actually mean.
61.  You feel strong to try things you have never tried before.
62.  Suddenly your ego, has taken a bit of a backseat.
63.  Accomplishments are no longer the goal.
64.  Connection ignites the motivation
65.  Energy is abounding
66.  Doubts come, but the joy overrides it.
67.  Less overeating
68.  Less sleep is needed
69.  The mind is quieter
70. Meditation is easier.
71. New ideas are in flow.
72. Creativity abounds.
73. You no longer feel the need to defend yourself.
74. You no longer feel the need to judge yourself.
75. You no longer feel the need to convince anyone.
76.  Trust flows.
77.  The heart feels open and receptive.
78.  The mind is optimistic and curious
79.  Negative reactions are less.
80.  Because of the choice, suddenly it feels there are so many doors opening up to you!
81.  Things you once easily overlooked, become almost impossible to overlook now.
82.  Time is no longer rushed
83.  It seems even if you aren't physically smiling, it always feels like your smiling.
84.  External temperatures effect you a little less.
85. The world seems to have really developed a keen sense of humor
86.  It's difficult for  you to deny anyone or anything your love
87.  you recognize everything in your life as a gift
88.  You find that there is hardly anything to complain about.
89.  The past isn't even a part of your thinking anymore.
90.  The future is only bright
91.  It's easy to express yourself.
92.  You feel calm.
93.  Your ability to learn and acquire new skills has doubled
94.  There is an inner glow of confidence
95.  There is an excitement to share your heart with others.
96.  There is a deep sense of belonging.
97.  Everything is good the way it is!
98.  Friends seem to be there, wherever you are!
99.  There seems to be less negative reaction on a cellular level to your surroundings, less sunburns, allergies, mosquito bites.
100.  You would be willing to go through the decision making process all over again, because of the bliss you are currently living!

My husband talks about, whatever you are seeking for yourself, freely give it to others.

I do feel I have made a lot of right decisions in my life, and now that I am at another cross roads, it's helpful to look at all sides of the situation.  These lists according to my husband help open doors to your heart that maybe haven't fully been explored in seeking the answers to life's questions.

May you be happy, may you make awesome decisions!

All the best. :)

My list of 100 sustainable life options for the year or years to come

So, I am still feeling this tension between going back to school and not going back to school.  My husband gave me a good idea about writing a list of 100 possible things you could do in the next five years:

1- Go back to school in Utah - spend time with family, friends and pets.  Time in Nature, learning about soil science and agroecology.  Will be able to use that knowledge wherever I go.

2- Go back to school somewhere else - for example canada- learn water and land management be able to do city planning work.. or other land development work.  Relatively inexpensive and a one year program.  Or study green technology - green walls and roofs http://agreenroof.com/walls/.  Study sustainability management - the art of helping companies become more green and sustainable.

3- Study live food nutrition.  http://www.treeoflife.nu/

4- Work on a vegan farm     http://www.goveganic.net/article94.html

5- Get a job in a green company - rainforest alliance, greenpeace, etc.

6- Work again for an environmental consulting company, save up for more expensive programs - for example .. like the 2 month long multicourse for permaculture in Australia.
http://www.permaculturenews.org/courses.php

7- Start a vegan cafe

8- Continue on and promote the current vegan catering

9-Spend a few years at Sadhana Forest - really get involved.
http://sadhanaforest.org/wp/volunteers/

10- Spend some months or more at Gorukana - write a book about the indigenous people and draw
up a list of all of their plant species and what they use them all for.
http://gorukana.org/

11- Continue working more proactively with my husbands foundation.  Dedicate myself to helping it become more sustainable. (which basically it really wouldn't be much to do, but maybe things like - order pen and notepads from sustainable contributors, make sure when he travels - he travels by train... etc.)

12- yoga teacher training

13- raw chef training
http://www.radiantlyalive.com/rawfood-training.php

14- Stay in Pune and take a bunch of classes - botany, land remediation, hindi, music classes, dance
    -year long ecological course - with ecological society of Pune

15-Start painting full time for sustainable causes - currently I am working on a painting of horse, once finished it will be sold and all proceeds will go to a horse ranch in New York which saves horses about to be slaughtered or who are badly abused.  They also save other animals like, cats, dogs, goats, sheep, etc.

16. Get Hula Hoop teacher trained.  http://www.hoopnotica.com/teacher-training

17.  Dedicate myself full time to only using sustainable energy, bicycling everywhere, grow as much food in my apartment as possible, no electric appliances and no gas.  Find natural alternatives to food preparation, lights, cooling and heating systems - DIY stuff.

18.  Make seed bombs full time.  Spend all of my time throwing them around town :)
 Or get seeds from Vandana Siva and other organic farms, plant them in otherwise throw-awayables and give them away to people so they can start their porch gardens.

19.  Make a fermenting business - fermented fruit and vegetable drinks for probiotics and health.

20.  Start playing piano again, hold concerts for supporting ecological causes.

21. Continue to network with all of the vegans, raw foodists, permaculturists, organic food producers, sustainable communities, eco-resorts, eco-businesses.  Keep blogging about their work, form stronger networks and pathways between their work.

22. Work on my mindfulness.  Enjoying every moment.  Chewing every bite atleast 30x.  Practicing gratitude everyday.  Working on Inner peace, no matter my outside choices.

23.  Dedicate to learning something new everyday.  Researching where our 'stuff' comes from, how it is made and what the most sustainable options are in terms of, watches, computers, etc.

24.  Take some classes on sustainable technologies, water filtration systems, alternative energy - for example - sustainable dance floors (floors harvesting energy from people!) http://www.sustainabledanceclub.com/news/energy_floors_at_ecomobiel_2012_in_ahoy

25.  My friend is an art teacher who makes art with the kids out of otherwise throw-awayables - pencil shavings, small pieces of paper.. etc.  They also collect used film from movie theatres and create cool things, like lamp shades out of them!

26.  Work/volunteer in an orphanage

27.   work/volunteer at an animal shelter

28.  Study wholistic animal care/ animal nutrition.  Many of our beloved pets are fed sick animals from slaughter houses, and roadkill.  Many of our beloved pets develop all sorts of strange diseases over time due to this unhealthy food.  Is there a better way to care for them?  Can our animals be fed a more wholistic diet?

29.  Another friend here in Pune works in collecting other peoples unwanted stuff, and sells it at huge 'garage-like-sales'  Not only does she re-sell, but she re-creates them into beautiful works of art.  She has a workshop where she cuts glass bottles in half, paints them and puts lights inside of them!  A great decoration for any modern/metro type household or would be fabulous in any cafe, restaurant, bar or club!

30.  Create a recycling center in India.  There are hardly any here.

31.  Travel the world and find communities like Gorukana who have only recently blended with modern society.  How can we learn from them?  Can we show genuine interest in their lifestyles so they can see that their way of life is amazing as well!  How can we work among the indigenous people's so we can get the best of both worlds - westernization and our roots!

32.  Eco fashion - http://www.ecofashionworld.com/Browse-By-Eco-Criteria.html
some the issues with the system we have today: http://www.sponsume.com/project/cotton-film-dirty-white-gold


- I met someone in Delhi who uses natural/plant dyes for all of her organic cotton clothes!  Beautiful stuff and actually affordable!http://www.creativebee.in/news-events.html
Here is another link in the same line:
 http://www.tradeindia.com/manufacturers/indianmanufacturers/natural-dye-sarees.html

33. Exploring energy healing more.  I have my Reiki level II, I use it just about every day.  For everything from minor aches and pains to any emotional or other issue.  I've used it in a few situations and surprisingly I've gotten pretty good results!  Every time I don't take western medicine I support a world which doesn't test animals in a cruel way for all of our medicinal needs.  I support a world where we aren't giving our health into the hands of anybody but ourselves.  I'm not saying there aren't situations in which we need outside support, but just saying, there may be a better way.

34.  Studying holistic teeth care.  Currently finding practitioners who understand the teeth on a much deeper level, than just giving quick fixes or pulling out the problem (root canals) is difficult.  I do believe that teeth are meant to be healthy, and I do believe our diet influences them.

35. Converting my car to work on vegetable oil.  Start a small business in helping other cars convert.

36.  Learn clay pottery.  Many people in the world still use clay pots, they are great for oil-free cooking!  And much healthier than Teflon.

37.  Travel to South America, stay at a friend's organic farm, learn to save seeds and all else that happens there  http://www.ecuadorexplorer.com/guaycuyacu/

38.  Experiment with making homemade soaps, lotions, mixtures or just plain recipes for skincare, shampoo, and other cosmetics.
       - I've already been experimenting with different natural powders for teeth and other products that are organic and traditional, which I've purchased here in India.  Flax seeds - ground mixed with water actually makes a pretty decent soap.  It would be pretty cool to learn more about natural stuff.

39.  Make more of my own household cleaners - to be honest, I rarely buy any kind of household cleaners and if I do, I try to get the most natural cleaner there is.  Mostly I've started cleaning everything with water.  In India, dust settles very quickly all over.  So it's common for the floors to be mopped once a day.  They generally use cleaners, but I've stopped using cleaner, because mostly it's just to get the dust out.  I've also started making my own dish soap - for handwashing.  Basically flax seeds (ground), vinegar and baking soda.  Works as far as I'm concerned :)

40. Collecting as many seeds and plants as I can - just from vegetables bought from the store, allow some to go bad so I can collect their seeds, and start my own container nursery on my balcony!  I could also collect any containers that would otherwise be thrown to plant in :)

41.  Start vermicomposting.  Both in my apartment and maybe I could volunteer at the place down the road which composts all of our food waste with worms :)

42.  Really start promoting my permaculture design business, be serious about it and take on offers - either voluntarily or having costs covered for stay and what not.

43.  Spend more time outside.  So much happens on the streets of India!  Feed animals, bring the really sick ones to shelters, sit with the homeless, sort trash - separate bags from food - some statistic I read was something like an average cow in India, when it dies, 27 plastic bags are found inside of it's belly.

44. Get a translator, and start speaking to the homeless, asking them their stories and how they ended up there, what they used to do and what's the stories of the families, backgrounds, what their skills are.   Maybe even write a book about it.  Similar maybe to the "Help"

45.  Or, even more similar to movie, "the Help", speak to the actual maids and other workers here in India, find out their stories and how they perceive their lives and life in general, how they compare themselves to it all.

46.  run a marathon

47.  Learn to scuba dive.

48.  Visit all of the farms and organizations on my list of permaculture related stuff in India.

49.  Go to Bangalore and learn from my friend the art of container gardening.

50.  Go to Thailand and apprentice at a permaculture farm, they have permaculture teacher training programs in the summer as well, along with apprenticeships to learn natural building. http://www.panyaproject.org/

51.  learn the ins and outs of natural building!

52.  Learn Botany!

53.  Learn wild foods, indigenous foods/ native species of India and what people used to mostly eat from the wild, in all different parts of India.

53.  Learn wild foods from around the globe, what indigenous people eat, and how they eat it :)

54.  Collect seeds of wild foods both for regions and globally. Rehabilitate unused and bare soils by mulching and planting these wild foods!  Allowing for nature to grow as it does, while we can also make use of it!

55.  Create community gardens in my area and offer to other communities as well!  Have residents get together and ask them if they'd be interested in having gardens and signing petitions to get gardens in these communities.

56.  Work together with the government to create more green spaces, especially for kids.  Kids in India tend to have to play on the roads, due to a lack of place to play.  - Maybe if unused batches of lands could be cleaned up into nice parks?

57.  Have a gathering of people bring any old coats, blankets or clothes that are no longer used.  Take a day and give the material out to the homeless.

58.  Open up the apartment to hold regular clothing swaps, everyone brings clothes which are nice, but they would be willing to give away for something 'new'.  So they come and bring their clothes and other stuff, and take a look at everything else to see if they'd want anything else.  No costs.

59.  Find out all the hidden skills of friends, maybe one friend likes to cook, another likes to sew, another is great at poetry.  Every week, a friend can teach and show everyone else their skill.

60.  Do nothing!

61.  Learn to surf.

62.  Move to Auroville, help out with SHARAN http://sharan-india.org/

63.  Learn more about no till farming techniques  http://solitudefarm.blogspot.in/

64.  Go on a huge hiking trek in the Himalayas!  Maybe meet some yogis!

65.  Visit Bhutan, learn the ways of the happiest place on earth.

66. Volunteer at an elephant nature park in Thailand, http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/

67.  Volunteer at a vegan community in Hawaii or New Zealand:
http://gentleworld.org/about/community/
The description of the place in New Zealand from the website: 
454 acres of magnificent New Zealand countryside that we call Shangri-La; a private valley, with two pristine rivers. Here we accept volunteers each summer season (from November-May) to help lift Shangri-La up to its name, which includes the planting and maintenance of hundreds of fruit trees, lots of flower gardens and several veganic vegetable gardens.

68.  Study oceanography, learn about the huge pile of trash we have in our ocean.. I think actually it's multiple piles of trash.. :/  Can we turn this into an island or something?  Put an airport on it?  Plant some trees?  What can be donee??  
http://www.squidoo.com/garbage-patch?utm_source=google&utm_medium=imgres&utm_campaign=framebuster
- check out the ted talk on this one!! amazing, yet very sad.

69.  My previous option, inspired this option.  Choose no plastic!  Can it be done, can I live a plasticless life?  I could email all of the companies from which I like to buy products and ask them whether they will take my plastic product back and reuse it once i have finished their product or if they can send it to me refilled with their product.  Maybe I could start petitions, have them go viral about getting companies to switch out of using plastic.  Can we get over our plastic addiction!  Help!
 http://www.squidoo.com/garbage-patch?utm_source=google&utm_medium=imgres&utm_campaign=framebuster
- I pasted the same link from above.. because, yes, it's that good, check it out!

70.  After watching that ted X talk about the state of our oceans and the trash island two times as big as Texas.  I could easily spend the next five years of my life filtering plastic from our oceans.  Hey, maybe we could use plastic as some insulation in our buildings?  Possible?   Maybe I can start a plastic building proposal, and maybe this is our solution for mountain top removals (since currently we are cutting open many mountains for all of their metals and what not for building everything) ?  Maybe we can start making our computers and cell phones from used plastics?  What else.. cupboards, tables, chairs.. hey!  Used plastic could be the new oak.. if we start using trash at at least the same rate as we use pristine ecosystems.. We might be able to rid ourselves of this pollution problem?? Hey maybe we will even save a few forests!

71.  Get into the 'business' (more like NGO) of stopping illegal animal trade.  Teach people alternative ways to make money, in fact ways to make money sustainably and in a much more grandios way then their previous disrupting lifestyle of illegal trade of wild animals.  And of course rescue all the wild animals and help them back to their natural habitats.  I could even be a watchmen for these areas, and make sure no one tries to steal them!  lol.

72.  Travel to China and other countries which eat dog and cat.  Give workshops on raw and vegan food with all of its health benefits.  Charm them into loving our animal friends :)  We could also sneak some really adorable baby cat and dog videos in there, all of the really sappy ones, that show that actually these little creatures are not much different from us.

73.  Organize prayer meetings everyday, to send positive wishes to all of the baby animals in the world.  Send positive wishes to earth and the all the people of earth. (as well as the plants, the bugs, the soil, the water and everything else that makes up this world)  The power of prayer!

74.  I can't believe I made it to 74.  At 34, I thought that I was done for .. meaning I wasn't sure if I'd be able to think of anymore.. haha.  kk. let's see.
I could experiment with eco-friendly paints. I could use vegetable and fruit colors.  I could sell them and maybe even hold art classes, using all of these natural vegan materials.

75.  Find out people creating sustainable packaging, start marketing these packaging to big companies as well as small ones, YAY no more plastic!

76.  Or, for all of our plastics, create a culture of washing things out and sending them back to the company to force them to re-use.

77.  Do something nice for someone else everyday, that normally probably wouldn't have happened.

78.  I could make a list like this everyday.  haha.

79.  Learn to knit

80.  Even better learn to use the hair from my llamas ( I know I am a vegan, but my home in Utah is completely an unvegan home - my mom, dad and other relatives.  No matter what I know they will keep their farm, and the hair from the llamas, they will continue to have anyway.  So might as well make use of it right? )  and learn how to make yarn from it :)

81.  Experiment with alternative refrigerator systems, meaning no electricity.

82.  Start city foraging - find out myself, about plants that grow in abundance in the city, make my own names for them, if I can't find them in a reference guide.  Ask locals about them.

83.  Go on walks in the parks, bring my botany book, further refine my indian plant identification skills.

84.  Learn to make bags and jewelry out of trash.

85.  Start collecting unique small trinkets of throw-awayables.  I could maybe make little puja trays with using them, or I could get creative and make ganesh statues :) or bird baths and bird homes.

87.  Start teaching in schools, I could start an eco club at a local highschool, we could collect trash and then make huge beautiful statues out of them.  Or even better, I wrote about this on one of my older blogs but make a green house from bottles!  When I visited the Nilgiris - Earth Trust, they worked with kids and the kids actually did this project.  Their green house was so cool!

88.  This might be more meaningful in the states, where families are a little more separated then they are in India.  But bring kids in to retirement homes.  Let them interact with the elderly - play games and maybe they could do interviews and what not.

89.  Offer a catering service of healthy organic vegan maybe even raw food to hospitals and prisons.  Maybe it could even be an NGO.  Why are we feeding our patients basically airplane food?
I was actually also even considering introducing health foods to my grandmothers retirement center.  Since they have started living there, it seems they have been experiencing more health problems as soon as they moved in.  Basically the diet is pretty laden with dairy and meats.  Like a lot of America.  When I go home, I would like to offer to prepare food for my grandparents on a regular basis.  It's her wish only, I won't force her to eat my food, lol.  But it might be an interesting thing to watch to see if my grandparents experience any improvement in their health?  Might be interesting.

90.  Live everyday to the fullest, get up early, eat light, exercise more than not, never miss an opportunity for that particular moment.  Smile to the biggest, laugh the deepest, love the fullest.  :)

91.  Almost there! Lol. I could start playing more sports, involve all of the kiddos on the streets.

92. Collect all of my leafy green scraps in a separate container, and take that container out every day to feed the cows.  (which are found all over in India)

93.  Continue to experiment in the kitchen with raw cuisine.  Visit villages and find out if they grow different stuff in their garden from what they sell at the market.  Find as much local/ non gmo produce as possible. Contine to experiment with making raw indian food.
- I made an awesome raw saag paneer recipe today!  haha which is entirely misleading because I didn't use saag nor paneer.  I used amaranth leaves and cashew cheese.  If you are interested in the recipe give me an email, I'd be happy to send it out

94.  Learn how to make coconut chutney from scratch, I love coconut.  They say that eating seeds is karmically not the best, so what is better is to regularly plant trees to make up for it.  Check out David Wolfe - The Sunfood Diet successsystem. Awesome book

95.  My husband teaches a "thank you" meditation.  I could do a "thank you" meditation every day.  Basically it is just saying thank you, over and over again in your mind, for the duration of the meditation.  I can't remember which society it is,but they say if you say thank you 1 million times, your life is changed forever.  It's a nice teaching  :)

96.  I can be grateful for all the ways in which I do live sustainably, and all the ways in which I do help others throughout my day, and all the ways in which I already contribute to society at large.

97.  I can learn the Indian Dandiya dance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMgnvtymB28

98.  I could take a weekly fasting day.  Yesterday I fasted, and I found even though I was kinda headachey yesterday, all of today I have felt much lighter as a result, and I found I have been much more aware of the food I have been eating as well as the quantity.  Food in our today's society has become so much of a gobble-it-down culture we really have no idea the work that goes into our food and not to mention the ingredients, many of them pretty toxic to our systems, esp in the quantities that we typically eat.  So I think I could definitely incorporate fasting into my life, if not on a weekly basis a monthly one.  And of course, I can't leave out the impact that regular fasting could have on our world. Everything adds up, and the less we demand from the planet, the better for everyone.

99.  My husband just walked in, and said I could be a meditation teacher. Lol.  I guess I could, what does it take, I guess I would first have to learn to meditate more wholeheartedly.  I have a tendency to get distracted a lot.

100. I finally made it!! this list probably took a good 4 hours.  Which is kind of embarrassing.  But no worries, there were a few breaks in between.  My last one is.. a commitment to having fun, to not taking life too seriously, even with all of my crazy environmentalism shoopla.  I can everyday, remember to be with people I enjoy, relax when needed, laugh at myself, and just have a good time.

Hmm, so I think my husband is right about making a list of 100 answers to a question in your head.  Even if at the end of it, you still feel a little unclear, suddenly the world just doesn't look so black and white anymore... which makes the decision more peaceful.